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The story of Ali Abdul from Squid Game.
Background[]
Ali is a migrant worker from Pakistan. While his parents and younger siblings remained in his country, Ali moved to the city of Ansan in South Korea along with his wife and their baby, to try a better life and earn money.
In 2020, Ali is a 33-year-old man and works at a factory in South Korea for a greedy employer, who does not pay him for months, claiming that he doesn't have the money to pay his workers. Needing the money to sustain his wife and his one-year-old son, Ali joined the 33rd Squid Game along with other 455 players. After being put to sleep and taken by the staff to the island where the games happen, he was designated the number "199" and the masked workers dressed him in his player uniform before the beginning of the games.
Squid Game[]
"Red Light, Green Light"[]
After being taken to the Squid Game island, Ali is first seen with other players in the dormitory, before the first game. Ali asks the masked men which kind of games they will be playing, but the manager replies that they cannot disclose any information prior to the games to keep the fairness in the competition.
Ali saves Gi-hun during the first game.
The first game happens in a room constructed to resemble a field and is revealed to be Red Light, Green Light. The players have 5 minutes to cross the finish line without being caught by a giant motion sensor doll. During this game, Ali is among the players that survives after they found out that whoever loses is killed, as they realize that the participants whose movements are caught by the giant doll are immediately shot by guns placed in many small openings on the high walls of the location. Near the end of the game, Seong Gi-hun runs towards the finish line with his eyes fixed on his childhood best friend Cho Sang-woo, who is already safe behind the line. Because of this, Gi-hun trips on a corpse and is almost caught by the giant doll's motor sensor during the next "red light", but Ali grabs him before he falls to the ground. Ali holds Gi-hun up with one hand and they both manage to stay still to prevent their movements from being detected. Just before the game is over, the doll says "green light" and they are allowed to move again. Ali and Gi-hun run and jump, crossing the finish line together as the timer expires and landing in front of a surprised Sang-woo, who saw everything from behind the line.
"Hell"[]
Following the first game, players are once again in the dormitory. They are all silent while sitting on the ground and Ali is seen nearby Gi-hun and Sang-woo. Gi-hun thanks both Ali and Sang-woo for helping him survive the first game. Ali says he is happy that Gi-hun survived. The masked staff arrives and announces that 255 players were eliminated and 201 remain in the competition. After witnessing half of the players die in the Red Light, Green Light, most players are terrified and beg the masked staff to let them go. Sang-wo reminds the staff that according to the third clause of the Squid Game consent form, the competition will be terminated if the majority agrees. Before the players cast their votes, the staff announces that 25.5 billion of prize money was accumulated from the first game, revealing that the final prize will be ₩45.6 billion. However, if they quit the games, all the money will go to the families of the deceased players, and living players will be left with nothing. Even after seeing all the money accumulated in the piggy bank, Ali firmly votes in favor of the termination of the games. Along with Ali, the majority votes to stop the games and they are terminated, unless the majority later decides to play again.
Sang-woo helps Ali in Seoul.
With the games terminated, the staff drops Ali with Sang-woo on the street at night, with both only wearing their underclothes. While they are dressing themselves, Ali wonders where they are, and Sang-woo replies that they are in Yeouido, which is located in the center of the city of Seoul. Ali asks Sang-woo to borrow his phone to make a call. Stopping by a store to recharge the phone, Sang-woo buys ramyeon for himself and Ali. After checking the phone, Sang-woo lends it to Ali. Afterwards, Ali leaves the store and says goodbye to him. Sang-woo stops him, recalling that Ali mentioned living in another city (Ansan) but couldn't even pay for his own food, concluding that Ali has no money to go home. Ali says he will walk, but Sang-woo offers Ali some money for him to take a bus. Ali is hesitant to accept because he has no money to pay Sang-woo back. Sang-woo insists, saying that Ali doesn't need to pay him back. Ali then accepts the money and becomes grateful to Sang-woo for it. Sang-woo accepts the gratitude but asks Ali to stop calling him "sir/boss" ("sajangnim").
Ali fights his boss and accidentally causes his fingers to be crushed by a rolling machine.
Returning to the factory he works, Ali goes to his boss' office and demands his salary. Ali complains that he could not treat his injured fingers because he had no money for a hospital as the employer has not been paying for six months. Ali tells him that he needs the money to leave the country and go home. The boss says that business is going bad and he has no money to pay any of the workers. As the boss tries to dismiss him, Ali sees him grabbing an envelope with money. Ali follows him and they struggle for the envelope. The fight results in the employer accidentally having his right fingers crushed by a rolling machine. Ali is shocked by this, but then takes the chance to grab the envelope and run away.
Ali with his wife and child.
Ali later reunites with his young wife and son. After receiving the envelope from Ali, his wife questions where he got the money. Ali tells her to use the money to buy tickets for a flight to return to Pakistan with their baby right away. When she asks if he is not coming home with her, Ali says he will go after finishing his job in Korea. Ali's wife notices something is wrong, but Ali asks her to trust him and not ask questions for now. Ali's wife cries, so he embraces her and their child, saying that he loves them.
With no other option to help his family, at night on June 23, Ali waits for the Squid Game staff to take him away to rejoin the games. At 12 p.m. sharp, a passenger van being driven by a masked worker appears. Ali gets in the van and is once again put to sleep by gas, before being taken to the Squid Game island.
"The Man with the Umbrella"[]
Ali is invited to join the team Sang-woo and Gi-hun are forming for the next games.
Ali is back in the games with other 186 players. Reencountering the others, Ali greets Gi-hun and Sang-woo, and they are now accompanied by the elder Oh Il-nam. Gi-hun immediately recognizes Ali as his savior from the first game and Ali says he is happy to see him again. Ali then once again thanks Sang-woo for paying his bus in Seoul. When Gi-hun asks what Ali is talking about, Sang-woo explains that Ali was going to walk from Yeouido to Ansan. Gi-hun laughs as he finds this heart-warming, feeling that they get along like comrades from boot camp. Ali wonders what a boot camp is, so Gi-hun tells him that in the military, it is where the soldiers live and train together. With this, Gi-hun proposes they all should form a team for the next games and Sang-woo agrees, so Gi-hun invites Ali to join them. He reminds Sang-woo how strong Ali is. Gi-hun says he was impressed by Ali's strength because he was able to lift him up with only one hand during Red Light, Green Light. Ali happily accepts and thanks them both, but Sang-woo again asks him to stop referring to them as "sir/boss" ("sajangnim"). Il-nam asks to join them too.
Ali eating with his teammates.
After receiving lunch boxes to eat, the team tries to guess what games they will be playing next, and Il-nam says that it might be another old children's game like Red Light, Green Light. As Gi-hun mentions various games that could be next, Ali is disappointed for not recognizing any of them. Upset, he admits to the group that he does not know any of them and tells Gi-hun that children don't play these games in his country. Sang-woo reassures Ali, telling him that the rules of these games are simple, and they will help him if he doesn't know.
Sang-woo gives his breakfast to Ali and then Gi-hun also gives him his milk.
After receiving their breakfast from the masked workers in the following morning, Sang-woo is distracted watching Kang Sae-byeok from afar and Ali notices that he is not eating. Ali asks him why, so Sang-woo replies that he doesn't eat breakfast and gives his wrapped bun to Ali, causing Gi-hun to playfully say that geniuses don't eat much. Gi-hun also gives his drink to Ali because he cannot consume regular milk, then they hear the announcer say that the second game will start soon.
Ali completes the second game.
In the next game, the players enter a playground. The announcer says that they should choose one of the four shapes on the doors and Ali wonders what they mean. After Sang-woo says that their team should split and pick different shapes, Gi-hun turns to Ali and asks what he will choose. Ali replies "dayira" and explains to a confused Gi-hun that it is the circle, which looks like the moon from his hometown. The game is revealed to be Dalgona (Sugar Honeycombs) and Ali is initially confused. After getting his dalgona candy with a circle shape to be extracted, Ali frowns at it. After the announcer says that players have 10 minutes to cut out their shapes without breaking or cracking it, Ali carefully extracts the circle out of his candy by snapping pieces around it. He finishes it around 4 minutes before the game is over. Ali becomes satisfied with the circle he managed to extract and happily shows it to the masked soldier standing next to him. Ali beams as the announcer says that he passed this game. Ali is later seen going down the spiral staircases that lead back to the dormitory, along with other players who survived this game.
"Stick to the Team"[]
Ali and Sang-woo see Gi-hun and Il-nam returning from the second game.
After the second game, Ali is seen with Sang-woo in the dormitory while they wait for Il-nam and Gi-hun to return from the second game. As Il-nam and Gi-hun enter the dormitory, Ali says he was worried and is happy that they both survived. Gi-hun assures Ali that he won't die so easily. Ali asks if Il-nam is fine and the old man replies that he survived thanks to Gi-hun. Following this, they all hear the announcer say that 79 players were eliminated in this round, and witness ₩7.9 billion being added to the piggy bank. With this, 108 players remain in the games.
Ali hears as Sang-woo advises the team to stay awake and be prepared for an attack from Deok-su's gang.
During lunch time, the workers serve each player only hard-boiled egg and a glass bottled soda. Ali and his teammates receive their lunch and sit down together to eat, however, a few players don't receive any food because the gangster Jang Deok-su and his gang get in line twice to eat more. Ali and the others witness when Player 271 confronts Deok-su, but ends up being beaten to death by him. This causes everyone to find out that there is no punishment for contestants killing each other in between games as 271's death is simply added to the eliminated players and more money is added to the piggy bank. Then, two masked men enter the dormitory carrying a coffin to take away the player's body. Afterwards, 30 minutes before the lights out, Ali is reunited with his team. Fearing what Deok-su and his group will do after the lights go out, Sang-woo advises the others of their team that they should not sleep tonight, they should be together and prepare for an attack from the gang. Sang-woo tells Ali to stay with them if something happens. When the lights go out, Ali is seen lying awake on his bed, preparing for what will happen next.
Ali protects his team during the special game.
After the lights go out, Deok-su and his gang start to murder players to eliminate the competition in the games, causing a situation where no player is safe. As the lights start to flicker on and off, Gi-hun is attacked by Player 413, who is using a part of the bed as a weapon, but Ali and Sang-woo appear to save him. Ali holds 413's metal bar from the top of a bunk, while Sang-woo grabs the bar and attacks 413 to keep him away from Gi-hun. When 413 lands a punch on Sang-woo, Ali pushes the attacker away. With 413 gone, the trio notices that Il-nam is missing and start to search for him. While doing it, Gi-hun is attacked by Player 113. Sang-woo attacks 113 to defend Gi-hun, while Ali pushes 113 away from them. They reach Il-nam's bed and don't find him. Then, Sae-byeok, who is being pursued by Deok-su and his group, seeks Gi-hun and Sang-woo's team for protection. This causes the two teams to fight. While Deok-su's team confronts them, Ali appears holding a huge metal beam and swings it to keep Deok-su's gang away from their team. As the two teams face each other in a standoff, they all spot Il-nam pleading the players to stop killing each other from the top of a high bunk, before the masked staff appears to end the riot.
Ali with his team after the special game.
During the riot, 27 were killed, so now 80 players remain in the games. Right after, while the team sits together and talks, Ali tells Il-nam that they became worried when they couldn't find him during the slaughter. Gi-hun reminds the team that they still don't know each other's names and asks them to introduce themselves. Ali says that he already knows Gi-hun's name but mistakes it for "Ssangmun-dong", which is what Deok-su calls him. Gi-hun laughs and tells Ali his name, explaining that "Ssangmun-dong" is actually his neighborhood. Sang-woo asks Ali for his name, so he also introduces himself. Gi-hun asks which country he is from and Ali reveals he is from Pakistan. Gi-hun wonders where Pakistan is and Sang-woo responds that it is right above India. When Ali says that Sang-woo is correct, Gi-hun starts to brag about his childhood best friend's intelligence to introduce him to Ali. However, as Gi-hun starts to speak about Sang-woo's graduation at Seoul University, Sang-woo interrupts his friend by simply telling Ali his name. After Sae-byeok reluctantly said her name, Ali asks for Il-nam's. However, the old man stutters as he has apparently forgotten, causing Ali and the others to look at him in confusion. As Il-nam seems to be unable to reply, he is the only one who doesn't reveal his name.
Ali greets Player 276, who is also Pakistani, then invites him to join his team.
In the following morning, when the lights come up, Ali and his teammates wake up and Il-nam is sitting next to them awake, having stayed up all night. Il-nam explains he was afraid there would be another attack and because he wasn't much help during the riot, stand guard is the least he can do for the team. Following this, they all hear the announcer say that the next game will begin soon. Later, they enter a white room as the announcer says that the third game will be played as a team and players have 10 minutes to form teams of 10. Sang-woo tells the team to split to look for new players to their group. Before Ali leaves to search for players, Sang-woo tells him to hide his hand with injured fingers to prevent him from looking weak. While Ali is looking for new members, Ali spots Player 276, who is also from Pakistan. Ali decides to invite him to the team, so he approaches him and they greet each other with a gesture from their country. Reunited with the group again around 1 minute before the time is over, Player 276 joins the team along with Ji-yeong, Player 196 and Player 244. Right after, Han Mi-nyeo also joins them, completing the 10 members they need for the next game.
Ali and Player 276 preparing to pull the rope in the Tug-of-War game.
Moving to the location of the game, they enter a space where there are two huge towers with platforms forming a bridge-like structure but with the middle missing. The game is revealed to be Tug-of-War and players should pull the rope towards their platform to make their opponents fall. Two teams, including Deok's group, are sorted to play first. Ali and others of his team become horrified as they watch Deok-su's gang pulling their adversaries to fall to their deaths. Their team is sorted next to play against team 5, a group with only men. Because their team is weaker, Il-nam proposes a strategy that will allow them to win with teamwork. Arriving on the platform, both teams play Tug-of-War after being shackled by the workers to the rope. Ali is put at the end of the rope to be the anchor, because of his strength and also for being a trustworthy member. Ali and his teammates execute Il-nam's strategy and it temporally works well, but the other team eventually manages to pull back the rope, dragging them very close to the edge. The team about to fall to their deaths, but Sang-woo comes up with a plan to knock down their adversaries, telling his teammates to move three steps forward.
"A Fair World"[]
Sang-woo's plan works and saves the team, allowing them to pull back the rope and win the Tug-of-War. In third game, 40 people were eliminated and now 40 players remain in the games.
Ali reunited with the team while they plan how to survive the night.
Later, the team is reunited and they all, except Ali, eat corn for dinner. Mi-nyeo talks to the team about their miraculous win in the Tug-of-War and praises Il-nam and Sang-woo for their strategies. Ali reminds her how she screamed and cried during the game, and that she didn't believe Sang-woo's plan would work. Mi-nyeo is offended by Ali mocking her and tells the group that Ali is an illegal immigrant, so they should restructure the team. She eventually lets it go when Sang-woo tells her their team has no captain when she addresses him as such to solve her complaint. With 30 minutes left before the lights go out, Sang-woo reminds the team about the massacre in the previous night, so they should be prepared in case of another fight. Gi-hun tells them to set up a barricade, so Ali is seen helping the others as their group moves the metal parts of their beds. 1 minute before the lights go out, the whole team is reunited inside the barricade. Gi-hun then suggests the team to take turns sleeping, keeping a watch to protect the team from another possible attack of Deok-su's group. When Sang-woo tells them that they should watch in pairs and volunteers to go first, Ali offers to accompany him, saying he is not sleepy. Gi-hun says he is going next, then asks Ali and Sang-woo to wake him up when they become tired.
Sang-woo and Ali during guard duty.
During the guard duty, Ali offers a corn to Sang-woo, telling him he saved it from the dinner to thank him for saving his life in the Tug-of-War. Sang-woo is hesitant to accept, saying Ali doesn't need to thank him because he did it to save his own life during the game. Ali insists, reminding Sang-woo again that he also paid his bus in Seoul. Sang-woo takes the corn and gives half of it back to Ali. When Sang-woo asks his age, Ali says he is 33 years old. Sang-woo tells Ali that he can call him "older brother" ("hyung") instead of keep calling him "sir/boss" ("sajangnim"), which Ali happily accepts, causing Sang-woo to smile at him. The two of them talk about their stories. Sang-woo asks why Ali joined the games. Ali replies he came to Korea and later joined the Squid Game because he had no money. When Sang-woo asks about his family, Ali reveals that his younger siblings and parents stayed in Pakistan, but his wife and one-year-old baby came to Korea with him. Sang-woo is surprised to hear that Ali has a son and thinks he must miss his family, Ali tells him that he in fact does. When Ali asks why Sang-woo joined the games, Sang-woo tells him that he also joined the Squid Game because he had no money.
Later, Ali is sleeping on his bed when all players are awakened by the lights snapping up and the sound of a siren. As he and his teammates get out of their beds, they see the masked staff entering the dormitory to check on them.
"Gganbu"[]
After being awakened, all teams stand in lines while being checked by the staff. Then, the announcer says that the fourth game will begin soon. Going up the spiral staircases, Ali and the other players are surprised at the sight of five corpses hanging from their wrists on a giant mobile: Player 111, two soldiers, a manager and a worker. A manager explains that this is the fate of the people who broke the rules of the games for their own benefit and tainted the ideology of equality of the competition.
Sang-woo asks Ali to play with him.
Entering the white room again, the announcer says that players have 10 minutes to form pairs for the next game. Once two people agree to play together, they should shake hands to become partners. Ali is surprised when Sang-woo asks to be his partner, saying that all the games until that point required strength or intelligence, so if the two of them team up, they will be able to beat most of the other players. However, when Sang-woo reaches out to him, Ali is hesitant to accept the offer, having noticed a disappointed Gi-hun standing next to Sang-woo. Instead of taking Sang-woo's hand, Ali looks at Gi-hun, who is watching them because he was about to ask Sang-woo to be his partner. Sang-woo follows Ali's eyes and seems to finally notice Gi-hun too. However, despite his disappointment, Gi-hun says that it is okay and forces a smile while telling them that they will be a great team. Gi-hun assures he will find someone else to play with, so Ali taking Sang-woo's hand, accepting to be his partner. Once time to choose partners is over, they walk together to the place of the next game.
Ali finds out that he will have to play against Sang-woo.
The location of the fourth game is a room constructed to resemble a neighborhood with small houses and alleys. The players gather next to the entrance and are asked to follow the soldiers who will guide each duo to their positions in the place. While walking through an alley and following the soldier who is leading them to their position, Sang-woo tries to reassure Ali that with them working together, they will certainly win. Ali is also confident because he is playing with him. Sang-woo assures that they will win, get out of the Squid Game, and return to their families with the money. Arriving at their position, Ali and Sang-woo's soldier escort gives each a pouch with 10 marbles. The game is revealed to be Marbles, however, the announcer says the pairs won't be playing together, they will play against each other to win all the marbles of their partner. Ali and Sang-woo are both in shock as they hear this.
Sang-woo teaches Ali how to play a marble guessing game.
The timer starts, but they both stay a few minutes silently standing in front of each other, not knowing what to do. Sang-woo breaks the silence, saying that they should play. Ali is sad as he now knows that one of them is going to die. Sang-woo reminds him that they both will be killed if they don't play, and asks if Ali would refuse to play and die for him. Sang-woo asks if Ali has ever played marbles, and he replies he hasn't. So, as they are allowed to make up the rules, they try a simple game. Sang-woo teaches the game to Ali, saying he just has to guess if the number of marbles he is holding is odd or even. Sang-woo also explains about even and odd numbers when Ali says he doesn't know what they are. Sang-woo tells Ali that they have to bet some marbles on their guesses. If the guess is correct, the one who guessed gains from the other the amount of marbles he bet. But if the guess is wrong, the player gives the marbles he bet to the other.
Ali plays marbles with Sang-woo.
Playing the guessing game, Ali is luckier and keeps correctly guessing if the number of marbles is even or odd, so Sang-woo repeatedly gives him the marbles from his pouch. This makes Ali very pained as he sees his friend growing anxious. Realizing he will cause Sang-woo's death, Ali asks the masked soldier who is watching them to change his partner, saying he does not want to do this with his friend. Sang-woo insists that they should keep playing. When Sang-woo only has one marble left, he realizes he is close to die and is dominated by fear. An angry Sang-woo accuses Ali of cheating because he guessed correctly so many times after saying he didn't even know how to play this game. Ali is confused and says he didn't do anything. Sang-woo yells for Ali to confess what he did while grabbing him by the collar but is stopped by the soldier watching over the pair. The soldier points his gun at Sang-woo as a warning not to use any violence in this game.
Sang-woo kneels in front of Ali, begging for his life and for his family.
After calming down, Sang-woo gets on his knees and apologizes for accusing Ali. Sang-woo cries and tells Ali that he can't die because this will cause the death of his family. Ali also cries and apologizes, responding that he also has a family waiting for him, thus he cannot grant Sang-woo's wish. However, Sang-woo then tells him that there is a way for them both to survive this game and asks for his help. To convince Ali, Sang-woo reminds him of everything they did together and how he helped Ali to get to this point: he paid his bus in Seoul, saved him in the Tug-of-War, they kept a watch together at night, and before the Marbles game, they promised to leave together. Ali accepts and decides to hear Sang-woo's plan.
Sang-woo explains to Ali that he thinks some pairs won't have a winner before the 30 minutes to play the game is over, because neither player might win all marbles in time, and he doesn't believe that all these players will be killed. So, they will make the remaining players compete in teams, allowing the two of them to play together as they planned before the game. Ali is uncertain of this, but Sang-woo tells him to trust him and before rejecting his plan. If Ali doesn't like the plan, Sang-woo promises to give him his last marble for him not feel guilty about his death. Ali asks what the plan is and Sang-woo explains that it depends on who they will be up against. Sang-woo says they should split up to find out how the other teams are doing, to see who will be remaining after the time is over. He tells Ali to obtain information about the other teams, saying that knowing their ages is important.
Without Ali noticing, Sang-woo switches his marble pouch for one with rocks, before sending him away.
Before Ali leaves, Sang-woo says that it is dangerous for him to just hold his marble pouch while walking around because the other players might try to take it during the last minutes of the game. Sang-woo says that they both will die if Ali loses his pouch and then asks for it, claiming he will make the pouch safe for Ali to carry it. After Ali handed him his pouch, Sang-woo covers it with his jacket, then takes off his shirt and tears a piece of it to make a strap for Ali to carry the pouch. Then, the two of them look over at the sound of a player being shot multiple times, as Player 278 is eliminated from the games. Following this, Sang-woo's gives Ali the pouch, hanging it around his the neck. Sang-woo points out that it is much safer to carry the pouch like this and Ali agrees. Sang-woo says they will meet in this same place three minutes before the game is over and then he will explain the plan to survive the Marbles game together. Ali nods in agreement and Sang-woo sends him to check the other pairs.
Realizing that Sang-woo tricked him, Ali cries while a soldier eliminates him from the games.
Ali verifies the rival pairs as Sang-woo instructed him to do, including checking their ages. He returns to their meeting place when the announcer says that the players have only three minutes before the game is over. However, upon arriving at the meeting place, he finds himself alone and starts to call out to Sang-woo, saying he checked all the teams. Ali then decides to look inside his marble pouch. He empties the content of the pouch into the palm of his hand, but finds no marbles, only rocks. Looking around, Ali sees Sang-woo's discarded shirt on the ground next to a planter, where plants are growing on rocks. He realizes too late that Sang-woo tricked him, swapping his pouch with marbles for one with rocks when he handed it to him earlier. Betrayed by his closest friend in the games, Ali cries as a soldier shoots him in the head, eliminating him from the games.
"VIPs"[]
Ali inside a coffin to be taken for cremation.
After the fourth game ends, Ali's body is seen inside a coffin as the soldiers are carrying the dead players from the location of the Marbles game to be cremated in the furnace.