Diksha Sundriyal
The second season of Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ presents an array of Korean childhood games that the participants have to win to receive an amount of money that is beyond their wildest dreams. While these are children’s games, the stakes are much higher as a loser will not just be ousted but be shot dead. This realization makes half the people want to leave after the first game, but there are others who still want to play because the reward is too high, and without it, they’d be nothing in the outside world. One of those people is Im Jeong-dae, aka Player 100. With a debt of ten billion won, he has everything on the line with the games, which is why he is desperate to see it through to the end. But as we know, the games don’t end well for everyone, especially the ones who seem to want it too much. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Player 100’s Nothing-to-Lose Attitude Makes Him Do Dark Things
Every single player in the games has a considerable debt, but no one is as worse off as Player 100. While nothing much is revealed about his past, we know that Im Jeong-dae used to be a successful businessman who took a huge loan but was ruined before he could repay it. Now, he is in such a mess that even if he dies during the games, it wouldn’t be any different than going back without the money. Of course, when he decided to participate, he didn’t know that losers would be killed immediately. But even then, he sees that there is a good chance he may win, especially after Seong Gi-hun reveals that he also won the game a few years back.
When Jeong-dae sees that all the games are simply children’s games, he convinces himself that it is not too difficult to win them. The only thing that can stop a player is their own fear, and Player 100 has let go of it. With each game, his confidence soars because he survives it. What motivates him even more is the deaths of other players, which fills the piggy bank with more money. The fewer the players, the more the share of each player at the end. So, while the others find it traumatizing to see players die in front of them, Jeong-dae sees it as a good thing because it means more money for him.
He becomes so desperate to continue the games that when the votes tie after the third game, he is one of the people to suggest that Os should strike first and kill as many Xs as possible to win the vote, which is scheduled to happen the next day. He also acts upon his words by indulging in the bloodbath that claims the lives of many players. By the time the lights come on, and the guards arrive, Jeong-dae is still alive. He has managed to kill enough Xs to ensure that the Os win the vote. But then Gi-hun and his friends attack the guards and decide to rebel. For Jeong-dae, this is even better because all who follow Gi-hun are Xs, which means that more of them will die, and the vote will be completely in favor of the Os, ensuring the continuation of the games.
Player 100 gets his wish as the rebellion is easily quashed, and almost all who joined Gi-hun die. To confirm that the games continue, we get a post-credits scene where we see a new game in the works. What’s more interesting is that we see three players looking at the dolls, and one of them is Player 100. If there was any doubt about it, this scene confirms that Jeong-dae is alive, and he is looking forward to the next game. Whether or not he survives it to move on to the next one remains to be seen. But for now, he is one of the few who have lived to see another day.
Read More: Mingle in Squid Game, Explained: Rules and How is it Played?
