The Cerberus is a tripartite nunchaku Devil Arm appearing in Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening 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.
In Devil May Cry 5: Before the Nightmare, Balrog completely destroyed Cerberus with one solid blow.
Appearance and Description[]
Dante Acquires Cerberus
Dante acquires Cerberus, after defeating him
Cerberus is a triple nunchaku based on the sanhokon. 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 nunchaku. The ring and chains are black, while the rods are icy blue with three pick-like points at the end of each rod.
In combat, the nunchaku emit vapor and can create large chunks of ice. The chains will extend with certain moves and attacks. As shown when Dante caught Lady's motorcycle, the chains can extend long distances.
Biography[]
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening[]
Cerberus is the first Devil Arm Dante receives after defeating the first guardian of the Temen-ni-gru, with Dante using the nunchaku's extendable length to snatch Lady's discarded motorcycle to scale the side of the raised tower.
Devil May Cry Drama CD Vol.1[]
Some time after events of the first Devil May Cry, Dante gave Cerberus and many of his other Devil Arms to Enzo Ferino as collateral towards his debts to his former partner, though Dante briefly uses the weapon to defend himself against a seemingly possessed Lady, though Dante ultimately returns Cerberus and the other Devil Arms back to Enzo.
Devil May Cry 5: Before the Nightmare[]
Dante would use the Cerberus in his battle against the fire demon Balrog on Vie de Marli, though the clash of opposing elemental powers resulted in the Cerberus' destruction.
Gameplay[]
Cerberus has the fastest attack speed of all of Dante's Devil Arms. However, the tradeoff for this speed its per-hit damage is low. 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.
Movesets[]
| 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 | ,,ā,, |
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 (  15000) is an enhanced version with increased spiral velocity.
|
| Windmill | + + |
7500 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. |
| 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[]
- Dante's Windmill resembles Vergil flickering his sword around while deflecting Dante's bullets.
- Dante's Crystal resembles one of the Frost's attacks in Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 4, and Arius's in Devil May Cry 2.
- Cerberus is the only non-storyline weapon that is used outside of its introductory sequence as Dante uses it in Devil May Cry 3 to grab Lady's motorbike and ride on it.
See also[]
Notes and references[]
- ā Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Devil Arms File ā Cerberus: "A weapon of 3 interlocking rods, infused with the elemental power of ice."
- ā Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Combat Adjudicator ā Cerberus: "I am the combat adjudicator. Only a technique icy-cool to the core can move me."