Netflix's Squid Game has quickly taken the world by storm and it has sparked some interesting conversations among its viewers. One theory explores the possibility that there is a deeper meaning behind the games, and it could lie in the connection between Gi-Hun, the protagonist, and Il-Nam, the mysterious Old Man who he meets at the beginning of the series.
Throughout the Netflix show, the relationship between Gi-Hun and Il-Nam grows as they work together to get through each of the deadly Squid Game challenges. While they both share the same love for the childhood games they are being forced to play, @jazephua on TikTok suggests there's a bigger reason why their chemistry is so natural: they might be related. There are several hints in each episode that could support that theory, most of which is in the dialogue, and should it be true, it could set up the show's next season.
The first clue is found in the third episode of Squid Game when Gi-Hun mentions that he can't drink regular milk due to digestive issues he developed as a child. Il-Nam overhears this and responds by saying his son was like that too. The next clue then comes in the sixth episode, during the game with the marbles. Il-Nam says that the arena, which was set up like a Korean neighborhood, looked a lot like the neighborhood he used to live in. Gi-Hun responded to this by saying the neighborhood from his childhood looked similar as well, hinting at yet another parallel between the two characters.
But perhaps the biggest clue is in the player numbers. Il-Nam is the first player (001) and Gi-Hun is the last player (456), which could be a symbolic indication that Il-Nam intended to hand over the games to Gi-Hun before his passing. That said, it's hard to imagine that Il-Nam would risk sending his own son through the games if passing the torch was his main intention.
What if Gi-Hun died in the process? Did Il-Nam just want to see if his son was even worthy to take up his mantle? Of course, all of this is just speculation at this point, so Squid Game fans will just have to wait for the next season to see what happens next.
The premise of Squid Game seems simple enough. 456 people attempt to flip their dire financial situations by participating in a strange competition involving children's games. However, this theory suggests there could be more to the story than just a brutal fight for survival.
Squid Game is now streaming on Netflix.
Source: jazephua | TikTok