The following contains MAJOR spoilers for KPop Demon HuntersKPop Demon Hunters is one of the biggest hits of the year, and despite his tragic death, many hope that Jinu will find a way back to the series in the sequel. With plans for a follow-up to KPop Demon Hunters from Sony already in motion, it is only a matter of time before HUNTR/X gets to tell more stories.

In the first film, the trio had to take on the Saja Boys, a demon boy band that became a strong compeтιтor to HUNTR/X. Amongst great KPop supporting characters like Bobby and Baby Saja, audiences were given the most time with Jinu, a member of the Saja Boys with a dark past of his own.

The ending of KPop Demon Hunters saw Jinu sacrificing himself to save Rumi. Following his heartbreaking story, this emotional moment was powerful, but it also robbed Rumi of her true happy ending. The relationship that developed between the two is one of the best parts of the film, which has led to rampant speculation about sequel possibilities.

Jinu May Still Be Alive After KPop Demon Hunters’ Ending

Jinu seemed to die at the end of KPop Demon Hunters, but many cling to hope that the character could come back. Rumi’s voice actor Arden Cho, spoke with Collider about how Jinu’s death might not be as concrete as it seemed: “he was a demon, so in a sense, he was already ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.”

This explanation suggests that the concept of death in this world still has room to be explored. As Jinu was already transformed beyond the world of the living, his soul may not have been entirely obliterated in the first film’s powerful scene.

If Jinu was already ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, it is easy to twist the story of the next film so that his death was not as conclusive as his sacrifice seemed to suggest. Instead, Jinu could simply be stuck at another spiritual stage, perhaps trapped in some lower level of demonhood, in some darker state of the afterlife.

Spiritual states of being are subject to change in stories like these. Some viewers have theorized that Gwi-Ma could be Rumi’s father, which would necessitate the character having a complex origin. If this is the case, then he wasn’t always a talking wall of fire, and potentially came from the human world as well.

The ending of Demon Hunters saw Jinu’s tiger and magpie still existing in the world, which suggests that at least some of his connections to the spiritual world persist. Perhaps he was somehow able to preserve his soul within them, rather than being entirely blasted into oblivion.

With all of the flexibility of a question like spiritual states, there is enormous room for Jinu’s story to be built upon, and for the character to return in the upcoming sequel. Even his past, and his betrayal of his family, who must now be somewhere in the afterlife, could be thematically linked to the story.

KPop Demon Hunters’ Sequel Won’t Be The Same Without Jinu

Jinu is one of the most important characters in KPop Demon Hunters, and he is especially meaningful to Rumi’s development. Understanding that neither of them was inherently bad and that there was still room for them to do good in the world, despite their demonic links, was an important part of their paths that blossomed into a tender romance.

Seeing Rumi’s joy with Jinu was endearing, and their relationship simply has too much room left to grow. The two have a sweet connection that has barely begun to blossom, and seeing them connect over their past traumas as well as their shared love of music could be the focal point of a future sequel.

While Zoey and Mira will be important parts of the sequel’s cast, Jinu’s development from the first film needs to be revisited in the upcoming KPop sequel. His story was able to give him sufficient redemption, but his loss from this world will be a shadow that will hang over Rumi’s head in successive stories.

It is possible for a sequel to KPop Demon Hunters to be made without Jinu, but it would be the wrong choice. Jinu brings so much heart and intrigue to the story, and his singing voice, provided by Andrew Choi, has added to the incredible chart success that the movie’s soundtrack has had.

Audiences care about Rumi and need her to have a happy life. From what was set up in the first film, this necessitates that her relationship with Jinu is able to be restored. Whether she travels deeper into the underworld to find him, or he somehow finds a way back, the character must return.

Fortunately, there are several ways to bring Jinu back in the sequel, and it is almost certain that this will be done in some capacity. Whether appearing for a short time or somehow brought back to life in a meaningful way, it is more than likely that KPop Demon Hunters has not seen the last of Jinu.