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“We are the sons of Sparda! Within each of us flows his blood but more importantly, his soul!”

Dante is one of the main protagonists of the Devil May Cry franchise, and the main playable character for the majority of the games in the series. He is the second son of the demon Sparda and the human Eva, the younger twin brother of Vergil, and the uncle of Nero. Dante is a paranormal mercenary, private investigator and vigilante Devil Hunter dedicated to exterminating evil demons and other malevolent supernatural forces; a mission he follows in pursuit of those that killed his mother and corrupted his brother.

Appearance[]

As stated in an interview with original series creator Hideki Kamiya in the Devil May Cry Graphic Edition artbook, the earliest ideas he had for Dante's design were centered around three key points; "[a] long, stylish coat" to make the character "showy", "[a] British man" as Kamiya wanted him to be a "witty, yet traditional fighting man", and "doesn't smoke cigarette[s]", believing that the character was too cool to smoke.[5]

In the same interview, another noted influence on Dante both design-wise and character-wise was Cobra of the acclaimed Japanese manga and anime series Space Adventure Cobra. Kamiya believed Cobra's cocky attitude and red attire were key points for a "heroic" character. Ironically, despite Cobra being a heavy cigar smoker, Dante himself does not smoke, as Kamiya believed Dante to be cooler without a cigarette.[5]

Ever since Devil May Cry started development as Resident Evil 4,[6] Dante has had white hair. It's remained in a consistent style throughout the series, although there are a few differences between installments.

In Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 4, and Devil May Cry 5, his hair is somewhat parted with his bangs brushed down; in Devil May Cry 3 his hair is brushed down with his bangs partially covering his eyes, and in Devil May Cry 2 his hair is much thicker, with his bangs parted in front of his right eye.

Dante has worn a myriad of clothing throughout his many appearances, yet his most glaring trait is his affinity for red-colored apparel, often in the form of long, two-tailed coats.

In Devil May Cry 3, Dante wears long, tan-colored jeans, black fingerless gloves, and military-style boots. His coat has zippers on the sleeves and a buckle around the waist, and two brown, leather holsters on the back to carry Ebony & Ivory. Contrary to later games, Dante does not wear any form of clothing underneath his coat, going shirtless throughout the whole game, displaying his silver half of the Perfect Amulet around his neck, as well as his bare, well-toned chest and muscular physique. Following Dante's first battle with Vergil, his half of the amulet is stolen and the right sleeve of his coat is damaged, with Dante tearing it off afterward. In his final confrontation with Vergil, his left glove is slashed across the palm by Yamato, and the epilogue shows that Dante keeps it on his desk, perhaps in remembrance of his lost brother.

In the original Devil May Cry and the 2007 anime adaptation, Dante wears red pants with two black belts wrapped around his right thigh, a black, leather belt, black gloves, and high, black boots. Dante's coat is much basic in design, with an upturned collar and short sleeves with black cuffs, though the coat lacks coattails. Underneath the coat, Dante wears what appears to be a black long-sleeved shirt, with a red vest with black clasps over it. In numerous cutscenes, his half of the Perfect Amulet is once again on display, yet it appears infrequently and is not a permanent feature on his character model.

In Devil May Cry 2, Dante's outfit is reminiscent of the one seen in the first game, but with more pronounced and poignant features. He wears high black boots and red jeans once more, yet has a single belt wrapped around each thigh. A belt featuring a skull-themed buckle wraps around his waist, and he wears black, gauntlet shaped gloves with three buckled straps on each one. His coat is a deeper red than in the previous game, with two coattails, yet the coat has a more pronounced buckled collar and a black strap going over his right shoulder wrapping around his chest, with two golden studs on the front. The front of the coat is also patterned individually from the rest of it, resembling a sort of vest or body armor, with a zipper closed all the way up from the waist to the bottom of Dante's neck, perhaps reflecting his introverted nature seen in the game. Likewise, the overall fabric of the rest of the coat appears to be more velvet or something of a similar material rather than the standard leather/faux leather that he normally wears in the series.

In his appearance in Devil May Cry 4, Dante's outfit arguably takes on its most flamboyant look. Dante once more wears red pants, yet they are almost completely covered sans his crotch and rear by long, black leather motorcycle chaps featuring a brown, cowboy boot design around the ankles. He wears black, loafer looking boots, and black gloves exposing his knuckles and index finger on each hand, and his pants are wrapped with a black belt featuring a silver emblem decorated with a demonic skull. The coat is given a much more detailed and stylish look, with Western and Italian features, and a deep red, almost crimson color. Once more the coat is short-sleeved, with numerous gold-colored studs decorating the shoulders, collar, and chest, and a single zipper on the front, yet Dante is never seen zipping it up in-game. Underneath the coat, Dante wears a black, zipped up undershirt with three clasps closed together with ornate, golden buckles, and medium-length sleeves that can be seen passing his elbows. This undershirt is also zipped up just below his neck and features an upturned collar which complements the one on his coat. Another noticeable design choice separate from Dante's outfit is his chin, covered with short, black stubble, reflecting his older age, as stated by designer Tatsuya Yoshikawa in the Devil May Cry: 3142 Graphic Arts book that Dante is "around 40" by the events of Devil May Cry 4.[7][excerpt 1]

In Devil May Cry 5, Dante's outfit takes on its most simple look. His red jacket is faded, has a washed-out look, a skull on his back and also resembles his Devil May Cry 4 jacket. He wears an ordinary black Henley T-shirt with three buttons as the sleeves itself reach through his elbows, where it also features torn details, for his wrists he wears black driving gloves and white bandages. For his legs, he wears a black belt with golden accents, black leather pants, and brown boots. His hair and beard also grow after being in a coma for a month. This gives Dante a more grungy look. Dante's black Henley T-Shirt also appears dark blue during the daylight when he battles Vergil during their duel and their sparring match in the epilogue.

Following his defeat by Urizen, Dante's hair had grown out considerably during his recovery and is now the same length as it was in Devil May Cry 2, albeit styled similarly to that in Devil May Cry. Along with his hair, from stubble to beard. His clothes are also muted in color and dirtier as well.

Personality[]

As seen at the beginning of the series, Dante is incredibly flippant, casually mouthing off to even the most powerful of demons, and he generally enjoys showing off and taunting his adversaries as often as he can. Dante also displays a fearless, almost disinterested attitude towards incredibly dangerous situations, such as assuming Trish simply had to use the bathroom after crashing through his office's front door on a motorcycle, being attacked by the 7 Hells in his office, being swallowed by Echidna, and effortlessly shrugging off wounds such as a headshot or impalement numerous times, the latter of which happens quite frequently for the Devil Hunter.

DMC5 Dante Dancing

Dante displaying his flamboyant, carefree attitude.

While maturing as time goes by, Dante never loses his care-free, devil-may-care attitude, except in Devil May Cry 2. He can be serious when the situation calls for it, but still maintains an overall laid-back demeanor during tense situations, and is never without a witty taunt or comeback. Although seemingly shown at times to be uncaring or callous, Dante maintains a very strong sense of justice like his father, and prefers to fight fair. He can be counted on to do the right thing, even if he makes humorously cynical quips about it the entire time.

Unusually, while he has displayed discomfort with his own demonic side, only coming to accept it following the events of Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Dante has little qualms about accepting demons that choose the side of good and admires their desire to be human, such as Trish and Bradley. Though Dante has been quoted as believing that "Humans are often worse than demons," in the anime, he refuses to kill full-blooded humans for any reason, believing it would make him no better than any Devil.[citation needed]

In addition, Dante values family and friends very highly. He cared deeply for his mother and, despite their differences and conflicting ideals, for his brother, Vergil. Even after their intense duels and conflicts in Devil May Cry 3, Dante still tries to prevent Vergil from throwing himself off the edge of the Human World into the Demon World, and goes so far as to cry over losing him. While he says little about his father, Sparda, over the course of the series, Dante has been shown to clearly maintain a level of respect for, but for a time bitterly resented him due to his absence and inability to prevent Eva's death. While bitterly claiming that "[he doesn't] have a father" in his first fight with Vergil in 3, he eventually comes to accept that he is a son of Sparda and grows to respect him as the game goes on, proudly claiming in his final duel with his brother in the game that not only do they carry Sparda's blood but his soul as well. He also makes a humorous comment towards Arkham, as he smugly claims that his father wasn't as hideous as his twisted form, citing his own physical appearance as proof. He even shows a degree of paternal concern for his nephew, Nero in Devil May Cry 5, as was shown by his warnings of the dangers of facing Urizen again. Dante's concern for his nephew is further demonstrated by telling Nero the truth of their relationship and attempting to protect him from the darkness of killing his own father while displaying a great deal of familial bond with his brother's son.

Dante also enjoys fighting, as is shown when he restrains himself from using his full potential but he is also quick to unleash his full power if his opponent proves to be sufficiently powerful. In Devil May Cry 4, he was clearly going easy on Nero in their first confrontation despite having seen his nephew in action, as he overpowered him in their second clash with only a mediocre amount of effort. In the anime, Dante gets bored with fighting weak opponents and only finds entertainment in fighting strong opponents who will give him a challenge. Dante's enjoyment of fighting was further emphasized in his pre-battle banter with Echidna, asking her if she agreed with him that "a fight every now and then makes life more interesting". After it is hinted that Vergil is still alive through Urizen, Dante at first sought to kill his brother thinking he was corrupted beyond salvation. However, after Urizen and V merged to be once again the Vergil he knew, they clashed again in a battle to the death until Nero stopped them with his newfound Devil Trigger. After entering the rubicon of the task of saving the world by entering the Underworld, Dante and Vergil decide to stay behind in order to finish the job, occasionally slaying demons and dueling each other. It is through this time that their sibling bond was somewhat rekindled, with both brothers enjoying the battles and banter.

Despite Dante's handsome appearance, he often has terrible luck with women, a condition he ironically reflects upon in Devil May Cry 3 when Lady shoots him through the head after he attempts to keep her from falling.

In the animated series, Dante was shown to be one of the few characters in the Devil May Cry series to swear. Dante was frequently shown to be foul-mouthed, repeatedly swearing in almost every episode. Although this attitude wasn't present in the games, in Devil May Cry 5, he is shown using coarse language when angered, which is noticeable in his final battles against Urizen/Vergil.

DanteDMC4Pizza

Dante eating a slice of pizza in Devil May Cry 4.

Despite verbally complaining about being in debt, Dante seems quite willing to perform missions solely for the good of them, and rarely, if ever, enforces payment from poor clients. In fact, Dante will typically refuse any job he dislikes, regardless of how much it pays, but will immediately take on any paranormal cases, especially those involving demon hunting, with or without pay. Many of his clients take advantage of his hospitable nature, and leave bills for property damage caused during the mission instead of paying for his services. Interestingly, despite his claims of having low funds, Dante still manages to pool up enough money to purchase pricey luxuries for his office, such as a pool table, a jukebox, and several expensive pieces of musical equipment such as electric guitars.

He often borrows from Lady, and often attempts to gamble to repay his debts to her and others. However, he has extremely bad luck with all forms of gambling, even with something as simple as a coin toss, and loses any game not involved with demon hunting. As a result, he is deep in debt to Lady, and is often left with no money at all after she takes her cut. However, in Devil May Cry 4, Lady actually pays him a small, single roll of bills for his "assistance".

While Dante is generally easygoing, he feels a immense of guilt for the tragedies that happen around him. As a form of atonement for the death of Grue, Dante regularly sends his surviving children money and pays Enzo a fee to hold his Devil Arms in his pawn shop, feeling responsible for having to cut off Enzo's arm.

Dante5

Dante eating a strawberry sundae in the animated series.

Dante has a fondness for pizza, usually with "everything" on it, and while he complains about olives, he always ends up with them on his pizza. In the animated series, he is also shown to favor strawberry sundaes as well, with it being pointed out on several occasions that those two foods are seemingly all he eats. He also has a fondness for alcohol, specifically whiskey.

In spite of his carefree and cocky attitude another one of Dante's most strongest traits is his love for humanity. He dearly loves the world that he lives in and will go to extreme lengths to ensure its protection from demonic threats. Dante also believes that humans possess something that demons don't and that tears are a "gift only humans have."

Dante also treasures certain things. He kept his signature Rebellion with him which was a keepsake passed down to him by his father and would continue to use the weapon up until it was destroyed by Urizen after their first fight and despite the sword being destroyed Dante would still keep the weapon with him and later transform it into the Devil Sword Dante. He would also stay loyal to using Ebony & Ivory as well in which he kept with him in every game of the series. Dante also treasures the memories of his family as well and would hold them in high regard. An example of this is when he keeps a portrait of his mother in his office.

Biography[]

Cleanup Good grief... They really made a big mess, didn't they?
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Reason: Rewrite to be in-universe and present tense for events the player witnesses; expand to cover all scenes involving Dante for a comprehensive story

Early life[]

Dante and his twin brother Vergil were born to the legendary demon Sparda and his human wife Eva. The family lived in a remote home near Red Grave City. As young children, Sparda would train the boys in the art of combat and for much of Dante's early childhood, he didn't realize his father was a demon. Sometime before their eighth birthday, Eva gave Dante and Vergil each one half of the Perfect Amulet, which their father had used to seal away the demon world eons past before eventually giving to Eva. Eventually, Sparda died under unknown circumstances, leaving Eva to care for the twins alone. Sometime later, they were attacked by demons. Eva was killed, and though both Vergil and Dante survived, the twins were separated, with Dante believing that Vergil had died. Dante followed his mother's last wish and took up a new identity to hide from the demons, adopting the name "Anthony 'Tony' Redgrave". In time, Dante began to resent his father, seemingly blaming him for the fate that befell their family.

Some years later, he found himself under the care of a woman posing as his mother on Morris Island. He befriended a young boy named Ernest. Dante and his "mother" were forced to leave when a demon hunting him attacked and burned down the town.

Devil May Cry novel[]

Years after the Morris Island incident, Dante became a mercenary and frequented an underground bar called Bobby's Cellar, still using the alias Tony Redgrave. He partnered up with a man by the name of Grue, with the two taking on jobs together. At Bobby's Cellar he befriended a local gunsmith named Nell Goldstein, who would go on to craft his signature handguns, Ebony and Ivory. After working with Grue, Dante was paired with another mercenary, a mysterious masked man by the name of Gilver.

Desperate to pay for his sick daughter's hospital bills, Grue took on an assassination contract targeting Gilver and learned that the man was in fact an agent of the Demon World and a summoner of demons. Gilver and Grue fought, with Gilver successfully murdering him. Dante soon learns of his old partner's death and visits his daughter in the sanatorium after learning that she had been hallucinating of demons. He finds the sanatorium overrun by demons, who have converted it into a gateway to the Demon World. Dante manages to fight his way to Grue's daughter and ends her suffering, severing the link between Earth and the Demon World.

Scorned by his fellow mercenaries due to the deaths at the sanatorium and the death of his partner Grue, Dante retreats to Nell Goldstein's house, unaware that Gilver was in fact behind it all. Gilver proceeded to convert the patrons of Bobby's Cellar into demons before attacking Dante. While Nell lost her life in the ensuing battle, Dante managed to defeat and fatally shoot Gilver. He was horrified to discover that Gilver had the same face as his twin-brother Vergil, unaware that he was in fact a clone of Vergil created by Mundus, lord of the Demon World.

Following these events, Dante returned to his true name and stopped using his "Tony Redgrave" alias. He also began sending Grue's surviving daughters money to help care for them after the death of their father.

Devil May Cry 3 manga[]

Dante Manga

Dante eating pizza.

Now having returned to his true name, Dante opens up a business, selling his services as a demon-hunter. With Dante's then-unnamed shop still just opened, his old associate Enzo Ferino, an information broker, comes by to offer him a job; a four million dollar reward for the return of a missing child named Alice. Despite his initial reluctance, Dante agrees to take the job.

He tracks Alice down to a demon-infested castle, and soon learns that Alice had run away with a demon known as the White Rabbit, which had possessed her beloved rabbit doll. The White Rabbit reveals that Dante's twin Vergil is still alive, and offers to arrange a meeting between them, an offer which Dante refuses. The White Rabbit strips Alice of her innocence, a human trait valued by demons, and transforms her into a beautiful adult woman. The now adult Alice begins to flirt with Dante, but after he rejects her advances, she turns into a demon and attacks him. Dante is forced to change into his Devil form to subdue her but manages to do so without harming her.

The White Rabbit soon reveals that he was the one that gave Dante the job to track Alice down, telling him that he wished to see "the legendary son of Sparda" in action. Before Dante leaves, the White Rabbit offers to buy his half of the Perfect Amulet, an offer Dante rejects. He returns to his shop only to find Alice waiting for him. He attempts to scare her off and leaves his half of the amulet unattended while he takes a shower. Alice steals the amulet and leaves a map for Dante to follow. He tracks her down in an old church where an associate of the White Rabbit known as the Mad Hatter attempts to trick Dante into giving a name to an ancient demon whose name was stripped from it by Sparda. Dante refuses but is surprised when his brother appears and names the demon.

The two brothers speak for the first time in many years, and Dante is shocked to learn that Vergil intends to raise the Temen-ni-gru and open the way to the demon realm. Vergil takes Dante's half of the amulet and the two fight, with Vergil effortlessly defeating him. Despite needing the amulet to open Temen-ni-gru, Vergil returns Dante's half, declaring he can take it from him any time.

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening[]

A year after his last encounter with Vergil, Dante is visited in his yet-to-be-named shop by an associate of Vergil's named Arkham. Arkham offers Dante an invitation to the Temen-ni-gru on behalf of Vergil; as soon as he leaves, Dante is attacked by a swarm of hell jailers. Dante effortlessly kills them all, and heads to the tower in search of an "interesting time".

Vergil's plan is to reopen the portal to the demon world in order to obtain his father's power, in the form of the Force Edge, the weapon imbued with Sparda's power. Within the tower, Dante encounters the demon Jester, who guides him through the tower for his own reasons. He also encounters the demon huntress Lady, who seeks revenge against her father Arkham for his murder of her mother. Lady dismisses Dante as just another demon and attempts to kill him.

DMC3-Dante vs Vergil

Dante is forced to fight his way through the demonic gatekeepers guarding the various parts of the tower. Upon defeating most of these demons, Dante acquires their souls in the form of new weapons and combat styles. Dante fights his way to the top of the tower, where Vergil awaits him. The two fight, with Vergil maintaining the upper hand. Vergil questions why Dante refuses to gain the power of their father. Dante scornfully answers that he has no father and declares that he simply doesn't like Vergil. Vergil impales him with Yamato, disappointed in what he views as his brother's foolishness, and once again steals Dante's half of the Perfect Amulet.

Grievously injured, Dante taps into his demonic power in order to rise again. While Vergil wishes to carry on their fight, he is convinced by Arkham to leave. Dante attempts to pursue them but is swallowed by the Leviathan. After fighting his way through the beast and back into the tower, Dante finds the seemingly dead body of Arkham. Lady catches up to him, and angrily accuses him of robbing her of the chance to kill her father after revealing their familial connection. She allows Dante to leave, whereupon Arkham stirs, telling Lady that he was corrupted by Vergil. With his dying words, he begs her to stop Vergil from opening the gate to the demon world.

Having made his way to the lock, an increasingly frustrated Vergil attempts to open the gateway to the Demon World. He believes that he has all that is needed; the blood of Sparda, which runs through his own veins, and the Perfect Amulet, and yet the way will not open. The two fight yet again, this time more evenly, despite Vergil having claimed the powers of Beowulf.

Their battle is interrupted by Lady, who joins the fighting in an attempt to kill Vergil. As the three are exhausted by the fight, Jester suddenly appears. Taking advantage of their weakness, Jester defeats them and reveals himself to be Arkham, having manipulated the three of them in order to claim Sparda's power for himself. Arkham reveals that in addition to his own blood, Sparda sacrificed a mortal priestess to seal the Demon World away. He informs Lady that he has led her here because she is a descendant of that priestess through her mother. He stabs her, and with her blood spilled the tower is unlocked and the way to the Demon World is opened.

As the tower begins to shift, the three combatants are scattered. Dante fights his way to the top of the tower once more, finding a wounded and desperate Lady in his path. In a rare moment of seriousness, Dante tells her that Arkham is now beyond any human and refuses to let her go on, despite Lady's desperation for vengeance. The two fight, and when Lady finally asks why Dante cares so much, he tells her of his familial connection to Sparda and Vergil. He reveals that he initially didn't care about any of this, but that his interactions with Lady taught him what was important and drove him to settle his family's affairs. He promises that he will make things right for Lady, and in return, she lends him her gun in exchange for his name.

Jackpot

Dante and Vergil fighting side by side in order to finish off Arkham.

Dante finally makes his way into the Demon World, and encounters Arkham, now having claimed the power of Sparda. However, Arkham's body is unable to contain Sparda's power, causing him to mutate into a giant tentacled blob. Dante attempts to fight Arkham but is unable to contend with his father's power. Just as Dante is about to be defeated, Vergil appears, with the two brothers fighting together for the first time since childhood. They manage to separate Arkham from Force Edge, as it and the two amulets tumble deeper into the Netherworld. A wounded Arkham is found by Lady who finally finishes him.

Dante and Vergil pursue the sword, with Vergil claiming it. A somber Dante asks his brother what he's going to do with all this power, telling him that no matter how hard he tries, he will never become like their father. He tells Vergil that not only their father's blood, but his soul, lives on in them, and declares that he will stop Vergil at any cost. As Vergil dismisses his brother's words and replies that he needs more power, the two begin a final duel. Dante finally manages to gain the upper hand and defeats his brother.

As their battle has raged on, the portal to the Demon World has begun to close as the amulets were separated during their battle with Arkham. An injured Vergil declares that he will remain in the Netherworld, which was their father's home and takes his half of the amulet with him, refusing Dante's attempt to save him.

Dante retrieves Force Edge and leaves the tower. Outside, he finds Lady waiting for him, and returns her gun. Dante begins to cry over the loss of his brother, but blames it on the rain when Lady presses him, telling her that "devils never cry". Lady anwers that perhaps "even a devil may cry when he loses a loved one", before the pair are attacked by demons once again, as an ecstatic Dante disposes of them.

Dante-dmc3sit

Dante matures considerably as a result of his ordeal and inspired by Lady's courage and commitment to her own family, he continues his demon-hunting business with a greater sense of purpose. They become partners and he decides to call his shop "Devil May Cry", in reference to Lady's words of comfort.

"Maybe somewhere out there even a devil may cry when he loses a loved one. Don’t you think?"
―Lady[src]

Devil May Cry[]

Ten years later, Dante is now an established demon hunter, wielding his father Sparda's sword; Force Edge. By this time, Dante and Lady had parted ways, with Lady going off on her own but calling Dante in for jobs she couldn't handle on her own.

One day, Dante is attacked in his office by a mysterious woman named Trish, who bears an identical resemblance to his deceased mother. Dante easily brushes off her assault, with an impressed Trish telling him that her attack was a test. She reveals that the demon emperor Mundus, his father's old enemy, is planning to return to the human realm in Mallet Island. Dante accompanies Trish to the castle, but she abruptly disappears.

Left alone, Dante explores the castle, finding it infested with demons. The first of Mundus' servants to oppose him is Phantom, a demonic spider/scorpion hybrid. The pair fight twice, with Dante finally managing to impale it after their second battle. Dante eventually encounters an armored demonic knight by the name of Nelo Angelo, who impresses Dante with his confidence and skill. During their first battle, Nelo Angelo overpowers Dante, but suddenly hesitates and flees upon seeing Dante's half of the Perfect Amulet, which contains a picture of Dante's mother.

DMC1-Dante vs Nelo

Dante delves further into the castle, fighting more of Mundus' lieutenants, such as the demonic bird Griffon and the living bioweapon Nightmare. Dante continues to be pursued by Nelo Angelo, and after their third encounter, his true identity is revealed as Dante's lost twin Vergil. After his fall into the Netherworld, Vergil fought Mundus and lost, finding himself enslaved by the demon emperor. Vergil still carries his half of the Perfect Amulet, and after seemingly dying, his half joins with Dante's, completing the amulet once more and unleashing the true power of Force Edge, which becomes the Sparda sword.[8]

Dante finds Trish once again, and tries to save her from Nightmare, only to learn that she has lured him into a trap, as she reveals that she is a spy for Mundus. Dante defeats Nightmare, and when the room begins to collapse, Dante saves Trish from being crushed by debris. He tells her that he did so only because of her resemblance to his mother and warns her to stay away from him.

As Dante finally confronts Mundus, he finds him just as he is about to kill Trish for her failure. Despite his harsh words to her, he tries to save her again, and is injured in the process. Mundus fires a beam in an attempt to kill him, only for Trish to sacrifice herself to save Dante. Distraught over Trish's sacrifice, Dante's full power is unleashed, allowing him to tap into the power of the Sparda sword and assume his father's demonic form.

Dante and Mundus battle in the demon realm, and despite the demon emperor's overwhelming power, Dante is victorious. He returns to Trish's lifeless body and leaves his sword and the Perfect Amulet with Trish before departing. As he returns to the island, the castle begins to collapse. Dante suddenly finds himself cornered by an injured Mundus, who has used the last of his power to cross over into the human world. Dante fights Mundus again, but is unable to defeat him. He is saved by Trish, who suddenly appears and infuses Dante's guns with her magic, allowing Dante to banish Mundus back to the demon world. As he is torn away, Mundus vows that he will return one day.

Trish tries to apologize to Dante for lying to him but begins to cry. Dante comforts her, telling her that her tears mean she has found her humanity, as "devils never cry". The pair escape the island on an old plane as it sinks into the sea. The two become partners, and Dante renames his shop "Devil Never Cry".

Dante and Trish would spend a few years as partners, developing a close friendship, but also growing sick of each other's habits. The two were contracted by Dante's old friend Enzo Ferino, a broker who doesn't believe in demons, on a job to investigate some ancient ruins. Enzo finds a Devil Arm resembling a gun, which Trish later speculates might have been crafted by Machiavelli, a legendary demon gunsmith who supposedly crafted weapons such as Artemis. Worried about Enzo, Dante and Trish look for him and find him being consumed by the Devil Arm. To save his life, Dante has no option but to cut off his arm. Now realizing that demons are real and understanding the danger they pose, Enzo starts up a pawn shop, housing Dante's many Devil Arms in order to help.

After the job, Trish leaves Devil Never Cry to prevent others from falling victim to Devil Arms as Enzo had and asks Dante to change the name of the shop back to Devil May Cry.

Devil May Cry: The Animated Series[]

On a regular day in the office, Dante is hired by his broker J.D. Morrison to transport a young orphan girl named Patty Lowell to her father's house to receive her inheritance. However, she is revealed to have been a decoy for the true heir and takes to living with Dante.

Dante is regularly visited by Lady and Trish, who pester him for his debts to them, with the pair becoming friends after Lady mistakenly hunted her. During this time, Dante was visited by his childhood friend and foster brother Ernest. Since the day the young Dante had been driven from the island after being blamed for the demon attack on their town, Ernest had sought to prove his friend's innocence. He attempted to summon the demon responsible for the attack so that he could kill it and prove Dante's innocence but was no match for the creature.

Dante was forced to intervene, and defeated the demon, but during the battle, Ernest would learn that the demon had attacked the island in pursuit of Dante. An enraged Ernest blames Dante for everything that happened, telling him he never wants to see him again. A sorrowful Dante obliges and leaves the island once again.

Dante also encountered his father's former apprentices, the twin brothers Baul and Modeus. While Modeus met and befriended Dante, Baul soon learned that his master had fathered a son and vowed to kill Dante in his quest to surpass Sparda. Dante killed Baul, leaving Modeus honor-bound to avenge his brother. He dueled Dante but was also defeated and killed. Dante made a memorial for the brothers, marked by their two blades.

Despite her seemingly innocuous origins, there was in fact more to Patty than Dante initially knew. She was the descendant of Alan Lowell, a powerful alchemist that had the ability to summon demons and bend them to his will. However, Alan once summoned a demon too powerful for him to control; Abigail. Realizing his mistake, Alan sealed the demon away, leaving a pendant behind as a key to Abigail's power.

The pendant was eventually inherited by Alan's descendant; Nina Lowell, Patty's biological mother. Fearing for her daughter's safety, Nina put Patty up for adoption. Manipulated by the demon Sid, Nina entrusts the amulet to Dante for a while. When an uncomfortable Nina wants it back, she is kidnapped by Sid, who desires the amulet in order to claim Abigail's power. Learning that her mother is coming, Patty steals the amulet from Dante and hopes to deliver it personally, in order to finally meet her mother. Finding her mother held hostage by Sid, she trades him the amulet for her safety.

After attempting to stop Abigail, Dante is defeated and trapped in a comatose state within the demon world. While Sid wreaks havoc on the human world with his newfound power, Patty manages to steal the amulet and enter the demon world, awakening Dante. Dante easily defeats Sid and the other demons. With Patty now reunited with her mother, she leaves Devil May Cry, though kept in touch with Dante, visiting occasionally to help him clean his shop.

Devil May Cry Drama CD Vol.1[]

Indebted to Enzo Ferino, Dante asks Morrison to bring the money he's earned to him in order to pay Enzo, lest he start selling the devil arms Dante has entrusted him with. Morrison, Lady, and Patty meet Enzo and wait for Dante to show up. Meanwhile, a mysterious young woman arrives and sells some kind of puzzle to Enzo. Lady touches the puzzle out of interest, which later turns out to be one of Machiavelli's creations and gets possessed by an evil force within it. Dante arrives just in time to help but is unarmed. He decides to save Enzo's business on the condition that Enzo wipes away his debts. Enzo agrees, and Dante starts using Cerberus and Alastor to fight Lady. Dante manages to destroy the puzzle, saving Lady without harming her.

Later, Trish shows up and explains to a confused Morrison how Lady wasn't actually possessed, and it was all a ruse to retrieve the devil arms so that they can lure out a demon who has been hunting demonic weapons. Trish also mentions how Dante didn't want to involve Enzo in another incident, but Dante stops her from talking too much. The demon gets lured out and quickly killed by Dante, Trish, and Lady. After that, Dante asks Morrison to return the Devil Arms to Enzo. On the way there, a confused Patty asks Morrison why, since that means him owing money again. Morrison answers that it's a gesture of friendship between them. Patty, who initially thought Dante was owing so much money just because he's lazy, now wants to learn more about Dante and follows Morrison to ask Enzo some questions about him.

Devil May Cry Drama CD Vol.2[]

A woman named Foster, who runs the orphanage associated with Patty Lowell, hires Dante. A devil disguised as Peter Pan kidnaps the children from the orphanage, takes them to a place called Neverland, and convinces them that they are the Lost Boys and Dante is Captain Hook. Peter Pan is finally defeated by Trish.

The Devil May Cry crew is investigated by two police officers, Steve and McClain. Dante and the others are cleared of suspicion after being interviewed.

Devil May Cry 2 novel[]

Sometime later, Dante was hired by a devil hunter named Beryl. Beryl's father had attempted to use the Beastheads, an artifact of great power created by Mundus, to resurrect his deceased wife. However, as he was human, he was unable to withstand the power of the Beastheads, which transformed him into a demon. He attempted to fly away with his daughter but was shot down. In the process, Beryl was stabbed with the Beastheads, linking her to it, and allowing her to feel it when close.

After dealing with a crime syndicate which hoped to use the artifact's power, Dante and Beryl fought the Beastheads, only for it to use its powers over time and space to suck them into an alternate reality. In this world, Mundus had captured Dante as a child, while Vergil, as Nelo Angelo, led the resistance against Mundus and his army of Trishes. Dante was recruited to help defeat Mundus, which he did, returning afterwards to his own world. Here, Dante and Beryl manage to destroy the Beastheads once and for all.

Devil May Cry 2[]

Many years ago, Sparda helped seal away the demon Argosax, a rebel demon who once challenged Mundus and succeeded in splitting the demon world between them. Sparda used four artifacts to seal Argosax on the island of Vie de Marli. The humans who had summoned and aided him, a group known as the Protectors, would remain on the island to safeguard its secrets.

In the modern day, a businessman by the name of Arius developed an interest for the occult, becoming a sorcerer, and using his resources to plunder anything related to demons. Using his power, he created artificial demons known as Secretaries. He learned of Vie de Marli and began a quest to claim Argosax's power in order to conquer the world. One of his secretaries, a defective known as Chi (after the Greek letter), was rescued by the Protectors and raised as one of them, unaware of her true origins, now named "Lucia".

No longer able to fend Arius off on their own, the Protectors, led by Matier, send Lucia to bring them Dante, with Matier promising to tell him a story about his father in exchange for his help. Dante fights several demons in his attempt to stop Arius but is unable to prevent him from assembling the artifacts he seeks. Dante defeats Arius, but the portal to Argosax's realm is already open.

Dante manages to convince Lucia to allow him to enter the demon world to stop Argosax, knowing that the portal will close behind him, by flipping a coin, which comes up heads. Meanwhile, Lucia finds a horribly mutated Arius, who has succeeded in absorbing some of Argosax's power. She manages to defeat him and realizes that the coin Dante flipped to settle who would enter the underworld was two-headed, meaning Dante had rigged it to ensure he would sacrifice himself.

Entering the demon world, Dante finds and kills Argosax, and with nowhere else to go, plunges deeper into the demon world. Luckily, he finds another portal, and is able to escape. He returns to his office, finding Lucia waiting there. After these events, Lucia returned to Vie de Marli, and Dante carried on his work as a devil hunter.

Devil May Cry 4[]

Dante as he appears in Devil May Cry 4

Sometime later, Lady came to Dante's office, offering him a job. She had encountered competition in the form of the Angelos, mute suits of armor which had been collecting demons and devil arms. Realizing that they were demonic in nature, Lady traced their origins to the Order of the Sword, a small sect native to the town of Fortuna which worshipped Sparda.

Trish, who was also present, took a particular interest in the Order, and went ahead of Dante and Lady, bringing with her the sword Sparda. Disguised as "Gloria", she offered the sword to the Order, allowing her to rapidly ascend its ranks. She would learn that the Order had been formed after Sparda had sealed a hell gate in the city long ago, using his sword the Yamato.

The Order were fanatical in their desire to exterminate demons, to the point where they had begun experimenting with creating artificial demons like the Angelos, as well as creating The Savior, a giant demonic statue in the visage of Sparda, which could only be controlled with Sparda's blood and sword.[9] To fuel the Savior, they began opening smaller hell gates to harvest demons, as well as hoping that the demonic activity would lure Dante to the city.

Devil-may-cry-4-04b

Dante fights with Nero

Alerted by Trish of the Order's true purpose, Dante and Lady followed her to Fortuna. In the middle of a ceremony, Dante burst through a ceiling window and assassinated the Order's leader Sanctus, before beginning to fight the demonically infused guards. Dante is surprised by a young guardsman named Nero, who attempts to stop Dante. Noticing Nero's Devil Bringer-arm, Dante briefly duels him, but leaves soon enough to take care of the rest of the Order.

Dante and Nero after

Dante allows Nero to keep the Yamato, showcasing their first step as allies

Dante wanders the city seeking to learn more about the Order and his father's past. Unbeknownst to him, the Order had retrieved the shattered pieces of the Yamato, which had now been reassembled by Nero. Dante tracked Nero down, and upon seeing him wield the Yamato, realized that Nero was in fact Vergil's son. He allowed Nero to keep the Yamato, as Nero had now turned against the Order.

Sanctus, the Order's leader, had in fact survived the assassination attempt and had learned that Nero was a blood relation of Sparda's. They managed to capture Nero, using him to activate the Savior. Witnessing this from across town, Dante sets out to stop the Order once and for all. On the way, he closes the lesser hell gates, defeating several powerful demons in the process, before retrieving the Yamato, which the Order had taken from Nero. He uses the blade to destroy the greater hell gate once and for all.

Coming face to face with the giant Savior, now controlled by Sanctus, Dante realizes he cannot destroy it from the outside. He instead pushes the Yamato into the Savior's chest, sending it straight to Nero. The sword awakens Nero and allows him to break free from the Savior's heart. Nero then fights his way to Sanctus and defeats him, allowing them to destroy the Savior.

Nero and Dante final

In their final encounter, Dante allows Nero to keep Yamato, sealing their friendship

With the threat of the Order ended, Dante leaves Fortuna. He leaves the Yamato with Nero, but neglects to tell him the truth about his father.

Returning to his office with Lady and Trish, Lady presents them with a meager payment for their efforts, accusing Trish of causing events to escalate. While Trish argues, Dante is unbothered and simply answers that they take what they can get, before the trio set off on a new mission.

Devil May Cry 5: Before the Nightmare[]

Ten years after defeating Argosax, Dante was once again summoned to Vie de Marli by Matier to help defeat a new demon; Argosax's right-hand man Balrog. Fearing that Lucia would be unable to defeat Balrog on her own, Matier called for Dante to help her defeat Balrog. Dante and Lucia found the demon, which possessed a shard of the Yamato. Dante shattered the shard with Cerberus, though it shattered his own weapon in the process. Upon realizing who Dante is, Balrog immediately surrenders, knowing he cannot defeat the legendary devil hunter. He transforms into a devil arm, hoping to one day become strong enough for a rematch.

With Balrog dealt with, Dante returns home.

Devil May Cry 5: Visions of V[]

DMC3 Dante Got to clean up the mess father left behind.

This section of the article is a stub. You can help by expanding it.

Dante Visions of V

Briefly, before the events of Devil May Cry 5, Dante is unable to pay for utilities, leading to his shop losing power and water. Dante is then contacted by V, who tells him that a powerful demon is about to emerge, and he needs his help. Dante's initial dismissal soon shifts to anger when V reveals that the demon is in fact Vergil. He is forced to believe V when he reveals that Red Grave City, his old home, will be demonized if he does not help him stop Vergil.

Devil May Cry 5[]

DMC5 Dante & Morrison

Dante with Morrison in his office.

Morrison brings him a job request that pays Dante cash upfront which restores the electricity and water in the shop as soon as he arrived, previously cut off due to nonpayment. In addition, Dante is informed that Patty wanted him to join her 18th Birthday Party, but he decides to take the job to avoid going. Morrison introduces Dante to his latest client, the mysterious V. To Dante's dismay, Morrison went off to grab Lady and Trish, claiming that this was a "big job". Alone with V, Dante is asked by V to investigate and stop the Demon infestation in Red Grave City, which was organized by the Qliphoth tree planted by Urizen, who V reveals to be on a different level than any opponent Dante has ever faced, even the likes of Mundus and Argosax pale compared to Urizen. V also reveals to Dante that Urizen is in fact Vergil. Dante, along with Lady, Trish, and V, leaves for the city, having left Morrison to guard his shop.

Devil-may-cry-5-23910-1551986754797-1551986833-8-1024x576

Dante in his first confrontation with Urizen.

Dante, Trish, and Lady travel through the Qliphoth to confront Urizen while V unexpectedly departs; secretly intending to bring Nero for extra assistance. Dante fights Urizen after he defeats Lady and Trish but he is brushed aside by Urizen. Nero arrives and attacks Urizen but he is badly beaten. Dante recovers just in time to change Urizen's focus from Nero to himself, thus beginning "Round 2". In Devil Trigger, he buys Nero and V enough time to escape, but even in Devil Trigger, Dante is effortlessly overpowered by Urizen and his sword, Rebellion is shattered. Urizen taunts Dante as he wraps the roots around Dante, but Trish, using her remaining strength, throws the Sparda to Dante who grabs it and changes into his Devil Trigger form again. Charging at Urizen once more, Urizen swats him away, sending him and the Sparda flying out of the Qliphoth.

DMC5 Comatose Dante

Dante in a coma.

Dante remains in a month-long coma, with his hair grown long and covered in Qliphoth blood until he is ultimately woken up by V, who nearly stabs him with the Sparda. Upon awakening, he is briefed on everything that has happened up until this point by V and thus hurries back to the Qliphoth to fight Urizen once again and save Nero from getting himself killed. Along the way, he defeats Cavaliere Angelo and rescues Trish from within; also acquiring the Cavaliere. He returns back to his old home where he remembers that he accessed his Devil Trigger when Vergil once stabbed Rebellion into his chest years ago and briefly wondered why his father gave him the Rebellion. He soon quickly comes to the realization that while the Yamato was used to separate, the Rebellion was used to unify. He stabs the broken Rebellion into his chest where the Sparda absorbs the Rebellion, allowing Dante to achieve his Sin Devil Trigger and obtain his new weapon: Devil Sword Dante.

DMC5 Nico Gives Dante Dr

Nico gives Dante the Dr. Faust hat.

With this new power, Dante quickly goes to the Qliphoth where he arrives just in time to save Nero. He easily overwhelms Urizen who is forced to retreat once the Qliphoth fully completes its emergence in the human world. Dante soon reunites with Lady, Trish, V, and Nero where he is informed that Urizen is at the "top" of the Qliphoth which Dante confused for the "bottom". He also meets Nico who gives him a gift: Dr. Faust. Dante attempts to dissuade Nero from continuing the mission, but V convinces Dante to allow it. He splits up from everyone, declaring that this was "his gig", though, in reality, he wanted to take care of business for Nero's sake given the circumstances.

ProbablyLastBoss

Dante stabs Urizen.

After battling the unleashed gatekeeper known as King Cerberus, who Dante reminisces from encountering the last demon of his kind and acquiring the Devil Arm of the same name, Dante encounters Urizen in an illusory landscape all formed by the demonic fruit made by the Qliphoth. Urizen consumes the fruit and obtains overwhelming power, and despite this, Dante battles his brother. Despite the power the fruit granted him, Urizen is defeated by Dante. Nero and V arrive in the aftermath where Nero has learned from V that Urizen was Dante's brother, Vergil. Dante allows V to take matters into his own hands but realizes too little too late that V intended on reuniting with Urizen; resulting in Vergil's rebirth.

Dante charges at Vergil, but the latter did not wish to end their conflict with Dante so wounded and thus requested that he heal his wounds and get stronger before they settled the matter. Vergil escapes, but not before thanking Nero. Dante once again tries to send Nero back home but he refuses to go as Vergil is responsible for using him to regain all his power and blamed Dante for letting him keep Yamato in the first place. In a brief argument and out of frustration, Dante was forced to reveal that Vergil was Nero's father. He explains that he had a hunch when he first saw Nero but upon seeing how the Yamato reacted in Nero's possession, Dante was certain that he was Vergil's son. Dante finally tells his nephew that his father needed to be stopped but he didn't want Nero to be the one to do it given the circumstances. He leaves Nero to both grieve and ponders as he travels to the Qliphoth to confront his brother.

He briefly meets back up with Trish, Lady, and Nico, to discuss the situation, and Nico gives the Kalina Ann II to Dante, much to Lady's dismay. He tells the girls to leave while he takes care of Vergil. He finds opposition in the form of V's familiars, Griffon, Shadow, and Nightmare who are revealed to be the lingering abominable thoughts of when Vergil was Nelo Angelo. Since V had returned to Vergil, the familiars were free to kill Dante without anything or anyone holding them back. Dante wonders why they choose to fight him despite that they must know they don't stand a chance against him. After defeating them, he learns that with their death, Vergil's nightmares will end. With a final farewell to the familiars, Dante presses on.

The demon hunter finally arrives at the top of the Qliphoth where he demands the Yamato from Vergil, knowing fully well that Vergil was not going to give it up without a fight. The two brothers fight ruthlessly where Dante reveals to Vergil that Nero was his son, much to his brother's initial confusion. While Dante amusingly expresses interest in hearing the story on how Nero's conception occurred, he preferred to finish things with Vergil which the latter agreed to. Accessing their Sin Devil Trigger forms, they prepare to conclude their battle until Nero unexpectedly arrives and intervenes in their conflict with his true Devil Trigger form. Dante and Vergil are shocked by Nero's sudden transformation, but when Dante tries to remind Nero that this isn't his fight, he is sucker-punched that leaves him winded for a while. Dante shows indifference towards Vergil's suggestion that if he beats Nero means that he also beats Dante by default, so he decides to sit back and watch Nero and Vergil do battle.

DMC5 Dante Nero Vergil

Dante and Vergil heads to the Demon World as Nero watches.

Once Vergil is bested and the Qliphoth begins to crumble, Dante decides to put aside the conflict in order to take down the Qliphoth once and for all. He and Vergil decide to go into the Demon World, knowing fully well that they will not be able to come back if they go. Dante claims he wishes to go so he can "keep an eye" on Vergil. As Nero pleads with them, Dante tells him that it's because he is here that they can go into the Demon World. Despite Nero's protests, Dante and Vergil still go into the Demon World, leaving Nero behind as the new protector of the human world. Once in the Demon World, the brothers fend off numerous hordes of demons before successfully cutting down the roots of the Qliphoth, ending the crisis.

Now stuck in the Demon World, Dante, and Vergil battle each other once again, but their rivalry now seems to be on more friendly terms. However, their sparring is being constantly interrupted by interfering demons. Much to Vergil's annoyance, Dante says his catchphrase "Jackpot!" as they proceed to fend off another demon horde.

Media[]

Devil May Cry comics[]

Click [Expand] to read the comic plot.
DMC3 Dante Got to clean up the mess father left behind.

This section of the article is a stub. You can help by expanding it.

Three issues of a comic adaptation of the first game were published by Canadian publisher Dreamwave Productions in 2004, but was left unfinished when the company went bankrupt in 2005. Although the comic loosely follows the plot of the first Devil May Cry game, it has major contradictions with the game (like Nelo Angelo's ability to speak) and is thus considered non-canonical. The third issue ended with Dante being knocked out by Trish.

Powers and Abilities[]

Even as a child I had powers. There is demonic blood in me.
—Dante to Trish in Devil May Cry.

Dante is a half-human and half-demon hybrid, born from the demon Sparda and his human wife, Eva. His father, Sparda, was reputed to be an immensely powerful demon, to the point that certain individuals (e.g. the Order of the Sword) worshipped him as a god. Despite being a half-demon, his demonic power level is still immensely powerful and as such he is able to overpower high level demons. Testaments to his power are the replication or surpassing of several of Sparda's legendary accomplishments, such as resealing Mundus and killing Argosax.

  • Superhuman Strength: Dante possesses incredible raw bodily strength even while in human form. He is able to easily throw around street thugs and an obese prison warden. He is also able to easily snap handcuffs.[10] He can shatter stone with little difficulty, and often overpowers demons much larger and more imposing than himself with ease. Dante also once easily blocked a punch from Nero's Devil Bringer and even casually forced him back with enough force to destroy a wall behind him and knocked down Nero with a single push to the back. He's even strong enough to block The Savior's punch with Rebellion without showing much strain.[11] Dante's display of superhuman strength, endurance, and resistance to injury shows that his physical condition is much tougher and more efficient than that of even most of the powerful demons, allowing him to exert his supernaturally enhanced muscle power to vast proportions without fear of injury or fatigue.[12]
  • Superhuman Speed: Dante is superhumanly fast, and in some cases appears to be teleporting. During his younger years, was capable of swinging his sword so fast that rain drops cannot escape his blade over a wide area.[5][13] Also while Dante was running down the side of Temi-Ni-Gru, he shot Rebellion, causing it to fall so quickly it began superheating the air around it, then he chased his sword fast enough to catch up to it and eventually reaching a speed great enough that the air around his hand became superheated as well.[14] Dante's reflexes are fast enough that he can dodge bullets, slice them, shoot them out of the air, and even catch them with his teeth.[5][15]
  • Superhuman Agility: Dante is extremely agile as well; able to jump to great heights or even balance himself on a flying rocket, as well as run up vertical walls.[16] In addition, his agility allows him to perform amazing feats of acrobatics that easily surpass even the finest human acrobat.
  • Superhuman Stamina: Despite some of the physically punishing things Dante has gone through, he has the ability to move forward with little difficulty. Even while impaled with Hell Pride's scythes lodged in his torso and arms, he casually walks about his office.[17] He often went on hours long missions with constant fighting, no rest, food, or water and shows no fatigue. However, his endurance does have its limits, a fact that was taken advantage of by Arkham.
  • Superhuman Durability: Dante's durability has been shown to allow him to simply shrug off wounds that would either disable or outright kill a normal demon, such as being impaled through the chest with his own sword.[17] He was also punched by Beowulf so hard that his body made an imprint in the stone ground, but Dante showed no signs of injury.[18] His teeth are also strong enough to catch bullets.[19] He is capable of withstanding Hellfire and lightning strikes with no signs of injury.[20][21] He was even capable of withstanding impale-like attack from Sid empowered by Abigail with no response of pain.
  • Accelerated Healing: Dante can rapidly heal even serious wounds; even the Hell Prides were surprised when he ignored their attacks.[17][22] Combined with his great resilience, Dante's healing factor makes him nearly unkillable.
  • Demonic Power Manipulation: Dante is able to channel his demonic energies into various physical objects, ranging from his guns to the air itself.[23]
  • Telekinesis: Dante demonstrates telekinetic abilities, stopping Trish's motorcycle in mid-air before shooting it with Ebony and Ivory.[24] He also appeared to show telekinetic abilities in the anime, shown when he splayed his hand and Rebellion smashed through the ceiling window before landing in his hand, although this could also be related to Dante's metaphysical connection to the sword.

  • Skilled Hand-to-Hand Combatant: While using gauntlet weapons, Dante has been shown to be highly proficient at hand-to-hand combat, using various martial arts techniques, including Bruce Lee's one-inch punch.[25] He is also capable of defeating lesser demons completely unarmed with little difficulty.[17] In his second fight with Nero, Dante outclassed his nephew with solely hand-to-hand combat upon being disarmed, soundly knocking him down and taking Yamato from him.
  • Weapon Proficiency: Dante is proficient with a variety of weapons, including swords, scythes, gauntlets, and even unorthodox supernatural weapons. He displays an impressive ability to judge the capabilities of weapons almost as soon as he picks them up.
    • Swordsmanship: As Dante's primary fighting style, he is incredibly skilled with various types of swords including broadswords, katanas, and scimitars.
  • Marksmanship: Although he is aided by his superhuman precision in gunfights, Dante has an innate mastery of any firearm he comes in contact with. He is capable of shooting Ebony and Ivory in two different directions at once, and can aim with such accuracy that his bullets stack on the hilt of Yamato.[26][27]
  • Keen Intellect: An often overlooked aspect about Dante's abilities is his analytical skills. He showcases these skills in the form of a talent for reading people; he accurately assessed that the seemingly gentle Modeus was interested in killing him for his soul, and that Modeus was going to try to take revenge against him for killing Baul. He's also easily deduced and figured out the Familiars' intentions to atone during Mission 18 of Devil May Cry 5. His knowledge about demons and demon world, as well as his work as a private investigator put his intelligence to be above average. He's also a combat genius, comes up with various tricks and cunning fighting styles to destroy his enemies. As described by the alternate universe version of Shadow, Dante has a sharp mind, able to instantly understand the true extent of Mundus' generals' power in the alternate universe and that they got enough power to form an independent government to oppose the Demon King. He also displayed a great knowledge about magic, as he easily figured out the magic used by the alternate Trish.
  • Musical Aptitude: While using Nevan, Dante performs a more hardcore version of the first three verses of "Taste The Blood".[28] He also has a guitar and drumset in his office.[17]

  • Main articles: Devil Trigger and Sin Devil Trigger

    Due to his half-demon physiology, Dante can release his demonic power through his Devil Trigger. This allows him to shift from his human guise to his demonic visage. Not being purely cosmetic, Dante's already superior physical capabilities are amplified significantly and this form grants him the ability to fly.

    The appearance of this form varies throughout the games — in Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 3, the form is influenced by which Devil Arm he carries, while in Devil May Cry 2[29] and Devil May Cry 4 he has a pair of Devil Forms believed to be his "true" Devil form. These abilities could be chosen in Devil May Cry 2 by selecting the different pieces in the Amulet together. In Devil May Cry 5, Dante gains access to a new form called Sin Devil Trigger after stabbing himself with Rebellion and absorbing the Devil Sword Sparda.

    Equipment[]

    Though Dante has an extensive collection of weapons, he most commonly carries:

    • Rebellion: A keepsake sword from his father and a manifestation of his power.
    • Ebony & Ivory: Dante's twin handguns, custom-built for rapid-fire.
    • Force Edge/Devil Sword Sparda: Dante temporarily replaced Rebellion as his main sword from the end of the events of Devil May Cry 3 until giving it to Trish at the end of Devil May Cry.
    • Devil Sword Dante: A blade born when Dante absorbed the Rebellion and the Sparda into his body. The weapon carries both his name and his will.

    He has also used a shotgun in every title in the series, though its exact form changes throughout the games. Over the course of the first four games, Dante has collected a wide variety of weapons in addition to his regular arsenal, ranging from a quite literal electric guitar and several pairs of gauntlets/greaves to twin rocket launchers and a shape-changing, demonic briefcase. He keeps many weapons and trophies displayed within his office, so it is likely that he keeps old weapons there as well.

    Gameplay[]

    also see Actions

    Devil May Cry[]

    For details and movesets see
    Devil Arms: Force Edge, Alastor, Ifrit, Sparda
    Guns: Ebony & Ivory, Shotgun, Grenadegun, Needlegun, Nightmare-β
    Bangle of Time
    Devil Trigger

    Devil May Cry 2[]

    For details and movesets see
    Swords: Rebellion, Vendetta, Merciless, Force Edge
    Guns: Ebony & Ivory, Shotgun, Missile Launcher, Submachine Guns
    Devil Trigger (Devil Hearts), Ultimate Devil Trigger

    Devil May Cry 3[]

    For details and movesets see
    Devil Arms: Rebellion, Cerberus, Agni & Rudra, Nevan, Beowulf
    Guns: Ebony & Ivory, Shotgun, Artemis, Spiral, Kalina Ann
    Styles: Trickster, Swordmaster, Gunslinger, Royalguard, Quicksilver, Doppelganger
    Devil Trigger

    Devil May Cry 4[]

    For details and movesets see
    Swords: Rebellion, Gilgamesh, Lucifer, Yamato
    Guns: Ebony & Ivory, Coyote-A, Pandora
    Styles: Trickster, Swordmaster, Gunslinger, Royalguard, Dark Slayer
    Devil Trigger

    Devil May Cry 5[]

    For details and movesets see
    Swords: Rebellion, Balrog, Devil Sword Sparda, Cavaliere, Devil Sword Dante, King Cerberus
    Guns: Ebony & Ivory, Coyote-A, Kalina Ann (II, Double), Dr. Faust
    Styles: Trickster, Swordmaster, Gunslinger, Royalguard
    Devil Trigger, Sin Devil Trigger

    Strategy[]

    Devil May Cry 4[]

    Main articles: Mission 1 and Mission 10

    While Nero's first encounter with Dante serves as a tutorial, the second fight is much harder, as he will begin using all four of his styles, as well as his Devil Trigger. It should be noted that, on higher difficulty modes, the battle in Mission 1 becomes just as difficult as the Mission 10 encounter.

    Devil May Cry 5/SE[]

    Main articles: Mission 19 and Mission 20

    In Vergil's Mission 19 Dante uses all of his styles, his Devil Trigger, and uses most of his Devil Arms and Guns such as Devil Sword Dante, Balrog, Cavaliere, Ebony & Ivory, Coyote-A, and Dr. Faust. In Mission 20, Dante makes use of all his weapons/styles except Dr. Faust and his devil trigger from Mission 19. Dante uses Double Kalina Ann along with King Cerberus, and his Sin Devil Trigger with his Quadruple S transformation

    Appearances in Other Media[]

    Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne[]

    Dante SMT

    As part of a deal with the company Atlus, Dante, in his Devil May Cry 2 incarnation, makes a special guest appearance in the updated Maniax version of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, released as Shin Megami Tensei: Noctune and Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call in US and European territories, respectively.

    In the story of the game, an event that recreates the world called the Conception occurs, killing almost every human in Tokyo save the few who may hold the key to recreating it. Dante is mentioned by an NPC before the Conception occurs as a "strange foreigner wearing a red cloak and carrying a big sword" walking around Tokyo, and later survives the Conception, being hired by a mysterious old man to kill the protagonist, the Demi-fiend. He is faced as a boss twice throughout the game, once in a mandatory fight, and again in an optional encounter in the Third Kalpa of the Labyrinth of Amala. He can later be recruited to the party at the entrance of the Fifth Kalpa, where he uses the same coin seen in Devil May Cry 2 to decide the fee for his services. His attacks are all based around his sword Rebellion and his pistols Ebony & Ivory, using skills such as Roundtrip and Stinger.

    Dante was replaced by Raidou Kuzunoha in the Maniax Chronicle edition of the game, but returns in the HD Remaster as paid DLC.

    Viewtiful Joe[]

    VJ Dante and Joe

    Dante is a playable character in the PS2 version of the game, where he must save Trish. He later appears in the PSP version of Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble as a bonus character, where he lends his biplane, Karnival, to Captain Blue for a scene in one of his movies, and he and the player race to defeat the boss of the stage.

    Marvel vs. Capcom series[]

    Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds[]
    Dante's MVC3 appearance

    Dante is a playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 in his Devil May Cry 3 outfit. He is first seen in a trailer facing off against Deadpool, his rival in the game. In his ending, he prepares to square off against Ghost Rider. Interestingly, his physical features seem to be based on his Devil May Cry 4 incarnation, but his outfit and repertoire are directly lifted from Devil May Cry 3.

    His Ultimate MVC3 appearance

    In the updated re-release, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Dante receives a new ending where he is approached by Mephisto, who attempts to tempt Dante into signing a contract with him with the promise of reviving his mother and improving relations with Vergil. Dante responds by threatening to kill him unless Mephisto can provide him a job that will pay excessively, so Mephisto requests Dante to take out his son, Blackheart. He also appears in Ghost Rider's ending where he, Ghost Rider, and Trish threaten Mephisto's life, forcing him to undo a contract.

    Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite[]
    DanteSparda

    Dante returns in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, retaining his Devil May Cry 3 looks. In this game, he obtains new moves like his walking Horizontal Gun Shot, with an Air Shotgun Blast acting as an Air Combo Finisher.

    In the story mode after 88 days of Convergence caused by Ultron Sigma (a fusion between Ultron from Marvel's Ant-Man/Avengers and Sigma from Capcom's Mega Man X via Infinity Stones (mainly Space and Reality, while the rest are scattered across the merged universe)), he is amongst the heroes besides Thor, X, Chun-Li, Rocket, and Hawkeye on the raid against Ultron Sigma in "their" base on a merged Highway and Asgard called Xgardian. He is first seen with Hawkeye and Rocket and shares his Ebony & Ivory with Rocket for the latter's backup ammo. After Doctor Strange found out Thanos had been imprisoned by Ultron Sigma, the heroes plan a rescue mission, sending Chris Redfield, Chun-Li, Rocket, Strange and Strider Hiryu, in case if they are not powerful enough to defeat Ultron Sigma, which proves to be true. As Thanos has been rescued, the heroes fall back to Avengers Tower safely to create a new plan on splitting up each teams collecting Infinity Stones from Thanos' help, with Iron Man, Hawkeye and Spencer are last seen watching Thanos, in case if Thanos planned to betray the heroes behind their back.

    Dante gains a more hotheaded attitude in this game, and somehow gains more control over his Devil Trigger, being able to speak within it. For the first time since Jedah's ending in Capcom Fighting Evolution, where Dante showed up behind him, he clashes with the Dark Messiah. He seems to have awakened more demonic traits in him, such as his nearly demonic laughter, when Jedah first counterattacks him and can be more capable of high-risk gambles, such as handing the soul stone to Ultron Sigma, despite this act appearing as an outright betrayal to the heroes.

    Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition[]

    Dante appears as a costume for Ken Masters, it has ten variations, all retaining the same look but with different colors. The costume is based on Dante's iteration from Devil May Cry 4, and includes the Rebellion on Ken's back. Using the alternate code will equip Ken with Gilgamesh.[30] Out of coincidence, both Dante and Ken share the same English voice actor.

    Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2[]

    Megami Tensei Dx2 X DMC5 Dante Render

    Dante could be acquired by players in Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2 during the Devil May Cry 5 collaboration period, and also acted as an enemy in one of the story chapters. He sports the Rebellion and Ebony & Ivory, with the Devil May Cry 5 model as the base look. Subhuman can also be heard multiple times during the story mode of the collab.

    Teppen[]

    Dante is one of the main Heroes in the base game of Teppen, being a Hero, he can be selected as the main character used in battle, and has three "Hero Arts" which have different functions from other heroes. Dante, alongside other characters and creatures within the Devil May Cry series, is featured in multiple cards in the game.

    Teppen-Dante

    Dante as he appears in Teppen.

    In the story mode of Teppen, Dante is shown on a devil hunting gig, of which makes him clash against Morrigan, as the two are fighting, he notices that a child got caught in the cross-fire, he succeeds in saving the little girl but Morrigan had turned into her human form to flee, when Dante notices it and is about to strike her again, X appears in order to protect what he believes is a human. The two end up fighting but afterward, Dante still kept searching for Morrigan. A strange lady appears and mentions something to Dante, but he ends up blocking Chun-Li's way and this leads to the last battle of the story mode. The last cutscene displays that the words the mysterious lady mentioned were "Mundus" and that Dante should go to the "Land of Illusion", Dante then starts making way to that location stating that he doesn't want to miss the "party".

    Other[]

    • Dante is featured as a character card in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighter DS.
    • Dante makes a cameo in Jedah Dohma's ending in Capcom Fighting Evolution.[31]
    • Dante appears in the multi-crossover game Project X Zone alongside Lady. Dante forms a single unit alongside Demitri Maximoff, the demonic vampire of the Darkstalkers series. In combat, he fights with Rebellion, Ebony & Ivory, Coyote-A, and Nevan, yet interestingly takes on his appearance as seen in Devil May Cry.[32] He also appears in the sequel, Project X Zone 2, this time partnered with Vergil.
    • Dante appears as a Rasta in Monster Hunter Frontier G, and his outfit is available as obtainable armor for players.
    • Dante's Devil May Cry appearance is featured as a DLC costume for Masamune Date in Sengoku Basara 4, and his swords are also replaced by Alastor.
    • Classic Dante appears as an unlockable icon in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale.
    • In Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Dante's coat and hairstyle, as well as the Devil Arm Alastor, were available for players for a limited time after completing a quest titled "Gravios May Cry".[33]
    64_PlayStation_Game_Easter_Eggs_in_Astro's_Playroom

    64 PlayStation Game Easter Eggs in Astro's Playroom

    DMC Bots at 8:54 (#61)

    • Dante's appearance from Devil May Cry 4 appears on the cover of Capcom Super League Online.
    • In Monster Hunter: World, Dante's Devil Sword as well as a Dante alpha armour set, were available for players for a limited time after completing the Devil May Cry event quest titled "Code: Red". Using the Slinger with this armor set equipped causes the left arm to transform into a weapon similar to the Nightmare-β.
    • In Astro's Playroom, among numerous other PlayStation games references, one of the Astro Bots is dressed as Dante in his DMC1 outfit launching and juggling a Marionette Bot with Force Edge and Ebony & Ivory.
    • Dante was added in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a costume (wig and outfit) for Mii Swordfighter on June 29, 2021 via Mii Fighter Costumes # 10 paid DLC. The costume is based on his DMC1 appearance complete with Alastor as the fighter's sword (Dante's guns are not present).
    • Dante appeared in the fan-made web series DEATH BATTLE! seen here, where he was pitted against Bayonetta, also created by Kamiya, and emerged victorious against her.

    Trivia[]

    • Dante's name comes from Dante Alighieri, who was a great Florentine poet of the Middle Ages. His central work, Divine Comedy, is often referenced or used thematically throughout the Devil May Cry series.
    • Dante seems to favor Jack Daniels, a brand of whiskey, as his preferred choice of alcohol. He is seen drinking this brand in the anime and several bottles of it are scattered around his office in the epilogue to Devil May Cry 4.
    • In a recent interview, Drew Coombs revealed in the original sample script for Devil May Cry, Dante's age is cited as being 23.[34]
    • According to two different height charts that were officially made, Dante is 190 centimeters (6 feet 3 inches) tall. This trait is presumably shared by Vergil, by virtue of being his twin brother.
    • Devil May Cry 5 marks the first time Dante's sword gets broken.

    Notes and References[]

    Excerpts
    1. Dante was hard. It was clear that his heyday as a big, Hollywood-like action star, represented by "Devil May Cry (1)", "2", and "3", had passed. So I worked hard to bring him back in style. He's around 40 years old here, with the experience, knowledge and physical abilities to match. Dante's still in top form. (Yoshikawa)
    References
    1. Devil May Cry 5 Official Dante Character Page
    2. TGS 2018 - Sep 22, 2018 Livestream
    3. P.M. Seymour on Twitter: "Got to provide the voice for the Legendary Demon Hunter himself, Dante!"
    4. "😈Face of #Dante in #DevilMayCry5" - cowieadam on Instagram
    5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Devil May Cry Graphic Edition artbook interview. Published 2001-12-20
    6. The Okami Family Tree. Mielke, James. Accessed 2008-07-20. Archived. Access 2021-03-02
    7. Devil May Cry: 3142 Graphic Arts. p.118
    8. The Devil May Cry 4 bonus, "History of DMC", clarifies that Vergil was killed by Mundus, and his soul was used to operate Nelo Angelo
    9. Devil May Cry 4, Boss File — The Savior: "The most powerful demon brought forth by the Order of the Sword. Its exterior, oft mistaken to be a god, holds a millennia of demonic matter and spirit melded together. With the blood of Sparda and his ancient sword, it will be possible to control The Savior for the first time."
    10. Devil May Cry: The Animated Series - "Wishes Come True"
    11. Devil May Cry 4, Cutscene - Mission 20
    12. Devil May Cry 4, Story Theater: FMVs Send in the New Star and The Recital.
    13. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Cutscene - Mission 7
    14. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Cutscene - Mission 8
    15. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Cutscene - Mission 10
    16. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Cutscene - Mission 3
    17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Cutscene - Mission 1
    18. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Cutscene - Mission 11
    19. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Cutscene - Mission 7
    20. Devil May Cry, Cutscene - Mission 9
    21. Devil May Cry 4, Cutscene - Mission 16
    22. Devil May Cry, Cutscene - Mission 1
    23. His Charged Shots, Royal Release, and Air Hike abilities.
    24. Devil May Cry
    25. Devil May Cry 4, Cutscene - Mission 13
    26. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Cutscene - Mission 8
    27. Devil May Cry 4, Cutscene - Mission 18
    28. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Cutscene - Mission 9
    29. In Devil May Cry 2, Dante has a normal Devil form and a second Ultimate Devil form which he enters if low on health. Both forms can be modified by absorbing the hearts of various demons.
    30. Get Ready to Slay with Devil May Cry Costumes for Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition – Air Man Costume Incoming!
    31. Jedah Dohma's ending
    32. http://pxz.channel.or.jp/entry/capcom02.html
    33. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate - June DLC Pack
    34. Drew Coombs & Reuben Langdon Chill Talk for Devil May Cry's 20th Anniversary Charity Marathon (13:17)
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