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What Is The 'Papa Squid Game' Meme On TikTok? The Meaning Of The Strange 'Lee Byung-hun' Memes Explained
The Squid Game fandom is celebrating the third and final season of the hit Netflix series with a bizarre meme that's going viral on TikTok currently.
The meme is known as "Papa Squid Game," and it centers around a bizarre edit of South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun (who plays Front Man) holding a baby Lee Jung-jae (Seong Gi-hun / Player 456).
But where did the meme come from, what does it mean, and why is it going viral on TikTok? Here's what you need to know.
What Is The 'Papa Squid Game' Meme?
While the exact origins of the Papa Squid Game meme are somewhat unclear, the meme seems to date back to January 23rd, 2025, when TikToker @dark_hedgehog posted a video showing their phone's camera roll filled with edits of Lee Byung-hun's head on a cartoon body holding a baby.
The video, set to a strange audio of a baby saying "papa" over a sad song, gained over a million views by July 2025.
Earlier that month, TikTokers had started sharing blown-out edits of Squid Game characters set to a variety of popular audios to big views.
It's thought that this niche trend, which was started by TikToker @velvetnovel, is what inspired the Lee Byung-hun baby edit. The edit uses a 2023 photo of Lee Byung-hun sitting in his car, which he uploaded to Instagram.
How Is 'Papa Squid Game' Used In Memes?
The Papa Squid Game meme has been spreading on TikTok since January 2025. Now, with the third season out, the meme has been experiencing a big boost in virality.
Some of the biggest examples include animations that incorporate the Papa Squid Game edit into various settings and redraws of the edit with different Squid Game characters.
The memes are always set to the same audio of a baby repeating "papa" to a sad song. Recently, the memes have moved from TikTok to platforms like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, where they're also proving popular for their absurdity.
The meme might not make a whole lot of sense, but that seems to be the point.
What Are Some More 'Papa Squid Game' Memes?
For the full history of Papa Squid Game, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.