KPop Demon Hunters was the surprise breakthrough hit of 2025, earning numerous awards both for the movie itself and the popular soundtrack. Originally intended as a Netflix standalone film, the movie’s immense popularity has led to the greenlighting of a sequel, though very little information has been released. However, the film will likely follow up by exploring Rumi’s heritage, the status of Gwi-Ma, and perhaps even the fate of Jinu and the Saja Boys.
Currently, the sequel is slated for a release on Netflix in 2029. But with such a large gap between release dates, fans can’t help but look to other movies to keep their excitement for the movie high. Luckily, there are many films, both animated and live-action, musical and nonmusical, to choose from.
Birds of Prey Shows Off Girl Power in the Best Way
This movie is all about girl group energy, and so is KPop Demon Hunters. Of course, the Birds of Prey girls might be considered the demons in any other movie, but in Birds of Prey, they’re the protagonists that fans all root for. The Huntrix girls are obviously meant to seem like the good guys, but the camaraderie and girl power that both groups portray are evident.
Additionally, although the humor of Birds of Prey might not match that of KPop Demon Hunters, the stylization of the film is oddly close to the animated movie’s color palette and framing styles. Both are colorful and fun, with larger-than-life fight scenes and fun moments between the girls. However, it is important to note that this movie is not a musical, nor animated, nor about demons or people fighting for justice and the good in the world.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Is a Visual Treat With a Deeply Impactful Story
On paper, it might not seem like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish would be similar to KPop Demon Hunters. The movie is a branch of the Shrek franchise and follows fairytale characters like Puss in Boots as he tries to escape death by using a fallen star to grant a wish for more lives. It’s not a musical, does not include fangirl/fanboy aspects, barely includes a romance, and although it does include fantasy/supernatural elements, these are very much based on Western cultural fairy tales.
But this is deceiving, because the movies share smaller, but still important aspects. One of the main ones has to do with their visuals – both stemming from a mix of 2D and 3D animation with clear anime influences, especially regarding the numerous fight scenes. The action and adventure in both films are different but both incredibly engaging, and both take influence from leaning on friends to help to overcome mental struggles.
Highlighting Balance Between Demons and the Divine, Ne Zha Is Surprisingly Emotional
This animated powerhouse from China is certainly a fantasy/supernatural movie, but it follows more philosophical practices than KPop Demon Hunters does. And yet, the character of Ne Zha himself is a demon, just as Rumi is (although she’s only half). Both are strong and are tasked with doing good in the world, but struggle against their demon tendencies. There are many action scenes with powerful fight sequences in both movies, and both also highlight the importance of friendship and how people are stronger together.
Ne Zha and KPop Demon Hunters differ in an obvious way, and that’s time period and ethnicity. Both are set in East Asian countries, but Ne Zha is set back in time in China, and KPop Demon Hunters is set in modern times in South Korea. Additionally, Ne Zha features more action and no romance (besides subplots between other characters), and is not a musical.
Featuring a Trio of Beautiful Fighters, Charlie’s Angels Kicks Butt in Many Ways
Three gorgeous and very singular women kicking butt with martial arts and weapons – does that sound like Charlie’s Angels or KPop Demon Hunters? Well, it works for both! The movies are extremely similar for the purpose of removing bad guys using martial arts, strength, intelligence, and weaponry. Both groups of girls have been told who the bad guys are (in different ways), and they use this as their compass.
There are disguises, complicated missions, humor tossed around during fight scenes, and, of course, many shots of the ladies looking beautiful. Where the movies differ is in the supernatural element, as well as the musical girl-group parts (although the Angels do dress up as a German band at one point).
The Mitchells vs. the Machines and KPop Demon Hunters Share the Same Animation Company
The Mitchells vs. the Machines is a Sony animated movie just like KPop Demon Hunters, released in 2021, making it older than the musical powerhouse. As such, the movies are bound to share many similarities due to similar practices, approval systems, and core animation pipelines. Visually, the similarities are obvious, with a cartoon-like style leaning more toward The Mitchells, and a more anime-leaning style toward KPop Demon Hunters, but both are bright, colorful, fun, and are a hybrid of 2D and 3D animation techniques.
But although this might be where it seems like the similarities end (and many do), both movies also feature fight scenes between antagonists that may be more than they appear, and protagonists who are fumbling through their own relationships and sense of self. However, it is also obvious that The Mitchells leans sci-fi, not fantasy, and there are robots rather than demons. It’s also not a musical, and the family dynamic is markedly different to that of the friendship/girl group dynamic of Huntrix.
Nimona Features a Troubled, Powerful Protagonist With a Lot of Heart
The majority of similarities between Nimona and KPop Demon Hunters come from the art style, humor, and storyline regarding Nimona and how it correlates with the storyline for Rumi in odd ways. Both animated movies’ art imitates the movement, color schemes, and fight styles of comic books and manga, and the humor is meant to be fresh, disarming, and very loud. No, Nimona is not a musical, nor is the girl-power here very strong beyond Nimona herself, but Nimona is enough.
The Rumi/Nimona comparison comes from the fact that both are powerful women born into their gifts, but not always fully in control of them. They are strong and capable in their own right, but enjoy having someone else to fight with and face the world with. They’re also in denial about their identity at times or at least try to hide their past. By the end, in order for them to grow and succeed, they need to find self-acceptance.
The Divine Fury Gives a Darker Look Into Demon Hunting
Likely one of the more unfamiliar movies to the world as a whole on this list, The Divine Fury, by its very definition, seems like it would be the most similar movie to KPop Demon Hunters. This is because the movie is set in South Korea, features a protagonist who knows how to fight, was blessed with powers for the use of fighting demons, has a showdown with demons, and has to face his past. This sounds like it pertains to all of the women from Huntrix.
It is very similar, but the reason why it isn’t ranked higher is due to the drastically different tone. The Divine Fury is moody and dark even during lighter moments, whereas KPop Demon Hunters keeps a lighter tone even when dealing with darker themes. The animated musical is also just that, an animated musical, but The Divine Fury is a live-action Korean action horror movie with supernatural and thriller moments.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Is Filled With Music, Fun, and Quirky Humor
The tone and humor of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is extremely similar to the young, manic joy of KPop Demon Hunters. Even visually, the two seem to align, despite one being animated and the other live-action, with bright colors, intense faces, and comic book or manga-styled camera framing.
There’s even fighting and martial arts in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, as well as music and musical confrontations that result in highly stylized battle scenes. Although Scott Pilgrim features more of a love story than KPop Demon Hunters, it exists in both movies and remains a strong plot point for which the storyline is built.
Featuring a Virtual Pop Star, Belle Is a Musical Drama Full of Heart
Belle is a 2021 movie about a woman who becomes a pop singing sensation in a virtual reality world. Due to this and the beautiful music involved, Belle is incredibly similar to KPop Demon Hunters. Belle has to overcome emotional hurdles as well as physical ones within the virtual world, and there is a large amount of action in the world, although she isn’t necessarily involved in the fighting.
Both movies touch on the idea of idol-dom and famous singers with secret lives, as well as using songs and singing as a way to heal oneself and others. The final song of the movie even helps “save” the day, although the fantasy/supernatural element of Belle is kept in the virtual world, and the real world is, unfortunately, perhaps even darker than that of KPop Demon Hunters.
Turning Red Has It All, With Pop Stars, Music, Fantasy, Friends, and Drama
The main difference between KPop Demon Hunters and Turning Red is that the Pixar movie’s tone is certainly a bit younger, showing middle-school-aged girls versus women in their early twenties. Also, there are no demons, and the film is set in Canada. But there’s still action and supernatural elements, that have to do Mei turning into a red panda; urban fantasy due to the film taking place in large cities; comedy with the girl group; and music – taking form in boy groups and girl groups, of course.
Due to the difference in age group/tone, the boy group 4*TOWN has tamer music than that of the Saja Boys, but the fan fervor surrounding them is very similar. Then, the arguments within the friend groups are true to female dynamics, no matter the age. The supernatural element also involves music, and the power of song helps save the day. Additionally, although the supernatural/fantasy parts are based on Chinese folklore, not Korean, it is still rooted in East Asian spiritualism.
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