KPop Demon Hunters ended with Jinu's quite heroic sacrifice, and his reasoning to do so makes a ton of sense for the character. Netflix's latest much-talked-about animated movie revolves around HUNTR/X, a trio of KPop stars (Rumi, Mira, and Zoey) who are secretly demon hunters tasked to prevent the emergence of the demon king, Gwi-Ma, from consuming human souls. While Gwi-Ma (voiced by Squid Game star Lee Byung-hun) is the big bad, he tapped other demons to do his bidding, notably Jinu, who formed a boy band (filled with demon members) to rival HUNTR/X.
KPop Demon Hunters slowly pulled the curtain back on Jinu's origin, giving viewers more reason to understand his motivation. The movie established that Jinu was once a human whose desperation for a better life turned him into a demon under Gwi-Ma's dark influence (ultimately leaving his family behind). With a fascinating backstory and his unexpected strong bond with one of the demon hunters, the movie laid the groundwork for an interesting character arc for Jinu (voiced by Ahn Hyo Seop).
Why Did Jinu Die In KPop Demon Hunters?
As part of his attempt to manipulate one of the demon hunters, Jinu targeted Rumi, the HUNTR/X's leader, who was also revealed to be a half-demon. Jinu used Rumi's secret to his advantage while also trying to convince her that he could relate to her struggles since he was also half-human.
He even faked his origin with a sob story explaining that Gwi-Ma manipulated him into leaving his family behind. The truth is that greed and longing for a better life consumed him, and his bargain with Gwi-Ma was not why he left them in the first place. Instead, he willingly abandoned his family for the fame and glory he wanted.
Aside from trying to take control of Rumi, Jinu's newly formed boy band, the Saja Boys, also attempted to sway the fans to their side so that it would be easy for them to accept Gwi-Ma's influence and eliminate the presence of the Honmoon (a magical barrier that protects humanity from demons).
As the movie progressed, it became clear that Jinu was still a good man inside since he only wanted to escape Gwi-Ma's influence and have his memories erased so that his guilt of leaving his family behind would be forgotten.
Although he later betrayed Rumi by exposing her half-demon side to the rest of the world and her fellow demon hunters, Jinu decided to do what's best for him and humanity by sacrificing himself to save Rumi from Gwi-Ma during the final battle. This allowed Jinu's human soul to be connected to Rumi, empowering her to take the final blow against Gwi-Ma and defeat him entirely.
Jinu's bold and heroic choice to sacrifice himself for Rumi made sense for the character since he wasn't a villain in the first place. He was only manipulated by Gwi-Ma, and his strong bond with Rumi unleashed the concealed humanity within him.
While it's quite unfortunate for Jinu to meet his tragic end, his death essentially achieved what he really wanted in the first place: to be free of the guilt he had been harboring from leaving his family by saving humanity in the only way he could.
Will Jinu Return in a Potential KPop Demon Hunters 2?
Jinu's death in KPop Demon Hunters appeared to be a definitive end for the character, but there is always a chance for him to pop up in a potential sequel to the Netflix movie (read more about what the KPop Demon Hunters director said about a sequel here).
KPop Demon Hunters only scratched the surface when it came to exploring an expansive mythology involving generations of clashes between the demon hunters and demons, and Jinu (who is confirmed to have existed for over 400+ years before his death) could show up in flashbacks if the sequel decided to showcase more of the other demon hunters in the past.
Given the interesting twist about her demon heritage, Rumi is still expected to be at the center of KPop Demon Hunters' future stories, and this would allow Jinu to show up via hallucinations or visions to help her in her journey moving forward.
