Part of what makes Squid Game so enthralling is watching just how the characters try to outsmart their way through the life-or-death situations they're pitted against. It also feels at times as if some of the characters are ahead of even the viewers in terms of knowing what's going on, leaving audiences to catch up afterward as they're given the full picture.
However, not every character is equal when it comes to how intelligent they are overall. For every character who seems like they have the entire game figured out and are cheating the systems in any possible way, there's several more who simply aren't cut-throat and analytical enough to be able to make it in such an environment.
10 Abdul Ali Is Too Sweet And Trusting, As Well As Unfamiliar With Korean Children's Games
It isn't that Ali is incredibly unintelligent compared to other characters, but his overly trusting nature as well as his status as a foreigner work against him in the games. As he didn't grow up in Korea, he's completely unfamiliar with all of the children's games that everyone's playing and risking their lives for.
Not only that, but he's also far too trusting, and relies heavily on others such as Sang-woo to teach him the rules as well. He never believes for a second that he might end up betrayed, and wholeheartedly thinks Sang-woo has his best interest in mind and is tragically proven wrong in the end.
9 Jang Deok-Su Survives Off Of Strength And Ruthlessness, Not Intelligence
Jang Deok-su manages to survive for most of the game, but this has naught to do with his intelligence. Rather, his high physical strength, as well as his willingness to use others, work to his advantage.
Where he faltered is believing that he could use Han Mi-nyeo and toss her aside afterward without any negative consequences. Being one of the more unhinged members of the cast, she follows up on her promise to kill him if he ever tries to betray him, and thus the girl who saves him during the honeycomb game is also the reason he meets his end.
8 Byeong-gi Falsely Believes That He's Too Valuable To Be Killed
Byeong-gi is a doctor with immense medical expertise who assists the masked men of the game in harvesting and selling player organs. And while he certainly needs to possess a high level of intelligence to make it as a doctor, he also shows that he's incredibly emotionally impulsive.
He receives information about the next day's game from the masked men in exchange for the work he does, and one night, they tell him they're unaware of the next game. This causes him to lose it and threaten one of their lives, which results in his own being taken.
7 Ji-yeong Is Able To Silently Survive The First Few Games Unnoticed
Ji-yeong originally comes across as a bit of an eccentric character, getting into clashes with the priest due to her hatred of religion. It doesn't take long for the show to explain exactly why she feels so strongly, and her tragic backstory means that many fans instantly find themselves rooting for her.
While she isn't shown much and the most defining game for her is one where she throws the match in Sae-byeok's favor, she has to be intelligent to make it as far as she does. This is especially true given the fact that she isn't seen losing her cool or making a scene beforehand- she's able to blend in and advance quietly.
6 Seong Gi-Hun Has Too Much Faith In His Childhood Friend, And Means Well But Struggles Due To Gambling Problems
Seong Gi-hun is the main player that viewers follow throughout the show, and from the very first episode, it's clear that he doesn't make the most intelligent decisions. He's a chronic gambler, and when he obtains a small amount of money to get his daughter a present, he gambles for one instead of obtaining it outright.
He also has far too much trust and faith in Sang-woo despite all of the red flags pointing to him not being a true friend. It isn't until the very end (after Sang-woo takes the life of Sae-byeok) that he starts to realize, and even then he's questioning how Sang-woo could have done such a thing rather than accepting his true nature.
5 Han Mi-nyeo Is Able To Create Her Own Way To Pass The Honeycomb Game
Although Han Mi-nyeo appears to be the most unhinged out of the cast, she's still surprisingly intelligent. For one, she thinks to smuggle in cigarettes as well as escaping to the bathroom to be able to smoke them without being caught by the guards.
Not only that, but she passes the honeycomb game by cheating, using a clever idea that also required her to stay out of sight of the guards. She uses a lighter to heat her needle in order to melt the sugar and make cutting out her shape easier, which is an incredibly smart plan.
4 Kang Sae-byeok Is Incredibly Observant And Manages To Outsmart The Guards
Kang Sae-byeok is by far the most observant player within the game. She's able to watch and follow Sang-woo during the honeycomb game as she intuits that he knows more than he's letting on, and her pickpocketing skills help her pull off an amazing move against the guards.
She's able to hold her breath in the car while the gas dispenses, and avoid breathing any of it in so she stays awake. Once inside, she's able to slip a pocket knife into a guard's pocket while they change her into her uniform as well as retrieve it afterward without being noticed.
3 Cho Sang-woo Has Intimate Knowledge Of The Games And No Problem Manipulating Others
Cho Sang-woo is a businessman who loses everything after daring to bet his own future and his mother's store as collateral. He's an incredibly intelligent character who does believe that he's above the other players in the game and has to win no matter what sacrifices he might make to do so.
He has an edge on most other players due to having intimate knowledge of the children's games, and he has no qualms against tricking others or resorting to force if it earns him the victory. This is seen clearly in how he manipulates Ali during marbles, as well as how he pushes the player ahead of him out of the way during the glass-panel game.
2 Hwang Jun-Ho Infiltrates The Game And Plays Whatever Role He Has To For Survival
Hwang Jun-ho is a highly intelligent police officer who manages to infiltrate the game after seeing both Gi-hun's card at the station and the one in his missing brother's apartment. He's able to come up with plans on the fly and don disguises, fitting into whatever role he has to in order to remain undiscovered.
There are only a few key moments where Jun-ho messed up and gave himself away. One is when he uses the telephone in the Front Man's floor, as he puts the receiver down the wrong way, and again when he takes the diving equipment to leave as they'd surely notice. However, seeing as there's no other way to get off the island, he had no choice but to do so.
1 Oh Il-Nam Is Able To Play Through The Game Without Being Killed Or Giving Himself Away
While he doesn't initially appear to be, Oh Il-nam is undoubtedly the most intelligent person in the series. He's able to go through almost the entirety of the games without anyone either killing him or realizing that he isn't the innocent old man that he says he is.
He also has to come up with a way to be eliminated right at the end of the marbles game, so no one has an opportunity to notice that he isn't actually killed. His original plan was to simply not be picked as anyone's partner, but Gi-hun chooses him out of kindness, so he feigns dementia incredibly believably in order to waste time.