Best Squid Game Episodes

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Netflix has created many popular shows, but Squid Game arguably had the biggest impact on pop culture. The third and final season, with a total of 22 episodes, is set to release in 2025. While not a massive number of episodes, this keeps the show from feeling drawn out. Season 3 might spark some debate among fans, but it’s still very enjoyable. Now that the series has concluded, we can start discussing and ranking the best episodes of Squid Game.

This series boasts intricate characters, stories you can connect with, and plenty of suspense. It also offers sharp commentary on capitalism, all wrapped up in some incredibly brutal and violent challenges. While not every episode of Squid Game is a winner, here are the standout episodes.

9. Friend Or Foe

An Action-Packed Season Finale That Left Viewers Wanting More

  • Season: 2
  • Episode: 7

The Season 2 finale, called “Friend or Foe,” delivered the powerful conclusion viewers had been waiting for after two seasons of suspense. Following numerous tragic deaths, overwhelming despair, and constant manipulation by the wealthy organizers, Seong Gi-Hun and his team finally fought back against the game’s enforcers, slowly advancing toward the control room with the goal of ending the games for good.

Okay, so usually this show is all about building tension slowly, but honestly, the action in “Friend or Foe” was surprisingly good – really well done! We got to see some of our favorites, like Jung-bae and Gi-Hun, really shine, but Cho Hyun-ju totally stole the show for me. She was just incredible leading that part of the uprising, so brave and capable. My biggest issue, though? The ending felt way too rushed. It didn’t feel like a season finale at all, more like they were just hitting pause mid-season. It left me wanting so much more!

8. One More Game

A Long And Challenging Game With A Satisfying Conclusion

  • Season: 2
  • Episode: 5

The episode, “One More Game,” wraps up the six-legged pentathlon that began in the previous installment. After seeing how difficult and lengthy the five games were, it was finally the new main characters’ turn to compete, and the payoff was well worth the wait.

The first team excelled at the challenges, finding creative solutions and revealing more about their individual stories. Cho Hyun-ju unexpectedly stepped up as their leader and was a standout player. The episode ends with a funny and triumphant montage of Gi-Hun’s team winning each game, though a last-second trick by Player 001 nearly caused them to fail, subtly hinting at the villain’s true motives.

7. The Man With The Umbrella

Who Knew That Playing With Candy Could Be So Intense?

  • Season: 1
  • Episode: 3

The first season of Squid Game featured several unforgettable episodes, and “The Man With The Umbrella” was a standout. This episode famously introduced the Ppopgi game, where contestants had to delicately extract a shape from a Dalgona candy within ten minutes, or face elimination.

I was completely hooked by how simple the challenge was! Every moment of the characters trying to get their shapes out of the Dalgona candy was so tense – I was seriously on the edge of my seat. Gi-Hun figuring out how to do it was a real standout moment, and it was also unsettling to see Cho Sang-woo’s little deception start to create distrust between everyone. It felt like things were starting to unravel.

6. The Starry Night

The Death Game Concept At Its Thrilling Best

  • Season: 3
  • Episode: 2

While likely the least strong of the three seasons, Squid Game season 3 remains highly enjoyable, with most episodes being very good to excellent. “The Starry Night” stands out as a highlight and possibly one of the series’ best. The hide-and-seek game, though a familiar concept, is particularly gripping, even surpassing previous strong episodes. By now, viewers are deeply familiar with the characters and should be fully invested in seeing them survive.

“The Starry Night” is a particularly violent episode of Squid Game, with scenes that feel like a horror movie. Nam-gyu is especially frightening in this episode, acting almost like a slasher villain early on. If you weren’t impressed with the first episode of season 3 and were thinking of stopping watching, I suggest giving the second episode a chance.

5. Bread And Lottery

Kicking Off The Second Season With A Ruthless New Game

  • Season: 2
  • Episode: 1

The first episode of Season 2 had a clear mission: to immediately recapture the attention of fans who had been waiting over three years and demonstrate that Squid Game hadn’t lost its thrilling edge. It’s safe to say creator Hwang Dong-hyuk and his team succeeded. “Bread and Lottery” is a fantastic episode that left viewers wanting to watch the entire season right away.

It was great to see familiar faces like Seong Gi-Hun and Hwang Jun-ho again and how much they’d changed. But the real standout in this installment was the recruiter. Gi-Hun’s pursuit of him, the disturbing experiments on homeless people, and the intense Rock, Paper, Scissors game with Kim and Woo-seok were all brilliantly done. These scenes proved that Squid Game is back and still has plenty of compelling stories to tell. The final Russian roulette scene between Gi-Hun and the recruiter not only brought the protagonist’s journey full circle but also showed that the show’s suspenseful and violent games could happen even outside of the main competition.

4. Red Light, Green Light

The Simple Game That Started It All

  • Season: 1
  • Episode: 1

With a truly original idea like Squid Game, the first episode needed to be captivating to draw viewers in – and ‘Red Light, Green Light’ delivered perfectly. In fact, the show’s entire success can likely be credited to that single episode.

The first episode of the series, lasting just 54 minutes, expertly set the stage. It gradually introduced the main characters and their desperate financial situations, then quickly threw them into the mysterious and potentially lucrative games. “Red Light, Green Light” was a brilliant choice for the initial game because it’s universally understood, yet the episode didn’t hesitate to show the violent reality of the competition. Most importantly, it immediately raised the central question of the series: is risking your life worth trying to solve your financial problems? This question hooked viewers and compelled them to continue watching.

3. 001

A Fresh New Take On The Iconic Opening Game

  • Season: 2
  • Episode: 3

After a two-episode wait, Season 2 began with episode three, titled “001.” The episode featured the familiar Red Light, Green Light game with the unsettling robot, but with a new element: Seong Gi-Hun, the winner of the first season, was among the players. He quickly took charge, attempting to help the other contestants, even though they were initially doubtful.

Gi-Hun’s strategy initially seemed successful and helped introduce a new group of characters. However, things quickly spiraled out of control, and players began dying rapidly. The resulting scene, a violent montage set to a remixed version of “Fly Me to the Moon,” is one of the most shocking and memorable moments of the show. Player 001 demonstrated that, despite Gi-Hun’s attempts, this iteration of the games would be just as ruthless as before. The episode’s incredible plot twist – revealing the Front Man was intentionally sabotaging Gi-Hun’s plan from within – further solidified its place as one of the series’ best.

2. Hell

Showcasing The Harsh Reality Behind The Games

  • Season: 1
  • Episode: 2

Following a terrifying game of Red Light, Green Light, the players were offered a chance to quit, and everyone eagerly accepted. But once they returned to their normal lives, they quickly discovered things hadn’t improved. They still faced the same problems – overwhelming debt and unhappiness – and felt trapped with no way out.

Given its grim concept, similar to Squid Game, the show Hell surprisingly delivered a thoughtful and well-crafted story that reflects real-world issues. The episode’s brilliance lies in its title – “hell” doesn’t refer to the games themselves, but to the difficult lives the characters are already living. The final scene, where everyone returns to the games, is particularly disturbing and memorable.

1. Gganbu

A Heartbreaking Episode That Proved Nobody Was Safe

  • Season: 1
  • Episode: 6

Squid Game masterfully lulled its viewers into a false sense of security. For the first five episodes, the show subtly led us to believe that its main characters – Gi-hun, Sang-woo, Sae-byeok, Il-nam, and Ali – were somehow safe, even though the entire premise revolved around life-or-death competition. The gut-wrenching turning point came in episode six when the characters were forced to partner up, only to discover they would be competing against each other in a game of marbles. This twist is arguably the most shocking and emotionally devastating moment of the entire season, and perhaps the whole series.

The episode of Squid Game titled “Gganbu” remains one of the most devastating and memorable of the series, and deservedly so. Its strong writing and powerful performances created a uniquely suspenseful and emotionally resonant experience. While the deaths of characters like Oh Il-nam and Ji-yeong were deeply sad, the moment that truly stood out for many viewers was Ali’s betrayal and death. He was a genuinely kind and sympathetic character, making his sudden fate at the hands of Sang-woo particularly shocking and heartbreaking. Viewers worldwide reacted strongly, with many expressing their grief and disbelief while watching this impactful episode.

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2025-12-02 01:08