A Dead Character Returns In Squid Game Season 3 (And It's Exactly How Everyone Predicted)

This post contains spoilers for "Squid Game" seasons 2 and 3.

When signing up for Squid Game, death, like a well-known Marvel villain, is pretty much inevitable. It's quite an interesting coincidence, then, that the player named after Thanos makes a brief appearance from beyond the grave, and it's exactly how many predicted he would.

Following his death in season 2, episode 7, the presence of failed rapper and drug addict Thanos (T.O.P., who was happy with his character getting killed) was still felt through his (ahem) medicinal aid recovered by one of his in-game gang, Nam-gyu (Roh Jae-won), who became even more of a scumbag than his former teammate. Clutching that crucifix that had Infinity Stones of a different kind hidden away throughout most of season 3, they eventually fell into the hands of Park Min-su (Lee David), who experienced some pretty nasty side effects from the drugs in episode 5.

While the other remaining players debated who to push off the towering shapes in the third season's penultimate episode, Park Min-su was haunted by visions of Thanos and other fallen players hanging on the edge after taking the pills. Unfortunately, it was too much for the poor guy, causing him to fall to his death and increase the prize money for everyone that was left. What's fascinating about this hallucinogenic element was that fans had already predicted this would be how Thanos would return after he died, which the show's creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, teased ahead of the third and final season.

Thanos' death may have been quick, but Hwang Dong-hyuk hinted to The Hollywood Reporter last year that Thanos' presence would still be felt somehow as the games went on. "The way he leaves the story, if you watch until the third season, it will almost feel as if he's still there in some ways in terms of how he affects the plot," explained the show's creator. It's this point fans picked up on after season 2 of "Squid Game" was released, with the drug addict's dwindling fix being left behind and potentially having dangerous side effects on whoever had the leftovers.

What might disappoint some is how brief Thanos' surreal cameo ends up being in the third season. Shown hanging on the edge by his Infinity Stone-inspired nails, his single reappearance was an underused element that could have worked much better if he'd haunted Park Min-su a little longer. Instead, he had to share his brief comeback with the rest of the dead gang that previously tried to play nasty and met their doom as a result.

It's an interesting little detail that Thanos, like many former players, appeared to some of the finalists in the home stretch. As bleak as it was, it felt like a nostalgic look back, showing just how many colorful characters came and went through this show and the parts they played in the legacy of one of Netflix's most impactful ventures that became one of the most talked-about shows in television history. Good game, everyone.