Squid Game Season 1 Deep Dive #6:
When Seong Gi-hun finally wins the Squid Game, everyone expects his story to end.
He survived.
He won 45.6 billion won.
He can finally escape from his old life.
But instead of starting over, Gi-hun makes a surprising choice.
He turns away from the plane.
Why?
This final decision became one of the biggest questions among Squid Game fans around the world.
The Money Was Never the Real Prize
At first glance, Squid Game appears to be a story about money.
Hundreds of desperate people compete for a huge cash prize.
But as the story progresses, the audience realizes that the game is not really about winning money.
Every player already lost something before entering.
- Gi-hun lost his family and dignity.
- Sang-woo lost his future because of debt.
- Sae-byeok sacrificed everything for her family.
- Ali trusted the wrong person because he needed hope.
The money was only the reason they entered.
The real question was:
What happens to people when survival becomes their only choice?
Gi-hun Won the Game, But Lost Himself
The old Gi-hun was irresponsible.
He gambled.
He borrowed money.
He disappointed his family.
But inside the game, something changed.
He began caring about other people.
He protected Sae-byeok.
He tried to save Ali.
He refused to become completely like Sang-woo.
However, winning the game came with a terrible cost.
Everyone around him died.
The prize money represented not only success, but also the lives of the people who could not leave.
The Final Conversation With Oh Il-nam
The meeting between Gi-hun and Oh Il-nam reveals the deeper meaning of the series.
Il-nam believes humans cannot truly trust each other.
He creates the game because he wants to feel excitement again and prove his belief about human nature.
But Gi-hun refuses to accept that idea.
The final bet between them is not about money.
It is about one question:
Can humans still choose kindness in a cruel world?
Why Did Gi-hun Change His Hair Color?
Many viewers interpreted Gi-hun’s red hair as a symbol of his transformation.
Before the game, he was someone who avoided responsibility.
After the game, he became someone who could no longer ignore what happened.
The red hair represents anger, pain, and a new determination.
He is no longer the same person who entered the game.
The Meaning of the Airport Scene
The final airport scene is important because Gi-hun has a choice.
He can leave Korea.
He can forget everything.
He can live a comfortable life.
But he turns back.
His decision shows that the game did not end when he won the money.
The real battle was what he would do after surviving.
Squid Game’s Ending Was Not About Revenge
Many people expected Gi-hun’s next step to be simple revenge.
But the ending suggests something deeper.
He is trying to understand the system behind the game.
The question is not:
“Can Gi-hun defeat the organizers?”
The bigger question is:
“Can one person change a world where people are treated like numbers?”
Conclusion
Squid Game’s ending remains powerful because Gi-hun does not receive a traditional happy ending.
He gets the money.
But he loses his old life.
He survives.
But he carries the memories of everyone who did not.
That is why Squid Game became more than a survival thriller.
It became a story about humanity, choices, and whether compassion can survive in a competitive world.