Original release date: September 17, 2021
The sixth and final game is the Squid Game, with Gi-hun on offense and Sang-woo on defense. Gi-hun beats Sang-woo, but refuses to complete the game. He invokes the third clause to end the game, but Sang-woo stabs himself and asks Gi-hun to use the prize money to help Sang-woo’s mother. Gi-hun returns home to find his mother already dead. A year later, Gi-hun is still traumatized by his experience and has barely touched his prize money. One night he receives a gold game invitation card, and in answering it finds Player 001, Oh Il-nam, still alive but dying. Il-nam is one of the VIPs, the “Host” (who co-ran the game alongside the Front Man, In-ho), and the mastermind behind the game operation, which was made to entertain the bored super rich like himself. Il-nam explains that both the poverty-stricken and uber-wealthy lead monotonous lives and he was trying to find a way to derive enjoyment from life. He was also testing whether humanity had any innate goodness left in it, reminding Gi-hun that despite witnessing the bloodshed in the initial game, he and the other participants still returned and sacrificed each other’s lives for the sake of earning the prize money for themselves. The specific games are based on Il-nam’s childhood memories, and he decided to participate himself for nostalgia’s sake. Il-nam asks Gi-hun to play one last game with him, another test to see if humanity has goodness left in it – whether anyone will help a drunk man on the street before midnight; Gi-hun wins but Il-nam dies, though presumably not before he witnesses his loss. Gi-hun snaps out of his stupor and fulfils his promises: he gets Sae-byeok’s brother out of the orphanage and gives Sang-woo’s mother his share of the prize money. Gi-hun is about to leave the country to reconnect with his daughter, but on the way sees someone playing ddakji with the same game recruiter who invited him. Gi-hun takes the man’s card and calls the number, now determined to find out who they are.
* * *
[dramatic music]
[dramatic music continues]
[masked manager] Player 218 and Player 456, welcome to the final game. Before we begin, we’ll flip a coin to decide who plays offense or defense. Please choose a shape. Triangle or square.
Triangle.
[coin clangs, whooshes]
[masked manager] It’s triangle. Please choose either offense or defense.
[inhales sharply]
Offense.
[masked manager] Player 456 will play offense. Player 218 will defend.
[door clangs]
[masked manager] For the final game, you’ll both be playing Squid Game.
[VIP 1] Squid Game.
What an odd name.
[Front Man] It was originally a children’s game that was played in Korea many years ago.
[VIP 1] Hmm.
[masked manager] Let me explain the rules of Squid Game.
One, the attacker must enter the squid shape court, run past the defense, and then tap the area inside the squid’s head with his foot to secure the win.
Two, the defender must block the attacker’s advance and force them outside of the court’s bounds in order to win.
Three, if a situation arises, in which either player is unable to continue playing the game, the last one standing will be the winner.
A player’s unable to continue.
Could you explain that?
[masked manager] That would be referring to the player’s death. And now, with that, let the game begin.
[suspenseful music]
[Front Man] Among all the games that kids played back then, it was the most physical and violent.
So any kind of violence is allowed?
Sure. There are no restrictions.
[suspenseful music continues]
[inhales deeply]
[breathes deeply]
[in English] Why is he hopping on one foot?
[Front Man] The attacker is given a handicap. He can only hop on one foot until he crosses the squid’s neck.
Oh, so the defender tries to block him.
[Front Man] Yes. That’s the first challenge of this game.
[in Korean] We always used to play this as kids.
[heavy breath]
When we cross… do you remember what we used to call it?
Shut up. Who cares about all that?
[Sang-woo grunts, screams]
[Sang-woo coughing]
[Sang-woo breathes heavily]
[tense music]
[grunts]
Inspector royal.
“Inspector royal,” we called it.
[rain pattering]
[exhales]
[thunder rumbles]
[rain pouring]
[speaking Mandarin]
[VIP 2, in English] Mm. It sounds so romantic.
What’s it mean?
[VIP 3] “Good rain knows the best time to fall.”
Du Fu.
[rain pouring]
I put an end to her suffering. You know she would have died anyway.
That’s bullshit. Stop lying. She could’ve survived. They would’ve treated her.
I know what you’re like, okay? You’re the reason that I had to kill her. I knew you two would stop all this, so she didn’t die in there.
Was that it? You killed someone because this might end?
Yeah! You and that girl would have been the majority you needed to get out! Going home without a single cent. I couldn’t do that!
She’s the one who stopped me. ‘Cause I was gonna kill you with this. It’s over. I won’t let you leave here with that money.
[scoffs]
[tense music]
[Gi-hun breathing heavily]
[grunts]
[both groaning]
[both grunting]
[Gi-hun grunts]
[Sang-woo yelps]
[Sang-woo screams]
[pants]
[Gi-hun breathing heavily]
[Sang-woo grunting]
[both grunting]
[tense music continues]
[Sang-woo shouting]
[Gi-hun grunts]
[Sang-woo moaning]
[Sang-woo] You bastard!
[yells]
[Gi-hun grunts, groans]
[both grunting]
[suspenseful music]
[both groaning]
[Gi-hun screams]
[Sang-woo] Die!
[yelps]
Die!
Get up! Get up! Get up!
[grunting]
[both groaning]
[ominous music]
[grunts over screen]
[both grunting]
[Gi-hun screams]
[Sang-woo grunts]
[groans]
[dramatic music]
You recognized it?
It’s the damn place where they made us play Red Light, Green Light.
So many people played with us, but now they’re dead.
Everyone except for us, Gi-hun.
[groans]
We… we’ve already come too far to end this now.
[screams]
[both grunting]
[shrieks]
[breathing heavily]
[Sang-woo cries in pain]
So it was you that killed them. You… you killed everyone! You killed them. You’re the one who killed them.
[panting]
[breathes heavily]
[panting]
[screams]
[Gi-hun breathing heavily]
[yells]
[gasps]
[heavy breathing]
[tense music]
[VIP 1, in English] This game is over.
[VIP 2] Yep, that about wraps it up.
[Gi-hun grunting]
[dramatic music]
[breathes heavily]
[dramatic music swells]
I can’t.
[breathes deeply]
I wanna end here.
[VIP 1] What is he doing?
[VIP 2] What the hell?
[VIP 3] What’s going on?
[in Korean] Clause Three of the agreement.
The players are able to end the game when… the majority agrees.
[pants]
So if we both give up now, you have to end it, right?
[exhales]
[in English] Player 456 wants to stop the game.
He’s giving up the prize money right… right here at the very edge of victory?
No fucking way.
Sang-woo.
[in Korean] I just thought… how they used to call our names when… our moms had made supper for us.
That won’t happen again.
[somber music]
Let’s go.
Let’s go together.
[Sang-woo sobbing]
[somber music continues]
Gi-hun.
I’m sorry.
[gasps]
[chokes]
[whimpers]
[Sang-woo gags]
Sang-woo!
[Gi-hun whimpers] Sang-woo…
Gi-hun.
[whimpering]
No, Sang-woo. Don’t talk. [Gi-hun crying]
My mother, go help her.
Don’t talk, Sang-woo.
[Gi-hun crying]
You have to help her.
[Gi-hun] Ah… No. Don’t…
Sang-woo, don’t… Oh, no! [crying]
[wailing]
No! Sang-woo, no…
[crying]
[Gi-hun screaming]
[somber music]
You should celebrate.
That was quite the game there.
[Gi-hun] Why? Why did you do it? How can you?
You bet on horses. It’s the same here but… we bet on humans. You’re our horses.
I did not expect you to finish your race.
Who are you?
It was a dream. Just think of it that way. And it really wasn’t a bad one for you, either.
[Gi-hun] Who are you?
[In-ho breathes deeply]
[Gi-hun] Who are you?
[steam hissing]
[exhales]
Who are you?
[gasps]
[chokes]
Who are you? Who are… [breathing heavily]
[evangelist] Believe in Jesus or burn in Hell!
You fool who deny the Lord’s existence, repent now! The day of judgment is upon us! Followers go to Heaven, non-believers burn in Hell! The only thing waiting for you in the afterlife will be fire and pain! Let us repent and kneel down before the Lord! Save yourself from Hell by making Jesus your lord!
[suspenseful music]
BELIEVE IN JESUS
[moans]
[grunts]
[heavy breathing]
Jesus. Praise the Lord.
[chokes]
[Gi-hun coughs, groans]
[breathing heavily]
[automated voice] Checking your IC card information.
WITHDRAWAL
[beeps]
Please select the amount you would like to withdraw.
10,000 WON
ENTER YOUR 4-DIGIT PIN
[beeping]
Counting the bills. Sorry, please wait a moment. Please take your cash.
BALANCE: 45,599,990,000 WON
[rain pouring]
[Sang-woo’s mom] Gi-hun!
[gasps] Are you… What happened? What’s going on? Did you get into another fight while drinking?
[sighs]
Hold on. Wait right here.
[panting]
Here’s some mackerel. I know your mother may want it.
[pensive music]
[breathes deeply]
She came down with something, I think. She hasn’t come out to work. And it’s been a few days since she’s answered her phone. I should’ve stopped by to check on her. I just don’t know what’s wrong with me. I mean, I, uh…
[gasps] It’s all right. Give your mom any cash you got. She needs it more than I do.
[pensive music continues]
[Sang-woo’s mom] Gi-hun.
By any chance… have you heard anything recently from Sang-woo?
Never mind. You should go.
[pensive music continues]
[gate clangs]
[distant dog barking]
[barking continues]
[door opens]
[Gi-hun breathes deeply]
Hey, Ma. I’m home.
[Gi-hun breathing heavily]
Hey, Ma. Mom, are you asleep? Hey, Ma. Mom, I’m home. Come on. I came home, Ma.
[pensive music]
Hey, Ma. [shaky breathing] Just, just open your eyes. Come on.
[pensive music continues]
I’m home now, Mom.
[gulps]
I got some money for us now.
[sobs]
[quiet sob]
[pensive music continues]
1 YEAR LATER
[train rumbling]
[Gi-hun exhales deeply]
[train rumbling]
[nervous chuckle]
We’ve got a real barista working for us here, and he can make you a cup as well. I’m not sure if you’d like it that much. [chuckles]
[bank manager chuckles]
Why am I here to see you?
[gasps]
Uh, sorry, you had to take the trip here. I wanted to have a car sent out to you, but…
Why am I here? What’s wrong?
Uh, well…
[sucks teeth, inhales]
So you see, you created your account here quite a while ago and… and you haven’t made that much effort to contact us since.
What do you mean? Did I do something wrong?
Huh? Uh, uh, no. It’s nothing like that, sir. [chuckles] Uh, you’ve got all your money set up in a normal savings account. You weren’t earning all that much interest on it. And recently, our bank began offering these consultations for VIPs looking to expand their financial assets. I wanted to let you know that we’re here to help.
[chuckles]
I’m sure you’re keeping busy. I just wanted to say…
Oh. I’m sorry. Did I offend you?
Could you help me out with something else?
Okay, what can we do?
Please spare me just 10,000 won?
What?
Uh…
All right, yeah. Here, let me just…
[bank manager] Um…
[distant train rumbling]
[water sloshing]
[woman] Excuse me. Would you buy some flowers? Please, mister. I need to get rid of them tonight or they’ll end up wilting away.
Thank you, mister. I appreciate it.
Uh, here.
[woman] Have a good night.
[Gi-hun sniffles]
[tense music]
DECEMBER 24, 11:30 P.M. SKY BUILDING, 7TH FLOOR
FROM YOUR GGANBU
[inhales]
[exhales deeply]
[elevator dings]
[beeps]
[elevator dings]
[door clicks]
[tense music continues]
[door closes]
[dramatic music]
[dramatic music continues]
[labored breathing]
[heart rate monitor beeping]
[inhales deeply]
[sighs]
Pour some water in there.
[Il-nam exhales]
Please, Gi-hun.
[heart rate monitor beeping]
[Il-nam gulping water]
Who are you? You explain this.
[gulps]
[Il-nam breathing heavily]
You see him? That man down there?
He must be drunk… because he’s been sitting there for hours.
He looks homeless too if I had to guess.
You… Were you the one who’s behind it?
He’s going to freeze to death if he stays out there any longer. And no one is going over to help or anything.
Why the hell did you do it?
[breathes deeply]
Would you help out that guy?
Answer me!
[shaky breathing]
Why did you do that to us?
You think that you will stop walking and help that disgusting, stinking drunk, little piece of trash, huh?
[shouts angrily] Show me who you are! Why did I get to live and no one else?
Listen. Let’s play something tonight. That man out there… if he remains out there until midnight, I win. If anyone… goes to help the drunk before then, in that case, you win.
Cut the crap, okay?
[Gi-hun breathing shakily]
[Il-nam grunting]
I could easily snap your neck right here.
[grunts] If you do that, then you won’t get to hear my explanation for all this.
[shaky breathing]
Play this game with me and… I’ll give you the… answer to your question.
[shaky breathing]
[Il-nam grunts]
[Gi-hun breathes deeply]
[Il-nam breathing heavily]
[wind gusting]
[clock ticking]
And if I win…
[inhales deeply]
…then I’ll kill you without a second thought.
What will you… bet on it with then?
Anything.
[inhales sharply]
It doesn’t matter. You might as well take everything I have.
[breathing heavily]
[ticking]
[heart rate monitor beeping]
So then… who are you?
I earn… a living, lending out money.
You give money to people for a living…
[inhales deeply]
…and you get rich doing it?
Money. [chuckles] You know what making money is like. It’s not simple to do.
So then… was any of what you said true or was it all just a lie?
Oh Il-nam. Is that even your real name, huh?
[Il-nam] It is. Yes, that’s real. Oh Il-nam. [inhales] That tumor’s also real. And it also had gotten larger too. That’s true. And the house I used to live with my family in was almost exactly like that one in the alley. That’s all true.
[wind gusting]
[sighs]
[inhales] Can you still… trust anybody to be good even after everything you’ve been through?
Why did you send a card?
I heard that all the money you won is just sitting there and that you are still living like you used to. Is it all just because you feel guilty?
Guilt? Shut up.
You don’t feel any guilt for what you did, do you?
It’s yours now. That cash is your reward for your hard work and luck. And you have every right to use it now.
Life goes by quick.
In one minute… gone in a blink.
[wind gusts]
[ticking]
[heart rate monitor beeping]
[breathing deeply]
[exhales]
[Gi-hun] Why did you do something like this?
[Il-nam] Do you know what someone who doesn’t have any money has in common with someone with too much money to know what to do with?
[labored breathing]
Living is… no fun for either of them.
If you have too much money, then it… doesn’t matter what you buy, or eat, or drink, or whatever.
[chuckles]
Everything, well, it all gets boring. All of my clients, started to eventually say the exact same things whenever we talked. Everybody felt… that there was no joy in their lives anymore. And so, we decided to get together. We did a little bit of thinking. What could we all do to… finally have some fun?
Some fun? You put us through all of that so you can have fun?
[Il-nam] It seems… that you forgot how… no one had to play, and you… all put your signatures on the agreement. And that you all made your decision to come back on your own.
[Il-nam breathing heavily]
[ticking]
[Il-nam] Well, he’s still out there. It looks like you’ve run out of luck. Tell me… you still trust… in humanity being good?
[Gi-hun] I wanna know… I wanna know why you joined us?
[inhales]
Oh, well, in my childhood I always had so much fun out doing things with all of my friends. We’d lose track of time for hours. I wanted to just… feel something just one last time before I die. And you are not going to get that feeling if you are just going to spectate. And I desperately wanted that.
And so… did playing do that then?
Hell yeah. You asked why I let you live. By joining… and playing with you… I got that chance to… feel again. Thanks to you… I got to remember all these things that I had… forgotten long ago.
[ticking]
It had been such a long time… since I… was able to have that much fun.
[ticking]
[wistful music]
[ticking]
[police siren blares]
[wistful music continues]
[Gi-hun gasps]
Look at that. There’s someone who cares.
[ticking]
[chimes]
[gasps]
[clock chimes]
[heart rate monitor flatlining]
[clock continues chiming]
[wistful music]
[Gi-hun] You saw that, didn’t you? You saw that you lost.
[clock chimes]
[Il-nam sighs, clears throat]
[grunts]
[exhales]
And our guests, greet them for me, all right?
[Front Man] Of course, sir, but why not do it yourself?
Because I know that I’m not going to have as much fun watching as playing.
[dramatic music]
[sighs]
[dramatic music continues]
INCREASE IN AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD DEBT RANKING KOREA 2ND GLOBALLY
[female reporter] The country’s reported household debt is rapidly on the rise, topping the current global average. Last third quarter, the Bank of Korea and the Bank for International Settlements…
[hairdresser] Hmm.
…reported that the GDP…
Holy moly! Your hair, sir, grew out. Uh, what you’re getting done today? Did you want a shorter cut? Or keep it longer so we can perm it like that, huh?
[female reporter] …Bank for international Settlements. The biggest increase in the world besides China. The reason for the steep rise in Korea’s reported household debt is due, at least in part, to the lifted government restrictions on financial loans.
[upbeat music on TV]
MINJI HAIR SALON
[indistinct TV chatter]
[relaxing music]
[sweeping]
[Gi-hun] You must be Cheol.
[somber music]
[clicks tongue]
The family resemblance is there.
Sir, do you know… my sister very well?
I know her. We’re good friends.
Does that mean you know where she is right now?
[somber music continues]
[Sang-woo’s mom] Is this the boy?
Yeah.
Tell me your name, sweetie.
It’s Cheol. Kang Cheol.
Kang Cheol? [gasps]
How cool! That’s a manly name you have there. And you look so tough and strong.
Take care of him, please.
Okay. It’ll be nice to have a little extra company around for dinner for a change. Don’t worry about me. Have a good trip.
Thanks.
Cheol, have you had dinner yet? Here, come. Come and take a seat. Come on now. Have a fish bun. Here you go.
Oh, goodness! That jacket is way too light for this cold. Wait, don’t you have a warmer jacket?
[grunting]
[unzipping bag]
[gasps]
[exclaims]
[unzipping bag]
[gasps]
IT’S THE MONEY I OWE SANG-WOO
[breathes deeply]
[Sang-woo’s mom] Gi-hun! Gi-hun!
[woman on PA] You have arrived at Incheon Airport Terminal One. This is Incheon Airport Terminal One.
[Gi-hun] Hey, daddy’s almost at the airport now. I’ll be boarding the flight soon.
Of course, of course, I got you a present. [chuckles] No way. It’s a secret. I’ll show it to you in person.
[loud thud]
[man groans]
Hold on, Ga-yeong. Ga-yeong, I’m gonna call you back once I get there, okay? I’ll be there soon, honey.
[loud thud]
[tense music]
[man grunts]
[man] Let’s play again. Right now!
[train approaching]
[panting]
[breathing heavily]
[train speeding up]
[grunts]
What the hell are you doing? Give me back that card!
Oh!
No. You don’t. [shaky breathing] You don’t go!
[woman on PA] This is the final boarding call for U-Way Airlines. Boarding for U-Way Flight 202 to Los Angeles will close shortly. All passengers bound for Los Angeles, please make your way to Gate 22 immediately.
Ladies and gentlemen…
[Gi-hun sighs]
…this is the final boarding call.
[phone keypad clicking]
[phone beeps]
[line rings]
[man on phone] Do you wish to participate in the game? If you wish to play, please state your name and date of birth.
[Gi-hun] Seong Gi-hun.
October 31, 1974.
Listen carefully. I’m not a horse. I’m a person.
That’s why I wanna know…
[breathes deeply]
…who you people are, and how you can do these horrible things to people.
[Front Man] Player 456.
[sighs]
Don’t get any absurd ideas.
[Gi-hun] It wasn’t a dream. I can’t forgive you… for everything you’re doing.
[Front Man] Just get on that plane. It’s for your own good.
[Gi-hun breathing heavily]
[suspenseful music]
[closing theme music]
