Squid Game burst onto the scene in 2021 and broke into unprecedented territory with it becoming one of the most popular Netflix series of all time. It was a series focusing on the concept of a death game, but delving much deeper into a variety of ethical and moral issues and dilemmas.
While the second half of the series is often remembered for its devastating and sad moments, including the deaths of major characters, the first few episodes still had plenty of moments and deaths that still carried significant weight and meaning in their own right.
10 Someone Had To Be The First To Be Eliminated, and 324 & 250 Stepped Up
Back at the start of the first game of the Squid Game competition "Red Light Green Light," before the deadly twist, contestants no. 324 and 250 were treating the game as a friendly competition, albeit with them making money bets that no doubt resembled their respective financial troubles in the "real world."
These two players being eliminated by being shot was what immediately garnered so much attention from viewers worldwide, drastically changing the stakes and making it apparent that this was a death game, with 253 other players also being eliminated from this single round.
9 Deok-Su Snapped & Brutalized His Former Gang Member, Establishing His Ruthless Personality
In Squid Game's second episode, aptly named "Hell," the majority vote to abandon the games sees all of the contestants return to their rotten debt-riddled everyday lives. Everyone realizes that the games are the only way to sort out all of their financial issues and eventually return to the games, this time knowing what they are letting themselves in for.
The glimpse into Deok-su's time outside of the game, sees him betrayed by his supposed underling, prompting Deok-su to snap and kill the traitor before fleeing the scene. This brutality not only shows his violent nature but also what desperation could do to him, which would set up his character perfectly for the rest of the series.
8 Hwang Jun-Ho Infiltrated The Squid Games At The Expense Of A Guard
At the start of "The Man with the Umbrella," police officer Hwang Jun-ho properly begins his infiltration of the Squid Games, having tailed the car transporting Gi-hun as far as the ferry. During a routine check of the contestants, Jun-ho strikes and kills one of the guards, throwing him over the side of the boat, along with his own ID.
Jun-ho subsequently tries to blend in as the guard, having to quickly adapt to this bizarre working dynamic as he heads towards the unknown, in search of the truth regarding his brother's disappearance.
7 Number 369 Demonstrated The Enormity Of Gi-Hun's Umbrella Task
Once the game resumes following everyone returning to the deadly island, the second game that is introduced is called Ppopgi, requiring players to carve out a shape from a dalgona, a hard honeycomb candy, within a time limit.
The harsh realities of the competition are once again hammered home upon the first contestant failing this game, with number 369 breaking the dalgona during his attempt to carve out the tricky umbrella shape. Number 369 had previously been shown firstly pleading with the guards to show mercy after the deadly first game, and secondly trying to convince the other players to vote to suspend the games. He wasn't a main character, but his various involvements made him a recognizable face. His death naturally opened the floodgates for multiple more, but his was one of the most impactful from this second game.
6 Number 119's Desperate Flurry Against The Guards Exposed That The Contestants Weren't The Only Ones In Danger
At the end of the third episode when the second game draws to a close, contestant number 119 attempts to fight back against the guards in order to survive, after breaking his dalgona. He stabs one guard and shoots another in the arm, taking the latter hostage. In an intense standoff, he orders the hostage to take off his mask and reveal his face, before taking his own life.
The Front Man enters the room to deal with the situation himself and he shoots the guard that just revealed his face. This is a significant death to the story, as his words, "Once they find out who you are, you're dead," introduces consequences and stakes for the guards, and not just the players.
5 Deok-Su Not Only Stole 271's Rations But Also Kicked Him To Death
Following the tricky second task of Ppopgi, the remaining contestants are given their rations of food and drink. Deok-su, Mi-nyeo, and the rest of their gang proceed to line up a second time, depriving five people of food and water. When the guards do nothing to rectify this, contestant number 271 takes it upon himself to confront Deok-su, which does not end well for him, with him dying after a few heavy kicks from the thug.
Despite Gi-hun's emotional requests for help, the guards still do nothing, apart from acknowledging 271's death and carrying the body away. It is at this point that Gi-hun and everyone else realizes that the killings are not restricted to just the games, and this adds another layer of anxiety and suspense.
4 Deok-Su Once Again Incited The Violence By Killing The Girl Who Snitched On Him
Events only escalate further in Episode 4 of Squid Game, "Stick to the Team," when players discover that they are permitted to kill other players when the lights go out. Teams and alliances are formed and those who don't team up are eliminated by those desperate to reduce the overall numbers.
The first death to kickstart the chaos is Deok-su eliminating the girl, contestant number 198, who had alerted everyone of him and his crew stealing other people's rations.
3 Armed With Insider Knowledge Of The Next Task, Deok-Su's Squad Subjected Their Opponents To A Brutally Quick Demise In Tug Of War
The brutal nature of the games continues into the third installment of the game, with Tug of war. Deok-su's team participates first and due to them having insider knowledge regarding the nature of the task, with them subsequently picking a team full of strong men, they breeze to an easy victory.
Obviously, in keeping with the theme of the entire competition, the losing team is eliminated in a brutal way. As they dangle from the rope following their quick defeat, a guillotine is sent crashing down onto the rope, severing it and sending the losing team into a long fall and eventual demise. This is once again motivation for all of the following teams, including Gi-hun's, who also emerges victoriously.
2 As The Organ-Harvesting Group Imploded, Jun-Ho's Investigation Sped Forward
In the fifth episode "A Fair World," the focus drifts from the main game following the Tug of war round, and switches to the mysterious splinter group of guards that have enlisted the help of contestant number 111, the Doctor, in extracting and selling organs of the deceased players.
In one episode, the group is wiped out almost entirely, but Jun-ho killing another that knew he was an imposter is significant in itself, with it implying that despite the anonymity between guards, they do still pick up on small things regarding behavior and general demeanor. Jun-ho executing the guard even though he was submitting to him, showed a ruthless side to the man of the law, with his desperation to find his lost brother evident.
1 Number 111 & The Guards He Was Working With Were Wiped Out
The remainder of the splinter group is also taken out, from the Doctor snapping and killing one of the guard members, to the Front Man shooting another for breaking the rules regarding fairness and equality, and perhaps one of the most important and major deaths from the group, the Doctor himself, contestant 111.
Number 111 wasn't allowed to continue the game due to his obvious breach of fairness, with the Front Man suggesting that the shenanigans involving dead players' organs would have been okay if not for the information being fed to a player regarding future rounds and games.