Squid Game Director Reveals The Reason Behind Gi-hun's Hair Transformation

We may have finished Squid Game, but we’re still utterly obsessed with the cult survival series.

The nine-part Korean-language thriller, set to be Netflix’s biggest ever hit, sees a number of financially troubled individuals take part in a series of playground games in a bid to win a life-changing amount of cash.

But if they ‘fail’ or ‘lose’ in their challenges? Well, those unlucky players are eliminated – by being shot in the face.

Watch the trailer below.

Those of us who have watched the whole series (and you should have done by now, it’s been on Netflix long enough!) saw plucky gambler Seong Gi-hun make it out of the games alive and scooping the billions of won – but at a great cost.

Having initially re-entered the games to have the money to pay for his mother’s operation, winning seems only bittersweet for Gi-hun, as he returns home to find his mother dead on the floor.

But after a last minute encounter with his gganbu Oh Il-nam, who was in charge of the games all along, Gi-hun decides to give himself a makeover as he gets a new lease of life – dyeing his hair a vibrant red colour.

While there was the theory that Gi-hun chose to dye his hair red as it was a sign he was going to re-enter the game as a guard and try and bring the whole operation down, Squid Game writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk has shot down that theory altogether, explaining the real reason why Gi-hun dyes his hair.

“Gi-hun's red hair represents that he will never be able to go back to his old self,” he told Radio Times.

“It is also a sign of his rage.”

In the final few moments of the series, we see Gi-hun about to board the plane to see his daughter, only to change his mind and head back to try and take down whoever is now running the game.

While a second season hasn’t been announced, Hwang Dong-hyuk has expressed an interest at exploring the backstory of ‘the Front Man’ of the games should he return to Squid Game.

Squid Game is available to stream on Netflix.

Featured Image Credit: Netflix

Topics: TV And Film, Netflix

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

@0xKimberley