Sumith Prasad
One of the most intriguing narrative developments in the second season of Netflix’s survival series ‘Squid Game’ is the introduction of Player 001, who presents himself as “Young-il” to the protagonist, Seong Gi-hun. Even though the former votes in favor of the continuation of the Squid Game after the first round, he soon joins the side of the one-time winner to try to terminate it altogether. Eventually, they form a strong bond as fellow players and companions. Young-il even becomes part of Gi-hun’s rebellion to shut the game down for good, but without revealing his true identity. Even when the sophomore installment concludes, the protagonist is clueless about who Player 001 really is! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Player 001 is the Front Man or Hwang In-ho
Player 001 is none other than the Front Man, whose real name is Hwang In-ho. “Young-il” is a fictional persona he relies on to befriend and earn the trust of Seong Gi-hun. After winning the Squid Game once and organizing the same for years, the Front Man believes that there is no hope left for humanity. Year after year, he sees individuals kill each other without any remorse for a humongous prize money, which is a harsh reality that can kill any trust and compassion in fellow human beings. As far as he is concerned, he doesn’t see any possibility of humanity redeeming itself, which is the reason why he spearheads the Squid Game.
The fall of humanity allows the Front Man to treat the players as inhumanely as possible. After seeing contestants treat each other worse than animals, he does not need to feel any remorse for using them as horses VIPs can bet on. Gi-hun challenges these beliefs by deciding to return to the game. When the protagonist forsakes an enormous amount of money, which he wins fair and square according to the rules of the game, and puts his life on the line to save fellow humans, he is also threatening the fundamental notions and principles of the Front Man. In other words, the conflict between the two becomes personal and ideological.
In the Front Man’s eyes, Gi-hun is targeting not only the game but also his beliefs that have made him a murderer. Therefore, the antagonist feels pressured to prove the protagonist wrong ideologically. That is one reason why he doesn’t kill the vengeful one-time winner of the game even after the latter becomes a severe headache. The masked figure must first prove himself right before even considering killing Player 456. To do it, he becomes Player 001. In the words of Lee Byung-hun, who plays the Front Man, his character attempts to “enlighten” Gi-hun that humanity has fallen beyond redemption.
The Front Man Exposes Gi-hun to Humanity’s Hopelessness and Selfishness
Being Player 001 gives the Front Man several advantages. He can learn about and observe every movement of Gi-hun to neutralize him as a threat. The companionship he pretends to nurture with the protagonist also allows him to backstab the latter and eventually kill the rebellion. However, that is not the principal reason behind the Front Man’s transformation into a player. He becomes #001 to turn Gi-hun’s attention towards the selfish and hopeless nature of their fellow players, which inspires him to organize the game year after year. Whenever the protagonist becomes immersed in his ideal notions about humanity, the Front Man nudges the former to look at examples that prove the “little hero” wrong.
“It’s almost as if they’re betting against each other,” Byung-hun told Netflix’s Tudum. “The Front Man is asking questions like, ‘Do you really think you’re going to be able to end the game? Do you really think there’s hope in people? Do you think the world’s going to change?’” the actor added. The questions and suggestions the Front Man raises as Player 001 are part of his efforts to convince Gi-hun that humanity is beyond any sort of rescue. He provokes the protagonist several times and even kills a man to show how even a brutal murder can be interpreted as a necessity. He can do all these only if he can remain attached to Gi-hun, which explains the motive behind his decision to become a player.
Read More: Squid Game Season 2 Post-Credits Scene: Why is There a Second Doll? Who Are the Players?
