I mean the phrase itself. I know a devil may cry attitude refers to reckless behaviour and a general disregard for danger, but does anyone know how that idiomatic meaning relates to the literal meaning of the words themselves? I.e. why would the devil be crying if a person was reckless? You'd think he'd be all for it...
Basically the cutscene with Dante and Lady at the end of DMC3, after Vergil's loss, answers your question the best:
- Are you crying?
- It's only the rain.
- The rain has already stopped.
- Devils never cry.
- I see. Maybe somewhere out there even a devil may cry when he loses a loved one. Don't you think?
The phrase means that even demons, considered ruthless and only capable of evil by popular lore, can feel human sentiments and shed tears for those they care about. Just like Dante did when Vergil got lost forever.
This theme is further explored in DMC3 in opposition to human nature: Arkham, a human, did horrible things to achieve the power of Sparda and become a god, while Dante, a demon (as well as Sparda himself), actually possesses a human heart capable of love and compassion. So, as Lady says, there are humans as cruel and evil as any devil, as well as kind and compassionate demons in this universe.
It's a recurring theme in the series.