This Squid Game theory about Gi-hun and the old man has everyone THINKING

I want this to be true so badly


Squid Game on Netflix gives us a lot to digest. The show has been living rent free in a lot of our minds since we started watching it, unaware that this meant we would be committing our entire souls to a show that would suck us into a rabbit hole we have no intention of coming out of. The theories about Squid Game are wild, and one particularly interesting theory includes our two favourite characters, the old man and Gi-hun.

Right now, TikTok is the home of people sharing memes and theories about Squid Game. One has pointed out something very interesting, that when you put all the clues together, seems very, very plausible. It questions the relationship between the old man and Gi-hun, the main character in the show.

Welcome to the deep dive into the theory.

Theory about Squid Game on Netflix that Gi-hun and the old man are related and are actually father and son

via Netflix

Here’s the big Squid Game theory: Are Gi-hun and the old man related?

The thought is quite simple: Gi-hun and the old man are actually father and son. There have been a few hints throughout Squid Game which have given rise to the theory about Gi-hun and the old man. TikTok is all over it, sharing points in the show which seemed to make this theory stare us right in the face.

Firstly, we meet Gi-hun’s mother, but never his father. After the first game, when the players decide to return home – the old man and Gi-hun bump into each other. Later on, the two men are taking meals from the game staff and Gi-hun requests chocolate milk, as he can’t drink regular milk because he couldn’t digest it properly as a child. Il-nam (the old man) then says: “As a kid, I’m willing to bet you got spanked a lot.” Gi-hun replies: “How did you know?” And the old man says: “My son did too. He was just like you, friend.”

via Netflix

They also share the same love for childhood games, and find out in one of the games that they lived in the same place. Il-nam says: “You know, when I was a kid, I lived in a neighbourhood just like this.” Gi-hun then says he did too, adding: “And you know something? Our alleyway looked very similar.” Plus, if you’ve seen the final episode, (no spoilers) you’ll know there’s a lot of relevance to the design of the games and what inspired them.

Theory about Squid Game on Netflix that Gi-hun and the old man are related and are actually father and son

via Netflix

One TikTok looking at the theory has had over six million views and over a million likes. People have commented saying they thought this too, and that this is the “most realistic” theory they’ve seen about the show. So yeah, it’s got a lot of people talking.

@pusaera05I noticed why Gi-hun was the last player. What if? His son was Gi-hun. ##squidgame ##fyp

♬ She Knows – J. Cole

Plus, did you spot when the old man was asking about the date because his son’s birthday was coming up? He was asking if it was the 24th, and earlier in the series, when Gi-hun tried to access his mother’s bank using his birthday as the pin he entered “0426” – veeeeeery close to when the old man said his son’s birthday was “coming up”. 👀

From the show, it’s not entirely clear if either characters are aware of their possible connection. Gi-hun certainly doesn’t know anything about it, and it seems as though the old man is struggling with his memory with his old age and brain illness. I’m not going to give away the ending, but that too adds a little plot hole to this one. But, maybe neither of them are completely aware? Or if they are, the games could have played out differently if anything happened to Gi-hun?

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

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