Squid Game: Every Character Who Can Return In Season 2 (& How)

Warning! SPOILERS for Squid Game Season 1

Squid Game killed off most of its main characters in season 1 – but will the remaining cast return for the second season? Squid Game, in which hundreds of deeply indebted people compete against each other in playground-inspired death games for money, has become Netflix’s most popular series. Squid Game is actually the first K-drama series to tackle the concept of death games, and it’s fronted by a stellar cast of mainstream and niche Korean actors who practically became globally famous overnight.

After the finale of Squid Game, only a handful of this cast were left standing. Moreover, the interconnected story arcs of these characters remain unresolved, despite the series’ famous twists. While the final episode answered Squid Game’s key questions, it also left behind several new questions and mysteries for fans of the survival drama to ponder.

Squid Game’s remaining survivors could be in a position to resolve these mysteries in season 2. Who are the surviving characters that are likely to make a comeback? What would their comeback mean for the show’s second season?

Squid Game Winner Seong Gi-Hun

Series protagonist Seong Gi-hun is likely to return. After the Squid Game winner’s decision to ditch the plane in the final scene of season 1, he had a look of determined fury as he stormed out of the airport, suggesting that he plans to move against the Squid Game organization. There are various theories about what Gi-hun could to to try and bring down Squid Game in season 2, including infiltrating the games as a Squid Game worker, becoming the next Squid Game Front Man, or using his newfound billions to sneak into the next death games as a Squid Game VIP. In relation to another character who might return for season 2, Gi-hun could even team up with police investigator Hwang Jun-ho, whose death wasn’t confirmed in Squid Game season 1.

Police Investigator Hwang Jun-ho

Hwang Jun-ho is the cop who managed to not only infiltrate Squid Game, but also to gather more than enough evidence to bring down the organization. Whether or not Squid Game’s Jun-ho is alive is a question that was prompted by his largely ambiguous fall. When Jun-ho was trying to escape the island, he ended up being cornered on a cliff by the Front Man and his goons. The Front Man shoots Jun-ho in the shoulder, which pushes his body off the cliff and into the sea below. This is Jun-ho’s last scene in season 1. Squid Game never shows the Front Man nor his henchmen checking for Jun-ho’s body or actually finishing the job, which infers that he may have lived, and that the evidence he collected about Squid Game can still make it to the authorities. Jun-ho could return in the next season in order to see his plans through, possibly with the help of Gi-hun.

Squid Game Front Man Hwang In-ho

The show’s finale confirms that not only are the death games ongoing, but that Squid Game’s Front Man, aka Jun-ho’s long-lost brother In-ho, is still in charge. This could be a setup for the eventual confrontation between In-ho and Gi-hun, or another reunion between In-ho and Jun-ho, as these two still have things to settle with the Front Man. Another way for In-ho to return is if Squid Game season 2 explores the past as a period piece. When Jun-ho infiltrated In-ho’s inner sanctum, the cop managed to uncover comprehensive files on Squid Game players dating back several years, including the file that identifies In-ho as the Squid Game winner in 2018. Squid Game season 2 could finally answer not only how In-ho won the games but also how — and why — he took up the mantle of the Front Man.

Squid Game Player 067’s Little Brother Kang Cheol

One of the most beloved characters in the series is North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok, aka Squid Game Player 067. Many thought that Sae-byeok would emerge as Squid Game’s eventual winner. However, Sae-byeok ends up getting stabbed by Cho Sang-woo in the neck, eliminating her and setting up Sang-woo and Gi-hun’s final showdown in a round of the titular game. Although Sae-byeok is dead, her story lives on in Kang Cheol, her kid brother, whom Gi-hun put in the care of Sang-woo’s mother. Gi-hun also left more than enough money for Sang-woo’s mother and Cheol to live comfortably.

However, as Cheol grows up, he will likely have questions about his sister and family that both Sang-woo’s mom and Gi-hun can’t answer. Moreover, Cheol’s real mother and the rest of his family are still in North Korea. These reasons could prompt Cheol to seek out the Squid Game organization, not just for answers, but also for the money to fulfill Sae-byeok’s wishes of bringing their family to South Korea. If Squid Game season 2 is set in the future, Cheol could be all grown up and ready to play the death games.

Squid Game Recruiter AKA The Salesman

Squid Game’s the Salesman, the character who recruits people for the death games, is also likely to make a comeback. Squid Game hasn’t revealed any other recruiters in the show, inferring that the Salesman is alone in the job – at least in the city of Seoul – which makes sense for the criminal organization’s safety and secrecy. Although the recruiter only appeared in the first and last episodes of Squid Game, it’s an understatement to say that he has a crucial role in the organization. Season 2 could make the recruiter’s return interesting by showing what other games he’s great at besides ddakji. It could also explore why he’s so good at playground games, which could reveal more about the Squid Game recruiter’s backstory.

Squid Game Founder Oh Il-Nam

Oh Il-nam, the billionaire and sociopath founder of Squid Game, died in the final episode of season 1. However, the character could return if Squid Game season 2 is set in the distant past. Season 2 could explore the very first Squid Game, headed by Il-nam himself. This could reveal more about the character’s motivations for creating the death games. This could also shed a light on the identities of the first Squid Game VIPs, which could be connected to the mysterious VIPs in season 1. Not to mention that looking deeper into the old man’s past could also resolve the speculations about how Squid Game founder Il-nam is Gi-hun’s dad, a theory that’s supported by the fact that Gi-hun’s mother Oh Mal-soon has the same surname as Il-nam. Whether or not this is true, Il-nam’s return for Squid Game season 2 could resolve many of the mysteries that season 1 left hanging.

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