Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Squid Game season 2, episodes 1-7.Squid Game season 2's ending leaves viewers on an even bigger cliffhanger than season 1, as the tournament isn't even over when the finale comes to a close. The events of season 2's final episode, "Friend or Foe," take a violent — if not totally unexpected — turn. On the heels of episode 6's tied vote to end the tournament, tensions are higher than ever among the remaining players. A deadly brawl in the men's restroom takes this to a new degree, killing five people, including T.O.P.'s character, Thanos.

After the fight is finished, the players voting to end the Games have the upper hand; they only lose two players, while the other side loses three. However, Gi-hun rightfully suspects that their opponents will attack them while they're sleeping. He proposes a plan to survive that looming clash and escape the tournament anyway. After spending much of Squid Game season 2 trying to thwart the people behind the tournament, Gi-hun suggests using the inevitable chaos to their advantage. He and several other Squid Game season 2 characters strike against those running the Games. Unfortunately, it backfires spectacularly.

Gi-hun's Plan In Squid Game Season 2's Ending Explained

He & The Other Players Take Advantage Of The Nighttime Brawl

Gi-hun's plan in the Squid Game season 2 finale is simple, if a bit naive. He tells his allies to hide under their bunks when the nighttime violence breaks out. This will protect them from the players determined to lower their side's numbers, but it will also give them the element of surprise. Gi-hun predicts that the Masked Men will arrive to quell the fighting as soon as it gets out of hand. After all, the VIPs need something to watch, and the Games can't continue if all of them die.

They knock out the Masked men and steal their weapons, collecting the latter to stage an uprising.

When the Masked Men arrive, Gi-hun and his allies pretend to be dead. Once the Masked Men get close enough to check on them, Gi-hun and his allies pounce. They knock out the Masked men and steal their weapons, collecting the latter to stage an uprising. Not all of Squid Game season 2's major characters agree to fight, but Gi-hun leads a team outside their dormitory and towards the control room. However, they don't get very far before the Masked Men ascend on them, and the majority of players on Gi-hun's team die on the mission.

Gi-hun and Jung-bae also never reach the control room, as they run out of ammo before the Masked Men and Front Man confront them. The latter resumes his true identity in the midst of the uprising, though he doesn't reveal the truth to Gi-hun. The Front Man uses his walkie to make Gi-hun believe he's among the dead, then dons his mask before confronting him. He tragically kills Jung-bae for their stunt, and season 2 ends with Gi-hun weeping next to his friend's lifeless body.

Why Gi-hun's Plan To Stage An Uprising Fails

They're Outnumbered & The Front Man Is Prepared

Gi-hun's plan fails for a few reasons, the biggest being that the Front Man is in on it — and those running the Games are clearly prepared for what's coming. That's why the Masked Men are called to gather for a "special game." The leaders put them in the line of fire, knowing this will be entertaining for the VIPs. And the fact that they orchestrate this fatal confrontation proves that the Masked Men's lives aren't worth much more to them than the players'. Even so, the Masked Men continue to do as they're told.

The team Gi-hun puts together is also unprepared, as there are many more Masked Men than there are players willing to fight. Even with Hyun-ju's military experience, they're totally outnumbered and don't have enough ammo to successfully launch their uprising. Dae-ho returns to the dormitory for more ammo, but he fails to bring it back to the other players. It becomes obvious during the finale's confrontation that he's not actually a marine — at least, not one who's ever seen combat before. Of course, Gi-hun's plan would likely still fail, even without Dae-ho's cowardice.

Sadly, the players would have had a better chance of escaping through the tournament's voting process, and Squid Game season 2's ending proves it.

The Front Man double-crossing Gi-hun also plays a role, as he convinces Gi-hun and Jung-bae that the cavalry is coming. He then kills their backup and betrays them, proving that there was never a chance of Gi-hun's mission succeeding. Sadly, the players would have had a better chance of escaping through the tournament's voting process, and Squid Game season 2's ending proves it. That's likely the point the Front Man wants to make, though, rendering season 2's finale even more tragic.

Captain Park's True Allegiance & Why He Betrays Jun-ho

Captain Park Is Purposely Leading Jun-ho In The Wrong Direction

While most of Squid Game season 2's ending focuses on Gi-hun and the other players, the finale does include a devastating twist for Jun-ho. Jun-ho and Gi-hun team up at the beginning of the sophomore season, and their plan is to track Gi-hun to the island and help him stop the Games. This never comes to fruition, as Gi-hun's tracker is removed once he's taken to the tournament. Jun-ho, Woo-seok, and Captain Park spend the remainder of the season searching for the island, but there's a good reason they never find it: Captain Park is compromised.

Squid Game season 2's final episode reveals that Captain Park is working for the organization behind the tournament.

Squid Game season 2's final episode reveals that Captain Park is working for the organization behind the tournament, and that he's purposely leading Jun-ho and Woo-seok in the wrong direction. This at least offers an explanation for him saving Jun-ho after Squid Game season 1's ending. It makes sense that Captain Park finds him in the water near the island, as he's involved with the Games. It's possible In-ho even sent the captain to search for his brother, though we don't know the full extent of Captain Park's role just yet.

Captain Park kills one of Jun-ho's men in order to keep his betrayal quiet, and the others haven't realized what he's up to when season 2 comes to a close. This revelation is left for Squid Game season 3, which could put Jun-ho and Woo-seok in further danger if they uncover the truth.

Why Does The Front Man Let Gi-hun Live At The End Of Season 2?

Jung-bae's Death Is Meant To Teach Gi-hun A Lesson

Also left for Squid Game season 3 is the revelation that the Front Man infiltrated the Games and pretended to work alongside Gi-hun and the other players. In-ho doesn't reveal himself to Gi-hun during their confrontation, donning his black mask when he kills Jung-bae instead. He notably leaves Gi-hun alive, so it's likely the show's lead will face him again during the final season. It's not entirely clear what he intends to do with Gi-hun after capturing him, but the reason he spares him is clear.

The Front Man's entire purpose in Squid Game season 2 is to break Gi-hun, convincing him that there's no point in ri against the powerful elites behind the Games.

The Front Man's entire purpose in Squid Game season 2 is to break Gi-hun, convincing him that there's no point in ri against the powerful elites behind the Games. He's unable to make this point during the tournament itself, but killing Jung-bae seems likely to do it. By killing Gi-hun's friend for his uprising, the Front Man shows Squid Game's lead what happens when he takes a stand. He places more guilt on Gi-hun's shoulders, hoping that the fear of getting blood on his hands will prevent Gi-hun from pulling similar stunts in the future.

The Front Man also knows Gi-hun well enough to realize that he doesn't care about losing his life anymore. That's a risk he's willing to take, and he makes that obvious during Squid Game season 2's ending. Forcing him to live with the consequences of his failed uprising is a greater punishment, and the Front Man knows it.

Does Anyone Win The Squid Game Tournament? What The Outcome Means For Season 3

It Looks Like The Games Will Continue After Gi-hun's Uprising

With Gi-hun's uprising serving as the climax of Squid Game season 2, the ending doesn't reveal the outcome of the latest tournament. After Gi-hun and Jung-bae are captured, the Masked Men kill the remaining players involved in the uprising. Anyone still in their quarters — including those who went back for more ammo — is presumably allowed to vote on whether they should continue the Games. Given that Gi-hun's plan kills many of the characters who were against moving forward, it's safe to assume the tournament progresses.

Squid Game season 2's mid-credits scene further confirms this, though it's unclear if Gi-hun is still permitted to participate in the tournament. Many of the loose ends surrounding the actual Games should be tied up when season 3 debuts in 2025. Until then, we'll need to wait to learn the fates of some of Squid Game season 2's best characters.

Which Major Characters Are Still Alive Ahead Of Season 3

Dae-ho, Hyun-ju, & The Players Who Stayed Behind Are Still Alive

It's not clear if there will be a time skip between Squid Game seasons 2 and 3, but many of this outing's major players are still alive when it comes to a close. The biggest deaths in the finale are those of Thanos, Jung-bae, and Gyeong-seok — though as Gyeong-seok is shot in his mid-section, the show could still surprise us. Dae-ho and Hyun-ju survive Gi-hun's plan, as both of them go back to the dormitory for more ammo. That's where they are when the Masked Men restore order, so it seems they'll be participating in the tournament still.

It's unclear if Squid Game season 3 will pick up exactly where the ending leaves off, but there's a chance that some of them could survive the second Red Light Green Light game.

Mother-son duo Geum-ja and Yong-sik survive season 2, as they don't Gi-hun on his mission to take down the Games. The same is true of pregnant player Jun-hee and her child's father, Myung-gi. Several important players in favor of continuing the Games are also still alive at the end of Squid Game season 2, including Jeong-dae, Nam-gyu, and Seon-nyeo. It's unclear if Squid Game season 3 will pick up exactly where the ending leaves off, but there's a chance that some of them could survive the second Red Light Green Light game.

Squid Game Season 2's Mid-Credits Red Light Green Light Tease Explained

Squid Game season 2 features a brief scene in the midst of its credits, and it shows the remaining players walking back into the space where Red Light Green Light is played. It looks as though they'll be repeating this game, but this time with a twist: there's a new male doll, seemingly intent on watching them from behind. This is likely to for the players lining up to win the game, something Gi-hun encourages at the beginning of the season.

In general, Squid Game season 2's second Red Light Green Light game feels like a slap in the face to Gi-hun, as multiple players can win. This means the people who died in his uprising might have stood a chance, even if the votes were in favor of continuing. Unfortunately, there could be more Games after this, and the second doll makes things significantly more difficult. Squid Game leaves the outcome of the tournament up in the air, so we'll have to wait to learn who survives this chapter of it.