When it comes to video game to anime adaptations, Adi Shankar has proven himself beyond a doubt. Castlevania was turned into a narrative masterpiece and felt much deeper than the lore of the game indicated.
Adi Shankar is bound to do the same for Devil May Cry as well. He always gravitated toward characters who exist in moral gray areas, and Dante fits the profile.
His Castlevania adaptation turned Trevor Belmont into a hero, weighed down by cynicism and self-doubt. Dredd stripped its protagonist of any traditional heroics and placed him in a lawless world.
Dante’s traditional portrayal in Devil May Cry
Given this pattern, Shankar’s Devil May Cry adaptation is likely to deliver a Dante with more depth than the wise-cracking, cool-guy Dante. His struggles with his identity, his mission, and his family will all be explored.
Dante has always been a confident, cocky demon hunter. Like a cool young man with a mission, unshaken by hardships and obstacles. It is one of Dante’s charms in the franchise; after all, who doesn’t want to be cool?
Dante’s tragic backstory deserves to be explored, and considering characters like Alucard (who are so beloved, they can carry the show) that Adi Shankar has dealt with, Dante might become a much more layered character.
The loss of his mother, his rivalry with Vergil, and the legacy of Sparda- all of them add depth to his character and the story. In the anime, with Shankar’s vision, he could take Dante in an entirely new direction.
The Adi Shankar twist: An alternate portrayal of Devil May Cry
An emotionally complex Dante
Shankar’s Dante may not simply brush off his past with humor. Instead of masking his pain, he might be fighting his true demons on the inside. And the conversations and narration will let the fans into what makes up the cool and cocky Demon Hunter. The trauma of his mother’s death, his relations with Vergil, all of them have an impact attached to them.
A more brutal style of combat
While Devil May Cry is known for its stylish action and interesting lore, Shankar might lean toward a more brutal combat style, akin to Dredd or Castlevania.
Fights could carry more emotional weight, with real consequences and a sense of thrill and urgency. After all, this is not a game, and Dante cannot respawn.
Vergil as an extremely lovable antagonist
Vergil has always been a fan-favorite antagonist, but his motivations are always to gain power (hah, motivation and power in the same line, get it?). He even stabbed Dante in the heart once, but Shankar thrives when given opportunities to deal with such characters. He might end up making Vergil an extremely lovable antagonist (even more than what he already is? That’ll be fun!)
Departing from the Good vs Evil idea
Shankar’s works often explore themes that are far more complex than good and evil. He picks out ways to demonstrate reasons and beliefs, showing that everyone exists in a large expanse of gray. Shankar’s Devil May Cry might deal with such philosophical ideas.
A darker setting and a brutal world
Unlike the games, which balance their darker moments and offset them with humor, the Netflix adaptation might embrace a more serious, mature tone. This could help build the narrative while also fleshing out Dante’s character. This doesn’t mean they will cut down on Dante’s humor, but it could serve a different purpose.
All of these ideas are rooted in Shankar’s previous works and the fans are extremely excited to see what magic he has done on the beloved franchise.
Devil May Cry will be available to stream on Netflix from 3 April 2025.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
