WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Yellowjackets season 3 episode 5!A new card drawing is introduced into the teens’ wilderness rituals in Yellowjackets teens’ time in the wilderness es, they’ve resorted to new methods of organizing their society, asg roles to one another, and dealing out punishments and responsibilities. They often resort to using random drawings and the laws of chance to decide things for them, which they frequently deem are actually “chosen” by the Wilderness, and are typically accomplished using a pack of playing cards.

Integrating playing cards into their rituals dates back to Yellowjackets season 2 when deciding who would be chosen by the Wilderness to be “sacrificed” and eaten by the others. Whoever drew the Queen of Hearts card would be deemed the sacrifice, subsequently being ritualistically hunted down, killed, and cannibalized by the other teens. However, in Yellowjackets season 3, episode 5, the teens required a different card drawing after agreeing the person ordered to kill Coach Ben would be chosen by the Wilderness. This time, the card they didn’t want to draw was the King of Hearts, which Van calls the “suicide king.”

Yellowjackets' King Of Hearts Card Reveals The Executioner (Rather Than The Queen Of Hearts' Victim)

Whoever Draws The Card Has To Act As Executioner & Kill The Guilty Party

The King of Hearts card has now taken on a new meaning in Yellowjackets, as it’s used to indicate who will take on the role of executioner. This is essentially the reverse of the Queen of Hearts card, which represents the person who will be hunted and killed in a ritual sacrifice to the Wilderness. Under the teens’ view of the Wilderness’ powers and Yellowjackets’ mysterious symbol, these roles are both done to serve the Wilderness in order to keep it happy and, in return, keep them protected and alive.

In Yellowjackets season 3, episode 5, Tai is the one who draws the King of Hearts card. She then has to practice shooting a target in the woods with Van, as the card meant she would be tasked with executing Coach Ben after he was found guilty of burning down the cabin back in Yellowjackets’ season 2 finale. Now that this card has been used in a ritual drawing, it’s likely that the King of Hearts will return again in Yellowjackets’ future when the survivors decide they must put another guilty offender to death.

What Van Means By The King Of Hearts Being The "Suicide King"

The Card's Nickname Is Based On A Printing Error

When Van decides that the King of Hearts will be the card indicating who has to kill Ben, she refers to it as the “suicide king.” This is based on a real-world nickname for the card, which is based on the idea that the King of Hearts looks like he’s stabbing himself in the head with his sword. The appearance of the King of Hearts stabbing himself is due to a printing error, as copies by various card makers over previous centuries would mistakenly have the king’s axe head missing.

Of course, the “suicide king” being the card that reveals which Yellowjackets character will be the executioner also takes on a deeper meaning. One interpretation could be that drawing the King of Hearts can be considered an act of suicide, as it’s friendy fire by killing one of their own. The King of Hearts has a few other symbolic meanings that can apply to the Yellowjackets teens and whoever draws the card, such as representing inner conflicts, self-sacrifice, leadership, and self-destruction.