There are significant spoilers in this article for “Squid Game.”
“Squid Game,” a South Korean drama, has taken the world by storm. The story explores the extremes humans would go to in order to survive. The players of Squid Game compete for the chance to win the grand prize: enough money to completely transform their lives. Throughout the course of the series, hundreds of contestants are reduced to only a small number. The main issue is that everyone else in the tournament must perish for that person to win.
Along the way, there are many instances of betrayal and sadness, but one of the biggest surprises occurs toward the end of the series and concerns Player 001, an elderly man by the name of Oh Il-nam (O Yeong-su). The series’ writers dropped hints regarding Il-true nam’s identity all throughout it, so his reversal might not come as a complete surprise. Let’s examine the hints that led us to discover the horrible truth about Player 001.
The Truth About the Old Man
In the “Squid Game” season finale, we find out that Player 001, the man who became friends with the main character and eventual victor Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), was the one who devised the entire game and was the mastermind behind all of this mayhem. He disclosed certain realities about himself, but he also made up his identity and kept his participation in the games a secret from Gi-hun. Il-nam occasionally speaks the truth, but everyone dismisses what he says as a symptom of his advancing dementia. I wish they had known.
Il-nam has been The Host for many years and has just entered the game when he learned he was going to die. Gi-hun is horrified to learn the truth when it is delivered to him by Il-nam from a hospital bed. The persona who everyone assumed to be a simple, kind old man instead turned out to be an evil game-master who was to blame for a great number of fatalities, shocking viewers as well. Even though some were quite cunning, the hints were there if you looked.
Safe from the Red Light, Green Light Doll
During the first game of Red Light, Green Light, Il-nam gives one of the earliest indications that he is playing by different rules than the other competitors. The players are highlighted green when the enormous terrifying doll swings her head around during the game’s “red light” phase to look for movement. Il-nam is seldom the focus, and frequently the player closest to him does the same. He is occasionally scanned, but not for as long as it does with the other players. He is secure.
Il-nam not only survives unharmed but also appears to be enjoying the game. While others around him are dying, he is racing with a carefree smile towards the finish line. Naturally, the game would be rigged in favour of the guy in control, therefore it makes reasonable that he won’t get shot during the initial group game.
He Knew Which Shape to Pick in the Sugar Game
The participants in the second group activity must select a shape. They will eventually need to use a pin to gently pry the shape from a disc of cooked sugar. Il-nam selects the star since he is already familiar with the game’s rules and is aware that it will be the simplest for him to cut out. Before the regulations are even published, Gi-Hun urges Il-nam to switch, but Il-nam declines because he has no way of cutting out the more challenging umbrella shape.
The sugar game is no different from the other games in that it is based on a memory that Il-nam has. He appears to be unaware of the chaos going on around him as people rush to unleash their own shapes because he is so eager to cut out the star. Il-nam continues to smile no matter what kind of horror occurs around him. When you know the facts, it’s far more sinister even though on first glance it appears to be dementia.
He Has a Perfect Tug-of-War Strategy
The players who made it through the sugar game go to a dangerous game of tug-of-war. Il-team nam’s is in trouble because they include two petite women and an elderly player. Il-nam gives his team the ideal plan of attack when they face a team of powerful, healthy men. He claims that he practised it frequently when he was younger, although it’s completely plausible that he picked up the skill by watching previous Squid Games. Even though he’s at the front of the line and could easily be pushed to his death, he’s positively giddy about the whole affair.
But observant watchers noted that Il-shackles nam’s are not padlocked to the rope whereas everyone else’s are. He could unhitch himself at the last second and escape to safety, even if his team loses.
He Stopped the Riot
After lights out in episode four, there is a horrific riot among the participants. It’s terrible when some of the more vicious folks try to kill their weaker adversaries in the dark. Il-nam urges the guards to put an end to the bloodshed because it’s one of the few times he’s not in charge. I’m so afraid, he cries, pleading with them over the night-vision camera.
The continuous conflict is eventually stopped when the guards enter. If Il-nam was only a participant in the game, why would they listen to him? After all, there is no prohibition in the rules against killing your rivals in their sleep. However, they are prepared to disregard accepted protocol in order to save his life.
He Recognizes the Marble Game Neighborhood Because He Designed It
The players are instructed to separate into pairs for the upcoming game. Together, Il-nam and Gi-hun “learn” they will be playing against one another. Il-nam has the chance to put his pal to the test. He strolls through the streets of the made-up city, gushing about how much it makes him miss home to player 456. That’s because he participated in its creation and it was inspired by the streets of his youth. He plays the fool while Gi-hun plays the game to win, pretending to have a serious case of dementia. When his pal manipulates him to survive, he suddenly becomes incredibly serious. Gi-hun doesn’t want to risk his life for a dying man as Il-nam has informed everyone that he is dying from a tumour.
Il-nam inquires as to how he could desert his pal before returning to acting confused. Gi-hun is heartbroken, but he has hopes of seeing his daughter again and contributing to his mother’s medical expenses.
His “Death” Happens Off-Screen
The guards take Il-nam into another room to be put to death after making the tragic decision. His occurs off-screen, unlike the violent executions of men we’ve already watched. Why was the viewer shielded from this game’s awful violence yet “Squid Game” is never afraid to display it? Naturally, we now know that Il-continued nam’s existence after the games means that he was never put to death. After the games are completed, Gi-hun finds the elderly guy, who is dying in the hospital. This time, we do witness his demise, but by that point, we are fully aware of his identity.
Il-nam most likely believed that the guards would remove him from the marble game because he was the odd one out. He would just skip the more challenging games that were coming and be able to observe because everyone would presume that he had been killed somewhere else because he was the odd-numbered player. After all, the game that comes after the marble game requires players to hop from one glass pane to another, which is something that the elderly Il-nam couldn’t manage. He was aware that he needed to leave before that game, and getting “executed” in another room was the perfect solution.
His Name Translates to “First Man”
If you speak Korean, one secret hint will be simpler to decipher. Oh Il-nam is Player 001’s real name, which he reveals to Gi-hun just before faking his demise. In the final episode, he repeats this. “Il” () means one, and “nam” () means man, hence the character’s name in English directly translates to “first man.”
Il-nam is the game’s designer in addition to being player 001 and the first “player” in the Squid Game. He holds the highest position among the VIPs, Front Man, and guards. The top man in every manner, he is The Host.
His Hands Hold the Host’s Mask
In the “Squid Game,” everyone who isn’t a participant is covered up in some way, and The Host is no different. The VIPs and Host get to wear something unique, while the employees and guards all wear masks with basic geometric patterns on them. The Host continues this concept with its extravagant golden animal masks worn by TheVIPs. He has on an owl mask that is both stunning and frightful, consisting of gold and gems. We glimpse a set of hands taking up and donning the Host mask in the seventh episode. Because they belong to Il-nam, those hands exactly resemble the gnarled old hands that we also watch cut out a star and play marble games.
