summation
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Ilnam could be the frontman's father due to his milk scenes and participation in the game. (Character: Inho, Ilnam)
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Fans theorize that Ilnam may be Kihoon's father based on similar scenes and regional connections. (Characters: Kihoon, Ilnam)
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Theories about the character's connection to Ilnam add depth to Squid games and keep fans engaged. (Character: Various)
Over the years, there have been many theories put forward by fans regarding: squid game And that character. In the second season, the frontman entered the game himself and became a more prominent character, giving fans a deeper look into his past and family. His only confirmed blood relation is to his older brother Jun-ho, but many believe he could also be related to someone else on the show, namely a key character from the first season.
The theory revolves around Ilnam being secretly the frontman's father. There are several other signs that fans have pointed to this discovery, which makes it a plausible theory for the game's leaders. Next is squid game theory.
This article contains spoilers for Season 2 of Squid Games.

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Is Ilnam the father of a stooge in the squid game?
break the theory
The reason many fans theorize that Il-Nam may actually be In-Ho's (frontman) father comes from a few scenes in Season 1 and Season 2. After Season 2 was released in December 2024, fans began speculating. This theory was created based on what they know about both characters.
In Season 1, there is a scene where Ki-hoon and Il-nam become friends throughout the game and have to choose between regular milk and chocolate milk. Ki-hoon chooses chocolate milk, and Ilnam says this to Ki-hoon.
I'm sure you got beaten up a lot as a kid. So did my son. He was just like you, friend.
In one scene in season 2, In-ho, also known as the frontman, drinks white milk and decides to give it to Jun-hee instead. He tells her that he doesn't drink white milk, which led many people to connect this scene with Ki-hoon and Il-nam's scene. The original theory for this connection involved a mistranslation of the caption, but the correct translation could still hint at the possibility of Ilnam being related to the frontman.
Is this theory valid?
Could this actually be implemented into the story?
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In-ho and Il-nam's sons both seem to dislike milk.
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Both men are deeply involved in the game.
The original theory led fans to believe that Ilnam's son and the frontman were both lactose intolerant, but even the correct translation could still imply a connection. The front man, or In-ho, essentially means he doesn't like milk, and Il-nam tells Ki-hoon: Ilnam hints that the problem was often caused by his son choosing chocolate milk instead of his usual milk. The actual explanation makes this theory less likely, but it could still be implemented into the story and appear in season 3.
This theory is also made more plausible by the fact that Ilnam was the original creator of the game and Inho had already become the front man linking the two after winning in 2015. It is possible that In-ho did not know that Il-nam was his father because he lived a difficult life trying to make a living and find a wife before participating in the Olympics. Even if it turns out that Ilnam is not the father, it is highly likely that he felt a special bond with Inho because he gave Inho the opportunity to save his wife by winning a profit by participating in the Olympics. And soon after winning, he decided to continue the legacy of the game as a frontman. Especially since his wife did not survive.

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Other theories surrounding Ilnam
Could he be another player's father?
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Possibility of connection between Ki-hoon and Il-nam
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A hint that Ki-hoon, who hates milk, may be Il-nam's son.
There is also another theory related to Ilnam. Ki-hoon's father instead. Kihoon's father, like the frontman, was never mentioned on the broadcast, so many have pieced together a few moments that could hint at the possibility.
In particular, some fans analyzed the same scene from Season 1 related to milk. Il-nam says that Ki-hoon is like his son, as he also got spanked for not liking white milk, so there are many theories that this could imply that Il-nam may actually be Ki-hoon's father and not the front man's father. Late in the first season, the two realize they are from the same area and grew up playing the same children's games.
Although this theory is plausible, not very strong Another reason is that if Kihoon tries to hit his father, he will have memories of what his father was like. Both theories have interesting origins and prove that fans are always looking for little Easter eggs and meaning, even if the chances of either theory being proven true are very slim. However, there's still a chance it could come true in Season 3, which is scheduled to release in late 2025.

- release date
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September 17, 2021
- cast
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Ha-jun Wi, Anupam Tripathi, Young-soo Oh, Seong-tae Heo, Hae-soo Park, Ho-yeon Jeong, Jeong-jae Lee, Ju-ryeong Kim
- season
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2
- showrunner
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Donghyuk Hwang