We met some colourful characters throughout three seasons of Netflix’s Squid Game, and while most of their narratives were tied off quite nicely with the conclusion of season three, the treatment of Kang Dae-ho was outright criminal.
Dae-ho, played by Kang Ha-neul, was introduced in season two of Squid Game. He quickly allied with the likes of Park Jung-bae, Seong Gi-hun, and the disguised Front Man, working closely with them until Gi-hun started a violent rebellion in the final few episodes. All was going great until Dae-ho was asked to gather more ammunition from the bunks. Despite his so-called marine training, something later revealed to be a lie, Dae-ho was unable to return, and the rebellion failed as a result.
People were eager to see the continuation of Dae-ho’s story in Squid Game season three, but it was the ultimate anticlimax.
Here’s why Squid Game failed Dae-ho in Squid Game season three
Credit: Netflix
When season three of Squid Game was released last week, people were ready for Dae-ho to clash with his former allies – minus Jung-bae and a few others who were killed during the rebellion. He spent most of the first few episodes hiding in the back, and away from Gi-hun’s almost stalker-like glare, that was, until the hide-and-seek game in episode three when he came face to face with a very angry Gi-hun.
After a few close calls and several screaming matches with his former friend, Dae-ho finally met his maker. It was the anticlimax of the season, as if director Hwang Dong-hyuk had never heard of character development.
On Reddit, one person explained: “It just seems so unfair, 388 was so kind during season 2, his character was completely butchered in just 2 episodes, even if he lied about being a marine and was scared to return with the ammo, he was brave enough to join the rebellion in the first place. If Dae-ho and Jung-baes roles were switched, Gi-hun wouldn’t have killed Jung-bae like he did Dae-ho.”
Credit: Netflix
“I think it would have been better if Gi-hun and Dae-ho actually had a conversation about what happened, with Dae-ho sacrificing himself in order to help Gi-hun get further in the games, with hope that he can put an end to it all, show us the thing Gi-hun has been trying to prove all along, that humans are good, and can make selfless decisions.”
“This is my BIGGEST issue with season 3, as a Dae-ho truther. The only ‘backstory’ we got was that he lied about being in the Marines to ‘fit in’ with the group. His entire personality did a 180 in a single episode lmao,” another said.
People, myself included, don’t seem to be annoyed about Dae-ho’s death, only the way they went about it. There was no further explanation of his actions, and his behaviour in season three was a stark contrast to the Dae-ho we met in season two. It was as if Hwang Dong-hyuk simply forgot to write scenes for him.
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Featured image credit: Netflix
