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How Squid Game Ended After 3 Seasons

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After three harrowing seasons, Netflix’s Squid Game concluded on June 27, 2025, with a finale that was both emotionally devastating and thematically resonant. The series, which began as a brutal critique of economic desperation and human nature, concluded with sacrifice, ambiguous hope, and a chilling suggestion that the games—and their underlying societal decay—may never truly come to an end.

The Final Contestants and the Last Game

The third season picked up in the aftermath of a failed rebellion, thrusting the remaining players back into the deadly arena. By the final episode, only three contestants remained: Seong Gi-hun (Player 456), Lee Myung-gi (Player 333, a crypto-scamming YouTuber), and the infant child of Kim Jun-hee (Player 222), who had been born earlier in the competition.

The final round, dubbed the “Sky Squid Game,” forced the ultimate moral dilemma. Myung-gi, desperate and ruthless, was poised to kill the baby to claim the prize. Gi-hun, who had re-entered the games in Season 2 with the hope of saving others, found himself in a knife fight with Myung-gi. Myung-gi fell to his death, leaving Gi-hun and the baby as the last two standing.

Gi-hun’s Sacrifice and the Winner

In the end, Gi-hun made the ultimate sacrifice: he gave up his own life so that Jun-hee’s newborn could win the 45.6 billion won prize (approximately USD 33.4 million). Before his death, Gi-hun defiantly declared to the Front Man and the VIPs, “We are not horses. We are humans,” directly challenging the dehumanizing spectacle of the games and the commodification of suffering for entertainment. The baby, now Player 222, became the sole survivor and winner of the Squid Game.

Aftermath: Loose Ends and a Glimpse of Hope

A six-month time jump followed Gi-hun’s sacrifice. Jun-ho, the detective who had spent three seasons trying to expose the games, finally reached the island but was forced to flee when the complex began to self-destruct. The baby was taken in by Jun-ho, who promised to protect the child and, symbolically, the future.

Gi-hun’s daughter, living in Los Angeles, inherited his previous winnings, closing the loop on his personal story and providing for his family, albeit at a tremendous cost.

The Front Man and the Fate of the Games

The Front Man, whose own humanity was explored throughout the final season, ensured that Gi-hun’s sacrifice would have a lasting impact. Yet, the series ended with a chilling twist. As the Front Man drove through Los Angeles, he witnessed a mysterious figure (played in a surprise cameo by Cate Blanchett) recruiting new players for an American version of the Squid Game. The familiar slap of ddakji tiles echoed, suggesting that the games were expanding globally and that the cycle of exploitation was far from over.

Themes and Legacy

Squid Game’s conclusion underscored its core themes:

  • HuGi-hun’ss. Dehumanization: Gi-hun’s final act was a refusal to become an animal for the amusement of the elite, a message that resonated throughout the series.

  • Cycles of Violence and Exploitation: Despite the sacrifices and revelations, the games continue, now on a global stage, implying that systemic injustice is deeply entrenched and difficult to eradicate.

  • Hope and Sacrifice: The survival of the baby, protected by Jun-ho, offered a glimmer of hope for a new generation, even as the world around them remained unchanged.

Why the Series Ended

Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk chose to end Squid GamGi-hun’season 3, stating that he had told the story he set out to tell and that Gi-hun’s arc had reached its natural conclusion. While the main narrative is closed, Hwang has hinted at potential spinoffs exploring other aspects of the Squid Game universe, such as the lives of the masked guards or the origins of the games.

Squid Game endeGi-hun’sthree seasons with a finale that was both tragic and thought-provoking. Gi-hun’s selfless act, the survival of an innocent child, and the ominous expansion of the games worldwide left viewers with a powerful meditation on humanity, sacrifice, and the seemingly endless cycles of inequality. The story may be over for Gi-hun, but the world of Squid Game—and its commentary on society—remains hauntingly relevant.

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