Everything we know about 'Squid Game' season 2

Season one ended on a cliffhanger, leaving several questions unanswered. The most crucial question concerned the lead character, Gi-hun, a kind-hearted gambler.

After winning the death competition at the cost of his friend Cho Sang-woo's life, Gi-hun fell into a depression. He then discovered that the competition's creator was one of the competitors he befriended, Oh Il-nam (Hideo Kimura).

At the end of the finale, Gi-hun faces a difficult decision — move on with his life and be with his daughter or stop the deadly game once and for all. He appears to choose the latter.

In a Netflix statement shared in June 2022, "Squid Game" creator Hwang Dong-Hyuk confirmed that Gi-hun will return for the second season.

While the extent of his role in the second season has not been clarified, he will likely be fighting against the people in charge of the competition.

In August 2022, Hwang indicated to The Hollywood Reporter that season two will focus on Gi-hun's transformation from the end of the first season.

"Instead of trying to meet the expectations of viewers, I just thought about the last moment when Gi-hun turned away from boarding the plane, and I thought about what he will do next," Hwang said. "There will naturally be a flow of events that will lead all the way to the end of the season."

"I can't share any details yet, but you know that Seong Gi-hun has become a totally new person by the end of season one, so season two is going to be about what that new Gi-hun is going to do and how things will unfold with this new kind of character," he added.

The "Squid Game" creator did not reveal much about the plot of season two in his Netflix statement announcing the renewal, but Hwang did write: "You'll also be introduced to Young-hee's boyfriend, Cheol-su."

Young-hee is the name of the creepy giant robot doll, based on a real statue, used in the "Red Light, Green Light" game in episode one. In the game, the doll would turn at certain moments to catch contestants out — and if they moved, they were shot dead.

According to Koreaboo, Young-hee and Cheol-su were well-known characters from old South Korean textbooks, often depicted as best friends.

This could mean the series will have a new deadly game involving another giant, creepy doll.

Netflix and Hwang have confirmed that two antagonists from the first season will return: the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) and "the man in the suit with ddakji."

"The man in the suit with ddakji" refers to actor Gong Yoo's unnamed character who appears only in the series premiere and finale. He is the recruiter for the games and plays a Korean paper game, ddakji, with possible contenders before roping them into the competition.

Meanwhile, the Front Man is the man who ran the competition.

Much of season one follows a detective, Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), who goes undercover in the games to find his missing brother. However, in episode eight, Jun-Ho discovers that his brother is now the Front Man. The Front Man appears to kill Jun-ho before the detective can expose the group's operations. But we never see Jun-Ho's body, which means the character could return to try to save his brother.

During their TUDUM global fan event in June 2023, Netflix announced that Jun-ho would return in the second season, although the "Squid Game" creator has yet to confirm if the character is still alive.

Wi, the actor who plays Jun-Ho, told Deadline in 2021 that he also wants his character to return alive.

"I'm dying to know what happened to him," Wi said. "I want him to return alive, find his brother and ask him tons of questions. As a brother, I would ask him sincerely. As a detective, I want to explore the overall secrets behind the game as well. I really hope to see Jun-ho come back alive and explore all these questions. I hope to see a more brotherly love side of their relationship as well."

During their TUDUM global fan event, Netflix announced that 12 new actors will star as players in "Squid Game" season two.

The new cast members are Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Park Sung-hoon, Jo Yu-ri, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Lee Jin-uk, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, and Won Ji-an.

Gyu-young, Sung-hoon, and Lee have previously starred in two other popular Netflix K-dramas, "Sweet Home" and "The Glory."

Netflix also confirmed that the cast has had their first table read and that production would start in 2023.

In March 2022, Hwang teased that "Squid Game" star Jung Ho-yeon could return in season two.

Jung played Kang Sae-byeok, a North Korean defector participating in the deadly competition to get enough money to reunite her family. The character dies in episode eight after being killed by Sang-woo just before the final game in the competition.

Hwang told Deadline on the red carpet at the PGA Awards that he would attempt to bring back actors who play dead characters.

"Let's say maybe she has a twin sister, you'll see," he said, gesturing to Jung.

Kang Sae-byeok was Jung's first acting role, but she quickly became a fan favorite and even won a SAG award for her performance on the show.

Jung told The Hollywood Reporter in December 2021 that she lost six pounds the week after the show came out because she struggled to comprehend the series' success.

However, Jung was not mentioned when Netflix announced the season two cast at its June 2023 event.

Gi-hun's revolt against the deadly competition may not be completed in one season.

The "Squid Game" creator told the Korea Times in December 2021 that he was also in talks with Netflix for a third season of the show.

Netflix has not confirmed a third season, but season two may be left open-ended to allow space for more stories.

Netflix shared the first-look images for season two as part of their "Next On Netflix 2024" preview on February 1, 2024.

Netflix also shared footage from season two. The short clip appears to follow directly after the end of season one as Gi-hun still has his bright red hair and is at the same airport as the season finale.

While he tries to leave the building, Gi-hun receives a call from an unknown person who appears to be involved in the organization running the death games. The person threatens Gi-hun, but he vows to find the caller.