Squid Game Season 3: Players Who Survived in Season 2 and Will Appear in Season 3

Squid Game Season 2 didn’t just match the high stakes and brutality of the first; it cranked things up with more twists, more blood, and a whole new set of players fighting for survival. And now that Season 3 is officially on the way, fans are naturally wondering, who’s even left to return? With the sheer number of jaw-dropping deaths and plot twists, keeping track of who lived and who bit the dust isn’t exactly easy. So, to save you the trouble (and potential heartbreak), we’ve put together a full rundown of every character who survived the madness of Squid Game Season 2 and will be walking back into the game for Season 3. Let’s dive in!

1. Gi-Hun (Player 456)

After surviving the horrors of Season 1, Gi-hun returns in Squid Game Season 2, but he’s not just another player this time; he’s on a mission. Armed with a fortune and a burning need to shut the whole thing down, Gi-hun sets his sights on taking down the masterminds behind the game. Things seemed to be falling into place when he and his band of hired muscle tracked down The Recruiter, and for a moment, it looked like the tide was finally turning. But of course, Squid Game thrives on twists, and Gi-hun found himself back in the game.

This time, though, he wasn’t just playing; he led an armed rebellion from the inside. Sadly, the uprising didn’t go as planned, and we lost our comrade Jung-bae, which is one of the saddest deaths we saw in Squid Game Season 2. Still, Gi-hun survived, and with Season 3 on the horizon, it looks like the fight isn’t over just yet.

2. Hyun-ju (Player 120)

Starting as a background player, Hyun-ju slowly but surely became a fan-favorite in Squid Game Season 2, and for good reason. A trans ex-special forces operative with nerves of steel and a heart of gold, Hyun-ju stood out not just for their combat skills, but also for how genuinely helpful and kind they were to others.

They even gave a crash course on how to use an MP5 submachine gun during the rebellion to other players. They entered the game to earn enough money for their transition surgery, and despite a seriously stressful cliffhanger towards the end, Hyun-ju pulled through and is confirmed to return in Squid Game Season 3.

3. Geum-ja (Player 149)

Geum-ja didn’t exactly sign up for the Squid Game; she just followed her son to the pickup spot and, well, got scooped up into the nightmare too. Despite her age, she managed to survive the brutal rounds, thanks to a mix of her son’s support and a few kind souls willing to lend a hand. When all hell broke loose in the dorms, she made sure to hide herself and Ong-sik, playing it smart when it mattered most. After all the chaos and even the final shootout, Geum-ja’s still standing and is set to return in Squid Game Season 3.

4. Yong-sik (Player 007)

Yong-sik is the son of Geum-ja and is neck-deep in gambling debt. He entered the Squid Game hoping to win enough money to clear his debts and start fresh, with his mom by his side. What he didn’t realize, though, was that his mother had followed him and gotten herself dragged into the games too.

Since then, Ong-sik’s been carrying the guilt of putting her in danger. During the chaos of the dorm fight, he chose to hide. And even though he wanted to join Gi-hun and the others when they took up arms, his mother stopped him. Because of that, Ong-sik ended up surviving Squid Game Season 2.

5. Jun-hee (Player 222)

Jun-hee is a young woman who was orphaned early in life and, as an adult, ended up dating one of the players, Myung-gi. He was a content creator who went by the name MG Coin and gave people advice on crypto. But when he told Jun-hee to invest in a coin called Dalmatian, it turned out to be a scam, and she lost all her money.

To make matters worse, she’s also pregnant with Myung-gi’s child and now desperately needs money. So, to secure a future for herself and her baby, she joined the games and managed to survive to the final episode of Squid Game Season 2.

6. Dae-ho (Player 388)

Dae-ho is an ex-marine who puts on a tough-guy act, but in reality, has never actually seen combat. When Gi-hun and his team of players decided to rise and take arms against the game, Dae-ho couldn’t muster the courage to fight alongside them. Instead, he was sent to the dorm to gather ammunition from the dead Squid Game crew, but fear got the better of him, and he never made it back. That’s exactly why he’s one of the few who didn’t die in Squid Game Season 2.

7. Seon-nyeo (Player 044)

Seon-nyeo claims to be a renowned shaman, but let’s be honest, she’s more drama than divine. After losing a large chunk of money, she joined the Squid Game to pay off her debts. She comes off as arrogant and full of herself, but most of her so-called spiritual awakening is a sham. That became pretty obvious when she started having anxiety attacks and lashing out at her teammates. Even though she is widely disliked, she stayed behind in the dorm during the rebellion and survived Squid Game Season 2.

8. Myung-gi (Player 333) 

Myung-gi used to run a YouTube channel called MG Coin, where he gave crypto advice. However, things went south when he hyped up a coin named Dalmatian, which turned out to be a scam. A lot of people lost a lot of money, and Myung-gi himself ended up bankrupt. Later, when he found Jun-hee in the game, he tried to patch things up with her, but let’s just say it didn’t go as planned. That said, he’s managed to survive Squid Game Season 2 and will be returning in Season 3.

10. Min-su (Player 125)

Believe it or not, Min-su managed to survive the chaos of Squid Game Season 2 and is confirmed to return in Season 3. Honestly, he’s made it this far mostly because of his cowardice, and let’s be real, that might just keep him alive a little longer. There’s a solid chance he could end up throwing someone under the bus in Season 3 to save his skin. Then again, this game doesn’t spare anyone for too long, so Min-su could very well meet his end too. Either way, we’ll have to wait and see what Netflix has lined up for the finale of Squid Game.

11. Nam-gyu (Player 124)

Nam-gyu has been a major pain in the neck for players and one of the key antagonists in Squid Game Season 2. In the series, he allied with Thanos, and together, the duo was responsible for quite a few deaths in the previous season. But now that Thanos is out of the picture, dead right in front of Nam-gyu, he’s flying solo. Fans are already speculating that Thanos might not be completely gone from the show, though, and could appear in Nam-gyu’s hallucinations moving forward.

So, let’s see how that plays out when Squid Game Season 3 drops on Netflix on June 27, 2025.