When we first meet Gi-hun in Season 1, he is a struggling divorced gambler who enters Squid Game to secure enough money to maintain his relationship with his estranged young daughter (Jo Ah-in). Gi-hun manages to win the competition — but at what cost? 

In Season 2, he’s intent on taking Squid Game down by any means necessary. “Even though he doesn’t have power or a clear strategy to solve the problem, one thing he knows for sure is that this must never happen again,” Lee tells Netflix. “That mindset played the biggest role in his motivations this season. He has a strong sense of purpose that he has to change it all.” 

Lee won a Critics Choice Award for his work in Squid Game Season 1. He was nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award (and won ensemble SAG gold with his co-stars in 2022). 

The enigmatic Front Man is the puppetmaster behind the scenes of Squid Game — as well as a former winner. In Season 2, we’ll learn what lengths the Front Man is willing to go to in order to protect the competition. Lee and Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk worked together to develop the Front Man’s backstory, which will be revealed in Season 2. 

“I got to portray these complex, intertwined emotions [in Season 2],” Lee told Netflix. “It was challenging, but it was the complexity of emotions that attracted me to the character as an actor in the first place.” 

Lee previously worked with director Hwang in 2017’s The Fortress. Over the course of his decades-long acting career, he’s  starred in projects including Mr. Sunshine and Iris. 

Much like Gi-hun, detective Jun-ho is focused on ending Squid Game forever. Certain revelations from Season 1 — like his unexpected connection to the Front Man — only increase his determination. 

“He now knows the truth [about Squid Game], but he can’t get any support from his captain and continues to struggle alone because he has no evidence,” Wi told Netflix. Still, Jun-ho can’t be broken. “He remains unshaken, and in portraying him, I focused on his unwavering gaze.” 

Wi has appeared in multiple series, including Gyeongseong Creature, Little Women, and Romance Is a Bonus Book. 

Myung-gi is used to playing around with huge sums of cash. He’s a cryptocurrency influencer whose decisions led to disaster for himself and his followers. Squid Game is his only way out of a dangerous financial hole. 

Yim is a former K-pop star. He comes to Squid Game fresh off of projects including feature film Unlocked and Run On. 

Dae-ho is another new Squid Game competitor. He may prove to be an ally for Gi-hun against the looming dangers ahead. 

Kang’s most recent Netflix film is The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure. He also starred in When the Camellia Blooms.  

Gyeong-seok is a loving and loyal father who enters the game ready to do anything to protect his family. 

The Sweet Home star is ready to get into the game. 

This new player will risk anything for an essential medical treatment.

Park appreciates Hyun-ju’s “selflessness” amid the cruelty of the game. “She’s so considerate of others, and she was kind, which is what I was initially most drawn to,” he says. “I feel very proud to see how many people root for her.” 

You may have recently spotted Park in Queen of Tears, which he filmed at the same time as Squid Game Season 2. Park admits juggling both series was physically “draining,” but he found the process very valuable as a performer. 

“To take part in such amazing and highly anticipated shows as an actor, I felt extremely privileged and blessed,” he says. “Both series come with an amazing cast, where I could rely on the expertise and experience of veteran actors. I really learned a lot by working alongside them.”  

Park also stars in 2022’s The Glory. 

Yong-sik  is a compulsive gambler drowning in debt. When he enters Squid Game, he discovers that an unexpected loved one is also participating. 

Not only has Yang appeared in projects like Yaksha: Rutheless Operations — he is also a hip-hop artist and breakdancer. 

This headstrong woman joins Squid Game to help a relative in dire need. 

Kang has appeared in Korean TV shows for decades, including the Extraordinary Attorney Woo series premiere. 

Jung-bae might be a fresh face in the Squid Game arena, but he’s not new to the series. He’s a longtime friend of Gi-hun and a former co-worker. The last time viewers glimpsed Jung-bae, he was gambling alongside Gi-hun at the horse racetrack. In Season 2, he’ll get into the game himself.

Rewatch Squid Game Season 1 to reaquaint yourself with Jung-bae’s charms. 

Like many Squid Game players, Jun-hee enters the competition after a bad investment. Unlike many, however, she isn’t the one to blame for her own hardships. June-hee simply trusted the wrong person. 

Jo comes to Squid Game from a successful pop career. She is a former member of girl group Iz*One. Squid Game is her drama debut. 

When we first meet No-eul, we learn her sole purpose in life is to find her child, whom she has been separated from under the most desperate of circumstances. However, Squid Game soon reveals there’s more to this former soldier than viewers might suspect. 

“No-eul is a soldier and North Korean defector who harbors a lot of pain inside,” Park says. “In portraying her, I thought it would take more than just a cold gaze or outward depression, but an expression of all-encompassing guilt.” 

The actor also went to tactical school to learn how to handle firearms like an expert. 

For more Park, tune into Sweet Home, in which she stars alongside Lee Jin-uk. 

If you’re feeling metaphysical, Seon-nyeo is the player for you. She is a shaman past her heyday who shares unnerving prophecies about her fellow contestants.

Squid Game is Chae’s first major Netflix project.  She previously starred in the drama The World of the Married. 

Not all players can be as confident as 001. Min-su is a shy contestant who has trouble asserting himself. He enters Squid Game after falling victim to a housing scam — and, no, he is not VIP 3 from Season 1. (That character is played by David Lee.).

Squid Game isn’t Lee’s first time working alongside some of his co-workers. He appeared in Svaha: The Sixth Finger with Lee Jung-jae and Squid Game creator Hwang’s The Fortress with Lee Byung-hun.

Nam-gyu is a former club promoter who bullies the weaker Squid Game players. He uses cruelty as a way to impress those he views as stronger than him. 

One of Roh’s first acting roles was in the K-romance Once Upon a Small Town. He also starred in the dramas A Killer Paradox and Daily Dose of Sunshine. 

Scene-stealer Thanos is always going for the win. He’s a rapper who got famous after appearing on a popular rap competition show. Thanos joins Squid Game after losing his money in a failed cryptocurrency investment. 

“Thanos, he's not an established rapper. He’s someone who’s a failed rapper and he’s also someone you might easily refer to as a loser,” Choi tells Tudum. “So I interpreted the character thinking that he’s someone very simple, yet unpredictable.”

Choi and director Hwang found inspiration for Thanos’ signature look in the villainous Marvel character he’s named for — and also in their shared appreciation for Skittles. 

While Thanos’ music career has taken a turn for the worst, Choi is a world-renowned singer and rapper, who also goes by the name T.O.P. Choi was very intentional about how he portrayed Thanos’ musical style. 

“Since I’m a rapper myself, I tried to deliver the lines as natural as possible while not being too lighthearted or comical,” Choi previously told Netflix. “My personal goal was to show the viewers a character they hadn’t seen before — someone who is mysterious and unpredictable and with a couple of loose screws.” 

Since breaking out as a musician, Choi has appeared in various TV shows and movies, including Iris alongside Lee Byung-hun. 

Se-mi has a bold sense of style to match her outgoing personality. She is kind to those who seem weak — and refuses to back down against bullies. 

Won previously appeared in the drama D.P. alongside Squid Game co-star (and on-screen antagonist) Roh. 

Although The Recruiter appears in only a single episode of Squid Game Season 1, his presence is unforgettable. The ddakji expert will return for Season 2 — with an even deeper storyline.

“I was both happy and nervous to know that Recruiter has more scenes, since the first season received much love globally,” Gong told Netflix. “I felt pressured to meet the fans’ expectations for the character but tried my best.” 

Gong initially collaborated with director Hwang on 2011’s Silenced.