KPOP DEMON HUNTERS Art Book Confirms Heartbreaking Theory About Rumi’s Mom
The world of KPop Demon Hunters is loud, stylish, fun, chaotic and surprisingly emotional, and fans now have a fresh reason to clutch their hearts.
A new free art book for the series was released, and hidden within its glossy character spreads and concept pieces is confirmation of a theory that has circulated since the film’s release. It turns out Rumi’s backstory is even heavier than the movie hinted at.
The film only gave us the broad strokes. Rumi’s mother died when she was very young and Celine, her mother’s bandmate in the Sunlight Sisters, stepped in as caregiver and guide for both Rumi and the rest of Huntr/x in their mission to protect the Honmoon.
The art book also digs deeper and paints a more devastating picture of what Rumi lost. Early sections describe how Rumi’s bond with Huntr/x fills a void left behind by her mother’s death.
The art book states that her friendships make up for the space “that was ripped open when her warrior mother was killed, at a time when Rumi was just a baby.”
It reframes her connection to the group in a way that hits harder than expected, emphasizing how much of her identity is tied to grief she never got to fully understand.
Fans had already been speculating about the circumstances of her mother’s death, especially after concept art from visual designer Simon Baek was shared, which you can see below.
The Instagram version of the piece contains a striking detail that didn’t make the film. In it, Rumi asks Celine why she killed her mother, implying a storyline with far more conflict between them. That thread appears to have been removed before release, but the art book confirms that the creative team spent time weighing how much of that tension should surface.
Editor Nathan Schauf touches on this dilemma in a compelling quote featured in the book. “There is so much unsaid and untold history between Celine and Rumi that finding the right balance of how much to reveal on screen became one of the toughest challenges.”
So, the film only scratched the surface of a complicated past involving Rumi’s human mother, Celine and Rumi’s demonic father.
All of this opens the door to future storytelling. With revelations like these, it is easy to imagine a sequel diving deeper into what really happened between the Sunlight Sisters and the forces that tore Rumi’s family apart. There is plenty left to uncover, and the fractured relationship between Celine and Rumi is set up for an emotional payoff.
The one downside for fans is the long wait ahead. KPop Demon Hunters 2 is slated for 2029, which means any answers are years away.