The 閻魔刀: Yamato (閻魔刀：大和 Enma Katana: Yamato?, lit. "Devil blade: Yamato") is Vergil's trademark dark-forged blade[1] appearing in Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 3, and Devil May Cry 4. It is a legendary sword that was once wielded by his father[2], and was left to Vergil as a keepsake.
Description
Appearance
Yamato is an Ōkatana with ornate bronze guard; the exact details of how it looks change throughout the series. In the first Devil May Cry it has a faceted guard, and the tsuka-ito, the hilt wrapping, is woven in traditional style from golden cloth. In later installments the guard is oval, and the tsuka-ito seems to be braided from white and black material. The blade features several intricate ornaments, most notable is a relief of a dragon at the endpoint of the hilt.
The scabbard is black, made of traditional lacquered wood, and features several metallic ornaments on its far end. In Devil May Cry 3 it also features a yellow sageo, the cord used to tie the katana to the waist.
Powers
- "That sword was used to separate our world from the demons."
- ―Dante[src]
Although Yamato resembles a Japanese Ōkatana, it is said to be able to cut through anything[3] as it is even sharper than an Ōkatana[4] and is imbued with tremendous magic[5]. In fact, this is the only thing shown to be capable of damaging otherwise invulnerable Devil Bringer.
Similar to the Sword of Sparda before it, Yamato was used to seal a pathway to the Demon World. The pathway, the Hell Gate, is later reopened, but then completely demolished by Dante, who used the katana to destroy it.[6]
Dark Slayer Style
The Yamato is intimately linked to Vergil's signature Dark Slayer Style, which he uses in Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition and which Dante homages in Devil May Cry 4. As a warrior fallen from grace, Vergil can use the power of darkness to obtain new weapons and skills by levelling the style[7], and it interacts with his Yamato, Summoned Swords, Beowulf, and Force Edge. The style itself performs much like Dante's Trickster Style.[8] In Devil May Cry 4, Dante obtains this style after receiving Yamato, but instead of being based on teleportation, it allows Dante to imitate Vergil's skills with the Yamato.
Story
Yamato once belonged to Vergil's father, Sparda, and according to the Order of the Sword, it was used to seal the "true Hell Gate". It was eventually given to Vergil as a memento, and uses it as his primary weapon in Devil May Cry 3. At the end of the game Vergil fell into the Demon World along with Yamato, and what happened to the blade immediately afterwards is unclear. However, at some point it was found, broken, by the Order of the Sword. Their act of taking it is what drives Dante to retrieve it by entering Fortuna in Devil May Cry 4. It is kept in Agnus's Containment Room within Fortuna Castle, but is restored and taken by Nero when his dormant powers as an heir to Sparda emerge, and thereafter, Nero is able to use the sword while in Devil Trigger. However, it is taken back from him by Sanctus when he is absorbed into the Savior, and is then used by Agnus to reopen the Hell Gate. After slaying Agnus, Dante retrieves the Yamato from the gate seal, and then destroys it with the blade. Thereafter, he wields it while in his Dark Slayer Style. While fighting the Savior, Dante uses it to free Nero, and gives it back to him. At the end of the game, Dante charges Nero with keeping it.
Movesets
Devil May Cry 3
Devil Arm
| Action | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Yamato Combo |  ,, |
A slick three hit combo. Vergil sheaths his sword after the combo is finished. If he is allowed to re-sheath it fully, it will replenish a full orb in the DT Gauge. |
| Aerial Rave | (mid-air) |
An aerial attack, that can be used continuously in rapid succession. |
| Rapid Slash |  + + |
Quickly charge towards an enemy, thrusting your sword deep into them. Level 2 is an even more destructive version. |
| Upper Slash | + + |
Unsheathe your sword then quickly slash an enemy, launching them into the air. Press again to follow up with a downward slice.
|
| Judgement Cut | (hold),, |
Unsheathe your sword with blinding speed to cut through far away enemies. Level 2 repeatedly skewers an enemy up to three times, with proper timing. |
Devil May Cry 4
Devil Arm (Nero)
| Action | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Devil Trigger |  / |
Summon the power of Yamato to unleash the devil within Nero. Depletes the D.T. Gauge. |
| Summoned Swords |  / (Devil Trigger) |
Summon a magical blade and fling it towards a foe, piercing the enemy through sheer force of will. |
| Maximum Bet | +++ / + + + (Devil Trigger) |
Yamato and the Red Queen combine to blow through enemies like a powerful wind. Holding, then releasing the buttons will dramatically increase attack strength. |
| Showdown | +++/+ ++ (Devil Trigger) |
Nero himself unleashes Yamato with an omnipotent barrage of slashes. |
| Trigger Heart | Passive | While Devil Trigger is active, the depletion of the D.T. Gauge will be reduced. |
Gallery
Background
Yamato (大和?) is a Japanese term referring to the people and traditional nationalistic spirit of Japan, and in the past to the nation itself. Thus, it is appropriate as the name of the weapon symbolizing Vergil's aesthetic and commitment to tradition and power, as opposed to Dante's personality of resistance symbolized by the Rebellion.
Trivia
- The 閻魔 ( Enma?, lit. "Devil") in 閻魔刀 ( Enma Katana?) can also refer to the judge of the afterlife, Yama, and 刀 ( Katana?, lit. "Blade") may also be read as とう ( Tō?). Thus, 閻魔刀 can technically be read as "Yamatō".
- In Devil May Cry, the Yamato replaces the Alastor for Dante's "Legendary Dark Knight" costume. It behaves exactly the same as the Alastor, even to the point that Sparda carries it on his back when not in use, and wields it as a broadsword, rather than using the Iaido technique. The blade also possesses a different design than in later games; the Tsuka (柄? lit. "handle") has the traditional gold wrapping, with black ornaments, and the Tsuba (鍔? lit. "guard") is octagonal. Like the Legendary Dark Knight, Nero also wields the Yamato without the scabbard, in contrast to Vergil and Dante's use of the Iaido technique.
- Despite having a scabbard, the Yamato is rarely worn on the waist—Vergil and Dante carry it in their hands, within the scabbard, while Nero carries it sheathed into his Devil Trigger's arm, and Sparda carries it strapped to his back.
- Interestingly, the damage inflicted with Yamato in the cutscenes of Devil May Cry 3 and several times in Devil May Cry 4 is not fully lethal until the wielder resheathes the sword. This is evidenced in Vergil killing the Hell Vanguard at the beginning of Mission 3, Arkham at the beginning of Mission 10, and Beowulf at the end of Mission 12 in Devil May Cry 3. In each case, immediately after sheathing the sword, the enemies perish instantly. Similar to this is Dante's destruction of the final Hellgate with Yamato in Devil May Cry 4.
- There is some inconsistency regarding appearances of Yamato's sheath in Devil May Cry 4. When Nero takes the blade from underground laboratory he doesn't take the scabbard, and indeed, it doesn't appear on him, or Sanctus and Agnus who later take it back from him. However, much later, after Dante takes the sword back in his possession he uses it to destroy the Hell Gate, and this is the first time we see the sheath in-game. He continues to use Yamato together with its scabbard in his Dark Slayer style until he returns the blade to Nero. After that, the sheath doesn't reappear until the very end, when Nero offers to give it back to Dante. It is never shown how either Dante, or after him Nero get the scabbard.
- It has not yet been revealed what happened to the Yamato after Vergil was killed by Mundus and transformed into Nelo Angelo, but in Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, the Yamato transforms into Nelo Angelo's zweihänder when in Devil Trigger for Vergil's "Corrupt Vergil" or "Super Corrupt Vergil" costumes. This may also be related to how the Yamato was broken between Devil May Cry 3 and Devil May Cry 4.
- Among all the weapons in the series, the Yamato has the second-highest number of known wielders (Sparda, Vergil, Agnus, Nero, Sanctus and Dante). It is right below the Sparda, and the two blades share five wielders.
See Also
References
- ↑ Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, Combat Adjudicator — Yamato: "I am the combat adjudicator. Only a dark-forged blade can move me."
- ↑ Devil May Cry, Devil Arms — 閻魔刀: Yamato: "It's the legendary sword wielded by Sparda. It is said that it has the will and the power to divide and wipe out the darkness."
- ↑ Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, Devil Arms File — Yamato: "A memento from Vergil’s father. This samurai-esque sword’s blade is said to cut through anything."
- ↑ Devil May Cry 3, Code: 1 — Dante, Vergil's Weapons File — Yamato: "Sharper than a Japanese sword. It is his aesthetic that compels him to never use guns."
- ↑ Devil May Cry 4, Nero's Arms File — Yamato: "A sword imbued with tremendous magic, it unleashes the latent power within Nero."
- ↑ Devil May Cry 4, Dante's Arms File — Yamato: "A katana used by Dante’s brother, it is both the key to opening the Hell Gates, and to their very destruction."
- ↑ Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, Style File — Dark Slayer: "A warrior fallen from grace. The power of darkness gives birth to new weapons and skills."
- ↑ Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, Customize — Style: "Allows player to avoid enemy attacks using special evasive movements."
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