It’s safe to say that Adi Shankar’s take on the Devil May Cry franchise is a blast. The first season of Netflix’s anime adaptation of Capcom’s iconic gaming franchise is an inspired, almost reverential, take on Dante’s adventures.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Shankar was afraid to make small yet meaningful changes to the franchise that worked to make his version of the Devil May Cry universe an excellent reimaginging of its cast and established lore.
With that in mind, here are 7 major differences between the new Devil May Cry show and the games that inspired it.
7. The Demon Realm in Devil May Cry Gets a Grim Makeover
While the games simply call it the Demon Realm, the show goes a step further by giving Sparda’s home a distinct backstory and name that add weight to its presence in the Devil May Cry universe. Calling it “Makai”, the Japanese word for demon realm, was an inspired touch and immediately makes it nearly as important as the characters it brings to the table.
As a parallel world that is as dangerous to its own inhabitants as it is to the human world, Makai is filled with poignant stories and malignant entities. This makes it an interesting contrast to the human world, allowing the show to raise the stakes on both sides of the equation as the show unfolds.
6. Arkham’s Story
In Devil May Cry 3, Arkham (or the Jester) is the mastermind behind the plot to resurrect Sparda, manipulating both Dante and Vergil and coming very close to his goal of obtaining god-like power until the two brothers put an end to his plans in a rare moment of cooperation. He is ultimately killed by Lady, revealed to be his daughter Mary via their shared heterochromia.
However, Mary inherits her mother’s eyes on the show, while Arkham meets an untimely end after injecting himself with a demon’s blood in a misguided attempt to become more powerful and protect his family. He ends up burning to death in a fire that he accidentally starts in his demonic form, a tragic end to a lifetime of regrets that is quite a deviation from his more villainous tendencies in the games.
5. Darkcom Is a Subtle Nod to Capcom in Devil May Cry
While most humans remain blissfully ignorant of the presence of the Demon Realm in the games, the humans in Netflix’s Devil May Cry beg to differ. The United States’ Vice President is an investor in Dark Realm Command (Darkcom, for short), an organization focused on handling supernatural threats and exterminating any demons who are unfortunate enough to cross paths with it.
In the games, all military organizations are absolutely helpless against even the most basic demonic threats, making Dante and Co. the only ones capable of taking them on. Darkcom, however, is filled with capable soldiers who dispatch lesser demons with ease using a combination of deadly skills and high-tech weaponry while being aware of the Demon Realm’s existence all along.
4. Dante’s Alter Ego
In nearly all of the games and accompanying manga, Dante hides his demonic heritage by taking on the alias of Tony Redgrave, a name that he uses in his interaction with the general public as well as with J.D. Morrison, his agent of sorts.
However, he seems more than happy to go by his real name on the show, which makes him very easy to find when Darkcom takes an interest in him, thanks to the Rabbit’s machinations. The name Tony Redgrave isn’t even mentioned on his profile when Darkcom pulls up records of known Demon Hunters around the world.
3. Enzo Ferino
In the games and novels, Enzo Ferino and Dante have quite a complicated relationship. The shady information broker is often at the receiving end of Dante’s ire, a plot thread that the show utilizes to great effect. However, Enzo’s inability to defend himself in conflict leads to him often relying on Dante to get him out of tight spots, a dependence that ultimately costs him an arm and sours their relationship to a large extent.
However, while Enzo retains most of his personality on the show, he ultimately trades his life for Dante’s in a moment that allows the latter to gain the upper hand against Rabbit’s demon form. His noble sacrifice is a major deviation from his motivations in the games, where he often attempts to save his own skin rather than assist Dante in times of trouble.
2. Lady’s Improved Skill Set In Devil May Cry
Lady primarily relies on her Kalina Ann rocket launcher and pistols, along with an assortment of grenades in her appearances in Devil May Cry 3 and subsequent titles. The games remain unclear on how she obtained her demon-hunting talents, presenting her as capable of handling minor threats while relying on Dante to take on more powerful demons.
However, Lady takes on a more prominent role in the Devil May Cry show as a Lieutenant at Darkcom, complete with high-tech armor and an arsenal of weapons that she uses with deadly precision. The show adds to her gear by providing her with jet-propelled boots that vastly increase her mobility, while her Kalina Ann is a prototype that she doesn’t even use until later in the season.
She is also very devoted to Darkcom, choosing to imprison Dante despite the grudging respect she develops for him after events in the show unfold. This is in stark contrast to the games where she begins working with him after he dispatches Vergil to the Demon Realm.
1. Sparda’s Sacrifice
Although both the show and the games present Sparda as a Demon Knight who rebelled against his own people, Adi Shankar’s take on how Sparda separated the human and Demon worlds is a novel approach to his sacrifice. While the amulet that Sparda left behind is very much a factor in sustaining a barrier between the two realms, the games present it as a magical seal that keeps his power from being misused by beings with ulterior motives.
However, the show introduces an element of sci-fi to the amulet’s powers, presenting it as a means to disrupt quantum energy fields that facilitate travel between the Earth and Makai. Additionally, Vergil’s half of the amulet is mysteriously locked away with the Force Edge on Earth in the show, while its owner languishes in the Demon Realm in the service of the Demon King Mundus as Nelo Angelo.
While these differences may seem blasphemous to Devil May Cry fans who are yet to dive into Netflix’s adaptation of the franchise, they actually work well to give the show its own identity while continuing to remain faithful to the story that inspired it.
The first season of Devil May Cry is out on Netflix for those of you interested in giving it a shot. If you’re wondering what the ending of season one means for the future of the show, we have the perfect explanation.
For more Thumb Wars Films and TV coverage, check out how The Wheel of Time is setting up an important arc from the books or how Jason Momoa quickly defended his return in Dune: Messiah.
With a passion for gaming that is equaled only by his love for writing, Varun has either a controller, keyboard, or a guitar in his hands when he is not out exploring the middle of nowhere on a motorcycle. Soulslikes, RPGs, and action-adventure titles keep him awake at night and get him out of bed in the morning. He will never stop lamenting the lack of a Bloodborne sequel even as he spends another couple of hours exploring the Lands Between in Elden Ring.
