Squid Game season 3 ending explained: who dies, what are the games and do they end, and what happens to Player 456 and the Front Man

The Squid Game season 3 ending explained is one wild ride, so strap in for a spoiler-filled breakdown of everything that happens in the last ever season of Netflix's most popular show. That's right, after four years, the global phenomenon has come to an end.

The final season is filled with all the heart-stopping games and tear-jerking deaths that you could possibly imagine, too, which means that, in all the excitement, you might be a bit fuzzy on some of the details. That's where we come in. Below, we've broken down all the major questions you might have to bring you the complete Squid Game season 3 ending explained, as well as providing a season 3 recap if you want to refresh your memory of everything else that happened. Naturally, that means there are major spoilers ahead, so turn back now if you haven't seen all six episodes!

If you're still reading, then get ready to dive into a comprehensive breakdown of the show's ending. For even more, check out our guides on that surprise Squid Game season 3 cameo and whether Squid Game season 3 sets up a spin-off. Game on…

Squid Game season 3 ending explained and recap *Spoilers*

Squid Game season 3 sees Gi-hun forced to continue the games in the aftermath of his failed rebellion. In the first game, Hide and Seek, players are split into two teams of red and blue. Red players are given a knife and tasked with killing the blue players, who must simply survive. In this game, we lose Dae-ho (Player 388), Hyun-ju (120), the Shaman (044), and Yong-sik (007) – and, crucially, Jun-hee (222) gives birth. Young-sik's mother Geum-ja (149) dies by suicide in between games after being forced to kill her son during Hide and Seek.

In the second game, Jump Rope, Nam-gyu (124) is killed first. Gi-hun then makes it safely across the bridge with Jun-hee's baby after the VIPs decide the newborn should be added to the game as a contestant. Myung-gi (333) also makes it across, but Jun-hee chooses to step from the ledge since she can't cross with her sprained ankle, meaning she's another tragic casualty of this game. Afterwards, it's decided by the Front Man that her baby will take her place as Player 222.

After this game, the remaining players vote to continue playing after learning the final game will involve simply choosing three people to kill: it's pretty obvious that these unlucky three will be Gi-hun, the baby, and Min-su (125).

Gi-hun is called for a private meeting with the Front Man. The Front Man reveals his identity, to Gi-hun's horror, and offers him a knife to kill all the remaining contestants, saving himself and the baby. From a flashback, we learn the previous Host, Oh Il-nam, gave the Front Man this same choice when he was a player.

The Front Man did indeed kill all the other contestants in their sleep, making him the winner, while Gi-hun, after an emotional flashback to Sae-byeok telling him "you're not that kind of person" in season 1, can't bring himself to murder any of the players and walks away. But he keeps the knife.

The third game, Squid Game in the Sky, continues as planned. In this game, one person per round must be pushed from towering structures shaped like a square, a triangle, and a circle. Min-su is the first player to be pushed, perishing from the fall. Gi-hun is the next target, but the O voters quickly begin to fight amongst themselves, and Myung-gi reveals he's Baby 222's father.

He and Gi-hun team up, and the majority of the O voters are killed in the ensuing struggle. But, Myung-gi pushes Player 100 to his death, leaving just one other player remaining, who then throws himself from the ledge. That leaves Gi-hun, the baby, and Myung-gi as the only remaining players, and one of them has to die in the final round…

Meanwhile, Jun-ho has been hard at work looking for the island, and, after it's discovered that Captain Park is a spy, he finally manages to find it after a fight that kills the majority of his men (and Captain Park). He gets there with help from Player 246, who has escaped the island with assistance from Guard 011, who, at this point in the story, is alone in the Front Man's office after dispatching the Masked Officer.

In the finale, things come to a head. Myung-gi immediately tries to stop Gi-hun and the baby from stepping onto the final structure, demanding Gi-hun hands over the baby – he intends to kill his own child to win. Gi-hun tries to offer himself as a sacrifice, but Myung-gi doesn't believe him. A fight ensues, with Gi-hun using the knife. Myung-gi ends up falling from the structure, and while Gi-hun pulls himself back up, there's one, glaring issue: neither of them pressed the button to start the round.

Gi-hun ultimately sacrifices himself to allow Baby 222 to win. He looks directly into the camera and, like in season 1, repeats that players aren't horses. "Humans are…" he says, before letting himself fall backwards to his death, leaving the thought unfinished. The Front Man watches it happen live from the control room, and he later goes to collect Baby 222, who is the winner of the games.

Jun-ho, meanwhile, has found the island with help from Player 246. He arrives at the VIP viewing room in time to watch his brother disappear with the baby, though the Front Man doesn't respond to his shouts.

As the island has been discovered, the Front Man initiates a self-destruct protocol, and we watch the island explode in the reflection of Gi-hun's open eyes. In a sense, then, he achieved his goal and ended the games, becoming the last ever person to be killed on the island.

Six months later, we learn that Guard 011's daughter has been spotted in China, and Player 246's daughter has recovered. Former guard and player briefly reunite in the theme park, though 246 has no idea who 011 really is. Then, we learn that Sae-byeok's mother has been found in North Korea, and she reunites with her son in the airport. Meanwhile, Gi-hun's money has vanished.

Finally, we see that the Front Man has left Baby 222 and her winnings with Jun-ho. The Front Man also delivers Gi-hun's money to Gi-hun's daughter, along with his bloodied 456 jacket. In the car in LA, the Front Man rolls down the window to watch a recruiter play ddakji with a man on the street. The recruiter is played by none other than Cate Blanchett, in a surprise cameo. The recruiter and the Front Man share a look, and the show ends there. Gi-hun didn't quite end all the games, then...

Who dies in Squid Game season 3?

As expected, multiple major characters bite the dust in Squid Game season 3. In the first game of the season, Hide and Seek – which is the fourth game overall – we say goodbye to multiple key characters. Dae-ho (Player 388) is killed by Gi-hun, who blames him for the rebellion's failure after learning he was too afraid to return from the dormitory with the ammo.

The Shaman (044) is killed by Min-su (125), who is under the influence of Thanos's drugs and hallucinating Nam-gyu (124). Yong-sik (007) is killed by his own mother, Geum-ja (149), who then takes her own life after the game.

Then, in the second game of the season, Jump Rope, we lose Nam-gyu, who is knocked from the bridge after Min-su throws Thanos's (empty) necklace, previously used to store drugs. Jun-hee (222) then steps from the platform rather than attempt to cross with her sprained ankle.

And finally, in the last game, all of the remaining players, apart from Baby 222, are killed. That includes Player 456 himself, as well as Myung-gi.

What are the games in Squid Game season 3?

The three games in Squid Game season 3 are as follows: Hide and Seek, in which teams are divided into red and blue, with the red team (armed with knives) the taggers, and the blue team (equipped with keys to help them hide) forced to survive the allotted time.

Next is Jump Rope, in which our favorite doll Young-hee and her new friend Chul-su stand at either end of a bridge, swinging a heavy rope between them, and players must jump along the bridge over the rope to the other side, traversing a gap at the halfway point.

The final game is an aerial version of Squid Game called Squid Game in the Sky. The remaining players must push at least one person off of three giant structures: a square, a triangle, and a circle, forming that iconic Squid Game symbol.

Who wins the games?

The winner of this round of games is none other than Baby 222, after she replaces her deceased mother, Jun-hee, as a player following the Jump Rope game.

Naturally, Baby 222 could only become a winner with significant help: Gi-hun fiercely protects her throughout the games, and he ensures that her own father, Myung-gi (Player 333), can't kill her in the final round.

Unfortunately, Gi-hun is left in a position where he must sacrifice himself to save Baby 222 after he and Myung-gi neglect to press the "start" button in the final round of Squid Game in the Sky. Per the rules, at least one player must die per round. As Myung-gi fell to his death before the button was pushed, either Gi-hun or the baby has to perish, else they'll both be eliminated.

Gi-hun chooses to sacrifice himself to allow Baby 222 to live, and the Front Man later collects her from the arena. Six months later, he leaves her with his brother Jun-ho, along with her winnings.

Does Player 456 end the games?

In a sense, Gi-hun is successful in his mission – though, tragically, he dies without knowing it. He sacrifices himself so Baby 222 can win the games and survive, and, because he helped lead Jun-ho to the island, the Front Man initiates a self-destruct protocol and the island explodes. We watch the flames of the facility's destruction in Gi-hun's open eyes.

Unfortunately, though, Gi-hun never discovered that the games are apparently a worldwide phenomenon. A recruiter, played by Cate Blanchett, is seen playing ddakji with a man in LA, and she shares a significant look with the Front Man, who watches on from a car.

What happens to the Front Man?

The Front Man survives the end of the games. He does seem to be somewhat affected by Gi-hun's sacrifice, however, as he delivers what's left of Gi-hun's winnings and his bloodied Player 456 jacket to Gi-hun's daughter in LA.

He also leaves Baby 222 and her winnings with his brother, Jun-ho. It's unclear if Gi-hun ever truly won him over, but it seems unlikely, since he doesn't seem unhappy to see the LA recruiter at the end of the show.

Sadly, the Front Man and Jun-ho don't properly reunite or really exchange words, leaving their story arc somewhat unresolved.

What happens to the VIPs?

It's not shown onscreen, but the VIPs presumably evacuate the island when the self-destruct protocol is initiated. As far as we know, they escaped all the death and horror and went back to their lives.

What happens to the baby?

Jun-hee and Myun-gi's baby is born during the first game (the fourth overall), Hide and Seek. The VIPs decide to make the newborn a player during Jump Rope, and, after Jun-hee dies, the Front Man decides that the baby will take her place as Player 222. Gi-hun fiercely protects the infant for the rest of the games, fashioning a sling from his Player 456 jacket and keeping the baby by his side.

Gi-hun continues to protect the baby in the final game, when her own father, Myung-gi, wants to sacrifice her for the money. Myung-gi ends up toppling from the final structure to his death, but, tragically, neither he nor Gi-hun actually started the round, and the rules are one person per structure has to die. That means one more player has to die, and Gi-hun sacrifices himself to ensure Baby 222 survives.

The Front Man then collects Baby 222 and, later, gives her to his brother Jun-ho – along with the baby's winnings.

Who is the woman in the airport at the end?

An emotional reunion is seen at the airport in the finale episode – it's none other than Sae-byeok's mother, finally found in North Korea and reunited with her son. This is particularly emotional for those who remember season 1, and how Sae-byeok was searching for her family left stranded across the border.

Is Player 456 really dead?

Yes. Not only do we hear the fateful words "Player 456, eliminated," we also see his body a fair few times, and we see the reflection of the island exploding in his eyes – meaning even if he had survived the fall, he would've been killed when the island blew up.

There is a tiny bit of hope when Jun-ho and Choi Woo-seok wonder if Gi-hun did survive after all and is the one who took the money from the hotel room. But, this is later revealed to have been the Front Man's doing.

What happens to Guard 011 and Player 246?

Guard 011, No-eul, saves Player 246, Gyeong-seok, from elimination in the direct aftermath of the failed rebellion. She then goes to great lengths to keep him alive, killing those involved in the organ trafficking operation at the same time. This also puts her in the crosshairs of the Masked Officer, whom she ultimately kills after a showdown in the Front Man's office.

Player 246 escapes the island but is chased by Pink Guards. After a shootout, he kills the guards and is found by Jun-ho, who follows his direction to the island. Meanwhile, the coast guard is called to help 246.

Guard 011 burns all of the records in the Front Man's office and puts a gun under her own chin after finding information that leads her to believe her daughter, whom she was forced to leave behind in North Korea, is dead. But, she decides against pulling the trigger after witnessing Gi-hun sacrifice himself for Baby 222 on the Front Man's viewing screen. She then evacuates the island as the self-destruct protocol is initiated.

Six months later, she reunites with 246 in the theme park where she previously worked without revealing her identity. His daughter is seen to be healthy and recovering. 011, meanwhile, then hears that her own daughter has been spotted in China. We last see her boarding a plane to find her.

What is written on the walls of the dormitory?

In season 1, the dormitory walls were slowly revealed to contain drawings that hinted at all six games. In season 2, we got glimpses of what looked like a giant chess board and monkey bars, suggesting we'd be seeing these games in season 3 – but that wasn't so.

Instead, what's revealed in season 3 is a Latin phrase in huge lettering across the walls. The phrase translates to "today it's me, tomorrow it will be you," a particularly sinister motto for the games, considering almost everyone in the dormitory will be dead by the time the games finish…

Who does Cate Blanchett play in Squid Game season 3?

No, your eyes don't deceive you – that really is Cate Blanchett in the final moments of Squid Game season 3. She plays a recruiter slapping a man in an alleyway in LA while they play ddakji. She looks up and catches eyes with the Front Man, who watches from the back of his car after delivering Gi-hun's money and 456 jacket to the fallen player's daughter.

The duo share a significant look, while Blanchett's character smirks in recognition. We don't have any other details on her character yet, but if the rumored American-set Squid Game series comes to fruition, it's likely we'd see her again there, too.

Will there be a Squid Game season 4?

There will be no Squid Game season 4. This is the final season, as confirmed by Netflix marketing the show as the final season. But, there is a chance of a spin-off: creator Hwang Dong-hyuk himself has discussed a show he'd potentially make that would be set in the time skip between seasons 1 and 2.

The rumored American Squid Game show, said to be developed by David Fincher, is also seemingly set up in the final moments of the last episode. The Front Man watches a recruiter, played by Cate Blanchett, play ddakji with a man in an alleyway in LA. The two share a significant look. We'll have to wait and see if this show ever comes out.

"Director Hwang keeps saying it's a finale, but when I first read it, I felt it could be a finale, [but] at the same time, it could be a new start," Front Man actor Lee Byung-hun shared at a press conference attended by GamesRadar+. "I'm not sure about that, it's my personal opinion, but if the audience's love and support increases, we never know what happens." Watch this space, then…

Squid Game season 3 is streaming on Netflix now. For more, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows, or see our roundup of all the most exciting new TV shows.

You can also read our Squid Game season 3 review for our verdict on the show.