Written by Cayla Raymond
After spending four years together, it was time to say goodbye to our beloved Player 456 (Lee Jung-Jae). Despite his heroic attempt to put an end to the games in Squid Game Season 3, he was left to make a sacrifice that would leave us all heartbroken.
Following a failed attempt at trying to overthrow the game, we slowly watch Player 456’s dissociate – which was unsettling to watch as a viewer since we already had this preconceived notion that he might win the games again. Adding this glimpse into the show allowed for a whole new layer of suspension that the other seasons didn’t quite have, especially since this character was known for his eagerness to end the games.
While he never indulges in violence personally, his dissociation was a sign that he is slowly becoming desensitized to it. This caused the ‘Frontman’s’ (Lee Byung-hun) fascination for Player 456 to grow fonder, wondering what will happen next for him. Unlike the previous seasons, Season 3 is able to give viewers context on people/things apart from the actual players, such as ‘The Frontman,’ VIPs, etc, which allowed this season to stand out from the previous ones.
As anticipated, Player 222 gave birth during one of the games — in which the VIPs decide to make the newborn baby a new player. Greed controls this decision, allowing the VIPs to bet on players with intensities in order to profit off them. This process mirrors ‘The Hunger Games,’ a dystopian where the wealthy watch the less fortunate fight for their lives out of pure entertainment. Within the Squid Games specifically, suffering is entertainment that they make a profit off.
As a kept promise from the original Player 222 (Jo Yu-Ri), Player 456 protects her baby from players blinded by greed. Having included a player incapable of playing and survival, and having the frontman attempt to manipulate Player 456 into eliminating other players, he is able to stand strong in his decision to save the baby for as long as possible.
The ending of Squid Game was tragic yet beautiful. After sacrificing his life to save the babies, it allowed the baby a chance of a normal life. While it was evident that the VIPs wanted to profit off the suffering of Player 456, they were not granted the satisfaction due to his sacrifice. Greed is what killed the other players, but saved Player 456 in the end.
While it was heartbreaking to see, it was the perfect way to end the series. After waiting six months to see how it ends, it was well worth the wait. We got to see his version of rebelling and attempting to end the games — even if it’s just for a while.
