Netflix’s global sensation “Squid Game” has wrapped up its third and final season with a heart-wrenching and thought-provoking finale.
In a bold storytelling move, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk crowned a newborn baby as the ultimate winner of the deadly contest, delivering a symbolic message of hope for the future.
The finale sees no original competitors surviving — not even Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), the series’ long-standing protagonist. Instead, the victor is Jun-hee’s (Jo Yuri) baby, born in Episode 2. In the intense final game, titled Sky Squid Game, Gi-hun ultimately sacrifices himself to ensure the child’s survival, choosing hope and humanity over personal gain.
Hwang explains that the twist was deliberate. “The baby represents the future generation,” he told Tudum. “Gi-hun’s sacrifice signals the rediscovery of his conscience — a theme I wanted to highlight as the series closed.”
The emotional final round tests alliances and morality. As Gi-hun battles against the baby’s father, Myung-gi (Yim Si-wan), he saves the child from certain death. When Myung-gi dies without the game being activated, Gi-hun faces an impossible decision. He chooses to end his own life so the baby can live — and win.
This season also brings back the elite VIPs, whose wagers influence the course of the game. One drunk VIP mistakenly bets on Jun-hee, prompting the organizers to enter her baby into the competition after her death.
In the closing moments, Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) retrieves the baby and eventually delivers her and the ₩4.56 billion prize to Jun-ho, signaling a possible moral shift in his character. A post-credits scene teases a mysterious new recruiter, but Hwang confirms the show will not return for a fourth season.
Throughout Season 3, “Squid Game” confronts themes of greed, sacrifice, and the legacy left for future generations. By making an innocent infant the final victor, the series ends on a note that’s both tragic and hopeful — a powerful conclusion to one of the most talked-about series of the decade.