When Squid Game Season 1 debuted in 2021, it captivated audiences worldwide with its brutal intensity and haunting commentary on desperation and humanity. Now, with the final season premiering in June 2025, the show has left fans divided not because it disappointed entirely, but because its unexpected ending sparked more questions than answers.
The biggest twist? The mysterious Front Man walked away, leaving the massive prize money and the baby daughter of Player 222 in the care of his younger brother, Detective Hwang Jun-ho.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, actor Lee Byung-hun, who plays the Front Man (Hwang In-ho), finally addressed this shocking decision. “After everything he’s (front man) been through, I think the Front Man is a little sick of testing people or putting them through trials at this point. I think that impulse may have left after the Game ended — especially after everything he went through in his confrontation with Gi-hun, and after witnessing Gi-hun’s sacrifice. So I think he left the baby with his brother mainly because he doesn’t have a lot of options.”
According to Lee, the character had lost his drive to continue the cycle of violence and instead chose to step away, entrusting the baby and the money to someone he trusted the most. “Most of all, like always, he wants to follow the rules. The baby won the game, so the money should go to the baby. His brother is family and he knows very deeply that his brother is a reliable and trustworthy person, and that he will protect the baby and make sure no one takes the child’s money. The rules say the money goes to the child, and his brother can help ensure that.”
The Front Man, real name Hwang In-ho, is the masked overseer of the Squid Game and a former winner himself. In Season 1, it was revealed he is the estranged older brother of Detective Hwang Jun-ho, who infiltrated the games to find him.
Currently, all three seasons of Squid Game are available for streaming on Netflix. The final season stars Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Wi Ha-jun, Park Gyu-young, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Jo Yu-ri, Chae Kuk-hee, Lee David, Roh Jae-won, and Jun Suk-ho.
