Netflix's Squid Game is currently one of the most popular shows in the world.
And it's looking like the dystopian survival series is likely going to become the streaming
services biggest show ever.
Fans of the enigmatic Korean show have taken to social media to analyze and dissect virtually
every scene and character of the series – and that's largely part of its appeal.
Fans have come up with hundreds of hot takes and theories ranging from the truly bizarre
to essentially just stating the obvious.
There hasn't been a show since perhaps Lost that has inspired such a flurry of audience
participation and sleuth-like detective work.
To call the series complicated is putting it lightly.
Let's take a closer look at a few of these fan theories, but just keep in mind that we
are just as confused and dumbfounded as you are.
It's not like we have any more pieces of the puzzle than you do.
Il-Nam is Gi-Hun's Father
It's looking more and more likely that Oh Il-Nam just might be Seong Gi-Hun's dad.
There are several hidden clues sprinkled throughout the series that might back that theory up
as well.
For one thing, at the beginning of the series, Il-Nam tells Gi-Hun that he suspects that
he was 'spanked a lot growing up.
Later, when Gi-Hun asks how he knew that, Il-Nam responds by saying that his 'son did
too' and that he was 'just like' him.
While that might just sound like a minor coincidence, Il-Nam and Gi-Hun later teamed up in episode
six, and at one point, Il-Nam tells Gi-Hun that he grew up in a neighborhood a lot like
the one they found themselves in.
Gi-Hun responds by saying that he did as well before adding that an alleyway looked very
familiar.
Later, when Il-Nam appeared to be forgetting his train due to dementia, he asked Gi-Hun
if it was the 24th since his son's birthday was coming up.
Early on in the series, when Gi-Hun stole his mom's credit card, he enters his own birthday,
0426, as the card's pin.
If we assume that the 04 represents the month of April, then Gi-Hun's birthday would fall
just two days after the date that Il-Nam mentioned.
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The Color Of The Card Determines The Role
The two main roles seen in the Squid Game are workers and participants.
While neither positions seem ideal, a ton of theories attempt to explain how exactly
one becomes either a worker or a participant.
The most plausible one, however, is tied to the Korean card game Ddakji and Gong Yoo.
In each episode, the audience is re-introduced to Gong Yoo, the inviting salesman for Squid
Game.
In the first episode, at the bus station, Gong Yoo offers Gi-Hun 10,000 Won every time
he manages to flip his card, but every time he loses, his Gong Yoo gets to slap Gi-hun
in the face.
Before the card game starts, Gi-hun is given a choice of a red or blue card.
Gi-hun chooses the blue card, and later when the Squid Game begins, he shows up as a contestant
wearing a blue jumpsuit.
According to this theory, fans believe that if Gi-hun had instead chosen a red card, then
he would have become one of the red-suited workers instead of being a participant.
The Games Were In Plain Sight From The Beginning
This one might be better classified as a secret rather than a theory.
If the participants had only bothered to read the writing on the wall in their accommodations,
then they would have known what games they were up for next.
Hidden behind the bunk beds were drawings that illustrated each and every challenge
that they would soon face, from honeycombs to the final squid game.
But most people probably didn't even notice.
Squid Game Was Rigged For The Old Man From The Start
Oh Il-nam was the underdog right from the beginning.
Not only was he the oldest participant in the Squid Game, but he was arguably the weakest
as well.
But to everyone's surprise, not only does he manage to survive several rounds of the
game, but he ends up being one of the most strategic players.
Several eagle-eyed viewers, however, have noticed clues that seemingly explain the old,
dying man's apparent enthusiasm.
In the final reveal, it's shown that the Old Man was the one who had picked the rounds
– which would seem to explain his perceived expertise and excitement.
During the first games, while everyone else was too busy being scared and confused, the
old man gleefully runs forward even though hundred of innocent people were being slaughtered
around him.
The ominous and incredibly creepy death-doll barely even seems to scan the old man, while
noticing even the smallest of movements in the other participants.
Later on in the series, when the riots break out amongst the participants, The Front Man
and the workers watch dozens of contestants die as they beg to be let out.
But the second that Il-Nam expresses that he is scared, immediately the doors swing
open, and the guards swoop in to reestablish order.
Ever Major Character's Death Was Foreshadowed By How They Lived Their Lives In The Real
World
There is a ton of death on Squid Game.
There's no way of getting around that fact, but while the deaths might seem to be relatively
random at first, everyone seems to have been foreshadowed by the character's actions and
choices in their personal lives on the outside.
For example, the gangster Jang Deok-su jumped off a bridge to escape debt collectors before
joining the game.
Even though he survived that fall in the real world, ultimately, he fell off a glass bridge
to his death in the 5th game.
Speaking of Deok-su, the person who brought about his death was Han mi-nyeo.
Earlier on in the series, she had promised Deok-Su that they would make it out of the
game together.
Well, she ended up keeping her promise when she grabbed hold of him and dragged him to
his death with her.
Here's another example.
Kang Sae-byeok once threatened to slit a man's throat before joining the game.
She ended getting her neck sliced opened by Player 218, Cho Sang-woo.
Before the games commenced, Cho Sang-woo had attempted to kill himself after being disgraced,
but in the final round against Gi-Hun, Sang-woo yet again chooses to kill himself rather than
facing defeat.
Ali, the Pakistani Immigrant, had previously run off with his boss' money after not being
paid for six months.
In the games, he was betrayed by Sang-woo, who stole all of his loot.
Then we have the less-than-reputable doctor, Byeong-gin, who had been sued for malpractice
before joining the game.
He had attempted to cheat the system to benefit himself, but that's ironically how he ended
up dying as well.
He was killed while trying to cheat the system to learn clues about the next game.
There Are More Squid Games All Around The World
When the VIP guests arrived in South Korea, it was implied that these games weren't merely
limited to just one geographical locale.
Judging by the number of high-profile guests traveling from all across the globe, it's
safe to say that this is a worldwide gambling operation created by Il-Nam many years ago.
Hopefully, this means that we might see a spin-off series set somewhere else in the
world at some point.
The Real Reason Why Gi-Hun Dyed His Hair Red
After Il-Nam's death and a year after winning the game, Gi-Hun finally spends his prize
money and dyes his hair a bright shade of red.
According to Korean tradition, the color red can represent masculinity.
This reasonably could mean then that Gi-Hun was indicating that he had gained a bit more
control over his life.
But other theories propose that Gi-Hun dyed his hair to match the color that the guards
wear.
This might imply that he plans on returning to the game undercover to take it down from
the inside.
While that might be a bit of a stretch, the series does end with Gi-Hun setting out to
track down everyone that is still allowing the game to go on.
The Workers Are Previous Participants
One theory that attempts to reveal the identity of the workers in red proposes that they were
previous winners from older games.
It's not that unlikely either, seeing as how the Front Man is In-ho, detective Jun-ho's
missing sibling.
The winners of each game walk away with a hefty chunk of change, but some of the participants
are already millions of dollars in debt.
Handing out loads of money to gambling addicts would likely only fuel their vices even more.
It's possible that once the winner returns to the real world, they would recklessly spend
all of that prize money and once again find themselves suffocating under a mountain of
debt.
Oh Il-Nam obviously can keep track of all the players.
When the games were first canceled, we saw how he just so happened to have found Seong
Gi-Hun, so it's reasonable to assume that he keeps tabs on the winners as well and allows
them to have another opportunity to pay off their debts by working as guards.
That theory might also explain why past winners are recruited.
The guards are depicted as being cold and lacking in anything resembling empathy.
What could make someone so hardened than witnessing and killing fellow participants in the pursuit
of money?
But then again, what's up with that young boy from episode three that was discovered
to be a guard?
Is it really possible that he won a previous tournament?
Or maybe there is something far darker going on below the surface that we can't even imagine.
So, those are a few theories floating around the internet, but maybe you have one of your
own that you'd like to share.
Let us known in the comments section below.
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