Top 5 heartbreaking deaths in Squid Game (so far)

Netflix has finally unveiled the first teaser for Squid Game Season 3, the Korean-language thriller series that became a global phenomenon. The 1-minute 24-second teaser is enough to hint that the final chapter will be even bloodier and more emotional than the previous seasons.

With stakes so high and betrayals running wild, it is hard to predict who will survive and what will become of Gi-hun's fate in the season finale.

But while you prepare for Season 3, here is a look back on the most heartbreaking deaths in Seasons 1 and 2.

Let's have a look at the Top 5 heartbreaking deaths in Netflix's Squid Game.

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Top 5 heartbreaking deaths in Netflix's Squid Game

5) Se-mi aka Player 380 (Season 2)

While the body count in Squid Game Season 2 was much less than Season 1, Se-mi's death was heartbreaking. She reluctantly joined Thanos' group to protect the timid Min-Su from the group's bullying.

However, when she is left by the group during the Mingle game, she decides to end the game and vote for 'X'. At night, during the chaos and fight between the X and O groups, Nam-gyu sees an opportunity to kill Se-mi as she betrayed Thanos' group by choosing not to play.

She is stabbed to death in the shoulder by Nam-gyu with a fork. What makes her death even more heartbreaking is that Min-su watched her dying but couldn't do anything.

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4) Ji-yeong aka Player 240 (Season 1)

While Ji-yeong was a minor character in Squid Game Season 1, her death was one of the most heartbreaking on the show. After enduring an abusive childhood and witnessing her father kill her mother, Ji-yeong murdered her father.

She joined the games after she was released from prison, but after hearing Sae-byeok's tragic story, she decides to sacrifice herself in the marble game. After she simply dropped her marble and willingly lost the game, she was executed by the guard. As Sae-byeok tearfully leaves, Ji-yeong wishes her well for the game.

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3) Park Jung-bae aka Player 390 (Season 2)

Jung-bae was Gi-hun's close friend, and the two coincidentally met in Squid Game Season 2. A proud member of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps in his youth, Jung-bae went into serious financial debt, which is why he joined the games.

Jung-bae was a likeable character who remained Gi-hun's most loyal ally in Season 2 and even followed him in the player revolt in the finale. He helped his friend put an end to the game, but he was executed by the Front Man, right in front of Gi-Hun in the Season 2 finale.

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2) Kang Sae-byeok aka Player 067 (Season 1)

One of the most heartbreaking deaths in Squid Game Season 1 was Kang Sae-byeok. A North Korean defector, she fled the country with her mother and brother after her father was killed. She joined the games to make money and help her younger brother.

While she was mostly silent and appeared tough throughout all of the games, she had a soft side to her. She made a pact with Gi-hun that whoever walked out alive from the games would support the other's family. When the game was down to three players, Gi-hun, Sae-byeok, and Cho Sang-woo, she was stabbed to death by Sang-woo as he wanted to eliminate her before the final game.

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1) Ali Abdul aka Player 199 (Season 1)

The most heartbreaking death in Squid Game so far was Ali, the Pakistani immigrant who was recently married and had a one-year-old son. Ali was too naive to a fault, which eventually led to his death.

While Ali managed to win every game, Cha Sang-woo betrayed him in the Marble game by replacing his marbles with stones. What made his death the most heartbreaking was that Ali believed Sang-woo was looking for a way to help both of them, when he was just tricking him.

Even when Ali realises, he calls Sang-woo 'hyung' (big brother in Korean), which shows his values and respect towards him even after his betrayal, but it eventually led to his death.

Squid Game Season 3 will be released on Netflix on June 27, 2025.

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