Devil May Cry Netflix Series: Everything You Need To Know About The Anime Adaptation Of Capcom’s Iconic Game
Netflix’s Devil May Cry anime adaptation is set to bring Dante’s demon-slaying adventures to life. From its gaming roots to key characters and storyline, here’s what to expect.
Devil May Cry Anime Adaptation (Photo Credit – Netflix)
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Among the many anticipated Netflix series set to release in 2025, the animated adaptation of Devil May Cry has generated a lot of buzz among video game fans, especially with the announcement of its release date, April 3, 2025.
The Devil May Cry series is a video game franchise developed and published by Capcom, which started in 2001 when the original Devil May Cry was released on the PlayStation 2. Since then, the series has become a seminal fixture of action gaming, with the lead character, Dante, becoming a pop culture icon in his own right. Read on to learn more about the iconic series soon coming to Netflix.
Devil May Cry comes from the creators of Resident Evil
Devil May Cry comes from the creators of the Resident Evil franchise. The original 2001 game originated as a prototype of Resident Evil 4. Director Hideki Kamiya had the idea of revamping the survival horror franchise in a more action-oriented direction. The protagonist of the prototype was Tony Redgrave, a man who obtained superhuman abilities thanks to biotechnology, allowing him to face off against the bioterrorist threats in the game on an equal footing.
As development continued, the team was increasingly influenced by Gothic architecture and Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy. Capcom executives eventually decided not to proceed with Kamiya’s take on Resident Evil 4, instead directing him to retool the prototype into an original intellectual property. Kamiya’s team moved to discard all science-fiction elements from the game and renamed it Devil May Cry.
The original Devil May Cry was a smash hit upon its 2001 release on the PlayStation 2, becoming an incredibly influential title in the action gaming genre. Capcom immediately greenlit a sequel, which was produced without the involvement of Kamiya and the original creative team.
This sequel, titled Devil May Cry 2, proved to be a commercial and critical disappointment, with fans and critics pointing out how the sequel lacked much of what made the original game so appealing, such as its memorable characters and tough but fair difficulty.
Despite the franchise’s sophomore slump, however, the series would rocket back to critical acclaim with releasing the third installment, Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening, which served as a prequel to the entire series. The game was widely praised as a return to form for the series and is still among the most acclaimed action games ever made. Devil May Cry 3 also featured the debut of Lady, who was a vengeful demon hunter on the warpath against her evil father, Arkham. Lady is set to be the deuteragonist of the upcoming Netflix series.
The upcoming Netflix series is not the first anime adaptation Devil May Cry has received. Back in 2007, the studio Madhouse produced Devil May Cry: The Animated Series, which aired on Japan’s WOWOW TV Network and ran for 12 episodes. The series serves as an interquel between the original Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 2, but it is not required viewing to understand the Netflix series.
