Towards the end of the series, 001 reveals that he created Squid Game in pursuit of something fun due to having wealth and everything money could afford.
Run-away hit Netflix original series, Squid Game premiered on the streaming platform in September 2021. The South Korean thriller drama series immediately became a global success after it was made available. The show was written and created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, who had been submitting his script for over 10 years before it was finally realised into an actual audio-visual format.
According to Netflix, “Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children’s games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits — with deadly high stakes.” Before going on, it is important to mention that the rest of the article will contain spoilers for those who have not watched the thrilling drama series.
As hinted at above, the series centres on cash-strapped players putting their lives on the line in order to win a grand prize. Therefore, should a player fail to fulfil the requirements of the childhood game placed as the challenge, they are killed. Towards the tail end episodes, viewers are introduced to the V.I.Ps. As viewers come to learn, the V.I.Ps are the sponsors of the Korean version of Hunger Games. Moreover, they also bet on the players to eventually see who will win the games by staying alive.
The first contestant chosen, 001, is an elderly man who bonds with the protagonist, 456. The two form a father-son friendship which concludes with the death of 001 during the fourth third leg death eliminations, where viewers are led to believe that 001 was shot. However, the plot is revealed with the final episode when it is revealed that 001 is actually the mastermind behind Squid Game.
In a confrontation between 001 and 456, the protagonist asks the reason for 001 starting the games. The surprising antagonist of the story reveals that the games were started in pursuit of something exciting and one which money could not technically buy. 001 explained that he was so wealthy that he was not excited by materialistic pursuits. Therefore, starting the games was his pursuit of the joy and excitement that money could no longer give him.