Dante eating pizza in the Devil May Cry anime opening
(Netflix)

You’ll never guess Netflix’s ‘Devil May Cry’ anime’s opening song

We’re mere months away from the premiere of Netflix’s anime adaptation of Capcom’s beloved Devil May Cry games. But the media landscape is overcrowded, so Netflix sought to remind us of Devil May Cry‘s April premiere by releasing the opening credits. The highly-stylized animation looks incredible. But the real headline here is the music choice. You will literally never guess what song they chose.

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Some background might be helpful before you make your guess. Capcom released the first Devil May Cry game in 2001, with the series’ heyday essentially lasting through the release of Devil May Cry 4 in 2008. (Devil May Cry 5 wouldn’t release until 2019.) The series was created by Hideki Kamiya, the director behind games like Bayonetta, Resident Evil 2, and (in a notable vibe departure) Okami. Devil May Cry is beloved for its combat and follows a badass devil hunter named Dante, who Kameya specifically designed to be “cool and stylish.”

Now that you get a sense of the background and timeline, what music do you think was used in the OP for the Devil May Cry anime?

That’s right. Limp Bizkit.

So … why?

Yes, the OP for Adi Shankar and Studio Mir’s Devil May Cry adaptation features Limp Bizkit’s 2000 single “Rollin’,” from their album Chocolate Starfish and Hot Dog Flavored Water.

Because there are people who can go to the bar and order alcohol who were born after this song was released: Limp Bizkit was a nu metal / rap rock band which reached their peak around the late 90s and early 2000s. “Rollin'” is their highest-charting song.

But, and this is critical to understand, Limp Bizkit was a deeply “love ’em or hate ’em” phenomenon. For example: Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against The Machine, one of Limp Bizkit’s biggest influences, said he thought Limp Bizkit “sucks.” (RATM is a very politically-charged band. Limp Bizkit is not.)

The song’s original music video, by the way, features Ben Stiller—who, at the time, was known more as a comedy actor than a visionary director. Nostalgia!

Adi Shankar went on Twitter / X to defend his music choice. “My DMC Universe is set in a late ’90s/early 2000s PS2 era of the world … My music choices reflect this,” he wrote.

That doesn’t make Limp Bizkit any less of a capital-c Choice, but the reasoning makes sense. Personally, while I was definitely not a Limp Bizkit person in 2000, I’m amused by the Choice. It fits well with the visuals and definitely creates a vibe. I’m cautiously curious to see what other late 90s and early 2000s tunes show up in the anime.

Devil May Cry premieres on Netflix on April 3. We’ll find out then.


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Author
Image of Kirsten Carey
Kirsten Carey
Kirsten (she/her) is a contributing writer at the Mary Sue specializing in anime and gaming. In the last decade, she's also written for Channel Frederator (and its offshoots), Screen Rant, and more. In the other half of her professional life, she's also a musician, which includes leading a very weird rock band named Throwaway. When not talking about One Piece or The Legend of Zelda, she's talking about her cats, Momo and Jimbei.