Why did Player 456 not board the plane?

As a passionate gamer and content creator, I was as shocked as anyone when Seong Gi-hun (Player 456) declined to board the plane to see his daughter after winning the brutal Squid Game competition in the buzzworthy finale.

After 9 episodes of gory action, the show‘s protagonist turned his back on family for a surprise act of defiance. But why? As someone immersed in gaming culture, I feel compelled to unpack the deeper meaning behind this subversive ending.

By the Numbers – The Scale of the Deadly Game

To appreciate Gi-hun‘s motivations, we must first understand the sheer human cost of the games he survived:

As the sole victor, Gi-hun won over $38 million after witnessing 455 people die playing children‘s games for cash prizes. This traumatic ordeal leaves the once addicted gambler a profoundly changed man.

The Red Hair – A Symbol of Vengeful Fury

The new red hair Gi-hun sports serves as a potent visual motif – representing the anger coursing through him after his exploits. As actor Lee Jung-jae explains "I imagined being him and thought to myself, ‘What is the color that you would never choose to dye your hair? Then I came to the conclusion that Gi-hun would never dye his hair red."

This color symbolizes Gi-hun‘s lust for retaliation against the mysterious hosts and his refusal to quietly return to his previous deadbeat existence.

Abandoning His Daughter – Shocking Yet Believable

While audiences were shocked Gi-hun did not board the plane to America to reunite with his daughter, this reaction aligns perfectly with his characterization both before and within the games:

• Pre-games – Gi-hun was a gambling addict and absent father who neglected his child
• In-games – He forms almost paternal bonds with elderly Player 001 and tough female Player 067
• Games aftermath – He now feels obligated to avenge his fallen comrades including 001 and 067

Based on Gi-hun‘s established backstory and relationships, his refusal to see his daughter feels consistent with his motivations – especially with revenge and responsibility now driving the shell-shocked survivor.

Fan Theories – Is Gi-hun Related to Other Players?

Befitting such an enigmatic ending, Squid Game viewers have already spawned numerous theories about Gi-hun and other characters:

• Some believe Player 001 (the old man) was actually Gi-hun‘s father – explaining their bond
• Other theorists speculate the game‘s Front Man could secretly be Gi-hun‘s missing brother
• Perhaps Gi-hun only "won" as he was secretly related to the game‘s evil Host/001, allowing for a shocking Season 2 twist…

While still unproven, these theories underline the intricacy of storytelling that attracted global audiences to this Korean phenomenon.

There are so many seductive possibilities about the world and characters as we await the second season.

Final Thoughts – Trauma, Guilt and Responsibility

As someone who analyses games for a living, I believe Seong Gi-hun‘s character arc across Squid Game makes his finale decision comprehensible, even logical – given the trauma he must overcome.

Winning the prize money has not "freed" this gaming addict from his demons, it has created new ones – survivor‘s guilt chief among them. Gi-hun is compelled by guilt, grief and duty to avenge his fellow players by toppling the organization behind the games.

Boarding the plane as if nothing happened would force him to suppress his trauma, guilt and responsibility – notions that define his new identity forged from the furnace of the games. He physically cannot resume his previous life.

The brilliance of creator Hwang Dong-hyuk lies in challenging the audience to emotionally invest in Gi-hun‘s distorted justifications. And the masterstroke finale wisely leaves his moral status provocatively ambiguous leading into Season 2.

Has the once negligent father been redeemed – or does his quest for vengeance instead cement his complex antihero status? I for one cannot wait to see the next stage of Gi-hun‘s descent down the rabbit hole when Squid Game returns.