A Japanese Band From the 60s Inspired Dante’s “Nothing but a Jacket” Look in Devil May Cry 3
Dante's signature red coat was inspired by a real-life band from Japan with Capcom looking to make the character stand out from his competition with style.
- Deveil May Cry: Dante's Awakening was a very succesful peek into Dante's early days for Capcom.
- With stylish combat, cool weapons, and an excellent story, DMC3 brought Dante back into the good graces of players following a disastrous outing in the previous title.
- Capcom's effforts to make Dante memorable are evident from how the leveraged the best of Japanese pop culture to craft his unique look.
Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening had a lot riding on its shoulders when it was originally released in 2005. With the game attempting to revive the franchise after a substandard outing for the white-haired Devil Hunter Dante in Devil May Cry 2, Capcom made the decision to go back to his roots for an origin story that was well-received both critically and commercially.
Exploring Dante’s early days proved to be an excellent decision for Capcom with the character returning to the action alongside several new faces in two more installments to the franchise that saw him grow from the brash, arrogant youth featured in Devil May Cry 3 to a seasoned warrior with a heart of gold at the conclusion of 2019’s Devil May Cry 5.
Dante’s Smokin’ Sick Style in Devil May Cry 3
Dante’s early days showcased his penchant for sarcastic quips and bravado in the face of adversity in an adventure that followed his quest to prevent his twin brother Vergil from disastrously attempting to gain the power of the father, the Demon Lord Sparda. Players diving into the brothers’ tragic past found an adventure full of heart while the game’s revamped combat system kept them on their toes.
Capcom’s attempt to revive the love that Dante had accrued in the franchise’s first title before the second title’s lackluster character arc took over resulted in a version of Dante that continued to inspire the character’s personality and appearance in subsequent installments.
With his signature weapons and a unique red jacket that he dons with typical style accompanying him on his journey, Dante’s Awakening was a love letter to the character and the franchise – and a Japanese boy bad – from Capcom.
Dante’s Love For Music Informed His Style
The opening moments of Dante’s Awakening feature an excellent rock and pop soundtrack from his very own jukebox as he takes down a bunch of demons attacking his shop. The red jacket that he dons soon after was inspired by a Japanese band called Johnny’s Jimusho whose stage appearances between 1962 and 1967 featured a similar look.
In a collection of fun facts about Capcom’s revival of the franchise, VGFacts quotes the game’s developers on their choice of attire for Dante in Devil May Cry 3:
“The “nothing but a jacket” look is perfect for young, cool stage performers, no? So we were always going to have him “naked” under the jacket. We never wavered on that design element. For a while there was also a design that had the jacket closed in front, but we realized that would be a waste of Dante’s incredible, chiseled abs.”
It seems that Capcom’s penchant for excellent character designs has been a part of their games as early as 2005 considering how Dante’s iconic look was a major part of his reckless personality, inviting his enemies to try and take him down even as he leveraged his powers for good.
With Dante’s story left somewhat resolved in Devil May Cry 5, it remains to be seen if the character could return for another adventure in future projects from Capcom. However, he will be remembered as one of the studio’s and modern gaming’s most iconic characters for many years to come.
