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
Image Credit: Netflix (X/@squidgame)
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
Image Credit: Netflix TUDUM
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
Image Credit: Netflix (X/@squidgame)
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
Image Credit: Netflix (X/@squidgame)
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
Image Credits: Netflix (Via Tudum, Edited by Anmol Sachdeva/Beebom)
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
Image Credit: Netflix (X/@squidgame)
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
Image Credit: Netflix (X/@squidgame)
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
Image Credit: Netflix TUDUM
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
Image Credit: Netflix (X/@squidgame)
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
Image Credit: Netflix (X/@squidgame)
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.
Aparna is a Senior Entertainment Writer at Beebom with 4 years of experience in the industry. Specializing in Jujutsu Kaisen and everything horror, she brings in-depth insights and a passion for storytelling to her coverage. Recently, she has interviewed Abby Trott, the voice actress behind Demon Slayer’s Nezuko and Dandadan’s Momo. She has also interviewed Adam McArthur, the one to voice Yuji Itadori in JJK, delivering exclusive content for fans. Previously, she contributed her expertise to some notable publications including Sportskeeda, Dexerto, and Forever Geek, honing her craft in entertainment journalism.
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- Squid Game: America will begin filming on February 26, 2026.
- This update came to us via a listing made on the Film and Television Industry Alliance, where David Fincher is also listed as the director.
- As of now, we don’t have a tentative release date for Squid Game: America
Netflix has given us probably the most successful battle royale show of all time with Squid Game, and it might have been slightly disappointing for fans to watch it end with its final season. Even though the series has come to an end, the Game will live on with its spinoffs, and the first one in line is none other than the much-anticipated spinoff set in the USA, titled Squid Game: America is now confirmed to begin filming in 2026, and here is everything you need to know about this update.
Squid Game: America to Start Filming in February 2026
Image Credit: Netflix (via YouTube/Netflix, screenshot by Shashank Shakya/Beebom)
It has come to light that Squid Game: America is set to begin filming in February 2026, in Los Angeles . This reveal came to us via a listing on the Film and Television Industry Alliance website , where a filming date is mentioned to be February 26, 2026.
The listing of the TV show includes several names, including David Fincher listed as the director, original Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk, and producer Kim Ji-yeon as producers, Dennis Kelly as screenwriter, and the only cast member mentioned on the webpage as of now is Cate Blanchett, whom we saw in the Squid Game finale post-credit scene . The new webpage also comes with a brief description that reads-
“A US version of the Korean hit series, the spinoff is set in the same world but we get to see how the games are handled in America.”
So, as of now, the only thing we know is that this series will pick up exactly where the final season of Squid Game ended, where we saw the recruiter, played by Cate Blanchett, playing ddakji with a man. It’s hard to say if we will see any returning characters with this one.
Shashank Shakya is an entertainment writer at Beebom. He has completed his Bachelors (Honors) in English Literature and is a published author. Shashank boasts incomparable knowledge about the Marvel and DC universe, along with other branches of entertainment with substantial experience in the field of writing.
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Squid Game was the first survival TV show to become hugely popular in 2021. It quickly surpassed even the most popular shows on Netflix and became the most-watched series on the platform. Now that the saga has ended on a tear-jerking note, I’m pretty sure there are fans who would want to know what other shows have the audacity to give the same feel. Well, here, I’ve listed five of the best TV Shows like Squid Game that can fill the void.
1. Alice in Borderland
Image Credit: Robot Communications Inc. (via YouTube/Netflix, Screenshot By Aparna Ukil/Beebom)
- Release Date: December 10, 2020
- Director: Shinsuke Sato
- Cast: Kento Yamazaki, Tao Tsuchiya, Nijirō Murakami, Ayaka Miyoshi, Aya Asahina, Dori Sakurada, Sho Aoyagi, Riisa Naka, Yuri Tsunematsu, Hayato Isomura
Alice in Borderland is one of the must-watch shows for everyone who liked Squid Game. Despite boasting a different narrative style and themes, this survival thriller drama series shares way more similarities with Squid Game than any other show in existence.
Like Squid Game, Alice in Borderland also forces its characters to participate in deadly games. However, the only difference here is that the one to survive in the Squid Game will go home with the huge cash prize that will give them financial freedom, while in Alice in Borderland, the characters get to extend their visas by winning the game. Squid Game makes players play some childhood games with deadly twists, and Alice in Borderland makes its characters go through some of the most complex games that test their intellect, physical strength, decision-making, and more.
Alice in Borderland Season 1 was released before the pilot season of Squid Game, but it didn’t receive the initial traction it deserved due to a lack of marketing. However, the success of Squid Game popularized the genre, and AIB got the attention it deserved. It has blessed us with two seasons so far, and the third season is set to be released on September 25, 2025.
2. The 8 Show
Image Courtesy: Netflix
- Release Date: May 17, 2024
- Director: Han Jae-rim
- Cast: Ryu Jun-yeol, Chun Woo-hee, Park Jeong-min, Lee Yul-eum, Park Hae-joon, Lee Joo-young, Moon Jeong-hee, Bae Seong-woo
In Squid Game, we see 456 players forced to play the life-or-death games; on the other side, The 8 Show features only eight players who must do everything to win the game of survival. With each round, they are rewarded with more time to live. Both TV shows shed light on wealth disparity and human desperation. They particularly illustrate what extreme pressure does to an ordinary person.
The thriller series was released in 2024 and mostly garnered positive reviews. It also remained on Netflix’s Top 10 chart for three consecutive weeks.
3. Death’s Game
Image Credit: Saram Entertainment (YouTube/ Prime Video Singapore, Screenshot by Aparna Ukil/Beebom)
- Release Date: December 15, 2023
- Director: Ha Byung-hoon
- Cast: Seo In-guk, Park So-dam
Death’s Game and Squid Game are polar opposites, but again, it is a television series that comes from a South Korean production, and it also explores themes of societal pressure, survival, and morality. When the main protagonist Choi Yee-jae loses all hope and tries to commit suicide, Death itself stops him.
The invisible supernatural entity then punishes him by giving him 12 chances to live his life. If he fails to survive in even one of his lives, he will be sent to hell, and if he prevents his death, even if in his one lifetime, he can continue living his ordinary life.
4. All Of Us Are Dead
Image Credit: Kim Jong-hak Production (YouTube/Netflix, Screenshot By Aparna Ukil/Beebom)
- Release Date: January 28, 2022
- Director: Lee Jae-kyoo and Kim Nam-soo
- Cast: Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun, Lomon
Regardless, All of Us Are Dead and Squid Game are both set in Korea, which allows international fans to become familiar with the country’s culture.
5. 3%
Image Credit: Boutique Films (YouTube/ Netflix, Screenshot by Aparna Ukil / Beebom)
- Release Date: November 25, 2016
- Director: César Charlone, Daina Giannecchini, Dani Libardi, Jotagá Crema, Philippe Barcinski
- Cast: João Miguel, Bianca Comparato, Michel Gomes, Rodolfo Valente, Cynthia Senek, Vaneza Oliveira, Rafael Lozano, Viviane Porto
The first season of 3% was released in 2016, and it was the first Portuguese-language original television series on Netflix. Like Squid Game, this series also explored the themes of classism, wealth disparity, and survival.
3% takes place in a dystopian world that is divided into two parts: ‘Inland’ and ‘Offshore’. The former side includes the poor class, while the latter consists of the elite. So, the 20-year-olds of the Inshore are pushed to go through some tests that will decide their fate. Only 3% who pass the tests get to join the rich, while the ones who fail stay behind to spend their lives in poverty and face dire situations.
Aparna is a Senior Entertainment Writer at Beebom with 4 years of experience in the industry. Specializing in Jujutsu Kaisen and everything horror, she brings in-depth insights and a passion for storytelling to her coverage. Recently, she has interviewed Abby Trott, the voice actress behind Demon Slayer’s Nezuko and Dandadan’s Momo. She has also interviewed Adam McArthur, the one to voice Yuji Itadori in JJK, delivering exclusive content for fans. Previously, she contributed her expertise to some notable publications including Sportskeeda, Dexerto, and Forever Geek, honing her craft in entertainment journalism.
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