"Hyun-ju broke me into pieces": Trans player Hyun-ju’s tragic death in Squid Game Season 3 leaves fans heartbroken

Squid Game Season 3 has delivered its most emotionally devastating moment yet, and fans are still reeling. At the center of this heartbreak is Hyun-ju, the trans contestant whose courage, loyalty, and tragic fate have left viewers completely shattered.

Her story didn’t just add diversity to the cast. It also became one of the most powerful and human arcs in the entire series. Introduced in Season 2, Hyun-ju is also known as Player 120. She was a former special forces sergeant who joined the game with a simple but deeply personal goal.

She wanted to earn enough money for gender-affirming surgery and begin a new life in Thailand. After being rejected by her family and society for coming out as a trans woman, the games became her only shot at living authentically.

But in Squid Game Season 3, her journey came to a violent and unjust end, and fans everywhere are calling it one of the most heartbreaking deaths in the series. A fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

"Myung Gi player 333 killing Hyung Ju broke me into pieces not gonna lie. I literally cried on that scene, so sad to watch. #SquidGame3

Even the actor who played Hyun-ju pointed out that he’s been cast in villain roles lately, like in Queen of Tears, so he was happy that Hyun-ju turned out to be such a positive character. Park Sung-hoon said that it was "Very hard for me to say goodbye to her".

Keep reading to explore how fans reacted to her death.

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Fans are left heartbroken after Hyun-ju's death in Squid Game Season 3

Hyun-ju stood out not only because of her background but also because of her character in Squid Game Season 3. She was strong, strategic, and kind. She formed a close bond with Geum-ja, Yong-sik, and Jun-hee, and quickly earned the respect of many, including fans.

This is why her death at the hands of Player 333 left a lasting impact on fans. A user wrote:

"... Hyun Ju's death hurt me the most I felt like someone was stabbing my heart..."

Another user commented:

"Hyun Ju saved lives with nothing but her heart and still didn’t make it. That scene broke all of us..."

A fan even mentioned mourning over Hyun-ju's death in Squid Game Season 3, and wrote:

"This gotta be the most devastating death I will mourn for. After all the help Hyunju did to Junhee while you're doing a killing spree. I FXXKING HATE YOU MYUNGGI!"

Another fan posted:

"What i absolutely despised was the way it turned out, it could have been so much better..."

Since Hyun-ju was killed by Player 333 in Squid Game Season 3, who also happens to be Jun'hee's baby's father made the scene became even more heartbreaking. Another user commented:

"My Queen Hyunju died for no fault of her own 😭😭 the fact that she had found the exit bt came back to save her friends is breaking my heart even more..."

Not just fans, even Park Sung-hoon believed Hyun-ju died early in the series. The actor said, "I thought she would last longer. I think she died earlier than she should have, so it’s a shame."

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Also Read: What is Park Sung-hoon's Squid Game controversy? Explained in depth

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