K-Pop Demon Hunters and Star Wars Jedi: An Unlikely Yet Thrilling Fusion

Alright, so get this. If someone had waltzed up to me and whispered that I’d find my two weird passions—a Netflix binge called KPop Demon Hunters and my old favorite, Star Wars—colliding like this, I would’ve laughed them out of the room. Seriously, what are the odds? How on earth do Cal Kestis, Bode Akuna, and Merrin from those Jedi games even breathe the same air as Rumi, Zoey, and Mira from HUNTR/X? It’s a head-scratcher.

Anyway, turns out they all just wanna kick butt and look like absolute legends while doing it. Who saw that coming?

So, there’s this video floating around, crafted by the oh-so-talented AnimatedJen. Honestly, if you’re like me and need that caffeine-jolt style of inspiration to get moving every morning, you gotta see it. It’s got that “How It’s Done” banger from HUNTR/X playing while our boy Cal Kestis and his crew—Bode and Merrin—are laying the smackdown on some Empire cronies. Nope, they aren’t skydiving out of exploding planes or anything (bummer), but their moves? Pure art.

There’s this part where Bode, ever the showman, goes “You want some more? Cal, I think they want some more,” and BAM! Cal’s kicking shoretroopers like he’s got a vendetta, while in swoops Bode, jetpack blazing, to deliver a face-smashing punch. Then Merrin just spins her staff like it’s no big deal. And me? I’m losing it, and we’re just one minute into this joyride.

Been riding the AnimatedJen train for a while now. Trust me, the love they pour into these Cal Kestis stories is next level. Oh, and don’t even get me started on that alt universe where Cal’s an Inquisitor. If that doesn’t hook you, what will? People are rooting for these Jedi game characters to jump into live-action—makes sense, right?

Honestly, what keeps me hooked on Star Wars (besides the lightsabers, duh) is fans remixing it all in such wild ways. Those twisting canons—what even is ‘canon’ at this point?—where Cal, Merrin, and that cheeky Bode wield K-Pop tunes to smash stormtroopers. Who’d have thought? But hey, anything goes in this galaxy. I’m considering dubbing them the MANT/S squad. Cere Junda as their manager? Sounds like gold. Somebody jot this down on AO3, just for the giggles. Oh, and to all those modders out there, can we talk customized outfits? I’m begging here.

Anyway—shoot, wait, I already said that—where was I? Oh yes, if you need me, I’ll be back on Jedi: Fallen Order, slicing up Imperial baddies while blasting “Takedown.” Multitasking, right?