Continuing this line of Discussion, from the last thread, in regard to DMC.
>>1088015
>Maybe all games should be really political, but about the politics they are against.
>>1088019
>How? What politics could anyone possibly gleam from the original games
>>1088055
>DMC4 had a jrpg pope; Therefore the whole series is political as fuck.
For obvious reasons, Devil May Cry doesn't attempt to be Overtly political, DMC1 released 2 weeks before 9/11. So the entire core of the franchise's existence is untainted by Politics seriously effecting its creation. That being said, there are Messages to the narratives of these games that one can interpret if they wish.
Devil May Cry's core message is that Empathy "Heart" is the difference between a Human and a Demon. Those born Demons, Sparda, Trish, Lucia, have learned to care for others and not just themselves. This is where the term of in the Legend of Sparda "Woke up to Justice" comes from. It's a General meaning that if you have the power to stop evil, you have the responsibility to stop that evil, and the message from the Demons that have developed Empathy is that no matter how or where someone is born they have the Potential to be a good person. "Sparda, Trish, Lucia are one of the good ones" if you want to think about it in that way. The games never make excuses for the evil behavior of demons. Since they choose to be demons and it's been shown that Demons are Capable of not being evil, so in the end it is their own fault that Dante is required to kill them. If a Demon learns Empathy and can love, then they are Human in Dante's eyes. This is where the meaning of the title "Devil May Cry" comes from if a Devil can shed tears for another they care about they are human.
On the flip side it is shown in the series that there are those born Human that can become corrupt and sell their souls in exchange for power. Arius, Arkham, and Sancuts all were seduced by the Allure of demonic power, and no long had empathy for their fellow man. In Dante's eyes, a human this far gone might as well be a Demon, and they need to get put down.
The story of the Sons of Sparda is that of struggling with the having the power to change the world, and the burden of that responsibility. Vergil went down the path of the Demon, he chooses to Continuously obtain more and more power in a never ending cycle, it entierly Corrupted him and turn him into Nelo Angleo, the Servant of Mundus, The very one Responsible for killing his mother and ruining his life. In DMC3 Dante is struggling to make a choice at all, he has limitless potential, but he is an outcast from society, so he chooses to ignore the Responsibility of his power, instead he is simply a thrill seeker, but he is not truly fulfilled by this lifestyle, the events of DMC3 have him realize that both the empathy of his Humanity, and the Power of his Demonic nature are part of how he truely is, and he becomes a man once he chooses to take responsibility for his family Legacy. The path of responsibility Dante chooses is to help anyone who might need him regardless of if they can pay him or not, the Business aspect of the Devil May Cry agency is simply a front, so he doesn't allow himself to get taken advantage of, Dante will reject work regardless of how high the potential profits could be because he has Integrity, and values helping his fellow man far more the financial gains. This path he chooses him has him finally Come face to face with Mundus the Ultimate evil of his, and defeat it just as his father did before him, and Dante's Passion and integrity wins over Trish, a Demon who was Specifically created to manipulate him, Trish develops a heart from witnessing Dante's empathy. Something Mundus never could have predicted, because empathy is a foreign concept to a Dweller of Hell.
DMC4 you could have the Shallow viewpoint that its message is that religion is bad, but that's not the case. I consider aspects of Devil May Cry to be a pretty interesting subversion of the Bible, There are enough parallels between DMC lore and the Bible that it works more than you might assume. The Story of Sparda is essentially the exact Opposite of the story of Lucifer. Where instead of Lucifer disobeying the God of Heaven and being cast out for it. To then see fit for being responsible for the corruption and damnation of Humanity. Sparda disobeyed the god of the underworld "Mundus" and exiled himself, saw himself fit to Protect Humanity from damnation, and preserve harmony.
Due to these Similarities, a Catholic Church Aesthetic does fit right in when it comes to the kind of story DMC4 is. Based on everything we've seen from The Order of the Sword's culture, they might as well be Catholics, but ones still prepared for "The Crusades", since they are still armed as knights to fight against potential demon threat. As a side note it is sated that in DMC4 Refrain for the iphone of all things, that Dante knows that Sanctus sold his soul to a demon. So we can assume the Order actually was a Religion that was ran in good faith before Sanctus became corrupted, Agnus' Laboratory and demonic Science was a complete secret from the community for a reason.
In a way it's a Smart critique, on how the ones running the churches can be corrupt, but the people who practice the faith are still good people. Anyone can twist the words of Religion to justify their evil deeds, but in DMC4's case, Nero is the one who knows the truth of their Religion better than the one preaching it. Nero, and Kyrie are basically Catholics, and they are better people then even Dante and Vergil for having been raised that way. Credo was also a good person, but he was too much of a Zealot to the Order to realize the Corruption that was over taking it, Credo realizes the error of his ways, but when he chooses to do the right thing it costs him his life, which is the price to be paid for him Allowing that corruption to exist as long as it did, as Sanctus as a Corrupting force cost countless people their lives.
Now in DMC5 Dante and Vergil are both losing their way, Dante always chooses to do the right thing, but due to him Distance himself from others to avoid getting to close and losing anyone he cares about, he has an Internal struggle always reminding himself that he must maintain his humanity no matter what. This is what his theme "Subhuman" is about. Vergil is somehow still alive after everything that has happened to him, but he's at the end of his rope, he decides to Physically separate his humanity and his demonic side, hoping that finally ridding himself complete of humanity will allow him to get what he always wished. This results in V and Urizen, both needing to face that they are Incomplete as they are. V is forced to Reassess his entire life now with the eyes of a human, he no longer can hide from the truth of his actions, and Urizen desipte gaining limitless power is still never Satisfied because that is never what Vergil trully wanted. He simply wanted the means to protect those that he loved, but he no long had anyone to love. Once V and Urizen agree to Reunite, Vergil is finally able to accept his humanity and Demonic nature as one, and his Corruption is finally healed, Yet Dante is too far gone in his Pursuit of stopping Vergil, he sees no other way to Stop Vergil beyond killing him, as he has done twice before, and Vergil simply accepts that this is the path they have always been set on.
It is Nero that can see all this Destined for brothers to kill each other stuff is all bullshit, and it's never too late to choose to be better, and overcome the need for conflicts. The empathy Nero always had having been raised " Catholic" or rather being True to his Grandfather's legacy grants Nero the power to cease both Dante and Vergil's endless Strife, and the two brothers finally reconcile. Nero always had the same Justice with in him, that Sparda originally had, and that is what granted Nero his overwhelming power, to face a demon like Santcus, and stop Dante and Vergil.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk