Squid Game Season 3: Why people are obsessed with the Korean series packed with deadly games, dark twists, and shocking secrets

Time of India

5 hours ago

Squid Game's season 3 is out on
Netflix
in India now. The global hit continues the story of Gi-hun, as he returns to the deadly games following a failed rebellion in Season 2.
When Squid Game, a dystopian South Korean drama, where participants compete in brutal games for a prize of 45.6 billion won (S$43 million), premiered on Netflix in September 2021, its massive success took many by surprise. It quickly rose to become the platform's most-watched show, earned Emmy Awards for both its director and lead actor, and inspired a reality competition series along with a wave of Halloween costumes.
Since premiering on Netflix on September 17, 2021, the fictional South Korean survival series continues to be the platform's most popular show to date.
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What made Squid Game popular?
In a podcast with Nikhil Kamath, the co-founder of Zerodha, Netflix Co-CEO, Ted Sarandos explained what made Squid Game such a huge hit across the globe. The fact that Squid Game became such a global sensation was completely unpredictable, Sarandos said.
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The Korean team that picked it knew it would be a big hit in Korea, he told Kamath. And it turns out that shows that are big local hits have the best chance of travelling globally because they are very, very good, added Sarandos.
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Authentically global storytelling being the most globally valuable is unintuitive but absolutely true, he said. "The show is, at its core, deeply rooted in Korean storytelling, yet people across the world connect with its universal themes of class and fairness."
When Squid Game's Season 2 launched in December 2024, it set a new record for the highest number of views during its premiere week and reached Netflix's global Most Popular Non-English TV list within just three days. Season 2 ranks second on the list with 193 million views, second only to Season 1's 265 million views.
Who is in Squid Game season 3?
Due to the high death toll in
Squid Game
, only a few main characters are returning for Season 3 — primarily those who survived, along with some other significant figures. According to Netflix, the returning cast includes:
Lee Jung-jae
as Gi-hun (Player 456)
Lee Byung-hun
as the Front Man
Wi Ha-jun
as Hwang Jun-ho
Yim Si-wan
as Myung-gi (Player 333)
Kang Ha-neul
as Dae-ho (Player 388)
Park Sung-hoon
as Hyun-ju (Player 120)
Yang Dong-geun
as Yong-sik (Player 007)
Kang Ae-sim
as Geum-ja (Player 149)
Jo Yuri
as Jun-hee (Player 222)
Lee David
as Min-su (Player 125)
Roh Jae-won
as Nam-gyu (Player 124)
Park Gyu-young
as No-eul
Season 3 expectations
Season 3 features Gi-hun entering the game once again. A teaser shows him brought back in a coffin. He must play new deadly games like jump rope and a violent maze.
The teaser keeps the same setting of dangerous games masked as fun. Gi-hun's goal remains revenge against the Front Man. In a message to fans, Dong-hyuk confirmed this season will complete Gi-hun's journey. The conflict between him and the Front Man will reach its conclusion.