Choi Seung-hyun, also known as T.O.P, plays a character named Thanos in Squid Game season 2. Thanos is an amateur rapper who joins the deadly games to pay off his debts. While season 2 features a few familiar faces from the first season, most players, including Thanos, are new.
Thanos quickly became a fan favorite because of his fun and memorable moments, like his random dancing during the mingle game, which went viral. He managed to survive the first three games, but sadly, he met an early end after a fight broke out in the men’s bathroom. His death happened in the second-to-last episode, called “O X.”
While talking to Netflix’s Tudum, Choi shared what he thought about Thanos’ surprising death in season 2’s second-to-last episode. He said that since Thanos was dangerous and often acted recklessly, it made sense for him to die when he did. When Choi first reads the scene where Thanos dies, he is grateful to the writers because the death happens unexpectedly in the story.
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This surprise made it even more powerful, especially right before the season 2 finale. Read his comment below:
Thanos is someone who is under the influence of drugs. He’s a dangerous character. So when I first read how he dies in the script, I honestly thought that it was about time. I thought his death was quite timely, and I also thought he deserved to die. I was also actually very thankful to the director and the team, because they portrayed Thanos’ death at a very random time in the story. That made it that much more impactful.
Many Squid Game fans are still surprised that Thanos died so early, but it shows that anyone can die at any time in the game. Choi seems to agree with this idea and likes that Thanos’ death was unexpected because most people probably thought the tough rapper would last longer.
Thanos’ death was also partly his fault because he kept picking fights with Myung-gi (Player 333) from the moment they met. Shortly after Thanos dies, another critical character, Gi-hun’s best friend Jung-bae, also dies. This will affect Gi-hun, the returning winner, in the final episodes.
Thanos’ death also changes the show’s mood as Squid Game season 3 gets closer. Even though the games are intense and scary, Thanos brought a lot of funny moments in season 2, which helped make things feel less tense for viewers. Sadly, no other character can get the same fun energy, so season 3 will have a darker and more serious tone in the final episodes.
This was done on purpose because the show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, and some of the cast have hinted that season 3 will be dark and brutal. So, it’s likely that we’ll see more characters die and another showdown between a broken Gi-hun and the Front Man.
I was just as surprised as everyone else that Thanos died so early. Even though I wish we could’ve had one more episode with him, I respect the creator for taking such bold risks. Thanos was a super entertaining player who brought fresh energy to the games. But Hwang didn’t make this show to entertain people—he wanted to send a message about society, and Thanos was a sad, tragic character in his own way.
One of the best things about season 2 is that we saw Choi return to acting and did a fantastic job. In other parts of the interview, you can tell how much work he put into creating this character, even coming up with his cool MCU-inspired look. Choi significantly impacted his Squid Game role, whether people liked his character or not. His death is a potent reminder that no one is safe in the games, and I’ll be holding my breath as we wait to see how it all ends.
Squid Game season 3 will be released on June 27, 2025.
Source: Screenrant