Characters of Devil May Cry

Conception and influences

Series creator Hideki Kamiya said that the title character from the manga series Cobra, by Buichi Terasawa, was the basis for Dante. Dante wears a red cloak to make the character's actions more eye-catching; red is the traditional Japanese color for a hero.

Devil May Cry 4 producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi said before the game's release that he wanted to make Dante appear more powerful than the other protagonist, Nero, to contrast the strength of a "veteran" with that of a "rookie". The series' storyline also required Dante to demonstrate his power after first game and its prequel, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening. Kobayashi said, "When creating a sequel, you don't want to make a character weak again from the start for no good reason. Everyone wanted to see Dante be just as powerful as they remembered him," emphasizing that playing as Dante without his previous abilities would otherwise feel "very strange." Both main characters' capabilities were part of the series' early development.

Several weapons in the series are character-specific. One example is Pandora, a firearm designed by Kobayashi, who noted that he wanted to include a "transforming, multi-purpose AWD [sic] in Dante's arsenal. Something that could be used as an over the shoulder rocket launcher, or a crossbow, etc. In its final form, I wanted it to transform into something that would be even bigger than Dante himself." The weapon was inspired by anime series such as Macross and Gundam.

Character designer Tatsuya Yoshikawa said, "When working on this sort of game, the design doesn't come from just one person, it is necessary to take the history of the series and the feelings of the fans into consideration." Before designing the characters in Devil May Cry 4, Yoshikawa consulted staff members who had previously worked on the series to familiarize himself with previous elements. The characters were designed to emphasize their motion, and some demonic antagonists in Devil May Cry 4 resemble angels. These characters were designed to be attractive, while providing a contrast to other demons in the game. Yoshikawa noted that several main characters were somewhat difficult to design, but Nero was one of the greatest challenges of his career since the character would have to be accepted by the public and fit in the series' universe.

Dante

Dante, the series' primary protagonist, is a mercenary specializing in the paranormal and the primary playable character in the first three Devil May Cry games. He is distinguishable by his red clothing, short silver hair, quick wit, dark sense of humor and cocky attitude. Dante usually has two heavily customized M1911 pistols (called Ebony and Ivory) or a two-handed sword known as Rebellion.

The character was voiced by Drew Coombs in the original Devil May Cry and Matthew Kaminsky in Devil May Cry 2. Reuben Langdon received the role in Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, and has returned to the role in Devil May Cry 4, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds and Devil May Cry: The Animated Series. Dante's Japanese voice in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, Project X Zone, The Animated Series, 4 Special Edition and Project X Zone is provided by Toshiyuki Morikawa.

DmC: Devil May Cry features a different Dante from a parallel universe separate from the original series. This version of Dante (a "nephilim", described in the game's mythology as a half-angelic, half-demonic hybrid) is voiced by Tim Phillipps. In this version, Dante initially has black hair, which turns white near the end of DMC: Devil May Cry. While he is still just as sarcastic and cocky as the original, his attitude is significantly more punk like than the laid back original. Changes to his signature weapons include a slimmer sword, as well as his guns resembling Desert Eagle handguns with the grips twisting to a sharp point, which makes it lack any detachable magazines or a magazine release.

Nero

Nero is one of the two protagonists of Devil May Cry 4, alongside Dante. An orphan adopted by the Sparda-worshipping Order of the Sword, Nero grew up to become a Holy Knight of the order. He does not get along well with others and prefers to work alone, so he is usually given the Order's "special assignments." During the first half of Devil May Cry 4 Nero thinks Dante is his enemy, but as the story progresses he realizes that the Order is his real adversary. Nero becomes a renegade, looking for answers and trying to save Kyrie (his childhood friend and love interest). Nero and Dante join forces to defeat the Savior, a flying statue possessed by a demon. They part on good terms when Dante entrusts him with the Yamato (which belonged to Dante's brother, Vergil).

Nero wields a large, mechanical sword named Red Queen, a double-barrel revolver called Blue Rose and the Devil Bringer, his demonic right arm. By defeating demons, Nero increases the Devil Bringer's reach. When he obtains Yamato, a Devil Trigger summons a devil-samurai avatar to fight with him. Like Dante, Nero has Sparda's blood and powers; however, his relationship with Dante is explored only in the novelization when Dante notes that Nero resembles Vergil. The character is voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch in English, and by Kaito Ishikawa in the Japanese version of Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition.

Vergil

Although Vergil is Dante's identical twin brother, they are very different; Vergil embraces his demonic side and is obsessed with gaining power. He is one of the primary antagonists in Devil May Cry 3 and a playable character in the game's special edition. Vergil appears in Devil May Cry as Nelo Angelo, corrupted and controlled by Emperor Mundus. He also appears as a playable character in the crossover fighting game, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. In English, Vergil is voiced by Daniel Southworth in Devil May Cry 3 and David de Lautour in DmC: Devil May Cry; Nelo Angelo is voiced by David Kelley in Devil May Cry. In Japanese, he is voiced by Hiroki Hirata in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Project X Zone 2.

Mundus

Mundus is the sadistic king of the demon world. Resembling a seraph, he was defeated by Sparda 2,000 years ago. Mundus is dozens of feet tall, with white feathered wings and a third eye on his forehead. He is disloyal, killing one of his generals simply for failing to defeat Dante. Mundus, the nemesis of Dante and Sparda, is responsible for the death of Dante's mother and the corruption of his brother.

He is the primary antagonist in Devil May Cry, creating Trish to resemble Eva so she could lure Dante to Mallet Island. Mundus and his servants try to kill Dante but Dante is victorious, winning Trish's loyalty and defeating Mundus (who promises to return). Mundus is the only demon Dante cannot kill, even with Trish's help.

A statue of Mundus is seen briefly in Devil May Cry 2. Using this form in the first game (until Dante confronts him), he breaks out of the "shell" with an angelic appearance and a scar across his chest. Mundus appears in a bonus scene at the end of Devil May Cry 3, when Vergil sees him as three red glowing orbs in the sky surrounded by electricity (his original form in Devil May Cry). In Dante's storyline in the PlayStation 2 version of Viewtiful Joe, he possesses Captain Blue to take revenge on Dante and Trish. Mundus also appears in the second Devil May Cry novel in a parallel universe, where he is confronted by Dante and Nelo Angelo's forces.

In DmC: Devil May Cry, Mundus is the primary antagonist: the solidly-built Kyle Ryder, a ruthless banker who controls the world through debt and demonic control. He and Sparda rose through the demonic ranks 9,000 years before the game's events. The triangular "Mundus" symbol appears on his forehead as a scar, and he is defeated after the Hellgate was shut down. Mundus is voiced by Tony Daniels in Devil May Cry and Louis Herthum in DmC: Devil May Cry.

Lilith

Lilith is Mundus's mistress in DmC: Devil May Cry, and is pregnant with his child. She owns the Nightclub and, while she is attentive to her lover, she wants more power. When she fights, she summons her unborn child: a grotesque demon, who comes out of his mother's head and shelters her in his stomach. After her defeat she is traded for Kat, who was kidnapped by the SWAT team on Mundus' orders. During the exchange, Vergil kills her and her unborn child with a rifle. The character is voiced by Robin Riker.

Arius

Arius, the primary antagonist in Devil May Cry 2, is an insane, wealthy businessman who owns an international company, Uroboros. He wants to find the legendary Arcana, artifacts which would allow him to raise Argosax from the demonic realm and use his power to control the world. Human at the beginning of the game, Arius has access to powerful magic (which enables him to fight demon hunters like Dante) and can create his own demons. Near the end of the game, in Lucia's scenario Arius survives his battle with Dante. Infused with the power of Argosax, he attacks Lucia (first as a demonic version of himself). As he begins to lose, he mutates into a giant creature.

Argosax the Chaos

Argosax the Chaos is an ancient and powerful, demonic lord with a host shell consisting of characters from the first and second games who had ruled the demon world long before Mundas. In the shell is his true form: the Despair Embodied, a powerful, diabolical, sex-changing, fiery and horned angelic being. Despair changes his appearance during his fight, from a man attacking with a sword to a woman attacking with a whip. He fights the final battle in Dante's scenario. Arius opened a door, allowing Argosax to enter the human world. To stop him, Dante went to the demonic world and defeated him before he could enter.

Arkham

Arkham is one of the primary antagonists in Devil May Cry 3. He first appears in a cutscene during the game's first mission, walking into Dante's office and offering him an invitation from Vergil. Arkham is a scholar with supernatural abilities and knowledge of demonic folklore. He is taller than Dante and Vergil, hairless and has a scar (which sometimes pulses) covering the left side of his face from a botched ritual to turn himself into a devil when he sacrificed his wife. Like his daughter Mary (Lady), Arkham's eyes are different colors. In most of his scenes (even in combat), he holds a book. Arkham pits Dante, Vergil and Lady against each other by exploiting their personalities. With Vergil he is sycophantic, pretending to help while plotting against him. He taunts and enrages Lady (who is driven by her need to avenge her mother), convincing her that his actions were Vergil's fault. To Dante he appears as Jester, a resident of the tower who mocks, advises and challenges him. Opening the gate to the demonic world, Arkham retrieves the Force Edge and combines its power with the restored halves of Eva's amulet (acquiring a large part of Sparda's power and temporarily assuming the demon's original form). However, the power overwhelms him and he becomes a shapeless creature when he fights Dante. The brothers team up, casting him into the human world (where Lady kills him).

The character is voiced and motion-captured (as Arkham and Jester) by Adam D Clark. Arkham's name was intended to be Hyne (pronounced "Hai-neh"), but Reuben Langdon (who voices Dante) thought it would be inappropriate in English and convinced Capcom to change it. Jester's name was intended to be "Joker".

Sanctus

Sanctus is the primary antagonist in Devil May Cry 4. The proclaimed Vicar of Sparda, the spiritual leader of the Order of the Sword, Sanctus is apparently killed by Dante at the beginning of the game. He is regarded as one of the greatest leaders in the Order's history, and was general of the Holy Knights. Sanctus is behind the events in Devil May Cry 4.

After Dante's mission, the character is resurrected in an ascension ceremony (during which a human receives the essence of a demon) and continues as leader of the Order. He orders Credo (captain of the Holy Knights) to arrest Nero after Agnus (an alchemist working for the Order) tells Sanctus that he has demonic power. When Credo cannot do this, Agnus kidnaps Kyrie (Nero's childhood sweetheart); Nero tries to rescue her after defeating Agnus, but Sanctus intervenes and leaves with her. He uses Kyrie as building material for the Savior, a demonic structure which has been collecting demonic energy for centuries. When Nero confronts him Sanctus defeats him, telling him that he originally intended to use Dante for the Savior's core. Using the Savior's strength, Nero is absorbed into it and Sanctus uses Yamato to open the gates of hell. When demons attack residents of Fortuna he controls the Savior and some of the Order's Angels, ordering them to exterminate the demons and announcing the arrival of the Savior. Sanctus merges with the structure, and does not reappear until (through Dante's efforts) Nero is released and fights him. Nero defeats him, and he is absorbed into the Savior's core; the structure is his body until Nero destroys him with the Devil Bringer. The character is voiced by Liam O'Brien.

Agnus

Agnus is the chief technology researcher and alchemist of the Holy Knights of the Order of Sparda in Devil May Cry 4, developing demon-killing weapons for the Knights. An introverted workaholic, he rarely appears outside his office and few people in the cult know about him. It is later learned that he has been experimenting with the broken Yamato and creating demon-based weapons. Agnus has an alternate form (resembling a cross between a beetle and a moth), and stutters when stressed. Near the end of the game, he is killed by Dante when he tries to keep the Yamato. The character is voiced by T.J. Storm.

Sparda

Sparda is the demonic knight who rebelled for humanity's sake 2,000 years before the events in the Devil May Cry 3 manga. He defeated many demons and their emperor, Mundus, before sealing the gateway between the demonic and human worlds. Sparda's heroism made him legendary in the human world, and he is known as "the Legendary Dark Knight".

In Devil May Cry and its successors, Sparda left his power in his sword (known as the Force Edge or the Sparda) in the demonic realm. ("Sparda" is the Japanese inflection for "spada", an Italian word for "sword".) To seal the gateway between the worlds Sparda sacrificed his blood and that of a mortal priestess, using two complementary amulets as a key which he brought into the human world. To work, the amulets must be joined. Near the end of his life Sparda took a human wife (Eva) and fathered twin sons (Dante and Vergil). He gave the amulets to Eva, who passed them on to their sons. Vergil and Dante each received a powerful, enchanted sword from their father; Dante's sword was Rebellion, and Vergil's was Yamato. It is unknown how Sparda died, and Dante believed that there was confusion surrounding his father and his legacy.

In DmC: Devil May Cry, Sparda was Mundus' brother, closest ally and most-trustworthy lieutenant after they rose through the demonic ranks 9,000 years before the events of the game. Sparda fell in love with, and married, Eva (an angel); they had twin sons, Nephilim named Dante and Vergil. Eva was later killed by Mundus, and Sparda was imprisoned in eternal torment. Mundus and the other demons considered the Nephilim threatening, because they had angelic and demonic powers and could kill a demonic king.

Eva

Eva, Sparda's wife and mother of Dante and Vergil, was killed in a demonic attack. In Devil May Cry and its successors Eva is human, appearing in a photo on Dante's desk and as a flashback voice in the first game. She gave each of her sons half of Sparda's amulet as a birthday gift, and Trish is designed to resemble her.

In DmC: Devil May Cry changed Eva's race from human to angelic. She fell in love with Sparda and birthed him twin Nephilim sons, Dante and Vergil. She and her family are found by Mundus; Sparda is imprisoned and Eva is killed, Mundus ripping out and eating her heart in front of Dante. Mundus casts her soul into Hell and has her tortured for all eternity. In the DLC Vergil's Downfall, Vergil undergoes a near-death experience and falls into Hell, where he hears Eva's voice directing him to get out of Hell. Vergil finds her and frees her from her tormentor, but tells her that he has no heart and has killed Dante. He then walks away, leaving her alone in Hell. She is voiced by Sarah Lafleur in Devil May Cry, Rebecca Blackson in DmC: Devil May Cry, and Andrea Deck in Vergil's Downfall.

Trish

Trish, a humanoid demon who resembles Dante's dead mother, was created by the demon emperor Mundus. She has enhanced strength and agility, accelerated healing and the ability to use lightning. In English, Trish is voiced by Sarah Lafleur in Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble, Danielle Burgio in Devil May Cry 4 and Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Luci Christian in The Animated Series. In Japanese, she is voiced by Atsuko Tanaka in The Animated Series, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition.

Trish is introduced in Devil May Cry, where she hires Dante to help stop Mundus' plan to conquer the human world by opening a gate to the demon world on Mallet Island. Later in the game, Dante learns that she is actually Mundus' servant and her resemblance to Eva is part of a plan to lure Dante to the island so Mundus' servants can kill him. However, she is attracted to Dante and helps him defeat Mundus. In the game's epilogue, she and Dante are shown working in the renamed "Devil Never Cry" office. In The Animated Series she works alone, occasionally with Dante (who has given her an open invitation to return). Trish appears in the Devil May Cry Volume 2 novel as an alternate, self-serving Mundus. She is a playable character in a bonus section of Devil May Cry 2, separate from the game's plot, in the PlayStation 2 version of Viewtiful Joe (in which Dante also appears), in the PlayStation Portable Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble and the crossover fighting games Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

Trish reappears in Devil May Cry 4, again working with Dante. She disguises herself as Gloria, an executive with the Holy Knights of the Order of Sparda (a religious organization which worships Sparda).

Matier

Matier, a supporting character in Devil May Cry 2, is an old woman and (like Lucia) part of the Vie de Marli clan. When she was younger, she and her clan fought the demons with Sparda. Matier is cheerful and optimistic, certain of Dante's eventual victory. She guides Lucia to reunite the Arcanas (mystical relics) and lure Dante (whom she calls "Son of Sparda") to their island. Although it is first claimed that Matier is Lucia's mother, it is later revealed that Lucia was created by Arius (who planned to dispose of her when Matier found and raised her). The character is voiced by Flo DiRe.

Lucia

Lucia, along with Dante, is one of the two primary protagonists in Devil May Cry 2. An agile fighter, she uses two ornately-carved curved daggers. Like Dante, she can Devil Trigger (transform into a "harpy," a birdlike demon of light). Lucia is voiced by Francoise Gralewski.

Lucia is a member of Vie de Marli, a clan of guardians with the blood of devils. She invites Dante to her island so her adoptive mother, Matier, can ask him to help them defeat Arius (a man who has turned their land into a devils' paradise). Dante accepts, and he and Lucia begin their quests. The player later learns that Lucia is actually Chi, a devil bred by Arius but abandoned as defective. When she reaches Arius, Dante has already defeated him and rides his motorcycle to the demon world to stop an ancient demon. After Dante leaves, Arius (now a monster) rises from the ruins and attacks Lucia; she defeats him, and awaits Dante's return.

Lady

Lady is a freelance demon hunter. A human, she is skilled in acrobatics and armed close quarters combat. Lady has black hair, eyes of different colors and a signature weapon, the Kalina-Ann (a customized missile launcher, similar to MANPADS). When fighting, she uses a CZ75 pistol with a compensator and a VZ61 submachine gun with a bayonet attached to it. She was named Mary by her father, Arkham, but she renounced the name when he murdered her mother in a ritual to obtain demonic power, an act which drove Mary to psychosis and obsessive vengeance. Lady first appears in Devil May Cry 3, when she refuses to identify herself to Dante; he replies, "Whatever, lady!" Lady formalizes her name in the game's denouement when she shoots Arkham, telling him that "Mary" is dead. Although she is not a villain, her role in Devil May Cry 3 is that of an antagonist, as she seeks to deter Dante and even fights him twice before finally coming to terms with him.

At the end of the game, it is revealed that it was she who coined the phrase "Devil May Cry". She said it while trying to console Dante for the loss of his brother. Dante then used it as the name for his shop. She appears in Devil May Cry: The Animated Series as a solo devil hunter who sometimes calls on Dante for help, and has a cameo appearance in Devil May Cry 4. Although Lady only appears as a support card in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Kalina-Ann is part of Dante's arsenal and she is an assist character in Project X Zone. She is voiced by Kari Wahlgren in Devil May Cry 3 and Devil May Cry 4. In Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition she is voiced by Kate Higgins. Lady's motion capture was provided by Stephanie Cheeva in Devil May Cry 3 and by Laura Napoli in Devil May Cry 4. She was voiced by Fumiko Orikasa in The Animated Series and Special Edition of the fourth game and Project X Zone and by Melissa Davis in the English version of The Animated Series.

Credo

Credo, captain of hundreds of Holy Knights, is a strict, just man who is admired for his prowess on the battlefield. Kyrie's older brother, he sees Nero as family but finds him unreliable. He orders Nero to capture Dante for Sanctus' "assassination", but is part of Sanctus' plan to bring about the Order's "Savior". Credo tries to arrest Nero after he learn about the latter's demonic power, and transforms into a winged creature he believes is angelic. When Kyrie is kidnapped, to be used by the Order for Sanctus's grand plan, Credo loses his faith in the Order for using his sister as a tool and tries to help Nero save her. He is mortally wounded by Sanctus while trying to save Nero from capture, and Nero is absorbed into the Savior. Dying, Credo asks Dante to save Nero and Kyrie as his body dissipates into light.

Kyrie

Kyrie, a supporting character in Devil May Cry 4, was born and raised in Fortuna. She is Credo's sister, a singer for the Order of the Sword and Nero's childhood friend and love interest. After being misled into thinking that Nero is evil, Kyrie is held hostage by Agnus (luring Nero to the Savior, with which Kyrie is fused before he arrives). When Dante frees Nero from captivity in the Savior, Nero can free Kyrie (who has accepted Nero again and wants to spend her days with him). The character is voiced by Stephanie Sheh, and motion-captured by Laura Napoli.

Kat

Kat, a main character in DmC: Devil May Cry, is a psychic and a member of the Order. Orphaned young, she was raised by an abusive, demonic foster father whom she later killed. When Kat met Vergil, he convinced her to help him fight the demons enslaving humanity. She meets Dante early in the game, and later convinces him to join her and Vergil. Kat can see limbo, an alternate realm between the afterlife and the physical world to which Dante, Vergil, Kat and most species in the demonic and angelic realms have access. She is kidnapped by a SWAT team sent by Mundus and, when rescued, tells Dante and Vergil how to reach his lair. When Vergil's motivation for defeating Mundus comes to light, Kat and Dante object; the brothers fight, with Dante victorious. He nearly kills his brother before Kat intervenes. She appears in the PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale as an unlockable minion, and is voiced by Sage Mears.

Enzo Ferino

Although Enzo Ferino does not appear in any of the Devil May Cry games, he is mentioned as an associate of Dante in the first game's manual. He has appeared in several novels, manga and anime as Dante's friend and contact in the mercenary world. In the first Devil May Cry drama CD (based on The Animated Series), Enzo is featured and voiced by Yasunori Matsumoto. As shown in the manga, he has also appeared in Bayonetta as an informant for the titular superhuman (who is looking for a black-market gem).

Critical reception

When Devil May Cry was released Dante's personality was praised, with IGN describing the character as a "maverick head-hunter" "believable" and "awesome". His confident, fearless attitude have made him popular; the character ranked seventh on GameCrush's Top 10: Most Badass Video Game Characters list and third on ScrewAttack's Top Ten Coolest Video Game Characters list. The original game's demonic enemies were "ferocious", the sub-bosses "incredibly tough" and the bosses (particularly Vergil) "very tough", providing many of the game's challenges. Eurogamer called the demons "some of the most bizarre-looking creatures you will find this side of American McGee's Alice" and the bosses "vast", with their battles requiring a variety of strategies (although the fight with Nightmare was considered repetitive).

In its review of Devil May Cry 2, GameSpot said that the characters lacked personality (based on the removal of distinctive traits from Dante). It also felt that Lucia's role was too small, not allowing the character time to develop. The website called the game's enemies "mindless", noting that most (including the bosses) could be defeated with the default attacks.

The missions where the player controls Vergil in Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition added "an all-new and unique play style". Being able to play his story arc was "such a blast that Capcom could probably have released his modes separately for $19.99 and gotten away with it".

The characters in Devil May Cry 4 were said to resemble a "legion of seraphim the likes of which gamers have never seen before, and it puts an interesting spin on what all of our preconceptions of 'good' are in a video game". 1UP.com noted that the enemies shared visual elements with the military personnel of actual religions: "Considering the visual nature of the heavily-armored, winged, angelic warriors scattered around the various missions, it'd be easy to confuse these characters with crusaders of Christian origin."

Merchandise

In addition to the games, anime and manga, Devil May Cry characters have appeared in merchandise including novels, comic books, a skin variety on the PlayStation Portable, a special edition of the PlayStation 3 console and several soundtracks. Capcom has made other merchandise available, including concept art for The Animated Series, T-shirts, rings, collars and handbags. The series' popularity led to a line of action figures produced by Toycom; Kaiyodo produced a similar line for Devil May Cry 2 and a Devil May Cry 3 Dante action figure. Kotobukiya produced statues (including Vergil and Dante) based on the characters after the release of The Animated Series and Devil May Cry 4, and other merchandise includes posters and framed stamps for the series' 10th anniversary.