If someone had told me that my most recent hyperfixation, the Netflix phenomenon known as KPop Demon Hunters, would cross with my oldest, most beloved wire mother known as Star Wars, I’d have been very skeptical. After all, what could Cal Kestis, Bode Akuna, and Merrin from the Jedi games possibly have in common with Rumi, Zoey, and Mira from HUNTR/X?
As it turns out: the desire to slay their enemies and look good while doing it.
The above beautifully edited video comes from AnimatedJen, and if you’re someone who needs to start their day with something kickass, I heartily recommend watching this one.
With the backing track of “How It’s Done” from HUNTR/X in the background, Jedi protagonist Cal Kestis teams up with Bode Akuna and Nightsister Merrin to put the beatdown on the Empire goons they come across. While they don’t do so while falling from a crashing plane, the trio’s takedown moves are truly something to behold in this video.
“You want some more? Cal, I think they want some more,” Bode says, and we immediately cut to Cal kicking a shoretrooper while Bode flies in on his jetpack to deliver a merciless punch to the face. Merrin finishes it off with a twirl of her staff, and oh boy, am I already hyped, and there’s a whole minute left to go.
I’ve been a fan of AnimatedJen’s channel for a while now, delighting in just how much effort and love the YouTuber has put into telling their own story of Cal Kestis throughout the years. (An alternative universe where Cal is an Inquisitor? Sign me up!) The Jedi games are well-loved and there’s been a clamouring for its characters to head to the live-action side of things eventually.
It’s also just lovely to immerse myself in what makes Star Wars truly an all-timer fandom for me: fans taking the material and giving it a unique spin of their own. Sure, it’s highly unlikely that ‘canon’ (what is canon in Star Wars, anyway?) Cal, Merrin, and, ugh, Bode (Bode knows what he did, that’s all I’m going to say) would use the power of K-Pop to enhance their powers further and kill stormtroopers. But who’s to say they didn’t anyway? Nobody! That’s who! In fact, I’m going to start calling the team MANT/S from now on. Does this make Cere Junda their manager? Could someone write this and post it on AO3, specifically for me? Additionally, modders, you should also get started on these outfits, if possible. Please and thank you.
If you need me, I’m booting up Jedi: Fallen Order again just to blast “Takedown” while I slice-and-dice Imperial scum.