Ranking the 8 Most Cowardly Characters in Squid Game

Overview

Cowardice in Squid Game consistently leads to selfish actions that jeopardize others and undermine team cohesiveness.
Notable characters such as Sang-woo, Yong-sik, and Deok-su exhibit cowardly behavior that adversely impacts their strategies and endangers those around them.
Traits like fear and indecision in characters like Young-mi and Min-su culminate in tragic outcomes and critical blunders.

The popular television series Squid Game revolves around lethal games where players risk their lives for substantial monetary rewards. Despite their initial ignorance regarding the brutal nature of the competition, participants must harness bravery to avoid a sudden and often unjust demise.

Unfortunately, many characters exhibit cowardly traits that not only lead to their downfall but also endanger their teammates. This article will delve into the most cowardly players from the series, whose actions exemplify the consequences of fear in high-stakes scenarios.

8 Cho Sang-Woo

A Distinctive Form of Cowardice

Player: 218
Death: One Lucky Day (Season 1, Episode 9)

Cho Sang-woo may initially appear to lack cowardly traits, yet his insidious cunning unveils a troubling aspect of his character. His history of defrauding clients and leveraging his mother’s shop as collateral exemplifies his inherent selfishness.

Throughout the games, Sang-woo engages in treachery, manipulating allies for personal gain. His cold-blooded actions include pushing a fellow contestant to their death and murdering the wounded Kang Sae-byeok. Ultimately, Sang-woo’s desperation culminates in his own suicide after being outplayed by Gi-Hun, illustrating how fear-driven cunning can mask true cowardice.

7 Park Yong Sik

Endangering His Mother

Player: 007
Still alive

Introduced in Season 2, Park Yong-Sik appears brave for participating in the games alongside his elderly mother, Jang Geum-ja. However, beneath this facade lies a man overwhelmed by gambling debts and haunted by fear of loan sharks, driving him to put their lives at stake.

His cowardice is starkly evident when he fails to rescue Geum-ja during a critical moment, leaving her vulnerable and requiring intervention from Gi-Hun and Oh Young-il for survival.

6 Seon Nyeo

A “Shaman” Overreliant on Divinity

Player: 044
Still alive

Seon-Nyeo, a character characterized by her claimed shamanistic powers, initially projects strength but crumbles under pressure, revealing her true nature. During the Six-Legged Pentathlon, she falters dramatically in a critical game and resorts to tears and prayer instead of taking action, a cowardly choice that jeopardizes her teammates.

Post-failure, despite her attempts to maintain an authoritative facade, her credibility plummets, and she struggles to regain the respect of her peers.

5 Jang Deok Su

Concealing Cowardice Behind Brutality

Player: 101
Death: VIPS (Season 1, Episode 7)

Jang Deok-Su embodies a vicious persona, having committed multiple murders while in the games. This ruthless exterior, however, masks his deep-seated cowardice, notably when he pleads for mercy during Red Light, Green Light and freezes at the sight of danger in Glass Stepping Stones.

His cowardly nature further precipitates his downfall when faced with Han Mi-nyeo, leading to both of their ends in a tragic culmination of fear-driven failure.

4 Kang Dae-Ho

Trauma That Compromised the Rebellion

Player: 388
Still alive

With Season 2 concluding midway through its narrative arc, characters such as Kang Dae-ho leave viewers questioning his background and potential PTSD. During a pivotal rebellion led by Gi-Hun, Kang is overcome by anxiety, succumbing to a panic attack that paralyzes him from aiding his allies.

This critical lapse in judgment contributes significantly to the rebellion’s failure, resulting in tragic losses of life that could have been avoided had he acted decisively.

3 Kim Young-Mi

Longing for Safety

Player: 095
Death: O X (Season 2, Episode 6)

Kim Young-mi represents the naive contestants unaware of the deadly game format they embraced. Her timidity and desire to escape become evident as she attempts to vote for her departure and often expresses a longing to return home.

Despite rallying with fellow players and forming close relationships, Young-mi’s fate turns tragic when she meets her end due to an unforeseen mishap in the games, illustrating the stark randomness permeating the tournament.

2 Kang Mi-Na

A Single Moment of Panic

Player: 196
Death: 001 (Season 2, Episode 3)

The unpredictable nature of the Squid Game series is exemplified by the character of Kang Mi-na, who appeared poised for prominence in Season 2. However, an unexpected encounter with a bee results in her sudden and tragic demise during a crucial moment, causing confusion and chaos among the remaining players.

Her death serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of life within the games, as it catalyzes a wave of panic leading to further tragedies.

1 Park Min-Su

A Pushover Lacking Resolve

Player: 125
Still alive

Park Min-Su epitomizes the ultimate coward. His submissive demeanor leads him to align with bullies Thanos and Nam-gyu throughout Season 2, losing his moral compass in the process. Surprisingly, the only character who treats him with kindness is Se-mi, who attempts to protect him.

In a shocking display of cowardice, he betrays her during a critical moment and later hesitates, missing the opportunity to save her from harm. His passive nature contributes to her tragic demise, cementing his position as one of the most despised characters in the series.

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