Squid Game Season 2 replaces Player 001 and their identity will shock you

In the first season, Player 001 fooled Gi-hun into believing he was a poor, innocent old man – Squid Game Season 2, he’s someone else entirely, but he’s also a pivotal figure.

In Squid Game Season 1, Oh Il-nam was Player 001 – and he tricked us all. Until the end, there wasn’t any reason to doubt he was just like every other contestant: drowning in debt and searching for a way out. When he played Marbles, he even sacrificed himself to allow Gi-hun to continue.

Of course, he didn’t die. He was the creator of the entire competition, and he wanted to play one final time before his brain tumor killed him. He slips away towards the end of the finale, leaving Gi-hun angry and setting the stage for his pursuit of vengeance in the second season.

Gi-hun returns to the games in Season 1, but Player 001 isn’t just any random contestant. What is it they say? “Keep your friends close, and keep your enemies closer.”

Who is Player 001 in Squid Game Season 2?

Netflix

The Front Man is Player 001 in Squid Game Season 2, secretly competing alongside Gi-hun and even befriending him as the games progress.

It’s a jaw-dropping reveal, considering Gi-hun wants to find the Front Man more than anyone else (not to mention the fact that he’s the brother of Hwang Jun-ho, the detective sailing around Korean islands trying to find him).

This comes at the end of Episode 3, when the players vote on whether or not to continue the games after Red Light, Green Light. It comes down to Player 001’s deciding vote, and he obviously votes to keep going.

I won’t get into spoilers for what happens in the rest of the season if you’ve just finished Episode 3, but I’ll say this: he tells Gi-hun that his name is Oh Young-il (his character’s name is actually Hwang In-ho), and his intentions are grippingly murky in every episode.

Remember, the Front Man isn’t just the manager of the guards: after Oh Il-nam’s death, he’s at the top of the Squid Game food chain, and he competed in and won the 28th edition of the games.

If you do want spoilers, read our Squid Game Season 2 ending explained and find out what to expect from Squid Game Season 3. You can also read more about Season 2’s most upsetting game and one change it makes that’ll leave you screaming at the TV.