KPop Demon Hunters Reveals Secrets of the Hunters Before HUNTR/X

Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, KPop Demon Hunters became an instant cultural phenomenon, shattering viewership records to become the most-watched original movie in Netflix’s history. Audiences worldwide fell in love with HUNTR/X, the chart-topping girl group composed of Rumi (voiced by Arden Cho), Mira (voiced by May Hong), and Zoey (voiced by Ji-young Yoo), who balance selling out stadiums with slaying demons. The film’s vibrant blend of high-fashion K-pop aesthetics and kinetic action has already guaranteed a franchise future, with KPop Demon Hunters sequels and spinoffs in development to explore the war against the demon king Gwi-Ma (voiced by Lee Byung-hun). While fans wait for the next chapter, Netflix is keeping the hype alive with the release of The Art of KPop Demon Hunters, a new book that finally pulls back the curtain on the lore that predates the film’s heroes.

The Art of KPop Demon Hunters offers an exclusive look at the visual development of the film, including a full chapter dedicated to the generation of warriors that paved the way for HUNTR/X. The book confirms that before Rumi and her bandmates took up their weapons, the primary defense against the darkness was a trio known as the Sunlight Sisters. This group shares a heartbreaking connection to the current team, as Rumi’s mother, Mi-Yeong, was a core member until her death during Rumi’s infancy.

Read Next

3 Things We Need To See in Kpop Demon Hunters 2

The text details how the creative team distinguished this previous generation from the modern, edgy style of HUNTR/X. “The ‘Sunlight Sister’ phase of Celine’s life shows her to be ‘all-in on a girly, over-the-top, bubbly look’ designed primarily by Marion Bordeyne, based on the Korean idol groups from the early 2000s,” character designer Euni Cho explains. “Accessorized with neon blues, magenta, cute star hairpins, and fuzzy pom-poms as hair ties.”

Celine’s Tragic Backstory Gets Expanded in KPop Demon Hunters‘ Art Book

The KPop Demon Hunters art book dives into the complex history of Celine (voiced by Yunjin Kim), Rumi’s stern guardian and mentor. While the film portrays her as a hardened veteran who trains HUNTR/X with military precision, the book reveals the emotional toll of her past as a Sunlight Sister. After the death of her bandmate Mi-Yeong, Celine raised Rumi alone, a responsibility that fostered a difficult dynamic between the two. Producer Michelle Wong describes their relationship as “toxic,” noting that it stems from Celine’s insistence that Rumi hide her half-demon nature.

“There was so much misguided hope and misunderstanding between Celine and Rumi. They both wanted the other person to be something they just couldn’t be,” writer Hannah McMechan notes. The creative team faced a significant challenge in translating this unseen history into the character’s design and performance. The artists needed to show the transition from the bubbly pop idol of the Sunlight Sisters era to the stoic warrior seen in the film. “A retired celebrity who loved reminiscing her glory days,” is how artist Ami Thompson describes one phase of the design process, which eventually settled into a look that was “mature and responsible.” 

This evolution was critical for the animators, who were tasked with embedding Celine’s history into her physical movement. “We wanted to make clear within her performance that she too was carrying the weight of her repressions, that her lifelong beliefs while firm were taking their toll on her as well,” animation director Joshua Beveridge explains.

KPop Demon Hunters is currently streaming on Netflix.

Which era of the KPop Demon Hunters timeline would you most like to see adapted into a prequel series? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!