6 Things We’d Love to See From KPop Demon Hunters Sequels, Prequels and Spin-Offs

KPop Demon Hunters has been completely taking over, and after multiple rewatches, we can't deny that it lives up to all of the hype.

The movie combines powerful yet relatable lead characters with a K-pop soundtrack that's as meaningful as it is ridiculously catchy, plus a touch of romance, humor and some seriously cool lore we've loved sinking our teeth into. We only have one complaint, and it's that we want more. There's a rumor that it was originally intended to be three hours long, and while the final 95-minute cut is lean and mean, we're now wishing we could see each and every frame that hit the cutting room floor.

And with the film's creators suggesting they have enough ideas for multiple additional movies beyond the first one, we're already speculating about what could come next. We'd be happy to get a sequels, prequels or even spin-off series, depending on where these concepts take them. We have some thoughts about what we'd love to see addressed next (spoiler warning)!

What's Next for HUNTR/X

The most obvious way to continue the incredible story of KPop Demon Hunters would be with a direct sequel that shows us what's next for Rumi, Mira and Zoey while tying up some of the loose ends set up in the first film. Early on in the movie, they establish that the trio's goal is to create the Golden Honmoon to create a permanent wall between the demon world and their own, but that's not what HUNTR/X actually accomplishes by the end of the story.

Instead, the beautiful Honmoon they create by singing "This Is What It Sounds Like" is an iridescent rainbow color, suggesting a different kind of gate between these two worlds. The fact that Jinu's tiger and magpie companions (Derpy and Sussy) are still around implies that the supernatural hasn't been entirely driven away. The movie also shows us Jinu sacrificing his life to empower Rumi to slay Gwi-Ma, but does that mean he's really dead? His soul leapt into Rumi's saingeom sword, lending his strength to her weapon. Is there any chance that he still lives on within the sword, and will be awakened the next time  the group faces off against a powerful threat.

It would also be critical for the new movie to revisit the dynamics between the group in the aftermath of the first film's story. Are there any lingering hard feelings around Rumi and her lies? Does the group have a new perspective on demons (and demon hunting) after discovering Rumi's true nature and reflecting on Juni's story? And how has all of this impacted Celine's relationship with the trio as a mentor and leader, after they listened to her misguided teachings for all these years? The film gave us so much to speculate about, and we'd love to see that expanded upon further—especially with a bigger focus on Mira and Zoey, since Rumi's journey had her taking center stage.

(KPop Demon Hunters via Netflix)

 

Also read about: Love KPop Demon Hunters? Here Are What Its Korean Lyrics Mean in English

 

The Formation of HUNTR/X

KPop Demon Hunters tells us that in every generation, three young and talented women are chosen as Hunters, tasked with defeated demons and using their voices to generate a powerful Honmoon that protects the world by keeping demons at bay. They don't go into very many details of how these stars are selected. We'd love to see that process.

Is a Buffy the Vampire Slayer situation where these women are selected at birth, and imbued with special athletic and musical powers that make them up to the task? Or, has this important simply been passed down since the first group of Hunters, and these girls are selected by hand? We see from Rumi's flashbacks with Celine that she was already labeled a Hunter from the time she was a child. This doesn't seem to be the case with Mira and Zoey, so we'd love to see how this group was formed.

A prequel like this would also give us a cool opportunity to see what kinds of music all three of them might have made before they formed as a group, while also highlighting Zoey grappling with both her Korean and American heritage as she finds her way in the world, as well as Rumi's struggles growing up in a wealthy family where she never quite fit in. We'd also love to hear what HUNTR/X's debut songs sounded like, and see them train to become the powerful fighters we know them as.

(KPop Demon Hunters via Netflix)

 

Also read about: The KPop Demon Hunters Cast Dish on Becoming Heroes and Sharing the Culture of K-Pop

 

More Insight Into the Mythology

We love the brisk pace of KPop Demon Hunters and the way it implements a "show, don't tell" strategy with its lore. Now that we're fully invested, however, we're eager to dive way deeper into the mythology and find out more about how everything words from a technical standpoint.

For one, we see that Jinu was once a human, but became a demon 400 years ago after selling his soul in exchange for comfort and notoriety as a musician. We see that he's tormented by the shame of his actions, leaving his mother and sister to starve as he thrived. But does that mean that all demons were once humans, giving Gwi-Ma their souls in exchange for something they wanted?

We don't necessarily think so. The demons who appear in the plane fight at the start of the film seem absolutely terrible at pretending to be humans, watering a plant with hot coffee and looking fascinated with human food and utensils, which wouldn't make sense if they were once people. They also take on more demonic appearances once their true natures are revealed, while Jinu still looks entirely human, besides his clawed hands, patterns and glowing eyes. In crowd shots of the demons, some look more like dokkaebi from Korean folklore, while others look more human. And then there's the fact that he's the only member of Saja Boys with a real name, as the others—Abby, Baby, Mystery and Romance—instead refer to their roles in the group.

There's also the matter of what it means to have your soul stolen and consumed by Gwi-Ma. Throughout the film, we see souls torn from humans—including an entire train car full of people—resulting in a sudden and startling uptick in disappearances. We're curious about whether these people are considered dead, whether they become soulless demons themselves or if Gwi-Ma's defeat means that they've all been restored and everything's back to normal after the reign of the Saja Boys.

Finally, we'd love to see more of Derpy and Sussy, and learn more about their significance. Minhwa is a kind of Korean folk art that started in the 14th century, with some of the most popular depictions including a goofy-looking tiger (representing  the aristocracy) and a magpie (representing the clever and free common person). We'd love to meet more mystical creatures related to the story, including dragons, cranes and insects, and learn all about their symbolism as well.

(KPop Demon Hunters via Netflix)

 

Also read about: What Your Favorite KPop Demon Hunters Song Says About You

 

The Tale of the Sunlight Sisters

It's clear to us that there's so much to the story of the Sunlight Sisters that demands to be told. The trio featured Rumi's mom, Miyeong, plus Celine and a third unnamed member, who were Hunters in the generation before the formation of HUNTR/X. We're told that Miyeong died when Rumi was a baby, and that Rumi's father was a demon—lending Rumi her patterns—and even that might not be the full truth.

Not only would it be incredible to see how the group formed and watch them fight demons in their own way, but there's such a big mystery surrounding Miyeong, including her relationship with Rumi's father, and her death, that will be fascinating to unpack. Celine's clearly been indoctrinated to believe that nothingis more important than defeating the demons, but is this due to her teachings, or what transpired between Miyeong and her love? Was Miyeong tricked by this demon, or did she see something in him that others might miss? There's also the possibility that this story is made up entirely, and that Miyeong herself sold her soul for a purpose she thought was just, only to become a demon herself and be slayed by her fellow Hunters. We also have to know if the third member survived the ordeal and what she's doing now.

Plus, we think a soundtrack inspired by popular Korean music of the '90s would be absolutely unforgettable.

(KPop Demon Hunters via Netflix)

 

Also read about: aespa Drops an English Version of 'Whiplash' Ahead of Billboard's Women in Music Event

 

The Hunters of the Past

We'd happily watch movies about all of the Hunter groups from the past, all the way from the very first up to HUNTR/X. First, we're extremely curious to see how the first trio banded together and discovered the power of their voices to create the very first Honmoon. Their costuming is gorgeous, as is the song they song, and we'd be delighted to listen to a soundtrack based entirely in more traditional Korean folk music as it tells their story. The outfits and setting of that opening scene also seem to place it around 400 years ago, within the same time as Jinu's tragic tale. Is it possible that his mother and sister were saved by the first Hunters, without him even realizing it?

We also get glimpses of Hunters from other eras—seemingly the '20s, '40s and '60s—and we're curious to see what they were all about. Were they fully dedicated to the mission, or were there snags along the way, just as there were with HUNTR/X? Even mini episodes getting to know them—and their historical Korean music—would be incredible.

(KPop Demon Hunters via Netflix)

 

Demon Hunters Around the Globe

While the KPop Demon Hunters cast and crew are hard at work at carefully crafting  whatever's next in the story, we don't see why the story can't expand to cover different regions and styles of music around the globe. Countless cultures have their own demonic mythology—and their own styles of music—allowing the expansion of the series beyond South Korea and K-pop and into whatever genres and countries are the best fits, told authentically by creators from those places. Maybe they can all start working together to make this a global phenomenon that protects the entire earth.

(KPop Demon Hunters via Netflix)

 

Can't stop watching KPop Demon Hunters? Us either. Click HERE to discover all of our favorite quotes and lyrics from the movie to use as your next Instagram caption.