One of Capcom’s most beloved franchises emerged almost on a fluke 15 years ago this week – Devil May Cry. The series launched on August 23, 2001, and despite only having five games (so far) has managed to maintain a huge fan base.

Devil May Cry didn’t actually start as its own game; it started development as the next entry in the Resident Evil franchise following the release of Resident Evil 2 in the late 1990s. Hideki Kamiya, who had previously worked on the Resident Evil games, was put in charge of the development squad heading the new project, called “Team Little Devil.” Even in the game’s earliest stages, it became clear that what they were working on was such a severe departure from the other Resident Evil games and the horror genre in general. But rather than scrapping what they had worked on, Capcom instead had Kamiya and crew change the story, allowing it to become Devil May Cry.

The game’s story followed the demon hunter Dante, who opted for the career in an act of revenge after losing his family. After meeting a woman named Trish, he seeks to defeat the great demon lord Mundus. The gameplay style, however, was the big draw; Devil May Cry combined “stylish” combat skills alongside platforming and puzzle elements, giving it a very distinct look and feel that was all its own.

Three numbered sequels were released, in ’03, ’05, and ’08, following the continued adventures of Dante, as well as the orphan Nero in Devil May Cry 4, as they look to defeat Dante’s twin brother Vergil and a variety of other demons. A reboot of the franchise, DmC: Devil May Cry, released in 2013 – it had a new-look Dante and the game’s development was outsourced to Ninja Theory.

Devil May Cry has proved to be popular enough over the years to spin into other media, including multiple light novels, manga, and an anime series; the film rights were purchased by Screen Gems, the company behind the Resident Evil films, but a Devil May Cry movie has yet to materialize.