Warning: This article contains spoilers for Squid Game season 2.The second season of Netflix’s hit dramaSquid Gameintroduces a whole series of new characters, alongside some returning faces, to expand this fictional universe in fresh and interesting ways. One of the standouts ofSquid Gameseason 2’s castis Choi Seung-hyun, who plays the character of Thanos. This amateur rapper is one of the main antagonists of the season, taking a wholly selfish approach to the games and never being afraid to throw other contestants under the bus in order to increase the prize fund.
One ofSquid Game’s most obvious themes, ever since the first season, has been the exploration of humanity’s innate selfishnessand greed. It’s a story about how far people will go to become rich and avoid their problems, which is exactly what Thanos exemplifies in season two. He knows that only one contestant will be able to take the entire prize fund home, and he’ll do anything to ensure that it’s him.Thanos' fate at the end ofSquid Gameseason 2marks a huge turning point for the show, giving many of his funniest scenes a much more tragic meaning.
Thanos Kicking Gyeong-su Was Squid Game Season 2’s Funniest Scene
Their Interaction During The Third Challenge Is Very Funny
Thanos is used as comic relief throughout much ofSquid Game’s sophomore season, as his complete disregard for the other players allows for some darkly funny moments. One of these moments happens during “mingle,” the third challenge of the competition in which players must establish a group of a certain number of people before entering the doors to safety. During the chaos of the challenge, Thanos kicks his teammate Gyeong-su (Forrest Kiyoshi) to the ground in order to take his place in the group.
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Whilst the scene is initially played for laughs, it takes a much darker turn when Gyeong-su is killed by the guards and Thanos has no idea what’s happened. This is because he’s under the influence of a powerful drug for the entirety of the challenge, and seemingly has no control or recollection of his actions.This makes Gyeong-su’s death even more tragicbecause it wasn’t necessary; Thanos clearly regrets what he’s done,and it causes the audience to consider what could have happened if his mind had been clearer.
Thanos Only Realized After The Fact
Mingle is one of the most cutthroatchallenges inSquid Game, and the guards show no mercy to the contestants who don’t manage to join an appropriate group. However, it’s not until Thanos hears the gunshots that he realizes what he’s done; there’s a very brief moment during which his character peeks through the door at the chaos outside and understands the severity of the situation. It’s a moment of humanity and regret that audiences don’t see much of in Thanos, furthering the idea that most of his villainous actions were a result of the drugs.
He’s so desperate to win the game and acquire the most money that he’s intentionally fogging his mind, aware that it’s the only way he’ll be able to carry out the brutality that’s necessary to reach the finals.
The realization thatThanos' actions don’t come from total hatred or selfishness, but rather the survival instincts of a man on hallucinogenics,makes his character arc much darker. He’s so desperate to win the game and acquire the most money that he’s intentionally fogging his mind, aware that it’s the only way he’ll be able to carry out the brutality that’s necessary to reach the finals. Yet still, this doesn’t work for him.Thanos is eventually killedas a result of all the enemies he’s made along the way, proving that everything was futile in the end.
T.O.P Chose To Play Thanos Differently After The Character Started Using The Drugs
The Changes In Thanos' Personality Were Deliberate
In an interview withThe Korea Times, Thanos' actor, primarily known by his stage name T.O.P, revealed that he wanted to make the character’s relationship with drugs an integral factor in his performance. “I researched the effects of such substances while developing the character,“he said, “[and]I tried to act differently in scenes where Thanos had not yet taken the drug versus those where he had.” This clearly worked for the actor, ashis performance ended up being a perfect balancing act of funny and tragic, which is crucial for understanding Thanos' mental state.
These comments also confirm that Thanos' mind was permanently altered by the drugs he was taking. The substances were essentially a coping method that he used to turn himself into a more reckless and selfish person, expecting that this would help him reach the finals. But in reality, it was this drug-induced foolhardiness that turned him into an enemy of the other players and eventually caused his death inSquid Game.
Squid Game
Cast
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 that follows numerous financially struggling participants who are invited to partake in children’s games with deadly outcomes. As they compete, they vie for a substantial cash prize, all while navigating lethal challenges orchestrated by mysterious figures.
