Squid Game season 3 is set to premiere this Friday, June 27th. The series, which first premiered on Netflix in September 2021, became a surprise hit for the streaming service, and has gone on to become a runaway pop culture phenomenon in the 2020s. This is reflected in the many memes about Squid Game that have taken over the internet and been a recurring presence both inside and outside the fandom. From its symbolism to character portrayals, here are 4 iconic Squid Game memes that are now here to stay on the internet.

One of the most memorable scenes in Squid Game season 2 happens during episode 3, when returning player Seong Gi-Hun tries to convince his fellow contestants to end the game during the vote. His insistence on this eventually draws suspicion from the other contestants, who wonder how he was so familiar with the previous “Red Light, Green Light” game. Gi-Hun eventually admits that he’s played in the Squid Games before. The emotional way the line is delivered quickly caught on with Netizens, who used the scene and dialogue as a common reaction during discussions about déjà vu, or when revealing their prior familiarity with something.

I just watched the trailer for Squid Game S2 this morning and I did a small comparison with Gi-hun from S1 and S2. I made it looked like the Breaking Bad Smile and Frown meme lol pic.twitter.com/M9ZJyXgKGr

— 🔥Miggy 🐾 (@McMigMiggy) November 1, 2024

One of the things contestants in both seasons go through is a registration process, where they need to stand in front of an automated photo booth that instructs them to smile and have their picture taken. In season one, Gi-hun ended up complying with this instruction, resulting in a goofy smile photo. In season two, however, a hardened Gi-hun has no patience left for playing along with these procedures, resulting in his expression becoming far more angsty. The contrast between these two pictures quickly took off, with internet memes frequently posting them side by side when comparing different life experiences that reflect what Gi-hun went through.

Red Light, Green Light is the opening game of both of Squid Game’s first two seasons. In the first season, the fact that people will die as a consequence of playing it is treated like a truly shocking moment, and the consequent massacre remains among the most memorable scenes of the entire series. The game is still referenced throughout the internet, both by netizens and even by Google, who recently included a playable browser version of the game as an easter egg. The robotic doll used to administer the game has an iconic appearance that continues to be used in Squid Game’s marketing.

In Squid Game season 1, Gi-hun is roped into joining the Squid Games thanks to an encounter with a mysterious salesman. The salesman offers to play a game of ddakji with him for a small cash prize, before offering an invitation for an even more high-stakes game he can join.

After the trauma he goes through in season 1, Gi-hun develops a personal grudge against the salesman and tries to hunt him down. This results in the viewers seeing a far more unsettling side to the salesman, who shows open contempt for the poor and entraps his pursuers in a game of Russian Roulette, without once dropping his pleasant demeanor. This iconic performance by Gong Yoo has made the salesman an internet sensation who’s constantly brought up in the Squid Game fandom.

While the Squid Game finale is hotly anticipated, these iconic memes show that the Netflix series has already cemented its place in the public consciousness, and will doubtlessly be remembered for a long time to come.

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