The Squid Game hidden link to its namesake animal that you probably missed

From the very start, Squid Game makes its name known, and quite literally. While the title is indeed a nod to the childhood game that frames the final showdown in Season 1, its connection to the squid runs deeper than mere nostalgia. It's also biological.

Squids are masters of camouflage and survival, creatures that can change their appearance to fit their environment. Whether to blend in with their surroundings or to wow predators with colorful displays, this crucial feature allows the squid more chances of survival. From the frantic tactics of the players to the strict hierarchy of the guards, these characteristics are reflected and woven into the very fabric of Squid Game. More than just a metaphor, the squid is a guide to understanding the show’s hidden depths.

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Camouflage and deception — Adapting to survive

Think you can trust what you see? Think again. Squids are natural illusionists. They use the change of colors and camouflage to slip past predators or stalk prey. Squids and other cephalopods are walking (or swimming) mood rings.

Their skin hides chromatophores, which are pigment-packed cells connected to tiny muscle fibers. By flexing and relaxing these fibers, they can shift colors and patterns in real-time, blending seamlessly into their surroundings. They can also choose to stand out when it's their turn to dazzle or intimidate. Nature’s ultimate shapeshifters turn survival into an art form.

In Squid Game, survival depends on a similar sleight of hand. Players hide behind alliances, betrayals, and quick thinking, constantly adapting to avoid elimination.

Take the first game, "Red Light, Green Light." In it, players dart and freeze, using others as human shields to stay out of sight, much like squids blending into coral reefs. But just like in nature, blending in only works for so long before the predator strikes. The question isn’t whether to hide. It's more about how long you can stay invisible before being exposed.

And what about the guards? Their identical uniforms and geometric masks (with symbols that represent the body of the squid) are their version of camouflage. With this, they get stripped of individuality and turned into faceless enforcers. But does that anonymity make them predators or prey?

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Ink and illusions — Smoke screens and manipulation

Ever seen a squid escape danger by releasing a cloud of ink? It’s a perfect distraction, leaving predators floundering in confusion. Fun and interesting fact is their ink is a safe additive used in food. While it helps the animal, it's also good for us. Nature is incredible, right?

In Squid Game, manipulation works the same way. The games, the rules, and even the vibrant colors act as smoke screens, hiding the deeper systems of control at play. The recruiters, the Front Man, and the VIPs are masters of this psychological ink. They dangle choices in front of the players. Red envelope or blue? Play or die? Stop the games, or keep on going? However, “choices” are traps disguised as freedom. The deeper you swim, the harder it is to tell whether that is a real choice or the fruit of manipulation.

The pink soldiers add another layer to this illusion. Their color shifts between pink, red, and magenta depending on the light. Just like a squid’s skin. Add to that the fact that magenta isn’t even a “real” color; it’s a spectrum, an illusion created by light. It’s no wonder the guards feel both ever-present and strangely out of reach, blurring the line between predator and puppet.

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Tentacles of power — Control from the shadows

A squid doesn’t just rely on camouflage. Its tentacles can grab, trap, and crush prey with terrifying precision. Once more, Squid Game mirrors its namesake animal visually in its narrative. The squid's anatomy is reflected in its hierarchy.

The Pink Soldiers are split into three ranks, each marked by a geometric shape that mirrors a part of the squid’s body.

Circles — The workers. Like the squid’s head, they process orders without question, acting as the nervous system of the operation.

Triangles — The enforcers. They’re the tentacles. Fast, dangerous, and designed to keep prey in line.

Squares — The overseers. They function as the squid’s mantle, orchestrating every movement and ensuring the system runs smoothly.

But just like the squid’s anatomy, this hierarchy isn’t as solid as it seems. Tentacles can act independently, and sometimes, a soldier’s role can blur. Worker, enforcer, or master? Are the guards in control, or are they just trapped in the system? We saw a bit more about them in Squid Game Season 2, especially with a more detailed plot and focus on the character of Kang No-eul.

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Shifting colors — A spectrum of control

Let’s talk about that pink. Or is it red? Or magenta? Much like a squid changing colors to adapt, the guards’ uniforms shift depending on the light, as aforesaid, creating an effect that’s both mesmerizing and unsettling. Magenta, after all, isn’t a real color; it’s a trick of perception. It’s fitting, then, that the guards embody this illusion. Their changing hues reflect the constant shifts in power, alliances, and roles within the game.

Are they predators or prey? Free or trapped? The answer depends on the angle, just like their uniforms. And that is not only applicable to them.

Even the players’ green tracksuits play into this symbolism. Green, a mix of blue and yellow, can suggest humanity (blue) driven by greed and survival (yellow). It’s a reminder that even the players aren’t immune to the manipulations of the system. They’re just wearing a different disguise.

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Predator or prey? — The endless cycle of survival

The squid’s life is a cycle of hunting and being hunted, and Squid Game mirrors this endless loop. Players become predators when they manipulate or eliminate others, but they’re just as easily reduced to prey the moment the tables turn. If once an ally, maybe later the one that can make you get killed—or who can kill you themselves. Guards enforce the rules, but they, too, are prisoners in masks, bound by the same system. Everyone there has invisible strings attached to someone higher in the hierarchy.

Even the VIPs, supposedly above it all, are stuck in their own twisted games, feeding off spectacle and destruction to feel alive. It’s a hierarchy where everyone is either climbing or falling— but never escaping.

Season 2 teases even more layers of this predatory cycle. Will Gi-hun infiltrate the system only to become another cog in the machine? Or can he finally break free? And if survival means becoming the predator, is freedom even possible?

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Conclusion — Unmasking the squid’s secrets

Like the squid it’s named after, Squid Game shifts, adapts, and hides in plain sight with its layers of symbolism. From camouflage and manipulation to colors and hierarchies of power, Squid Game colorfully reflects the harsh realities of survival in systems designed to control.

But the real question isn’t whether the players—or even the guards—can escape the game. It’s whether we, the audience, can step back and recognize the ink-filled illusions in our own lives. After all, Squid Game doesn’t just reveal truths about its characters—it forces us to confront the traps we might already be caught in.