Right. So, there have been plenty of theories and strange little corners of the internet dedicated to Squid Game. People have analysed it, parodied it, and shipped Gi-hun and the Front Man. And even the actors, Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun, have reacted to some of the fan edits.
But now, there’s a new meme doing the rounds. It’s called the Squid Game Papa meme. You might’ve already seen it without realising, buried in TikTok comments, showing up under YouTube videos, mentioned offhand in Reddit threads. It’s strange, specific, and somehow everywhere.
Except no one really seems to know what it actually means.
So, what does the Squid Game Papa meme actually mean?
According to @litaturot on TikTok, Papa first started appearing sometime earlier this year, though its exact origin is unclear. Some trace it back to a TikTok explanation where someone described Papa as “a prophecy fulfilled in season three of Squid Game where everyone popped.” That sounds dramatic, but it doesn’t actually mean anything from the show. It just feels like it does.
Before Papa, there was another strange meme called HyperByunghun. It was based on a very bright, filtered photo of Lee Byung-hun. People started making fake stories and jokes about it, calling it “lost media” and even pretending it had its own smell. Yes, people were being weird on purpose.
@litaturot did you know that papa’s origins are shrouded in mystery? this research might be updated. #squidgamenetflix #squidgame #papasquidgamememe #squidgame3 #squidgameseason3 #frontman #leebyunghun #lbh #byunghunlee @girlblogging @fawerciasqi☆
Papa is considered a sort of spiritual successor to that, part parody, part nonsense, and part collective performance. People talk about it as though it’s part of a larger story. They make videos pretending there’s deeper meaning. They post serious-sounding comments, blurry images, and spooky edits, but none of it actually makes sense.
Basically, Papa meme isn’t a reference to anything from Squid Game itself. There’s no secret scene or hidden meaning. It’s a kind of meme-based role play where everyone’s in on the joke, but no one actually explains it.
So, Papa doesn’t mean anything. But people treat it like it does and that’s what makes it work. Do what you will with this information.
Squid Game is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.
