Squid Game Season 3 Cast Guide: All Players & Villains Explained

Since Squid Game season 3 serves as a direct continuation of season 2’s events, it primarily features the same characters and cast members as its predecessor. Serving as the final installment of the hit Netflix Korean show, Squid Game season 3 walks through the series’ final set of games, story beats, and twists and turns. Like its predecessor, it follows a familiar format, where many primary story threads are heavily driven by the titular games and the people whose lives are intertwined with them.

As many viewers will recall, Squid Game season 2’s ending was fairly inconclusive, where many key players and figures from the games ended up surviving. Owing to this, instead of treading the same path as season 2 and featuring a whole new set of players, Squid Game season 3 marks the return of many familiar faces. The show’s returning cast in season 3 brings a sense of continuity to its narrative, which further immerses the viewer in the characters’ high-stakes actions and their dire decisions during the central games.

Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun (Player 456)

Date Of Birth: December 15, 1972

Actor: Born in Seoul’s Jung District, Lee Jung-jae started his acting career in theater soon after graduating from Dongguk University. After initially working as a fashion model, he made his acting debut with the 1993 TV drama Dinosaur Teacher. Although his acting faced a minor setback when he left to serve compulsory military service, he returned to form in the 2010s after starring in movies like The Housemaid and The Thieves.

Lee Jung-jae often played charismatic characters on the big and small screens. Owing to this, Squid Game significantly changed his on-screen persona and allowed him to diversify his acting portfolio. While the actor was already thriving even before his Squid Game casting, the Netflix show helped him garner international acclaim and even paved the way for him to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2022.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Lee Jung-jae’s Squid Game character, Gi-hun, returns to the games with the best of intentions in season 2. To his dismay, his revenge plan agains the games’ authorities ultimately fails, and he even loses his friend, Jung-bae. Following Gi-hun’s tragic Squid Game season 2 loss, season 3 continues his narrative and shows how the aftermath of his friend’s death becomes the driving force behind many of his actions.

Lee Byung-hun as Hwang In-ho/Young-il (Front Man)

Date Of Birth: July 12, 1970

Actor: Born in Seoul, Lee Byung-hun started acting in the early 90s but did not get his career breakthrough until he starred in Park Chan-wook’s Joint Security Area. In the years that followed, he only strengthened his acting portfolio by playing roles in myriad genres. Long before appearing in Squid Game as one of the key villains, he even achieved global stardom by playing Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and its sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation, T-1000 in Terminator Genisys, and Rocks in The Magnificent Seven.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: In one of Squid Game season 2’s biggest story twists, Lee Byung-hun’s Front Man disguised himself as one of the players and entered the central games. To some extent, he even managed to win Gi-hun’s trust, only to eventually stab him in the back in season 2’s final moments. Squid Game season 2’s ending left many curious about how the Front Man would eventually reveal his true identity to Gi-hun in season 3 and how the protagonist would react to the revelation.

Jo Yu-ri as Kim Jun-hui (Player 222)

Date Of Birth: October 22, 2001

Actor: Unlike most actors in Squid Game, Jo Yu-ri is better known for her music career than her acting roles. Viewers familiar with South Korean music would know about her past involvement with the South Korean–Japanese girl group Iz*One and her participation in Mnet’s reality competition series Produce 48 in 2018. When it comes to acting, Yu-ri made her debut with a relatively minor role in 2022 with the web series Mimicus. She has clearly made significant progress since then, given how she is one of the main players in Squid Game seasons 2 and 3.

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Character: Jo Yu-ri’s Kim Jun-hui was one of the unique additions to Squid Game season 2’s roster because she was introduced as a pregnant player. The season highlighted all the potential challenges she would face as the games progressed and hinted at how Gi-hun’s fate would eventually be tied to her narrative.

Park Sung-hoon as Hyun-ju (Player 120)

Date Of Birth: February 18, 1985

Actor: Born in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, Park Sung-hoon majored in acting film at the Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts. During his initial years as an actor, Sung-hoon endured many hardships and struggled to land consistent long-term opportunities. However, things finally started looking for the actor in the 2010s after he appeared in shows like Moon Embracing the Sun and Big.

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Although his career was still marred by many breaks and limitations, he started landing leading roles in the late 2010s after delivering commendable performances in shows and movies, like Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum and My Only One. Before he starred in Squid Game, he gained even more mainstream attention with his impressive performance as Jeon Jae-joon in Netflix’s highly acclaimed Korean drama The Glory. While his casting as an LGBTQ+ character in Squid Game season 2 was initially controversial, viewers and critics eventually loved how he captured his character in the series.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Park Sung-hoon captured Squid Game season 2’s only LGBTQ+ character, Hyun-ju, who rose in the ranks to become one of the most likable players on the show. Even in season 2’s final arc, Hyun-ju displayed immense bravery while fighting against the games’ guards and authorities as one of Gi-hun’s allies. In season 3, Hyun-ju returns as one of the key players in the games and gears up for the challenges that lie ahead for them and their fellow players.

Kang Ae-shim as Jang Geum-ja (Player 149)

Date Of Birth: February 28, 1963

Actor: Kang Ae-shim made her acting debut with the 2006 movie Old Miss Diary. Her television debut came a little over a decade later when she starred in the crime thriller Voice. Since then, she has appeared in several TV shows and movies, but her part in Squid Game ranks among her most significant and career-defining roles so far.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Kang Ae-shim perfectly captured Squid Game season 2’s Jang Geum-ja, a selfless mother who only ended up in the titular games to look out for her son. Many viewers expected her or her son to die in one of the games in season 2, but both characters somehow survived all the games. In season 3, however, death seems to loom over both since character fates have always been unpredictable in the Netflix series.

Yang Dong-geun as Park Yong-sik (Player 007)

Date Of Birth: June 1, 1979

Actor: Also known by his rapper name, YDG, Yang Dong-geun started acting at a very young age by appearing in shows like Seoul Ttukbaegi and Hyung. While expanding his acting portfolio, he also established his name in the Korean hip-hop scene by releasing rap songs. While Squid Game is among his most globally recognized projects, he is also recognizable for his performances in New Nonstop, Ruler of Your Own World, and The Forbidden Marriage.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Like most other players in the series, Yang Dong-geun’s Park Yong-sik ends up in the games after struggling to repay the loans he accumulated because of his gambling habit. Little does he realize that his mother, too, will eventually follow him to the games and make him question every decision he has made in the past. Yong-sik is often portrayed as one of the more morally righteous characters in the series, but as seen in season 2, his sense of judgment often slips and leaves him in the morally gray zone.

Park Gyu-young as Kang No-eul (Guard 011)

Date Of Birth: July 27, 1993

Actor: Born in Busan, Park Gyu-young was discovered by JYP Entertainment in 2015, which prompted her to take up acting as a career choice. After starting her career with a music video, she went on to star in several shows like Solomon’s Perjury, Rain or Shine, and The Third Charm. Her big break came in 2020 when she got her first major role in It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. Soon, she garnered worldwide attention after she portrayed one of the main characters in Netflix’s hit show, Sweet Home.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: While most other guards live in fear and diligently follow the chain of command at the games, Park Gyu-young’s No-eul does not hold herself back from questioning orders. She refuses to participate in the organ trafficking business run by other guards and also lands in immense trouble for her defiance. After seeing her in season 2, many viewers could not help but believe that she would join forces with the heroes in Squid Game season 3.

Im Si-wan as Lee Myeong-gi (Player 333)

Date Of Birth: December 1, 1988

Actor: Born in Busan, South Korea, Im Si-wan is easily among the most recognizable faces from Squid Game seasons 2 and 3. He is not only known for his performances in movies and shows, like The Attorney and Misaeng: Incomplete Life but has also garnered immense fame for his music career and tenure with the South Korean boy band ZE:A and its subgroup ZE:A Five. Interestingly, the actor was born as Im Woong-jae but legally decided to change his name to Im Si-w before his acting debut.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Im Si-wan’s Squid Game character, Lee Myeong-gi, was once a renowned finance influencer who went by the name MG Coin. However, after he invested in a cryptocurrency scam and prompted his girlfriend and subscribers to do the same, everything went downhill. To his shock, even his pregnant girlfriend ends up at the games. Some of his furious followers, like Nam-gyu and Thanos, also show up as participants, which eventually forces him to take some extreme measures to survive the games.

Lee Jin-wook as Kyung-seok (Player 246)

Date Of Birth: September 16, 1981

Actor: Like Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-wook was also a part of Sweet Home‘s cast before he joined Squid Game season 2’s roster. The actor initially studied Environmental Engineering at Cheongju University but switched to the entertainment industry by initially modeling in commercials. His first major actor role was in the television series Air City, which paved the way for him to land more mainstream roles. Recently, Jin-wook was also cast in the movie Dark Nuns, which serves as a spin-off of the 2015 hit film The Priests.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Unlike most other players in the games, who do not shy away from crossing many moral boundaries to win, Lee Jin-wook’s Kyung-seok refuses to adopt any immoral means to survive. This is how he eventually ends up Gi-hun’s team in Squid Game season 2. Towards the end of the season, however, he seemingly gets shot by one of the guards after he runs out of bullets during the heroes’ showdown against the guards. Guard 011 seemingly had a soft spot for him and his daughter, which led many to believe that she might try to save him.

Wi Ha-jun as Hwang Jun-ho

Date Of Birth: August 2, 1991

Actor: Born on Soando Island in Wanju County, Wi Ha-jun served in the military before debuting as an actor. His first acting project was a 2012 short, Peace in Them. After playing relatively smaller roles for several years, he got his big break in 2018 with the highly acclaimed horror movie, Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum. While he is best known for his portrayal of Jun-ho in Squid Game, many also recognize him for his performances in shows, like Little Women, Gyeongseong Creature, and The Worst of Evil, and movies, like Midnight and Miss & Mrs. Cops.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: While Gi-hun and his crew attempt to end the games from the inside, Wi Ha-jun’s Hwang Jun-ho works from the outside to find the games’ venue. Little does he realize that the boat captain he trusts and has been seeking help from is actually a traitor. His season 3 arc is all about his quest to find the truth about the games’ true location and the captain’s real identity and motives.

Squid Game Season 3 Supporting Cast & Characters

Roh Jae-won as Nam-gyu (Player 124): Roh Jae-won, who portrays Nam-gyu in Squid Game seasons 2 and 3, is best known for his roles in K-dramas, like Daily Dose of Sunshine and Such a Close Traitor.

Park Hee-soon as The Officer: Best known for his parts in movies like The Scam, Seven Days, and A Barefoot Dream, Park Hee-soon captures the evil Officer in Squid Game‘s two installments.

David Lee as Min-su (Player 125): Lee Da-wit (anglicized as Lee David) plays the timid Min-su in Squid Game‘s seasons 2 and 3, who gradually goes through a major catharsis. Before Squid Game, the actor had recurring parts in well-known shows like Itaewon Class and Law School.

Kang Ha-neul as Dae-ho (Player 388): Dae-ho, who surprisingly panics and freezes during the final battle in Squid Game season 2, is played by Kang Ha-neul of the Tastefully Yours, Insider, and When the Camelia Blooms fame.

Song Young-chang as Im Jeong-dae (Player 100): One of the most morally bankrupt players in Squid Game seasons 2 and 3 is Player 100, who is brilliantly portrayed by Song Young-chang. Many viewers would recognize him for his parts in other shows and movies, like The Man from Nowhere, The Good the Bad the Weird, and The Empire.

Oh Dal-su as Captain Park: Best known for his roles in Old Boy, Veteran, and The Good the Bad the Weird, Oh Dal-su appears as Captain Park in Squid Game seasons 2 and 3.

Chae Gook-hee as Seon-nyeo (Player 044): Chae Gook-hee shows up as the shaman player, Seon-nyeo, in Squid Game seasons 2 and 3. Before the hit Netflix K-drama, she was primarily known for her parts in The King and the Queen, Maids, and The World of the Married.

Jun Seok-ho as Woo-seok: Jun Suk-ho, of the Strong Girl Bong-soon and Kingdom fame, perfectly captures Woo-seok in Squid Game seasons 2 and 3.