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Characters of theDevil May Cryseries

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Devil May Cryis a series ofvideo gamesset in the present, created byHideki Kamiya,avideo-game designerand developed by his employerCapcomandClover Studio.The series' success has led tocomic books,novelizations,twoanimeseries, guides, collectibles and a variety ofaction figures.The first game focuses on devil hunterDante's mission to avenge the death of his mother, Eva, by exterminating demons. In the process he encounters his long-lost twin brother,Vergil,with whom he has a dysfunctional relationship. As the story progresses, Dante encounter his father's nemesis, a demon emperor,Mundus,who is found to be responsible for the murder of Dante's mother.

The recurring characters fromDevil May Cryas seen: Vergil in background, Trish, Dante and Lady, in the middle, and Nero in the bottom

Years after the first game, Capcom developed newDevil May Crygames with new characters. InDevil May Cry 2,an older Dante aids a woman namedLuciain freeing a town from the demons. InDevil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening,a younger Dante awakens his demonic powers when confronting his brother and matures upon seeingLady,a woman struggling to redeem her family.Devil May Cry 4andDevil May Cry 5focus on a young demon hunter namedNerowho is related to Dante, as well asV,a young man from5who wishes somebody would defeat the demon kingUrizen.Ninja Theoryalso created a reboot titledDmC: Devil May Crythat follows an alternate version of Dante as he learns of his heritage while confronting demons controlling Limbo.

Nero and several characters inDevil May Cry 2and the later games were conceived by several staff members, most notablyBingo Morihashiwith designers Daigo Ikeno and Tatsuya Yoshikawa, taking over. While each game changes the cast's designs, the RE Engine was used forDevil May Cry 5to give them a more realistic look. Dante's characterization and role in the games was well received by game journalists with the recurring cast being praised sinceDevil May Cry 3because of the handling of the narrative.

Conception and influences

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Series creator Hideki Kamiya said that the title character from themangaseriesCobra,byBuichi Terasawa,was the basis for Dante.[1][2]Dante wears a red cloak to make the character's actions more eye-catching; red is the traditional Japanese color for a hero. The game is very loosely based on the Italian poem theDivine Comedyby its use of allusions, including the game's protagonist Dante (named afterDante Alighieri) and other characters like Vergil (Virgil) and Trish (Beatrice Portinari).[3]Dante and Lucia dressed inDieselfashions appealed to the developers.[4]

Shortly after the release ofDevil May Cry 2,Hideaki Itsunodecided Capcom's staff should develop a new video game,Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening.Morihashi was once again employed, but this time took on a bigger role during the game's development. As he had no experience planning, he was given the role of writing the scenario. The game's main character, Dante, was given a different characterization than in the firstDevil May Crybecause his original creator,Hideki Kamiya,was not going to be involved with the project. While feeling his own take on the character did not equal the popularity of the original one,Bingo Morihashienjoyed Dante's role in the game. Morihashi felt challenged creating the character of Vergil since he had no prior design experience yet he had to come up with an entire new one for the artists.[5]Dante and Vergi's Devil Trigger forms were designed byKazuma KanekoofAtlus.[6][7]The Capcom staff was impressed with Kaneko's work, and Daigo Ikeno felt that it was not difficult to model.[8]

Early concept art forDevil May Cry,showing Dante with a submachine gun

Devil May Cry 4producerHiroyuki Kobayashisaid 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 the first game and its prequel,Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening.[9]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".[9]Both main characters' capabilities were part of the series' early development.

Several weapons in the series are character-specific.[9]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 inDevil 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,[9]and some demonic antagonists inDevil May Cry 4resemble angels. These characters were designed to be attractive, while providing a contrast to other demons in the game.[9]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.[9]

With regard toDevil May Cry 5,because the game's narrative was focused on Dante, Nero and V, Lady and Trish could not appear as playable characters again.[10]In addition, Capcom's Matt Walker claimed Vergil would not be a playable character in the game, leaving "a bitter taste" in fans mouths.[11]Itsuno explained the development team aimed for a "photo-realistic"graphics style.[12]The returning characters' designs involved slight alterations to theirDevil May Cry 4iterations to fit their personalities. However, while few of the ideas for Dante and Nero were scrapped, V underwent nearly twenty redesigns. The new designs were also inspired byCarol Christian Poellas well asDaniel CraigandBenedict Cumberbatch.[13]

Capcom used an older incarnation of Nero, so he would be "at the top of his game in body and mind".[14]Because the game's graphics are meant to be as realistic as possible, each character is modeled after an actor.[citation needed]The staff wanted to generate a major emotional scene when Vergil reappears in the climax confronting his brother. As a result, Nero stops the brothers' feud and awakens his demonic powers to face his father.[15]Itsuno said that Dante has a more mature personality and still wishes to protect humanity and honor the legacy of his father, Sparda.[16]

Protagonists

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Dante

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Main article:Dante (Devil May Cry)

Dante, the series' primaryprotagonist,is a mercenary specializing in the paranormal and the main playable character in the first threeDevil May Crygames.[17]He is one of the twin sons of Sparda, a demon knight who sided with humanity and drove back an invasion of the human world by demons about 2,000 years before the series' events.[18]The character was voiced by Drew Coombs in the originalDevil May Cryand Matthew Kaminsky inDevil May Cry 2.Reuben Langdon voiced Dante in all subsequent appearances.[19]Dante's Japanese voice is provided byToshiyuki Morikawa.

Nero

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Main article:Nero (Devil May Cry)

Nero was introduced inDevil May Cry 4.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". He is the son of Vergil, which also makes him the nephew of Dante and the grandson of Sparda.[20]The character is voiced byJohnny Yong Boschin English, and byKaito Ishikawain Japanese. Nero returns as one of the primary protagonists inDevil May Cry 5.[21]

Trish

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Main article:Trish (Devil May Cry)

Trish is a demon created by Mundus who strangely resembles Dante's mother, Eva. She has enhanced strength and agility, accelerated healing and the ability to uselightning.In English, Trish is voiced bySarah LafleurinDevil May Cry,[22]andViewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble,Danielle Burgio inDevil May Cry 4andMarvel vs. Capcom 3/Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3,Wendee LeeinDevil May Cry 5,andLuci ChristianinThe Animated Series.In Japanese, she is voiced byAtsuko Tanaka.

Lady

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Main article:Lady (Devil May Cry)

Lady is afreelancedemon hunter. A human, she is skilled in acrobatics and armedclose quarters combat.Lady has black hair,eyes of different colorsand a signature weapon, the Kalina-Ann (a customized missile launcher, similar toMANPADS). When fighting, she uses aCZ75pistol with a compensator and aVZ61submachine 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 inDevil May Cry 3,[23]when she refuses to identify herself to Dante; he replies, "Whatever, lady!"[24]Lady formalizes her name in the game's denouement when she shoots Arkham, telling him that "Mary" is dead.[25]Although she is not a villain, her role inDevil May Cry 3is that of an antagonist, as she seeks to deter Dante and even fights him twice before finally coming to terms with him.

Lucia

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Lucia, along with Dante, is one of the two protagonists inDevil May Cry 2.[26]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). Character designer Daigo Ikeno stated that the team aimed for a contrast between Lucia and Trish, making them look as though they were from different races.[27]Lucia is a member of Protectorate, a clan of guardians in the Vie de Marli with the blood of devils.[28]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.[29]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. Lucia is voiced by Françoise Gralewski.

V

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V is one of the protagonists ofDevil May Cry 5,a mysterious figure who hires Dante to come with him to Red Grave City to subdue Urizen.[30]He is ultimately revealed to be the discarded humanity of Vergil seeking to merge back with Urizen to their original form.[31][32]In battle, V uses three demon familiars created from trace memories of Nelo Angelo to weaken his opponents so he can land the deathblow. Following Vergil's restoration, now fully independent beings, the hawk-like Griffon leads the panther-like Shadow and the golem Nightmare to attack Dante of their own free will, and all three die fighting him. V is motion captured by Owen Hamze and voiced by Brian Hanford in English, and is voiced byKōki Uchiyamain the Japanese version.

Antagonists

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Vergil

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Main article:Vergil (Devil May Cry)

Vergil is the series' mainantagonistand Dante's olderidentical twinbrother, who embraces his demonic side and is obsessed with gaining power. He is one of the primary antagonists inDevil May Cry 3and a playable character in the game's special edition, ending up as Mundus's servant Nelo Angelo in the firstDevil May Crygame.[33]While appearing inDevil May Cry 4and playable in its special edition to hint at his relation to Nero, fragments of Nelo Angelo's form were used as the basis for the Angelo-type demons developed by Agnus for Sanctus's use. Vergil returns inDevil May Cry 5where he is revealed to be Nero's father while stealing the Yamato back for his use. Later, Dante's and Vergil's rivalry is a friendly one. Vergil also appears as a playable character in the crossover fighting game,Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.[34]In English, Vergil is voiced byDaniel Southworth;Nelo Angelo is voiced by David Kelley inDevil May Cry.In Japanese, he is voiced byHiroaki Hirata.

Mundus

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Mundus is the Emperor of the Underworld and the overarching antagonist of the series, starting with his role as the main antagonist of the originalDevil May Cry.He is portrayed as a semi-amorphous creature with three orb-like eyes who takes the form of a white-skinnedseraphwith a third eye on his forehead and a scar on his chest.[35]Millennia ago, Mundus led the demons under his command in a long and brutal war with humanity, until he was betrayed and defeated by the strongest of his knights, Sparda, who sealed his powers and imprisoned him in his own realm. After Sparda's death due to the loss of his immortality, Mundus took revenge by sending his minions to murder Dante's mother, Eva, and seemingly killing his brother Vergil as well. In the aftermath ofDevil May Cry 3,Mundus captured Vergil when he challenged him and turned the young man into the first of the Angelo demons.[36]As the primary antagonist inDevil May Cry,Mundus is shown to have spent centuries posing as a statue on the forbidding Mallet Island, steadily corrupting the inhabitants and using his powers to remake the island in his own image. He then crafts a demon named Trish, making her look identical to Eva, and sending her to hire Dante to kill him so he can be destroyed.[37]Mundus carefully monitored Dante's progress throughout the island, watching as he defeated his servants one by one and even stepping in to personally murder his servant Griffon when he begs Mundus for more power. Finally, when even Trish proved unable to stop Dante, Mundus tried to strike him down with his magic, but Trish took the attack instead, leaving her close to death. Dante's anger transformed him into the form of his father Sparda, and he defeated Mundus in personal combat. Despite this, Mundus crossed over, and tried to crush Dante with his decomposing body. Trish then combined her own magic with Dante's weapons, allowing him to seal Mundus' powers once again. Before he was banished back to his realm, Mundus vowed to one day take his revenge on Dante and conquer all of the human world.[38]

A statue of Mundus can be seen briefly inDevil May Cry 2.He is also referenced inDevil May Cry 5as having eaten the fruit of the Qliphoth to become ruler of the Underworld. In Dante's storyline in the PlayStation 2 version ofViewtiful Joe,he possessesCaptain Blueto take revenge on Dante and Trish. Mundus also appears in the secondDevil May Crynovel in a parallel universe, where he is confronted by Dante and Nelo Angelo's forces. An alternate version of Mundus appears as the main antagonist ofDmC: Devil May Cry,this time portrayed as a powerful demon in human form who secretly rules over humanity.

Arius

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Arius, the primary antagonist inDevil May Cry 2,is an insane, wealthy businessman who owns an international company, Uroboros.[28]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.[39]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

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Argosax the Chaos was a cruel demonic deity who once rivaled Mundus and was the final antagonist ofDevil May Cry 2.Like his sovereign, Argosax was imprisoned in the void of the Underworld by Sparda when the rebellious knight came to the aide of the clan of Dumary Island.[40]Using the Arcanas—sacred relics used to exorcise Argosax centuries prior—Arius intended to absorb the demon's power to achieve apotheosis. Instead, as Dante had switched the Medaglia coin with his own, the ritual was incomplete and caused Arius to become possessed upon dying.

Despite its faulty execution, the ritual was enough to create a portal to the devil's prison—enough to enable Argosax to escape if given time. Seeking to put an end to this scheme, Dante elects to enter the gateway and face the demon deity like his father before him. When he first appears, his native form—the Despair Embodied, a fiery horned hermaphrodite with angelic wings—is gestating inside of a chrysalis composed of the reanimated corpses of assorted Boss es from games1and2.He's capable of channeling their power while in this form.

Emerging from the destroyed mass after a lengthy battle, the Despair Embodied challenges Dante. It is able to use energy and projectile attacks with its wings as well as teleport and shapeshift its arms into swords in its male form, and whips in its female form, as its main weapons. After another long confrontation, the demon's wings shatter from exhaustion and Dante finally destroys the disgraced lord with a lighting-infused gunshot from Ivory. However, with the portal having sealed behind him during their battle, Dante was now trapped in the demonic realm.

Arkham

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Arkham(アーカム,Ākamu)is the secondary antagonist inDevil May Cry 3,which takes place before the events of the firstDevil May Crygame, and the estranged father of Lady.[41]In the game, he is a scholar in the demonology and the supernatural who sought to break the seal Sparda made to prevent Temen-ni-gru tower from serving as a Hell Gate. Arkham also desired to become a demon. A failed attempt by sacrificing his wife Kalina Ann resulted in the left side of his face being scarred but gave him some power. Arkham tricks Vergil into helping him while assuming the guise of the lunatic Jester(ジェスター,Jesutā)to lead Dante through Temen-ni-gru. He plays the brothers against each other along with exploiting Lady's attempts to avenge her mother, to bring all the factors of unsealing Temen-ni-gru into place.[42][43]Arkham then travels through the completed gate to retrieves the Force Edge, combining its power with the restored halves of Eva's amulet to absorb Sparda's power. Though he becomes a demon resembling Sparda, Arkham's body is unable to compensate for the power as he mutates into an amorphous abomination that Dante and Vergil defeat together. Arkham is reverted to his original state as he ends up back in the human world where Lady kills him.

The character, in his normal and Jester forms, is voiced and motion-captured by Adam D Clark.[44]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".[45]One of the key themes ofDevil May Cry 3is familial conflict. Itsuno said he did not like the idea of Lady killing Arkham, as he believed a child should never kill their parent. Morihashi wanted this scene in the final product, along with Dante defeating Vergil, as themes of the game. To balance this, Morihashi wrote a scene leading up to Arkham's death, where Lady said that Arkham was her responsibility.[46]

Sanctus

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Sanctus is the primary antagonist inDevil May Cry 4.The proclaimedVicarof Sparda and general of the Holy Knights, he is regarded as one of the greatest spiritual leaders of the Order of the Sword. Sanctus was apparently killed by Dante at the beginning of the game, but in reality, Sanctus survived as he had himself infused with demonic essence in an ascension ceremony. Sanctus originally planned to use Dante to give life to the Savior, a colossus in Sparda's image housing collected demon essence. But he decides to use Nero after his righthand, Angus, revealed the truth of the Order's actions.[47]Sanctus takes matters into his own hands by having Agnus kidnap Kyrie to have the Savior absorb her so it can assimilate Nero. Sanctus than uses the Yamato to open the artificial Hellgates before merging into Savior to commence his plan to wipe out all demons and rule the world while projecting himself through an animated suit of armor. Dante manages to sabotage Sanctus's scheme before freeing Nero to rescue Kyrie while defeating a mental construct of Sanctus, Nero. He completely destroys him by using the Devil Bringer on the Savior. The character is voiced byLiam O'Brienin English with O'Brien also doing the motion capture for Sanctus, andIkuya Sawakiin the Japanese version ofDevil May Cry 4: Special Edition.Yoshikawa designed him to become intimidating across the storyline.[48]

Agnus

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Agnus is the Order of Sparda's chief technology researcher and alchemist inDevil May Cry 4,developing demon-killing weapons for the Knights. An introverted workaholic with a habit of stuttering when stressed, Agnus rarely appears outside his office and very few in the cult know about him. It is later learned that he has been experimenting with the broken Yamato and created demon-based weapons like the Angelos, even turning himself into the insect-like Agnus Angelo before being killed by Dante when he attempts to keep him from the Yamato. He is indirectly mentioned with contempt by his surviving daughter Nico inDevil May Cry 5.The character is voiced byT. J. Stormin English,[49]andYūya Uchidain Japanese version ofDevil May Cry 4: Special Edition.

Urizen

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Urizen, the primary antagonist inDevil May Cry 5,is the demonic half of Vergil that came into being when Vergil used the Yamato to purge his humanity to become a full Demon. Urizen proceeds to plant a Qliphoth Tree in Red Grave City so he can acquire its fruit to become the undisputed ruler of the Underworld, only to be defeated by Dante and absorbed by his other half V. Urizen is voiced by Daniel Southworth in the English version andShunsuke Sakuyain the Japanese version. Urizen was meant to remind players of Mundus, the original Demon King from the 2001Devil May Crygame. Itsuno said, "Urizen is definitely the strongest enemy of the entireDevil May Crysaga... the most powerful. You've seen it: every time he appears, he sits on his throne and, maybe sometimes, he moves a little, but that's it. We want to make people understand how a fight against him can be completely crazy. "[This quote needs a citation]

Supporting characters

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Sparda

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Sparda is the demonic knight who rebelled for humanity's sake 2,000 years before the events of Vergil'sDevil May Cry 4: Special Edition.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".[36]

InDevil May Cryand its successors, Sparda left his power in his sword (known as the Force Edge or the Sparda) in the demonic realm.[50]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.[51]To work, the amulets must be joined.[52]Near the end of his life Sparda took a human wife (Eva) and fathered twin sons (Dante and Vergil).[53]He gave the amulets to Eva, who passed them on to their sons.[54]Sparda also gave his sons enchanted swords with opposing powers: Dante's broadsword Rebellion that allows the user to absorb anything, and Vergil's katanaYamatothat can split one's being or open a link to the Demon World.[55]It is unknown how Sparda died, and Dante believed that there was a lot of confusion surrounding his father and his legacy.[56]

Eva

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Eva is Sparda's human wife and the mother of Dante and Vergil, giving her sons each half of Sparda's amulet as a birthday gift.[53]Eva was murdered in her home in Red Grave City by demons sent by Mundus. She safely hid Dante away, but was killed while she was looking for Vergil. Mundus later created Trish with Eva's appearance in a failed attempt to lure Dante to his death.[37]InDevil May Cry 5,like Trish, Eva is voiced by Wendee Lee in English and Atsuko Tanaka in Japanese.

Patty Lowell

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First appearing inThe Animated Series,Patty is a young girl, descended from a powerful sorcerer who imprisoned the demon known as Abigail. After Dante protects her from some demons, she lives with him at Devil May Cry until Abigail is destroyed, after which she is reunited with her birth mother. Patty makes a voice-only cameo appearance inDevil May Cry 5,repeatedly attempting to invite Dante to her 18th birthday party. In English, Patty is voiced byHilary HaaginThe Animated Seriesand Haviland Stillwell inDevil May Cry 5.In Japanese, she is voiced byMisato Fukuenin the anime andYū ShimamurainDevil May Cry 5.

J.D. Morrison

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First appearing inThe Animated Series,Morrison is Dante's closest friend and broker. He finds Dante jobs, acts as a handyman to keep Devil May Cry functioning, and offers him advice on how to be a better person. Morrison returns inDevil May Cry 5,having been heavily redesigned from his previous appearance. Following the game's events, Morrison becomes the new owner of the Devil May Cry office. In English, Morrison is voiced byRob MungleinThe Animated SeriesandJoey CameninDevil May Cry 5.In Japanese, he is voiced byAkio Ōtsuka.

Matier

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Matier, a supporting character inDevil May Cry 2,is an old woman and (like Lucia) part of the Protectorate 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.[28]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.[57]

Credo

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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.[58]He was designed with key motifs representing his job, which Yoshikawa found fun to create.[59]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 learns 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.[60]He is voiced by TJ Rotolo in English, andRikiya Koyamain the Japanese version ofDevil May Cry 4: Special Edition.His devil form was meant to contrast Nero's and Dante's due to how he looks like a heroic person when he still looks like a demon.[61]

Kyrie

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Kyrie is a supporting character introduced inDevil May Cry 4.She was born and raised in Fortuna and works as a singer for the Order of the Sword. She is Credo's sister, and Nero's childhood friend and love interest.[20]After being misled into thinking that Nero is evil, Kyrie was held hostage by Agnus under orders of Sanctus to lure Nero to the Savior. He arrives too late however, as she had already fused with the Savior. Her fusion causes Credo to defect from the Order after recognizing Santus' evil scheme. When Dante frees Nero from captivity in the Savior, Nero can free Kyrie as she begins her new life with him. She makes two off-screen cameos inDevil May Cry 5,the first when Nero lost the Devil Bringer and the second in renewing his resolve to end the animosity between Dante and Vergil. The character is voiced byStephanie Shehin the English versions andSaori Hayamiin the Japanese versions,[62]and motion-captured byLaura Napoli.[63]Itsuno was responsible for most of Kyrie's elements. She was envisioned as an "ordinary, cute heroine" who had a big impact on Nero despite not being a fighter. Her role was to motivate Nero and the player as the story progresses.[64]

Nicoletta "Nico" Goldstein

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Nicoletta Goldstein, nicknamed Nico, is a weapons designer introduced inDevil May Cry 5who acts as Nero's tech support. She is the daughter of Agnus, whom she speaks of with great disdain, and the granddaughter of Nell Goldstein, the gunsmith proprietor of ".45 Caliber Works" who made Dante's signature handguns, "Ebony & Ivory". She considers her weapons works of art, having developed Nero's Devil Breaker prosthetic arms. Nico is motion-captured and voiced by Faye Kingslee in English, and is voiced byLynnin Japanese. Nico was created to be a contrasting heroine to Nero's girlfriend, Kyrie; Nico is more used to fighting.[65]

Promotion and reception

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In addition to the games, anime and manga,Devil May Crycharacters have appeared in merchandise including novels, comic books, askinvariety on the PlayStation Portable, a special edition of thePlayStation 3console and several soundtracks. Capcom has made other merchandise available including concept art forThe Animated Series,T-shirts, rings, collars and handbags.[66][67][68]The series' popularity led to a line of action figures produced by Toycom;[69]Kaiyodoproduced a similar line forDevil May Cry 2and aDevil May CryDante action figure. Kotobukiya produced statues (including Vergil and Dante) based on the characters after the release ofThe Animated SeriesandDevil May Cry 4,and other merchandise includes posters and framed stamps for the series' 10th anniversary.

WhenDevil May Crywas released Dante's personality was praised, withIGNdescribing the character as a "maverick head-hunter", "believable" and "awesome".[70]His confident, fearless attitude has made him popular; the character ranked seventh onGameCrush'sTop 10: Most Badass Video Game Characters list and third onScrewAttack's Top Ten Coolest Video Game Characters list.[71][72]The original game's demonic enemies were "ferocious", the sub- Boss es "incredibly tough" and the Boss es (particularly Vergil) "very tough", providing many of the game's challenges.[70]Eurogamercalled the demons "some of the most bizarre-looking creatures you will find this side ofAmerican McGee's Alice"and the Boss es" vast ", with their battles requiring a variety of strategies (although the fight with Nightmare was considered repetitive).[73]Because Dante and Vergil are half demon and half human, they were noted as bringing in religious overtones to the games, although this was initially subtle. Ninja Theory made a more direct reference to the way religion is portrayed in gaming while showing the parallels between the identical twins.[74]On the other hand, the cast from the firstDevil May Crywere felt to be underdeveloped.[75]

In its review ofDevil May Cry 2,GameSpotsaid that the characters lacked personality (based on the removal of Dante's distinctive traits). It also felt that Lucia's role was too small, not allowing the character time to develop.[76]The website called the game's enemies "mindless", noting that most characters (including the Boss es) could be defeated with the default attacks.[77]Dante's younger persona inDevil May Cry 3and the relationships he goes through in the narrative were also given a major focus by reviewers and found to be superior to Kamiya's original take.[78][79][80]The missions where the player controls Vergil inDevil May Cry 3: Special Editionadded "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" according to one reviewer.[81]

The characters inDevil May Cry 4were 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".1UPnoted 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."[82]Dante's dynamic with Nero in the following game garnered positive responses as critics found none of them overshadowed the other even if Dante's fans had to wait for the game's second half to control him while enjoying the older characterization.[83][84][85]

Devil May Cry 5's narrative was well received due to the handling of the characters and their connections.[86][87]Despite liking Dante's relationship with Nero to the point of comparing them like father and son,USGamerfound Dante's treatment of the younger demon hunter mean-spirited even though the character later reveals he does not want Nero to face Vergil because of their connection.[88]Several critics focused on the increased number of moves available to the three protagonists.The Daily Telegraphpraised the characters' mechanics, most notably V's for how differently he plays in contrast to Nero and Dante while still remaining entertaining.[89]While IGN felt Dante was similar to his presentation in previous games, they noted the new weapons he presents were much more enjoyable.[90]VideoGamer was more critical of the plot, believing the narrative, and villain were "dull" despite some interesting interactions in the storyline.[87]

References

edit
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