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Squid Game is one of the most popular shows in the world right now and the South Korean dystopian and survivalist thriller series has captured the imagination of the people. Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the show focuses on the titular deadly game that brings in 456 players who are financially needy, and pits them against one another in a string of deadly games. Only one of them who is able to stay alive will win a massive prize. However, the show has lots of conspiracies as well. Each player is given a number and Player 001 is played by both Oh Il-nam and Hwang In-ho. While Oh Il-nam is an old man who created the game in the first season of Squid Game, Hwang In-ho is the Front Man, who enters as Player 001 in the second season of the show. Therefore, here are 7 iconic Player 001 moments from Squid Game, that cover both the characters.
Disclaimer: This entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.
Oh Il-nam’s reveal in the final episode, Hwang In-ho’s final act in the climax, and other iconic Player 001 moments in Squid Game
1. When Oh Il-nam smiled during the Red Light, Green Light game
One of the most iconic moments from the first season of Squid Game happened when Oh Il-nam or Player 001 displayed a serene smile and a childlike abandonment during the deadly Red Light, Green Light game. While players got their first taste of death in the game and everyone was dropping dead, Player 001 was carefree and he smiled throughout. While most were paralyzed with terror, Oh Il-nam appeared joyful, even gleeful. Even Gi-hun, who was frozen beside him, noticed the strange serenity in the old man’s expression. While the larger scene was full of chaos, screams, and dead bodies, there was Player 001 on the other hand, who kept his head high and played like a child. The robotic doll could not take away his serenity. It was both eerie and magnetic and both Gi-hun and the viewers couldn’t understand how someone so frail wasn’t scared. At this point in the show, no one is suspicious that the old man is the creator, therefore, everyone thinks it is the dementia or plain bravery on his part. The smile might have planted early seeds of suspicion, but it deeply admired others. Even the guards watched him closely, too but Player 001 never triggered the sensors. That carefree confidence set him apart. It even made other players reconsider their own fear and strategy towards the game. That first smile became iconic, haunting, and strangely inspiring to everyone who saw it in Squid Game.
2. Oh Il-nam’s strategy in the tug-of-war game
Another iconic Player 001 moment happened in the first season of Squid Game when the tug-of-war game was about to begin. The game is one about strength and no one wanted a frail, old man on their team. However, most of them forgot that Oh Il-nam had played the game in his youth and he would have better strategies than others. While others ignored him, Oh Il-nam as Player 001 did not beg or hide. When Gi-hun’s team hesitated, it was Sang-woo who questioned Oh Il-nam’s presence. However, the old man shared a memory from his youth and told them that he played the same game in his neighborhood. He even described a winning strategy, one that ultimately worked and became the decisive factor. As the game began, Player 001 anchored the team spiritually and tactically. While others pulled with desperation, Oh Il-nam remained calm, counting and coordinating. His guidance gave the team rhythm, and when Sang-woo gave the order to jump forward, which would have cost them the game, it was Player 001’s steadiness that helped them survive the counterattack. He didn’t just contribute; he made winning possible. In a game designed for the strong, Oh Il-nam used wisdom, timing, and strategy to prove to everyone else that old age does not matter. His presence was the hidden hand behind their victory and it was a memorable Player 001 moment in Squid Game.
3. Player 001 called out the violence during the dorm fight
Player 001 or Oh Il-nam might look frail and weak in front of others, but he was a force of power and ultimately, the creator of the whole game. Therefore, there are memorable moments in the first season of Squid Game, where he wields his authority in a subtle but powerful way. One such moment takes place when chaos erupts after the games get over and lights are switched off in the dorm room. Players begin to murder each other so that the competition is reduced. As blood and violence took over and even Gi-hun and Sae-byeok fought to stay alive, Player 001 did the unthinkable. He climbed atop a platform and screamed saying that he was scared and everyone should stop. His cry was raw, genuine, and oddly commanding. At first, no one listened. But the guards did, as they watched from the cameras and heard his voice. They triggered the emergency lights and the fight stopped almost immediately. That moment showcased the odd power Player 001 wielded and it was important that he stopped the mayhem because he could have been killed himself and his whole plan would have failed. Player 001 could appear helpless but he could also halt bloodshed with just his words. Gi-hun, holding a bloodied Sae-byeok in his arms, looked up at Oh Il-nam with new eyes. However, his plea wasn’t just about his own safety, it was about reminding them of their humanity amid the madness. Therefore, it is an iconic moment in Squid Game.
4. When Oh Il-nam revealed that he was the creator
One of the most important and memorable Player 001 moments of the whole first season of Squid Game occurs towards the end. When Gi-hun wins the game and is back at his place, he is invited to a mysterious address. Gi-hun arrives at a lavish hospital room, only to find Player 001 or Oh Il-nam, who was thought to be dead, but is alive and hooked up to machines. The shock is overwhelming and Gi-hun is confused and devastated. It is here when Oh Il-nam calmly admits that he helped create the games. That the whole experience of the cruelty and the bloodshed was his idea. And that he played in it himself so that he could feel alive again. The betrayal is massive and Gi-hun is in a massive shock. But even in this reveal, Player 001 is composed, reflective, and oddly philosophical. He talks about the emptiness of wealth, the boredom of the ultra-rich, and the games as entertainment for those who’ve lost meaning. Yet he also grants respect to Gi-hun, who preserved his humanity through it all. Oh, Il-nam says that the final challenge about betting whether someone would help a drunk man in the cold wasn’t just a test of morality; it was Il-nam’s way of answering his own despair. This scene was breathtaking, devastating, and profound. Therefore, it is one of the most iconic Player 001 moments in Squid Game.
5. When Player 001 beat up Thanos
During season 2 of Squid Game, Hwang In-ho becomes Player 001 and delivers some iconic moments himself. In this season, one of the antagonists among the players is Thanos, who is a famous rapper and has lost his fortune. He becomes partners with Nam-gyu and both of them corner a player who had persuaded Thanos into investing in a failed crypto coin and they begin heating him up. While Thanos’ reason for beating the person is understandable as the player was the reason behind Thanos’ loss of wealth and his having to enter the Squid Game, it was still bullying and shockingly violent. Therefore, Hwang In-ho decides to intervene and he overpowers and beats up both Thanos and Nam-gyu. Player 001 shows a lot of power and is easily able to take down the two bullies who were being pompous and rude. Player 001 is even applauded for his heroism during this moment in the show and the incident establishes the fact that Hwang In-ho as the new Player 001 is not someone to be messed with. All this activity was witnessed by Gi-hun as well and Hwang In-ho’s central task in being Player 001 in this season of the show is to show Gi-hun that he cannot stop the games.
6. The mask slips off of Player 001
While Hwang In-ho is able to get into the games as Player 001, he is still the ruthless Front Man from the first season of Squid Game. During the final round of the Mingle game, Hwang In-ho and Gi-hun’s best friend, Jung-bae, are faced with a problem. The two are running out of time, and all the other rooms are occupied. Therefore, Hwang In-ho, or Player 001, does something drastic. While Jung-bae is trying to hold down the door to keep a player from busting in, Hwang In-ho wrestles and fights with another player and showcases his aggressive side. He fights with the player who is already in the room before either man entered. Hwang In-ho even snaps the man’s neck and ensures that the two of them survive. While Hwang In-ho tries to keep up appearances and sticks to his disguise, Jung-bae becomes cautious of Hwang In-ho. However, he tragically dies before he can warn Gi-hun about Hwang In-ho in Squid Game. The moment is important and viewers get to see the raw and powerful side of Hwang In-ho or Player 001.
7. Hwang In-ho's chilling act during the climax
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One of the most chilling and ruthless moments in the second season of Squid Game happens when the climax begins. While Gi-hun and his allies try to reach the Front Man and stop the games, all of them are being penned down and are running out of ammunition. Hwang In-ho not only has to play the part of Player 001, but he also has to reach the control room and stop this havoc. He therefore volunteers to go to the control room along with two other players and says that he will clear out the guards and help the others. However, once Hwang In-ho is away from others, he ruthlessly betrays and guns down the two players and takes a walkie-talkie to use one of the players’ dying breaths as evidence to convince Gi-hun that Hwang In-ho as Player 001 is now dead. The performance by Hwang In-ho is impeccable and once he is done, he switches channels and coldly orders his men to wrap everything up. Hwang In-ho is therefore back in his original role as the Front Man, and the scene is chilling yet iconic in Squid Game.
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