Twin brothers Dante and Vergil have always been two halves of a whole in Devil May Cry. Now, Adi Shankar’s anime adaptation of the beloved video game franchise is returning with its second season on May 12, bringing with it the promise of a tense family reunion. Season 1 of Netflix’s Devil May Cry made some significant departures from the source material, including a switch to a post-modern setting and a radical interpretation of Demons. The official trailer for Devil May Cry season 2 hints at a more measured approach for the upcoming season, but Vergil’s motivations appear to diverge from the video game canon.
Dante and Vergil’s complicated relationship is the beating heart of the Devil May Cry franchise. Season 1 had ended with Vergil revealing his presence to the audience, but Dante has yet to meet his twin, whom he thought was long dead. Season 2 anticipates this reunion while gearing us up for some traumatic truths, including the fate that befell young Vergil right after his childhood home was attacked. In Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening (2005), an adult Vergil finds himself trapped inside the Demon World, where he crosses paths with Mundus, the ruler of the realm. After losing to Mundus, Vergil is enslaved, tortured, and transformed into Nelo Angelo (his corrupted demonic form), which leads to the events of the first Devil May Cry (2001) game.
Shankar’s anime is already playing around with the canonical timeline and event continuity, as this iteration of the story prioritizes completely different stakes. In the trailer, Vergil claims that Mundus “set [him] free” when Dante asks what the King of Hell has done to him. This declaration is at odds with Mundus’ mind-control tactics in the games, as this version of Vergil seems to be willingly in cahoots with Mundus. This doesn’t bode well due to Mundus’ status as the major series antagonist, but it also foregoes most of Vergil’s complexity that stems from this chapter of his existence. Although Dante and Vergil are both shaped by trauma, the latter’s approach to traditional morality is actively molded by Mundus’ corruption and the arduous ordeal Vergil undergoes to break these shackles.
As we see Dante and Vergil team up at the end of the trailer, there are two possible explanations for the Mundus situation. Vergil may be simply feigning allegiance at the moment, as he plans to leverage this dynamic to covet more abilities or achieve a yet-to-be-revealed goal. Conversely, Vergil’s loyalty might be genuine, but his reunion with Dante might bring about a change of heart despite their contentious relationship. Shankar and co. could also be opting for a more ambitious origin story for Vergil, as we see glimpses of child Vergil awakening to his inner demon under a slightly altered context. Either way, it’ll be interesting to map Vergil’s characterization in the Netflix anime and how his ruthless yet honorable nature blooms in this narrative branch.
Season 2 of Devil May Cry is also bringing back the sorcerer Arius, who is the primary antagonist of Devil May Cry 2, one of the most maligned entries in the video game series. Although Arius’ in-game legacy isn’t memorable, the anime is positioning him as an immediate threat as opposed to Mundus’ looming, rapidly approaching shadow. This, however, isn’t cause for concern, as the show has already proven that it can make a meal out of overlooked franchise antagonists, as is the case with season 1’s characterization of the White Rabbit from the Devil May Cry 3 manga.
Will Vergil be able to put aside differences and aid Dante in his mission to stop those who threaten the lives of humans and demons alike? This seems to be the impetus behind season 2 of Devil May Cry, which will feature plenty of callbacks to the games while it works on stabilizing its own lore. Vergil might be coming in hot with motivations that don’t align with what we already know, but one can hope that the Netflix series will artfully flesh out what makes such a brilliant, traumatized man tick.
Season 2 of Devil May Cry premieres on May 12 on Netflix.
