The Mystery Of “Squid Game’s” Red Hair Has Been Solved

Squid Game ended with a bang, leaving us with many unanswered questions. Who is the Salesman? Did Hwang Jun Ho survive? What is up with Seong Gi Hun’s makeover?

In a new interview with The Chosun Ilbo, director Hwang Dong Hyuk fielded these questions and more. At the end of the series, Seong Gi Hun (played by Lee Jung Jae) survives the final game, wins the prize money, and returns to the real world.

In the year that follows, he refuses to spend the money and struggles with his post-games existence. After reuniting with the man responsible for the games, however, Seong Gi Hun makes major changes to his life — and his hair.

Why did Gi Hun dye his hair red? Some fans believe he is planning to re-enter the games as a worker. Others think the dye job could have something to do with the Salesman’s game. What if Gi Hun picked red to remind himself of the games’ bloodshed, or to foreshadow his revenge?

“These viewers are definitely more creative than I am, ” Hwang Dong Hyuk said, when asked about fan theories. Gi Hun’s transformation, however, was inspired by the director’s real life.

I lived as Gi Hyun for a while, while writing and filming the series. The idea came to me during filming. After Il Nam’s death, Gi Hun tries to get back to normal, but is that possible? To return to the person you were before the games?

If I was Gi Hun, what would I think of while sitting at the hairdresser? I think I would do something I’d never do if it were my normal self. That’s because Gi Hun is different now. Then, thinking what is the craziest thing I could do, I picked red hair. It’s like like Gi Hun’s anger.

— Hwang Dong Hyuk

Find out the answer to another color question here:

Red Or Blue? “Squid Game” Director Ends All Theories About The Ddakji Game