KPop Demon Hunters 2 Needs to Reveal the Secret Origin of One HUNTR/X Hero

KPop Demon Hunters was one of last year’s biggest success stories, and it’s already created a new franchise for Sony and Netflix. Now the attention turns towards the sequel, which has already been confirmed, and what the focus of that story could be. The ultimate goal from the original will carry over, but while Rumi was a main focus the first time around, there’s another secret HUNTR/X origin story that the KPop Demon Hunters sequel needs to reveal.

Rumi will obviously still be a huge part of the sequel, as now not only do her friends know she’s half demon, but there’s more to explore there if the film decides to go that route. That said, one of the characters the sequel truly needs to explore is the lovably vicious HUNTR/X member Zoey, and the first film highlights a number of competing reasons why over the course of the story. Even more reasons are brought to light in the recent art book, so let’s break down why Zoey is the perfect person for a sequel spotlight.

Zoey Should Be The Focus of KPop Demon Hunters 2

Throughout the first movie, Zoey is equal parts adorable and deadly, and that contrast is part of what makes her such a compelling character. Zoey is the one who often mediates issues between Rumi and Mira, and she’s never afraid to be a little quirky, though she screams nothing but confidence and swagger when she picks up the mic. Zoey is also the youngest member of the team and is also navigating life as a Korean-American, so as you can see, most of Zoey’s story goes unexplored in the original film, and that leaves all sorts of golden opportunities for the sequel.

In the KPop Demon Hunters art book, writer and director Maggie Kang goes into detail on Zoey’s conflicts and hopes. “A Korean-American who grew up in Burbank, Zoey quietly fears she’s not ‘Korean enough’ to belong in this legendary team so she compensates as eager to please. But there’s depth beyond her lightness – mess with her sisters, and she won’t hesitate to channel her strength into battle, and a sense of that edge is conveyed through her powerful rap. Zoey acts like the mediator between her big sisters with big personalities, trying to settle their disputes, “wanting everything to be great and nice and bubbly,” Kang said.

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Ji-young Yoo brings the voice of Zoey to life in the film and reveals how Zoey is constantly trying to prove herself as someone who belongs, even if there’s nothing to prove. “Zoey is the only Korean-American in the group, and she’s trying to figure out what that means and where she belongs. Feeling a little bit on the outside of the world, she’s always providing ideas to make her seem like she is irreplaceable, which she is…she just doesn’t necessarily know it herself,” Yoo said.

Animation director Joshua Beveridge adds that Zoey carries herself as “the bubbly, high-energy, mile-a-minute, people-pleasing little sister of the group when offstage, but then so dangerous both in combat and on stage that she might even get slightly unhinged doing it.”

These are all facets of her personality that are standouts from the first film but aren’t really explored there, which is why she would be a brilliant focal point of the sequel. Not only do we want to see some glimpses of her life before HUNTR/X, but we also want to see her become more confident and how her dynamic evolves and changes with Rumi and Mira as time moves forward. You can also switch up roles a bit in the second film, because if Zoey is going through something and is unable to be the mediator as much between the other girls, what happens then, and who steps into that role to keep the group together and on firm ground?

There’s simply too much unexplored not to have Zoey be a prominent part of the sequel, and hopefully by the time it ends, we’ll not only get to see how she joined the group, but also how she evolves into her next, even more powerful phase.

KPop Demon Hunters is streaming now on Netflix.

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