Original language title: “오징어 게임 3”
“Why did you keep me alive? Why did you let me live?” Four years after the premiere of Hwang Dong-hyuk’s pandemic streaming sensation “Squid Game,” the show has finally come to an end with a six episode final season. With a cliffhanger ending in last year’s Season 2 finale, the stage was set for Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) to face an uphill battle against the frontman of the games and his fake ally Hwang In-ho (played by Lee Byung-hun, who was recently in the 2025 film “KPop Demon Hunters”). Will Gi-hun be able to meet up with the detective Hwang Jun-ho (played by Wi Ha-joon), and who will ultimately walk away with the ₩456,000,000?
The Main Cast
Gi-hun’s only surviving allies from Season 2 are the mother and son pair of Jang Geum-ja (played by Kang Ae-shim) and Park Yong-sik (played by Yang Dong-geun), the pregnant Kim Jun-hee (played by Jo Yu-ri) and the transgender soldier named Cho Hyun-ju (played by Park Sung-hoon). They still have to face off against the remaining player base, who are far more enthusiastic to keep playing the games. These include Gi-hun’s former ally Kang Dae-ho (played by Kang Ha-neul), Jun-hee’s ex-boyfriend Lee Myung-gi (played by Im Si-wan), and the elderly Im Jeong-dae (played by Song Young-chang ).
Episodes 1 and 2: “Keys and Knives” & “The Starry Night”
“It’s all your fault! You killed them! You’re the one who killed them all! YOU!”
In the aftermath of his failed armed uprising in the Season 2 finale, Gi-hun feels devastated and powerless. The only thing he can still do is be forced to participate in the games, where, in a twisted game of hide and seek, he is given the choice to kill or face elimination, and Gi-hun wants revenge against Dae-ho for his role in the failed uprising. These episodes contain a lot of heartbreak and character deaths, and were some of the most shocking in the entire series. The nonverbal acting that Lee Jung-jae is doing as Gi-hun is simply incredible, making his eventual actions even more impactful. The opening reveal that Park Gyeong-seok (played by Lee Jin-wook) survived after being shot by the guard Kang No-eul (played by Park Gyu-young) was also shocking, and sets up a crucial arc for the rest of the season.
Episodes 3 and 4: “It’s Not Your Fault” & “222”
“It’s not her fault she was born in this hellhole. Sir, please. Please help Jun-hee and her baby survive.”
The biggest event in these episodes is the surprise birth of Jun-hee’s baby, and how the surviving contestants react to it becoming a new player. While it is a little awkward to see an obviously CGI character, the effects are thankfully not overused. The penultimate game, being jump rope across a bridge, was very creative and served as a great set piece for heartbreaking deaths.
Episodes 5 and 6: “ㅇΔㅁ” & “Humans Are…”
“We are not horses, we are humans, and humans are…”
One small issue with Season 1 is that while the whole series is named Squid Game, the final episode was more focused on character drama than actually playing the namesake of the show. Fortunately, the real Squid Game returns with a new twist and manages to provide a satisfying stage for the series to bow out in style. Jun-ho’s confrontation with his brother was tragic, and Gi-hun’s final scene felt both tragic and a culmination of the entirety of the show.
Final Thoughts
While Season 3 may not be as consistently good as the previous two seasons, it manages to be a fitting end to this legendary show. Whatever happens next to the games, at least we have this wonderful series. My final rating for “Squid Game: Season 3” is a 9/10.
