Gi Hyun

Grew Up… in a low-income neighborhood, raised by his mother. He didn’t have much, but Gi-Hun fondly remembers playing children’s games with his friends, including Cho Sang-woo. One game both were particularly talented at? Squid Game, a defender vs attacker game of staying in the lines.

Living… off his mother’s income in a small apartment. Since a traumatic incident a few years ago, he’s been unable to make enough money to live on, and he begs, borrows, and steals whatever he can to get by—and even that isn’t enough. He’s in so much debt that he stands to lose a kidney, or at least a few fingers, if he doesn’t pay it back soon.

Profession… chauffeur, but effectively a gambler. Gi-Hun can’t make ends meet, and every money he does get goes to gambling in the hopes of making it big. Perhaps that’s why he’s willing to risk his life—maybe even his soul—to win an enormous prize.

Relationship Status… divorced. He’s trying to be a good dad to his daughter, but he knows he isn’t. He hopes that if he can get enough money, he can prove to his ex-wife that he’s capable of taking care of their daughter and that they shouldn’t move to the U.S. where he can’t visit.

Challenge… surviving the battle royale he signed up for. He was offered the chance to win an immense amount of money in exchange for competing in deadly children’s games. On the one hand, he and hundreds of people are in immediate danger of dying if they don’t win. On the other, what does he have to lose that he wasn’t going to lose on the outside? As he says, “You don't trust people because they are trustworthy. You do it because you have nothing else to rely on.” 

Personality… kind, troubled, and generous. Gi-Hun has a warm heart and takes care of other people, often to his own detriment. He doesn’t seem to understand why someone would be unkind or take advantage of people, which means he’s often on the “taken advantage of” side. But he perseveres, and his ability to keep going in face of impossible odds is irrepressible.