The Games are back on Netflix! Since December 26, subscribers can discover the seven episodes of season 2 of Squid Gamewho quickly established himself as number 1 of the top. After having exploded the counters for its season 1 with more than 2.2 billion hours viewed (which makes it the most viewed series in the history of Netflix), the sequel to the Korean series is well on its way to knock out a competition again! In this sequel, Gi-hun, aka player 456 played by Lee Jung-jae, once again participates in the trials to better try to destroy them from the inside. Around him, we find new companions in misfortune, one of whom was talked about as soon as the trailer was released.
Who is Thanos, player 230 in season 2 of Squid Game ?
In season 2 of Squid Gamefans were able to discover player 230. In the game “One, two, three sun”, the latter – who is recognizable by his purple hair – stood out by pushing his opponents and seemed rather happy to be there ! This character named Thanos is a former rapper. It was after losing all his money that he decided to join the games and quickly became one of the antagonists. Throughout season 2, he made Internet users laugh a lot because of his rap lines, mixing English and Korean like no other. Not to mention his attitude towards mortal games or his disastrous end at the start of episode 7…
Squid Game : Choi Seung-hyun, aka TOP, is a famous rapper and ex-member of one of the biggest K-pop groups
If player 230 is a rapper in the series, he shares this in common with his interpreter. Indeed, Choi Seung-hyun is also known by the pseudonym TOP and was a rapper in one of the most famous K-pop boy bands of the 2000s and 2010s: BigBang. Nicknamed “the kings of K-pop”, BigBang formed in 2006 and had five members, with TOP being one of two rappers in the group alongside his childhood friend, G-Dragon. The one that we now find in Squid Game has decided to leave BigBang in 2023, explaining that it wants to be interested in “a new chapter of [sa] vie”. In Squid Gamesome have also noticed a nod to the famous group that made him known: during the third game on the merry-go-round, Thanos rotates his arm, in the same way as in the choreography of the song Bang Bang Bangone of BigBang's biggest hits.
-Squid Game marks the return of TOP after a drug scandal
With Squid GameChoi Seung-hyun/TOP makes his big return to the forefront. In 2017, while he was in the middle of mandatory military service, he pleaded guilty to marijuana use and received two years of probation. A scandal which prevented him from working for nine years in South Korea, where the legislation is particularly severe regarding drug consumption (the proof with this actor recently sentenced to prison). Despite the possibility of controversy, Hwang Don-hyeok therefore decided to give him a chance by playing both a rapper but also a character addicted to drugs. “I think it took a lot of courage for him in a way to play a character that he shares so many similarities with that are negative for him. It was brave to play this character. Despite his long break, he performed impressively and I'm very happy with what he brought to the character” confided the father of Squid Game to the magazine People.
In addition to Choi Seung-hyun, these other actors from season 2 of Squid Game are artists
Choi Seung-hyun is not the only cast member of season 2 of Squid Game to have made himself known in the world of music. In addition to his acting career, Yim Si-wan who plays player 333 is known for his participation in the group ZE:A. Jo Yu-ri, who plays player 222, is part of Iz*One, a group bringing together Korean and Japanese artists. For his part, Yang Dong-geun who plays player 007 is a hip-hop singer and a breakdancer.
