Netflix and Adi Shankar’s Devil May Cry anime have been criticized by ardent fans of the franchise for making Dante, the protagonist, too weak. According to them, the pizza-loving, demon-slaying protagonist capable of battling godlike entities was reduced to a weak, absent-minded character who doesn’t resemble his videogame counterpart.

I believe we’ve blown this critique out of proportion. We haven’t considered the fact that we are seeing a younger, more inexperienced Dante. Instead of disgracing the franchise, this portrayal mirrors the progression of the games, setting the stage for him to become the cocky demon hunter we know and love.

Dante is still finding his footing in Netflix’s Devil May Cry Dante gets injured after being attacked by the White Rabbit | Credits: Netflix

We know that the Dante we see in the Netflix series is the version of him before the events of Devil May...