New KPop Demon Hunters Book Just Confirmed A Tragic Backstory
Not everything is as it seems.
KPop Demon Hunters flipped the chosen one narrative on its head with the introduction of its heroine, Rumi (Arden Cho). A demon-hunting pop star who also happens to be half-demon herself, Rumi presents a fascinating twist to the fantasy trope. KPop Demon Hunters is primarily focused on the inner conflicts that come as Rumi struggles to fulfill her duty as a demon hunter, alongside a forbidden romance with a charming immortal demon — so it understandably doesn’t have much time to focus on her backstory. All we know is that Rumi’s mother was once also a demon-hunting pop star, before falling for a demon. She also passed away when Rumi was a child — but a new book, The Art of KPop Demon Hunters, hints at a much more tragic fate.
A passage in the book reveals that Rumi’s world fell apart when her “warrior mother” was murdered. It’s not clear exactly who (or what) murdered her, but concept art from Simon Baek provides potential context. Stills shared on Baek’s social media explore Rumi’s relationship with her surrogate mother Celine — another hunter who also happened to be her mother’s close friend. Celine raised Rumi and formed HUNTR/X, the group that now protects the world against demonkind. She also might have had a hand in the demise of Rumi’s mother.
Rumi's demon markings are revealed in early concept art for KPop Demon Hunters.
Baek revealed that this image was a part of very early development for KPop Demon Hunters, back when he and other artists were just pitching ideas. That’s probably why we never get true confirmation about Rumi’s mother in the film — but given the tease offered in The Art of KPop Demon Hunters, it could still be a part of Rumi’s backstory. Baek also revealed that the demise of Rumi’s mother was an accident, complicating her relationship to Celine all the more. There’s no telling how much of this truth Rumi knows, but the mystery of her origins could easily fuel plenty of drama and intrigue in a new film.
The world of KPop Demon Hunters is steadily expanding, so it may not be long before Rumi’s backstory is explored in full. A sequel to the original film is set to premiere in 2029, and though that’s some time away, there’s enough speculation to fuel excitement for more Rumi, HUNTR/X, and demon hunting.
