After waiting a year for the new season, fans of the Netflix adaptation are in for a chrome-plated surprise and a little something extra upon its return. The animated series (from the same studio as the successful production) has a fairly even split of fans and critics, stemming from the fact that it is a drastic reinvention of the game’s narrative. The story features Dante, a half-human, half-demon bounty hunter, safeguarding humanity from demonic forces while attempting to mend his Shakespearean dysfunctional bond with his twin brother, Vergil. The Netflix series heavily remixed the game’s canon by introducing the fictional paramilitary group Dark Realm Command (DARKCOM) and reinterpreting the human-demon conflict as an allegory for post-9/11 paranoia.
Despite the mixed reactions to the show’s numerous changes, Devil May Cry was successful enough to secure a second season with a relatively quick production turnaround. With the show’s return just over three months away, Netflix has provided a look at the familiar additions to Dante’s arsenal that he will utilize as humanity wages a holy crusade against the demon realm.
In the short clip, Dante receives his iconic dual-wielded, two-toned M1911 handguns, affectionately named Ebony and Ivory, and immediately demonstrates their devastating power. Crafted by the gifted gunsmith Nell Goldstein, these guns appear in every installment of the video game series and are renowned for their incredibly high rate of fire and juggling capability, which are essential for maintaining the stylish combos the games are famous for.
Naturally, the guns are presented to Dante by Nell herself, who is set to appear in the second season of the TV series. Although she never appears directly in the games, Nell is a significant figure in Dante’s life, serving as a motherly figure in the 2002 Devil May Cry prequel novel. Her granddaughter, Nico, was introduced in 2019’s Devil May Cry 5 as a support character who supplies equipment to Dante’s nephew, Nero; while unlikely, it is possible we might see a much younger or repurposed version of her in the series.
One of the many recurring Easter eggs in the game is an engraving on the side of Ivory that reads “For Tony Redgrave, By .45 Art Warks,” referencing the fact that the entire franchise originated as a potential direction for Resident Evil 4, in which Dante was known as “Tony.”
Interestingly, the 2002 prequel novel offers an in-universe explanation for this, revealing that Dante spent time as a young mercenary using that alias. In the season 2 sneak peek, Dante’s recent ally Lady notes that the engraving refers to his “old mercenary alias.”
Whether the upcoming season will offer fans a look into Dante’s murky past remains to be seen, but what is certain is that with DARKCOM committing to a full-scale invasion of demonkind, he is going to need all the firepower he can acquire.