K-Pop Demon Hunters – The Mythological Origins of Gwi-Ma, Sussie, and Derpy
- Imagining History
- Sep 22
- 3 min read
Over the last few months, K-Pop Demon Hunters has taken the world by storm, becoming the most watched thing ever on Netflix (Please note: Other streamers are available, though they’re probably not as good). This success might have something to do with the fact that each and every child has now watched the movie approximate 93 times, but I digress.
The big bad of the story is Gwi-Ma, a scary Demon King who seeks to corrupt people
and take over the world with his demonic army. He’s basically an enormous flamey face who talks in a voice so deep and gravelly he makes Batman sound like Mickey Mouse. Now don’t worry, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey are here to save the day, but watching the film got me thinking, did the makers of K-Pop Demon Hunters base Gwi-Ma on a real mythological figure from Korean legends? Did Koreans talk about Gwi-Ma centuries upon centuries ago? Let’s find out!
Also, don’t worry if your one of the three people alive who hasn’t watched K-Pop Demon Hunters yet, you won’t find any spoilers below!
So, Gwi-Ma doesn’t turn up in Korean Myths himself, though his name is of interest. In Korean, the name “Gwi” means “ghost, spirit, or demon,” and “Ma” means “evil spirit” or “demon.” So Gwi-Ma translates as Demon Ghost or Evil Spirit, and, in the movie, the naughty flamey dude certainly lives up to his name!
As a random side note, during my research for this article, I discovered one of the coolest mythological creatures ever, Bulgasari. Just like Gwi-Ma, the Bulgasari was pretty much indestructible. In fact, its stomach was so tough, that this fella ate chunks of metal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Goodness knows what his poo looked like.
The Bulgasari looks freaking awesome, having the body of a bear, with paws and claws like a tiger and a flaming red bull’s tail. Add to that look the trunk of an elephant and the eyes of a rhino and you have yourself one heck of a creature!
Though, unlike Gwi-Ma, the Bulgasari was a hero, causing general destruction to punish evil doers. Which rather reminds me of The Incredible Hulk, just with more green.
What about Sussie then, the hat wearing Six-Eyed magpie that helps out Rumie on her adventures? Well, in Korean folklore, magpies are one of the most important and famous birds. They are creatures that bring good news and can offer help and guidance, just like Sussie provides our demon-slaying heroes. These magpies aren’t six-eyed however, though there are many multi-eyed creatures in East Asian mythology. The bonus eyes show that the creature is supernatural. There is a three-legged crow that lives in the sun called Samjogo in Korean myths, so that’s fun!
Derpy, the tiger-like fella that accompanies Sussie, is deeply inspired by Korean Myths too. Indeed, the magpie and the tiger are seen as something like a duo or a pro-wrestling tag-team, each hanging out with the other on a regular basis. There are loads of paintings of tigers and magpies getting on like a house on fire (though not a Gwi-Ma enflamed house, I hasten to add) in the Korean art called "Minhwa". Minhwa means ‘popular painting'. So a bit like the little three panel comics in Newspapers.
In K-Pop Demon Hunters, Derpy is seen to be, kind of, well… derpy. He’s clumsy and silly. This was how tigers were drawn in Minhwa, as bumbling idiots, whilst the magpie was the clever genius. Like Pinky and the Brain.
So, there you have it my friends, a brief introduction to the Korean myths, legends and folklore that inspired Gwi-Ma, Susie and Derpy.