Diksha Sundriyal
In Netflix’s ‘Squid Game,’ the resolve of every player is tested through six games over the course of six days, where they have to survive till the end to get a grand prize money. Soon, however, the players discover that it’s not just the games that they have to survive, but also every single minute of every day for six days because anything can go wrong at any time. What might seem like a hopeful thing in the beginning could turn into a nightmare in the blink of an eye; not everyone can deal with this kind of pressure. This scenario becomes most evident in the case of Dae-ho, aka Player 388, who, by the end of the season, discovers that he might have bitten off more than he could chew. SPOILERS AHEAD
Dae-ho’s Resolve is Tested During Seong Gi-Hun’s Rebellion
Dae-ho is introduced in the fourth episode after having survived “Red Light, Green Light.” He becomes a part of Seong Gi-hun’s group, which includes Jung-bae and In-ho (aka Player 001, aka the Front Man). Dae-ho presents himself as a valuable addition to the team, revealing that he was in the Marines. He shows his tattoo to prove it, and sure enough, he participates in the games with great enthusiasm and team spirit. With each game, his mettle is tested, and he proves himself worthy of the team by being a great team player. He is also a generally good person who pays attention to the more experienced men in the team and does as he is asked. This is why it is shocking to see him break down in the heat of a very important battle.
Like a bunch of other people, Dae-ho follows Gi-hun when he reveals his plan to use the guards’ guns to attack the game’s management and find the Front Man. He is enthusiastic, albeit a bit nervous, at first, but when the gunfight escalates, Dae-ho very quickly loses his cool. In contrast to him, other people, especially the ones with experience in combat, like Cho Hyun-ju, adapt quickly to their situation. But Dae-ho is scared that he cannot even shoot straight and entirely wastes his ammo by shooting blinding. If the reality of his situation and the fact that he could die at any moment hadn’t dawned on him, it does now.
When everyone starts running out of ammo, Gi-hun tells them to get the ammo from the dead guards in the main hall, whom they had killed in the beginning. At first, Hyun-ju decides to go for it, but then Dae-ho volunteers, and she lets him go. She, like the others, believes that he is up to the task, but the signs of his failure have already started to show by this point. Somehow, he makes his way back to the main hall and even collects the ammo, but by now, he has seen so much bloodshed at once, even outside the games, that he is scared of going back to the frontlines. His fear prevents him from taking the ammo to his team, but it is this very fear that eventually saves his life.
Dae-ho’s Cowardice Saves Him from Certain Death
There is a fine line between bravery and stupidity, and often, being able to differentiate between the two makes all the difference. Had Dae-ho been braver, he would have taken the ammo back; his team would have continued to fight. They might even have been able to kill the guards and move forward to join Gi-hun. But even then, the outcome would have been the same. At one point, they would have been outnumbered by the guards. Moreover, they already had a backstabber in their midst, in the form of Player 001, who would eventually find a way to put a stop to his rebellion.
The only difference in this second scenario would have been that Dae-ho would have been outside the main hall, and he would have been killed, like everyone else. However, when Dae-ho is so paralyzed by anxiety and fear that he cannot get himself out of bed in the corner of the room, he is unable to leave the room. The rest of the team gets killed even now, but at least Dae-ho is out of danger when the guards finally take over and kill anyone except Gi-hun, who had been outside the main hall where all players were supposed to be. As the rebellion is crushed, even Hyun-ju puts down her weapon and decides to save herself. With all this in mind, it seems logical for him to have stayed behind, even if his act will be termed cowardly, disappointing, and a huge betrayal to his team. What matters is that he has survived to see another day, which is the entire point of the game.
Read More: Do Mom and Son (Player 149 and Player 007) Die in Squid Game Season 2?
