Squid Game actor Anupam Tripathi responds to fan theories that Ali may have survived the show's events. Premiering on Netflix in 2021, Squid Game quickly became one of the streamer's most popular shows, earning rave reviews from audiences and critics. Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game tells the story of a group of poor South Korean citizens who voluntarily participate in a series of deadly children's games to win a big prize pool.
While the central character of Squid Game is Lee Jung-jae's Seong Gi-hun, the show includes many supporting characters, but almost all of them are eliminated at various points in the series. Among the supporting cast members is Tripathi's Ali Abdul, aka Player 199. Ali quickly forms an alliance with Gi-hun and makes it alive through the first, second, and third games. During the fourth game, however, when Ali is paired with Park Hae-soo's Cho Sang-woo for a game of marbles, Ali's trusting nature allows him to be tricked out of his remaining marbles, and he is then seemingly shot and killed off-screen by one of Squid Game's red-clad guards.
In a new interview with Gold Derby, Tripathi responds to fan theories that Ali may still be alive, revealing that he hopes they're right. While expressing gratitude for the heartwarming response his character has generated from fans, Tripathi explains that he's excited to see what Dong-hyuk comes up with for season 2, even if it doesn't include Ali's return. That said, he's still holding out that maybe Ali somehow managed to survive. Check out Tripathi's full comment about the Ali fan theories below:
"I have heard about it. People love the character, they associate with that character. And when they say, 'Ali deserved better,' and 'Ali deserves justice,' it feels like they still believe in humanity.
"I read all those theories, you know, it's funny. They want me back in season 2. But I always keep, like, let's hope for what the directors' or the writers' imagination would be. I think that kind of space you have to give to them because we know I am like a lot of characters who are dead, and let's see what happens next.
"I am really hopeful for everything. Let's hope for the good thing."
While Tripathi would seem to be just as in the dark as fans are regarding Ali's fate, the actor is open to a return if the story allows for it. While Squid Game didn't shy away from killing off beloved characters in gruesome ways, Ali's death was particularly brutal due to the character's kindness and naivety. Although Ali's death scene did seem pretty conclusive, Squid Game pulled a similar fake-out with Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su), with that character being shot off-screen only to reappear in the finale with the reveal that he was the one responsible for creating the game.
It's unclear if Ali will be making a return in Squid Game season 2, but the precedent established by the show with Oh Il-nam suggests it's not outside the realm of possibility. Of course, if Ali somehow survives, the show risks making a habit out of fake-out deaths, which The Walking Dead was heavily criticized for in season 6 with Glenn's infamous dumpster survival storyline. While it remains to be seen if Ali will be returning for Squid Game season 2, Tripathi is happy that his character has struck a chord with viewers and is hopeful for the show's future.
Source: Gold Derby