Squid Game has finally concluded after giving us three incredible seasons. Ever since Season 1, the Korean series has introduced us to several great characters; however, it also shocked us by killing those beloved characters brutally. Not a single beloved character was spared by the writers, and I guess that’s just the beauty of a brutal story like Squid Game. With that in mind, here are some of the saddest deaths we’ve seen in Squid Game across three seasons.
10. Ali
Ali was a naive character in Squid Game who never tricked anyone for his own benefit, and he believed that the entire world was full of people like him. Well, that was his biggest mistake: to trust humans. He considered Sang-Woo a friend, and what did he get in return? ‘Death.’ He surely didn’t deserve the death he got in Squid Game. That’s because he was a skilled player who, despite being unfamiliar with Korean childhood games, used his intellect to win.
However, everything was going right until he chose Sang-Woo as his partner in the marble game in Squid Game Season 1. The opponent replaces his marbles with pebbles and pushes him to his untimely death.
9. Se-mi
Se-mi was one of the purest souls whom we met in Squid Game Season 2. She didn’t shy away from raising her voice against bullies like Thanos and Nam-Gyu. She was the one to protect the cowardly Min-Su whenever he needed help. However, she never received anything in return as the one she put her faith in was too scared to support anybody.
Min-Su eventually betrayed Se-mi during the Mingle game. Later, when the deadly fight takes place in the dormitory after lights out, Min-Su watches Nam Gyu stabbing Se-mi with a sharp piece of a broken bottle.
8. Park Yong-sik
Park Yong-sik’s death in Squid Game Season 3 was one of the saddest scenes no one saw coming. He was a caring and loving son who switched sides with his mother to keep her safe during the game of hide-and-seek. As he didn’t show the courage to kill even one member of the opponent team, he approached Kim Jun-hee to stab her with the knife he held.
But before he could do any harm to the girl who had just given birth to a baby girl, his mother stabbed him from behind. Later, he is eliminated by an armed soldier for failing to qualify for the game.
7. Jang Geum-ja
Regardless of her age, Jang Geum-ja fought till her last breath. She became one of the Squid Game characters with a special place in every fan’s heart. Moreover, she helped Kim Jun-hee deliver her child amidst the challenging situation. Also, Jang Geum-ja killed her own son to protect Jun-hee and her child.
After losing her son, a shattered Geum-ja returned to the dormitory and pleaded in front of everyone to cast their vote to stop the games, but no one cared, and the death games continued. Later, before committing suicide, she approached Gi-hun and asked him to protect Jun-hee and the baby. Her sacrifice and bravery will indeed be remembered for a long time.
6. Cho Hyun-ju
Well, this Squid Game character has my heart. She entered the game in Season 2 and showcased her bravery until passing away during hide-and-seek in Season 3. Player 120 aka. Cho Hyun-ju was a courageous warrior who partnered with Jun-hee and Geum-ja in the hide-and-seek game. She was the one to take the lead, as one of her teammates was old and the other was pregnant. So, whenever an enemy showed up, Hyun-ju tackled them and didn’t let them harm her partners.
She was the one to find the exit door, but despite walking out, she went back to bring Geum-ja and Jun-hee; that’s when she was stabbed to death by Lee Myung-gi from behind.
5. Ji-Yeong
While the majority of the players were selfish and didn’t even think twice before using other players for their own benefit, Ji-Yeong stood out in the crowd. She was the only one who had a bright smile on her face in her last moments.
She partnered with Kang Sae-byeok in the Marble game. She already knew that only one could make it out alive, and she had already made up her mind about who that was going to be. So, she spent most of the time talking and only played one round. She also revealed that she has no one waiting for her outside, so she wants Sae-byeok to make it out alive of the games, reunite with her family, and bring her brother back from North Korea. She purposely lost in the Marbles game and was shot by the soldiers, turning it into one of the saddest deaths in Squid Game.
4. Kim Jun-hee
The poster released ahead of the release of Squid Game Season 3 hinted at Kim Jun-Hee, aka. Player 222’s inevitable dark fate. Well, fans’ speculations were indeed true, as just like how an octopus dies after giving birth, Player 222 also meets her dark fate after bringing her child into the world. Her death was heartbreaking for one major reason: she decided to take her life so that her baby could live.
The final moments of Player 222 show desperation and helplessness in her eyes. That’s what broke everyone’s heart in Season 3. Undoubtedly, Player 222’s death was one of the saddest deaths in the TV show.
3. Park Jung-bae
Other than Sang-Woo, Park Jung-bae was the one who knew Gi-Hun before entering the premises of Squid Game. His wife divorced him, took full custody of their daughter, and Jung-bae went into financial debt. That’s why he decided to participate in the Squid Game to win the hefty amount that the game was offering. However, before entering, he was unaware of the consequences.
He joined Gi-Hun and his group from the start and stuck with his friend until the end. Dae-ho betrayed the group, which led to the Front Man capturing Gi-Hun and the others, including Jung-Bae. He shoots Jung-bae in front of Gi-Hun to make him understand that no one can stop the games.
2. Kang Sae-byeok
Kang Sae-byeo had a different motive to win the games: to bring her brother back from North America. She was an intellectual young girl whose ambitions helped her reach the top 3 alongside Sang-Woo and Gi-Hun in Squid Game Season 1
What made her death one of the most heartbreaking ones in Squid Game was that she was fatally injured during the glass bridge game, and instead of getting help, she was pushed to her death by Sang-Woo. The man stabbed her brutally in the neck with a knife so that only he and Gi-hun could make it to the final game.
1. Seong Gi-hun
Now, here comes the saddest death of all, Seong Gi-hun or Player 456, who wasn’t meant to die like this. He won the Squid Game in Season 1, but after learning that the game is still continuing, he entered the premises with the hope of stopping the trail of death matches forever. He always cared for others before himself, and that’s what snatched him away from us in the final season.
In Squid Game Season 3 ending, After Player 222’s death, Front Man made her newborn baby replace her. So, how could Seong Gi-hun have let her die? So, he kept his promise of protecting the baby and didn’t even think twice before sacrificing himself. Player 456’s death was indeed one of the saddest deaths in Squid Game, as he was the protagonist and viewers connected to him.
