Characters in Devil May Cry

"Devil May Cry" is a series of video games set in the modern day, developed by Capcom and created by Shinji Mikami. Originally intended to be a sequel in Capcom's Resident Evil series, "Devil May Cry" has been cited as the beginning of a sub-genre of action games by the name of Extreme Action. The series centers on main character Dante's goal of avenging his mother's murder by exterminating demons. In the process, he encounters his long lost brother with whom he develops a dysfunctional relationship. As the series progresses it is revealed that the demon emperor Mundus is responsible for the loss of Dante's mother and the enslavement of his brother.Fact|date=July 2008 The gameplay consists of heavy combat scenes in which the player must attempt to extend long chains of attacks while avoiding damage in order to exhibit "stylish" combat; this element along with time and amount of items collected and used are taken under consideration when grading the player's performance.

The success of the video game series has led to the creation of comic books, novelizations, an anime series, guides, collectibles, publications, and a variety of action figures. As of 2008 there are four games in the series. The original character designs for "Devil May Cry" were based on ideas from Hideki Kamiya, a video game designer formerly employed by Capcom and subsequently by Clover Studio. He directed "Devil May Cry" after working on "Resident Evil" and "Resident Evil 2". The creation of Nero and several of the characters in "Devil May Cry 4" was done by Tatsuya Yoshikawa, who stated that designing Nero was one of the biggest challenges in his career. Each game in the series has introduced a different antagonist and back-up characters.

Character conception and influence

Series creator Hideki Kamiya has stated that the titular character from the manga series "Cobra" by Buichi Terasawa served as the basis for Dante.cite web |url=http://www.survivhor.com/morbidcreations/dmc_behind/int_hideki/dmc_int_hideki_3.htm |title=Devil May Cry director Hideki Kamiya Interview: Translated from "Devil May Cry: Graphic Edition" |accessdate=2007-03-03] cite web |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=17957 |title=PS2 News: CVG goes straight to hell with Devil May Cry director - ComputerAndVideoGames.com: |accessdate=2007-03-03] He also stated that Dante was designed with a cloak to make the character's intense action look more colorful. The reason behind Dante's red clothes is that in Japan red is a traditional color for a hero.Devil May Cry's producer Hiroyuki Kobashi noted prior to the release of "Devil May Cry 4" that they wanted to make Dante seem significantly more powerful than Nero. This was done in order to create an evident difference between the strength of a "veteran" when compared to a "rookie". Another reason for this portrayal is based on the series' continuity, which made the team trying to reflect the power that Dante would possess after the events of the first game and its prequel. Kobashi said that "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 him without his previous abilities would otherwise feel "very strange".cite web| url=http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3165697| title=Previews: Devil May Cry 4| author=James Mielke| publisher=1up.com| date=2008-01-31| accessdate=2008-02-25] The abilities for both main characters were elected and designed since the early stages of development.

Several of the series' weapons are personalized for the character that wields it. Example of these is "Pandora", a firearm designed by Kobashi, who noted that he wanted to include a "transforming, multi-purpose firearm 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's creation took inspiration from anime including Macross and Gundam. When developing a game, Capcom's production team makes several alterations to the character's weapons until they complete designs that satisfy them, although the results are limited by the memory available for them.

Character designer Tatsuya Yoshikawa has stated that "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 commencing the designs for the characters in "Devil May Cry 4", Yoshikawa consulted with several members of the staff that had worked in the series previously, in order to become familiar with previous elements. The characters were designed in order to emphasize their moves, which made the staff controlling their motions vital in the design. Some of the demonic forms of Devil May Cry 4's antagonists resemble angels. These were designed to be "cool" while providing a contrast when compared to other demons in the game. Yoshikawa noted that several of the boss characters presented some difficulty when creating them, but that Nero's design was one of the biggest challenges he had experienced in his career, based on the fact that the character would have to be accepted by the public and fit in the series' universe.

Primary characters

Dante

Dante is the primary protagonist of the series. He is a mercenary specializing in paranormal cases, and has been the primary playable character in the first three "Devil May Cry" games. ["Demon's Legacy: Dante," "GameInformer" 179 (March 2008): 112-113.] He was voiced by Reuben Langdon in "", and he reprises his role in the fourth game and in English version the anime, credited as "Justin Cause".cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0952651/|title=IMDB's entry for Devil May Cry 4|accessdate=2007-04-16] He was voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa in the Japanese version of the anime. The character has previously been voiced by Drew Coombs in "Devil May Cry", and Matthew Kaminsky in "Devil May Cry 2".

Nero

Nero is a lead character of "Devil May Cry 4", marking his first appearance in the franchise and sharing a main role with series protagonist, Dante. An orphan that was adopted by the Order, he has grown up to be a Holy Knight in the Sparda-worshipping religion known as the "Order of the Sword". He tends to not get along well with others and prefers to work alone, so he is usually given the Order's "special assignments."cite web|url=http://www.capcom.co.jp/devil4/eng/main.html |title=Official English language DMC4 site from Capcom Japan|accessdate=2007-04-16] He wields a sword named Red Queen, a revolver called Blue Rose and the "Devil Bringer" powers of his right arm. By defeating various Demons, Nero is able to increase the power of the Devil Bringer. Nero comes into possession of Yamato, Vergil's sword, which allows him a Devil Trigger which summons a Devil avatar to fight with him.

Throughout Devil May Cry 4, Nero perceives Dante as the enemy, but as the story progresses he realizes that it's the Order who is organizing their own agenda. Nero pivots his role as a Holy Knight to a renegade searching for answers, then into a vengeful demon slayer when the Order captures his love-interest, Kyrie. In the end, Nero and Dante join forces to defeat the Savior, saving Kyrie in the process. Nero and Dante part on good terms with Dante entrusting Nero the sword that was originally his brother's, Yamato.

The character is voiced and motion captured by Johnny Yong Bosch.

Trish

Trish is introduced in "Devil May Cry". ["Demon's Legacy: Trish," "GameInformer" 179 (March 2008): 112.] She also appears in "Devil May Cry 2" as a playable character (where her appearance is a bonus feature and not a part of the game's plot) as well as in the PS2 version of "Viewtiful Joe" alongside Dante, and as a playable character in the PSP game "". She also appears in the anime version and in the "Devil May Cry Volume 2" novel.

Trish, who bears a great resemblance to Dante's deceased mother Eva, is a creation of Mundus. As a result of her demonic nature she possesses several supernatural abilities, like superhuman strength and lightning powers. In the first game, 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 a servant of Mundus, and that her resemblance to Eva was part of a plan to lure Dante to the island so that Mundus' servants can kill him. Mundus: Those eyes. .. deep in them I see the same light as in Sparda's eyes. Dante: Why my mother? Mundus: That useless being? If you need a mother, I can create it as many as you want. Just like, I created Trish. Dante: Silence! ("Devil May Cry") Capcom, 2001] However, she develops feelings for Dante and helps him defeat Mundus. In the game's epilogue, she and Dante are shown working together as partners out of the renamed "Devil Never Cry" office. In the anime, she has since gone solo but sometimes reappears to work with Dante, who has given her an open invitation to come back at any time. Trish reappears in "Devil May Cry 4" partnering with Dante once again. She disguises as Gloria, an executive of the Holy Knights. She reaches this high position shortly after joining the cult by presenting Sanctus the Sparda sword, for which some members appear to suspect of her. She eventually reveals her identity when Sanctus attempts to complete a demonic structure known as the "Savior". Trish is voiced by Sarah Lafleur in "Devil May Cry", Danielle Burgio in the fourth installment and by Atsuko Tanaka (Japanese) and Luci Christian (English) in the anime.cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268256/|title=IMDB entry for Devil May Cry|accessdate=2007-04-16]

Lady

Lady first appears in "Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening", ["Demon's Legacy: Lady," "GameInformer" 179 (March 2008): 113.] and later in that game's spin-off manga, the 2007 anime series, as well as "Devil May Cry 4". In DMC3, she appears in numerous cutscenes, fights Dante as a boss character, and teams up with Dante during the game's closing credits, though she is not controllable by the player. She also provides the game's framing narration, telling the story of how she met Dante and Vergil, and how Dante picked the name "Devil May Cry" for his shop, which was something she says while trying to comfort Dante over the loss of his brother. [Lady: Are you crying? Dante: It's only the rain. Lady: The rain already stopped. Dante: Devils never cry. Lady: I see. Maybe somewhere out there even devil may cry when he loses a loved one. Don't you think? Dante: Maybe. ("Devil May Cry 3") Capcom, 2005] [Lady: Oh, speaking of a kind devil, he finally decided on a name for his shop. It took him quite a while to pick one. Want to know the name? Devil May Cry. ("Devil May Cry 3") Capcom, 2005]

Her original name, Mary, was given to her by her father Arkham, but she chose to renounce that name when he murdered her mother. Dante first calls her "lady" when she refuses to tell him her name. [Dante: You're right. So tell me, what's your name? Lady: I don't have a name. Dante: Oh, then what should I call you? Lady: I don't care. Whatever you want. Dante: Whatever, lady. I'll leave this to you, because I don't want to miss the party. ("Devil May Cry 3") Capcom, 2005] Like her father, she has heterochromia. While still a normal human, she is an exceptionally skilled firearms expert and extremely acrobatic in close quarters combat. Her most powerful weapon is the Kalina-Ann, a customized missile launcher similar to a MANPADS. In the anime series she works as a solo devil hunter who sometimes calls on Dante for help, and sometimes for the money that he owes her.

She is voiced by Kari Wahlgren in "Devil May Cry 3" and "Devil May Cry 4". [cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1312566/ |title=Kari Wahlgren page on IMDB |accessdate=2007-11-06] In "Devil May Cry 4", Laura Napoli provided the motion capture for Lady, but did not provide her voice over. Lady was voiced by Fumiko Orikasa in the anime and in the English version of the anime she is voiced by Melissa Davis. [cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1200759/ |title=Fumiko Orikasa page on IMDB |accessdate=2007-11-06]

Lucia

Lucia, alongside Dante, is one of the two protagonists of "Devil May Cry 2". ["Demon's Legacy: Lucia," "GameInformer" 179 (March 2008): 113.] Lucia is a quick and agile fighter, she uses two ornately crafted curved daggers. Like Dante, she can also Devil Trigger transforming into a demon similar to a bird. Lucia is a member of Vie de Marii, a clan of guardians that have the blood of demons.Matier:Oh yes. .. We are the guardians of. .. this land, Vie de Marii. .. Out clan once fought against the demons with Sparda. Son of Sparda, we must ask this favor of you. You see, there's a man who's transformed out land into a demon's paradise. His name is Arius, and although he is the president of an international public corporation, he uses the demon power. Please deal with Arius and his master for us? Dante:Looks like it's your lucky day. ("Devil May Cry 2") Capcom, 2003]

She lures Dante to her island so that Matier, her adoptive mother, may ask him to help them to defeat Arius, an evil man who has turned their land into a demon paradise. Dante accepts, and he and Lucia start their quests separately. Later in the game it is revealed that Lucia is actually "Chi", a demon created by Arius but abandoned as a "defect". [Arius: You are my creation. Lucia: Liar! Matier is my mother. "Arius' secretary removes her mask, revealing the fact her face is identical to Lucia's." Arius: She merely found you when you were about to be disposed of, and then raised you as a soldier. Is that what you consider to be a mother? ("Devil May Cry 2") Capcom, 2003] However, this does not change Lucia's objectives and she continues her mission. When she reaches Arius, however, Dante has already defeated him. Dante then takes a motorcycle and goes into the demon world to kill more devils. After Dante leaves, Arius, now completely turned into a monster, rises from the ruins of the buildings. Lucia confronts him and wins the battle. Finally, Lucia is shown waiting in Dante's shop, flipping his coin continuously. Just then, Lucia hears a motorcycle outside the shop and goes out running. The character is voiced by Francoise Gralewski. [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0319285/|title=IMDB entry for Devil May Cry 2|accessdate=2007-04-16]

parda

In the "Devil May Cry" universe, Sparda is a demon that rebelled against his own kind for the sake of the human world two thousand years prior to the events of "Devil May Cry". He defeated countless demons and their Emperor, Mundus before sealing the gateway to the demon world, sacrificing both his own blood and that of a mortal priestess.Narrator:Two millenniums ago there was a war, between the human world and the other, the under world, but somebody from the underworld woke up to justice, and stood up against this legion, alone. His name was Sparda. later he quietly reigned the human world, and continued to preserve harmony until his death. He became a legend. The legendary dark knight, Sparda ("Devil May Cry") Capcom, 2001] [Arkham: Two amulets. .. a set of Sparda's blood. Now I need one more key. He sacrificed two things to suppress the tremendous force of this tower: His own Devil's blood, and a mortal priestess. I needed you, in whose body flows the same blood as the sacrificed woman. His spell cannot be undone without your blood!("Devil May Cry 3") Capcom, 2005] These actions made him a legend in the human world, gaining him the moniker, "The Legendary Dark Knight Sparda" though they also incurred a notorious reputation amongst demons, many of whom were defeated during his rebellion. After his death, most of Sparda's power was concealed in the demon realm, sealed inside his sword- the Sparda/Force Edge, ["Demon's Legacy: Force Edge/Sparda," "GameInformer" 179 (March 2008): 112.] and was only accessible with an amulet he took with him into the human world. This amulet, which can be separated into two parts, was also one of the keys needed to unlock the portal. All its abilities are deactivated if the halves are separated. [Jester: And of course, your brother Vergil is the one who controls it by using your mommy's amulet. Dante: Amulet? Jester: He's headed to the control room in the basement. If you don't hop down there quick like a bunny, he'll open the gate to hell. Isn't that a scary thought? (Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005] [Vergil: The portal to the human world is closing Dante, because the amulets have been separated. ("Devil May Cry 3") Capcom, 2005] Near the end of his life, Sparda settled with a human wife, Eva, and fathered twin sons, Dante and Vergil. He gave his amulet to Eva as a gift which she in turn later separated and passed to her sons. Both Vergil and Dante received a powerful, enchanted sword from their father, Rebellion to Dante and Yamato to Vergil. [Eva: Vergil. ..Dante. ..Happy Birthday Dante: Wow! Cool!! Vergil: I want chocolate!! Dante: No, I want chocolate!! ("Devil May Cry") Capcom, 2001] In Devil May Cry 4 a cult organization called the "Order of the Sword" cast Sparda as a God-figure whom had ruled over their capital, Fortuna. While it's unknown as to how he died, Dante understands that among the people there is a lot of confusion surrounding Sparda and whom he truly was. "Well from what I can figure there's a lot of confusion surrounding him" -Dante -Devil May Cry 4

Main antagonists

Arius

Arius is the primary antagonist in "Devil May Cry 2". He is an extremely wealthy businessman that owns an international company called Uroboros. He wishes to find the legendary Arcana, artifacts which would allow him to raise the demon Argosax from the demon realm and use that power to control the world. [Arius: I must obtain the power of Argosax. .. Or I cannot transcend all living things! ("Devil May Cry 2") Capcom, 2003] While he is completely human at the outset of the game, he does have access to a variety of powerful magic which allows him to fight against capable demon hunters such as Dante and he is also capable of creating his own demons in a form of his choosing. Near the end, in Lucia's scenario, Arius is shown to have survived his battle with Dante. Infused with the power of Argosax (which is implied to have possessed him), he takes Lucias first as a demonic version of himself, but as he begins to lose he mutates further into a giant creature and the fight comes to a close in a rift made in the destroyed streets.

Arkham

Arkham is a scholar with supernatural abilities and knowledge about the demon world's folklore. He is taller than Dante and Vergil, bald to the extent of having no eyebrows, and has a scar covering the left side of his face, which is seen to pulsate in a few cutscenes. It is the result of a botched ritual to turn himself into a demon, in which he sacrificed his wife. Like his daughter Lady, he has Heterochromia. In most of Arkham's scenes he is holding a book in his hands, even in combat.

He is one of the main antagonists in "Devil May Cry 3". ["Demon's Legacy: Arkham," "GameInformer" 179 (March 2008): 113.] He first appears in a cut scene in the game's first mission where he walks into Dante's office and offers him an invitation from his brother Vergil.

Arkham is a master manipulator, pitting Dante, Vergil and Lady against each other by preying on their personalities and desires. To Vergil, he plays the role of a sycophant, pretending to help Vergil while plotting against him. He taunts and further enrages Lady, who is driven by her need for revenge on him, and later convinces her that his evil acts were Vergil's fault. To Dante he appears in the form of an apparent resident of the tower named Jester, mocking Dante as he alternately advises and challenges him. [Jester: It was quite a ride, you know! If any of you had died before getting here, our little plan would have gone to waste! Therefore, my job was to get you to battle each other in order to weaken you. But at the same time, I needed to guide you here and make sure you were kept alive. I even went so far as dressing like a complete idiot! ("Devil May Cry 3") Capcom, 2005] [Arkham: He plucks the threads that make us dance, finger and toe! We surrender in joy to the lowest of the foul and rank; we submerge through darkness, rancid filth. Hour by hour, we move downward, ever closer to Hell, in a slow, steady gait. Now, let the world resonate! Sloth! Gluttony! Greed! Envy! Lust! Wrath! And pride! A bell of chaos that tolls human desires! After two thousand long years, the once sealed gate to the demonic world will open! Destruction! Carnage and Despair! Let your instincts drive you! Entrap this world in fear! As its very name Temen-ni-gru strikes terror into the heart of mankind. Then I will become the ultimate ruler of this wasteland engulfed with pandemonium. The demonic power that Sparda once imprisoned. .. will be mine! ("Devil May Cry 3") Capcom, 2005] His plans are successful, and he is able to open the gate to the demon world. He is the first to retrieve the Force Edge, and with its power combined with the restored halves of Eva's amulet, he acquires a large portion of Sparda's power and takes on Sparda's demonic form. The power overwhelms him however, and he further transforms into a shapeless form when he battles Dante. He is defeated when Vergil teams up with Dante and they cast him out of the demon world, but it is Lady who ultimately kills him.

In the Special Edition release of the game he appears (as Jester) as an additional boss character for the player to fight. He is voiced and motion captured (as both Arkham and Jester) by Adam Clark, and credited as "Adam D Clerk" in the game's credits. cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426437/|title=IMDB entry for Devil May Cry 3|publisher=IMDB|accessdate=2007-11-06]

Arkham's name was originally intended to be Hyne (pronounced Hai-neh) but Reuben Langdon (Dante) thought it would not work in English and convinced Capcom to change it. Jester's name was intended to be Joker.cite web|url=http://devils-lair.org/toa-commentary.php|title=Fan report from Tales of Anime convention|accessdate=2007-04-15]

Argosax the Chaos

A very powerful demon lord who once fought against Sparda. Argosax was once a king of the demon world that was sealed by Sparda. His body consists of various bosses from the first and second game. Inside of Argosax is the humanoid being referred to as "The Despair Embodied". Despair changes its physical appearance slightly throughout the fight; sometimes have a masculine frame, other times appearing more feminine in shape. He serves as the final boss battle for Dante's scenario. Arius's actions opened a doorway which allowed Argosax entrance. To stop this, Dante went through to the demon world instead and defeated the demon. Neither Argosax nor Despair have any spoken lines in the game. Argosax and Despair are both two different bosses, but are actually the same entity. The Despair Embodied is Argosax's true manifestation, while the Argosax blob form is more of a housing for the demon.

Mundus

In the "Devil May Cry" universe, Mundus is the king of the demon world. ["Demon's Legacy: Mundus," "GameInformer" 179 (March 2008): 112-113.] He was defeated by Sparda two thousand years before the games. He appears much like a typical angel, dozens of feet tall, with white feathered wings and a third eye on his forehead. Mundus usually resides inside of a large marble statue and that is how both Dante and Trish see him for the first time. Mundus cares little for those that serve him loyally, even going so far as to kill one of his own generals for being defeated by Dante.

Mundus serves as the main antagonist during the first "Devil May Cry", and created Trish so she can lure Dante to Mallet Island. There, Mundus and his servants try to kill Dante, but Dante is the ultimate victor, winning Trish's loyalty and defeating Mundus, who promised to eventually return. [Mundus: Dante, I will return. .. And I will rule this world! ("Devil May Cry") Capcom, 2001] He has a cameo appearance at the end of the third game, where he appears as three red glowing orbs in the sky with electricity around them, this is the form Mundus displayed when he was first seen in "Devil May Cry". The character is voiced by Tony Daniels.cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268256/|title=IMDB entry for Devil May Cry|accessdate=2007-04-16]

anctus

The Proclaimed Vicar of Sparda and spiritual leader of the Order of the Sword, Sanctus is seemingly assassinated by Dante at the beginning of the game. Sanctus is regarded as one of the best leaders in the Order's history and has previously served as general of the Holy Knights. In reality, he is the one behind the events of "Devil May Cry 4" and may have arranged Dante to come to Fortuna. After his 'death' he is resurrected after taking part in the "ascension ceremony", a process in which a human being receives the essence of a demon. Following this he continues his role as the leader of the Order of the Sword. He eventually asks Credo to arrest Nero after Agnus informs Sanctus that he possesses demonic power. After Credo is unable to perform this task Agnus kidnaps Kyrie. Nero tries to rescue her after defeating Agnus but Sanctus intervenes and departs with her in custody. Subsequently Sanctus uses Kyrie as building material for the "Savior", a demonic structure that had been collecting spiritual and demonic energy for centuries. When Nero confronts him Sanctus defeats him and reveals he originally intended to use Dante as the Savior's core. Using the Savior's strength, Nero is absorbed into the structure, with Sanctus taking possession of Yamato, which he used to open the "hell's gate". When several demons attack residents of Fortuna he controls the Savior and several of the Order's "Angels" and orders them to exterminate the demons while announcing the "arrival of the Savior". Sanctus then merges with the structure and is not seen until, through Dante's efforts, Nero is released and confronts a Sparda-wielding Sanctus in battle, but he is defeated and killed by Nero. He is voiced by Liam O'Brien.

Vergil

Vergil is Dante's twin brother. He is a chief antagonist in "Devil May Cry 3" as well as a playable character in the game's Special Edition. ["Demon's Legacy: Vergil," "GameInformer" 179 (March 2008): 113.] After he is betrayed by Arkham at the end of the game's second act (the end of mission 13), [Vergil: Insane buffoon! I don't know where you came from but you don't belong here. Now leave!Jester: Zowie, that was close. But you've taken quite a trouncing today, haven't you Vergil? You could have chopped me into confetti by now if you're in your tip-top condition. Vergil: Damn you! Jester: You have lost. .. Arkham: Because you've underestimated humans. Jester: It was quite a ride, you know. If any of you had died, my little plan would have gone to waste! So my job is to let you battle each other and weaken you, but at the same time I needed to guide you here to make sure you were kept alive. I even went so far as dressing like a complete idiot! ("Devil May Cry 3") Capcom, 2005] he temporarily teams up with Dante near the end, before reverting to his villain role. Throughout the game, Vergil seeks to undo the seal of Sparda inside the Temen-ni-gru and claim the entirety of their father's power for his own, regardless of the effects this will have on the human world. To do so he needed Dante's half of their mother's amulet, so he lured his brother out with the intent of taking it by force. Vergil battles Dante three times in the "Devil May Cry 3" storyline. Their first battle is on the highest level of Temen-Ni-Gru, where Dante is soundly defeated by Vergil, who then takes Dante's amulet. Their second battle is at the bottom of the tower, where the twins battle to a draw before their battle is interrupted. Their final battle is near the entrance to the demon realm, where Vergil is finally defeated. [Vergil: Am I... being defeated? Dante: What's wrong? Is that all you've got? Come on, get up! You can do better than that. Vergil: The portal to the human world is closing Dante, because the amulets have been separated. Dante: Let's finish this first. I have to stop you, even if that means killing you.Vergil: No one can have this Dante. It's mine. It belongs to a son of Sparda. Leave me and go, if you don't want to trap in the demon world. I'm staying. This place, was our father's home. ("Devil May Cry 3) Capcom, 2005] Should the player be able to defeat at least 100 demons before the credits finish, the player is shown a cutscene with Vergil rising to his feet in a lake of blood, and looking into the sky to see three large glowing orbs in the sky – Mundus as he first appeared in "Devil May Cry". Vergil decides that if his father was able to defeat Mundus he can too, and then charges at the orbs with his sword ready. [Vergil: It would be fun to fight with the Prince of Darkness. If my father did it, I should be able to do it too! ("Devil May Cry 3") Capcom, 2005] Vergil survives his encounter with Mundus, but becomes enslaved and apparently brainwashed of all his memories about his life and past.Fact|date=July 2008 In the first game, he appears as a demonic dark knight, called Nelo Angelo. Dante encounters Nelo Angelo three times in "Devil May Cry", and each time Nelo Angelo sees Dante's half of the amulet, he flees the battle. In their final encounter, Nelo Angelo uncovers his face to reveal that he is Vergil. ["Demon's Legacy: Nelo Angelo," "GameInformer" 179 (March 2008): 112.] In the end Nelo Angelo appears to explode, leaving his half of the amulet behind. The character is voiced by Daniel Southworth in "Devil May Cry 3".

The Order of the Sword used fragments of Nelo Angelo in order to create the Bianco Angelos, artificial demons consisting of a suit of armor powered by a human or demon's soul.

Vergil's sword, the Yamato, is used by Nero in "Devil May Cry 4", it being restored when Nero's inner demon awakens. Dante tries to reclaim the Yamato from Nero, stating that the sword was his brother's, originally used to seal the gate between the realms and that it needed to remain in the family. In the end, Dante entrusts Nero to keep the Yamato with confidence.

upporting characters

Agnus

First appearing in "Devil May Cry 4", Agnus is the chief technological researcher and alchemist of the Holy Knights, as part of this office he develops demon-eradicating weapons for the Holy Knights. He seems to be introverted and a workaholic, rarely showing up in any event. Because of this, only few people of the cult know about him. [cite book| title=The Art of Devil May Cry 4| year=2008| publisher=Capcom| page=39] Later, it is discovered that he has been experimenting with the broken Yamato and creating demon-based weapons. Agnus also possesses an alternate form, resembling what looks like a cross between a beetle and a moth. During times of stress he speaks with a pronounced and noticeable stutter. Towards the end of the game he is killed by Dante while trying to prevent him from taking back the Yamato.

He is voiced by T.J Storm. [imdb name|0832622|T.J Storm]

Credo

Leader of the "Holy Knights", a strict man of justice and commander of hundreds of subordinates. Credo excels in the battlefield as the best of the Holy Knights and is admired by many. Credo is Kyrie's older brother and also sees Nero as family, but is not content with his unreliable behavior. [cite book| title=The Art of Devil May Cry 4| year=2008| publisher=Capcom| page=38] Later in the game, he is killed by Sanctus while trying to help Nero. In his last breath, he requests Dante to save Nero and his sister Kyrie. This event marks the mid-point of "Devil May Cry 4", after which Dante is introduced as a playable character.

He is both voiced and motion captured by Daniel Southworth, who also provided the voice of Vergil in "Devil May Cry 3".

Eva

Eva was the human wife of Sparda and mother of the twins Dante and Vergil. She was killed in a demon attack, but sometime before that she gave each of the boys half of Sparda's amulet as a birthday gift. [Eva: Vergil. ..Dante. ..Happy Birthday Dante: Wow! Cool!! Vergil: I want chocolate!! Dante: No, I want chocolate!! ("Devil May Cry") Capcom, 2001] Eva herself only appears as a photo on Dante's desk and as a voice in a flashback in the first "Devil May Cry" game. Trish is created to look exactly like Eva. The character (Eva) is voiced by Sarah Lafleur.

Enzo Ferino

Enzo does not appear in any of the currently released video games within the "Devil May Cry" series, but was mentioned as an associate of Dante in the manual for the first game. The character has appeared in the novels and manga as Dante's contact with the mercenary world, as well as a friend. It was purported by PSM Magazine at one time that Enzo was actually the protagonist of Devil May Cry 2, based on dialogue in Viewtiful Joe and the uncharacteristic look and behavior of Dante in that game.

Kyrie

Kyrie is a supporting character in "Devil May Cry 4". She was born and raised in Fortuna, is the sister of Credo, the leader of the "Order of the Sword", and songstress for their festival. Kyrie is the childhood friend of Nero, and his love interest. After being tricked into believing Nero is evil, she is held hostage by Agnus, successfully drawing Nero to the Savior, where Kyrie is fused into it before he can arrive. When Dante frees Nero from his captivity within the Savior, Nero is then able to effectively free Kyrie, who has accepted Nero once again, arm and all.

The character is voiced by Stephanie Sheh [>cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1315809/resume |title=IMDB Resume for Stephanie Sheh|accessdate=2008-04-24] and motion captured by Laura Napoli. [imdb name|1004753|Laura Napoli]

Matier

Matier is a secondary character that appeared in "Devil May Cry 2". Matier is an old woman and like Lucia, is part of the clan of Vie de Marli. In her younger days, she and her clan fought against the demons alongside Sparda. Matier is cheerful and optimistic, and always seems sure of Dante's eventual victory. She is the one who guides Lucia to reunite the Arcanas (mystical relics) and to lure Dante to their island, to whom she never refers by his name but rather calls "Son of Sparda". At first it is claimed that Matier is Lucia's mother, but it's later revealed that Lucia was in fact created by Arius who planned to dispose of her, until Matier found her and raised her as a daughter. In the end she tells Lucia not to worry and that Dante will eventually return from the demon world. She is voiced by Flo Di Re. [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0224241/|title=Flo Di Re page on IMDB|accessdate=2008-01-27]

Cultural impact

Critical reception

Upon the release of the original "Devil May Cry", Dante's personality received positive reviews, IGN described the character as a "maverick head-hunter" as well as a "believable" character, his actions and abilities were regarded as being able to make the player reach the conclusion that they are "awesome." Dante's confident and fearless attitude have gained him widespread popularity. He was ranked as the seventh of "Game Crush's" "Top 10: Most Badass Video Game Characters" list,cite web|author=Rocco Inzauto, Edward |url=http://gamecrush.blogspot.com/2007/02/top-10-most-badass-video-game-charaters.html|title=Top 10: Most Badass Video Game Characters|date=2007-02-25|accessdate=2007-04-20] and third among the "Top ten coolest video game characters" list of "Screwattack".cite web|url=http://www.thelastboss.com/post.phtml?pk=2160|title=Top ten coolest games|accessdate=2007-04-20] Outside of the main character the demonic enemies were reviewed as "ferocious" while the sub-bosses were "incredibly tough" and the bosses were "very tough", providing a significant amount of the game's challenges.cite web| url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/165/165620p6.html| title=Review: Devil May Cry| author=Doug Perry| publisher=IGN.com| date=2001-10-16| accessdate=2008-02-27] Eurogamer reviewed the design of the demons as "some of the most bizarre looking creatures you will find this side of American McGee's Alice." while the proportion of the bosses were perceived as "vast" and their battles were described as requiring different strategies, making an exclusion when pointing that the fights with "Nightmare" prove repetitive. [cite web| url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=2281| title=Devil May Cry: Review| author=Gestalt| publisher=Eurogamer| date=2001-12-08| accessdate=2008-02-27] When reviewing "Devil May Cry 2" GameSpot felt that the characters lacked personality. This was based on the removal of distinctive traits from Dante and that Lucia's role in the plot was significantly short, not allowing time to develop the character. [cite web| url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/devilmaycry2/index.html?tag=result;title;3| title=Devil May Cry 2: Reviews| author=Giancarlo Varanini| publisher=GameSpot| date=2003-01-30| accessdate=2008-02-27] The publication labeled the game's enemies as "mindless", noting that most of them including the "bosses" could be defeated using the default attacks. [cite web| url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2003/day3_12.html| title=Most Disappointing Game| publisher=Gamespot| accessdate=2008-02-27]

The missions where the player controls Vergil in "Devil May Cry 3" were reviewed as adding a "an all-new and unique play style", and being able to play his story arc as " such a blast that Capcom could probably have released his modes separately for $19.99 and gotten away with it." [cite web| url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3165609| title=Retro/Active: Devil May Cry| author=James Mielke| publisher=1up.com| date=2008-01-30| accessdate=2008-02-25] After the prequel's release there were talks about including Lady as the main character of a spin-off game, which was perceived as a "interesting idea" but the project didn't progress and was subsequently discarded. The designs used for characters in "Devil May Cry 4" were described as resembling 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", the publication also said that they shared visual elements with military personnel employed by real religions, by noting that "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." [cite web| url=http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=1&cId=3165619| title=Previews: Devil May Cry 4| author=James Mielke| publisher=1up.com| date=2008-01-28| accessdate=2008-02-25]

Merchandise

Outside of the games, anime and manga the characters of "Devil May Cry" have appeared in several types of merchandise. These include novels, comic books, a skin variation for the PlayStation Portable, a special edition of the PS3 console and several soundtracks. Capcom has made other merchandise available in their official shopping website e-Capcom. These include concept art for the Animated Series, several t-shirt designs, rings, collars and hand bags. [cite web| url=http://www.e-capcom.com/shop/?goods=1270090| title=Devil May Cry concept art| language=Japanese| publisher=Capcom| accessdate=2008-02-27] [cite web| url=http://www.e-capcom.com/shop/?category=102002&shop=| title=Merchandise directory| publisher=Capcom| language=Japanese| accessdate=2008-02-27] [cite web| url=http://www.e-capcom.com/shop/?category=102001&shop=| title=Merchandise directory| publisher=Capcom| language=Japanese|accessdate=2008-02-27] The popularity of the "Devil May Cry" series lead to a line of "Devil May Cry" action figures produced by Toycom.cite web|author=Borst, Brian|url=http://www.popcultureshock.com/reviews.php?id=2243|title=Devil May Cry Action Figures review|date=2003-06-01|accessdate=2007-04-20] Japanese company Kaiyodo produced a similar line for "Devil May Cry 2" and a "Devil May Cry 3" Dante action figure. Kotobukiya published statues of based on the franchise's characters after the release of the anime, these included Vergil and Dante and were followed by a "Devil May Cry 4" series. Micellaneous merchandise includes posters and frame stamps conmemorating the series' fifth anniversary.

References