The heart-wrenching conclusion of squid Game season 3 delivers a sobering, yet ultimately hopeful, series finale, pushing its characters to the absolute brink of human endurance and morality. Titled “Humans Are…”, the final episode ties up the core narrative threads while leaving a provocative glimpse into the global reach of the deadly games. After seasons of witnessing the brutal dehumanization of contestants, forced into animal-like roles for the amusement and profit of VIPs, the finale centers on a powerful act of resistance and self-sacrifice that reasserts the value of a single human life. The episode confirms that Season 3 is the definitive end to the original story arc, offering resolution for many key figures while simultaneously teasing the potential for the Squid Game universe to expand.
The Final Game: Sky Squid Game’s Brutal Climax
The chilling “Sky Squid Game” commenced on three massive, elevated pillars – square, triangle, and circle – with a simple, terrifying objective: eliminate opponents by pushing them off. A critical rule dictates that a death only counts if a pressure button on the ground is pressed to officially start the round, allowing survivors to advance. As the final players navigate the treacherous platforms, the game exposes the deepest wells of human nature, from desperate cruelty to selfless compassion.
In the final moments on the third tower, only Gi-hun (Player 456), Myung-gi (Player 333), and Jun-hee’s newborn baby (Player 222) remain. Myung-gi, driven by a desperate greed that transcends even paternal instinct, attempts to eliminate his own child for the prize money. Gi-hun, who has protected the infant throughout the games, intervenes. A brutal struggle ensues, culminating in Myung-gi plummeting to his death from the pillar’s edge.
Gi-hun’s Choice: A Final Act of Defiance
With Myung-gi eliminated outside the official game count, the rules dictate that only Gi-hun or the baby can survive by pressing the activation button. Faced with an unthinkable decision – claim the prize money by sacrificing the innocent life he vowed to protect, allow both to die, or give up his own life for the child – Gi-hun makes his final, defining choice.
Recalling his initial defiance of the game makers (“I’m not a horse. I’m a person.”), Gi-hun puts the baby down, presses the button, and falls backward off the pillar with arms outstretched. This ultimate sacrifice ensures the baby’s victory in the Squid Game, making the infant the unexpected sole winner. According to creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, this outcome symbolizes hope for future generations and highlights the responsibility to create a better world. Actor Lee Jung-jae felt this act resonated with Gi-hun’s past as an absent father, seeing the baby as a chance for redemption. Gi-hun’s death represents his character’s profound rediscovery of humanity and conscience, suggesting that prioritizing self-interest leads nowhere, while self-sacrifice opens the possibility of a future, symbolized by the baby.
Aftermath and Resolutions: Six Months Later
Following Gi-hun’s sacrifice and the Front Man’s order to evacuate the island due to an approaching Coast Guard, the episode jumps six months into the future, exploring the fates of key survivors and connected individuals.
Former detective Jun-ho, who helped the Coast Guard locate the island, survives and is later reunited with his brother, the Front Man. In a surprising act, the Front Man leaves Jun-ho with the winning baby (Player 222) and the immense 45.6 billion won prize money, delivered via a debit card accessible with the PIN 0222. Jun-ho also reconnects with Woo-seok, his friend and former loan shark, who is navigating life post-games and appears to be taking over the “Pink Motel.”
North Korean defector and Pink Guard No-eul, who risked her life saving Gyeong-seok and destroying evidence, also survives the island’s self-destruction. Six months later, she visits Gyeong-seok, now working at an amusement park, and finds solace in seeing his daughter, Na-yeon, recovered from illness. A lead from a defection broker offers No-eul renewed hope, suggesting her own missing daughter might be alive in China, prompting her journey to find her. The same broker facilitates a tearful reunion between Season 1 fan-favorite Sae-byeok’s brother, Cheol, and their North Korean mother in South Korea, fulfilling Sae-byeok’s dying wish.
The Front Man’s Actions and Lingering Questions
Hwang In-ho, the enigmatic Front Man, shows moments of unexpected complexity in the finale. After Gi-hun’s death, he approaches the baby and, rather than leaving the infant to the island’s fate, takes the child with him during the evacuation. Lee Byung-hun, who portrays In-ho, suggests this action reveals a remaining “piece of benevolence” within the character.
In a scene set in Los Angeles, In-ho visits Gi-hun’s estranged daughter, Ga-yeong (now living under the name Jenny). He delivers a box containing Gi-hun’s belongings, including his bloodstained green tracksuit and likely the remainder of his Season 1 prize money, retrieved from his motel room. While seemingly an act of kindness, Lee Jung-jae notes that Gi-hun himself would have been angered by the Front Man’s involvement in his family’s life. This interaction confirms the games’ reach extends far beyond South Korea.
The Game Continues: A Tease for the Future?
While creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has stated definitively that Season 3 marks the planned series finale of the original Squid Game storyline, the final scene leaves the door open for expansion within the universe. As the Front Man is driven through downtown Los Angeles, he observes a well-dressed blonde woman playing the familiar ddakji recruiting game with a man in an alley, echoing the Salesman’s introduction in Season 1.
This woman is revealed to be played by acclaimed actress Cate Blanchett. Her brief, silent eye contact with the Front Man suggests a connection within the organization. Her appearance serves as a strong implication that the deadly games are operating internationally, particularly in the United States. Long-standing rumors and reports have suggested a potential American Squid Game spinoff, possibly involving director David Fincher. Blanchett’s cameo, chosen by Hwang for its dramatic impact and her charisma, is widely interpreted as a clear tease or “countdown” for a US-based series, potentially featuring her in a role similar to the original recruiter. This final moment serves as a stark reminder that the systems creating desperation and allowing such games to flourish persist globally, leaving a powerful final note on the show’s critique of modern society.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Gi-hun sacrifice himself at the end of Squid Game Season 3?
Gi-hun’s sacrifice in the final game is portrayed as his ultimate act of rediscovering his humanity. After witnessing the brutal nature of the games and nearly succumbing to vengeance and greed, he chose to give up his own life to save an innocent: Jun-hee’s baby, who had become a fellow competitor. This act rejects the game’s core principle of survival at any cost and symbolizes hope for the future generation, fulfilling his promise to protect the child.
Who won Squid Game Season 3, and what happened to the winner?
The official winner of Squid Game Season 3 was Player 222, Jun-hee’s newborn baby. The baby won due to Gi-hun’s final sacrifice, which eliminated him while leaving the baby as the sole survivor on the platform after Myung-gi’s earlier fall. In the time jump, the Front Man surprisingly ensures the baby’s safety and delivers the child, along with the 45.6 billion won prize money, to Detective Jun-ho, implying that Jun-ho takes custody of the baby.
Does the Squid Game Season 3 ending set up a Season 4 or a US version?
Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has confirmed that Season 3 is the definitive planned series finale for the original Korean Squid Game storyline, meaning there will not be a Season 4 following Gi-hun’s narrative further. However, the final scene featuring Cate Blanchett as an American recruiter playing ddakji in Los Angeles is a clear tease for a potential US-based Squid Game spinoff, indicating that the deadly games exist and operate internationally.
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