Player 333 had a compelling arc towards the end ofSquid Gameseason 3, but one forgotten character from the series was a far better finalist than him. Despite initially showing some empathy towards Jun-hee in the early moments ofSquid Gameseason 3, Player 333 (Myung-gi) suddenly walks down a dark path in the show’s final moments.
Instead of attempting to save his baby, he decides to shed all morals by establishing that he is willing to put the child’s life on the line just to win the grand prize. Since Gi-hun’s final arc revolves around his efforts to save Jun-hee’s baby, Player 333 instantly becomes his enemy with his ill intentions.
Since many viewers expected Player 333 to somehow redeem himself, the grim twist in his narrative is quite surprising. Yim Siwan also seems to do a brilliant job of capturing Myung-gi’s inner conflict that forces him to choose survival over basic humanity. However, as gripping asPlayer 333’s finalSquid Gamechaptermay seem, he clearly was not the best final villain from theNetflix Korean show.
Sang-woo Was A Better Final Villain In Squid Game Than Myung-gi
Sang-woo Remains The Best Squid Game Antagonist
Given howSquid Gameis primarily about how the desire for survival brings out the worst in humanity, it is not surprising that the series has featured far more villains than heroes. The show’s protagonist, too, was on the verge of walking down an immoral path midway through season 3.
However, even thoughSquid Gamehas featured many memorable and terrifying villains, none have arguably come close to being as compelling as season 1’s Sang-woo. Myung-gi comes close with the final dark twist in his story, but Sang-woo was still a better final boss for Gi-hun than him.
The problem with Myung-gi’s story was that it felt slightly rushed towards the end, which made his sudden transformation into an evil character far less realistic. Sang-woo, in contrast,was established as a morally gray character inSquid Game’s early moments itself, before he completely embraced his darker tendencies towards the end of the games.
Gi-hun Faced Personal Stakes During His Final Squid Game Showdown Against Sang-woo
Since Myung-gi never made an effort to team up with the heroicplayers inSquid Gameseason 2, Gi-hun barely even noticed him in the games. He only realized he had some connection with Jun-hee after he saw him talking to her during the Jump Rope game in season 3.With Sang-woo, however, Gi-hun had a long history.
AsSquid Gameseason 1 established, Sang-woo and Gi-hun were best friends in school before Sang-woo became a successful investment banker and moved on with his life. Sang-woo’s desperation to survive and win the grandSquid Gameprize gradually corrupted him as the games progressed.
However, Gi-hun still had a strong reason to care about him because of their past friendship. With Myung-gi,Gi-hun hardly had any personal stakes, which made it easier for him to fight him in the games' final round. Sang-woo’s death, on the other hand, deeply scarred him inSquid Gameseason 1’s endingmoments and led him down a vengeful path against the games' authorities.
If it wasn’t for Sang-woo and his tragic death, Gi-hun probably would not have considered stopping the games or returning to them. Owing to this, it would be fair to say thatSquid Gameseasons 2 and 3 only exist because of the ripples created by Sang-woo’s arc.
Sang-woo Is One Of Squid Game’s Best Characters Across All Seasons
Sang-woo’s Story Perfectly Captures The Show’s Themes
Gi-hun cannot help but sing praises for how bright Sang-woo used to be in school, highlighting how the character always had a bright future ahead of him. However, despite eventually “making it,” Sang-woo seems to fall hard, which leads him to deadly games. His backstory serves as a cautionary tale of how success sustained through unethical means can often lead to ruin.
Sang-woo also makes many morally questionable choices in the games because, despite understanding how skewed the overarching system is, he cannot help but play by its rules in the hope of coming out on top.
His story also highlights how,in capitalistic societies, those who fall from grace are quickly abandoned by the system, regardless of how successful they once were. Sang-woo also makes many morally questionable choices in the games because, despite understanding how skewed the overarching system is, he cannot help but play by its rules in the hope of coming out on top.
22
3
Budget
US $21.4 million in season 1 and ₩100 billion in seasons 2 & 3
Streaming On
Netflix
Most other villains, like Thanos, Front Man, and even Myung-gi seemed cartoonish because of how completely they embraced their villainy almost throughout their arcs. Sang-woo, however, was always morally conflicted and guilty-ridden, which is why he made that sacrifice inSquid Gameseason 1’s ending moments.
All in all, Sang-woo comes off as the most realistic character in the series, making him far more relatable than others. His arc did not last beyondSquid Gameseason 1, but his story’s emotional weight haunts Gi-hun even in season 2.
Squid Game
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 that follows numerous financially struggling participants who are invited to partake in children’s games with deadly outcomes. As they compete, they vie for a substantial cash prize, all while navigating lethal challenges orchestrated by mysterious figures.
