To save you from having to watch it for the second time and trying to spot them yourself,Bored Pandahas compiled a list of Easter eggs fans found in Squid Game season 2. Scroll down to reveal them, and make sure to leave any observations and theories you might have after watching theseriesbelow.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out a conversation with Dr. Rebekah Louisa Smith, award-winning film festival strategist and founder ofThe Film Festival Doctor, who kindly agreed to talk with us more about Easter eggs in movies.
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Byun Hui-su was South Korea’s first transgender soldier. Byun had a promising career as a cisgender man, but in 2020, she traveled to Thailand for gender reassignment surgery. Upon her return, she was immediately discharged from the military and was not allowed to continue serving. Byun fought this decision in court, but the ordeal led to severe depression. Tragically, in 2021, she was found dead in her home.Her family took up her legal battle, and in 2024, they successfully had her discharge overturned. Byun Hee-soo became a symbol of the fight for LGBTQ rights in South Korea’s military. Her story deeply connects with the narrative of Player 120, highlighting the shared struggles and resilience between the character and Byun’s real-life journey.
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When translated, it reads “Sang-woo’s Fish Market.“Let’s remember that Sang-woo died at the end of the last season. He deeply loved his mother but was never able to return to her. This detail highlights that his mother still cherishes his memory. Even though Sang-woo disappeared three years ago, she has not forgotten her son, which is why the fish market bears his name.
Those words were put in this game in particular because in South Korea, in PE and different sporting events, these words were often used to encourage kids. In real life this is a very happy encouraging message to kids just to do their best but when it comes to Squid Game this makes it a much darker message.
In Korea, rice rolls are never eaten with a fork. You either use your hands or traditional wooden chopsticks. These utensils, like other items provided, were potential weapons the management was handing them tools to fight each other. This mirrors what happened in Season 1 when Ji-hun was served steak with metal knives, further suggesting that the Front Man wanted to encourage the players to start eliminating each other.
“Easter Eggs can enhance a viewer’s experience as they help to foster a sense of community among fans who actively seek them out, discussing their findings and deepening their connection to the film,” she says.“Quentin Tarantino’s fan base loves them as there are endless articles and posts about the clever Easter Eggs that Tarantino places in his films, which results in them endlessly re-watching his films and nothing more details and layers of Easter eggs.”
“Easter Eggs can enhance a viewer’s experience as they help to foster a sense of community among fans who actively seek them out, discussing their findings and deepening their connection to the film,” she says.
“Quentin Tarantino’s fan base loves them as there are endless articles and posts about the clever Easter Eggs that Tarantino places in his films, which results in them endlessly re-watching his films and nothing more details and layers of Easter eggs.”
I’m not sure if it’s been said before, but in season one, the walls predicted the game they were going to play and I took this picture of the walls in season two so it looks like they might be playing these games next season.
When I was watching it, I thought he was some kind of Navy impersonator. However, there is a suspicious factor in his number (not the one on his jacket).In the scene, he introduced himself as the 1140th Navy. 1140th means the navy you applied for was the 1140th session. If he really was an 1140th Navy, he would have served in the military in 2011, the year that a tragic incident happened in the Korean Navy. In 2011, there was a shooting accident in the Navy. One guy shot his comrade because of abuse. It ended up with 4 deaths and 2 injuries.If so, we can understand his weak attitude.
I don’t know if this was posted before, but when the players ask Gi-hun where the game masters are, and he tells them ‘‘up there’’ everyone looks up except In-ho. Just thought it was a nice detail.
Theories have been popping up everywhere but one of the most popular is that these images correspond to a game called Jack and Jill. This game essentially consists of players climbing a hill to fetch water from a well using two buckets one in each hand. Then they must descend a hill with the buckets without spilling the water. The game is simple but if adapted to squid game, it’s likely the dolls will detect player movement and the traffic light we will force players to stop and go just like in the first game of the season.
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“I also love finding the difficult Tarantino Easter Egg,” Dr. Smith adds. “KILLING ZOE, a film that he executively produced, features a lead character called Zed, which is also the name of a character in his film PULP FICTION who experiences a very horrible death.”
If we pause the image and divide it, we’ll notice that the actor Gong Yoo is showing two faces at the same time. On one hand, we have an expression of arrogance - the same one he always maintained throughout the series. He has always been someone confident - look at his mouth - he has an evident smile and there’s even a red light illuminating him it’s as if he were a demon. But if we look at the other side we’ll notice the opposite: he has an expression of fear and helplessness, his smile here doesn’t exist, and there’s no Eerie red light Illuminating him - just a simple light that makes him look pale and human. He even has blood stains symbolizing a wound. He lost and will die, he knows it.
Was this on purpose as an easter egg for those who know how guns work?
There are three different face masks used in Squid Game, which are a circle, triangle, and a square. The different shapes represent letters of the Korean alphabet. Circles translate to the letter O, the triangle is part of the letter J and then squares symbolise M. According to publication Looper OJM are the initials for the Korean name for the Squid Game, Ojingeo Geim. As well as, it can also be said that the masks are signs on the PlayStation controllers, which resemble the voting buttons and how the entire show feels like a game being controlled. Red is the color most associated with danger and intensity, and luckily for us, that comes in bundles in Squid Game season two.
“Although I think Easter egg hunting is something that appeals to big film fans or fans of a particular director (such as Quentin Tarantino), as this kind of thing takes time to do,” Dr. Smith notes.
According to many fans of Korean culture, this person is actor Lee Min-ho, famous for the series Boys Over Flowers and many others but what’s the evidence? In the scene, we can hear the character’s voice and many fans are certain they recognize the actor’s voice. If Lee Min-ho were to participate in the series, he could take the recruiter’s place who died at the beginning of the season. The actor of this popularity would be ideal for the season of Squid Game. Additionally, in the scene, the character is wearing a suit just like the previous recruiter.
One detail you might have missed in Squid Game season 2 is the rainbow paths in circles that participants had to do six-legged pentathlon on. The Emmy-winning production designer for Squid Game, Chae Kyoung-sun, explained that they added the colors to incorporate more meaning, which many viewers may not have spotted.
What makes this betrayal so painful is that the girl was the only person who showed him kindness, yet he still chose to abandon her. This moment feels like a callback to Ali’s tragic betrayal in Season 1, when Sang-woo tricked him during the Marbles game, leading to one of the most emotional eliminations of the season.Later, Player 125 allowed the girl to die when Thanos’ friend attacked her. He could have stepped in to make up for his earlier betrayal but chose not to. According to the series director, Player 125 represents the most “human” character of the season, showing how ordinary people might act in the extreme situations of Squid Game.
“The director suggest creating two circles, and it got me thinking about the meaning of rainbows. People say the path to heaven is decorated with rainbow colors. As you know, we wrapped the coffins like gifts. That was kind of a reflection of our tough, competitive reality in this world where so many people fail. People are tired of the hard reality. So it was a way of wishing those who had passed away a peaceful afterlife, where there would be no more pain. I think the rainbows share the same meaning as the coffins.”
While rewatching season 2, I noticed something that could insist we are going to see Dongdaemun as the next game. If you go to S2 E1, around 37 minutes in, when Jun-ho is researching Gi-hun, he finds his vehicle registration. Now I am only watching the translated caption version so I don’t understand what part it falls under, but the words “Dongdaemun-gu” show up. Could this have been a clue or is this something in Korea that I’m taking out of proportion?
This list is full of similar Squid Game season 2 hidden details and fan theories, but if you’re interested in Easter eggs in other movies or even real life, make sure to check out our previous articleshereandhere!
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