Cast of Squid Game: Full Season 1, 2 & 3 Actor Guide

When Squid Game dropped on Netflix in September 2021, viewers around the world found themselves glued to the screen—and the cast quickly became household names; Lee Jung-jae’s portrayal of Seong Gi-hun anchored the series, drawing in over 100 million households globally (Netflix Tudum (official Netflix guide)). This guide maps every major actor and character across Seasons 1, 2, and the upcoming Season 3.

Seasons aired: 2 (Season 3 announced) ·
Main cast count: Over 20 across seasons ·
Creator: Hwang Dong-hyuk ·
Global households: Over 100 million

The 7 key facts that define the cast of Squid Game:

Who are the main cast members of Squid Game Season 1?

List of main characters and actors

• Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun (Player 456) – (Rotten Tomatoes (film critic aggregation))
• Park Hae-soo as Cho Sang-woo (Player 218) – (Rotten Tomatoes)
• Jung Ho-yeon as Kang Sae-byeok (Player 067) – (Rotten Tomatoes)
• Wi Ha-joon as Hwang Jun-ho – (Rotten Tomatoes)
• O Yeong-su as Oh Il-nam (Player 001) – (Rotten Tomatoes)

Supporting cast

• Heo Sung-tae as Jang Deok-su (Player 101) – (Squid Game Wiki (Fandom fan wiki))
• Kim Joo-ryoung as Han Mi-nyeo (Player 212) – (Squid Game Wiki)
• Anupam Tripathi as Ali Abdul (Player 199) – MyDramaList (Asian drama database)

The implication: the Season 1 cast set the emotional foundation for the entire series.

What is the cast of Squid Game Season 2?

Returning cast members

• Lee Jung-jae returns as Seong Gi-hun – MyDramaList (Asian drama database)
• Lee Byung-hun returns as Hwang In-ho / the Front Man – (Squid Game Wiki (Fandom fan wiki))
• Wi Ha-joon returns as Hwang Jun-ho – (Squid Game Wiki)

New cast additions

• Im Si-wan as Lee Myung-gi (Player 333) – (Squid Game Wiki)
• Jo Yu-ri as Kim Jun-hee (Player 222) – (Squid Game Wiki)
• Kang Ha-neul as Kang Dae-ho (Player 388) – (Squid Game Wiki)
• Park Sung-hoon as Cho Hyun-ju (Player 120) – (Squid Game Wiki)
• Park Gyu-young as Kang No-eul (Soldier 011) – (Squid Game Wiki)
• Choi Seung-hyun as Choi Thanos Su-bong (Player 230) – (Squid Game Wiki)
• Lee David as Park Min-su (Player 125) – (Squid Game Wiki)

The pattern: Season 2 expands the cast while keeping the core conflict.

Who are the guards and the Front Man in Squid Game?

The Front Man identity

The Front Man, Hwang In-ho (Player 001 in Season 2), is the masked overseer of the games, played by Lee Byung-hun. His backstory as the brother of detective Hwang Jun-ho adds a personal layer to the brutality (Squid Game Wiki (Fandom fan wiki)).

The masked guards

• Over 100 extras portray the pink-suited guards across both seasons (Netflix Tudum (official Netflix guide))
• Guards wear numbered masks indicating rank; their anonymity emphasizes the dehumanizing machinery of the games
• A few guard roles—like the Soldier 011 played by Park Gyu-young in Season 2—have distinct names and storylines

What this means: The Front Man’s dual role as player and overseer deepens the moral complexity.

Who plays the main character in Squid Game?

Gi-hun’s journey

Seong Gi-hun (Player 456) starts as a debt-ridden gambler and emerges as the winner of the 2021 games. His transformation—from reluctant participant to vengeful survivor—drives the entire series (Rotten Tomatoes (film critic aggregation)).

Actor Lee Jung-jae

• Lee Jung-jae won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for his role (Netflix Tudum (official Netflix guide))
• He is the first Asian actor to win in that category
• His career spans decades, including films like New World and The Thieves

The catch: Without Lee Jung-jae, the series would lack its essential human touch.

Is Kai Cenat in the cast of Squid Game?

Kai Cenat’s parody role

Kai Cenat, the popular American streamer and content creator, is not an official cast member of Squid Game. He participated in a fan recreation parody that gained viral attention online, but no Netflix release or announcement includes him.

Official cast vs fan creations

• Official casting announcements come exclusively from Netflix and the production team
• Parodies and fan recreations are not part of the official cast of Squid Game
• Cenat’s involvement remains confined to internet culture, not the show’s credits

The implication: Misunderstandings between fan creations and official cast are common.

Timeline of Squid Game Seasons and Cast Announcements

• September 17, 2021 – Squid Game Season 1 premieres (Netflix Tudum (official Netflix guide))
• June 12, 2022 – Season 2 announced (Netflix YouTube (official channel))
• December 26, 2024 – Season 2 release date
• 2025 – Season 3 expected (Squid Game Wiki (Fandom fan wiki))

The pattern: Each season announcement fuels speculation and engagement.

Quotes from the cast and creator

“I tried to capture the desperation of someone who had nothing left to lose.”
— Lee Jung-jae, in an interview with Variety (Variety (entertainment industry publication))

“I chose actors who could convey both vulnerability and strength, because that’s what the characters needed.”
— Hwang Dong-hyuk, explaining casting choices to Netflix Tudum (Netflix Tudum (official Netflix guide))

For fans eagerly awaiting Season 3, the cast of Squid Game continues to evolve with returning stars and fresh faces, but the core tension remains: who will survive the next round of games? The answer will depend on the storytelling choices of Hwang Dong-hyuk. For Netflix, the cast of Squid Game is its most valuable asset in the competitive streaming landscape—retaining Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun ensures the franchise’s cultural hold extends well beyond the final credits.

For a comprehensive breakdown of every actor and character, check out the full cast of Squid Game across all seasons.

Frequently asked questions