Squid Game Season 3 Review: The Ending No One Expected

June 28, 2025 themovieschronicle@gmail.com

After the release of Squid Game season 1 in 2021, fans waited for three long years for season 2 only to be rewarded with Squid Game season 3 within the next six months!

With season 3 out on 27th June on Netflix, fans are in for a wild ride with the new episodes getting even darker than the previous ones. Written and directed by Hwang Dong-Hyuk, the show follows Seong Gi-Hun, who returned in season 2 after winning the games in the first season.

Going by the Squid Game season 3 trailer, its evident that the story gets more violent and disturbing with the players losing their humanity every minute. Before you hit the play button on the third and final season, let’s give you a brief overview with some major spoilers included.

Squid Game Season 1 and 2 Recap

Now that the Squid Game season 3 release date is out and the episodes are available for streaming, let us give you a quick recap of the previous two seasons before you start binge-watching the new season.

Season 1 of Squid Game began with hundreds of debt-ridden people given a strange offer to join a game with the promise of winning a huge amount of money if they win.

Without knowing what they are signing up for, they agree to participate only to find themselves on a hidden island, where they are forced to play a series of childhood games.

But there’s a catch. Anyone who loses the game dies. The players quickly realize that winning means they have to beat others even if it means killing them.

Player 456 manages to win the game, but his happiness is short-lived as he set on to participate again in the game where he decides to end the loop of this game for once and all.

In season 2, he is seen contesting, but is there for a greater cause and making people aware of how this ugly games works. He manages to convince people and even revolt only to end up loosing more people to death and his plan failing terribly.

Now that the new season is here, Squid Game season 3 ratings and reviews tell us how much fans are excited to see the deadly competition happen all over again!

Squid Game Season 3 Summary

Squid Game Season 3 Netflix takes a darker and more emotional turn as Gi-hun returns, tired of his failure to bring down the deadly competition. He tries to rally a group of players and fight back against the guards but fails, which leaves him broken and questioning everything.

Squid Game season 3 explores how even the most noble plans can fall apart when others aren’t as committed, or simply too afraid.

The story splits into three threads. Inside the game, a mysterious insider tries to secretly bring down the organisation while Gi-hun joins the game in the hope of finding a purpose. Meanwhile, outside the arena, a former police officer is still searching for the island where it all takes place.

For those wondering where to watch Squid Game season 3, all the episodes are now available on Netflix.

Squid Game Season 3 Plot

Talking about season 3 plot, it picks up right where season 2 ended. In the final stage of the deadly Sky Squid Game, only three players are left, including Gi-hun (Player 456), Myung-gi (Player 333), and a baby that Gi-hun is protecting. The baby belongs to Jun-hee (Player 222), who died earlier to save her child. Myung-gi is the baby’s father, but he is not bothered about his child because he is desperate to win.

Myung-gi demands Gi-hun hand over the baby so he can drop her and win, but Gi-hun fights him to protect the baby.

Just when Gi-hun thinks he has won, he realises that neither he nor Myung-gi pressed the button to start the final round, meaning the game is not over yet. Now he has two options. He either kills himself or the baby. As season 3 episodes come to an end, we see Gi-hun ending his life to save the baby.

Did Player 456 Die in Squid Game Season 3?

If you haven’t watched the series, but read season 3 episodes summary, you may have questions about Player 456 aka Seong Gi-hun.

Initially, the makers didn’t plan for Gi-hun to die but later realised that would be the best way to end his journey and the storyline as well. In Squid Game final season, Gi-hun jumps off a tower and ends his life to save the baby.

Gi-hun’s sacrifice reflects his desire to protect even when the baby’s father didn’t. He doesn’t know what will happen to the baby, but he still decides to save her by ending his own life, showcasing his humanity.

Squid Game Season 3 Cast

The season 3 cast is much smaller than season 2 because of obvious reasons. While there are no major additions to the cast list, creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk made a cameo appearance in the series.

Here are the names of the actors and their characters:

Lee Jung-Jae as Seong Gi-hun
Wi Ha-joon as Hwang Jun-ho
Lee Byung-hun as Hwang In-ho / the Front Man
Im Si-wan as Lee Myung-gi / “MG Coin”
Park Sung-hoon as Cho Hyun-ju
Yang Dong-geun as Park Yong-sik
Lee Jin-Wook as Park Gyeong-Seok
Kang Ae-shim as Jang Geum-ja
Roh Jae-won as Nam-gyu
Park Gyu-young as Kang No-eul
Song Young-chang as Im Jeong-dae
Jo Yu-ri as Kim Jun-hee
Chae Kook-hee as Seon-nyeo
Kang Ha-neul as Kang Dae-ho
Lee David as Park Min-Su

Squid Game Season 3 Ending Explained

The Squid Game season 3 ending is far from what fans may have expected. Instead of Gi-hun, player 222 (the baby) wins the game. The baby is left behind after Gi-hun jumps off the tower, making her the winner of the game that claimed so many lives in the past.

Later, In-ho picks up the baby and takes her to safety. Meanwhile, the Squid Game team quickly packs up and flees because the police are looking for them. In the control room, In-ho’s brother Jun-ho, who has been hunting him for years, sees everything and tries to confront In-ho, but he walks away silently with the baby.

Will There Be Squid Game Season 4?

The release of Squid Game marks the end of the beloved South Korean series with season 3 as its conclusion with no chance of revival for another round.

This may upset fans who wanted a Squid Game season 4 update, but that’s how every good thing comes to an end.

However, director Hwang is interested in expanding the franchise and even expressed his interest in making a spin-off. So, even if the main storyline has ended, we still have a chance to see more Squid Game in the future. Keeping fingers crossed!

Final Words

With all the hype going around season 3, it’s worth a watch, except it’s much darker this time. Many fans have already started binge-watching it on Netflix so you should get started too! Though we gave out some major spoilers, we have kept the majority of the storyline for you to uncover.

FAQs

Did player 222 die?

After Jun-hee aka player 222 dies, her baby takes the place of player 222 which technically means player 222 lives.

Why won’t there be season 4 of Squid Game?

According to director Hwang, Squid Game was mainly about Gi-hun’s journey and with him being dead in season 3, the story found its natural end.

How many episodes are there in Squid Game season 3?

Squid Game season 3 was the shortest season with just six episodes in total.

Is Kim Taehyung in Squid Game season 3?

There were talks about Kim Taehyung from BTS making a cameo in season 3, but it was nothing more than rumours.

Where to watch Squid Game season 3?

Squid Game season 3 is available for streaming on Netflix.