Squid Game Season 2 Left Many People Confused, And Here Are 50 Giggle-Worthy Memes About It

One of the biggest pop culture phenomena to leave a mark on theentertainmentworld in recent years is creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s shocking(ly good) Netflix seriesSquid Game, starringLee Jung-jae. We are far from the only huge fans of dystopian thrillers and survival game-themed movies, shows, cartoons, and comics. And Squid Game scratched the itch.But the second season of Squid Game has been somewhat controversial. Some people love it (hi!), others can’t wait believe they’ll have to wait months for a follow-up (hey again!), while still others are too cynical to enjoy any of it. Our cinema-loving team atBored Pandahas collected some of the funniest and mostrelatable memesof people reacting to Squid Game Season 2 for you to enjoy. Scroll down to check out the very best ones!If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already binge-watched the entire series. But just in case you haven’t, there will be spoilers for both seasons 1 and 2 of Squid Game beyond this point! Meanwhile, we’ve also got a bunch of recommendations below for similar things to watch if you loved the show.This post may includeaffiliate links.

But the second season of Squid Game has been somewhat controversial. Some people love it (hi!), others can’t wait believe they’ll have to wait months for a follow-up (hey again!), while still others are too cynical to enjoy any of it. Our cinema-loving team atBored Pandahas collected some of the funniest and mostrelatable memesof people reacting to Squid Game Season 2 for you to enjoy. Scroll down to check out the very best ones!

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already binge-watched the entire series. But just in case you haven’t, there will be spoilers for both seasons 1 and 2 of Squid Game beyond this point! Meanwhile, we’ve also got a bunch of recommendations below for similar things to watch if you loved the show.

This post may includeaffiliate links.

Two characters from Squid Game 2 in green tracksuits, one labeled 001, with a humorous caption about trust.

An elderly man in a green tracksuit sitting in a white room, reflecting the anticipation of Squid Game 2.

Patrick Star investigating in a Squid Game 2 meme with funny text contrast.

The story of Squid Game is fairly straightforward. A shadowy organization runs a clandestine, dystopian contest where people who have major financial problems play children’s games to win a prize pot of 45.6 billion South Korean won (that’s nearly 31.2 millionUnited Statesdollars at the time of writing). The games are strictly regimented and deadly: a single mistake can cost you your life. The contest also pits people against eachother, both friend and foe alike. And it’s all done for the amusement of incredibly rich VIPs who watch the entire ‘show’ as it unfolds.

The second season, released in late December 2024, picks up three years after the end of the first season. It follows Seong Gi-hun’s attempts to dismantle the terrifying contest for good, and how he once again gets caught up in the deadly events.

Woman reacting to currency rates on a computer with Squid-Game-2-Memes text overlay.

Two images show contrasting expressions related to Squid Game 2: one person smiling, the other looking serious.

People wearing ornate animal masks, referencing Squid Game 2 memes.

The third and final season isspeculatedto launch on Netflix on June 27, 2025, half a year after the previous one, Forbes writes. If you think that the second season ended too quickly and on a huge cliffhanger, we promise you that you are not alone. Yours truly thinks that seasons 2 and 3 were meant to be one season, but they were artificially cut in half for whatever reason. Probably to prolong the popularity and cultural impact that Squid Game has worldwide. It’s bound to be good for Netflix’s profits, that’s for sure.Jean Mackenzie, the BBC’s Seoul correspondentrecently spokewith director Hwang Dong-hyuk about the phenomenon that is Squid Game. He admitted that he was so stressed during the filming of the very first season that he lost “eight or nine teeth.” In fact, things got so bad that he swore he wouldn’t make anything else.What changed his mind? “Money,” Hwang told Mackenzie. “Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly I didn’t make much. So doing the second series will help compensate me for the success of the first one too. And I didn’t fully finish the story.”

Jean Mackenzie, the BBC’s Seoul correspondentrecently spokewith director Hwang Dong-hyuk about the phenomenon that is Squid Game. He admitted that he was so stressed during the filming of the very first season that he lost “eight or nine teeth.” In fact, things got so bad that he swore he wouldn’t make anything else.

What changed his mind? “Money,” Hwang told Mackenzie. “Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly I didn’t make much. So doing the second series will help compensate me for the success of the first one too. And I didn’t fully finish the story.”

Shocked player meme inspired by Squid Game 2, wearing a green tracksuit with hands on head in disbelief.

Squid Game 2 meme comparing simple and complex honeycomb challenges.

Actor from Squid Game 2 meme with skeptical facial expression.

Hwang quipped after the filming for the second season wrapped up that his teeth have been aching again. “I haven’t seen my dentist yet, but I’ll probably have to pull out a few more very soon.”The BBC reports that Hwang tried for an entire decade to get Squid Game made. He even had to take out loans to support his family. Netflix paid the director upfront, so he was “unable to cash in on the whopping £650m it is estimated to have made the platform.” It’s not just Hwang who is upset. Many South Korean movie industry directors, actors, producers, writers, and creatives have a love-hate relationship with the streaming platform.

The BBC reports that Hwang tried for an entire decade to get Squid Game made. He even had to take out loans to support his family. Netflix paid the director upfront, so he was “unable to cash in on the whopping £650m it is estimated to have made the platform.” It’s not just Hwang who is upset. Many South Korean movie industry directors, actors, producers, writers, and creatives have a love-hate relationship with the streaming platform.

Meme of a person in a tuxedo labeled “007” with humorous text about “Squid Game 2” plot issues.

Man in meme with text about Squid Game 2 characters, smiling outdoors, referencing ex-marine status humorously.

Character expressing defiance next to an image of a fork labeled as weakness, referencing Squid Game 2 memes.

In short, Netflix forces them to relinquish their copyright when they sign their contracts. Meanwhile, South Korea has outdated copyright laws that don’t protect people properly. “In Korea, being a movie director is just a job title, it’s not a way to earn a living,” said the vice president of the Korean Film Directors Guild, Oh Ki-hwan, who added that some of his director friends work part-time as cab drivers or in warehouses.The South Korean government told the BBC in a statement that they recognized that the compensation needed to change, but that it was up to the industry to fix the issue. Meanwhile, Netflix said that it offers “competitive” compensation and guarantees creators “solid compensation, regardless of the success or failure of their shows.”

The South Korean government told the BBC in a statement that they recognized that the compensation needed to change, but that it was up to the industry to fix the issue. Meanwhile, Netflix said that it offers “competitive” compensation and guarantees creators “solid compensation, regardless of the success or failure of their shows.”

Anime character looking at a butterfly meme, referencing Squid Game 2.

Two characters from Squid Game 2 in green tracksuits, one serious, one smiling, in a meme about trust issues.

Split image from “Squid Game” showing different facial expressions for season 2 and season 3 announcements.

Full disclosure: yours truly loved the second season of Squid Game. In fact, I’d argue that it has a far more impactful and tightly knit narrative than the first season. You saw more action, psychological depth, and twists than before.Meanwhile, while I enjoyed the first season, it was nowhere near the fantastic experience that everyone else was raving about. It was good, not great. The second season matched my expectations far more: it was what I thought the show would initially be like. But take this criticism as a way to show that I care about the project. Coming up with genuinely engaging plot twists and survival games is incredibly tough.

Meanwhile, while I enjoyed the first season, it was nowhere near the fantastic experience that everyone else was raving about. It was good, not great. The second season matched my expectations far more: it was what I thought the show would initially be like. But take this criticism as a way to show that I care about the project. Coming up with genuinely engaging plot twists and survival games is incredibly tough.

A smiling man with a caption about waiting for Squid Game 2 and finishing it quickly.

Large and small books labeled “Squid Game 2” meme highlighting plot twist humor.

Darth Vader in a scene captioned with humorous “Squid Game 2” meme text about a strawberry hat girl.

Personally, I’ve been a fan of survival-themed media that focuses on dystopian settings, bizarre social and mathematical games, and (sometimes) mysticism for years and years.I started off with manga likeBattle Royale,Liar Game,Kaiji, andDeath Note, which also have animated and live-action versions.I then moved on to projects likeThe Game(a classic!),Escape Room,Animal World(a reimagining of Kaiji), andAlice in Borderland(good first season, awful second season).

Personally, I’ve been a fan of survival-themed media that focuses on dystopian settings, bizarre social and mathematical games, and (sometimes) mysticism for years and years.

I started off with manga likeBattle Royale,Liar Game,Kaiji, andDeath Note, which also have animated and live-action versions.

I then moved on to projects likeThe Game(a classic!),Escape Room,Animal World(a reimagining of Kaiji), andAlice in Borderland(good first season, awful second season).

Drake meme comparing life choices, referencing Squid Game 2 memes.

Collage of Squid Game 2 memes featuring Thanos, a playground roundabout, a fork, and an anime character with spinning toy.

Tinder date expectation vs reality meme with Squid Game character comparison.

TheCubeandSawfranchises also fit the genre, as do movies likeExam,Circle, andThe Platform. The main appeal of these sorts of movies is that they allow you to experience harrowing, horrifying situations from the comfort of your own home.You can’t help but put yourself in the main characters’ shoes (so long as they’re even remotely relatable) and wonder how you’d handle the situations they find themselves in. There’s also almost always a constant subtext that criticizes modern society for its competitiveness, ruthlessness, and worship of money at the expense of warmth and basic kindness.

You can’t help but put yourself in the main characters’ shoes (so long as they’re even remotely relatable) and wonder how you’d handle the situations they find themselves in. There’s also almost always a constant subtext that criticizes modern society for its competitiveness, ruthlessness, and worship of money at the expense of warmth and basic kindness.

Man in black outfit at an outdoor café and restaurant, related to Squid Game 2 memes.

Meme about a player’s back pain, humorously referencing carrying Season 2 of Squid Game.

Squid Game 2 meme featuring players in green tracksuits during a humorous moment.

Media that features survival games creates a brutalenvironmentwhere you can face your real or theoretical fears and come face to face with your values, strengths, and weaknesses.A couple of constant questions lingering at the back of your mind are, “How far would I go to survive?” and “How do I really win these games?”More often than not, the obvious way to win these games isn’t how you actually survive. Your wits, insight, and ability to make good allies are always being tested.

Media that features survival games creates a brutalenvironmentwhere you can face your real or theoretical fears and come face to face with your values, strengths, and weaknesses.

A couple of constant questions lingering at the back of your mind are, “How far would I go to survive?” and “How do I really win these games?”

More often than not, the obvious way to win these games isn’t how you actually survive. Your wits, insight, and ability to make good allies are always being tested.

Person holds a honeycomb candy with intricate triangle design, inspired by Squid Game 2 memes.

Simple triangle vs. complex triangle honeycomb from Squid Game 2 memes.

Person peering through leaves with a mischievous expression, referencing “Squid Game 2” in a humorous context.

You can learn about yourself once you’re honest. Some people might realize that they’d try to rebel against the rules and organizers. Others come to the uncomfortable realization that there’s nothing they wouldn’t do to get back home safely to their loved ones or… that they would give up because they couldn’t handle the horror. There will also always be people who will look for ways to ‘break’ the games and outwit the organizers, trying to come up with the most optimal (social and logical) strategies.The survival game genre is great, but the biggest drawback is that there isn’t too much content in this niche. The hope is that with the popularity of Squid Game,othercreators will be inspired to push the boundaries of the genre and create their own spins on it with unique games and twists.No matter what genre of film or show you’re creating, you’ve got to make the characters relatable and theworldbuildingsolid. To put it simply, if the audience can’t connect with at least one character in the midst of the action, they’ll tune out. Give them a reason to root for the hero or villain.

The survival game genre is great, but the biggest drawback is that there isn’t too much content in this niche. The hope is that with the popularity of Squid Game,othercreators will be inspired to push the boundaries of the genre and create their own spins on it with unique games and twists.

No matter what genre of film or show you’re creating, you’ve got to make the characters relatable and theworldbuildingsolid. To put it simply, if the audience can’t connect with at least one character in the midst of the action, they’ll tune out. Give them a reason to root for the hero or villain.

Two characters from Squid Game 2 smiling, creating a meme-worthy moment.

“Squid Game 2 meme featuring two characters discussing being shipped with puzzled expressions."

A Squid Game 2 meme showing a character in a green tracksuit asking about a Front Man suit.

Meanwhile, the world itself has to be consistent and logical. Sure, it can be fantastical, magical, mind-bogglingly dystopian with bizarre tech and what have you, but the (un)seen rules that govern it have to be solid. You cannot and should not change the rules that govern your world to suit the narrative that you want to push through.

The characters have to behave and think ‘realistically,’ as you’ve set out in the story before. They should stumble and strive. It would be boring if the hero got their way all the time, without any challenges.

What’s your relationship with theshopping/unique/squid-games-season-2-games/” rel=“noopener noreferrer” target="_blank">Squid Game show, dear Pandas? Do you love it and can’t get enough? Do you hate it and think it falls short of the mark? What did you think of the second season and the cliffhanger? What are your expectations for the third and final season?

Characters from Squid Game in a humorous meme with surprised expressions.

Robots with blank stares, resembling Squid Game 2 memes, under a caption about guards and 001 wiping out their team.