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| “ | Player 456. Did you have fun playing the hero? Look closely at the consequences of your little hero game. | „ |
| ~ Front Man to Gi-hun before killing Jung-bae at the end of Season 2. |
Hwang In-ho (황인호 in Korean), better known as the Front Man and later identifying as Oh Young-il, is the main antagonist of the Korean survival drama Squid Game.
He is the masked leader and administrator of a clandestine competition in which 456 necessitous participants engage in lethal versions of children's games while competing for a large cash reward.
In-ho oversees the games' operation, commands the masked men, and enforces a strict set of rules. Any participants or guards who break protocols face death as a consequence. He also caters to The VIPs, who are wealthy spectators placing wagers on the contestants' fates.
Before his leadership, In-ho participated as Player 132 in Oh Il-nam's 2015 games. Upon winning, he was promoted to the Front Man position and became Il-nam's right-hand. His sudden disappearance in 2020 prompted his brother Jun-ho, a detective, to investigate. Their eventual confrontation resulted in a baffled Jun-ho being shot and falling into the sea without proper explanation, though he survived and was later rescued at In-ho's command.
In the 2024 Squid Game, In-ho assumed the identity of Player 001, using the alias Oh Young-il. He joined the team of Seong Gi-hun, the psychologically scarred victor of the 33rd games who returned to dismantle the organization. While pretending to be an ally, In-ho studied Gi-hun's psychology and covertly worked to thwart his attempts to expose and end the games.
He is portrayed by Lee Byung-hun.
What Makes Him a Shonen Villain?[]
- Villainous/Anti-Villainous: The Front Man oversees the brutal Squid Game, where hundreds of contestants die. He also shoots any masked soldiers or players who break the rules and killed Gi-hun's best friend in front of him.
- Powerful/Skillful: He is highly competent. He has sharpshooting skills, manages to orchestrate the entire operation almost flawlessly, and is able to strategically undermine Gi-hun's plan. He also was able to tank a shot in the shoulder from his brother without reacting painfully, and was also able to beat Thanos in a fight.
- Power-Hungry: He exerts his power over the players within the game to enforce his ideology.
- Pursues a Big-End Goal: His goal in Season 2 is to manipulate Gi-hun and his allies into falsely believing they can stop the 36th Squid Game. As for the Squid Game itself, it is designed to enforce "natural selection" among a large group of players and have only the strongest survive.
- Arrogant: He is cocky, as he believes that his actions are justified and mocks Gi-hun for his idealism and inability to dismantle the operation. He infamously says "Did you have fun playing the hero? Look closely at the consequences of your little hero game" to him at the end of Season 2.
- Intelligent: He demonstrates a lot of intelligence with how he can maintain the secrecy and stability of the operation, as well as having posed as a team ally in the 36th game while successfully suppressing Gi-hun's rebellion. He also has police expertise and was able to correctly deduce how many bullets Jun-ho had left in his gun based on regulations, how many are blanks, and how many he fired already.
- Cold-Hearted/Ruthless: He will execute anyone without a second thought or remorse, the only exception so far being his brother; not to mention the fact that he callously lets hundreds die by running the games, purely out of his own twisted dogma.
- Psychopathic: He shows no remorse or care for anyone that dies under his watch despite caring about his family.
- Tragic Past: He was fired from his job while trying to help his sick wife, only joining the Squid Game to resolve their financial issues. However, he ultimately lost his pregnant wife and unborn child, and given that he is mentioned to be adopted, it can be assumed his parents also died.
- The death of his wife, due to not being able to pay for her treatment, led to his massive disillusionment with humanity and cynical outlook, resulting in his role as the Front Man.
- Serves as a Foil to the Hero/Protagonist: Gi-hun and the Front Man are similar in many ways: both of them joined the games looking to treat family members, and when they emerged as the sole winners of their respective competitions, they were completely different people than they had been before.
- However, while Gi-hun wanted to play the hero after his traumatic experiences due to his belief that humanity wins over selfishness, In-ho embraces the exact opposite. This is why the Front Man tries to analyze and understand Gi-hun's behavior and mindset, and also why he tries to prove a "point" by destroying his "hero game."
- Has Incompetent Minions: Some of the masked men make foolish decisions or actively betray his orders, such as those in the organ harvesting conspiracy.
- Is a Secondary-Color Nemesis: His outfit is entirely black.
External Links[]
- Front Man on the Squid Game Wiki
- Front Man on the Villains Wiki