If you’ve made it to the end of Squid Game season three, chances are you’re still recovering. The final scenes were equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, wrapping up Gi-hun’s story in a way that had everyone buzzing. But that wasn’t the original plan.
According to the show’s creator and director, Hwang Dong-hyuk, the ending we saw on Netflix was a “very drastic change” from what he initially envisioned. And honestly, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting conclusion.
In the final moments of season three, Gi-hun gives up his own life to save the baby of fellow players Jun-hee and Myung-gi. It’s a devastating scene, but it also reflects just how far Gi-hun has come, from a desperate player trying to survive to someone willing to sacrifice everything for another life.
But that wasn’t always part of the plan.
So, what was the Squid Game alternate ending?
via Netflix
In a recent interview with Variety, Hwang shared that when he first began mapping out seasons two and three, he “had a different ending in mind.” Originally, Gi-hun was going to survive the game once again, a victory of sorts. But it would have been without the emotional weight that made the final version so impactful.
While he worked through the writing process, things shifted. “As I created my characters and laid out the foundation of the story, I realised this shouldn’t be the way the story ends,” he said. “This is a better ending, or the right ending, for this arc.”
He scrapped the original ending to show Gi-hun’s character development
via Netflix
Hwang explained that the new ending was not only more emotionally satisfying, but also a better reflection of Gi-hun’s character development. It brought his journey to a meaningful, if bittersweet, close, one that showed how even in the darkest moments, humanity and hope can still prevail.
One particularly moving scene highlights this. The Front Man urges Gi-hun to kill the remaining players in order to save himself and the baby. With a knife in hand, Gi-hun hesitates, until he sees a vision of Sae-byeok. She gently reminds him, “You’re not that kind of person.” That memory pulls him back from the edge.
“They’re very simple words,” Hwang said, “yet they are the most accurate words that really pierce through him.”
That quiet but powerful moment, a reminder of who Gi-hun truly is, wouldn’t have existed if the original ending had stayed.
Ultimately, Hwang wanted the final season to explore “a clash of philosophies” between Gi-hun and the Front Man, two men shaped by the same trauma, yet following very different paths. The updated ending fulfilled that vision. It didn’t just close the book on a character; it deepened the story’s message.
And in the end, that’s what made it unforgettable.
Squid Game is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.
