The Ultimate Guide to Player 230 and the Controversial Comeback of T.O.P
Who is Thanos in Squid Game Season 2?
When Squid Game Season 2 premiered on December 26, 2024, one character immediately stole the spotlight with his purple hair, flashy nails, and unpredictable behavior. Thanos, also known as Player 230 and born Choi Su-bong, became an instant phenomenon that would dominate search trends and social media conversations for weeks.
In the Netflix dystopian survival thriller, Thanos is a failed rapper who lost everything to a cryptocurrency scam. After investing his entire fortune in an altcoin called Dalmatian based on advice from YouTuber Lee Myung-gi (Player 333), he accumulated a staggering debt of 1.19 billion won. Standing on the Han River Bridge contemplating suicide, he was recruited into the deadly 37th Squid Game competition.
What makes Thanos particularly compelling is his duality. The character exhibits genuine charm and leadership qualities, welcoming players like Min-su into his team and treating teammates with respect. However, when under the influence of drugs throughout the games, he transforms into an erratic, dangerous force who shows no remorse for causing multiple deaths.
Character Profile: The Numbers Behind Player 230
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Player Number | 230 |
| Real Name | Choi Su-bong |
| Age | 36-37 years old (born November 4, 1987) |
| Debt Amount | 1.19 billion won (approximately $900,000 USD) |
| Final Placement | 100th overall in the 37th Squid Game |
| Languages | Korean, English, Spanish |
| Background | Runner-up in The Rap Battleground competition |
| Death Episode | Season 2, Episode 6 (“O X”) |
| Cause of Death | Stabbed in the neck with a fork by Player 333 |
The Man Behind the Purple Hair: T.O.P’s Remarkable Comeback
Thanos is portrayed by Choi Seung-hyun, better known by his stage name T.O.P, the former lead rapper of the iconic K-pop group BigBang. This casting choice is arguably one of the most meta-theatrical decisions in television history, as the character’s life story mirrors the actor’s real-world struggles with haunting precision.
From K-Pop Royalty to Blacklisted Star
BigBang, which debuted in 2006, became one of the best-selling groups of all time in Asia and one of the best-selling boy bands in the world. T.O.P was known for his distinctive low-bass timbre rapping style that became an integral part of the group’s signature sound. The group achieved massive success with hits like “Lies,” “Haru Haru,” and “Bang Bang Bang,” marking the beginning of K-pop’s global expansion.
However, in 2017, T.O.P’s illustrious career came to an abrupt halt. He was convicted of marijuana use during his mandatory military service, receiving a 10-month prison sentence with a two-year suspension. In South Korea, where marijuana use remains strictly illegal and carries significant social stigma, the scandal resulted in severe backlash. Following the conviction, T.O.P was hospitalized after a drug overdose that he later admitted was a suicide attempt.
For nearly eight years, T.O.P remained essentially blacklisted from the Korean entertainment industry. He retreated from public life, eventually leaving BigBang in 2023. In February 2020, he declared in a live broadcast that he would never return to Korea or make a comeback in entertainment. The once-celebrated artist, who had over 18 million Instagram followers and starred in acclaimed films like “71: Into the Fire” and “Tazza: The Hidden Card,” had seemingly vanished.
The Courageous Decision to Play Thanos
When Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk approached T.O.P for the role, it presented an almost impossibly difficult choice. The character of Thanos was a failed rapper struggling with drug addiction, bearing uncomfortable parallels to T.O.P’s own life. It would mean confronting his darkest moments in the most public way possible.
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk specifically sought someone who had stopped working due to drugs for the role. He explained in interviews that while the character wasn’t created specifically for T.O.P, his personal history made him perfect for bringing authenticity to the role. The director praised T.O.P’s courage, noting that taking on such a character after years away from the industry required immense bravery.
Why the Name “Thanos”? The Marvel Connection Explained
Many viewers naturally assumed the purple-haired character was named after Marvel’s purple-skinned villain Thanos, but director Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed the true strategic reasoning behind the choice.
The name was intentionally chosen to transcend South Korean popularity and create an internationally recognizable character. By using an English name synonymous with the MCU icon, Hwang ensured Thanos would stand out cross-culturally, even for viewers unfamiliar with the actor’s background or K-pop history.
The Iconic Look: Purple Hair, Skittle Nails, and Mumble Rap
Creating Thanos’s Visual Identity
Thanos’s memorable appearance wasn’t accidental. T.O.P worked closely with director Hwang Dong-hyuk and the hair and makeup team through countless discussions to develop the character’s distinctive style.
The choice of purple was deliberate. As a failed, desperate character trying to maintain his identity as a rapper, Thanos would choose a bold, attention-grabbing color. The purple hair became instantly iconic, paired with his elaborately painted “Skittle nails” that reflected his flamboyant personality.
The Performance: Channeling Mumble Rap Culture
T.O.P brought specific musical influences to his portrayal. He explained his approach to delivering Thanos’s lines and rap performances, noting there’s a type of rap style in southern U.S. hip-hop called “mumble rap,” often associated with rappers who use powerful stimulants. He tried to channel that in the way Thanos delivers his lines.
This attention to detail created a character who felt authentic despite being intentionally cartoonish. T.O.P’s performance included scene-stealing moments like his impromptu dancing during the Mingle game, which referenced one of his own music video clips where he performed the same gesture while sitting on a car hood.
Thanos’s Journey Through the Games
Red Light, Green Light: The First Impression
Thanos makes an immediate impact in the deadly Red Light, Green Light game. After being recognized by other players as a former rapper and runner-up in The Rap Battleground, he positions himself next to Player 196 (Kang Mi-na), whom he tries to impress. When she’s brutally killed for moving during the game, Thanos shows genuine horror.
However, his drug use transforms him. High on stimulants, he begins actively sabotaging other players, pushing them during the game and causing multiple deaths. His famous line delivered after killing three players became instantly viral among international fans.
Building the Thanos Crew
After surviving the first game, Thanos eagerly votes to continue playing. He uses his celebrity status to recruit a team that includes:
- Nam-gyu (Player 124) – His best friend and loyal sidekick who shares his drug habit
- Se-mi (Player 380) – A young woman he protects from Nam-gyu’s bullying
- Park Min-su (Player 125) – An ex-Marine he welcomes despite Nam-gyu’s insults
- Gyeong-su (Player 256) – A team member he later kicks out while high on drugs
Despite his erratic behavior, Thanos demonstrates surprising leadership qualities and treats his teammates with more respect than previous villains like Season 1’s Jang Deok-su.
During the Six-Legged Pentathlon, his team successfully completes multiple challenges. Thanos participates in the Jegi game and shows unexpected moments of humanity, even congratulating opponents and cheering for trans player Hyun-ju during the six-legged race.
The Rivalry with MG Coin
The tension between Thanos and Lee Myung-gi (Player 333) drives much of Season 2’s interpersonal drama. Myung-gi, a YouTuber who ran the MG Coin cryptocurrency channel, gave investment advice that caused Thanos to lose everything. Their confrontations escalate throughout the games, with Thanos repeatedly antagonizing and threatening Myung-gi.
When Hwang In-ho (Player 001, secretly the Front Man) intervenes to protect Myung-gi from Thanos’s aggression, it establishes the complex power dynamics at play. Thanos, despite his bravado and drug-fueled confidence, proves he’s not invincible.
Did Thanos Die in Squid Game? The Shocking Bathroom Scene
Thanos’s death in Episode 6, titled “O X,” shocked millions of viewers worldwide. After the players vote on whether to continue or leave the games, resulting in a perfect 50-50 split, tensions erupt between the X’s (who want to leave) and O’s (who want to continue).
The Fatal Confrontation
In the men’s bathroom, Thanos confronts Myung-gi once again, demanding he change his vote. The confrontation turns violent, with Thanos strangling Myung-gi in a murderous rage. However, Myung-gi had been given a fork during the previous meal. In desperation, he stabs Thanos in the neck with the fork.
The injury proves fatal. As Thanos bleeds out on the bathroom floor, Nam-gyu discovers his body and attempts to grab his iconic cross necklace. The same fork that killed Thanos becomes a weapon of further violence, as Nam-gyu uses it to stab another player to death, escalating the conflict between the X’s and O’s into full-scale warfare.
The Actor’s Perspective on Thanos’s Death
T.O.P himself had strong feelings about how his character’s story ended. In an interview with Netflix’s Tudum, he explained that when he first read how he dies in the script, he honestly thought that it was about time. He thought his death was quite timely, and he also thought he deserved to die. He was also actually very thankful to the director and the team, because they portrayed Thanos’s death at a very random time in the story, which made it that much more impactful.
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk later explained that Thanos’s sudden, brutal death serves important narrative purposes for Season 3. The character’s removal shifts the tone toward the darker, more serious final season while eliminating the comic relief he provided. However, Hwang confirmed that Thanos’s influence would continue to affect the plot in Season 3.
Return in Season 3: The Hallucination
While Thanos dies in Season 2, he makes a posthumous appearance in Season 3. Min-su, suffering from severe drug withdrawal during the Sky Squid Game, hallucinates both Thanos and Nam-gyu. The hallucination shows Thanos hanging off a cliff, asking for Min-su’s help and offering his cross necklace. The vision alternates between Thanos and Nam-gyu, with Thanos ultimately calling Min-su a coward before being kicked away.
Director Hwang confirmed he would not be reshooting Season 3 to “revive” Thanos despite fan petitions and fake trailers circulating on YouTube claiming the character might still be alive.
Global Reception: From Korean Controversy to International Phenomenon
Netflix’s Favorite Character
Despite the controversy surrounding T.O.P’s casting in South Korea, Thanos became a global sensation. A Netflix survey of 700,000 people about favorite new characters saw Thanos win with an overwhelming 50 percent of the vote. His scenes went viral on TikTok, generating millions of views and countless memes.
International media praised T.O.P’s performance extensively. IGN writer Shannon Miller noted he found a way to imbue pitch-perfect physical comedy, rage, and tragic recklessness into Thanos, making viewers hold their breath in fear and beg for more. The Wrap called him endlessly appealing and a standout character who brought an unhinged jolt of energy to the season.
The Korean Response
Reception in South Korea remained more divided. Some Korean viewers and media criticized T.O.P’s performance, feeling his vocal and facial expressions were out of place or too cartoonish. The ongoing stigma from his 2017 marijuana conviction meant he faced continued backlash, with broadcaster MBC controversially blurring his face during news segments about Squid Game 2.
However, international commenters criticized this negative response as harsh and unreasonable. Many noted the double standard, pointing out that marijuana use carries far less stigma in most Western countries and that T.O.P had served his punishment and expressed genuine remorse.
Director Hwang defended both the performance and casting decision. He explained that Thanos was intentionally designed as a cartoonish character, similar to Season 1 villains Jang Deok-su and Han Mi-nyeo who received similar commentary. He expressed regret that the exaggerated nature of Thanos’s character caused some Korean viewers to undervalue T.O.P’s acting ability.
Thanos vs. Deok-su: Comparing Squid Game Villains
Thanos shares several similarities with Season 1’s primary antagonist Jang Deok-su, yet the two villains serve distinctly different narrative purposes.
| Comparison Factor | Thanos (Season 2) | Jang Deok-su (Season 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Player Number | 230 | 101 |
| Background | Failed rapper, cryptocurrency victim | Gangster, gambling addict |
| Weapon of Choice | Drugs and manipulation | Physical violence and intimidation |
| Leadership Style | Charismatic, treats team with respect | Brutal, rules through fear |
| Relationship with Protagonist | Minimal interaction with Gi-hun | Multiple direct confrontations with Gi-hun |
| Death Location | Bathroom (Episode 6) | Glass bridge (Episode 7) |
| Killed By | Lee Myung-gi (Player 333) | Mi-nyeo (Player 212) in murder-suicide |
| Personality Trait | Unpredictable duality (kind vs. violent) | Consistently menacing and cowardly |
| Comic Relief | Significant (dancing, one-liners) | Minimal |
| Sympathetic Moments | Yes (shows remorse, protects Se-mi) | No (purely villainous) |
Critical Differences
Critics noted that Deok-su possessed more commanding presence and genuine menace, while Thanos served as a more comedic villain. Thanos rarely interacts directly with Gi-hun, whereas Deok-su had multiple confrontations with the protagonist throughout Season 1.
More significantly, Thanos demonstrates unexpected humanity. He treats his team members with respect, argues for them to get along, and shows genuine shock when Gyeong-su dies after Thanos kicks him from the group while high. This complexity makes Thanos simultaneously more sympathetic and more tragic than Deok-su’s straightforward brutality.
The Psychology of Thanos: Drugs, Desperation, and Duality
Understanding His True Personality
Much of Thanos’s personality remains enigmatic because viewers see him high for most of the series. From what can be inferred, his true self is spontaneous and careless, someone who acts without thinking. This impulsiveness led him to invest his entire life savings into cryptocurrency based on a YouTuber’s advice.
When experiencing fear or anxiety, Thanos relies on drugs to suppress his nerves. This pattern appears during his initial recruitment, where he’s seen vaping while playing ddakji with the recruiter, and continues throughout the games.
The Drug-Induced Transformation
Under the influence, Thanos becomes a completely different person, displaying near-psychopathic behaviors. He shows no remorse for causing multiple deaths and exhibits aggressive behavior toward those who oppose him. The drugs seem to prevent him from fully comprehending the consequences of his actions. When Myung-gi points out that winning all the money would mean everyone else dying, including Thanos himself, the drugged rapper appears genuinely confused.
This duality creates a tragic character. Off drugs, Thanos demonstrates surprising emotional intelligence and leadership. He welcomes Min-su into his team even after Nam-gyu insults him. He steps in to protect Se-mi from Nam-gyu’s bullying, arguing that respect for the oldest team member benefits everyone. When Gyeong-su dies, Thanos is horrified, despite having kicked him from the group personally while high.
Cultural Impact and Legacy
Search Trends and Social Media Dominance
The data tells a remarkable story. Search terms related to Thanos dominated search engines and social media following Season 2’s release. Here are the top 10 most searched Thanos-related queries:
- “thanos squid game” – 409,000 searches with 1.2 million search volume
- “did thanos die in squid game” – 42,000 searches, spiking to 53,000 volume
- “squid game thanos” – 31,000 searches with 116,000 volume
- “thanos squid game actor” – 23,000 searches rising to 52,000 volume
- “thanos from squid game” – 23,000 searches with 30,000 volume
- “thanos squid game 2” – 20,000 searches with 95,000 volume
- “is thanos dead in squid game” – 7,400 searches with 11,000 volume
- “how did thanos die in squid game” – 6,700 searches with 10,000 volume
- “thanos actor squid game” – 6,500 searches with 13,000 volume
- “thanos squid game death” – 5,800 searches with 11,000 volume
Queries about Thanos’s appearance also trended heavily, with searches for “thanos squid game wallpaper,” “thanos squid game nails,” and “thanos squid game pfp” generating thousands of searches. Fans created extensive fan art, memes, and tribute videos that continue circulating months after the season’s release.
Representation and Social Commentary
Comic Book writer Evan Valentine analyzed Thanos as representing how poor conditions for the current generation can be, noting that even celebrity status doesn’t protect people from their bad actions. The character embodies multiple contemporary issues: cryptocurrency scams, substance abuse, social media culture, and the exploitation of desperate people.
Thanos’s line about standing on the Han River Bridge, ready to jump before being recruited, resonates with viewers familiar with South Korea’s suicide crisis. His statement that the recruitment felt like divine intervention speaks to how predatory systems target people at their most vulnerable moments.
T.O.P’s Future: Music Comeback and Moving Forward
Following Squid Game’s success, T.O.P has announced plans for a solo music comeback. After years using music as what he called his lifeline during isolation, he’s ready to share new work with fans. He described the creative process as helping him breathe again after feeling like an outcast from society.
While he’s denied any plans to reunite with BigBang, explaining he still feels guilty about past events, the international support for his Squid Game performance has clearly provided encouragement. T.O.P was submitted for Emmy Award consideration in the Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category and participated in FYC events in 2025.
His primary goal, as he stated in interviews, is establishing a stable and less dramatic life where he can wake up without being bombarded by negative news and feel more at peace. The overwhelming international love for his Thanos performance has provided a path toward that goal.
Frequently Searched Questions About Thanos
What Number is Thanos in Squid Game?
Thanos is Player 230 in Squid Game Season 2. The number appears on his iconic green tracksuit throughout the games.
How Old is Thanos from Squid Game?
Thanos is 36-37 years old. According to his profile, he finished high school in 2006, and T.O.P stated the character reached his career peak in the 2000s. Notably, both the actor and character were born on November 4, 1987, and Thanos dies one day before his 37th birthday.
What Episode Does Thanos Die in Squid Game?
Thanos dies in Season 2, Episode 6, titled “O X.” His death occurs in the bathroom during a confrontation with Lee Myung-gi, who stabs him in the neck with a fork.
Will Thanos Be in Season 3 of Squid Game?
Thanos will not return as a living character in Season 3. However, he appears as a hallucination experienced by Min-su during drug withdrawal in the Sky Squid Game sequence. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed he will not reshoot Season 3 to revive the character despite fan petitions.
Who Killed Thanos in Squid Game?
Lee Myung-gi, Player 333 (the MG Coin YouTuber), killed Thanos in self-defense. When Thanos attacked him in the bathroom, attempting to strangle him, Myung-gi used a fork he had hidden in his pocket to stab Thanos in the neck, causing fatal blood loss.
Conclusion: The Purple-Haired Phenomenon That Defined Season 2
Thanos, Player 230, Choi Su-bong—the purple-haired rapper with Skittle nails and a troubled past. He was simultaneously Squid Game Season 2’s most beloved and controversial character, a testament to both the writing and T.O.P’s courageous performance.
The character worked on multiple levels. As entertainment, he provided memorable moments, quotable lines, and viral dance sequences. As social commentary, he represented cryptocurrency victims, substance abuse struggles, and the desperation driving people to risk everything. As meta-narrative, his story paralleled the real-life redemption arc of an actor seeking to overcome past mistakes and reclaim his career.
With search volumes exceeding 400,000 and winning 50 percent of Netflix’s favorite character poll, Thanos achieved exactly what director Hwang Dong-hyuk intended: transcending cultural boundaries to become an internationally beloved character. The purple-haired rapper’s impact extends far beyond his six-episode appearance, influencing Season 3’s darker tone and providing T.O.P with the platform for a remarkable comeback.
Whether viewers found him endlessly appealing or incredibly frustrating, Thanos succeeded in his mission. He made an unforgettable impression, sparked global conversations, and proved that even failed rappers with questionable decisions can capture the world’s imagination. As T.O.P himself noted when asked how Thanos would have reacted to Gi-hun’s rebellion: the character would probably be dancing with the pink soldiers, maintaining his unpredictable energy until the very end.
In a series about desperate people playing deadly games for survival, Thanos represented something more. He was the guy who brought drugs to a life-or-death situation, the failed celebrity who couldn’t let go of his persona, the victim seeking revenge on his financial advisor, the leader who treated his team with surprising respect, and ultimately, the tragic figure who died exactly when his story needed to end.
That complexity, combined with T.O.P’s fearless portrayal and the character’s instantly recognizable aesthetic, ensures Thanos’s legacy will endure long after Squid Game’s final season concludes. The purple-haired rapper may have placed 100th in the 37th Squid Game, but in the game of capturing global audiences, Player 230 achieved first place.
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