The finale of Squid Game 2 has left viewers with many lingering questions about the fate of not only the protagonist, Seong Gi-hun, but also the rest of the players in the game. The coup against the organizers in the final episode has especially brought up doubts about the survival of those involved in it, particularly Player 120 (Hyun-ju), Player 388 (Dae-ho), and Player 246 (Kyung-seok).
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Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Squid Game 2!
While Hyun-ju and Dae-ho’s survival is more likely, given both made it back to the sleeping quarters, Kyung-seok seems to be out of luck, just like the rest of the coup squad. That said, Squid Game 3 may actually spare Player 246 or Kyung-seok for a rather simple reason — his connection to Kang No-eul or Guard 011, which has yet to be explored in full.
Squid Game May Keep Player 246 Alive Solely Because of Guard 011
Though Player 246 may not have gotten much screen time after entering the Squid Game compared to standout characters like Thanos, the series has established his character’s background and motivations for taking part in the game fairly well so far. One such central aspect of his character is his connection to Kang No-eul, who has crossed paths with his daughter countless times during her previous job at the amusement park.
Despite her apathetic demeanor and the cold-blooded precision with which she fulfills her job as a guard at the game, No-eul does display a streak of sympathy towards Player 246’s cancer-ridden daughter, as seen when she visits the hospital to return the child’s lost hat. She can also be seen keeping an eye on Player 246 countless times throughout the games, either motivated by concern or simple curiosity about whether he has still managed to hold on.
Interpersonal relationships between characters such as the one between No-eul and Player 246 have been a key aspect of Squid Game since season 1 where many of these relationships either ended in betrayal like with Ali and Sang-woo or in utter heartbreak like with Sae-byeok and Ji-yeong. That said, each of these relationships was fleshed out and explored in full until they reached an epic climax, and the same should be true of No-eul and Kyung-seok as well, for which Player 246 will need to survive until Squid Game 3.
[Related: Squid Game 2 Has Easter Eggs Only K-drama Veterans Will Catch]
Kang No-eul Will Likely Help Player 246 in Some Way or Another
Talking about the likelihood of Player 246’s survival and how his paths could cross with No-eul again, the season finale does leave his “death” suspiciously ambiguous. Though the guard does seemingly shoot Player 246, viewers never actually see the bullet hit him as the shot expertly pans away at right that moment. More importantly, it very well may have been No-eul at the end of that trigger as the guard who shoots Player 246 is one of the triangle units or “soldiers” just like No-eul, who was also deployed to get the situation under control.
Though Noe-eul hasn’t hesitated to pull the trigger until now, she does have a rather strong moral compass, as seen when she refused to let the players suffer unnecessarily so that their organs could be harvested. It is likely that Squid Game 3 will delve deeper into No-eul’s internal struggles with killing Player 246, knowing that he has a dying child about to be orphaned back at home.
No-eul’s own background as a mother trying to reunite with her lost child will most certainly cloud her judgment and see her either help Player 246 to escape the game, or if worse comes to worst, she may even sacrifice herself to protect him or promise to care for his child in his stead. Nonetheless, these remain only speculations, and only the next season of Squid Game will tell who lives and who dies in this thrilling death game.
Squid Game 3 is coming in 2025! Stay tuned for an exact release date!
