Gi-hun’s Sacrifice Wasn’t the Original Plan — Squid Game Creator Explains Why

(SPOILERS Ahead for Squid Game)

Netflix‘s Squid Game has ended after three seasons.

The show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, revealed that the ending of Season 3 was changed to deliver a deeper message to the world.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Dong-hyuk said that Gi-hun, a.k.a. Player 456 (Lee Jung-jae) was originally supposed to survive, end the game, and travel to America to reunite with his daughter.

Hwang said, “I had a vague idea… and back then, it was having Gi-hun end the game… and go see his daughter in America.”

Hwang Dong-hyuk rethought the ending while writing, reflecting on what message he truly wanted to leave with the audience. Global events also influenced him to change the story—he felt the world was becoming darker and more divided.

In the final version, Gi-hun sacrifices himself to save an innocent child, transforming a bleak story into one with hope and moral clarity.

He said, “The world seems to be headed for the worst… I thought, ‘What kind of sacrifices do we need to make in the current generation for us to be able to leave the future generation with a better world?’ So I wanted Gi-hun’s sacrifice to be a symbol of that.”

Here’s the plot details for Season 3.

A failed rebellion, the death of a friend, and a secret betrayal. Picking up in the aftermath of Season 2’s bloody cliffhanger, the third and final season of Netflix’s most popular series finds Gi-hun, a.k.a. Player 456, at his lowest point yet. But the Squid Game stops for no one, so Gi-hun will be forced to make some important choices in the face of overwhelming despair as he and the surviving players are thrust into deadlier games that test everyone’s resolve. With each round, their choices lead to increasingly grave consequences.

Season 3 stars Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Wi Ha-jun, Park Gyu-young, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Jo Yu-ri, Chae Kuk-hee, Lee David, Roh Jae-won, and Jun Suk-ho, with a special appearance by Park Hee-soon.

All three seasons of Squid Game are now available on Netflix.