Squid Game is back with its second season, and of course, we stopped everything we were doing to binge-watch all seven episodes. This season saw Gi-hun return to the deadly competition in an effort to put a stop to the Front Man and his brutal games. Viewers were also introduced to a bunch of new characters who joined the competition. We became fans of some of them right away, while others we absolutely couldn't stand!
One of the new characters that caught our attention as soon as he hit our screens was Thanos, aka Player 230. Like the other participants, Thanos joined the competition because he was greatly in debt. We're talking 1.19 billion won in debt. His real name is Choi Su-bong, but he goes by his former rapper name Thanos. After listening to fellow player and once-popular YouTuber Myung-gi, Thanos invested all his money in cryptocurrency, but it turned out to be a scam, and he lost all of it.
After joining the competition, he discovers that Myung-gi is also a participant, and he spends most of his time bullying him. When he's not bothering Myung-gi or participating in the games, he flirts with the female players, bosses his posse around, raps random lyrics, or takes psychedelic drugs to ease his mind. While some people might've been annoyed by this character, I personally enjoyed every second he was on screen. In a show that focuses on several serious themes throughout its storyline, Thanos was needed to bring comedic relief. I found myself laughing out loud every time he randomly spoke in English.
Yes, we should give praise to the show's creator for creating the Thanos character and giving him some funny one-liners, but we also have to applaud the actor behind the character. Choi Seung-hyun, otherwise known by his rapper name T.O.P, brought the Thanos character to life, and not just anyone could've portrayed this character as well as he did.
He fully embodied the role, and I was surprised by how funny he could be. His real-life rap persona and style are very serious, so it was interesting to see him take on a character that's more goofy than anything. Honestly, it made me want to see him in more projects where he could show more of his talents.
T.O.P was a member of the popular K-Pop boy band BigBang
If you're an OG K-Pop fan, you probably already know who T.O.P is. He was a member of the insanely popular South Korean boy band BigBang and took on the position of lead rapper. When the group was formed by YG Entertainment in 2006, the group members included him, G-Dragon, Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri.
However, the only current members are G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung. Seungri retired from the entertainment industry in 2019, while T.O.P decided to leave the group in May 2023 to focus on his solo endeavors. Some of the band's hit songs include "Haru Haru," "Lies," "Fantastic Baby," "Blue," and "Bad Boy."
T.O.P was absent from the Korean entertainment industry for many years after being involved in a highly publicized scandal when he was caught smoking marijuana in 2017. He also struggled with some personal challenges with his mental health, which contributed to him staying away from the spotlight. Now that he's made his return in Squid Game season 2, we hope to see more of him in the near future! I'm calling it now. 2025 will be T.O.P's year!
Squid Game season 2 is streaming now only on Netflix. The third and final season will release in 2025.