Who is the guy behind the mask in Squid Game?

1 October 2021, 16:31 | Updated: 7 October 2021, 13:53

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Who is the Front Man in the mask in Squid Game?
Who plays the Front Man in Squid Game?
Who was the man behind the mask in Squid Game?
Who are the masked in squid games?

Who plays the Front Man in Netflix's Squid Game? Picture: Netflix

Everything you need to know about the identity of the masked Front Man in Squid Game and the actor who plays him.

Netflix’s Squid Game is everyone’s latest binge-watch and we are hooked!

The addictive show has only been out on the streaming platform for a short time, but it’s already the most talked-about series amongst fans on social media.

Those who have already made it to the end of the series will know that the identity of the Front Man was finally revealed in the season finale.

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But who is the man behind the black mask AKA the Front Man in Squid Game? And who is the actor who plays him?

Here’s what you need to know…

*Spoiler alerts ahead*

Squid Game is all Netflix fans can talk about. Picture: Netflix

Who is the Front Man in the mask in Squid Game?

The Front Man was revealed as the missing brother of Detective Hwang Jun-ho, also referred to as player 132.

He had been in possession of the same Squid Game card as his brother and finally revealed his identity in the season finale.

Who plays the Front Man in Squid Game? Picture: Netflix Lee Byung-hun is the actor who plays Front Man in Squid Game. Picture: Alamy

Who plays the Front Man in Squid Game?

Lee Byung-hun is the famous actor behind Front Man.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, the 51-year-old star is one of Korea’s most successful actors, with him appearing in some huge Korean titles during his career.

You may also recognise him from big blockbuster titles such as the G.I. Joe franchise as well as Terminator Genisys.

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WARNING: There are SPOILERS ahead for Squid Game.

In a major twist, Squid Game episode 8 reveals that In-ho, the missing brother of Juno-ho, was behind the Front Man's mask all along, but when — and why — did he become responsible for running the game? Police officer Hwang Jun-ho begins investigating In-ho's disappearance when he recognizes the card Gi-hun presents to the police when trying to expose the game. This leads Jun-ho to the island, where he assumes a position as one of the masked workers, attempting to gather evidence from the inside that the game had something to do with his brother's disappearance.

Audiences first learn that In-ho won the game in 2015, which means that he left the island some years prior with several billion won; however, episode 8 reveals that In-ho is actually the mysterious masked figure who keeps the game running, before In-ho - as The Front Man - kills Jun-ho after revealing his identity to him. The scene addresses In-ho's fate, but the sudden and unexpected end to Jun-ho's investigation leaves some major unanswered questions regarding exactly how his brother came to be the Front Man.

It would seem that the when is directly tied to the why. Despite the obvious post-2015 time scale, the approximate timing of In-ho's return to the game as its overseer is most certainly tied to his reasons for donning the black mask. It's implied in episode 2 that In-ho's disappearance is a somewhat recent occurrence, but this isn't something that's clarified or even really addressed, which leaves much of the Front Man's story ambiguous. While this seemingly creates one of Squid Game's biggest plot holes, there are hints as to exactly why In-ho became the Front Man, which also allows for a speculative timeline.

As evidenced by Gi-hun's reluctance to spend his prize money in episode 9, it's likely that many of the game's winners struggle to readjust to a normal life after competing. Having survived all the other players (and being responsible for numerous deaths along the way) undoubtedly affects the winner, and while it weighs heavy on Gi-hun, the Front Man's speech about equality in the game indicates that he prefers the simplicity of life on the island to the outside world. From this, it can be assumed that In-ho was unable to reintegrate into society after winning the game, leading to him returning to assume the identity of the Front Man.

Extrapolating exactly when In-ho made this decision is difficult, though. It can be assumed that he at least tried to re-enter society with his winnings, which rules out the idea that he stayed on immediately after emerging victorious; besides, if this was the case, it would likely have also been offered to Gi-hun (particularly after the reveal that Il-nam favored him so heavily). Jun-ho's search for his brother is possibly the most important aspect. Assuming In-ho returned home after winning, Jun-ho going to such great lengths to find his brother makes the most sense if it was a recent disappearance, as he would likely be more hopeful of finding his brother alive. This would mean that In-ho hiding behind the Front Man's mask is a recent development, and it's possible that the events of Squid Game depict his first time running things.

This lends a slightly different note to In-ho's decision to shoot his brother, too. If the events of Squid Game are indeed his origins as the Front Man, the revelation of his identity, followed by apparent fratricide, cement him as one of the show's biggest villains. There might be numerous apparent inconsistencies in In-ho's timeline and behavior, but it's more than possible that Squid Game could answer them in future seasons.

Next: Squid Game: How Every Major Player’s Death Was Foreshadowed

Who was the man behind the mask in Squid Game?

Player 001 (Oh Il-Nam, the old man) is actually the host of Squid Game, but he hides in plain sight as a contestant. Nobody suspects that he is the host or that he is anything other than a contestant, because he is dressed like a contestant and behaves like one.

Who are the masked in squid games?

The Masked Men, also called Staff or Pink Soldiers, are a shadowy organization of figures who serve as the central antagonists of the first season of the South Korean Netflix series Squid Game. They are responsible for overseeing the game, and wear pink hoods and featureless black masks to conceal their identities.