The Entire Squid Game Timeline Explained

Contains spoilers for “Squid Game” Season 2

Since the release of “Squid Game” in 2021, Korean shows have gained significant popularity in the United States, making them a common part of daily life. However, “Squid Game” stands out from other Korean dramas due to its unique blend of intense drama and violence with the vibrant hues and captivating allure of children’s games. The show is highly addictive, but it carries an even greater impact due to its thought-provoking commentary on modern capitalism and class struggle.

The narrative of this series centers around Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), a man in financial trouble who’s barely keeping his head above water. To secure some immediate funds, he’s approached by a Salesman to participate in the “Squid Games”. The Salesman assures him that winning these childish games could bring him substantial wealth. However, Gi-hun is taken aback when he learns that the losers of these games are eliminated, giving his participation an ominous twist. In Season 2, the stakes get even higher as Gi-hun reenters the games. The enigma surrounding the origin of the Games and the roles of the key characters unfolds as the story progresses. For a comprehensive understanding of the “Squid Game” chronology, keep reading to unravel the timeline.

Before Fall 1988: Oh Il-nam and his clients brainstorm the idea for the games

In the initial Games that Gi-hun participated in, Il-nam (O Yeong-su) was one of the players. Despite his advanced age and occasional struggles with memory loss, which some might attribute to dementia due to a brain tumor, it’s been falsely claimed that he perished during the games. However, this is untrue. On the contrary, he survived a grim fate because he is the creator of these very games. This revelation comes to light when Gi-hun receives a summons in the form of a card, leading him to Il-nam’s apartment. As Il-nam nears the end of his life, he shares with Gi-hun the motivation behind inventing the games.

He points out that both extremely affluent individuals and those living in poverty share an experience: nothing brings them joy anymore due to their excess or lack of resources. This was true for Il-nam, a wealthy moneylender, and his rich clients. As he recounts, they brainstormed ways to find amusement. Their solution was the creation of The Games.

Fall 1988: The Games begin

The initial Games took place in 1988, implying they’ve been around for a while. As time progressed, they may have grown more complex, but it seems reasonable to assume the fundamental elements were already in place when they began – simple games suitable for children and a chance to win, with perhaps an unexpected twist involving the elimination of losers. In the records of the Squid Games dating back to 1988 (as hinted at in Episode 5 of Season 1), there has only been one winner per year. Despite the suggestion that multiple winners could be possible, so far, only a single person has emerged victorious.

As a fan, I ponder if the single-winner rule might be intentional. If multiple individuals had triumphed in the games, they might have collectively approached the authorities, potentially causing the events to cease. Luckily, that didn’t transpire, and now the games are so clandestine that their creators needn’t fret about the secret leaking out.

Fall 2015: Hwang In-ho wins the 2015 Squid Game

Lee Byung-hun’s character, Hwang In-ho, was the lead figure in 2015 when he emerged victorious in the games. We come to understand in Season 2 that In-ho’s wife was unwell and passed away in 2019. It is suggested that In-ho joined the games in 2015 with the intention of funding his wife’s treatment, following allegations of bribery that led to his dismissal by his employer. However, it remains uncertain whether In-ho’s wife was ill during the time he won the Games. It is also plausible that In-ho left before his wife’s death, as per Jun-ho’s account, since he had disappeared after expressing interest in receiving an invitation to the Games.

It’s clear that In-ho triumphed in the games, but sadly, he couldn’t rescue his wife. Afterwards, In-ho has been prominently involved in the games. Over time, In-ho seems to have developed a cynical view of people. Maybe his wife’s death hardened him towards others’ pain, or perhaps he had always felt that way. Either way, the Games seem to have found an ideal public face in In-ho.

2017: Kang No-eul defects from North Korea

In the games, Kang No-eul (Park Gyu-young) serves as a soldier, eliminating defeated opponents and maintaining order. This has been her role for seven years, but prior to this, she was a soldier in North Korea. Interestingly, her superior in the games recalls an instance where she single-handedly neutralized an entire team pursuing her using just a rifle and successfully crossed the Demilitarized Zone on her own. However, what this man doesn’t disclose is that No-eul is a mother who has a young child still residing in North Korea.

She yearns deeply to locate this child, but it’s been seven long years, and no one seems willing to assist her anymore. They claim her child is gone. In this predicament, No-eul understands what it means to have lost all hope. This was the sentiment that drew her to participate in the Games; her superior suggested she would be aiding the hopeless by alleviating their suffering. Despite everything, she remains committed to this cause, even as she observes people filled with fear at the prospect of losing their lives.

Before Fall 2021: Gi-hun is living a desperate life

Prior to joining the games, Gi-hun is leading a life that those running the games might categorize as unsuccessful. He’s financially struggling and frequently finds himself in bar brawls, as suggested by Sang-woo’s mother. He resides with his mother and seems to depend on her for many necessities, borrowing money from her and becoming upset when she doesn’t provide more. In a desperate move, he steals his mother’s bank card to withdraw money from her account, not because she’s shared the PIN but due to a lucky guess. The money his mother had set aside for a birthday dinner with his daughter was intended for another purpose; Gi-hun plans to use it for gambling on horses, which seems to be his primary occupation, although he only manages to make a profit occasionally.

In this instance, he emerges victorious, but a girl swipes the winnings, leaving him in a bind. To retrieve his money, he approaches the woman he had previously tipped, needing it for a dinner outing with his daughter and to purchase a gift from a vending machine. With his cash situation dire, he agrees to play a game called ddajki with the Salesman (Gong Yoo), despite suffering numerous slaps due to frequent losses, yet still finding joy in his occasional wins. Remarkably, this game segment seems to bring him more happiness than any other moment in his life. However, when his mother informs him that his daughter is relocating to America with her new family, he calls the number provided by the Salesman for participation in the games, as he requires funds to keep his daughter in Korea.

Fall 2021: Gi-hun and his cohort participate in the first game but decide to stop afterward

456 individuals, including Gi-hun, opted to join the annual Games that year. However, their enthusiasm waned when they discovered during the initial game, “red light, green light,” that those who moved upon the robot’s call of red or failed to reach the finish line were eliminated. Shockingly, over half of the players lost their lives in this first round. Consequently, a slim majority chose to halt the Games.

Gi-hun seeks help from the authorities, yet only Jun-ho shows faith in his story about the mysterious Games. Later, Gi-hun discovers a compelling motive to rejoin these events, as he learns that his mother is battling diabetes and they lack the funds for her treatment due to canceled health insurance. Desperate to earn money for her care, Gi-hun reluctantly decides to take part in the Games once more. Other participants return for personal reasons too. For instance, Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) is compelled to reappear because he’s embezzled funds from clients, accumulated immense debt, and faces impending arrest. Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon), a North Korean defector, needs money to pay a broker and bring her family members over from North Korea. Despite their various motivations, they all share one common struggle: a pressing need for financial resources.

Fall 2021: Gi-hun and many other players decide to participate in the rest of the Games and Gi-hun wins

After some players choose to come back following their short break, the remaining games are just as grueling. They continue playing regardless. By the ultimate round, only three contestants remain: Gi-hun, his old friend Sang-woo, and Sae-byeok. However, before the final game commences, Sang-woo ends up killing Sae-byeok. Despite Gi-hun’s sadness over her demise, it’s unclear if she would have survived given the serious injury to her abdomen from the exploding glass bridge in the previous contest, and her overall condition wasn’t great.

Despite Gi-hun pleading with him not to, in the climactic match – known as the Squid Game, a childhood pastime they shared – Sang-woo plunges a knife into himself and requests Gi-hun to look after his mother before passing away. This act grants Gi-hun victory, but it appears he regrets this success, as he doesn’t touch any of the winnings for over a year. In fact, Gi-hun seems burdened by survivor’s guilt and is determined to put an end to these games if he can locate them.

Fall 2021: In-ho shoots Hwang Jun-ho

Moments before the decisive match, the Frontman ends up firing at his brother Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), who is a police officer. It turned out that Jun-ho had infiltrated the games, hoping to find In-ho among the players. Unfortunately for him, things didn’t go as planned.

During a break in the Games, Gi-hun approached the authorities, and this is why Jun-ho traveled to the island. The officers found Gi-hun’s story hard to believe, but not Jun-ho; he trusted him because Gi-hun was describing something that reminded him of his brother’s invitation to participate in the Games. After making up his mind to rejoin the Games, Gi-hun was followed by Jun-ho. In order to help him blend in during his investigation, Jun-ho overpowered a guard and stole his pink jumpsuit.

Jun-ho went to the island because Gi-hun told on the police about the Games during a break. The officers didn’t believe Gi-hun at first, but Jun-ho did, as it reminded him of his brother’s invitation for the same Games. After deciding to rejoin the Games, Gi-hun was followed by Jun-ho. To avoid suspicion while investigating, Jun-ho took a guard’s pink jumpsuit after knocking him out.

In the shadows, chaos reigns, yet it all ends when I face off with the Frontman and his escort. As he removes his mask, there he stands – my own brother, In-ho. He pleads for me to join him in the Games, but I refuse. Instead, he pulls a gun and shoots me in the shoulder before pushing me off a cliff into the watery abyss below. Miraculously, Captain Park (Oh Dal-su) rescues me from the depths, yet my brother’s actions plunge me into a coma that lasts until Season 2’s opening.

Late 2021: Gi-hun loses his mother and his daughter

Following his victory in the contest, Gi-hun returns home to find that his mother has sadly passed away from her ailment. At first, he thinks she’s merely sleeping, but when she fails to open her eyes, he understands she’s gone. Despite having enough money now to cover any medical expenses for her condition, it was too late. The situation is heartbreaking and only worsens over time.

Shortly following his mother’s passing, his daughter departed for America to reside with her mother and stepfather. Despite having the funds to contest their custody claim, which would have kept her in Korea with him, after the trauma of the Games and his loss, he lacked the emotional strength to pursue it. As a result, his daughter left, and although he yearned for her presence, he didn’t travel to America to visit her. Instead, he opted to remain in Korea, seeking out those responsible for the games.

Christmas 2022: Il-nam dies

Around Christmastime, Gi-hun is relaxing at the beach with a drink, when a flower vendor approaches him and warns him that her flowers will wilt if they’re not sold by nightfall. He decides to purchase one and discovers a message attached to it from his old friend from the Games, whom he calls “Gganbu.” The note invites Gi-hun to visit Il-nam’s building on Christmas Eve at 11:30 pm. Since Gganbu was the alias used by Il-nam during their time in the Games, Gi-hun recognizes who has called him, but he finds it hard to accept it. After all, he believed that Il-nam had been killed during the Games. So when Gi-hun meets up with Il-nam on Christmas Eve, he poses a straightforward question: Why would someone subject people to such treatment?

As a fan, I find myself drawn more toward Il-nam’s wager on the frozen, half-conscious man nearby. While Il-nam seems to hold a grim perspective on humanity, betting against the man’s survival, I, like Gi-hun, place my bet on hope. I believe someone will arrive to save him before it’s too late. In a strange twist of fate, as Il-nam breathes his last, a hero does indeed appear, saving the man just in time. Yet, Il-nam never witnesses this miraculous event. Gi-hun maintains that Il-nam had some premonition of the rescue before he died, but it remains unclear. What is undeniable, however, is that with Il-nam’s passing, the Frontman assumes control over the Games.

Early 2023 onward: Gi-hun uses the money he won to help Sae-byuk’s brother and Sang-woo’s mother

After Il-nam’s demise, Gi-hun decides to utilize his newfound wealth in a couple of ways. One of these uses includes helping Kang Cheol (Park Si-wan), who had fled North Korea with Sae-byuk, and Sang-woo’s mother (Park Hye-jin). Sang-woo’s mother runs a store and holds Sang-woo in high regard. Initially, Gi-hun helps Cheol by getting him out of the orphanage, treating him to a meal, and then leaving him with Sang-woo’s mother. However, at that time, Gi-hun is preparing to travel to America to see his daughter, making it impossible for him to take care of Cheol himself. Consequently, he chooses Sang-woo’s mother as the most suitable guardian for Kang Cheol.

Apart from leaving a suitcase with Cheol, Gi-hun also hid money inside it, which was mistakenly believed to be Cheol’s clothes by Sang-woo’s mother. However, upon examination, the bag turned out to contain cash that Gi-hun owed Sang-woo. It remains uncertain if Gi-hun ever explained the truth about Sang-woo to his mother, but it is clear that he made an effort to help her in some way. Interestingly enough, Gi-hun chose a remarkable caregiver for Cheol as the two have formed friendships and grown under Sang-woo’s mother’s guidance over the past two years.

Early 2023: Gi-hun removes his tracker

When the Leader instructs Gi-hun to board the flight heading to America, Gi-hun understands that the Leader must be aware of his whereabouts. However, one may wonder how? It’s later revealed that those involved in the Games had been tracking him all along, as they had installed a tracker on him. Now, Gi-hun is determined to remove it. He visits a pharmacy, purchases a utility knife, and then disrobes in the restroom for privacy. After searching his body, he locates the tracker behind his ear and successfully removes it with the knife.

Among various methods, Gi-hun has opted for one of the most accessible ways for the Games’ participants to monitor his activities and movements. Without this tracker, they are unable to constantly track him in real time. From Gi-hun’s perspective, it represents a significant triumph against them.

2023-2024: Gi-hun and his mercenaries look for the Salesman

After pulling out his tracker, Gi-hun assembled a group of hired guns, overseen by his previous gambling associate, Mr. Kim (also known as Kim Pub-lae). This team has been assigned the mission to locate the Salesman who introduced Gi-hun to the Game. They scour the subway system in search of him, but after two years, they’ve made no progress.

Before Mr. Kim and his companion, Choi Woo-seok (Jeon Seok-ho), spot the Salesman engaging in a game of ddakji with someone within the subway, they choose to trail him. Upon observing him purchasing bread and lottery tickets, he proceeds to extend either item to homeless individuals at a nearby park. After most people decline his offer for an unsuccessful lottery ticket, he destroys the bread.

In this version, I aimed to maintain the original meaning while using simpler language that is easy to understand.

Against Gi-hun’s warning, they accompany him to another place, and on their own initiative. For their defiance, they get unconscious and wake up in the Salesman’s apartment. Inside this apartment, a gruesome version of rock, paper, scissors is played – a game where participants play with two hands and then remove one. In an unexpected turn of events, when Woo-seok played two rocks and Mr. Kim played both scissors and paper, it seemed that Woo-seok would perish. However, contrary to expectations, Mr. Kim did not withdraw a hand, which led to his disqualification instead of Woo-seok’s demise. In an astounding twist that will leave you speechless, Mr. Kim ends up sacrificing himself for the sake of his friend. Unfortunately, Gi-hun could not locate his associates during this incident, forcing him to return home.

2023-2024: Jun-ho looks for the island where the Games take place

Following his emergence from a year-long coma, Jun-ho seeks assistance from Captain Park in locating the island hosting the Games, as he can’t recall its location. He’s counting on Captain Park to guide him there. As they travel from one island to another, Captain Park reminds him that there are numerous islands within a 10-kilometer vicinity where Captain Park found Jun-ho, and it’s uncertain if Jun-ho had initially drifted away from his original spot.

Over the last two years, Jun-ho has been searching numerous islands, but hasn’t come any closer to locating the one where the Games were held. Recently, he informed Captain Park that he would discontinue the search. However, upon recognizing Gi-hun from the Games, he decides to resume his quest. He follows Gi-hun to Sunshine Capital and discovers his residence at the Pink Hotel. He eventually visits the address and, after some initial reluctance from Gi-hun, agrees to collaborate with him in locating the elusive island.

Fall 2024: The Salesman shows up at Gi-hun’s door

Following Mr. Kim’s demise, the Salesman persuades Woo-seok to disclose Gi-hun’s whereabouts. This is how the Salesman winds up at the Pink Hotel, where Gi-hun ultimately locates him. He shares his past with Gi-hun, explaining how he landed in his current role: Initially, he was employed by the Games to burn bodies, but when they gave him a gun, he began killing. His father, also a participant in the Games, was one of his victims, which led him to embrace this line of work.

Subsequently, the Salesman suggests an unusual game: A version of Russian roulette where they don’t spin the chamber after each round. Intrigued, Gi-hun consents and plays until it’s the Salesman who loses. However, before he expires, the Salesman reveals that a crucial key to someone he wants Gi-hun to contact is in his pocket. Upon the Salesman’s death, Gi-hun discovers an invitation to a club, dated for October 31st, in the Salesman’s possession.

Fall 2024: Gi-hun has a tracker implanted in his tooth

Prior to visiting the club where the mystery individual orchestrating the games resides, Gi-hun undergoes a dental procedure to have a tracker installed in one of his teeth. A seemingly uncomfortable tooth extraction occurs, followed by the placement of a false tooth containing the tracking device. The dentist is bound to secrecy, offered compensation, and disappears from sight afterwards.

Given the uncertain circumstances of Gi-hun’s upcoming visit to the club with the Games participants, this drastic step appears crucial. Even if he finds himself isolated when they locate him at the club, his tracker allows us to trace him anywhere globally. This strategy seems flawless and stealthy as well, since no one is likely to search inside his teeth for any illicit items.

Fall 2024: Gi-hun enters the games for a second time

On Halloween, October 31st, Gi-hun arrives at the club, noticing everyone donning masks for the holiday. Unbeknownst to him, this disguise provides a clever opportunity for the Games’ mysterious orchestrators to slip in a pair of masked guards and abduct Gi-hun. As he climbs into a limousine, Jun-ho, keeping tabs on him, instructs his companions to follow suit. However, there are sharpshooters stationed on rooftops nearby who swiftly eliminate each vehicle attempting to trail the limo. In this precarious situation, Gi-hun resorts to the only viable solution: he requests a return to the Games.

In the blink of an eye, he finds himself awakening in the contestants’ quarters at the Games. Being a previous victor, he holds a secret the others are unaware of. As the competition kicks off, he attempts to alert his fellow players about the danger, but his warnings fall on deaf ears until someone is killed. Only then do they pay attention to him. However, there’s an unexpected twist in this year’s Games. Following each game, the participants vote on whether to abandon the games or continue playing. Despite heeding Gi-hun’s advice in the first round, many players are captivated by the potential winnings and opt to carry on, resulting in a majority vote for continuing the games. The same pattern persists after the second round. But when they vote after the third game, there is a deadlock. Adding to the confusion, the Host assumes the identity of Player 001, introducing himself as Oh Young-il, a situation that eerily reminds Gi-hun of a past event.

Fall 2024: Jun-ho and Woo-seok look for Gi-hun

As I navigate through this digital realm, I, Jun-ho, along with my comrade Woo-seok and our team of mercenaries, are hot on the trail of Gi-hun. He’s currently on the Games’ island, and every moment counts in our search. To increase our chances of finding him quickly, we split our group into two boats, each taking a different route to scour the vast waters around us. Our vessel is skillfully captained by none other than Captain Park.

Our high-tech tracking device, implanted in Gi-hun’s tooth, should lead us straight to him, right? Well, not quite. Instead of his tooth, the tracker has mysteriously found its way into a fisherman’s tackle box on some remote island. Quite the twist! Now we have a new puzzle to solve as we race against time to find Gi-hun and bring him home.

When the team investigates a potential entryway to the island, they meet an unexpected explosion instead, which claims one of the mercenaries’ lives. Later, one of the men discovers Captain Park tampering with their drone. He confronts him, and in an act that hinted at his expertise, Captain Park assassinates him silently and discards his body into the sea. This action reveals that Captain Park is not the ally Jun-ho believed him to be. However, it remains unclear if he’s working for the Games.

Fall 2024: Gi-hun leads a rebellion of the Games

Following the third game, there was an equal number of players who supported leaving and staying, along with a violent altercation in the restroom that led to fatalities, has left everyone thirsting for retaliation. Rather than focusing their wrath on those advocating for remaining, Gi-hun cleverly channels the dissatisfied group’s anger towards the organizers of the Games. The group conceals themselves as the players clash among themselves. When the guards eventually arrive, they overpower them and seize their weapons.

As a gamer, I, Gi-hun, rally anyone who can handle a firearm and launch an audacious coup d’état. We temporarily hold off the soldiers in a fierce struggle along the hallway heading to the Frontman’s office. My comrade Jung-bae (Jo Yu-ri) and I make progress with our plan by diverging towards the control room. Simultaneously, despite an overlooked error in the climax, Kang Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul) is dispatched to gather ammunition from the pockets of fallen soldiers in the players’ resting room, where they were kept during the game.

When Dae-ho fails to return, Cho Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), the leader of the team and a transgender woman, departs to investigate his delay. Upon locating Dae-ho huddled near the back wall in the room where the non-combatant players reside, she prepares to exit with the ammunition herself. However, before she can do so, soldiers from the Game arrive. Jang Geum-ja (Kang Ae-shim) dissuades her from confronting them alone as all the other players in the hallway meet their end.

Fall 2024: Young-il reclaims his title as the Frontman

When Gi-hun and Jung-bae make their way towards the control room of the Games, they realize they need assistance urgently, so they call on Young-il for reinforcements. Young-il, along with two other players, promptly agree to join them in their fight. They locate each other on the stairway within the management section of the building, but are trapped under gunfire from the Games’ soldiers. Young-il proposes a strategy, suggesting he and his team could take an alternate route. This plan appears beneficial because it means the soldiers would be attacked from two directions, potentially giving Gi-hun and his allies the upper hand in their battle, possibly ensuring victory for the day.

However, rather than aiming at the soldiers, Young-il targets the two companions he’s with instead. He then communicates to Gi-hun that all of them, including himself, have been captured by the soldiers. Since Young-il is now “deceased,” he can regain his position as the Frontman. Donning his black mask and grey robe once more, he faces off against Gi-hun and Jung-bae who have surrendered. The Frontman demands that Gi-hun observe the repercussions of his decisions, as he takes aim at Jung-bae.

Despite the distressing conclusion we just witnessed, there’s an additional twist. In a quick scene after the credits roll, we catch a glimpse of the toy operating the red-light, green-light game standing beside another doll figure. As a railway crossing sign switches from a stop (red) to go (green), this could hint at something significant for Season 3. We’ll need to tune in to find out for sure.

2025-01-13 00:01