The final instalment of Squid Game wastes no time raising the stakes. Picking up in the aftermath of last season’s tense coup against the masked guards, this new chapter sees the game’s creators reassert their grip with merciless force. Countless lives are sacrificed, the prize money soars, and yet Gi-hun—spared despite the failed uprising—finds that staying alive is more agonizing than ever. His emotional journey anchors the season: driven at first by a thirst for revenge against Dae-ho, whom he holds responsible for a friend’s death, Gi-hun soon spirals into guilt and despair before slowly clawing back his sense of humanity and moral purpose.
No-eul, too, undergoes a powerful transformation as she risks everything to shield a fellow player from certain death. Meanwhile, Jun-ho’s covert mission to infiltrate the island unravels when traitors embedded in his own ranks quietly sabotage his plans. Yet the most startling twist belongs to the Front Man himself, whose ruthless facade finally fractures to reveal a crack of unexpected vulnerability. In Squid Game Season 3, the stakes are bloodier than ever, but it’s the deepening emotional conflicts and tangled loyalties that make this chapter unforgettable.
This article contains spoilers.
Squid Game (Season 3) Episode 1 “Keys and Knives” Recap:
The episode picks up right where the last season left off. The soldiers ruthlessly execute the remaining rebels—among them is Player 246, Gyeong-seok, who drops to his knees, begging a masked guard for mercy, pleading that his daughter still needs him. But behind the mask is No-eul. She coldly raises her gun, shoots him, then leans in and whispers that if he wants to live, he must do exactly as she says.
With Gyeong-seok’s eyes squeezed shut, No-eul scans the chip in his ear to falsify confirmation of his death. Another soldier, witnessing this, nods approvingly—impressed that No-eul has apparently defected. She shrugs off the compliment, explaining that she realized it was pointless for the players to die in vain when their organs could serve a better purpose. Having gained the soldier’s trust, No-eul casually asks him to show her the workshop, reminding him they’re now on the same side. Meanwhile, Gi-hun’s limp body is dragged back into the players’ quarters, his fate uncertain as the games grind on.
How does No-eul help Gyeong-seok (Player 246)?
On the boat, Detective Hwang is told the drone operator likely got drunk, slipped, and was dragged away by the high currents. They decide to stop at a port to find a replacement. Meanwhile, Gi-hun wakes up and learns from Hyun-ju how many lives were lost. The soldiers arrive, and the prize money increases—35 players were eliminated the previous day.
Seeing this, Gi-hun is frustrated that he was spared, so he attempts to attack the soldiers but is handcuffed to a bed. At sea, Captain Park updates the Front Man, who instructs him to ensure the island isn’t found until the games end. If things spiral out of control, Captain Park is ordered to kill everyone, including Detective Hwang. Back at the island, the players vote to continue the game—those in favour outnumber those against. However, Gi-hun refuses to vote.
The Front Man instructs the masked manager to clean the damaged areas as the VIPs are set to arrive. Player 100 (Jeong-dae) and his friends thank Gi-hun for increasing the prize, but taunt him for encouraging mass eliminations by planning a coup. Then, Player 044 (Seon-nyeo) scares Gi-hun, claiming he’ll forever hear his friends’ screams. Enraged, Gi-hun tries to attack Seon-nyeo but is restrained.
Elsewhere, No-eul is brought to the workshop, where she briefly earns soldiers’ trust but kills all except one when they plan to harvest Gyeong-seok’s organs. Since Gyeong-seok has lost too much blood, No-eul forces the soldier at gunpoint to help with a transfusion by donating her blood. Meanwhile, Hyun-ju, Yong-sik, and Geum-ja comfort Gi-hun, insisting Dae-ho is the real one to blame for the bloodshed.
Why are Dae-ho and Gi-hun angry with each other?
Hearing that, Gi-hun is filled with vengeance toward Dae-ho. That night, Woo-seok tells Detective Hwang he suspects Captain Park is linked to the drone operator’s death, but Hwang dismisses it. The next day, as players head upstairs for the next game, they see rebel corpses hanging—an example of what happens to rule-breakers. Players are now split into red and blue teams. Now, Gi-hun and Geum-ja are in red; Yong-sik and Dae-ho are in blue. The game is hide and seek. Blue hides using keys to unlock doors, while Red must find and kill those using knives. Failure means death for Team Red. Players are offered a chance to switch teams; Geum-ja and Yong-sik exchange places.
Meanwhile, Woo-seok tells Hwang he won’t join the voyage and meets an old colleague. In the arena, Myung-gi and Nam-gyu team up to hunt blue players. Initially, Jun-hee resists working with Myung-gi but eventually switches teams and hides. At that time, Dae-ho confronts Gi-hun, blaming him for everything, but soldiers intervene when Dae-ho gets violent. The blue team hides in a room painted like the night sky. Here, Jun-hee, Hyun-ju, and Geum-ja stick together. On the boat, Captain Park warns Hwang not to trust Woo-seok. Inside the arena, Jeong-dae urges players to find and share the exit location. The round begins, and Gi-hun enters last.
Squid Game (Season 3) Episode 2 “The Starry Night” Recap:
The episode opens with Gyeong-seok gaining consciousness. After that, No-eul kills the soldier and promises to save Gyeong-seok’s life. The red team is now allowed inside the arena. There, Nam-gyu takes Thanos’s pill to help him go on a killing frenzy while Myung-gi waits. The blue team players soon realize that not all doors open with their keys, as each key and lock has one of the three shapes: triangle, square, or circle. The shaman Seon-nyeo has gained some following, so she leads a group of four, promising to show them the exit.
Since Hyun-ju, Jun-hee, and Geum-ja have teamed up, they can access all the doors, as each one has a different shape on their keys. Meanwhile, Gi-hun is only looking to kill Dae-ho, so even if he finds another blue team member, he lets them go. Myung-gi and Nam-gyu find a blue team player. So, they kill the player together, and they each have killed only half a player. Hence, Myung-gi and Nam-gyu need to find another player to kill to be safe in the game. While killing, Nam-gyu drops Thanos’s cross-chain, which Min-su finds. Inside, there are two pills, so Min-su consumes one.
Will Gi-hun get his revenge?
Meanwhile, a red player tries to kill Geum-ja or Jun-hee, but Hyun-ju saves them both by killing the player. Because Jun-hee has fractured her ankle, they decide to hide out inside a room and hope for the best. Elsewhere, Jeong-dae sacrifices a player to save his own life. Now, Myung-gi and Nam-gyu kill another player, so they are safe. However, Nam-gyu suggests that they kill whichever blue team player they find, so they will eliminate even red players, hence increasing the chances of winning the prize money.
One red player hurts Dae-ho’s ankle, so he bleeds, leaving a trail of blood everywhere. Unfortunately, Yong-sik is unable to kill anyone as he is afraid to wield a knife. Seon-nyeo leads her group to death while she escapes. Unfortunately, Jun-hee goes into labour, so Geum-ja helps Jun-hee give birth. While fleeing, Seon-nyeo runs into Gi-hun. To save her life, Seon-nyeon reveals Dae-ho’s location. Now, Seon-nyeo finds the exit, but she needs all three shaped keys to open the door.
So, Seon-nyeo carefully navigates around to find the keys. Seeing Nam-gyu and Myung-gi, Jeong-dae pretends to be dead. During that time, Jeong-dae and Seon-nyeo bump into each other. Luckily, Jeong-dae has the other two keys, so they head for the exit. Meanwhile, Jun-hee gives birth to a baby girl. A red player arrives, so Hyun-ju fights and kills the man. In the process, Hyun-ju finds the exit. Hyun-ju heads back to the room to bring Geum-ja and Jun-hee so they can escape together.
While telling the news, Myung-gi kills Hyung-ju from the back. Seeing his child, Myung-gi locks the door and saves Jun-hee and Geum-ja. Now, Jeong-dae tricks Seon-nyeo into opening the door and leaves her behind. At that time, a drugged Min-su arrives and kills Seon-nyeo. After a duel, Gi-hun kills Dae-ho. Geum-ja and Jun-hee are about to make an exit when Yong-sik arrives, wanting to kill Jun-hee. However, Geum-ja strikes him as she needs to save a newborn and its mother. The time is up, so the soldiers arrive and kill Yong-sik. Elsewhere, Gi-hun realizes he is also at fault, so he is about to kill himself, but the soldiers stop him.
Squid Game (Season 3) Episode 3 “It’s Not Your Fault” Recap:
The episode opens with soldiers retrieving the bodies of dead players. One red player attacks a soldier but is immediately killed. These are the VIP guests who now get to participate slightly in the game. Meanwhile, Nam-gyu fights the guards as he cannot function without his pills. Suddenly, Jun-hee arrives with her baby, shocking everyone. At the same time, No-eul helps Gyeong-seok change into a soldier’s uniform and hands him the key to door 16, instructing him to follow her orders if he wants to survive.
Elsewhere, the managers report an issue in the operating room to the main manager. At sea, Woo-seok calls Detective Hwang and says Captain Park is a ghost, as no one in town knows him. Before hanging up, Woo-seok promises to dig deeper. Meanwhile, the drone operator locates an island that looks familiar to Hwang. So, Hwang swims ashore and realizes it’s the same island where he was previously shot and rescued, meaning the game’s location must be nearby.
Can Gi-hun save the baby?
Inside the facility, the VIPs enjoy the show. During a vote, Geum-ja pleads with the players to stop the game, but they ignore her. The game continues. From the operating room, the staff suspect number 16 of killing soldiers, but he’s back in his room. They also begin to suspect that number 11, No-eul, is involved. That night, No-eul meets a manager and asks for a boat so she and Gyeong-seok can escape. Meanwhile, Geum-ja comforts Gi-hun, telling him it wasn’t his fault.
Now, Geum-ja reveals that when things went bad, Yong-sik tried to kill himself. At that time, Geum-ja promised to take care of Yong-sik, but in the end, Geum-ja killed her son. Geum-ja asks Gi-hun to take care of Jun-hee and her baby. However, Gi-hun refuses. Outside, Woo-seok finds the Captain’s house and discovers his name– Park Yeong-gil. Inside, Woo-seok finds a photo of Yeong-gil with the Squid Game recruiter. Before leaving, Woo-seok stumbles upon a pit filled with cash and a squid game soldier uniform. Suddenly, police arrive, and Woo-seok surrenders.
The next morning, the players wake to find that Geum-ja has killed herself. Meanwhile, the managers discover that the person in the soldier’s room is Gyeong-seok. The next game begins. Now, Gi-hun decides to help Jun-hee and the baby. One VIP accidentally bets on Jun-hee to win, so to make things more entertaining, the baby is also made a player. In the new game, players must cross a bridge in a jump rope style. There’s a gap in the bridge. Taking the opportunity, Min-su tosses the cross-chain onto the bridge, provoking Nam-gyu to go first.
But when Nam-gyu realizes there’s no pill, he forgets to jump and is killed by the metallic swing. While this unfolds, Gi-hun suggests to Jun-hee that they can return for the baby later, but the guards explain that the baby is a player now. So, Gi-hun wraps the baby around himself and successfully crosses. Other players follow. Player 096 crosses but pushes the next player to improve his odds of winning, shocking Gi-hun.
Squid Game (Season 3) Episode 4 “222” Recap:
The episode continues as Player 096 throws a few more players off the bridge. Some die from the jump rope as they are exhausted from constant jumping. When Player 096 suggests he and Gi-hun can share the prize money after killing everyone, Gi-hun threatens to push him off unless he lets the others continue. Meanwhile, Myung-gi tries to convince Jun-hee to cross. But when Jun-hee shows her injured ankle, Myung-gi realizes she can’t jump. So, Jun-hee tells Myung-gi she hopes neither she nor her baby ever sees him, even in dreams.
Suddenly, Player 096 tries to push Gi-hun off, but Gi-hun fights back and kills him. By the time the rest cross, little time remains. So, Jun-hee tells Gi-hun to stay back for the baby’s sake and then jumps off the bridge. Watching this, the VIPs and Front Man decide to make the baby, Player 222, an independent player. As requested, No-eul and Gyeong-seok are assigned outer perimeter duties and given a boat to leave the island. However, the manager orders a pursuit team to be ready. The soldiers inform the players that nine have survived. The players are confused, having only seen eight.
What offer does the Front Man propose to Gi-hun?
When told the baby is now a player, many want to kill it. Luckily, soldiers intervene, announcing that violence among players is no longer allowed. Meanwhile, Woo-seok is arrested. A cop calls Captain Park to report a burglary. At that time, Woo-seok tricks the officers into letting him use his phone and informs Detective Hwang about Captain Park. At the same time, Captain Park tells his partner on another boat to kill everyone aboard, then murders his crew.
Just as Captain Park is about to kill the drone operator, Detective Hwang appears and shoots him. Although the drone operator doubts they can find the island, Detective Hwang insists on searching an area Captain Park had restricted. Back on the island, the players enjoy a lavish meal. Before the next vote, players are told they can eliminate three among them during the next game. This changes things. The majority votes to continue, choosing Gi-hun, Min-su, and the baby as the ones to eliminate.
After No-eul and Gyeong-seok leave, the manager hears of Captain Park’s death and asks No-eul to return, offering her another chance. However, No-eul refuses, but the manager threatens, saying he knows Gyeong-seok is headed to the hospital where his daughter is. So, No-eul urges Gyeong-seok to reach land and contact the police, and No-eul gets off the island.
However, the manager tracks the boat and orders their deaths. Meanwhile, the Front Man invites Gi-hun for a chat. Aware that the players plan to kill Gi-hun and the baby, the Front Man offers Gi-hun a way out: kill everyone in their sleep and walk away. Then, the Front Man reveals himself to be In-ho. Meanwhile, No-eul spots an exhaust opening on the island and starts climbing. However, Gi-hun walks away, prompting In-ho to ask if he still believes in humanity.
Squid Game (Season 3) Episode 5 “Circle, Triangle, Square” Recap:
The episode opens with No-eul entering the air vent. Meanwhile, in the room, Gi-hun tries to kill Jeong-dae but fails. In a flashback, we learn that In-ho was once a player. At that time, Il-nam had asked In-ho to kill the others, and In-ho complied. Now, In-ho contacts Detective Hwang, asking him to give up or be killed. Still, Detective Hwang refuses to give up.
The players are taken to their final game, the Sky Squid Game. There are three towers in Circle, Triangle, and Square shapes. In each round, players must push a button to begin and then push one or more players to progress. Meanwhile, No-eul enters the manager’s cabin and forces him to destroy data related to Gyeong-seok. After that, No-eul tries to kill the manager, but the manager reveals there’s a hard copy in In-ho’s cabin, accessible only to him and In-ho. So, No-eul spares his life, and they head there together.
Who is going to fight in the final round of Squid Game?
Inside the elevator, a fight breaks out. During the fight, No-eul drops her rifle, and the manager stabs her while expressing his disappointment. However, when the manager receives a call about the game, No-eul uses the distraction to crawl toward the rifle. The manager scoffs until No-eul grabs the gun and kills him. Back at the game, the players decide the baby must be eliminated.
However, Gi-hun refuses to let go. Realizing time is running out, Myung-gi pushes Min-su off the edge to advance. The players move to the next round. Meanwhile, No-eul locates and destroys the hard copy of Gyeong-seok’s details. The players try to reason with Gi-hun again, but he won’t separate from the baby. In frustration, player 353 threatens to push both Gi-hun and the baby, but Gi-hun counters by pointing out that the others are already plotting to get rid of player 353. Realizing the truth, 353 backs off.
Out at sea, soldiers shoot at Gyeong-seok. However, Gyeong-seok defends himself until he runs out of bullets. Just then, Detective Hwang arrives and kills the soldiers. In the next round, players decide to use rock, paper, and scissors to choose who’ll grab the baby. Player 336 tries to sweet-talk Gi-hun, then suddenly attacks. However, Gi-hun cuts the chain of a jacket that is tying the group together, causing others to fall.
At that moment, Myung-gi kills player 336. Afterwards, Myung-gi reveals he is the baby’s father and forms an alliance with Gi-hun. The other players beat player 039, vowing to kill him next. However, Gi-hun insists on fairness. Fights erupt between Myung-gi vs. player 353 and Gi-hun vs. player 203. In the end, Myung-gi and Gi-hun survive. Myung-gi then kills Jeong-dae, but player 039 kills himself, forcing the final face-off between Gi-hun and Myung-gi.
Squid Game (Season 3) Episode 6 “Humans Are…” Recap:
The episode opens with Detective Hwang helping Gyeong-seok onto his boat. After tending to Gyeong-seok’s wounds, Detective Hwang prepares to scuba dive to the island. Before he leaves, Detective Hwang calls the Coast Guard. Furthermore, Hwang asks the drone operator to tell the coast guards the truth about everything. Meanwhile, Myung-gi crosses the bridge to go to the last round of the game.
However, Myung-gi now holds a rod, asking Gi-hun to leave the baby with Myung-gi and stay back in the previous tower. This means in the next round, Myung-gi will have to eliminate himself or the baby. Despite knowing that, Myung-gi wants Gi-hun to hand over the baby. Elsewhere, No-eul burns all the hard copies of the players who have ever played the game before. Among those is also information about the soldiers.
In No-eul’s file, she sees that her child is dead. After reading that, No-eul burns all files, including hers. At the game, Gi-hun promises to sacrifice himself, but Myung-gi does not believe Gi-hun. Furthermore, Myung-gi is getting worked up, assuming there is something intimate between Jun-hee and Gi-hun. So, Gi-hun places the baby on the bridge and heads back to the previous tower as instructed. Just as the bridge is closing, Gi-hun picks up his knife and jumps to the final tower. Now, Myung-gi and Gi-hun fight each other.
Just as Gi-hun takes the knife to attack Myung-gi, he holds the baby outside the tower, threatening to drop the child. So, Gi-hun drops his weapon, which Myung-gi picks up and attacks Gi-hun. As they fight, they lose balance, and both of them fall over. Thankfully, Gi-hun holds onto a rod that is sticking out, and Myung-gi holds onto Gi-hun’s jacket. Unfortunately, the jacket tears, so Myung-gi falls to his death. Since the button was not activated, Myung-gi’s death does not count.
Squid Game (Season 3) Ending Explained:
Gi-hun climbs back up and picks up the baby. Meanwhile, a drone spots the Coast Guard boat. At the same time, Detective Hwang Jun-ho reaches the island and starts climbing up the ladder. In In-ho’s cabin, No-eul thinks about killing herself but stops when she hears the baby cry. One last time, Gi-hun kisses and hugs the baby. Before sacrificing himself, Gi-hun says the players aren’t horses but humans. Seeing the Coast Guard boats approaching, the evacuation plan is followed.
In 30 minutes, the place will explode. Just then, Jun-ho reaches the location and sees In-ho pick up the baby. Along with the soldiers, No-eul also escapes from the island. Just in time, Jun-ho also swims away from the island. Six months later, Woo-seok is released from prison, and Jun-ho picks him up. At that time, Woo-seok wonders who would have taken Gi-hun’s money as it went missing from the motel. Now, Gyeong-seok has gone back to the amusement park and is working there.
No-eul visits and is happy to see that Gyeong-seok’s daughter is healthy. Unfortunately, Gyeong-seok does not know that No-eul is the one who saved him from the island. As No-eul leaves, she gets a call from her broker that No-eul’s daughter was seen in China. When Jun-ho gets home, player 222 (Jun-hee’s baby) is placed on the dining table with a card. The card is in Jun-ho’s name, and another card says player 222 is the winner. When Jun-ho checks the balance, he is shocked to see 45.6 billion won. In the airport, broker Man-cheol reunites Sae-byeok’s mother with Sae-byeok’s younger brother Cheol.
There, Man-cheol spots No-eul leaving for China. Elsewhere, Woo-seok and his friend decide to renovate and run the Pink Motel. Now, In-ho is in LA to meet Gi-hun’s daughter. At first, Gi-hun’s daughter is angry, assuming Gi-hun did not contact her, but when she realizes he is dead, she is saddened. However, inside the box is Gi-hun’s uniform, along with a card in Gi-hun’s name left for his daughter. On the way back, In-ho sees a woman playing the card-flip (ddakji) game with a man. They have eye contact before In-ho leaves.
In the end, In-ho’s arc stands out as unexpectedly poignant. It’s clear that he never truly wanted to be the Front Man—he wears the mask for the money and perhaps out of resignation. When he secretly ensures that Jun-hee’s baby is safe in Jun-ho’s care, it’s his quiet attempt at redemption, a way to ease the burden on his conscience. This time, he even returns to Gi-hun’s daughter what is rightfully hers, as if trying to make amends for his own moral decay. When In-ho pointedly asks Gi-hun whether he still believes in humanity, it feels less like a test and more like a question In-ho desperately asks himself.
Gi-hun’s refusal to kill other players in their sleep seems to touch something buried deep in In-ho—perhaps a reminder of the man he used to be. As for No-eul, her fate remains uncertain; whether she will ever find her daughter in China is unknown, but for the first time, there’s a flicker of hope. Sae-byeok, a player lost in the first season, is indirectly honored through Player 222—the baby—who survives, leaving the story with a fragile promise for the next generation. But any sense of victory is bittersweet. In a chilling twist, it’s revealed that a similar deadly game operates in the USA, hinting that every country has its own version of this nightmare—and that no one is truly safe from its reach. This final revelation could very well tease an American spin-off of the Squid Game series.
