Squid Game Season 3 Review: A Brutal, Emotional Finale
Squid Game Season 3 arrived with high expectations. After two seasons of twists, social critique, and unforgettable characters, this final chapter had one goal: end Gi-hun’s story and the Squid Game once and for all. It delivered drama, emotion, and death. It also gave fans plenty to argue about.
Let’s talk about the games, the characters, the ending—and whether this finale lived up to the hype.
🎮 What Happened in Season 3?
Season 3 starts right where Season 2 ended. Gi-hun chooses not to board the plane. Instead, he walks straight back into the nightmare. But this time, he doesn’t want to play. He wants to destroy the game from the inside.
We follow him through a new set of cruel games. Some feel like twisted versions of children’s games. Others are completely new and more dangerous. Every round feels harder. Fewer people survive. The organizers make sure every moment tests loyalty, fear, and guilt.
Gi-hun teams up with a new group of players. These new characters bring their own backstories, trauma, and motivations. Some grow close to him. Others betray him. The tension rises with each episode. Friendships break. Lives end. And all of it feels heavier than ever.
💔 The Emotional Heart: Gi-hun’s Journey
Lee Jung-jae once again gives a powerful performance as Gi-hun. He looks tired, angry, and broken. He plays this role with full emotional weight. In the earlier seasons, he was just trying to survive. In this season, he fights for something bigger.
One of the most emotional scenes comes when Gi-hun risks everything to save a baby. It doesn’t feel like a plot trick—it shows how far he has come. He no longer thinks about money. He thinks about meaning.
Gi-hun also faces the system head-on. He questions the point of the games, challenges the masked Front Man, and even talks directly to the wealthy VIPs. He doesn’t ask for sympathy. He demands justice. That gives his final act even more impact.
🎭 The Return of Key Characters
Detective Jun-ho returns after vanishing in Season 1. He finally gets his moment with his brother, In-ho, the Front Man. Their confrontation adds emotional weight. It’s not just about guns and violence. It’s about betrayal, regret, and broken family bonds.
Their arc could have used more time, but it still hits hard. Jun-ho’s decisions feel real. In-ho’s pain feels deep. We wanted more scenes between them, but what we got felt meaningful.
🧩 The Games: More Brutal Than Ever
The games in Season 3 raise the stakes. One of the standout games is a deadly version of hide-and-seek. Another game takes place on a structure 100 feet above ground. One wrong move means death.
These games test more than strength or intelligence. They test trust. Players must choose who to partner with. They must guess if they can rely on a friend—or walk into a trap. Each game pushes both players and viewers to the edge.
The set design remains stunning. The colors are bold. The camera angles create anxiety. The editing keeps you glued to the screen. But while the games look amazing, a few feel too similar to past seasons. We wanted more fresh ideas, but the show leans on its original formula.
🎬 The Ending: Bold, Tragic, and Divisive
Gi-hun dies. Yes, the hero we followed since episode one doesn’t make it out alive. He sacrifices himself to save a baby, ensuring the child survives and wins the prize. The organizers collapse the game soon after. That sacrifice stops everything.
This ending shocked many viewers. Some call it beautiful and brave. Others feel frustrated. Gi-hun’s death felt like closure, but also heartbreak. We wanted to see him win and walk away. Instead, he dies with purpose, not peace.
The show ends with a final surprise. In an alley in Los Angeles, a woman in a red suit plays ddakji. She hands a card to a stranger. That woman? Cate Blanchett. This unexpected cameo hints at an American version of the Squid Game.
Fans are split. Some loved the idea of a global version. Others feel this twist takes away from the original’s message. The final shot clearly aims to set up a spin-off, but it also shifts focus from Korea to the West—and not everyone supports that direction.
⭐ Performances and Pacing
Most of the cast delivers strong performances. Gi-hun carries the season with quiet strength. Jun-ho and In-ho bring intensity and sadness. The new players add variety, though some don’t get enough screen time to make a real impact.
The pacing works well at first. Episodes build tension. Games feel terrifying. But around episode six, the story slows. Some side plots drag. A few twists feel forced. The finale makes up for it, but the middle episodes could have been tighter.
🗣️ What the Critics and Fans Say
Critics gave Season 3 mostly positive reviews. Many praised the emotional depth, the visuals, and the bold finale. Others said the show lost some of its sharp social commentary. The original series hit hard because it spoke about real-world inequality and despair. This season focuses more on action and emotion than on message.
Fans are more divided. Some called Season 3 the perfect ending. Others felt it went too far or didn’t give them what they wanted. The internet buzzed for days after the finale dropped. Some people cried. Some people got angry. But no one stayed quiet.
🎯 Final Thoughts: Did Season 3 Deliver?
Yes, Season 3 delivered—mostly.
It gave us a strong ending to Gi-hun’s journey. It showed us more brutal games. It pushed characters to their breaking points. It gave us high-quality acting, creative sets, and deep emotion.
But it also gave us a few dragged-out moments, a divisive death, and a spin-off tease that some fans didn’t want.
As a full package, Season 3 stands stronger than Season 2 and almost as good as Season 1. It changed tone, but it stayed true to its core: how far people will go for survival, and what it means to stay human in a cruel world.
🏆 Final Rating: 8.5 / 10
- Story: 8/10
- Characters: 9/10
- Games & Visuals: 9/10
- Pacing: 7/10
- Ending: 8.5/10
Verdict: A tragic, intense, and memorable final season that closes the Squid Game saga with power and pain. It isn’t perfect, but it stays with you. Fans will argue about the ending, but they’ll never forget it.
