OLD MAN SQUID GAME
Inspired by various comics, writer-director Dong-hyuk Hwang developed ‘Squid Game’ as a death game action-adventure series. It also has several elements of mystery. One of the most important of these is the identity of the mastermind of the game. In the season finale, it is revealed that the old man or No. -hun or No. 456 (Jung-Jae Lee) who audiences have come to know and love – is the one who created the horrible game.
It was a shocking moment of realization and disappointment. Number 001 is one of the most likable characters in history. When he is seemingly killed after the round of marbles, you cry with Gi-hun and even blame him for what happened. The discovery that No. 001 was behind the contestants’ pain, misery, and death are probably as heartbreaking for most viewers as it is for Gi-hun. If you want to know why he made this game, we’ve got you covered. AHEAD SPOILERS.
Why did the old man create the squid game?
Like any other game, the old man, whose real name is revealed to be Oh Il-nam, created Squid Game for fun and entertainment. As he tells Gi-hun after the latter arrives at the apartment and is stunned to see him alive, he is extremely wealthy. And when someone has that much money, there comes a time when nothing in the world can satisfy him. Il-nam was bored in his life, and after talking to his equally wealthy clients, he realized they felt the same way. Having practically everything anyone could possibly want has apparently taken the joy out of their lives.
So old man squid game (Il-nam) made this game have a little fun. But he didn’t imagine a game like Polo or Golf to fight his boredom. He created a game of obscene violence that would suit his tastes and those of his customers. The money, power, and influence of these people automatically made them empowered. Therefore, it apparently did not affect their awareness that they are dealing with the lives of real people.
Realizing that Gi-hun is outraged because he said he made the game for fun, Il-nam reminds him that all of the contestants signed forms before entering the contest. And even after knowing what it was, most of them chose to come back to play it. That’s probably why he, Front Man, and the recruiters chose Gi-hun and the others. They knew that these people had no other options because of their financial situation. They were desperate enough to do anything, including play a series of deadly children’s games.
The tumor has always been real. Il-nam knew he was going to die soon. So, to live his creation on the other side of the glass, he decided to participate in the game, leaving his owl mask and wearing the jumpsuit and jacket No. 001. Il-nam and his customers or the VIPs were betting against each other for their favorite competitors. It has become the ultimate source of entertainment for them. Even in his final moments, he makes a bet with Gi-hun on another person’s life. As an angry Gi-hun tries to choke him, Il-nam tells Gi-hun that he will tell him everything if he plays a game with him again.
He points outside where a man is dying in the cold and tells Gi-hun that the latter will win if someone comes to help the man before midnight. He wants Gi-hun to believe what has become his own philosophy: people aren’t inherently good. However, before midnight, someone comes to help the man, proving him all wrong. But by then, Il-nam himself is dead and will never find out that he lost his last bet.
