The Cerberus is a tripartite nunchaku Devil Arm appearing in Devil May Cry 3 and Devil May Cry 5 which originates from Cerberus. It can stretch to incredible lengths, and is infused with the power of ice[1], making its technique "icy-cool to the core".[2] It is wielded by Dante during the course of the game.
The Cerberus returns in Devil May Cry 5, retaining its ice nunchucks style with two additional modes: a fire bō staff and lightning chain forms.
Appearance and Description
Dante Acquires Cerberus
Dante acquires Cerberus, after defeating him
Cerberus is a triple nunchuck. In its ethereal form like other Devil Arms, it is a ball of blue light. However, in its material form, it manifests as three rods connected to a ring by chains, effectively making a three-part nunchuck. The ring and chains are black, while the rods are icy blue with three pick-like points at the end of each rod. In Devil May Cry 5, Cerberus no longer has the picks at the end of the rods, instead having a metal tip. Half the rods are now metal, only having ice on the halves near the ends.The top end of the rod are no longer chains but an icy ghostly object.
In combat, the nunchucks emit vapor with icy chunks. The chains will extend with certain moves and attacks. As shown when Dante caught Lady's motorcycle, the chains can extend indefinitely.
Cerberus the Ice Guardian
Gameplay
Cerberus has the fastest attack speed of all of Dante's Devil Arms. However, in exchange for this speed, each hit does a small amount of damage per hit in comparison to other weapons. Cerberus has great defensive properties, as its swings reach nearly 360 degrees around Dante. Windmill is capable of blocking most frontal attacks, and Ice Age will block all attacks throughout its duration, however, it has a long recovery. In the air, Swing will hit 360 vertically around Dante, hitting enemies above, below, behind, and in front of him. Revolver operates much in the same way as Swing but propels Dante forward while hitting multiple times.
Cerberus is a ground-heavy Devil Arm. Its basic moveset has no launchers, so Cerberus most of the time relies on other weapons for ground-to-air attacks and set-ups. Swordmaster's Crystal is capable of launching an enemy, but does not rise with the enemy. Its aerial technique, Swing will keep Dante stationary and the enemy nearby, allowing for a follow up Swing. The same rule applies for Flicker.
In Devil May Cry 5, Cerberus now has the ability to transform from its original ice-element tripartite nunchaku, to a fire bō staff, and to a lightning-based three-section staff.
Movesets
Devil May Cry 3
Devil Arm
| Action | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cerberus Combo I |  ,,,, |
A simple, 5-strike combo. The first 3 strikes can attack enemies around the player, while the last 2 strikes damage enemies in front of the player. |
| Cerberus Combo II | ,,—,, |
A complex, 5-strike combo. The latter 3 strikes (the final strike being a Windmill) are directed towards frontal enemies. |
| Swing | (mid-air) |
Whirl in mid-air slicing any nearby enemies with split-second speed. |
| Revolver |  + + |
Spin violently in mid-air before landing to deal large impact damage. Performing the Revolver off a ledge prolongs its duration. Level 2 is an enhanced version with increased spiral velocity. |
| Windmill | + + |
Spin the nunchucks around in a propeller-like motion, striking enemies directly in front of the player. Repeatedly tapping during Windmill will prolong the attack.
|
| Satellite | Crazy Cerberus Combo II | Spin your nunchucks around your body, striking all enemies within range of the player 3 times. |
Swordmaster Style
| Action | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | ||
| Flicker |  (ground or mid-air) |
Whirl your nunchucks around to hit multiple enemies directly forwards and backwards of the player. |
| Level 2 | ||
| Crystal | ++ |
Thrust your nunchucks into the ground's surface to sprout huge ice pillars in a line directly in front of the player. |
| Million Carats | Crazy Crystal | Slam your nunchucks into the ground to sprout ice pillars completely around the player. |
| Level 3 | ||
| Ice Age | ++ |
Creates a large ice mass that encases the player. The ice mass does continual damage on all enemies that touch it, but most importantly makes the player invulnerable to all attacks. |
Gallery
Other Appearances
- In Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, Dante has access to the Cerberus moves Revolver, Crystal, and Million Carats.
- In Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, Dante's Cerberus retains its same function as it did before, making it another one of the melee weapons without a change in its function in any way.
Trivia
- During the Satellite Crazy Combo, Dante will scream in high pitch as a nod towards Bruce Lee. Most of his normal attacks with Cerberus' ice-nunchaku form also have similar yells in Devil May Cry 5.
- Dante's Windmill resembles Vergil flickering his sword around while deflecting Dante's bullets.
- Dante's Crystal is also used by Frosts in Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 4, and a demonic spike variant by Arius in Devil May Cry 2.