Squid Game Season 1 is a South Korean survival drama that became a global hit. The show is filled with action, mystery, friendship, greed, and deep emotional scenes. Let’s recap the full story in simple words, step by step.
🏁 Start of the Story
The main character is Seong Gi-hun, a man who has no money, no job, and many debts. He lives with his mother and wants to take care of his daughter, but life is very hard for him.
One day, a man in a suit gives Gi-hun a card to join a secret game. The winner can receive a huge amount of money — 45.6 billion won. Gi-hun decides to join. He is taken to a secret island with 455 other players. Now there are 456 people in total.
Each player wears a green uniform and has a number. Gi-hun is Player 456.
🎮 The Deadly Games Begin
The games seem like easy children’s games, but losing means death. Only one winner will survive.
Let’s go through the main games:
1️⃣ Red Light, Green Light
- Players must move only when the giant robot doll says “Green Light.”
- If they move on “Red Light,” they get shot.
- Gi-hun almost dies but is saved by another player, Player 199 (Ali).
Over half of the players die in the first game.
🏚 Players Return by Choice
Players are scared and vote to stop the games. They all go home.
But life outside is more painful than the games for many of them.
Slowly, most players — including Gi-hun — return.
They want the money more than anything else.
🤝 New Friends and Enemies
Inside the game, relationships begin to form.
Important Characters
CharacterPlayer NumberRoleSeong Gi-hun456The main heroCho Sang-woo218Gi-hun’s old friend, smart but dangerousKang Sae-byeok067North Korean girl, strong and quietAli Abdul199Kind worker, loyal to friendsOh Il-nam001Old man, seems weak but cleverJang Deok-su101Gangster, violent
🧩 More Dangerous Games
2️⃣ Honeycomb (Dalgona) Challenge
Players must cut a shape (star, circle, umbrella, triangle) out of candy without breaking it.
Gi-hun survives by licking the candy.
3️⃣ Tug of War
Teams pull a rope on a high bridge.
The losing team falls to death.
The old man (001) helps Gi-hun’s team with a smart plan.
4️⃣ Marbles
Players must play against a partner.
Only one survives…
- Ali is tricked by Sang-woo and dies 💔
- Sae-byeok survives
- Gi-hun defeats the old man… but Il-nam secretly survives
This is one of the saddest episodes.
5️⃣ Glass Bridge
Players jump on glass panels, but some glass breaks.
Many players fall.
Sang-woo pushes a man to improve his own chance.
🎭 The Truth Behind the Games
Rich men, called VIPs, watch the games for fun.
It is all entertainment for the powerful.
A police officer, Hwang Jun-ho, tries to find his missing brother and discovers that his brother is actually the Front Man — the leader who runs the games.
⚔️ The Final Fight
Only Gi-hun and Sang-woo remain.
The last game is Squid Game, a Korean playground game.
It becomes a brutal fight for life and friendship.
Gi-hun wins, but he refuses to kill Sang-woo.
Sang-woo kills himself instead, asking Gi-hun to take care of his mother.
Gi-hun becomes the winner and gets all the money — but he is broken inside.
🏡 After the Games
Gi-hun returns home to find his mother has died.
He doesn’t use the money because he feels guilty.
One year later, he learns that Oh Il-nam (001) was the creator of the games.
The old man played for fun because he was dying and bored with the world.
After Il-nam dies, Gi-hun decides to stop running from the past.
He sees another man recruiting players.
He calls the number and says he will fight the games.
Season 1 ends with Gi-hun boarding a plane… then turning back to face the evil system.
FAQs
Q1. Who is the winner of Squid Game Season 1?
Gi-hun (Player 456) wins the final game.
Q2. Why are the games created?
Rich VIPs want entertainment by watching people fight for money.
Q3. Who is the Front Man?
Hwang In-ho, the missing brother of the police officer.
Q4. Is Oh Il-nam really dead?
Yes, the old man dies in the last episode due to sickness.
Q5. What is Gi-hun planning to do next?
He wants to stop the Squid Game organization and save future players.
Final Thoughts
Squid Game Season 1 is more than a deadly game show.
It is a story about:
- The gap between rich and poor
- The fight for survival
- The value of kindness and trust
- How money changes people
The season ends with a huge mystery and excitement for Squid Game Season 2.
