Unveiling Player 001 in 'Squid Game' Season 2 — A Shocking Twist

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Season 1 and 2 of Squid Game.

Season 2 of Squid Game dropped on Netflix on Dec. 26, 2024, and it delivered some pretty intense twists. In Episode 3 of Season 2, titled "001," viewers watch Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) return to the deadly competition with the intention of seeking justice against the organizers of the game. But the identity of Player 001 remains a secret.

In Season 1, Player 001 is revealed to be Oh Il-nam (Oh Young-su), a seemingly unlucky and desperate man in need of money.

However, it turns out he is actually “the wealthy business scion behind Squid Game,” according to Netflix. Oh Il-nam is shot in Season 1, marking the end of his journey. So, when Player 001 reappears in Season 2, becoming a key figure whose vote influences the fate of the games, viewers are immediately invested in discovering who is behind the mask. To raise the stakes, Player 001 votes to keep the games going.

So, who is the person behind the mask of Player 001?

Player 001 in Squid Game Season 2 is none other than Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), though he adopts the persona of a man named Young-il. Front Man is the overseer of the facility where the Squid Game takes place, in case you need a refresher. Now, you're probably wondering why Front Man joined the games in Season 2, right?

Well, according to his interview with Tudum, Lee Byung-hun’s character joins the Squid Game to address some "essential ideological differences" between himself and Gi-hun. He shared that Front Man is "someone who believes there is absolutely no hope for the world or humanity," while Gi-hun, in contrast, wants the best for society.

Lee Byung-hun continued, "It’s almost as if they’re betting against each other. The Front Man is asking questions like, ‘Do you really think you’re going to be able to end the game? Do you really think there’s hope in people? Do you think the world’s going to change?’"

Viewers can expect plenty of death in Squid Game Season 2, but the conflict between Gi-hun and Player 001 (aka Front Man) will take center stage, according to Tudum.

Although Front Man is posing as Young-il, or Player 001, much of his persona draws from the real events of Front Man's life. Before becoming Front Man, he was In-ho, a police officer devoted to his wife. Tragically, she wasn’t in Squid Game Season 1, as she had passed away from acute cirrhosis.

While pretending to be Young-il, Front Man tells Gi-hun that his wife’s illness worsened to the point where she required a liver transplant. She was also pregnant at the time. Desperate for money, he turned to all possible avenues, ultimately accepting funds from "the wrong person."

His life spiraled further as he was fired from his job and distanced himself from his family.

With Front Man entering the game and Gi-hun determined to seek justice, viewers will need to watch until the end to see how it all unfolds.