- Squid Game season 2 hits Netflix this December
- Hero Gi-hun dyed his hair red at the end of season 1
- Why doesn’t he have red hair in Squid Game season 2?
Squid Game season 2 is edging closer, with Netflix fans preparing to re-enter a deadly game where gamblers risk everything for a life-changing amount of money.
Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game’s first season hit the streamer in late 2021 and introduced us to gambling addict Seong Gi-hun, played by Lee Jung-jae. After being approached by a mysterious salesman, Gi-hun is drawn into the equally mysterious Squid Game where hundreds of strapped-for-cash contestants are forced to play a series of extreme playground-esque games.
The rules are simple: if you lose, you die, usually in a bloody and brutal way. However, if you win, you take home a huge amount of money – and there can be only one winner left standing.
Read more: Everything we know about Squid Game season 2
By the time the show’s nine-episode arc had ended, we’d watched Gi-hun defy the odds to break from his gambling-addicted personal life to become a Squid Game champion.
During the show’s final moments, audiences watched as our hero underwent a dramatic physical transformation, changing his hair from its regular black to a vibrant blood red.
The move left many viewers scratching their heads with snippets from the hotly-tipped Squid Game season 2 showing Gi-hun returning to his natural dark hairstyle only adding to their confusion.
So why did Gi-hun dye his hair red and why did he change it back again for Squid Game season 2? Here’s what we know…
Why does Gi-Hun dye his hair red in Squid Game season 1?
According to Dong Hyuk, Gi-hun’s radical change in hair colour was intended to reflect the character’s shift in personality, something that was impacted by his time in the Squid Game.
Speaking to the outlet Zapzee following the release of the show’s first season, the director shed some light on the choice, saying he “thought about it intuitively.”
Dong Hyuk continued, explaining that he was “thinking about how Gi Hun should change his hair in a hair salon. I imagined being him and thought to myself, ‘What is the color that you would never choose to dye your hair?’ Then I came to the conclusion that Gi-hun would never dye his hair red. It would be the craziest thing for him to do.
“So I chose the color and I thought it really showed his inner anger.”
The director commented on the decision again in late 2024 during an appearance at Italy’s Lucca Comics and Games convention.
“The red hair of Seong Gi-hun at the end of Season 1, I got it from my favorite comic book Slam Dunk,” he told attendees of a press conference, during which Squid Game season 2 was discussed.
“I don’t know the Japanese name, but he had red hair, so I got the idea from that character… That’s the symbol of not being normal anymore, he’s not an ordinary man. He’s been through those cruel games and experiences, he’s lost a lot of friends and people, so he’s trying to get back to normal life but he cannot. That red hair is like a symbol of his abnormal.”
So there you have it: the decision to turn Gi-hun’s hair red was primarily due to a comic book and Dong Hyuk’s thinking that the character’s inner turmoil should be represented physically.
So why doesn’t he have it in season 2?
Does Gi-hun have red hair in Squid Game season 2?
At the moment, it’s unclear why Gi-hun has decided to ditch the red hair for Squid Game season 2. As seen in first-look imagery released by Netflix, the character has indeed reverted back to his original dark-haired look.
This could be due to his decision to re-enter a new Squid Game with revenge on his mind. After all, trying to blend in with his fellow players would be quite difficult with bright red hair.
Dong Hyuk, who returns to direct and oversee Squid Game season 2, has since explained that Gi-hun will be quite different when we meet him in new episodes.
“The way you see Gi-hun in Season 1 and the state that you see him in Season 2 are very different,” said the director during a recent panel discussion about the show’s return.
“There’s something inside him that has just been broken,” he added. “Gi-hun has experienced too many things — witnessed too many deaths — for him to return to the way he was before.”
Dong Hyuk continued to say that Gi-hun has decided to re-enter the game to “further his journey.”
Whatever the reason for the character’s decision to ditch his red hair, we’ll all find out for certain when Squid Game season 2 hits Netflix on 26 December 2024.
