Who Player 001 really is in Squid Game season two, and how he connects to everyone

Squid Game season two has a massive, massive twist at the end and I’m still recovering. The deeply mysterious character Player 001 turns out to be the key to like, everything. Here’s an overly thorough explanation of who Player 001 in Squid Game season two really is, just in case you got confuzzled during the grand finale.

This article contains spoilers for basically the whole ending of Squid Game season two, so read at your own rick.

Player 001 is a totally different guy in Squid Game season two

Let’s recap. So, in season one, Player 001 was an old man called Oh Il-nam. In a big twist at the end, it turned out that he was actually a very bored and very rich man who created the Squid Games to entertain himself and other very bored and very rich men.

The OG Player 001
(Image via Netflix)

He’d been diagnosed with a brain tumour, so decided to join in the Squid Game to relive his childhood right before he died (?). Most people would just look through a photo album and revisit their old school, but each to their own I guess?

In season two, there’s a new Player 001. He’s portrayed by the actor Lee Byung-hun.

The new Player 001 is actually the Front Man and I’m still in shock

Gi-hun befriends the new Player 001. He says his name is Oh Young-il, and he’s in the Squid Game to pay his and his wife’s medical bills. Gi-hun includes him in his plans to take over the control room and defeat the Front Man.

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Mid-fight, Player 001 reveals that he actually is the Front Man. He’d infiltrated Gi-Hun’s plan to infiltrate the Squid Game to destroy him. You still with me? He kills Jung-bae and it’s all very tragic. Gi-hun’s plan fails and the Squid Games carry on. Which obviously sucks for him, but works out kind of well for those of us who can’t wait to watch season three.

It must get really hot under that mask
(Image via Netflix)

Player 001 is also Hwang Jun-ho’s brother?!

Player 001’s real name is Hwang In-ho. He’s also Hwang Jun-ho’s long-lost brother, who is very much not dead after all.

The actor confirmed the details of Player 001’s backstory

Lee Byung-hun told The Wrap, “The story he tells the other participants is completely true, and it is actually the story of In-ho or the Front Man. He definitely feels that he can’t really go out into the outside world because he fears that world now. He feels that disconnect, so that’s part of the reason why he is in the games again.”

In-ho was a police officer, but he got involved in bribery and racked up loads of money problems. He won the 28th Squid Game in 2015, then got involved in organising the Games instead.

Squid Game is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Featured images via Netflix