Top 10 Most Iconic Squid Game Characters

Lee Byung-hun's masked overseer is one of the most menacing figures in modern TV — an authoritarian enforcer whose backstory as a former police officer and winner revealed a terrifying mirror to the players below. His shocking Season 2 infiltration as a player completely upended the show's entire power structure.

Park Hae-soo's brilliant but morally bankrupt SNU graduate is the show's most devastating character — a childhood friend whose calculated betrayals at every turn culminated in the most heartbreaking ending in the series. His arc remains the definitive study in how desperation corrodes character.

HoYeon Jung's North Korean defector became a global superstar overnight — her steely performance as a fiercely protective older sister launched her modelling career into the stratosphere, landing her on the cover of Vogue and as a Louis Vuitton ambassador within weeks of the show's premiere.

Oh Yeong-su's seemingly frail elderly player delivered the show's most jaw-dropping twist: the games' founder himself had entered as a player to recapture the thrill of feeling alive. His final scene betting on human compassion versus indifference is among the most philosophically haunting moments in television history.

Anupam Tripathi's Pakistani migrant worker became the show's moral heart — a genuinely kind man whose utter trust in Sang-woo made his fate the most gut-wrenching moment of the entire season. His marble game sequence remains the single most emotionally devastating scene in the series.

Heo Sung-tae's menacing gangster provided the show's most straightforwardly villainous human antagonist among the players. His brutal intimidation tactics, alliance-breaking treachery, and ultimate comeuppance made him the character audiences most loved to hate throughout Season 1.

Lee Yoo-mi won the Best Supporting Actress award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for her brief but luminous performance as a young woman who chooses to give up her marble to let Sae-byeok live. Her few episodes pack more emotional weight than most characters get in an entire season.

Gong Yoo's cameo as the ddalgi-playing recruiter became one of the most talked-about minor roles in streaming history — a sinister, well-dressed stranger offering desperate people a way out that is far more dangerous than it appears. His slapping game scene hooked millions within the show's opening minutes.

Wi Ha-jun's brave police officer infiltrating the games to find his missing brother provided the show's most propulsive thriller subplot — culminating in a cliffhanger ending that left audiences screaming. His complex relationship with the Front Man drove Season 2's most compelling dramatic tension.

Lee Byung-hun's masked overseer is one of the most menacing figures in modern TV — an authoritarian enforcer whose backstory as a former police officer and winner revealed a terrifying mirror to the players below. His shocking Season 2 infiltration as a player completely upended the show's entire power structure.

Park Hae-soo's brilliant but morally bankrupt SNU graduate is the show's most devastating character — a childhood friend whose calculated betrayals at every turn culminated in the most heartbreaking ending in the series. His arc remains the definitive study in how desperation corrodes character.

HoYeon Jung's North Korean defector became a global superstar overnight — her steely performance as a fiercely protective older sister launched her modelling career into the stratosphere, landing her on the cover of Vogue and as a Louis Vuitton ambassador within weeks of the show's premiere.

Oh Yeong-su's seemingly frail elderly player delivered the show's most jaw-dropping twist: the games' founder himself had entered as a player to recapture the thrill of feeling alive. His final scene betting on human compassion versus indifference is among the most philosophically haunting moments in television history.

Anupam Tripathi's Pakistani migrant worker became the show's moral heart — a genuinely kind man whose utter trust in Sang-woo made his fate the most gut-wrenching moment of the entire season. His marble game sequence remains the single most emotionally devastating scene in the series.

Heo Sung-tae's menacing gangster provided the show's most straightforwardly villainous human antagonist among the players. His brutal intimidation tactics, alliance-breaking treachery, and ultimate comeuppance made him the character audiences most loved to hate throughout Season 1.

Lee Yoo-mi won the Best Supporting Actress award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for her brief but luminous performance as a young woman who chooses to give up her marble to let Sae-byeok live. Her few episodes pack more emotional weight than most characters get in an entire season.

Gong Yoo's cameo as the ddalgi-playing recruiter became one of the most talked-about minor roles in streaming history — a sinister, well-dressed stranger offering desperate people a way out that is far more dangerous than it appears. His slapping game scene hooked millions within the show's opening minutes.

Wi Ha-jun's brave police officer infiltrating the games to find his missing brother provided the show's most propulsive thriller subplot — culminating in a cliffhanger ending that left audiences screaming. His complex relationship with the Front Man drove Season 2's most compelling dramatic tension.