Thanos

Choi Su-bong (Korean: 최수봉), known by his stage name Thanos and as Player 230, is a character in the second season of the Netflix series Squid Game. He is one of the participants in the fictional Squid Game competition after he went into debt after investing in a failed cryptocurrency. He uses drugs during the game, behaving erratically and attacking other players. He is portrayed by Choi Seung-hyun (better known as T.O.P), a rapper who belonged to the K-pop band BigBang and was convicted of marijuana use in 2017, which led to a surge of anti-fans among South Koreans. While the character was not created for him, director Hwang Dong-hyuk aimed to find someone who stopped working due to drugs for the role. The character is named after the character Thanos from Marvel Comics.

The casting of T.O.P caused controversy among South Koreans, including censorship of his face on the Korean show This Morning Daily. This controversy came with criticism of the performance. Hwang expressed surprise that he still had controversy over his drug use, and called him brave for doing the role of a drug user, believing he would be received better in countries with a lower stigma against marijuana use. He was more well received outside of Korea, being voted overwhelmingly the favorite character by Netflix viewers. International commenters also criticized the negative response to T.O.P over his drug use as harsh and unreasonable. He has been contrasted with season 1 villain Jang Deok-su, who was noted by critics as having more of a presence. His performance received both praise and criticism, with differing opinions on whether the way he acted improved or worsened the season.

Thanos was suicidal until he was offered an invitation to the Squid Game by a recruiter. Deciding to make his mother proud, Thanos accepted the invitation to the games. While initially depicted as a petty and vain bully and shown to be genuinely horrified by Mi-na’s death, Thanos reveals himself to be highly psychotic and unpredictable when he’s on drugs, finding entertainment in brutally murdering the other contestants such as during Red Light Green Light. His rage may reach a murderous intensity if someone slights or confronts him, as seen when he attempts to strangle Myung-gi during their brawl in the bathroom.

However, Thanos isn't completely heartless. He openly welcomes Min-su into 'Thanos Team' even after Nam-gyu insults him. He's seen among those cheering for another team's during the six-legged race. Unlike his sidekick Nam-gyu, Thanos actually treats his teammates with respect throughout the games, contrasting previous villain Jang Deok-su. He even pushes for Nam-gyu to treat Se-mi with respect since she's the oldest and steps in whenever he bullies Min-su, arguing their team works better if they get along. Likewise, despite kicking Gyeong-su out of the group, Thanos is horrified witnessing him get killed after he fails to make it to a room in time.

It's implied Thanos' drugs make him unable to comprehend the consequences of his actions fully; he's shown to be confused when Myung-gi points out he'd be dead if he won all the way and despite kicking Gyeong-su from the group personally, Thanos is shocked and later saddened when realizing he's not with the group.

Physical Strength: Thanos is able to overpower others by grabbing, kicking or knocking them to the ground easily, as he notably does with Gyeong-su and Player 279 during Mingle and during his showdown with Myung-gi. Fighting Skills: Despite not having any training, Thanos is a capable fighter. Thanos overpowers Myung-gi during their fight in the bathroom by using a takedown before repeatedly punching him. Thanos comes close to killing Myung-gi during combat with minimal ease. Rapping Skills: Thanos is a skilled rapper, and his professional career is appreciated by his fans such as Gyeong-su. Leadership: Thanos presents strong leadership taking charge of the 'Thanos Team' during the Six-Legged Pentathlon and Mingle. He even tells his teammates to respect each other so they can form stronger morale. Drug Enhancement: Thanos' drug removes his fear of death and increases his confidence and unpredictability to a whole new level. Thanos becomes a major threat to players in the game after his various intakes.

Little is known about Choi Su-bong's early life. As a rapper, he was the runner-up in the final of "The Rap Battleground" competition, and he was a famous artist known and admired by many fans.

At some point, he met and subscribed to Lee Myung-gi's YouTube channel, "MG Coin," and watched his videos every day. Su-bong invested millions of wons after being advised to invest his money in the altcoin Dalmatian, promoted by Myung-gi's channel. However, the crypto ended up being unsuccessful and cost Su-bong all of his money, ultimately accumulating a debt of 1.19 billion won. He went to a bridge to kill himself only to be stopped and approached by The Recruiter, who invited him to the 36th Squid Game, which he accepted to make his mother proud.

He has purple hair, brown eyes, wears the green tracksuit with the number 230

Thanos, a character in season 2 of Squid Game, is self-serving, abrasive, and ruthless. He's also flamboyant, emotional, and caring, and some say he's one of the best characters in the season. Personality traits Self-serving: Thanos plays dirty to win the games. Abrasive: He's not the most likable character, and some viewers dislike him. Flamboyant: He has a flamboyant style and purple hair. Emotional: He has emotional depth and struggles to cope with the world. Caring: He's a deeply caring person who's pro-continuing the games. Other traits He's high for most of the show and does whatever he wants. He uses both English and Korean in his dialogue. He's excited when other players beat a game and cheer them on.