Why Squid Game Season 2's Best New Villain Died So Quickly, According To The Creator
This article contains spoilers for "Squid Game" season 2.
"Squid Game" season 1 was a global phenomenon and easily the biggest hit Netflix has had outside of "Stranger Things." The Korean death game thriller about a man who accepts an invitation to join a sick contest to win money by playing twisted (and deadly) versions of children's games captivated audiences everywhere. It was gory, shocking, and terrifying, but also fun and rather poignant in its commentary about class and capitalism.
The second season acknowledges that the surprise is gone, but instead leans into the audience's prior knowledge of the premise of the games and weaponizes that against them. This season is darker, meaner, and crueler, as if creator Hwang Dong-hyuk was rebelling against the capitalist systems that made the first season of "Squid Game" a global hit, yet prevented him from seeing any of the rewards, by making a second season could make audiences regret ever wanting to see more.
Season 2 sees season 1 protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) return to the games in an effort to shut them down. He spends every passing moment trying his best to convince players to vote against continuing the death games, and making certain they know who the real enemy is. At every turn, however, he is undermined and forced to watch as more people die horrible deaths for absolutely no reason other than the sick amusement of rich monsters.
One of the people leading the charge to continue the games in spite of the many deaths is player 230, also known as Thanos. Played by Choi Seung-Hyun, also known as T.O.P., Thanos is a shock to the system and a jolt of chaotic energy that "Squid Game" needed to maintain its balance between absolute horror and twisted fun. Yet, when the world needed him most, Thanos suffered a slow and painful demise.
Why Thanos had to die
Thanos is one of the best characters in "Squid Game" season 2. He's an unpredictable anime character brought to life — a guy who dances along to the catchiest tune of the season knowing full well he's about to face death. He's also the sort of person who suddenly starts speaking English just to seem cooler and even throws in a bit of Spanish for good measure. T.O.P. is basically playing an exaggerated version of himself on the show and even directly references some of his dances and performances. Likewise, the story about Thanos forgetting his lyrics during the finale of a rap show echoes T.O.P. doing the same thing in real life.
Thanos initially appeared to be a sort of Joker figure for "Squid Game," ie. a force of mayhem and amusement that does nothing but survive by a hair and would do anything he could to mess with everyone else. That is, until, he eventually met a gruesome end when he's killed in the bathroom during a fight amongst the players. As Hwang explained to The Hollywood Reporter, this moment was meant to show how people can lose sight of the battle against the system and instead turn on one another despite being on the same side. In his own words:
"We're coming up with so many ways to divide us. We think everyone's our enemy. Everyone's someone you're against. On the other side of that, I think we ask less questions about our fundamental systems that have made us behave this way, and have created this kind of environment. I wanted to have the fight between the people reflect that."
As for why Thanos had to die, Hwang admitted he's one of his favorite characters, but it was the right time to kill him off. "I will admit, I do think the death was sudden," the creator added. "It was very intense, which was the right way at just the right time for him to go. The way he leaves the story, if you watch until the third season, it will almost feel as if he's still there in some ways in terms of how he affects the plot."
"Squid Game" season 3 will premiere on Netflix in 2025.