The characters' ages of KPop Demon Hunters are more obvious than fans realize, especially after considering major hints from the movie's plot. Netflix's new animated movie follows a generational trio of demon hunters known as HUNTR/X, who are also Korean Pop Stars by day. On the other side of the conflict are the treacherous demons led by the demon king, Gwi-Ma, who wanted nothing but to consume human souls for power.
Directed by Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang, KPop Demon Hunters introduced a vast mythology involving a generational war between the hunters and demons, giving viewers more questions than answers about some of its central characters, such as their ages in the movie.
How Old Are the KPop Demon Hunters?
At the center of KPop Demon Hunters' story are the present-day hunters known as HUNTR/X, which is composed of a trio of best friends and KPop stars Rumi, Mira, and Zoey. Together, they use their music to stave off demons from consuming human souls, with their main goal revolving around creating a powerful magical barrier known as the Honmoon to defeat the menacing demon king, Gwi-Ma.
Although KPop Demon Hunters didn't explicitly state the ages of the leading trio, clues from the movie and the characters' real-life inspirations could hint at their ages.
Speaking with Forbes, KPop Demon Hunters director Maggie Kang shared that Rumi, Mira, and Zoey are inspired by real-life KPop groups, notably ITZY, BLACKPINK, and TWICE:
"[We looked at] ITZY, BLACKPINK, and [TWICE]. Who else? I think it was a lot of mixing."
The members of these KPop groups range from 24 to 30 years old, indicating that the ages of the central trio of characters could end up in that range.
As the leader, Rumi could potentially be the oldest among Huntrix, with her being around 28 to 29 years old. For context, TWICE's leader, Jihyo, is 28 years old and one of the group's older members. Meanwhile, Mira could also fall under a similar age or slightly younger (presumably around 23 to 25).
In the same interview with Forbes, Kang revealed that Mira is inspired by Ahn So-yeon, a real-life model from YG KPlus who is currently 23 years old. This could hint that Mira is also around the same age.
Zoey's introduction in KPop Demon Hunters revealed that she is still in high school. While it's possible that the character's introduction could be from a music video, this still doesn't change the fact that she is the youngest among them. It's possible that she could be in her teens to early 20s, with 20 years old being the most plausible age for the character. This is further proven by her youthful energy, which is showcased in her portrayal in the movie (read more about Ji-young Yoo's role in Expats, who served as the voice of Zoey in KPop Demon Hunters).
How Old Is Rumi In KPop Demon Hunters?
Rumi is more than just the main vocalist of HUNTR/X. She also serves as the team's leader and the mentor to both Mira and Zoey. Judging by her appearance and her half-demon heritage, there is no doubt that Rumi is the oldest in the group.
KPop Demon Hunters established that Rumi is already a veteran in performing, meaning that she could've been a pop star for a while in the world of Netflix's latest animated movie. It is reasonable to assume that Rumi's age is 28. Being 28 years old gives a perfect balance of not being too old and too young to become the group's leader.
It is also worth noting that the voice actress for Rumi, Arden Cho, is currently 39 years old. A possible sequel to KPop Demon Hunters could further explore Rumi's age and how her true heritage affects her aging.
How Old Is Jinu?
Before becoming the demon leader of the boy band, Saja Boys, in KPop Demon Hunters, the movie confirmed that Jinu is 400+ years old. While he initially started as a human who lived in Japan's Edo period (based on the estimate of his age), his transformation into a demon by Gwi-Man meant that he never aged a day since then.
KPop Demon Hunters introduced Jinu as a musician centuries before the present-day events of the movie. His desperation for a better life proved his downfall since he succumbed to Gwi-Ma's influence and a bargain that ultimately turned him to the dark side.
Jinu agreed to help Gwi-Ma torment Rumi and the others because he wanted the demon king to erase his memories so that he would forget the betrayal he had done to his family centuries ago. Still, Rumi's valiant stand against Gwi-Man helped Jinu realize the error in his ways, prompting him to sacrifice himself for her and the better good (cementing her redemption in the movie's ending).
