Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Netflix show Squid Game.Squid Gamehas become synonymous with dense capitalistic allegory, with characters’ actions and words reflecting the class and wealth disparity within Korea. The Netflix hit has become massively popular around the world for its brilliant social commentary mixed with thrilling entertainment value.
This means the dialogue is often laced with thematic relevance, revealing a great deal about each character’s thoughts and intentions.Over three seasons, there have been many dramatic monologues and intimate confessions; these quotes represent the writing ofSquid Gameat its very best.
Squid Game
Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children’s games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits with deadly high stakes: a survival game that has a whopping 45.6 billion-won prize at stake.
10"I have played these games before."
Gi-hun (Season 2, Episode 1)
Screaming from the top of his lungs, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) finally admits to the rest of the players that this isn’t his first time playing the games. It is assertive and immediately re-establishes who Gi-hun is this time round; he has a goal and a purpose, and it isn’t money-oriented. The quote also serves as a ceremonious celebration of the success ofSquid Gameexternally, with the quote almost eliciting a round of applause from the viewers as it feels like such an important return.
Unlike other quotes withinSquid Gamethat are incrediblyprofound pockets of analysis on capitalism,this quote is iconic because it feels so blatant and stark. Gi-hun isn’t trying to be manipulative or inspirational; he just wants attention, and he gets it.
9"We’re in Hell here. There are no rules in Hell."
Deok-su (Season 1, Episode 7)
When he finds himself at the front of the line during Glass Stepping Stones, Deok-su (Heo Sung-tae) refuses to move even when another player attempts to reiterate that the group is supposed to go along the bridge in order. Throughout the games, Deok-su has shown himself to be a ruthless villain, and his threat of letting the time run out unless someone goes ahead of him genuinely feels true.
However, his statement doesn’t just apply to the situation in front of him; the truth is, even though the games played are based on childhood, schoolyard games, the usual rules are irrelevant.There is the added jeopardy of life and death, and that means what is right is replaced by what will ensure survival. Deok-su sums up the atmosphere of the games: as long as you are physically capable of something, it is allowed. It might not be fair, but Hell isn’t designed with justness in mind.
8"You can do it, my bro, Min-su."
Nam-gyu (Season 3, Episode 1)
You would not be wrong for associating this quote with Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun), but the iteration that holds the most significance is when Nam-gyu (Roh Jae-won) says it to Min-su (Lee David). It is immediately evident that Nam-gyu is imitating his former ally, feeling mocking in tone; however, it immediately shows Nam-gyu is in a violent state of illusion, foreshadowing his downfall due to addiction. In this moment, he feels in control, now in possession of Thanos’ drugs and untethered to his late friend, but grief and compulsion will soon hit him.
The quote also offers all the inferences that can bepulled from Thanos’ character. The combination of Thanos and Nam-gyu is so strikingly different from the other competitors; they are antagonistic in a completely different manner, proven by their manic dancing during Mingle. Thanos flips between English and Korean, a reflection of his celebrity status as well as his consumption of American culture as a rapper. However, when Nam-gyu repeats this phrase in English, it doesn’t sound confident but neurotic.
7"Because if I go out now, I’ll have to face even scarier things."
Se-mi (Season 2, Episode 5)
When a coy Min-su asks Se-mi (Won Ji-an) why she wants to continue the games, she encapsulates why participants keep voting O with this quote. Although the intricacies of her debt aren’t discussed, the universality of her statement allows it to be implied to every single participant. The stark reality is that every single person entersSquid Gamewith hopes of escaping the financial hardships of the outside world.
Choosing to have Se-mi as the character to say this line, especially to a character as timid as Min-su, has a much greater impact because it gives insight into the less assertive and overtly violent characters.There is something so heartbreaking about seeing Se-mi admit that she has no choice but to keep playing. It is an admittance of the lesser of two evils; she would rather die having fought for a chance of redemption than face reality with nothing.
6"We are not horses. We are humans. We are…"
Gi-hun (Season 3, Episode 6)
The final words from Gi-hun manage to summarize his character arc, from when we first meet him and he is betting on horses, to when he vows to find the creators of the games. Now, he realizes he cannot save himself and Jun-hee’s (Jo Yu-ri) baby, so he prepares to sacrifice himself. However, before he falls off the edge of the platform, he stares at the facilitators of the game and reiterates his humanity.
Leaving the phrase unfinished is purposefully unsatisfying.Gi-hun’s death won’t change anything, and the games will still continue. To those involved in the games, he will merely be a story to tell. It is a brutal reality, but a fitting conclusion to Gi-hun’s compelling character arc andSquid Gameas a show.
5"Player 456. Did you have fun playing the hero? Look closely at the consequences of your little hero game."
The Front Man (Season 2, Episode 7)
Gi-hun struggles throughout the show with this intense sense of pride and responsibility; his addictive personality means he feels his emotions intensely. The fact that he has seen so many of his friends die only serves to heighten these feelings; however, his personality is laid bare in front of him by The Front Man. With Gin-hun and Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) cornered, they surrender their fate, and Gi-hun is ready to die. However, his fate is worse as he sees the consequences of his actions, and his best friend is shot in front of him.
It represents the bleak reality ofSquid Gameand the preparation for the lack of a happy ending. The show is not dictated by the sensationalism of television, and no matter how much the audience cares about Gi-hun, he is only a hero in his own story, and to the organizers of the game, he is merely another number. He has had his 15 minutes, and now it is time to go back to the competition.
4"Good rain knows the best time to fall."
VIP (Season 1, Episode 9)
This phrase is uttered by one of the VIPs as the first drops of rain begin to fall during Gi-Hun and Sang-woo’s (Park Hae-soo) final game. It is often associated with Chinese poetDa Fuand relates to the cycle of nature, and the arrival of rain during spring when the crops need it most. However, the original meaning holds no significance to how it is used inSquid Gameand instead signifies the rain adding to the climax of the games.
On the surface, it sounds incredibly profound, buta deeper examination showsthearrogance and voyeurism of the VIPs. They see the rain as a dramatic effect, and using such a delicate, poetic quote adds to their intention of showing off and makes them come across as more ignorant. The statement is banal in tone, rain will always fall, and it heightens the separation between the VIPs' perspective and reality. It so expertly appears as thoughtful insight, but deeper examination turns the quote into a superficial sentiment.
3"I’m not the one who threw these away."
The Recruiter (Season 2, Episode 1)
The Recruiter (Gong Yoo) is an extremely fascinating addition toSquid Game,as he exists on the fringes of the game, acting as a gateway of sorts. The opening of Season 2 sees him approaching vagrants and offering them a simple choice: a piece of bread or a lottery ticket. A montage shows that the majority of them chose the lottery ticket, leaving him to crush all the uneaten bread with his feet. When one of the men asks him why he would throw away perfectly edible food, he replies with this quote.
The words are incredibly loaded, as The Recruiter is talking more about the physical items in front of him, he is revealing his opinions about the games as a whole. His perspective shows he is also talking about the lives of those he challenges, speaking literally and metaphorically.He bears no personal responsibility for those he sent into the games; they have to take ownership for the position they have found themselves in. This one quote perfectly sums up the core theme ofSquid Game, analyzing the belief in personal culpability and the responsibility of the system.
Geum-ja (Season 3, Episode 3)
Reeling over the death of her son, Geum-ja (Kang Ae-shim) approaches a downtrodden Gi-hun, who is now consumed by guilt. When explaining the dichotomy of man, it is clear her son’s persona is at the forefront of her mind, knowing he was a man who ruminated on the smallest mistakes, even believing other people’s errors were somehow his own doing. She can see the same traits within Gi-hun, and she offers her maternal support towards him and begs him not to blame himself for the situation they find themselves in.
The reality is,Squid Gameis merely a microcosm for human nature, and the same situations can affect different types of people in different ways. Some people will be unfazed by causing harm to others, physical or emotional, whereas others will feel a huge amount of guilt and responsibility. That sentiment is present within the walls ofSquid Game, but it is equally transferable to society.Geum-ja speaks with wisdom, and her life experience allows her to deliver some of the most thought-provoking, authentic lines—this quote is the culmination of this.
1"When we were kids, you and I would play like this, and our moms would call us to dinner. No one’s calling anymore."
Sang-woo (Season 1, Episode 9)
The most heartbreaking quote inSquid Gamesees the vigilante Sang-woo finally break down as he stares death in the face. Throughout the contest, Sang-woo uses his intelligence and emotional distance to allow him to be cutthroat and manipulative; he separates himself from his affections, shown when he betrays Ali (Anupam Tripathi) during Marbles. However, his history with Gi-hun stretches beyond the games as the pair were childhood best friends. This moment, where Sang-woo realizes one of them has to die, finally sets him free from his own personal barriers, and he harrowingly reminisces on his childhood.
There are connotations between this quote and the metaphor forSquid Gamerepresenting the death of childhood, and the viciousness of the real world. The competitors are playing childhood games that are purposefully cartoon-ish in design, offering a huge juxtaposition between the threat of death and the innocence of the games. This quote signals the brutal reality of the epidemic of loneliness; he misses the connection and having people who care for him, but the brutal reality is that he is dying alone.
