Netflix's Squid Game is launching its Season 3 later this year, marking the final stretch of storytelling for Gi-Hun and the Front Man.
Squid Game Season 3 Cast, Plot Details, Release Date & More
11 Main Cast Members Return in Squid Game Season 3
Squid Game Season 2 only brought back a few key characters from Season 1, including Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), the previous winner; Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), the Front Man overseeing the games; and Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun), the detective (and In-ho's brother) seeking to expose them.
Among the returning competitors, Yim Si-wan's Myung-gi, Jo Yu-ri's Jun-hee, and Kang Ha-neul's Dae-ho have survived the brutal challenges of Season 2. Meanwhile, Park Sung-hoon's Cho Hyun-ju and Yang Dong-geun's Park Yong-sik are also back, hinting that their stories are far from over.
Below is a fully confirmed Season 3 cast list:
- Lee Jung-jae - Seong Gi-hun
- Wi Ha-joon - Hwang Jun-ho
- Lee Byung-hun - Hwang In-ho
- Lee Myung-gi - Yim Si-wan
- Jo Yu-ri - Kim Jun-hee
- Yang Dong-geun - Park Yong-sik
- Kang Ae-shim - Jang Geum-ja
- Park Sung-hoon - Cho Hyun-ju
- Kang Ha-neul - Kang Dae-ho
- Lee David - Park Min-su
- Park Gyu-young - Kang No-eul
Gi-Hun Is a Changed Man in Season 3
During the Season 3 release date announcement, new images were revealed, including one showing Gi-hun seemingly handcuffed to a bed in the Dormitory.
This aligns with how Season 2 ended, with Hwang In-ho resuming his role as the Front Man. According to creator Hwang Dong-hyuk (via The Hollywood Reporter), the goal was to conclude Season 2 with Gi-hun experiencing complete failure: and devastating loss, setting up the next chapter where he is consumed by guilt and defeat.
"I wanted to end the second season at that very moment — then begin the next season from that space where he’s ridden with a huge amount of guilt and defeat. I wanted to see where that would carry Gi-hun further on."
Hwang echoes these thoughts in a past interview with Variety, giving fans an idea of what to expect in Season 3.
When asked specifically about the storyline of Season 3, Hwang teased how Gi-hun will be at rock bottom, "having lost everything, including his best friend."
In the Season 2 finale, Gi-hun's life is spared, but Jung-bae (played by Lee Seo-hwan) is shot dead in front of him. Hwang wants audiences to wonder if Gi-hun is "going to give up or persist:"
"As for the storyline of the third season, Gi-hun having lost everything, including his best friend, and all of his attempts going to failure, it’s now, what is he going to be like? What state is Gi-hun going to be in? And what will he choose to do? Will he continue on with the mission? Is he going to give up or persist?"
The official synopsis expands on this premise, revealing that Gi-hun has been "driven to utter despair by the Front Man:"
"The third and final season of Squid Game follows Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) after losing his best friend in the game and being driven to utter despair by The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who was hiding his true identity to infiltrate the game. Gi-hun persists with his goal to put an end to the game, while the Front Man continues onto his next move and the surviving players' choices will lead to graver consequences with each round."
As Hwang put it to Variety, "Gi-hun will not be the man he was in Season 2:"
"And so you’re going to meet our character Gi-hun at a very critical crossroads as we begin the third season. Gi-hun will not be the man he was in Season 2."
With the final season promising to bring Hwang's story to its long-awaited conclusion, the world eagerly awaits to see if any humanity can be found in the cruelest of realities.
Squid Game Season 3 Releases in June
Netflix has confirmed that Squid Game Season 3 will be released on June 27, 2025.
Season 3 Has a New Doll and a New Game
The Squid Game Season 2 post-credits scene teased the fourth game, showing three players (including the heavily indebted #100) staring at a boy-shaped robot, seemingly a counterpart to the infamous Red Light, Green Light doll.
Hwang Dong-hyuk spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the stinger and what it means for Season 3. He confirmed that the new robot doll is "Cheol-su" who is joining the show for "the most exciting game in Season 3:"
"That's actually a [sneak peek] of Cheol-su, who, like Young-hee, is a new giant doll that we're going to be showcasing in Season 3. And that's also a hint at the most exciting game in Season 3 as well. So, while it hasn't been shared yet, I hope everyone will be excited to meet Cheol-su and the new game."
A flashing train signal and a partial view of a faux house in the post-credits scene suggest a new, yet mysterious challenge.
More details have since been officially revealed as The Direct was in attendance at Netflix's Next on Netflix event in Los Angeles, where an exclusive clip from a mysterious new game was shown.
The game featured a giant gumball machine, dispensing red and blue gumballs to determine team assignments. An emotional moment unfolded when Park Yong-sik and his mother, Jang Geum-ja, received different colors, with her reassuring him that the rules were still unknown.
Gi-hun entered last, appearing notably late and surprising the others before receiving what seemed to be the final red gumball. This may be the first time the other surviving players have seen Gi-hun since the uprising in the Season 2 finale.
Season 3 Reveals How In-Ho Became Front Man
At long last, fans of Squid Game will finally learn how In-Ho became the Front Man in Season 2.
When asked by CBR what questions he wanted to answer in Season 2, Hwang Dong-hyuk explained that he wanted to answer "What kind of person is In-ho."
He also revealed that "Front Man's real story" was actually revealed during "that scene at night when Young-il/In-ho comes to Gi-hun and explains to him why he came into Squid Game:"
"The most important question that I wanted to answer in Season 2 would have to be what kind of person is In-ho. Those of you who watch will know that the questions of how In-ho came to join Squid Game and how he became the Front Man were things that I wished to answer. The first question, of how did he enter Squid Game, you get the answer in Season 2, because of that scene at night when Young-il/In-ho comes to Gi-hun and explains to him why he came into Squid Game. That's the Front Man's real story, being told through the mouth of Young-il as he's acting to be that persona."
Peeling back the mystery around In-Ho even further, he said that Season 3 will definitively answer "how he became the Front Man," having previously been "a good guy:"
"In Season 3, the question that hasn't been answered yet in Season 2, of how he became the Front Man, will be answered. In-ho was this very righteous, just a good guy at heart kind of cop. How did he become the Front Man? You'll get to find out when you watch the third season."
Geum-ja Might Not Survive in Season 3
In an interview in December 2024, actress Kang Ae-sim revealed that she filmed for only "six months" for Squid Game Seasons 2 and 3, while some other actors were on set for a full year.
This shorter filming schedule could spell trouble for her character, Geum-ja, suggesting that she might meet her demise in Season 3.
Ae-sim's co-star, Yang Dong-geun, echoed similar sentiments, noting the difficulty of being away from home for such an extended period, adding, "That was the thing that was a bit difficult because I had to be away from home for so long."
Given that both Ae-sim and Dong-geun filmed within the same six-month timeframe, it’s possible their characters could face similar fates as mother and son.
One of Season 2's most eye-catching characters was the rapper Thanos, played by Choi Seung-hyun, who has an interesting past in entertainment.
Pink Guard 011 May Have A Secret Role
Park Gyu-young has teased the return of her character, Kang No-eul (Guard 011), in Squid Game Season 3, hinting at her strong moral convictions and potential impact on the story. Speaking to ELLE, the actress described No-eul as someone who may come across as "weak" but is in fact "very determined and strong:"
"I can say that, amidst all of the confusion and clash of different ideas, No-eul is a character who has a very strong set of beliefs. She sticks to her own values and has a very strong center at heart. She may seem weak, but she is very determined and strong."
No-eul's refusal to partake in the organ donation scheme and her ongoing search for her daughter suggest she could play a pivotal role in the next installment.
The expansion of No-eul's storyline aligns with Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk's previous comments about exploring the lives of the masked guards. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hwang teased that any future Squid Game stories could focus on "different characters" such as "the masked guards:"
"If I ever wanted to go back to the world of 'Squid Game,' it would be about different characters with a different story arc. For example, the masked guards. How did they end up here? What do they do in their downtime?"
No-eul's arc could provide fresh insight into the inner workings of the games, especially with fan theories circulating after Season 2 that she may have secretly spared Player 246.
The theory suggests (via Reddit) that Player 246 may not be dead after all. Despite being shot by Guard 011, the wound was not fatal, and similar situations in earlier episodes have shown players surviving single gunshots.
Fans believe that Guard 011 intentionally shot him to prevent organ harvesting, with the possibility of saving him later, creating a deeper connection between their backstories. With Squid Game Season 3 set to arrive in June, No-eul's fate could become a major focal point.
Squid Game Seasons 1-2 are streaming now on Netflix.
