Squid Game: Players Ranked from Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil
Squid Game Players Ranked from Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re analyzing the moral alignment of the central Squid Game characters from seasons one and two. Major spoilers ahead!
Lawful Good: Abdul Ali & Jang Geum-ja[a]
These two characters– though their paths are never destined to meet– are some of the purest that this twisted series has to offer. We’ll start with season one’s Ali– his selfless nature was apparent from episode one, when he saves Gi-hun’s life during Red Light, Green Light. He stays true to himself and his values through to the very end, putting his life in Sang-woo’s hands– believing his ally to be trustworthy and kind. But sadly, this was not the case… pour one out for our sweet king. And by “one,” we mean one… bag of marbles. As for Geum-ja, this season two standout is only risking her life in the games to help her debt-ridden son, Yong-sik[b]. She repeatedly votes to exit the competition as soon as she realizes that everyone's lives are at stake, and offers to cook dinner for her new friends once they’re free. She’s forgiving, she’s helpful, and, we’ll say it… she’s mother.
Neutral Good: Seong Gi-hun
Can we confidently say that our protagonist here is morally spotless? Of course not– Gi-hun makes a slew of questionable choices over the series’ two seasons. However, we’ll go out on a limb and say that the sum of his actions are, well, good… neutrally. He always follows through with his word, exhibited through his care of Sang-woo’s mother and Sae-byeok’s brother. Most significantly, by refusing to run off with this 45.6 billion won earnings and deciding to attempt to put an end to the games altogether, Gi-hun shows that he’s willing to put his life on the line for the greater good. Did he kind of abandon his daughter in the process and inadvertently let his mother and best friend die? Well, yeah. But… he’s trying!
Chaotic Good: Hwang Jun-ho & Cho Hyun-ju
Let’s talk about Hyun-ju– she breaks out in the second season by assisting Gi-hun in attempting to save a non-fatally hit contestant, despite the risk of being eliminated herself. But, while kind at heart, she’s unpredictable– she flip-flops on her vote to continue the games, and shows some tough love to her teammates during the pentathlon. Moving on to Jun-ho– who goes to wild lengths in the hopes of finding his missing brother In-ho, and later by teaming up with Gi-hun to stop the games. He infiltrates the island, is shot by In-ho, and still spends the three years that follow searching for the truth. It’s a good thing he hung up his traffic cop vest– he’s destined for so much more!
Lawful Neutral: Kang No-eul[c]
We’re introduced to No-eul as a complicated but kind figure, with a harrowing past as a North Korean defector who lost her child in the midst of her escape. Viewers may have anticipated seeing her as a participant in the games, but it’s revealed that she’ll be acting as a masked sniper, taking out the eliminated players. This immediately reveals her darker, detached nature as she carries out orders for the games’ manager. However, she refuses to break the rules to help the rebellious soldiers in their organ trade, as it wasn’t the job she was tasked with completing, which she felt was a merciful act of killing. She stands on her principles, up until she’s pretty badly threatened by the other soldiers, that is. We have a hunch that she’ll play a significant role in the third season, given what we’ve learned about her so far!
True Neutral: Kang Sae-byeok & Park Jung-bae
It’s tough to say that any one of the games’ participants are truly neutral, given that their circumstances call for some pretty dire decision-making, revealing much about their natures. But with that said, it’s safe to say that these two are some of the more even-keeled of the players from the series. Though a beloved character, Sae-byeok is hardly a hero– she’s looking out for herself and her family, and is willing to play by the games’ deadly rules in order to do so. She begins to find friendship in Ji-yeong[d], but she sacrifices herself for Sae-byeok– not the other way around. As for season two’s Jung-bae, we learn that he entered the games to pay off his gambling debts after having lost custody of his daughter, similarly to his friend Gi-hun. While he does show valiance by participating in the riot against the leaders of the games, his loyalties wavered when tempted by the increased monetary prize that resulted from the deaths of his fellow contestants. Despite their imperfections, both Sae-byeok and Jung-bae deserved better!
Chaotic Neutral: Han Mi-nyeo & Seon-nyeo[e]
Did “Squid Game” reuse their quote-unquote “crazy lady” trope a little too closely in season two? Perhaps, but we’ll let it slide, given that these two characters are both extremely entertaining to watch! And naturally, they have their differences. Mi-nyeo will side with anyone regardless of their moral character, having teamed up with both big bad Deok-su and Gi-hun’s band of misfits. And lest we forget, she ends her own life in an act of revenge against the former! Season two’s Seon-nyeo is similarly vengeful, casting a spell against Gi-hun’s team after she was pushed aside in the Mingle game. We’re afraid that given the events of the last episode, her curse is destined to come true!
Lawful Evil: Oh Il-nam
We’ve reached the section we’ve all been waiting for: our bad guys! Il-nam is a fascinating villain, entering the games as a player, though secretly being their creator. He genuinely feels that these deadly games provide some value to the world– as entertainment to the wealthy, and opportunity to the poor. On his deathbed, he expresses his belief that humanity is ultimately unkind, and uses the games as a sort of social experiment to watch his pessimistic outlook in practice. While it’s debatable whether or not his actions are “lawful,” we’re classifying him as such due to the philosophies behind his madness. He’s not exactly evil for evil’s sake, nor does he act out of a desire for personal gain. His evilness is an attempt to expose a larger truth about mankind, even if his methods are ultimately… pretty brutal.
Neutral Evil: Hwang In-ho & Cho Sang-woo
Let’s get Sang-woo out of the way first– not literally, sorry Player 017! The games brought out an inner wickedness in him, as he kills innocent people to get ahead, and betrays those who trusted him. Did he redeem himself by ending his life and letting Gi-hun win the sole prize? We’ll let you decide! But if you ask us, though a complicated man, Sang-woo was pretty sociopathic. Anyways, on to our Front Man In-ho– we dig into his character in season two, when he disguises himself as a player to deceive Gi-hun. Quick side note, but he should have known better than to trust another player 001! In-ho is truly cold-blooded, gaining loyalty with Gi-hun’s squad in order to put an end to their master plan, with no concern for any single players’ life. His calculated and sinister nature makes him arguably the baddest baddie of the whole series!
Chaotic Evil: Thanos & Jang Deok-su[f]
We have one word for both of these guys: yuck! Alright, we suppose we have a few more words. Rapper Thanos may have been under the influence for a majority of his time in the games, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s, for lack of a better word, a sicko. He pushes players down during Red Light, Green Light, and manipulates others for his own benefit. Who does that remind you of? Oh right, season one’s Deok-su! He’s more of a brute than a sicko, but he’s also a devious and heartless person who tosses people aside like garbage. At least we get to see both of these villains get their comeuppance! And hey, we’ll admit it– a little bit of chaos keeps things interesting!
Do you agree with our analyses of these complex characters? Let us know in the comments!