While fan favorites vary, Seong Gi-hun (Player 456), Kang Sae-byeok (Player 067), and Ali Abdul (Player 199) are consistently among the most loved characters in Squid Game, often praised for their humanity, relatable struggles, and heartbreaking sacrifices, though some fans also highly rate the complex moral journey of Cho Sang-woo (Player 218).
In the game, Player 001 introduces himself as Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun). But unbeknownst to Gi-hun and his friends, In-ho is actually the Front Man, one of the leaders of the Squid Game. He's also the brother of officer Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), the very same brother Jun-ho was convinced died in the game.
Cho Hyun-ju appears in the second season of Squid Game, a trans woman who formerly served as a soldier in the South Korean military as a sergeant until she was discharged for wanting to transition.
in. ho]), also known as the Front Man, is the main antagonist of the Netflix series Squid Game. He is the head of the Squid Game hierarchy, initiating and managing the competition of people in severe debt for a prize of ₩45.6 billion.
Sangwoo's Mum - She's so kind to everyone even Gihun who she sees as her son, she's very charitable, she takes in Cheol no questions asked and adores him.
Kang Sae-byeok (Korean: 강새벽; pronounced [kaŋ. sɛ. bjʌk̚]), also known as Player 067, is a major protagonist alongside Seong Gi-hun. She is a character in the first season of the Netflix series Squid Game.
Oh Il-nam (오일남 O Il-nam?, died December 25, 2021), also known as Player 001, is the overarching antagonist of the first season of Squid Game. He was a rich financial tycoon who was the creator and host of the Squid Games.
As of late 2025, the number 1 most-watched Netflix movie of all time by views is KPop Demon Hunters, followed by Red Notice, then Carry-On, according to Netflix's official data, with these figures updated regularly on their Tudum site.
The long-anticipated second season of Netflix's Squid Game is a surprisingly solid follow-up to the show's original nine episodes, though it doesn't quite live up to the high bar set by the first season. When Squid Game's first season released on Netflix in 2021, it became a surprise worldwide phenomenon.
One by one, players and fan-favorites were killed off. Among the most heartbreaking and shocking was when Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), known as Player 456, sacrificed himself in order to save the baby of Kim Jun-hee (Jo Yuri), aka Player 222. Here is who lived to tell their tale.
Hyun-ju, also known as Player 120, is a former soldier who is undergoing her transition and hopes to win money to put toward her gender-affirming surgery. The role is played by celebrated South Korean actor Park Sung-hoon, 39.
As per J. Halberstam in Queer Art of Failure (2011), this makes Hiccup queer, regardless of his crush on his female friend, Astrid. Moreover, by developing a relationship with Toothless, a 'ferocious' dragon, and integrating him into Berk, he queers his own community (Fig. 1).
The 77-year-old South Korean actor, who has never won a Golden Globe before, earned the top prize for his portrayal of Oh II-nam, also referred to as The Host or Player 001.
Cho Hyun-ju (조현주 Jo Hyeon-ju?), also known as Player 120, was a contestant of the 37th Squid Game. She entered with the goal of getting enough money to fund her gender-affirming surgeries. During the games, Hyun-ju formed an alliance with Kim Jun-hee, Jang Geum-ja, and Kim Young-mi.
Leaving Jan. 1
House of Cards was released by Netflix on February 1, 2013, marketed as the first "Netflix Original" production.
This wasn't Sony shopping around a finished film; Netflix essentially funded the production while Sony handled the creative work. At the time, the deal made sense. Theaters were still recovering from pandemic closures, animated films were struggling at the box office, and Sony lacked its own major streaming platform.
K-pop star Yim Si-Wan, who played Player 333 (Myung-gi), was one of those new cast members. He portrayed a crypto-trader with insatiable greed, who was forced to accept that his pregnant ex-girlfriend had also joined the games.
Squid Game: The Challenge Winner Mai Whelan Has Her $4.56 Million Prize — Finally (Exclusive) Esther Kang is a writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2023 and has previously worked for publications like TMZ and TooFab.
Saddest death in the entire first season was Ali. He is such a pure soul and didn't deserve that. #SquidGame. I loved this character.
Cho Hyun-ju, a transgender woman, enters Squid Game in Seasons 2–3 with a deeply personal goal: to win enough prize money to afford gender-affirming surgery. Her presence in the deadly competition serves as a bold assertion of identity and survival.
Melike Yazoglu and Gizem Seymenoglu agree on HoYeon Jung having had buccal fat removal surgery that aims to remove the excess fat pads in the cheek.