Squid Game 2 ending explained: Post-credits scene breakdown

If Boxing Day involved a blood-curdling howl and a pillow thrown at the TV, you’re not alone: ​​it was an incredible cliffhanger at the end Squid 2 game ON. But just a few seconds later, as the credits rolled, a mysterious scene appeared involving several participants, a killer robotic doll… and its new partner. What does all this mean?

As we describe the ending below, let’s speculate on what it all could mean and what are the signs of what’s to come for the third and final series Squid game in 2025. Of course, spoilers from the last episode Squid game Season 2 is ahead of us…

What happened at the end Squid 2 game?

After an orgy of violence in the dormitory, during which many of the participants were self-murdered, a group of about 10 people led by Gi-hun played dead and then attacked the guards who were checking on them. They stole machine guns and tried to make their way up the dizzying stairs to the control room, planning a confrontation with Frontman.

However, the guards had a numerical advantage, which led to a fierce shooting. When the participants ran out of magazines, Dae-ho – a proud Marine – was tasked with returning to the dormitory to collect more from the dead guards. But when he went there, he had a breakdown and ended up swaying in the corner of the room from the horror of what he had just witnessed.

Hyun-ju, a transgender former Marine, went back to the dorm to check on him and get bullets, but as she was about to open fire on the guards, her older mother, Geum-ja, stopped her and said, “you can’t do that.” die.” Also likely to survive in the dorm – and whom we will see in the next season – is the mother’s gambling-addicted son, Yong-sik, pregnant girlfriend Jun-hee, her YouTuber ex-boyfriend, MG Coin, and more from the “O” team.

Returning to the shooting, the guards kill more players, and one of them even shoots himself with the last bullet instead of being killed by the enemy. The insidious Frontman – 001 – convincingly reaches far into the attack, but then turns around as the last four men advance and kills 015 and 047 from behind.

There is an incredibly quick change of Frontman’s outfit back to his customary black robes and mask, and he appears in front of Gi-hun and Jung-bae, Gi-hun’s childhood friend. “Look carefully at the consequences of your little hero game,” he tells Gi-hun, and Jung-bae is shot.

The frontman leaves and Gi-hun is thrown to the floor and held by the guards, screaming Jung-bae’s name in terror. And then… cut to black and we’re hanging on that old cliff.

But think back to the dormitory when Gi-hun explained his plan to hide when the ‘O’ team attacked so that they could save themselves from their own attack on the guards. – Are you suggesting that we should make a small sacrifice for the greater good? contestant 001 – The Front Man – asks him. It’s a moral conundrum that Gi-hun has been struggling with and believes is the right course of action, but then Frontman smiled knowingly. He has pushed the moral Gi-hun into a corner where people will have to die for his actions, which means he is probably no longer ethically pure. Is this what he will turn to Gi-hun when and if he manages to face him in the third series?

What does the post-credits scene mean?

Cast your mind back to June 2022, when director Hwang tweeted more information on what to expect from the second season: “You will also be introduced to Young-hee’s boyfriend, Cheoul-su.” Young-hee is the killer doll of Red Light, Green Light, and as you noticed, when the contestants of the second series played the same game, there was definitely only one doll involved.

However, in a 10-second post-credits scene, Hwang keeps his word that we will be introduced to the boy doll, albeit incredibly briefly. The scene begins with three contestants numbered 096, 100, and 353 (apart from 100, a member of Team “O” who committed fraud and was 10 billion won in debt, these are contestant numbers that have not actually appeared before in the series) standing behind Young-hee, while normally the contestants stand in front of her. There is also a large background with a sunset painted on the sea, which is again different from the usual background in the game.

A guard can be seen off to the side, suggesting that the players are being forced there – so the games restart despite many players being killed in the dorm fight and subsequent shootout with the guards. The scene cuts from a close-up of Young-hee to the boy doll, Cheoul-su. And then the red light turns green.

What does all this mean? As already mentioned, the games continue, but with a new twist. The original contestants were divided into Team O – who voted to continue the sadistic game – and Team X – who wanted to stop, so could Frontman now pit them against each other in playground fun? This could be the reason why three players stood behind Young-hee; Are there three opposing team players behind Cheoul-su? Will each of them be responsible for shooting at players who move when the red light turns on? Potentially – especially since many of the masked guards would be killed in the shooting.

The idea of ​​splitting into two teams is a convenient distraction that will have them turning on each other rather than the madmen who created the games. In press notes, Director Hwang stated that this is a reflection of the modern world: “We see this kind of division not only in Korea, but around the world – growing conflict and hatred based on religion, ideology, origin, gender, or race. I wanted to symbolize this in season two by showing how the players are divided into Team O and Team X and how that leads them to oppose each other.

If they face each other to play Red Light, Green Light, or any other twisted game Frontman has invented, the only way they can survive is to unite forces and overthrow those in power. Ultimately, the post-credits scene suggests that there will be more violence in the future.

The question is: will director Hwang opt for a happy ending, or does he believe that humanity cannot be saved? Either way, we’ll find out in 2025 when the new series comes out. See you here next Boxing Day!