"Squid Game" Season 2 invites a diverse array of participants to the deadly games. The new season will premiere through Netflix on Dec. 26. Courtesy of Netflix

Get ready for a thrilling return to the brutal world of "Squid Game" as Season 2 hits Netflix on Dec. 26.

In the new season, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), the winner from Season 1, is back, seeking retribution. Instead of heading to the U.S., Seong, also known as player 456, voluntarily comes back to the deadly games with a new goal in mind. He once again starts another life-or-death match with new participants gathered to win the hefty prize of 45.6 billion won.

The tension escalates as Seong faces off against the enigmatic Front Man and meets a diverse array of competitors — from LGBTQ+ individuals and victims of cryptocurrency scams. "Squid Game" continues to explore social issues, shedding light on the struggles faced by marginalized groups in a cutthroat environment.

Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) / Courtesy of Netflix

Seong Gi-hun (Player 456)

Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is a character with humanity despite being a debt-ridden man with a bleak life.

In Season 1, driven by his love for his daughter and the news of his mother's critical condition, he risks his life for money, participating in the deadly games. While not always virtuous or perfect, he is a character who grows and matures through his small acts of kindness and altruism.

Once innocent and naive, Gi-hun changes after becoming the winner at the end of Season 1. He now returns to the deadly survival arena again for Season 2, determined to uncover the truth behind the games. He aims to convince other players to opt out and put an end to the bloody competition once and for all.

Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) / Courtesy of Netflix

Hwang In-ho (Front Man)

The shocking reveal of Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun) as the Front Man behind the mystery in Season 1 left viewers stunned. It turned out he was a former winner of the Squid Game.

Lee Byung-hun explained that Season 2 will delve into the Front Man's mysterious past.

"If the Front Man's role in the previous season was primarily to oversee and conduct the game, Season 2 will delve into his backstory, explaining why he participated in the initial game, his thoughts and the reasons behind his starkly different beliefs from Gi-hun. He will also exhibit some enlightening actions," Lee Byung-hun said.

The confrontation between Gi-hun and the Front Man will be the central narrative of Season 2.

Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) / Courtesy of Netflix

Hwang Jun-ho (Front Man's brother)

Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun), an undercover cop, infiltrated the deadly Squid Game by taking the identity of one of the workers, and later as a manager and waiter, to find his brother In-ho, who has been missing for years and believed to have participated in the Squid Game.

Jun-ho uncovers the shocking truth that his brother is the Front Man. After being shot by his brother and presumed dead at the end of Season 1, he returns in Season 2, determined to uncover the truth and end the deadly games. He is a character known for his cold-headedness and charisma.

Salesman (Gong Yoo) / Captured from Netflix Korea's YouTube

Salesman

The Salesman is a Squid Game employee, who recruits players on the Seoul subway system by playing "ddakji," a Korean slap-match game played with folded paper tiles.

Since the Salesman has been a mysterious figure from the show's beginning and always sports an eerie smile, he could be another major flywheel in the system of the games. Season 2 will finally reveal the backstory of the Salesman and how he got associated with the games.

Lee Myung-gi (Yim Si-wan) / Courtesy of Netflix

Lee Myung-gi (Player 333)

Yim Si-wan plays the former cryptocurrency guru and Youtuber "Amazing Myung-gi," who turned fugitive after his investment scheme collapsed, leaving countless fans and himself bankrupt.

To escape his creditors and past, he found himself drawn into the Squid Game. He meets his ex-girlfriend Kim Jun-hee (Player 222), who joins the games to earn a living after losing money in Myung-gi's crypto scheme.

Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun) / Courtesy of Netflix

Thanos (Player 230)

Player 230 is played by T.O.P, a former member of the K-pop group BIGBANG, who now goes by his real name Choi Seung-hyun. Aptly, Player 230 is a retired rapper. After watching Myung-gi's YouTube channel and putting full confidence in him, Thanos went all-in, investing all the money he'd saved in cryptocurrency. But he ended up losing it all, which led him to join the games.

Due to Choi's suspended jail term for drug use, his character Thanos was removed from teasers and posters of "Squid Game" Season 2, fueling speculation about the fate of his character in the series.

Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon) / Courtesy of Netflix

Hyun-ju (Player 120)

Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon) is a former special forces soldier and a transgender woman. She joins the games because she needs money for her gender-affirming surgery. She is strong, decisive and a natural leader who breaks down stereotypes and inspires others.

Yong-sik (Yang Dong-geun) / Courtesy of Netflix

Yong-sik (Player 7)

Yong-sik (Yang Dong-geun), a compulsive gambler, joins the dangerous games to pay off his mounting debts.

He's shocked to discover that his mother, Geum-ja (Player 149), has also entered the games to help him. Though flawed, Yong-sik deeply loves his mother and finds solace in her presence. They form an unlikely alliance, facing the deadly challenges together.

Gyeong-seok (Lee Jin-uk) / Courtesy of Netflix

Gyeong-seok (Player 246)

Gyeong-seok is an ordinary man and father. His young daughter was diagnosed with blood cancer, and he joins the games to pay for her treatment.

Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) / Courtesy of Netflix

Jung-bae (Player 390)

Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) is an old friend of Gi-hun. He is one of the few Season 1 characters returning for the new season. Like Gi-hun, he lost money by gambling. The two share a camaraderie that will likely be tested in Season 2.

Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul) / Courtesy of Netflix

Dae-ho (Player 388)

Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul) is an ex-marine, coming into the games with his over-the-top masculinity and a tough survival strategy. Kang describes his character as "a friendly trickster" who can connect with others slyly. While he may seem macho, his thick layer of armor is simply to protect himself when he's actually pretty fragile.

No-eul (Park Gyu-young) / Courtesy of Netflix

No-eul

No-eul (Park Gyu-young), a former North Korean soldier turned defector, is desperately searching for her daughter whom she was forced to leave behind. Her one and only goal is to reunite with her child and works as a part-time costumed performer in an amusement park to earn the money to find her lost daughter.

Park portrays her character as a person "who is completely consumed by the search for her child, with little regard for anything else."

Seon-nyeo (Chae Kook-hee) / Courtesy of Netflix

Seon-nyeo (Player 44)

Seon-nyeo (Chae Kook-hee) is a shaman known for delivering chilling curses and prophecies to other players, although her spiritual power is waning. In a preview, she ominously informs Gi-hun, "Wandering spirits are sitting on your head."

Her role is expected to bring dark humor to the games' often intense atmosphere.