The Best Squid Game Season 2 Quotes From Every Episode

Since its release in 2021, Netflix’s Squid Game has quickly become one of the most popular television series in the entire world. The action-packed South Korean thriller followed impoverished Seong Gi-hun at the lowest point in his life. Squid Game season 1 dealt with Gi-hun’s forced enlistment into death games. Set on a remote private island, the games challenged players with crippling debt to compete in high-stakes children’s games. At the end of the show, only Gi-hun survived. He walked away with billions of won — equivalent to the number of people who died on his way out.

Season 2 opens where season 1 left off. Gi-hun, about to flee abroad, instead turns around and tries to fight. He chooses to go after the game masters in order to stop the games forever. A turbulent and tumultuous season 2 explores his attempts to rebel and revolutionize from within the system. And since the series has such a strong ensemble cast, we get some really excellent interactions and scenes — with superb quotes to match.

Of course, these aren’t the exact quotes. We’re working with translated subtitles here, and using English versions of the Korean phrases. But after receiving criticism for sanitized subs in season 1, Netflix has really stepped up their game this time around. Yes, that pun was fully intended. Anyway, with accuracy and cultural awareness in mind, let’s look at one awesome quote per episode from Squid Game season 2 below.

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“You prey on people who are hanging by a thread.” — Gi-hun

Bread and Lottery

Squid Game explores themes of classism, elitism, and free will. One of the main discussions we often see is the concept of choice when it comes to the game invitations. Players are offered a way to clear their debt, but the circumstances are already severe. These people are conned, cheated, and humiliated in subway stations by the Salesman. Recruitment is a confusing and unclear process. Then, they arrive on the island and have to participate in the first game without understanding the consequences of losing.

Fortunately, Gi-hun calls the Salesman out for this sneaky behavior. He criticizes how the game masters seek out and essentially kidnap hopeless individuals for their twisted amusement. As a reminder, the games are filmed and broadcast to wealthy fans. So, saying the players “choose” to go along with everything and are okay risking their lives is a severely shallow statement.

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“You and I are not responsible for what happened to him!” — Jun-ho

Halloween Party

“One Lucky Day,” the Squid Game season 1 finale, included a major reveal. We found out that Detective Jun-ho’s brother is the Front Man. But, wait! The whole reason Jun-ho snuck onto the island was to find his missing brother. The tragic twist led to Jun-ho almost losing his life, but also to us learning a little more about the games’ hierarchy and mechanics. Because if In-ho and the Salesman worked their way to the top, why did everyone try to prevent Gi-hun from rejoining the games?

In any case, back to Jun-ho’s above words. As we can see, In-ho’s life took a turn for the worse if he’s facilitating death games for downtrodden citizens. And shooting his own brother. When Jun-ho and In-ho’s mother laments her role in everything, Jun-ho sternly reminds her that they can’t be blamed for In-ho’s bad fate. Faulting your family members for your own mistakes is bad form at best, after all.

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“Enough with the greed. Let’s put our lives first and get out of this place.” — Geum-ja

001

Money is a powerful motivator. But how far are you willing to go? How much are you willing to risk? Perhaps you’re fine gambling your own life away for millions of dollars. Yet how would you feel if you had to sacrifice other humans to get your hands on that cash? By forcing players to participate in groups, Squid Game shows how easily we turn on each other when greed and financial gain are in the mix. However, the series always demonstrates how we unify to protect and preserve each other.

Geum-ja lives through Red Light Green Light because of Gi-hun’s coaching and camaraderie. Afterwards, the players have to vote to stay or go. Here’s the catch, though — majority rules. Even if you want to leave and therefore live, you can’t if more than half of the group chooses to remain. Appealing to the rest of the players’ sympathy, Geum-ja reminds them to focus on their livelihood, not the enticing piggy bank. Unfortunately, selfishness wins in this episode.

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“So, you’ve got to believe in yourself. Can you do that?” — Hyun-ju

Six Legs

The games aren’t just physical. They’re psychological. Challenging in all regards, the games are truly meant to torture the players until they’re exhausted, agitated, and afraid. Thankfully, Cho Hyun-ju won’t be intimidated. Previously working within the South Korean Special Forces, Hyun-ju knows how to stay levelheaded and give others a confidence boost. Although she’s shaking and sweating, she turns to her teammates and reminds them to believe in themselves. A strong mind could make or break their success rate, especially in a game that requires good synergy.

Actually, this entire scene is full of great, encouraging words. For those who may not be aware, in Squid Game, the players refer to each other by number. It’s a lot like how prisons dehumanize prisoners by calling them by their inmate number. Hyun-ju starts this pep talk off by introducing herself and asking for her allies’ names. By grounding them all in their identity, she’s able to muster their bravery in an instant.

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“Alright. I guess I didn’t know what I was talking about.” — Young-il/In-ho

One More Game

Squid Game season 2 does a lot to ramp up the tension. The premise alone, with Gi-hun returning willingly to the island, is fantastic. A self-sacrificing hero is extremely easy to root for. Plus, his knowledge, combined with the way the games change, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. But boy do these games change. While Squid Game could endlessly rotate through new players reacting in new ways to the challenges they face, it’s much more engaging to shake things up.

How does Squid Game season 2 do that? In-ho, the Front Man, enters the game as Player 001. Using the pseudonym Young-il, In-ho befriends Gi-hun and also gains his trust. In-ho is also great at keeping his cover intact. When Gi-hun mentions players killing each other at night, In-ho pretends to believe that people would never do such a thing. Then, after Gi-hun recalls the last games, In-ho apologizes for not knowing the truth. Oh, the irony.

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“It felt like I was being given a chance at a whole new life.” — Thanos

O X

The episode “O X” is truly horrific. Just as Gi-hun predicted, the players are quickly forced to turn against one another if they want to pass the challenge. Brutal and fast-paced, the game finishes within the first 20 minutes of the episode. Yet its impact really lasts. Despite the egregiously awful experience, many players still vote for another game — symbolized by big X and O buttons and matching sections on the floor. The player with the most enthusiasm is none other than the rapper Thanos. And yes, this character is named and styled after the Marvel villain.

Interestingly, Thanos offers a different perspective on the games. While we don’t appreciate his narcissism, it’s cool to hear another view on the invitation and participation. In one of his typically long-winded monologues, Thanos explains that he was going to commit suicide before the Salesman offered an alternative. Describing it as divine intervention, Thanos praises how he’s giving it his best shot because of that moment.

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“Even if it takes a sacrifice … we must end this game now.” — Gi-hun

Friend or Foe

Let’s give Gi-hun another quote, since he is the protagonist! Reminding viewers of his entire motivation, Gi-hun gives a rousing yet intimate speech to the small group he hopes to take to the top levels. Pragmatic and idealistic alike, Gi-hun’s words emphasize how they must rebel against their captors at any and all costs. Since convincing the players to vote their way home hasn’t worked, Gi-hun is certain that armed revolution is the only way forward. And you know what? It probably is.

Sadly, the Squid Game season 2 finale ends with Gi-hun surrendering. Not only that, but Young-il “dies” as In-ho goes back to being the Front Man. The Front Man also shoots Jung-bae in order to punish Gi-hun for his heroic antics. Then, the guards swarm the players, massacring most of the O voters. We end on a total cliffhanger as the computer marks Player 390 eliminated, and then we fade to black.

Watch through the credits and you’ll see two exhilarating hints about Squid Game‘s final season. Elsewhere, new players approach a Young-hee doll under a different colored sky. Across from Young-hee is a boy doll we’ve never seen before. Fan theories are currently flying through the roof. But we’ll save our predictions for closer to Squid Game season 3 — set to release in 2025.

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Although it dropped back in December 2024, Squid Game is still trending in Netflix’ top TV shows. That’s super impressive! It means a lot of people watched it, and that probably includes you.

What are your favorite Squid Game quotes, then? With lies, secrets, betrayals, and motivational speeches driving the plot, it’s difficult to choose just one per episode. So spill all the ones we overlooked at side.show/geekgroup or in the Sideshow Social Network. And as always, don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!