History Characters / SquidGamePlayers

->'''Played by:''' Heo Sung-tae, Creator/PaulNakauchi (English dub), Jose Arenas (Latin American Spanish dub), Masaki Aizawa (Japanese dub)

->'''Played by:''' Yu Seong-Ju, Creator/JoseGilbertoVilchis (Latin American Spanish dub)

->'''Played by:''' Kim Joo-ryoung, Stephanie Komure (English), Leyla Rangel (Latin American Spanish dub), Creator/YukaKomatsu (Japanese dub)

* SenselessSacrifice: He got up to Round 5 (the stepping stones game) and was shoved by [[spoiler:Mi-Nyeo]] to try to determine which stone was safe to step on. [[spoiler:He instead falls off the rails after Deok-su lets him bounce off without testing a glass, worsening the chances of survival for everyone else]].

* PetTheDog: Even though he’s a bullying {{Jerkass}}, he's one of the few players who doesn't push anyone to their death in the fifth game. He promises not to shove the player ahead of him and even offers some words of encouragement when the man begins faltering. Deok-su frustratedly insults him once he falls to his death after getting their hopes up, but at least he never pushed the guy. [[SubvertedTrope However]], this was more likely done out of pragmatism than compassion. As Deok-su himself states, he needs the player ahead of him to pass the glass safely so ''[[DirtyCoward he]]'' could too. [[PragmaticVillainy Thus]], [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou killing them risks his own survival chances]].

* DontCallMeSir: She doesn't like it when Gi-Hun addresses her with the Korean honorific for middle-aged women, because it implies she's old. Some localizations would even have Gi-Hun address her as "grandma".

* DidntThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler:Deok-su and several other players started the night brawl on the 3rd night after realizing players are free to kill each other outside of the games. On the 4th night, he plans on doing it again, but what he didn't realize that when players aren't safe from each other, that includes him. Gi-hun was quick to point this out when Deok-su tries to taunt him for putting up a barricade, telling him that once all of the weaklings are killed, he's next, as his teammates won't hesitate to try to get rid of the strongest player.]]

* NoHonorAmongThieves: Deok-su is prone to [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder abandoning his allies]] the moment he no longer thinks they will benefit him. Gi-hun rather innocently flips this on his head and managed to get Deok-su to stop his "culling" just by [[ArmorPiercingQuestion asking him what he thinks would happen after they kill all the weaker players]]; eventually, his men would turn against him next.

* PetTheDog: Even though he’s a bullying {{Jerkass}}, he's one of the few players who doesn't push anyone to their death in the fifth game. He promises not to shove the player ahead of him and even offers some words of encouragement when the man begins faltering. Deok-su frustratedly insults him once he falls to his death after getting their hopes up, but at least he never pushed the guy. [[SubvertedTrope However]], this was more likely done out of pragmatism than compassion. As Deok-su himself states, he needs the player ahead of him to pass the glass safely so ''[[DirtyCoward he]]'' could too. [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou Thus, killing them would risk his own chances of survival]].

** Being the only confirmed murderer before the games and being natagonistic to Sae-byeok when they first arrive.

* VillainousBreakdown: During the fifth game when Mi-nyeo [[spoiler: wraps her arms around his body and [[TakeYouWithMe has them both fall to their deaths]] off the glass bridge, he starts panicking and angrily berating her before screaming for his life.]]
* VillainsWantMercy: Despite fearing death as much as every other player Deok-Su would never admit this and maintains his veneer of snarling indifference.[[spoiler: Thus in the fifth game, when Mi-Nyeo is about to pull them both off the bridge, he pathetically breaks down and fruitlessly begs her to let him go.]]

->''"Please, help me. Please."''

* PetTheDog: Even though he’s a bullying {{Jerkass}}, he's one of the few players who doesn't push anyone to their death in the fifth game. He promises not to shove the player ahead of him and even offers some words of encouragement when the man begins faltering. Deok-su frustratedly insults him once he falls to his death after getting their hopes up, but at least he never pushed the guy. [[SubvertedTrope However]], this was more likely done out of pragmatism than compassion. As Deok-su himself states, he needs the player ahead of him to pass the glass safely so ''he'' could too. Thus, killing them would risk his own chances of survival.

* ChaoticStupid: Her alliance with Deok-su is a terrible idea, but she seems to genuinely believe he loves her, despite all evidence to the contrary. She forgives him after he betrays her the first time. Sae-byok even points out that because she's not being honest with the others, such as attempting to bully, manipulate, or force them to pair with her, she's actually gradually reducing her chances of anyone choosing to pair with her. [[spoiler:Ultimately, this might be what helps her to keep her word to Deok-su and get him killed, even at the cost of her own life.]]

* PetTheDog: Even though he’s a bullying JerkAss, he is one of the few who doesn't push anyone to their death in the fifth game, promising not to push the player ahead of him and even giving him some words of encouragement when he starts faltering. He frustratedly insults him after he falls to his death after getting his hopes up, but at least he never pushed him.

* YoungerThanTheyLook: During their taunt-to-taunt game, she calls Deok-su "an old man", to which the latter takes offense. She challenges him to guess how old she is. He goes from 49 to ''19'', and she answers with a "bingo". Considering her CompulsiveLiar tendencies, however, this isn't likely true.

* HiddenDepths: While it was only the phrase "Excuse me", she can speak English without an accent.

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: When Mi-nyeo falls through the bridge during the fifth game, she takes Deok-su with her. No tears were shed on his behalf.]]

* FaceDeathWithDespair: [[spoiler:After spending the whole game killing, stealing, and being a complete piece of shit to get ahead, Deok-su is put in a position that all but guarantees certain death for him, and decides to hold up everyone else so that they can die before him. His favorite victim, Mi-Nyeo, decides to pull a HeroicSacrifice by falling with him to their deaths, giving everyone else a chance to live, and Deok Su breaks down into pathetic begging and screaming as she prepares to drag him off a bridge.]]

** Being the contestant who takes advantage of killing between the games being allowed, [[spoiler:instigating a nighttime riot to murder as many contestants as possible.

* MoreHateableMinorVillain: He's the most evil and psychotic of the Squid Game players. Already a brutal gangster known to have committed crimes that landed him in debt to underground elements, Deok-su contrasts the other players, who fear for their lives and dislike making opponents die, with his bloodthirsty enjoyment of the game's brutality. He is introduced bullying Kang Sae-byeok for [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain being a woman (and North Korean refugee)]], then spends the series being a {{Jerkass}} to the other players, killing them whenever he can get away with it, and even treats his own allies as expendable pawns. He also proves to be a DirtyCoward in the fifth game where he risks everyone's lives to force another player to endanger themselves instead of him. Despite not being a member of the Squid Game organization, he matches their cruelty and lacks the redeeming qualities of [[spoiler: Oh Il-nam and the Front Man]]] while being a more personal enemy to hate.

* TokenEvilTeammate: Reconstructed. While it's true that all the characters have to kill, he's the only one to show himself as being totally willing to do it before the games, including hurting, injuring, and killing others just because.

* HateSink: Out of all the contestants, he's easily the most unlikeable one. Selfish, backstabbing, and violent, [[spoiler:his death at the hands of Mi-nyeo is [[AssholeVictim nothing but deserved]].]]

* MoreHateableMinorVillain: He's the most evil and psychotic of the Squid Game players. Already a brutal gangster known to have committed crimes that landed him in debt to underground elements, Deok-su contrasts the other players, who fear for their lives and dislike making opponents die, with his bloodthirsty enjoyment of the game's brutality. He is introduced bullying Kang Sae-byeok for [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain being a woman (and North Korean refugee)]], then spends the series being a {{Jerkass}} to the other players, killing them whenever he can get away with it, and even treats his own allies as expendable pawns. He also proves to be a DirtyCoward in the fifth game where he risks everyone's lives to force another player to endanger themselves instead of him. Despite not being a member of the Squid Game organization, he matches their cruelty while being a more personal enemy to hate.

* FauxAffablyEvil: As stated under PetTheDog below, Deok-su offers some words of encouragement towards the player in front of him during the fifth game... only for him to mock said player after he fell to his death. His treatment of Han Mi-nyeo also qualifies as this.

* LeeroyJenkins: She could've kept her information to herself (as Deok-su warned her to), but decides to share it immediately with EVERYONE.

[[caption-width-right:350:"Red Light, Green Light? The thing we did as kids in the playground?"]]

[[caption-width-right:350:"Just like that. Great job."]]

* NotWhatISignedUpFor: Zigzagged. After the first round, some of the players expressed they were told they would play a game and be "eliminated" if they failed to follow the rules, not ''shot'' like fish in a barrel for losing. None of them were given warning that death would be the price, and a few beg to go home. After the initial voting which does give everyone an out and a fair chance to choose their fate, the players that return to the game lack that excuse, as the game masters point out rather coldly but accurately.  

[[caption-width-right:350:Do something to make him go! If you don't, I might have to push you forward.]]

* FauxAffablyEvil: As stated under PetTheDog below, Deok-su offers some words of encouragement towards the player in front of him during the fifth game... only for him to mock said player after he fell to his death.

A homeless, bitter contestant who wanted to win the game to have a house to live in. He went ninth in the fifth round.

* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: He doesn't tell anyone about his ability to tell apart the glass panels in the fifth game until it's his turn to lead. When Gi-hun calls him out for it, he says it's because the other players are always out to kill him every chance they get.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Sang-Woo disposes of him when the gamemakers take away his advantage.]]

* ShooOutTheClowns: DoubleSubverted. [[spoiler:Her being the only one without a partner during the fourth game causes her to be dragged away in fear... [[WinsByDoingAbsolutelyNothing then it's later found out she got to sit out the entire round.]] Then in the fifth game she's a lot more quiet and serious and then kills Deok-su along with herself.]]

* PartingWordsRegret: The last thing he says to 324 is that he'll be winning the game. He's shocked when realizing 324 is dying from blood loss.

The leader of Team 7, which is forced to play a tug of war game against Deok-su and his minions