Why Dante Caused So Much Controversy In DMC: Devil May Cry
Capcom's Devil May Cry franchise evolved the action genre in a major way when it was introduced in 2001.
Ever since the blonde-haired demon hunter known as Dante came onto the scene, players have grown accustomed to pulling off flashy combos and flamboyant taunts with him and his heroic allies. While the DMC franchise as a whole has experienced the highest of highs, it has also been brought down from its lofty heights from time to time. Devil May Cry 2 stands out as the first major slipup in the series from a critical standpoint. And as for Devil May Cry 4, Capcom developer Hideaki Itsuno admitted that the game encountered budget issues that led to it being forced to recycle stages during the latter half of the game.
DmC: Devil May Cry, development studio Ninja Theory's foray into the series, is also seen by many as a low point as well for one major reason, and that reason is owed to the game's unlikable interpretation of Dante, who caused plenty of controversy.
DmC Dante's sharp change in character didn't exactly endear him to longtime fans of the demon hunter
DmC: Devil May Cry is certainly a satisfactory action game with likable aspects, such as incredible combat sequences and a creative approach to boss encounters. However, the reboot's main character rubbed fans the wrong way right from the very start. Gone was the silver hair of Dante from series past. Now, everyone got introduced to a dark-haired, chain-smoking, and incredibly moody-looking Dante that was a bit too off-putting.
What made DmC's version of Dante even more of a bust was his lack of hilarious quips and his cocky nature. Ninja Theory changed Dante into a rebel with an surly demeanor who dropped swear words at every opportunity. One cutscene from DmC perfectly summed up the game's disdain for the Dante fans knew and love: As a white wig flew onto Dante's head during a furious battle, he looked into a mirror and commented "not in a million years."
DmC Dante is still seen by many as the worst version of the character thus far. Thankfully, Capcom returned to the mainline version of Dante with 2019's Devil May Cry 5.