The second season of Squid Game introduced viewers to new faces as a fresh roster of players participated in the do-or-die games. Aside from returning cast members Lee Jung Jae, Wi Ha Joon, and Lee Byung Hun, the "Red Light, Green Light" doll Younghee also made a reappearance. With her schoolgirl get-up and neat bangs, the killer robot has become synonymous with the show and its sinister depictions.
In a recent interview, production designer Chae Kyoung Sun talked about the inspiration behind the doll, revealing that it was fashioned after her very own daughter.
The Inspiration Behind the "Squid Game" Killer Doll
Kyoung Sun states that having a cutesy child as a "killing machine" aligned with the show's world-building. "I think [creating] the Squid Game world by adopting unpredictable concepts and methods resonated with young people looking for fresh things," she added.
When it came to crafting Younghee's childlike image, the production designer referenced her young daughter's style. "My daughter had a bowl cut for a long time which was very cute, so I decided to draw a very short bang [for Younghee]," she said.
A key element to Younghee's design was her eyes, which had to track down players who would make the mistake of moving once she turned around. "Her eyes are a little crazy," Kyoung Sun explains. "She's a killing machine and the movement of her eyes had to be easy to see, so we made her eyes quite big."
At the end of the second season, audiences were teased by the swift introduction of Chulsu, a male counterpart to Younghee. Without revealing too much, Kyoung Sun describes Chulsu as "a friend [or] a partner" to the young girl.
During a talk show interview in 2021, season one cast member Jung Ho Yeon mentioned that many Korean kids grew up to be familiar with the pair. "When we were at the school, there were two characters—one is a boy, and one is the girl," she shared, acknowledging that Younghee has always had Chulsu as a partner.
We're looking forward to seeing both of them in season three!
Squid Game is currently streaming on Netflix.
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