Upamanyu Biswas
Although Netflix’s ‘Squid Game‘ primarily centers on the exploits of the players involved in the twisted games, one of the intriguing storylines explored in season 3 centers on No-Eul (Guard 11), one of the pink uniform-wearing guards first introduced in season 2. In the third season, No-Eul takes a more active role in the narrative as she kickstarts a secret plan into motion, one involving a contestant from the main group of players. This puts her in the crosshairs of danger, forcing her to come up with an elaborate conspiracy to stay one step ahead of the rest. However, the obstacles in her path ramp up by the end, leading her towards increasingly unsurvivable conditions. Despite these struggles, her fate rests in her own hands as she faces a difficult choice, one that could decide whether she lives or dies. SPOILERS AHEAD.
No-Eul Chooses to Live After Seeing Player 456’s Sacrifice
At the end of season 3, No-Eul returns to the island on the boat even though she can escape with Park Gyeong-Seok (Player 246). She goes back mainly because the masked officer figures out the truth behind Player 246’s identity, meaning that he could track Gyeong-Seok even on the mainland. To that end, No-Eul realizes she has no option but to confront the man. She reenters the island discreetly and ambushes the masked officer in his office. She forces him to erase all records of Gyeong-Seok before engaging him in a fight, during which she kills the man. Subsequently, she heads to the archive room to burn all physical files of players and guards alike. With her work complete, she sits down on a sofa and points the gun at her head, seemingly choosing suicide. However, a miracle on-screen changes her mind at the last second – Seong Gi-Hun’s selfless sacrifice.
As No-Eul’s faith in humanity is completely broken, seeing Gi-Hun throw himself to his death to save a baby’s life sparks a fire of hope in her heart. Having lost all touch with her daughter years ago, No-Eul has been suffering in silence for a long time and sees no end to her torment. Additionally, her role in the game showed her the worst side of humanity on display, especially when it comes to people killing one another for the sake of their profit. This is exacerbated even further because of her North Korean roots, which likely exposed her to another brutal regime where human life is discarded regularly. These factors may have contributed to her decision to die, thereby bringing an end to her suffering. It also allows her to go out on a high because she has just saved Player 246’s life and likely reunited him with his ailing daughter.
The pain in No-Eul’s life comes from her belief that no matter what, she has no way of meeting her daughter again. However, she needs to be reminded of the good side of humanity to restore her faith again. This is where Gi-Hun’s sacrifice leaves an indelible mark on her psyche. Watching him give up his own life and the chance to win incredible riches for the sake of another’s baby shows No-Eul that despite what she might believe in her heart, good people still exist in the world, and hope is a commodity worth fighting for. In a world where things are unfair and bad deeds go unpunished, Gi-Hun’s decision illustrates the goodness of humanity and the capacity for kindness and sacrifice in everyone. Thus, in an indirect way, Gi-Hun ends up saving two lives with his death – Jun-Hee’s baby and No-Eul.
No-Eul’s Newfound Faith is Repaid Through a Positive Surprise
After returning to the mainland, No-Eul resumes living an everyday life. Six months after the games, she stops by Park Gyeong-Seok’s art stall, where she gets her portrait made. He does not recognize her because she wore her pink guard uniform when saving him from the island. However, she sees him live a happy life with his daughter, who is now cured and healthy. On her way back to the car, No-Eul receives a phone call from Park Man-Cheol from South Men, North Women, who gives her the startling news that her daughter may have been spotted in China. He tells her to be cautiously optimistic, stating that while it may not be guaranteed, it looks like her daughter has been found. Upon hearing his words, No-Eul stops the car, forced to take a moment to absorb the information.
It is no mystery that No-Eul’s greatest desire is to be reunited with her daughter. As such, the news of the latter being found naturally fills her with an unmatched sense of elation and jubilance. It also reaffirms her decision on the island to survive and keep living her life no matter how bleak circumstances may seem at the moment. Thus, the news of her daughter can almost be seen as her faith being repaid and her finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. While she filled her empty heart with a momentary sense of purpose by focusing on saving Park Gyeong-Seok and his daughter, the only thing that ever mattered to her more than anything was finding her daughter. Thus, as the finale nears its end and we witness No-Eul boarding her plane to China, we can safely assume she will find her daughter and lead a happy life moving forward.
Read More: Does Player 125 Die in Squid Game Season 3?
