With a new Devil May Cry anime set to make its debut on Netflix, joining the illustrious ranks of a slew of anime adaptations of popular video game franchises like Castlevania and The Witcher, it was a joy to see one of Capcom’s most iconic characters make an appearance in its recent trailer.
We’re talking about Vergil, Dante’s twin brother and a son of Sparda who has been left too long in the shadows in the franchise’s long history that began in 2001 and ended with a bang in 2020. The second son of Sparda has been a part of every title in the franchise in some form – an unfortunate side trip to the Vie de Marli Islands in Devil May Cry 2 notwithstanding.
Considering Capcom’s success with remakes of its past titles, the studio should really consider a completely new title that focuses on Vergil’s early years, giving the character some much-needed time in a spotlight that both his brother and his son have hogged.
The Yin to Devil May Cry’s Yang
Vergil’s story over the years is one that features just as much character development as his brother Dante and son Nero. We first encountered him as Nelo Angelo, a troubled figure in service of the Demon King Mundus in the franchise’s debut title. His servitude is later explained in Devil May Cry 3, a consequence of his hubris in choosing to be locked away in the Demon Realm in his pursuit of Sparda’s power which he sees as his birthright.
While Vergil remained conspicuously absent in Devil May Cry 4, his influence on its story was more than enough to remind its players about his role in its events, his trusty Yamato making its way to Nero’s demonic arm in a bit of clever foreshadowing by Capcom. The latest game brought things to a head, with Vergil being revealed as Nero’s father in the wake of his newly reunited human and demonic halves taking on his brother Dante to prove his superiority once and for all.
Capcom’s presentation of the two brother’s opposing personalities is among Devil May Cry’s best parts, with Dante’s brash personality being the perfect counterfoil to Vergil’s cool, calculated persona which marks a swordsman who is both ruthless and efficient. He uses his Yamato with devastating precision in any fight that he is in, abhorring the use of guns, unlike his more open-minded brother.
While Vergil’s mysterious past has worked in his favor over the years, it also leaves lingering questions for fans of the character. Why did he come to see the power of Sparda as his birthright? How did he survive the attack on Sparda and Eva? Why did he leave his beloved Yamato behind for Nero? And perhaps the most important of all, who was the woman who managed to capture his heart and have a son with him?
Perhaps Adi Shankar’s upcoming adaptation may hold some answers. But considering Vergil’s versatile skill set in every DLC where he is a playable character, it could be time for Capcom to dive into his murky origins and give him his time to shine.
One Character, Many Possibilities
With Vergil making an appearance in the new anime’s trailer, I was immediately taken back to the first time I got to play as him in Devil May Cry 3’s DLC. Vergil’s move set quickly became my favorite thing about the game; his moves reflect his calm and composed personality while unleashing attacks with incredible speed, which has informed my love for katanas in video games over the years.
Each iteration of the character in subsequent titles brought something new to the table, improving his ability to tear through enemy hordes with ease while racking up Smokin’ Sick Style ranked combos with aplomb. It is evident that Vergil is a character who can be a lot of fun to play were he to receive his own title in Capcom’s long-standing franchise.
With the two brothers currently in the Demon Realm, working to keep its denizens in check while Nero handles things on the other side, Capcom would very well present a new story about Vergil as a conversation about the many years he missed with Dante in the wake of their reconciliation. That kind of introspection could explain many of the unanswered questions about his life that fans of Sparda’s progeny would lap up in no time while setting up potential future additions to the franchise for Capcom.
Diving into Vergil’s early years could also be an opportunity for Capcom to showcase his path to mastery over the Yamato and his unique magical abilities, presented as a skill tree that would be a perfect callback to Dante’s own development of the four styles that form the crux of his combat loop. A new title is an opportunity to present a more vulnerable side of Vergil although I’m hard-pressed to imagine what that would look like.
It could also allow Capcom to build on the excellent combat and visual identity it forged for its iconic franchise in Devil May Cry 5, a title whose photorealistic graphics continue to remain among my favorite presentations in recent years. It would be a perfect opportunity to make use of the PS5 Pro’s additional graphical capabilities to bring life to a character who has played second fiddle to his brother for far too long despite having a lot of potential to be the star of the show.
Capcom may very well be exploring the possibility of bringing a younger Vergil to life if recent remarks by Dan Southworth whose phenomenal voice acting as the character over the years has contributed to his carefully maintained persona. Vergil is one half of the reason why Devil May Cry will always feature in any list of the best sword-fighting games in modern history.
And if Capcom decides to dive back into his early years in a standalone title, I would quote Vergil and Dante and say that such a game is certainly going to be a “Jackpot” for the Japanese studio.
