Squid Game Season 3: Who is Cheol in the Netflix thriller? Character details explored 

Squid Game Season 3 has come to an end with some of its characters from earlier plotlines getting the closure they deserve, with one of them being Kang Cheol.

While he doesn't hold a lot of screen time, the scene at the end of Season 3, featuring Kang Cheol, has a far deeper meaning for fans who remember his relationship to one of the show's most iconic characters, which dates back to Season 1.

Yes, you remember this aptly. Kang Cheol is the younger brother of Kang Sae-byeok from Season 1. Now, in Squid Game Season 3, Cheol's story comes full circle, marking it out to be an emotional journey that fully reflects what his elder sister fought so hard for.

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Kang Cheol in Squid Game and his relationship with Sae-byeok

Kang Cheol was first introduced in Season 1 of Squid Game as the little brother whom Sae-byeok was so desperately trying to save, and rightfully so. She entered the deadly games not for herself, but to bring her mother to South Korea and reunite their family. During that time, Cheol was left in an orphanage, unaware of his sister's fate.

In one heartbreaking scene, all the way back from Season 1, he says to her;

"Wait. I don't wanna stay here, okay? Where's Mom? You said she would come soon, you told me that we'd be together..."

This quiet scene between the two of them gave fans a glimpse into Sae-byeok's life and one of the most emotional scenes revolving around a player in Season 1.

After Sae-byeok's death (killed by Sang-Woo before the final game), Gi-hun keeps his word to Sae-byeok and takes responsibility for Cheol. He picks him up from the orphanage and brings him to Cho Sang-woo's mother, asking her to look after him.

Even though Kang Cheol was never part of the games himself, his life was nonetheless shaped by them. He became a symbol of everything Sae-byeok wanted to fix.

With his character now being brought back in Squid Game Season 3 for a short moment, fans were reminded of what was lost, but also why it was still worth fighting for.

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What Squid Game Season 3 reveals about Cheol’s fate

Squid Game Season 3 provides Cheol with a small but significant update in its finale episode. There's a time jump of 6 months in the final episode, and in it, we see Cheol again, but this time, standing hopeful at the airport.

He's no longer just a boy waiting in an orphanage. Now, along with Sang-woo's mother, he finally meets someone he's been hoping to see for a very long time. His mother, once trapped in North Korea, is finally free.

The reunion in Squid Game Season 3 is small but impactful, reminding fans of the iconic Sae-byeok yet again. The hug that they both share closes up on a wound that was left open ever since Season 1.

What makes this scene feel worth watching is everything that led to it. Sae-byeok gave up her life for this very outcome. Gi-hun followed through on his promise. And though Cheol may not have had much screen time, his story feels whole now, and Sae-byeok can finally be at peace even from the grave.

He represents hope in a show where it is rare. Cheol's arc is not loud, but it speaks volumes about what this show has always been about: survival, sacrifice, and what people are willing to do for the ones they truly love.

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Kang Cheol's character arc in Squid Game Season 3 is not fully out there in the open, and neither is it action-packed, filled with the brutalities of the games.

However, his arc quietly honors one of the show's main characters. Through a single reunion, the show reminds viewers that even the smallest stories matter, especially when they carry the weight of someone else's sacrifice.

In a world still marked by extreme capitalism, cruelty, and chaos, Cheol's story, which concludes in Squid Game Season 3, brings about a flicker of peace.