What do all the Squid Game symbols mean?
The square, circle and triangle symbols are everywhere in Squid Game – but what do they mean?
One of the most striking elements of Squid Game is how it juxtaposes graphic violence with an otherwise childish aesthetic.
The show's production design prominently features colours like pink and blue that you might associate with a nursery, while the games played are twisted versions of those most commonly seen in school playgrounds.
Adding to this are the basic shapes identifying the rank of the soldiers keeping the Squid Game players captive, with either a circle, square or triangle being visible across their intimidating, dehumanising masks.
The shapes might well bring to mind a PlayStation controller, further strengthening the gaming connotations, but they also point to a hierarchy inside the Squid Game that seeks to maintain order over the disturbing operation.
However, these troops will have to be more vigilant than ever in Squid Game season 2, as returning champion Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is seeking revenge on those who tormented him.
Read on for more on what the Squid Game symbols mean.
What do the Squid Game symbols mean?
Circle
The workers wearing circle helmets tend to be the lowest rank. They cannot speak unless a worker with a higher ranking speaks to them first. They are given the job of carrying away dead bodies after the contestants are killed.
Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun), the detective who sneaks into the Squid Game facility and masquerades as a worker, starts off with a circle mask before taking the square mask of a dead worker.
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Triangle
Those with triangle masks seem to be a higher rank than circle employees, but they must still obey orders given to them by those with square masks.
Workers wearing triangle masks appear to have the authority to hold guns and shoot contestants who fail the games.
Square
Employees with square masks hold the highest authority out of the workers in pink jumpsuits and they answer to the Front Man.
They are allowed to man the CCTV cameras dotted around the game's facilities and are often the ones speaking to the contestants before the start of each round.
When Jun-ho picks up a square mask and begins wearing it, he is expected to lead a group of triangles.
Officer and the Front Man
The most senior figures in the Squid Game facility appear to be the black-suited officer and the grey-suited Front Man, both of whom can be seen above.
As we learned at the end of season 1, the Front Man is actually Jun-ho's long-lost older brother, but how exactly he came to be involved in the Squid Game – at such a senior level, no less – remains unclear.
What does the symbol on the ground in the final game mean?
The symbol on the ground in the final game is the outline for the titular squid game, a Korean children's game also known as ojingeo.
In the sixth round of the competition, the finalists must play the squid game, which gets its name from the shape of the diagram drawn on the floor. Those who've seen the last episode of Squid Game will know that its Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) and Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) who make it to the final game where they must play Squid – a throwback to the first episode where we watch them play it as children.
In a similar way to how shapes are used to play games like hopscotch, squid needs a triangle and a square, both with small circles on either end, drawn on the ground for it to be played.
To play the game, players are divided into an offensive team and a defensive team. The offensive team can only move around on one foot until they cut through the waist of the squid. To win, the attack must tap the circle on the other side of the diagram, while the defense win if they can push the attackers outside of the squid's boundaries.
Read more about Squid Game:
- Squid Game season 1 ending explained
- Squid Game true story – Real life inspiration behind Netflix series
- Squid Game money: How much is 45.6 billion Won prize money in dollars and pounds?
- Where was Squid Game filmed?
- Is Squid Game dubbed into English? How to watch with voice actors and subtitles
- How to play ddakji: Squid Game’s paper flip challenge
- Essential guide to all the Squid Game rounds
- Who dies in Squid Game season 1?
- Squid Game season 1 soundtrack: Every song from Netflix drama
Squid Game is available to stream on Netflix.
Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best TV series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
