Released as an 8-episode series in April 2025 and greenlit for a second season within the very same month, Netflix’s Devil May Cry is a thrill ride of pretty much everything you’d expect from this iconic IP: SSStylish fight sequences, crazy-looking demons, writing that dabbles into comedy and tragedy, and a soundtrack that’s a fusion of favourites from the games and beloved nostalgia from the 90s and 2000s. From its Limp Bizkit opening to its credits played over a solemn cover of “Devils Never Cry”, Netflix’s Devil May Cry identifies itself as a labour of love that also sprinkles in nods to even more titans in gaming such as Mega Man and Dance Dance Revolution.
What is Netflix’s Devil May Cry About?
Without getting into spoilers, the series follows Dante: a professional demon hunter living in New York after his mother and brother were killed by demons, with just an amulet he wears around his neck to remember them by. Netflix’s Devil May Cry begins just as Dante’s amulet suddenly becomes a hot-ticket item for both the American government and the White Rabbit: a self-styled Alice in Wonderland horror who cuts a bloody trail from Vatican City to America in an attempt to break the barrier between the human and demon realms. Hunted by both demons and DARKCOM (America’s interdimensional security force), Dante will discover the truth behind both what he thought was just a family heirloom, and his own blood.
Is Devil May Cry on Netflix Canon?
Though it stars Dante and Lady (going by her birth name Mary), Netflix’s Devil May Cry decidedly takes part in an alternate universe. However, fans of the games will notice references to characters and bosses from across the video game series, including:
- Lucia from Devil May Cry 2
- Arkham from Devil May Cry 3
- Agni and Rudra from Devil May Cry 3
- Echidna from Devil May Cry 4
Who’s in Netflix’s Devil May Cry?
When it comes to nerd royalty and nostalgia for the 90s and 2000s, Netflix’s Devil May Cry doesn’t just stop at the soundtrack; it also stars a distinctive cast of well-known voice actors, including:
- Johnny Yong Bosch as Dante
- Scout Taylor-Compton as Mary Ann Arkham (Lady)
- Hoon Lee as the White Rabbit
- Chris Coppola as Enzo Ferino
- Kevin Conroy as Vice President William Baines
The supporting cast is no slouch either, with significant names such as Robbie Daymond, Erica Lindbeck, Ray Chase, Jon Gries, Roger L. Jackson, and even the Lady’s original voice actor Kari Wahlgren lending their voices. If you’re like me, you’ll probably go in thinking the new cast is going to take some getting used to after 20 years or so of listening to the ones from the games, but it didn’t actually stick out to me as much as I thought it would. I didn’t find that any of the new cast felt out of place in their roles and embraced them admirably!
How Does Neftlix’s Devil May Cry Compare to the Games?
Not going to lie, I went into Netflix’s Devil May Cry with the same uncertainty as I go into a lot of video game adaptations, but found I was pleasantly surprised despite the significant differences. Enough details in the characters’ backstories stayed true to the original lore that I didn’t feel disoriented, and what changes were made felt believable enough that I could make the necessary logical leaps quite comfortably. Best of all, I don’t think Netflix’s Devil May Cry will be particularly isolating for people who haven’t played the games before; it’s a self-contained story that contains enough easter eggs to keep die-hard fans happy while setting up a story that newcomers to the series can easily enjoy.
My only real gripe with the series was in Mary’s writing. I get she’s a tough-as-nails kind of girl and always has been, but when someone’s relying too heavily on cursing and being so cold to express what a badass they are, it comes off as annoyingly edgy for the sake of it. I distinctly remember saying, “Well, aren’t YOU the toughest twelve year old on the playground?” at one point, as the repetition had started grating on my nerves before long. It did make her kind of hard to like, which was unfortunate given she’s one of my favourite characters from the games, but the series’ story was good enough that I can happily give her the benefit of the doubt in hindsight. Given her position as the Lieutenant of DARKCOM and her tragic backstory, she’s still early in her overall character arc; she’s angry, she’s scared, she feels she’s got everything to prove, so I’m content to say that I’m interested to see where her story goes next. After all, the Lady we know in the games started out pretty hard to reason with too, having suffered similar losses and hurt at the hands of the demon threat.
What I loved most about Netflix’s Devil May Cry (even if it was horribly hard to swallow at times) was its fearlessness in pointing a finger at humanity’s cruel nature. Using the foundation from the games, the Netflix adaptation fearlessly dives into the us vs. them mentality of mankind of demons, highlighting that in either race, good and evil can often exist as more muddied shades of grey. Whether they’re human or demon, figures like the White Rabbit, the Vice President, or Mary can wholly justify their actions if they believe them to be right–that is, if those actions are what they believe to be their only means of protecting themselves or others. Unfortunately, other groups will disagree with those actions, especially if they paint their hands with the blood of innocents. Even in the tale of Sparda–a demon lauded by mankind as a hero for putting up the barrier between realms–there’s another side to the story, wherein his act of perceived heroism also resulted in unforeseen consequences.
In short, Netflix’s Devil May Cry holds a mirror up to human nature and puts its behaviours under a microscope, showing us the extent of its cruelty and the lengths we will go (and in parts of the world, are going right this moment) to achieve our goals, either thoughtlessly or by intention. Appropriate, when you remember the series’ roots in Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. It’s a fascinating, if painfully raw study that will sting with the truth it tells (sometimes without having to use dialogue at all), so be sure to have some tissues ready–Devil May Cry, and you definitely will once the story really gets rolling.
Is Netflix’s Devil May Cry Worth Watching?
For series veterans and those completely unfamiliar with Devil May Cry, I’d say 100% yes, absolutely. As much as I cried and as much as it hurt emotionally, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I finished the series with my husband a few days ago. I can’t wait for the second season so we can do it all again, and see how deep the rabbit hole truly goes.
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