The Squid Game episode "Gganbu" is full of Tear Jerker moments — in quick succession, to boot — such that it quickly grew a reputation of being the most devastating episode of the series.
- Ji-yeong deliberately losing her game with Sae-byeok, as she believes that Sae-byeok's family back home gives her something to live for, which she herself doesn't have.
- While it's disheartening enough to see Ji-yeong speaking in a dull tone and completely resigned to her fate even with Sae-byeok screaming at her to go again, the image of her smiling and giggling while holding back tears as she says her last words to Sae-byeok is heartbreaking.Ji-yeong: Thank you... for playing with me.
- It must be underlined that in the scene, the normally stoic and aloof Sae-byeok exhibits genuine anguish at the loss of a friend she's only just made. The way her face crumples after Ji-yeong is shot, as if she's using every ounce of strength she has not to break down, is crushing. This also wasn't exclusive to the character; as one piece of behind-the-scenes footage shows
, even after finishing the scene and breaking character, Sae-byeok's actress Ho-yeon Jung couldn't stop crying.
- While it's disheartening enough to see Ji-yeong speaking in a dull tone and completely resigned to her fate even with Sae-byeok screaming at her to go again, the image of her smiling and giggling while holding back tears as she says her last words to Sae-byeok is heartbreaking.
- The revelations of both Sae-byeok and Ji-yeong's pasts.
- Sae-byeok's past in North Korea is a downer for even Ji-yeong, but the detail about her mother getting caught in China and deported back to North Korea is especially tragic. Considering what happens to defectors when they are brought back, it is very likely that Sae-byeok knows she'll never see her mother again, either executed or permanently imprisoned in a labor camp. Keep in mind, that in "Hell" she promised her brother that she will bring their mother to South Korea and reunite as a family.
- Ji-yeong's past is pretty tragic, too. Her father, a pastor, would abuse her mother and molest Ji-yeong herself, then pray afterwards. Ji-yeong then killed her father after finding him standing over her mother's dead body, and spent the rest of her life up until the game in prison. It also gives new meaning to why she dislikes the strongly religious man in the tug-of-war game.
- Another sad aspect of Sae-byeok and Ji-yeong's bonding is that upon finding out that Sae-byeok's unfamiliar with mojitos, Ji-yeong promises to have a girls' night out with Sae-byeok to introduce her to the drink when they both get out of the game, and gets so wrapped up in her fantasy of being with a friend that she then has to remind herself that only one of them will make it out alive.
- Ali's last moments just before he is killed, realizing he's been betrayed by someone he trusted — in tears, too stunned to speak. Even if he tries to hide it, Sang-woo is clearly disturbed by what he has done. Just to twist the knife further, the first shot of the seventh episode is Ali's body being taken away in a coffin.
- The lead-up to the betrayal just makes it all the worse. Ali is absolutely horrified that Sang-woo could die playing marbles with him, and begs a soldier to play a different game. When he wins, he's anything but pleased — blubbering apologies to Sang-woo but explaining he has a family to take care of. Ali is such an emotional wreck that when Sang-woo tells him of his plan, and permits Ali to call him "hyung" (older brother), he's clearly comforted...but it's just a trick.
- One thing that makes Ali's fate worse is the fact that he doesn't really get any closure. Although all the other main characters (except for Gi-hun) do end up dying, at least they have some closure to their arc. For example, Sae-byeok's brother ends up getting adopted by Sang-woo's mother, and Sang-woo essentially gets a redemption arc. Ali, however, just gets betrayed and then dies, and then never gets mentioned again. Not to mention that his family will never know what truly happened to him as he only talked about them to Sang-woo, so they'll probably still be waiting in Pakistan for the rest of their lives for his return or think he was killed for trying to support them by stealing the money that helped them return to Pakistan.
- Though later revelations heavily re-contextualize them, upon the first watch, Il-nam's scenes are absolutely devastating. His failing condition and the desperate situation cause Gi-hun to trick 001 into giving him nearly all his marbles. He eventually reveals that he knew Gi-hun was tricking him, and although he calls Gi-hun out for it, he ultimately thanks Gi-hun for playing with him, sacrifices himself by giving up the last marble, affirms that the two are Gganbu, and says his name is Oh Il-nam before being eliminated.
- Watching Gi-hun's own moral dilemma as he takes advantage of Il-nam's failing memory to win is incredibly heartbreaking. After being one of the main players to selflessly assist Il-nam as his condition deteriorates, being driven to cheat Il-nam out of his marbles to win takes an obvious toll on his conscience. Gi-hun is near tears the entire time, and clearly hates himself for doing it, but still feels compelled to push on out of fear of the consequences should he lose.
- And in a way, Il-nam's elimination is a death. It is the death of the friendly, somewhat oblivious old man we thought we knew.
- An unnamed pair of players (069 and 070) are a husband and wife. We don't follow them during the game, but in the next episode we find out that the wife was killed, and the husband hangs himself with his bedsheets the next night.
- In addition, the look of heartbreaking realization that passes between them when they realize what pairing up actually means in this game.Wife: Oh, boy...
- In addition, the look of heartbreaking realization that passes between them when they realize what pairing up actually means in this game.
