Squid Game actor Anupam Tripathi responds to fan theories that Ali could have survived the events of the show. Premiere on Netflix in 2021 Squid Game quickly became one of the most popular shows of streamers, receiving rave reviews from viewers and critics. The Squid Game, created by Hwang Dong Hyuk, tells the story of a group of poor South Korean citizens who volunteer to participate in a series of deadly children’s games to win a large prize pool.
Although the central character of Squid Game is Song Gi Hoon Lee Jung Jae, there are many minor characters in the series, but almost all of them are excluded at different points in the series. Among the supporting actors is Ali Abdul from Tripathi, also known as Player 199. Ali quickly makes an alliance with Gi-hoon and revives him in the first, second and third games. However, during the fourth game, when Ali is paired with Park Hae-soo’s Cho Sang-woo for a game of marbles, Ali’s gullible nature allows him to be tricked out of the remaining marbles, and then he is apparently shot. The screen of one of the red-clad Squid Game guards.
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In a new Gold Derby interview, Tripathi responds to fan theories that Ali may still be alive, revealing that he hopes they are true. Expressing gratitude for the heartfelt fan response his character has generated, Tripathi explains that he is excited about what Dong Hyuk is coming up with for the second season, even if it doesn’t include Ali’s return. However, he still insists that maybe Ali somehow managed to survive. Check out Tripathi’s full commentary on Ali’s fan theories below:
“I’ve heard about it. People like this character, they associate with this character. And when they say, “Ali deserved better” and “Ali deserves justice,” it seems that they still believe in humanity.
“I’ve read all these theories, you know, it’s funny. They want me to come back in the second season. We have to give them, because we know that I’m like a lot of characters who are dead, and let’s see what happens next.
“I really hope for everything. Let’s hope for the good.”
While Tripathi seems to be as much in the dark as the fans about Ali’s fate, the actor is open to returning if history allows it. While Squid Game didn’t shy away from killing beloved characters in gruesome ways, Ali’s death was especially brutal because of the character’s kindness and naivety. Although Ali’s death scene did seem convincing, Squid Game pulled a similar fake with Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeon-soo), where this character was shot off-screen only to reappear in the finale, revealing that he was the one responsible for creating the game.
It is unclear whether Ali will return in the second season of “The Squid Game,” but the precedent set by the series with O Il-nam suggests that this is not beyond the realm of possibility. Of course, if Ali somehow survives, the show risks making a habit of fake deaths, for which “The Walking Dead” was sharply criticized in season 6 with Glenn’s infamous storyline about surviving in a trash can. Although it is not yet known whether Ali will return in season 2 of the Squid Game, Tripathi is happy that his character has found a response from the audience, and hopes for the future of the show.
