- This article is about the characters. For the episode, see VIPS (episode).
The VIPs are a collection of rich men who observe the Squid Games as spectators. They wear golden masks resembling various animals. These masked men place bets on players of the Squid Games, in hopes to make more money. The majority of the VIPs appear to be American, though one; the Deer-Masked VIP, speaks with a Chinese accent; the Eagle-Masked VIP, speaks with a French accent.
History
The VIPs were all originally clients of Oh Il-nam and his financial firm. At some point they, bored of their life of wealth and luxury, got together and set up the Squid Game as a way of entertaining themselves. The VIPs used their capital to help fund the game so Il-nam and his guards had everything they needed to set Squid Game up properly.
Midway through the 33rd Squid Game, the VIPs all arrived on the island to watch the Squid Game in person. They were greeted by Front Man, as Il-nam was unable to attend himself on account of secretly participating in the game as one of the players. The VIPs all observed the seventh round of the game, in which the 16 remaining players had to cross a bridge littered with tempered glass tiles and regular glass tiles that would shatter if stepped on and they would fall to their deaths.
Hwang Jun-ho manages to intercept the showing of the glass bridge disguised as a waiter whom he had knocked out earlier where he is forced to sit next to the VIP wearing a Leopard Mask where he begins to flirt with Jun-ho. The VIP orders Jun-ho to take off his mask, but in order to not be discovered, instead offers to "go somewhere private" with him. Once they're both alone, the VIP attempts to rape Jun-ho, but Jun-ho holds him at gun-point and is forced to reveal everything he knows while Jun-ho records him. Jun-ho then knocks him out before escaping and the VIP is eventually discovered by a masked guard.
They would later observe the final round of the game, in which Gi-hun and Sang-woo had to compete in a game of "Squid Game" to see who would be the winner. When Gi-hun beat Sang-woo, but stopped short of winning and attempted to end the game, the VIPs all reacted in disbelief. However, after Sang-woo killed himself to allow Gi-hun to win, the VIPs all left the island to return home. It is unknown they are either disappointed or satisfied with another successful and entertaining game. Probably they are becoming silent after disappointed knowing Gi-hun was stopped the game and refused the prize money.
The VIPs watching Player 360 dying.
Notable VIPs
VIP 1 (Lion Mask VIP)
VIP 1 (Portrayed by John D. Michaels), also known as the Lion Mask VIP, is the first of the VIPs attending the Squid Games hosted by Oh Il-nam. He and VIP 2 taunted VIP 4 for often betting on the wrong contestants, such as Player 069 and Player 096. At first, during the final game, Squid Game, he, along with the other VIPs, were disappointed when Player 456, Seong Gi-hun, wanted to forfeit the prize money and end the game so that he would not have to kill his childhood friend, Cho Sang-woo. However, they become either disappointed or satisfied when Sang-woo killed himself, due to Sang-woo knowing that Gi-hun would help his mother.
VIP 2 (Bull Mask VIP)
VIP 2 (Portrayed by Daniel C. Kennedy), also known as the Bull Mask VIP, is the second of the VIPs attending the Squid Games hosted by Oh Il-nam. He and VIP 1 taunted VIP 4 for often betting on the wrong contestants, such as Player 069 and Player 096. At first, during the final game, Squid Game, he, along with the other VIPs, were disappointed when Player 456, Seong Gi-hun, wanted to forfeit the prize money and end the game so that he would not have to kill his childhood friend, Cho Sang-woo. However, they become either disappointed or satisfied when Sang-woo killed himself, knowing that Gi-hun would help his mother.
VIP 4 (Panther Mask VIP)
VIP 4 unmasked
VIP 4 (Portrayed by Geoffrey Giuliano), also known as the Panther Mask VIP, is the fourth of the VIPs attending the Squid Games hosted by Oh Il-nam. At first, he bets a million bucks on Player 069 being the victor. However, after 069 commits suicide from the trauma of his wife's murder, he bets on Player 096, who is the first to fall to his death during Glass Stepping Stones. After this, he exploits a waiter to follow him to a secluded area and orders him to unmask himself. He then takes off his clothes and tries to rape him. However, the waiter attacks him and pulls out a gun, holding him at gunpoint. The waiter then his records him with his phone and asks what he knows about the game. The VIP is later discovered unconscious but alive by a guard. He is never seen again afterwards.
VIP 5 (Eagle Mask VIP)
VIP 5 (Portrayed by Stephen Mot),
Appearances
| Episode One | Episode Two | Episode Three | Episode Four | Episode Five | Episode Six | Episode Seven | Episode Eight | Episode Nine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Trivia
Squid Game VIP Actor Reacts To 'Bad Acting' Complaints
- The acting of the VIPs was described as bizarre portrayals of ‘depraved rich Western men’.
- However, a few of the actors that portrayed the VIPs stated that they were specifically told by director Hwang Dong-hyuk to act as such. They were also far apart, and had to shout at each other so everyone could hear the lines. Actor for VIP 4, Geoffrey Giuliano also offered to rewrite the lines for the VIPs, but was told that there was no time.[2]
- Additionally, Dong-hyuk told him not to ad lib, which he usually did while acting.[2]
References
