Squid Game Season 1 Episode 6: “Gganbu”

Opening: The Calm Before the Storm

Episode 6 opens in the aftermath of the Tug-of-War game.Gi-hun’s team has survived, but their victory is clouded by the fact that they were forced to kill. As they return to the dormitory, they find that even more players have died, and the environment has grown quieter, colder, and more tense. Only 39 players remain.

Each survivor is shaken, but there’s no time to reflect for long. The voice over the intercom announces that it’s time for  the next game .

Pair Up — A Cruel Twist

The guards instruct the players to form **pairs**, with no explanation why. Many assume the next game will require teamwork , so they frantically search for reliable partners. Some stick with friends; others look for the strongest or smartest people remaining.

Key pairings include:
– Gi-hun (456) and Oh Il-nam (001) – the old man
– Sang-woo (218) and Ali (199) – a bond formed through past cooperation
-Sae-byeok (067)and Ji-yeong (240)– two women with very different pasts but who find comfort in each other
– Deok-su (101) and a fellow gangster
– Mi-nyeo (212) is left out , as the total number of players is odd. She’s dragged away screaming, believing she’s being punished.

But in a cruel twist , once all players have chosen a partner, it’s revealed that the game is not cooperative. Instead, it’s  a duel . Each pair must compete against their own partner, and only one person from each team will survive. One will die.

The betrayal is staggering. The illusion of friendship and teamwork shatters instantly. The shock is palpable as players realize they have chosen their own opponent, often someone they trust or care for.

The Game: Marbles

Each pair is handed a pouch of ten marbles, and told they have 30 minutes to play  any game they want involving the marbles. The only rule: one player must end the game with all twenty marbles. The loser will be  eliminated

Suddenly, everything slows down. This is not a high-adrenaline game like Tug-of-War or Red Light, Green Light. Instead, the episode becomes a **series of intimate, psychological duels , filled with tension, tragedy, and emotion.

Gi-hun and Il-nam: A Heartbreaking Farewell

Gi-hun and Il-nam, once allies and friends, begin playing a simple guessing game:  odd or even . At first, Il-nam seems confused and disoriented, mistaking the game area for a replica of his old neighborhood. He forgets the rules, stumbles over his turns, and even accuses Gi-hun of cheating.

Gi-hun becomes increasingly desperate, trying to comfort Il-nam while struggling with his own guilt. He considers cheating to win, exploiting Il-nam’s confusion. This is one of the most morally tense moments in the episode — can you kill someone who trusts you, especially when they’re vulnerable?

In the final moments, Il-nam reveals that he knew Gi-hun was tricking him  but he lets him win anyway. With a haunting smile, he tells Gi-hun, “You’re my gganbu.” The term “gganbu” refers to a best friend or ally, someone you share everything with — even marbles.

Il-nam gives Gi-hun the last marble willingly, embracing death.

Or so it seems

Sang-woo and Ali: Betrayal

Meanwhile, Sang-woo and Ali share a different dynamic. Ali is loyal, innocent, and kind — he’s practically a younger brother to Sang-woo. They begin with a traditional marble toss game, but Ali’s skill gives him the edge. Soon, Ali is one point away from winning all 20 marbles.

Sang-woo panics. Realizing he’s about to die, he changes tactics. Calm and manipulative, he tells Ali that they should work together to trick the guards , suggesting they find a loophole by each collecting marbles from other players.

He hands Ali a bag to store his marbles “safely,” while claiming he’ll look for another way out. Ali, touched by the show of trust, gives Sang-woo his pouch of marbles.

Moments later, Ali discovers the pouch is filled with  rocks  Sang-woo has  betrayed him , stolen his marbles, and walks away with a quiet look of victory.

Ali, devastated, is dragged away and shot.

Sang-woo wins — but at the cost of his soul.

Sae-byeok and Ji-yeong: A Gentle Tragedy

Sae-byeok and Ji-yeong approach the game differently. Instead of playing competitively, they spend most of the 30 minutes talking, sharing stories and life regrets. This sequence offers a rare emotional respite and deepens both characters.

Ji-yeong reveals her troubled life — her abusive father, time in prison, and aimless existence. Sae-byeok opens up about her desire to rescue her younger brother, now in an orphanage, and to reunite with her mother who is stuck in North Korea.

They decide to play only one round, and let fate decide. Ji-yeong, knowing she has little to live for and seeing Sae-byeok’s purpose,throws the game on purpose. As guards come to take her away, she smiles and says:

“You have something to go back to.”

This quiet act of self-sacrifice stands in stark contrast to Sang-woo’s betrayal. Ji-yeong’s death is one of the most tender and devastating moments of the series.

Deok-su’s Brutality and Others’ Games

Elsewhere, other players complete their games in various ways — through trickery, desperation, or raw force. Deok-su, the gangster, brutally dominates his opponent and survives without remorse.

The episode uses these micro-stories to explore **different facets of human nature**: honor, betrayal, love, sacrifice, and ruthlessness.

A Shocking Revelation: Il-nam’s “Death

At the end of the episode, we watch Il-nam’s final moments. He seems confused but content, sitting alone. A guard raises the gun to execute him, but the camera cuts away just before the shot is fired.

This ambiguity feels strange. All other deaths are shown directly. Later in the series, this becomes significant — but in the context of Episode 6, it feels like an odd moment of subtlety.

Themes of Episode 6: “Gganbu

1. Betrayal and Loyalty

This episode puts human connection to the test. Loyalty becomes a liability, and betrayal becomes a survival tactic. Characters must decide whether they value life more than their values.

– Sang-woo betrays Ali.
– Ji-yeong sacrifices herself for Sae-byeok.
– Gi-hun cheats Il-nam, but Il-nam forgives him.

Each interaction reveals what people are willing to do — or refuse to do — when their lives are at stake.

2. Loss of Innocence

For many characters, this episode represents a point of no return. Gi-hun, the moral compass of the show, falters. Sang-woo fully embraces manipulation. Ali is cruelly stripped of his trust. Everyone changes.

3. Emotional Manipulation

The creators of the game designed this challenge not just to eliminate players, but to  break them emotionally . Forcing people to kill their partners, many of whom they have bonded with, creates long-lasting psychological trauma.

The “game” is no longer just physical. It becomes a test of  ethics, character, and the soul .

Closing Moments: The Lonely Survivors

After the game ends, the remaining 20 players return to the dorm, forever changed. The room feels emptier, quieter, colder. Mi-nyeo, who had been excluded from the game, smugly watches the others, understanding that luck was on her side this time.

Gi-hun looks hollow. He still clutches Il-nam’s marble bag.

Sae-byeok holds back tears but is clearly in emotional agony over Ji-yeong’s death.

Sang-woo, seemingly composed, sits in silence — but we now know what he’s become.

There are fewer players now, but the stakes have never been higher.

Conclusion: The Most Powerful Episode Yet

Episode 6, “Gganbu,” is a masterclass in storytelling and emotional impact. It strips away the show’s flashy games and confronts viewers with raw human conflict. Through just a bag of marbles, it examines love, loss, trust, and moral compromise.

In a series filled with shocking deaths and psychological games, this episode lingers long after the credits roll — not because of the violence, but because of the heartbreak.