According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix and Sony are in early discussions to produce a sequel to KPop Demon Hunters. Given the animated musical’s runaway success, that’s hardly shocking. But the prospect of a follow-up gives us plenty of time to speculate about what comes next. Spoilers ahead.
Is Jinu alive?
It’s the question on everyone’s mind. At the end of the first film, Jinu—the leader of the demon boy band Saja Boys—sacrifices himself to save Rumi from Gwi-ma, the demon king. His final words tell Rumi she gave him back his soul, which he then relinquishes to power her soulsword and help defeat Gwi-ma. So is Jinu truly gone, or is he within Rumi’s weapon? If it’s the latter, don’t be surprised if a major sequel thread follows Rumi’s search for a way to set him free.
Who is Rumi’s father?
We know almost nothing about Rumi’s dad beyond his status as a full demon when he met her mother, a demon hunter from the previous generation. His shadow looms large as Rumi wrestles with her human/demon identity, but she never asks much about him and seems to know even less. Some fans speculate Gwi-ma could be the patriarch, but he appears ignorant of Rumi’s nature throughout the film and only manifests as a gaseous, fire-breathing monstrosity—hardly an obvious candidate for fatherhood in that form. Sure, he could take a human guise like the Saja Boys, yet Rumi’s mystery marks and his obliviousness leave plenty of room for doubt. File under: sequel-ready reveal.
What happened to Rumi’s mother?
We’re told Rumi’s mom, Mi-yeong Ryu, was a member of the musical demon-hunting group the Sunlight Sisters and was close to Celine, Rumi’s caretaker and mentor. Early in development, one scrapped concept had Celine secretly killing Mi-yeong, causing a rupture with Rumi—an idea artist Simon Baek has said isn’t canon. A Netflix press note claims Mi-yeong died in childbirth, but the film never confirms or explores that. With Rumi’s lineage driving many of the story’s loose ends, a sequel feels primed to dig into both parents, especially now that Rumi has embraced her demonic side. Who wouldn’t want to know where they came from after unlearning the self-loathing instilled by a flawed surrogate parent?
Can we give the other girls more spotlight?
This isn’t a mystery so much as a plea. Rumi is the heart of the film, but Zoey and Mira deserve more than supporting beats. Tell us about Mira’s estranged family. Explore Zoey’s perspective as a Korean-American who grew up in Burbank and later moved to Seoul. Rumi can remain the protagonist while the sequel meaningfully develops her bandmates and their arcs within Huntr/x.
Did some Saja Boys survive?
In the final number, Huntr/x forces Gwi-ma and the Saja Boys back into the demon world and seals the Honmoon barrier. We see Abby fall to Mira, Mystery to Zoey, and Jinu die defending Rumi—but Romance and Baby never explicitly die on screen. Did they escape? Were their endings cut for time? The door is open for a return, which could complicate the power dynamics on both sides of the barrier.
Who were the Saja Boys, really?
Aside from Jinu, the Saja Boys remain ciphers. One reading is that they were simply instruments of Jinu’s scheme to siphon Huntr/x’s fandom to feed Gwi-ma. Another theory—supported by visual hints—is that they, like Jinu, were once music-driven dreamers twisted into monsters by the demon king. Early in the film, Healer Han’s clinic walls show photos with K-pop groups, and a few resemble the Saja Boys. It’s hardly proof, but it’s enough to demand answers. These four heartthrobs are far too popular to stay underwritten.
Final thoughts
Demon Hunters left us with a heady mix of closure and tantalizing gaps—perfect fuel for a sequel. If Netflix and Sony move forward, here’s hoping they deliver on Jinu’s fate, crack open Rumi’s family history, and give Zoey and Mira the space they deserve, all while finally telling us who the Saja Boys were before the demon world claimed them.
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