While the lines between "good" and "bad" are quite blurry in Netflix's Squid Game, there are characters who are certainly better role models than others. Some characters will only do what has to be done to survive, while others will do something bad just for the sake of it.
It's not as if any of the participants are thinking about being a role model, though. They're really just trying to survive, no matter how they are viewed in the eyes of others. Judging from how they navigate each game and what is shown of their lives off the island, the series gives enough insight into who these people really are and whether they are good or bad role models.
Warning: This article contains major spoilers.
10 Good: Ji-Yeong Sacrificed Herself So Someone Else Could Live
Ji-yeong is one of the most mysterious characters in Squid Game. Although she doesn't appear for very long, she leaves a mark on the show with her tragic backstory and, of course, the ultimate sacrifice she makes when she lets Kang Sae-byeok win against her in their marble throwing game. She doesn't know what she would do with the prize money after losing both of her parents, so she concedes defeat to someone who has a family to look after.
9 Bad: VIP 4 Is Part Of A Group Of Terrible Humans
VIP 4 is surely the most odious of the VIPs, which is saying a lot, considering these are people who enjoy betting on human lives in life-or-death games. Bored with the games and frustrated that he has picked a losing "horse," VIP 4 lures undercover cop Hwang Jun-ho back to his room in the hopes of something a little more exciting. What he gets, however, is something else entirely.
8 Good: Abdul Ali Sees The Good In People
Ali came to Korea from Pakistan and was going through hard times, so he entered the games in the hopes of giving his wife and child a new life. Ali is wide-eyed, mostly innocent, and impressionable, but he'll do anything for his friends. He will also always return a favor, as seen when he goes along with Choo Sang-Woo's plan to get them both out of the marble game alive even though Ali was one marble away from winning.
7 Bad: Cho Sang-Woo Is Far Too Selfish
Despite posing as Seong Gi-hun's friend, it is made evident as the series goes on that Cho-Sang-woo is a very conflicted, tormented soul who wants to win more than anything, even if it means deceiving or sacrificing old and new friends.
The coldness of his heart only thaws right at the end of the last game, but by then, it's too late because the damage has already been done. Constantly fooling himself and denying his emotions only lead to Cho Sang-woo's downfall.
6 Good: Kang Sae-Byeok Has A Pure Heart
Kang Sae-byeok's motives are clear and pure. She just wants to get her mother out of North Korea so she can join her and her brother in the south. She lets everyone know that she doesn't trust anyone and will do anything to survive. She shows how much she cares about other people when she stops Seong Gi-hun from killing Choo Sang-woo, even though she knows that she could be putting herself in danger.
5 Bad: Jang Deok-Su Is A Cowardly Bully
While he presents himself as a tough-as-nails gangster, Jang Deok-su turns out to be nothing more than a school bully who doesn't have any real friends and uses fear and intimidation to get what he wants. When his back is against the wall, he resorts to dirty tricks, but he couldn't have planned for meeting someone like Han Mi-nyeo, whom he betrays. As promised, he pays the price for that betrayal.
4 Good: Hwang Jun-Ho Risks His Life For His Brother
Police officer Hwang Jun-ho infiltrates the island on which the games take place to find out what has happened to his brother. Although his means of getting there don't leave his hands entirely clean, he only does what is necessary. By not killing VIP 4, Jun-ho shows that even in the face of utter wretchedness, he is able to exercise restraint. Jun-ho risks his life trying to gather evidence to send to the police, bring an end to the barbaric games, and save people's lives.
3 Bad: The Front Man Hosts An Inhuman Competition
While the Front Man is not without his morals, letting the participants know that he will not tolerate anyone attempting to gain an unfair advantage, he is still the host of an inhuman event that sees people compete in deadly games for a cash prize.
The Front Man's calmness in overseeing the operation as hundreds of people die every day is all the more chilling. And the way he panders to the VIPs, manipulating the fifth game just to please them, is sickening.
2 Good: Seong Gi-Hun Tries To Be A Good Person
Seong Gi-hun isn't perfect. He hasn't been able to take care of his daughter, and he tricks his "gganbu," Oh Il-nam, in the fourth game. He is a human with flaws like everyone else. But he tries to be a good person, a good friend, a good father, and he has a strong sense of justice. If he didn't have a conscience, he would have gone out and enjoyed his prize money, but the guilt he feels after winning doesn't let him spend a penny. When he's about to get on the plane to go and see his daughter, he turns around and calls the number on the Squid Game card, knowing that he is the only one who can stop the game.
1 Bad: Oh Il-Nam Used His Wealth To Cause Suffering
Oh Il-nam thinks he did society a favor in helping to create the Squid Game. He watched how people treated each other, how the poor were neglected and left to die on the street, and he decided to do something about it. He was also just bored and didn't know what else to spend his money on, as he confessed to Seong Gi-hun on his deathbed. No matter how one looks at it, Oh Il-nam is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people.