All Eight Squid Game Episodes RANKED!

Squid Game is quite the show, with intensely brutal action, great characters, and extraordinary drama. However, the quality of the episodes is certainly varied, with some incredibly more impressive than others. It is my sworn duty to rank anything and everything I can, so in this article, I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker, present to you: All Eight Squid Game Episodes RANKED!

9: Episode 5 - "A Fair World"

This episode is frankly scatterbrained with an utter lack of a central theme. This episode is too random and unmemorable, as the episode doesn't introduce a new game or any exciting plot points. It's a lot of random organ-harvesting and Jun-ho action and waiting for riots at night. It's very much a set-up episode, bridging the gaps between the fourth and sixth episodes. The only major highlight for me was the reveal that Jun-ho's brother was the Front Man. Ultimately, this wasn't a bad episode, but it can't quite compare to the other episodes of the show.

8: Episode 7 - "V.I.P.s"

The idea of greedy rich people betting on the games and the corporate greediness of it all adds an extra layer of intrigue to the show. While many people find that aspect stupid, I found it very interesting, even if the execution could be a bit better. The big problem here is that the game itself is rather ridiculous. Granted, it's interesting to watch it play out, but it is basically wholly luck-based, which makes it about as dull as a game can get. The only reason the game is fun to watch is the character banter and emotional tension! But I digress. This episode adds a lot of flair to the show, but it simply can't compare to other episodes of the series. It's flawed, yet in some ways fantastic, and it's certainly better than the bland Episode 5.

7: Episode 8 - "Front Man"

This episode is half the length of the other episodes in the series, yet it still is a really great episode! It focuses on Jun-ho attempting to take out his brother, the Front Man, as well as the drama revolving around the last three competitors of the Squid Games. Sae-byeok's death in this episode is absolutely heartbreaking! This episode may be short, but it's certainly sweet and a huge step up from the previous two episodes due to its snappy pace and dramatic impact.

6: Episode 4 - "Stick to the Team"

This episode has two big, standout moments: one, the revelation that contestants can murder one another outside of the games to add to the cash pool, and two, the tug-of-war game and the team selections regarding that. The Lights Out sequence was quite intriguing, and I loved that the odds seemed kind of down at first because of the weak physical strength of the team. However, as much as I love "Lights Out", the tug-of-war game was dumb because, frankly, all of our main characters were on one team, and very few shows are bold enough to kill all of their main characters. Now, if they did, and it somehow worked for the show to continue? This could be an insane episode. But, as-is, as much as I adore the team fellowship here, this episode was quite mediocre.

5: Episode 3 - "The Man with the Umbrella"

This episode easily had my favorite of the games—ppogi. Each player is tasked with perfectly extracting a stamped shape from a honeycomb candy in the ten-minute time limit. If they fail to complete the objective, they are shot to death. This makes for a pretty compelling watch, but there's one problem with this episode: it lacks the emotional weight and depth of episodes that balance both the games and the deeper context. This episode feels more like a brutal mass killing than the other episodes, which, of course, has its strengths but makes it a less fantastic episode than the next four on this list.

4: Episode 9 - "One Lucky Day"

I found the climactic final game to be a little underwhelming once they started just beating the crap out of each other and all that jazz. However, there is much more to this episode than that: it's the aftermath of the games that makes this a fantastic episode. Seeing Gi-hun return to his former life after Sang-woo kills himself to let him win is heartbreaking, and, after everything, his inability to cash in on the prize money due to his trauma is interesting to watch. I love that Gi-hun helps Sae-byeok's brother and Sang-woo's mom, as well as the scene where he goes to see his daughter but is ultimately sidetracked as he notices the Squid Game recruiter and decides to stop him instead of boarding the plane to Los Angeles; an excellent cliffhanger for Season 2. Now for the most polarizing aspect of this episode? The Il-nam plot twist. And, in my opinion, it was brilliant and made so much sense on a rewatch. Ultimately, this was a brilliant finale, and it left me excited for the upcoming Season 2.

3: Episode 1 - "Red Light, Green Light"

This episode is a bombastic introduction to the brilliance of Squid Game. It masterfully introduces Gi-hun and brings him from his depressing reality to the horrifying hellscape of the games. The first game is a sadistic side and gripping scene where the players realize what they've truly signed up for. The massacre here and the brilliant look into the heartbreaking livelihood of Gi-hun's life make for one of the strongest and most memorable episodes of the show.

2: Episode 6 - "Ggnabu"

There's a reason this is regarded as the objective best episode of the show and an extremely highly-rated episode in general. This episode is one of the most emotional things I've ever watched. The dialogue between the characters is immaculate here, and I can't stress enough how beautiful the moments are here. Each match of marbles is played very differently, and each outcome is so heartbrekaign@! Gi-hun and Il-nam's match is hard to watch, as Gi-hun exploits the old man's dementia to win the match. I.T. may not be so sad on rewatch, but it was devastating the first time. The trickery of Sang-woo manipulating Ali was horrible and unhappy, as Ali is one of my favorite characters, and Sang-woo is one of my least favorite. The husband and wife who were forced to play the game together in an awful scene, and the even greater depression of seeing Deok-su make it past the round? Tragic. Sae-byeok and Ji-yeong sharing their life stories and the latter choosing to sacrifice herself was so touching and easily a standout moment of the show. Ultimately, this is one of the best episodes of TV I've watched, but there's one episode I liked slightly more.

1: Episode 2 - "Hell"

The critical consensus of this episode is that it's the worst of the show, but, to me, it's the exact opposite. Let me draw on an outside analogy to help you understand why this is my favorite episode of the show. On its own, I don't really enjoy The Hunger Games as, frankly, it's just a depressing story of a mass childhood genocide with a melancholy victory. Now, once I have watched its sequels, I have enjoyed the original so much more. Why? Because there's a reason behind the deaths, an overarching moral theme compelling all of the characters to do what they do. This is why I love Squid Game's second episode—it establishes the essential backstories of the characters and gives them a chance to leave the games if they so choose. This episode shows that the circumstances in which each of the characters are living are worse than a quick death in the games—why continue suffering if you have even a tiny chance of turning your life around? This is the episode that I find genuinely makes Squid Game an intriguing show that's actually worth watching instead of a mindless bloodbath of inhumane butchery. This episode makes the show feel truly human and makes the watcher feel much better than the V.I.P.s who watch just for gratuitous pleasure. Ultimately, this episode gives the "why" behind the whole show and made me understand and care about the characters. And, for that, this is my favorite episode of Squid Game.

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The Verdict

The Reel Ranking:

9: Episode 5 - "A Fair World"
8: Episode 7 - "V.I.P.s"
7: Episode 8 - "Front Man"
6: Episode 4 - "Stick to the Team"
5: Episode 9 - "One Lucky Day"
4: Episode 1 - "Red Light, Green Light"
3: Episode 3 - "The Man with the Umbrella"
2: Episode 6 - "Ggnabu"
1: Episode 2 - "Hell"

Common Consensus:

9: Episode 2 - "Hell"
8: Episode 9 - "One Lucky Day"
7: Episode 5 - "A Fair World"
6: Episode 8 - "Front Man"
5: Episode 7 - "V.I.P.s"
4: Episode 3 - "The Man with the Umbrella"
3: Episode 1 - "Red Light, Green Light"
2: Episode 4 - "Stick to the Team"
1: Episode 6 - "Ggnabu"