| 1 | !!Entries with their own pages: |
| 2 | |
| 3 | [[index]] |
| 4 | * ''YMMV/DevilMayCry1'' |
| 5 | * ''YMMV/DevilMayCry2'' |
| 6 | * ''YMMV/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' |
| 7 | * ''YMMV/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries'' |
| 8 | * ''YMMV/DevilMayCry4'' |
| 9 | * ''YMMV/DMCDevilMayCry'' |
| 10 | * ''YMMV/DevilMayCry5'' |
| 11 | [[/index]] |
| 12 | |
| 13 | !!The franchise in general: |
| 14 | * AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: |
| 15 | ** Vergil is the ''most'' heavily debated character in the series. Is he a WellIntentionedExtremist [[FreudianExcuse trying to atone]] [[MyGreatestFailure for his failure to protect his mother]], or is he just a nefarious bastard with no care in the world for the repercussions of [[VisionaryVillain his goal to attain the power of his father]]? Is the fact that he [[spoiler:had a son]] a glimmer of light in his life, or just another way for Vergil [[GenerationXerox to be as similar to dear ol' daddy as possible]]? Kamiya's original vision was that Vergil had been [[TheWoobie kidnapped as a child]] (when Dante lost a mother and brother to evil twenty years ago), and was never anything but a [[MoreThanMindControl good guy]] who managed to break loose to help his brother. The author of the first novel decided to ignore that, and wrote Vergil as an evil badass who was around during Dante's teens. One of these Vergils was obviously much cooler than the other, and ''3'' made the novel's version of the character canon. [[spoiler:''5'', however, seems to use shades of both with PoorCommunicationKills as the excuse.]] |
| 16 | ** Eva as well. SilkHidingSteel or ActionMom? Dante saying that Trish, who is an ActionGirl, lacks her "fire" implies the latter, as does the fact that she was able to keep Mundus from getting her children in the attack that killed her. [[spoiler:Except in the original version, she didn't: Vergil was kidnapped and Dante was killed.]] None of this even accounts for what is brought to the table if ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'' and ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' are taken as canon to ''DMC'' lore. For starters, the latter all but outright states that Eva is an [[DarkIsNotEvil Umbra]] [[HotWitch Witch]], while the former retroactively elevates her to [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]]-level {{Guile Hero}}ine [[spoiler:who plays the role of BigGood throughout the entirety of the original game]]. The ''2'' prequel novel, whose canonicity is still in question, shares a similar view, [[spoiler:the only difference being that she explicitly takes command of her husband's army after his death in an alternate timeline]]. |
| 17 | ** Dante has his fair share of this too, thanks in part to his LetsGetDangerous moments where he completely drops all signs of his usual jovial and flippant nature to start kicking copious amounts of ass without a single word wasted. And then there's [[TheStoic Dante's characterization in the second game]], which is so vastly ''different'' from every other appearance of his. The fact that [[DependingOnTheWriter Dante's personality isn't 100% consistent between games, the anime, the novels, and the like]], coupled with his HiddenDepths, only adds to the layers of interpretation. |
| 18 | ** Trish and Lady, and specifically, their relationships/feelings for Dante. According to canon sources, both of them care deeply for Dante but it's left ambiguous whether these feelings are platonic or sexual. Trish states in ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3]]'' that looking like Dante's mother makes things awkward between them, but that game is non-canon. In the anime, Lady says that Dante's irresponsible attitude is a turn-off, but Morrison also says that she'll bail Dante out of financial trouble whenever he needs it (although not without complaining). In an epilogue of ''[=4:SE=]'', the trio watch Nero and Kyrie kiss off-screen, then Trish says "At least someone knows how to get the girl.", seemingly poking fun at Dante not having a romantic partner. [[spoiler:In the ending of ''5'', both girls come back to Dante's shop on the hope that he'll return, but when he hasn't been seen in almost a month, the two cheerfully make plans to take over his shop, only to be stopped by Morrison because Dante ''knew'' they'd try to do that and left the shop to Morrison.]] |
| 19 | ** How much do the devil hunters care about protecting humanity? Things like Dante and Trish cracking jokes while Fortuna is being overrun by demons in ''4'' and the characters' general nonchalance regarding the devastation in ''5'' has led some fans to conclude that the characters care more about killing demons than about saving people from them. While the ending of ''5'' shows that [[spoiler:Dante and Vergil remain in the Underworld to spar and kill demons while Nero is left to guard the human world, fans believe that the brothers stayed because they want to fight more demons even after severing the Qliphoth. After all, they have escaped the Underworld before]]. |
| 20 | ** Lady's characterization and plot-relevance across the games were so different, they were open to interpretations. Her motivations were fueled by deep personal drives (because of her father in ''3''), or tangentially related to her (because the Order of the Sword in ''4'' "even have butted in on some of her jobs"), yet she suffers from a BadassDecay in ''5'' when she's happily marching alongside Trish towards Urizen's throne as if the latter is just a bounty to catch... and then she loses. Perhaps after her father's death, she doesn't have anything serious to worry about anymore? Is her playfulness simply influenced by Dante and Trish? Or is it a case of both? Because of these changes, Lady also became a BaseBreakingCharacter. |
| 21 | * AwesomeEgo: A handful of characters, but none more so than Dante, who spends nearly every encounter with enemy bosses (including when the player finds themselves fighting ''against'' Dante) mocking and belittling them at every turn, then proceeds to back it up, [[CutscenePowerToTheMax both in cutscenes]] and [[SlidingScaleOfGameplayAndStoryIntegration under the guidance of a skilled enough player]]. |
| 22 | * BaseBreakingCharacter: Fans are divided on Lady's personality shift between ''3'' and ''4''. It's justified, of course, with Dante's influence rubbing off on her and her having put her traumatic family drama to bed, and some are fine with that since it exemplifies CharacterDevelopment, but some still lament the loss of her more active, aggressive and standoffish personality since they found it more compelling. The latter reaction became more prevalent once Lady suffered a BadassDecay in ''5''. |
| 23 | * BrokenBase: |
| 24 | ** The biggest point of contention in the fandom (''[=DmC=]'' notwithstanding) likely comes from the canonical status of ''Devil May Cry 4: Deadly Fortune'', a two-volume light novel written by Bingo Morihashi, the scenario writer for ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening 3]]'', ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 4]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 5]]'', and his assistant Yasui Kentarou. Bingo considers the novel to be the definitive version of ''4'''s story, but it deviates from the game's plot at multiple points and was written ''after'' he had left Creator/{{Capcom}}'s employ. Because of this, it's been questioned if the novel can be considered anything more than [[WordOfSaintPaul semi-canon at best]], and not all fans ([[http://devils-lair.org/dmc4novel.html for example]]) are on board with certain portions of the narrative, such as [[spoiler:Nero's mother being some nameless prostitute that Vergil had a one-night stand with when he visited Fortuna less than two decades prior (to learn more about Sparda's legacy). ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 5]]'' confirms that Vergil ''did'' have a one-night stand that resulted in Nero, but never knew about Nero until Dante spells it out for him in the climax, Bingo once again as the scenario writer.]] |
| 25 | ** Overlapping with FandomRivalry since two separate continuities are involved, fans of ''[=DmC=]'' say that it was more accessible, had better art direction, a far easier story plot to follow, and a protagonist that contained character development. Fans that loved the original ''DMC'' titles criticized the [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks many changes]] that was implemented, the arguments ranging from criticizing how ''[=DmC=]'' Dante was so [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuoUfyMUQTc drastically different]] compared to original Dante, ''[=DmC=]''[='=]s story being too on the nose and missing the point of the original games' primary themes of how devils can learn to love like humans as well as subtly touching on the theme of family, and the gameplay mechanics that had been overly simplified and lacking ''3'' and ''4''[='=]s mechanical depth and complexities, just to name a few game-related points. In short, some consider ''[=DmC=]'' worth playing, while others feel it simply doesn't match up to the legacy of the older games. The rivalry somehow subsided after the 2015 releases of both the Special Edition for ''4'' and the [[UpdatedReRelease Definitive Edition]] for ''[=DmC=]'', mostly because the playable Vergil in ''4:SE'' incorporated some moves that originated from ''[=DmC=]'' Vergil, while the latter's Definitive Edition [[AuthorsSavingThrow addressed several criticisms]] in order to make the gameplay of ''[=DmC=]'' evoke that of the classic games. Unfortunately, the rivalry flared up again after the [[{{Unreboot}} announcement and release]] of ''5''. While fans of the classic ''DMC'' games were glad that Capcom returned to the original continuity's story and characters, there were still ''[=DmC=]'' fans who wanted a continuation of the alternate continuity's storyline. |
| 26 | * CameraScrew: |
| 27 | ** The games frequently change the camera angle mid-jump, which makes some boss battles or platforming sections harder than intended. The key to your survival is that the game doesn't realign your controls until you land, so you need not jerk the controller around. The third fight with [[spoiler:Griffon]] in ''1'' is nearly unwinnable on higher difficulties because of this. |
| 28 | ** The FixedCamera angles in the first four games can be confusing depending on where they are placed, but usually, the camera faces the door where you just came from, so you have to walk several steps further when you enter a room before knowing what you're about to deal with. |
| 29 | ** The camera in ''2'' is particularly bad. You'll often find yourself shooting away at enemies the camera seems to have no intention of showing you. |
| 30 | ** ''2'' and ''3'' contain some sections where the camera is so far away your character becomes a little figure almost indistinguishable from the similarly-colored objects in the environment, or is hidden by a foreground object. Fortunately, moving your character around reveals their position or shifts the camera to a nearer perspective. |
| 31 | * CargoShip: To those who aren't onboard in shipping Dante with either Lady, Trish, Lucia or [[IncestYayShipping his brother Vergil]], Dante is instead shipped with [[TrademarkFavoriteFood Pizza, Strawberry Sundae]], or the mop in the ''[=DMC3=]'' manga that he proposed to when he was drunk. Nevan is an oddball since even if she has an attractive [[HotAsHell humanoid succubus-like form]], her [[InstrumentOfMurder guitar form]] is sometimes used to pair her with him. |
| 32 | * CharacterPerceptionEvolution: |
| 33 | ** Nero's debut in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' as that game's main protagonist saw him facing an uphill battle with fans who preferred the original protagonist Dante, who filled the role of {{Deuteragonist}}. While Nero's gameplay gained him some fans, it was the controversial reboot ''VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry'' that caused most fans to feel the hatred towards Nero was ill-placed, accepting that he was at least an original character rather than Dante in the reboot, whose appearance and [[AdaptationalJerkass personality]] were very different -- and considered [[UnintentionallyUnsympathetic much less likable]] -- from the original Dante. The thing that completely pulled fan approval into his corner was ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', which [[DivergentCharacterEvolution differentiated him from Dante even further and gave him a lot of development]], as well as an excellent theme. |
| 34 | ** Lucia debuted in the much-maligned ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry2'', which very much colored fans' reaction to her back then and still does to an extent. In addition to feeling she took Trish's place as Dante's partner[[note]]While Trish is playable in the game, she doesn't appear in the game's story[[/note]], many disliked her for her [[WhatTheHellIsThatAccent inscrutable accent]] and subpar voice acting. As time passed, opinion towards Lucia began to soften, with many praising her story arc, her design, fighting style, and even her gameplay. A lot of fans have come to see Lucia as having a personality that would work quite well as a {{Foil}} to the more boisterous and extroverted characters of the ''Devil May Cry'' series and see her as a decent character who had the bad luck of being in a poorly made game. It's not unheard for fans to express hope for her to return in a future game or even a ''Devil May Cry 2'' remake that fixes the flaws of the original. |
| 35 | * CheeseStrategy: |
| 36 | ** In general, a common tactic for ''DMC'' players is to replay the first few levels of the game over and over again and slowly {{Level Grind|ing}} and farm Red Orbs until they can buy all of the playable character's Health and Devil Trigger upgrades, and max out all of the weapons and abilities they've acquired up to that point, then repeat the process whenever new abilities, weapons, or skills are available. This is considered an acceptable, but boring way to play the games even by the developers, which is why there are features that allow players to retain their currencies and farmed items while retrying the levels, such as Mission Select, manual saving, or autosaves. |
| 37 | ** If you have a lot of Red Orbs to spare, you can stockpile [[HolyHandGrenade Holy Waters]] and spam them at the boss that's troubling you, or stockpile Vitality Stars and Devil Stars to keep on refilling your Vitality and DT meters even if you don't have any Gold Orbs left. The games discourage this by tanking the mission's Style points for every item used, but if you don't care about points anyway, it's a last-resort tactic that ''can'' work. Vitality Stars, Devil Stars, and Holy Waters are no longer present in ''5'', though that doesn't stop players from stockpiling the daily Gold Orb login rewards and collecting enough Red Orbs to keep on reviving in that game anyway. |
| 38 | * CommonKnowledge: |
| 39 | ** Because the series' ThemeNaming borrows heavily from ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'', it's a common thing to spell Vergil's name as "Virgil", the [[Creator/{{Virgil}} historical poet]] whom he's [[NamedAfterSomebodyFamous named after]]. |
| 40 | ** Vergil's Summoned Swords are sometimes mistakenly thought as daggers because of their small and thin size. But [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as their name suggests]], they are swords, specifically smaller spectral versions of the [[{{BFS}} Force Edge]]. |
| 41 | ** Anyone with a passing knowledge of the series thinks that Vergil's ability to [[DimensionalCutter create portals to other places by slashing the fabric of space]] is named "Judgement Cut". However, "Judgement Cut" officially refers to Vergil's [[SignatureMove signature]] ChargedAttack with the Yamato where he [[IaijutsuPractitioner quickly unsheathes his katana]] in order to briefly distort space and produce slashes in front of him, dealing damage to his target. And while it has sub-variants named "Judgement Cut End" (Vergil's LimitBreak) and "Slash Dimension" (Dante's slower, yet wider version in ''4''), none of these three named abilities involve creating portal shortcuts at all. |
| 42 | ** There were people who believed Creator/HidekiKamiya was still involved in the ''Devil May Cry'' games past the first one. This actually annoyed him at some point, since he had to [[https://twitter.com/pg_kamiya/status/546855913630363648 repeatedly clarify]] on social media that the only ''DMC'' game he worked on is ''[=DMC1=]''. |
| 43 | * ComplacentGamingSyndrome: |
| 44 | ** The series discourages this via the optional Stylish Rank meter (which goes up as you hit your enemies, but sees diminishing returns from using the same moves over and over, and eventually won't increase it at all), ''but'' that still doesn't stop players from overusing the [[DeadlyLunge Stinger]] move which makes Dante dash forward and likely knock back enemies on contact (mechanics that became staple since ''3'' and onwards) when they'd rather not bother with the whole variation and complex {{combos}}. Other characters [[SharedSignatureMove can perform Stinger as well]] or have their own version of it (i.e. Nero's Streak and Vergil's Rapid Slash). It got to the point where [[Memes/DevilMayCry fans have memes]] about "Stinger Spam" and the sound effects associated with the move. |
| 45 | ** A common strategy with Vergil involves spamming his [[ChargedAttack Judgement Cut]] ability with the Yamato. It can hit enemies from a distance, is executed rather easily (you just need to hold down and release the attack button), and has a stronger version if it's [[JustFrameBonus perfectly-timed]]. Because of its simple input method, Judgement Cut is also used to end combos, or to [[LagCancel cancel the long recovery animations]] of some attacks if the player prefers an aggressive method over the sheathing animations' bonuses. |
| 46 | ** Since [[OneHitPointWonder everything dies in one hit]] when playing on the "Heaven or Hell" difficulty mode, players just tend to use their ranged attacks to kill the enemies as quickly as possible, and greatly reduce the risk of getting hit in return. This strategy trivializes the mode, but at the expense of scoring minimal Stylish points. |
| 47 | ** Giant EliteMooks and bosses aren't easily knocked back, so players developed a common strategy of abusing the [[LagCancel Jump Cancel]] trick when performing aerial combos to maximize their damage output whenever possible before the target could retaliate. |
| 48 | * CompleteMonster: |
| 49 | ** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'': [[CardCarryingVillain Arkham]], seemingly working for Dante's brother Vergil, is revealed as a sinister, power-hungry man who sacrificed his own wife to become a devil himself, as his alter ego [[MonsterClown Jester]]. Arkham [[ManipulativeBastard manipulates everyone]] to lure them into a battle, resulting in Dante, Vergil and Arkham's own daughter Lady -- who [[ArchnemesisDad Arkham]] has no issues brutalizing or even trying to kill -- weakened enough for Arkham to step in and seize the power of Sparda for himself. When he unlocks the power of Sparda, Arkham plans to, as he puts it, "welcome Chaos" all through the world. When Lady confronts him at the game's end, Arkham angrily demands to know what he's done wrong, declaring he [[GodhoodSeeker wants to be a God]], and asking if sacrificing "one miserable human being" to do so was "really so awful". |
| 50 | ** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'': [[SinisterMinister Sanctus]], while [[VillainWithGoodPublicity appearing to be the benevolent head]] of the [[CorruptChurch Order of the Sword]], is in fact a vicious monster. Sanctus covets the powers of Sparda and Vergil and plans on using their swords to control the power of a giant godlike golem, The Savior. To do this, he feeds Nero and Kyrie to it, and had Dante not intervened, they would have both been digested alive; he also murders his own loyal servant Credo for daring to defend his sister Kyrie, even mocking Credo for his love while impaling him on Yamato, claiming that the only thing that matters "is absolute power". The demons that have been killing people throughout the game have been released on Sanctus's orders. When Nero fights Sanctus, Sanctus uses Kyrie as a HumanShield. Despite his [[LightIsNotGood holy trappings and grandfatherly appearance]], Sanctus was an evil monster and one of the worst villains the series had to offer. |
| 51 | ** ''[[VideoGame/DmCDevilMayCry DmC: Devil May Cry]]'': [[PompousPoliticalPundit Bob Barbas]], owner of the widely successful [[StrawmanNewsMedia Raptor News Network]], is secretly the face and voice of the demonic regime. Using his corporation as a front for [[BigBrotherIsWatching monitoring and spying on the human population]] to prevent any opposition against Mundus, Barbas also hosts a popular news program where he blames the resistance movement for the chaos and destruction caused by demons. In his spare time, Barbas is the [[WardensAreEvil cruel warden]] of the Central Penitentiary, a domain in Limbo where so-called traitors and other enemies of the regime are [[AndIMustScream condemned to suffer for eternity]]. |
| 52 | ** ''Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries'': |
| 53 | *** [[FromNobodyToNightmare Sid]] is a [[DirtyCoward cowardly]] lesser demon who will do anything, including [[WouldHurtAChild murdering children]] and fellow demons, to [[AmbitionIsEvil rise in the ranks of Hell]]. Killing a man, Sid wears his skin to [[ManipulativeBastard manipulate]] his friend, Nina Lowell, and later threatens Nina's life to force her daughter, Patty, to activate his ritual to summon the great demon Abigail, to absorb his power. Summoning a demon army to slaughter everyone on Earth, Sid cares nothing for the death and destruction as long as he gets to rule Hell, just to eradicate his own inferiority complex. |
| 54 | *** "[[Recap/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeriesS1E3NotLove Not Love]]": Mayor Mike Hagel's [[TheButlerDidIt butler]] is a seemingly well-mannered servant whose [[PsychoSupporter true loyalty]] lies with the demon Belphegor, wishing to sacrifice the entire human population by condemning them to be EatenAlive. Working alongside the good-hearted demon Bradley in making the preparations for their master's arrival, the butler stabs the mayor and uses his body in a ritual to summon Belphegor for him to devour the entire city while claiming that they would eventually destroy the human world. A [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters human]] who stood in contrast to his benevolent and demonic partner-in-crime, almost driving his own race into extinction to satisfy his master, he served as an example of how some humans are even worse than demons. |
| 55 | ** (LightNovel prequel): The vicious swordsman known only as [[BloodKnight Gilver]] -- revealed in ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 Before the Nightmare]]'' to be an EvilKnockoff of [[Characters/DevilMayCryVergil Vergil]] -- is an [[PsychoForHire ice-cold mercenary]] who shares the elegance and arrogance of the son of Sparda but none of his noble qualities. Rising through the ranks of Bobby's Cellar, Gilver cemented himself in the criminal underworld by slaughtering everything in his path, leaving trails of mutilated corpses in his wake. Gilver's massive body count and sadism inspires many other hitmen to return to the old days where wanton destruction was the norm. While initially a nasty rival obsessed with beating Dante, Gilver is in truth a demon supremacist who has been summoning them to wreak havoc around the city and personally murdering Dante's friends to isolate him, showing his true colors by feeding the entirety of Bobby's Cellar to demons as his way of starting a plan to merge both worlds and let the hellish dimension consume all of humanity. |
| 56 | %% |
| 57 | %% Bring CompleteMonster examples to this thread before adding any: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok&page=1. Check the FAQ first to see what would qualify characters for the trope, and if there has been previous discussion on the work. |
| 58 | %% |
| 59 | * ContinuityLockout: |
| 60 | ** A ''Devil May Cry'' entry would usually reference something (either a CallBack, a ContinuityNod, or a MythologyGag) from the previous entries. These can either be minor and manageable, or it could affect the player's views on the plot. ''[=DMC5=]'' was hit hard with this; its main story and countless franchise-wide references assume that the player is already familiar with the lore of the previous games and their supplementary material, so it can be confusing for those who started with ''5'' as their first ''DMC'' game. |
| 61 | ** Some plot points are explained better or established in the spin-offs than in the games themselves. For example, the anime adaptation shows how Lady and Trish met, its Audio Drama CD explains how Dante's shop was renamed back into "Devil May Cry" from "Devil Never Cry", and the ''Visions of V'' manga covers a lot of V's characterization and backstory that weren't given focus in ''5''. Since several spin-offs or side materials are [[NoExportForYou never released outside of Japan]], many fans are "locked-out" of the lore unless those get translated by others. |
| 62 | * CreatorWorship: |
| 63 | ** Both franchise creator Creator/HidekiKamiya and the director of the series since he left, Hideaki Itsuno, have been practically deified by fans of the classic series. Itsuno, in particular, has garnered a lot of love and sympathy after the revelations of the TroubledProduction that was ''2'', with people marveling that he managed to bring out a working game at all under such circumstances. His stellar work on ''3'', which redeemed him spectacularly in the eyes of fans, has gained him a sterling reputation, more so after the release of ''5''. |
| 64 | ** On the topic of ''Devil May Cry 5'', producer Matt Walker has been seen as a godsend for his approachability and sincerity with the fanbase online as well as reasonable responses to fan concerns, his professionalism and love of the franchise coming through in every interview. It's common for fans to state that this is how Ninja Theory should have handled PR instead of arrogantly flipping off anyone who was disgruntled and then expecting ''[=DmC=]'' to sell well regardless. |
| 65 | * CrossoverShip: |
| 66 | ** There's quite a bit of art out there depicting Dante with [[DistaffCounterpart his female counterpart]] VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}. Talk about a BattleCouple. Jeanne isn't left out; she's often shipped with Vergil. |
| 67 | ** The Sons of Sparda are also paired with Morrigan Aensland from ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}''. In Dante's case, it was helped by their appearance together in ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 Marvel vs. Capcom 3]]''. It was followed by Vergil when he became playable in the UpdatedRerelease of that game. |
| 68 | ** It's also became increasingly common to pair Vergil with Power from ''Manga/ChainsawMan'', namely due to the inherent pun potential thanks to Vergil's various power-related catchphrases about wanting or needing more power. |
| 69 | * EpilepticTrees: |
| 70 | ** The idea of ''Devil May Cry'' and ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' blending together is a {{Crossover}} dream, but some fans believe that both franchises exist in the same {{multiverse}}. Related fan theories and {{Alternative Character Interpretation}}s are affected by this, as some ''DMC'' players believe that Eva is an Umbra Witch. It's expected because both have FriendlyFandoms, Creator/HidekiKamiya directed both ''Devil May Cry 1'' and ''Bayonetta 1'', and Kamiya himself has hinted that [[https://twitter.com/PG_kamiya/status/746620826703691776 his games are "all connected"]]. This became implausible after Kamiya left Capcom for Creator/PlatinumGames, while the next ''DMC'' games aren't directed by him and don't reference ''Bayonetta'' lore at all. ''Bayonetta'' also has several [[ShoutOut references]] to ''[=DMC1=]'', but it's been debated if those are canon or not. However, supporters of this theory also claim that an AlternateContinuity might be considered on the side of ''DMC'' (because Capcom acknowledged ''VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry'' as an alternate continuity game separate from the classic games). This still persists even a decade later, but on a more light-hearted note as fans [[MemeticMutation memed]] that Vergil is the white-haired figure at the end of the ''VideoGame/Bayonetta3'' trailer on September 2021. |
| 71 | ** Some fans believe that the zweihander Nelo Angelo wields is actually a corrupted version of the Yamato; in ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening 3:SE]]'', Corrupted Vergil's [[SuperMode Devil Trigger]] has him become Nelo Angelo, with the Yamato replaced by Nelo Angelo's sword. Similarly, they believe that Nelo Angelo's death factors into the Yamato's broken appearance in ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 4]]'', and point out ''Deadly Fortune'' as another source to support it; the light novel mentions that a broken Yamato and fragments of Nelo Angelo's armor ended up in Fortuna. However, it's still a question if the Yamato and Nelo Angelo's sword are the same or not because some factors made it more confusing; the Yamato isn't originally described as Vergil's memento (In ''[=DMC1=]'', only Sparda is mentioned as its wielder, and it's only until ''[=DMC3=]'' where we learn that it was passed to Vergil), the canonicity of the novel has been [[BrokenBase debated for a long time]], and ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 5]]'' reveals that the Proto Angelos' greatswords are very similar to that of Nelo Angelo's. |
| 72 | ** According to the in-game lore, the Red Orbs that are used as currency are actually crystallized demon blood. That's reasonable enough when you get them from slain demons, but chairs, statues and other inanimate objects drop them too, as a way for the games to implement the RewardingVandalism trope. There's no concrete lore that explains why Red Orbs should drop from ordinary objects, so some fans who are into myths and folklore came up with one - Obviously, the "objects" are [[AnimateInanimateObject Tsukumogami]] hoping to avoid Dante's wrath by pretending to still be inanimate. It's the only way to explain them dropping crystallized demon blood. |
| 73 | * EscapistCharacter: |
| 74 | ** Dante. A witty, snarky, badass Half-Demon HunterOfHisOwnKind who does all kinds of ridiculous over-the-top stylish stunts in both gameplay and cutscenes and runs his own kickass Demon Hunting business. Who wouldn't want to be as cool as him? |
| 75 | ** The ''Devil May Cry'' series uses many tropes and concepts that are common in anime, so Vergil is the usual escapist character for ''DMC'' fans who are also into anime. His [[AnimeHair spiky hair]], [[BadassLongcoat stylish blue longcoat]], and flashly Japanese-based [[IaijutsuPractitioner Iaijutsu]] fighting style with the Yamato are common factors for this. |
| 76 | * EstrogenBrigade: Dante, Vergil, Nero, Credo and V attract a lot of fangirls. This results into SlashFics within the fanfiction and fanart communities. Capcom has also acknowledged the female fanbase of the ''Devil May Cry'' series, as a character artist for ''[=DMC3=]'' specifically states in the ''Note of Naught'' artbook that [[MrFanservice coatless Vergil]] "was designed to give our women users huge {{nosebleed}}s.", and recurring series director Hideaki Itsuno also mentioned his surprise that "V is quite popular with girls" while he was being interviewed for ''VideoGame/DevilMayCryPeakOfCombat''. |
| 77 | * EventObscuringCamera: |
| 78 | ** The AdvancingWallOfDoom sections in ''3'' and ''4'' have their camera facing the thing that's chasing you from behind, which makes it a bit hard to anticipate the path ahead. |
| 79 | ** Some fights against gigantic bosses are made more challenging because of the camera angles, especially when you're locked-on. In ''1'', the camera would look down when you fall off the platform during [[spoiler:the second phase of Mundus's fight]]. In ''3'', the camera might not properly show Cerberus when he charges forward. This is more prevalent in ''5'' because the camera would always face and focus on the boss, so your character can be off-screen when fighting Nidhogg, or the camera would look down when you're jumping near [[spoiler:Urizen during his third boss fight]]. |
| 80 | * EvilIsCool: Even though he usually gets canonically defeated in the games that feature him, Vergil seems to have more than, if not equal to the number of fans that Dante has. This is likely because Vergil and Dante are badasses but on different scales. Dante's the carefree badass, while Vergil's the refined badass with a katana, a slick outfit, a more distinct hairstyle, a fighting style with a more deadly precision, and a more formal attitude. |
| 81 | * FandomEnragingMisconception: |
| 82 | ** It's mostly about acronyms. To the fans, ''[=DmC=]'' is different from ''[=DMC=]''. The former refers to the AlternateContinuity [[VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry game]] developed by Creator/NinjaTheory, while the latter refers to the franchise as a whole, but '''especially''' the classic continuity. Getting them mixed up during discussions isn't a nice thing as it can cause confusion. |
| 83 | ** Misspelling Vergil's name as "Virgil". It initially started as an [[CommonKnowledge easy mistake]] due to the character's name being [[NamedAfterSomebodyFamous thematically derived from]] the historical poet. But as the series became a long-runner and had more online exposure after the release of ''[=DMC5=]'', the other spelling also became more widespread. Since the late [=2022s=], it's such an enraging misconception to the point where the [[Website/{{Reddit}} Devil May Cry Subreddit]] allowed a [[MemeticMutation "foolishness"]] bot that would detect posts containing "Virgil", and then remind the poster that the ''DMC'' character's name should be spelled "Vergil". |
| 84 | * FandomRivalry: ''Devil May Cry'' and ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' are similar in a way because they are HackAndSlash franchises with some puzzles thrown, but set on different ends of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism and the former running on RuleOfCool and the latter best described as [[DarkerAndEdgier Rule of Brutal]]. Comparisons and debates between them can become volatile, but there had been more vitriolic points of contention which are mostly instigated by the more provocative fans. Some point out that ''DMC'' is older by 4 years so ''[=GoW=]'' just [[FollowTheLeader followed]] the HackAndSlash niche that it started, but others ignore that otherwise. The most strutted examples surfaced a decade later because gamers have been comparing ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'' and ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5''. It's still heavily-debated on which game has a better combat system or story. The public or critical reception of both only fueled the fire, as ''[=GoW=]'' had a higher Metacritic score than ''[=DMC5=]'' and it won Game of the Year on 2018 when the latter won a more specific Action Game of the Year on 2019. The debate is sometimes rekindled by gaming journalism, such as [[https://screenrant.com/devil-may-cry-3-special-edition-review/ a review on the Nintendo Switch version]] of ''[=DMC3=]'' comparing it to ''[=GoW=]''. |
| 85 | * FandomVIP: There are several "Combo MAD" content creators (those who showcase flashy, flawless and stylish combo videos) on Website/YouTube, but for the long-time players of the series, one of the most popular among them is Donguri (a.k.a. [=Donguri990=]), who usually gets recommended to newcomers wanting to watch high-level ''DMC'' gameplay. |
| 86 | * FanNickname: [[FanNickname/DevilMayCry Has its own page]]. |
| 87 | * {{Fanon}}: |
| 88 | ** [[OnlyOneName Most characters aren't given surnames]], though fans have commonly-used ones: |
| 89 | *** Patronymics such as "Sparda" or "Spardason" for Dante and Vergil. The idea of using patronymics mostly comes from the other characters' habit of calling Dante as "Son of Sparda". A dialogue line from Mundus to Dante in the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 first game]] is attributed to support the former patronymic choice. |
| 90 | ---->'''Mundus:''' Again, I must face a Sparda... Strange fate. Isn't it? |
| 91 | *** Only Dante has used the "Tony Redgrave" alias in the past, yet it became common for fans to use "Redgrave" as the surname of Vergil and Nero as well. |
| 92 | ** One of the most popular fan theories is that after ''[=DMC3=]'', Dante spends much of the series suffering from depression because of the idea that he already lost his last remaining family member, Vergil. This would then justify his more moody behavior in ''2'' and the anime spin-off. Afterwards, meeting Nero in ''4'' [[HesBack brought him back to his usual self]] from the brink of depression because he realized that he still has a family. This idea was originally derived from an early AlternativeCharacterInterpretation for Dante, but [[https://www.reddit.com/r/DevilMayCry/comments/ao3pji/the_new_chronology_actually_explains_dantes_mood/ more fans were on board with it]] when the series timeline became ''3'' > ''1'' > ''TAS'' > ''2'' > ''4'' > ''5'', especially since ''TAS'' now takes place right before ''Devil May Cry 2'', where Dante was moodier than in any games made before and since. |
| 93 | ** The series' AnachronicOrder was [[{{Retcon}} updated]] to make ''[=DMC2=]'' take place between [[Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries the anime]] and ''4'', a decision that was [[AuthorsSavingThrow better received]] because Dante's personality in ''2'' is [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation more cohesive]] if it follows the anime. However, it can be argued a few plot holes still exist if the events of ''4'' are considered; the biggest one likely being why Dante didn't use the Ultimate Devil Trigger in ''4'' if he already had access to it in ''2'' (A "Double Devil Trigger" was actually conceptualized for ''4'' before being [[WhatCouldHaveBeen scrapped]]). A common fan explanation mentions that neither ''2'' nor ''4'' depict Dante activating his regular Devil Trigger for combat purposes as opposed to the first and third games. (The closest he comes is when he partially transforms after his first fight with Nero in ''4'', seemingly an involuntary reaction to Nero's Devil Bringer.) This suggests he was at a level of power where the threat of either game didn't necessitate his full strength, which would be in line with ''4''[='s=] claim that [[SuperiorSuccessor Dante had surpassed Sparda]]. |
| 94 | ** One humorous idea common in the fandom is that Nero initially thought Dante was his father before Dante told him it was Vergil. |
| 95 | %%* FauxSymbolism |
| 96 | * FanworkOnlyFans: There are those who admit engaging with the ''Devil May Cry'' series because they like its fan-made content (such as [[MemeticMutation memes]], gameplay showcases, [[GameMod mod]] demonstration videos, cosplays, fanfics, fanart and [[CoverVersion song covers]]), but without even having played any of the games just yet. There are factors that contributed to this, such as the first three games [[NoPortForYou being exclusive]] to the Platform/PlayStation2 during the franchise's early days, the NewbieBoom brought by online exposure to ''DMC''-related content ever since ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' was released, or due to ''DMC'' fans being spread out to [[FriendlyFandoms other related fandoms]]. |
| 97 | * FountainOfMemes: Dante and Vergil. Their most iconic lines and conversations have been memed to hell and back by the ''DMC'' fans, and those are mostly sourced from ''[=DMC3=]'' and ''[=DMC5=]''. For example, Dante is remembered for "This party's getting crazy! Let's rock!", while Vergil is remembered for "Now I'm a little motivated!" among other memetic quotes. |
| 98 | * FriendlyFandoms: |
| 99 | ** ''DMC'' fans upset over the [[VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry reboot]] support ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' for its fast gameplay and Raiden's appearance, which is closer to the original Dante than the reboot's Dante. |
| 100 | ** Most ''Devil May Cry'' fans are also fans of the ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' series due to ''Bayonetta'' being the CreatorDrivenSuccessor of the ''Devil May Cry'' series. |
| 101 | ** The series also tends to share some fans with the ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'' series, both being Japanese StylishAction franchises with mostly serious narratives and incredibly over the top, comical gameplay. |
| 102 | ** Considering the first game's origins as a possible version of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', there's a natural overlap between the ''Devil May Cry'' and ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' fanbases, despite both series being polar opposites in terms of gameplay. It also helps that ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake'' and ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' both came out in the same year, were both considered to be a return to form for their respective franchises, and both used the RE Engine that was introduced in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil7''. |
| 103 | ** Although ''Devil May Cry'', ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' and ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' are all Capcom [=IPs=] in the first place, it mostly took the arrival of ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' for the fanbases to notice a significant merge of interests, causing some fans to try out or familiarize themselves with the other two [=IPs=]. ''[=MvC3=]'' is also attributed as the reason why more ''DMC'' fans explored {{Fighting Game}}s even up to several years later, which includes titles like ''VideoGame/DNFDuel'', as evidenced by the ''DMC''-related {{Fan Nickname}}s and [[GameMod mods]] in the latter. |
| 104 | ** With ''VideoGame/DragonsDogma'' fans simply due to both Capcom franchises having a similar recurring director, Hideaki Itsuno. This became more apparent when Itsuno immediately began working on ''VideoGame/DragonsDogmaII'' as his next major game project after ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5: Special Edition''. |
| 105 | ** With ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' fans, especially when their 2004 revival HackAndSlash entry became popular and ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' was released on 2005. There are plenty of comparisons between franchises, but it mostly started because the two aforementioned games were DuelingGames. |
| 106 | ** The ''Devil May Cry'' fandom has an overlap of gamers who are also interested in anime, particularly fans of other DemonSlaying and/or supernatural-related UrbanFantasy media such as ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'', ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' and ''Manga/ChainsawMan'', or a specific action-oriented series such as ''[[Franchise/FateSeries Fate]]''. This was first evident when the ''DMC'' [[Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries anime]] arrived on 2007. The shared fandom is the reason why Dante and Vergil are respectively compared to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, why ''[=DMC4=]'' had a {{fan nickname}} of "Bleach May Cry", and why there was a trend of palette-swapping Vergil and Archer Emiya. |
| 107 | ** Speaking of anime, there's a great deal of ''DMC'' fans who also play certain {{Animesque}} games such as ''VideoGame/HonkaiImpact3rd'', ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'' or ''VideoGame/PunishingGrayRaven'' after being aware of the other games' references or similarities to the ''DMC'' franchise (such as a StylishAction gameplay, or third-party characters having identical animations to ''DMC'' characters). Aside from those, shared memes also contributed to the fandom overlap with ''DMC'' and other non-StylishAction GachaGames such as ''VideoGame/{{Arknights}}''. |
| 108 | ** With fans of ''Franchise/{{Doom}}'', as the protagonists of both series slay troops of demons as their everyday jobs, and both series have Rock 'n Roll and Heavy Metal soundtracks. Since the late [=2010s=], there seems to be some crossover between ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'' and ''Devil May Cry 5'' fans. [[https://www.reddit.com/r/DevilMayCry/comments/fltf7l/dante_throws_a_bash_to_celebrate_a_fellow_demon/ There]] [[https://www.reddit.com/r/DevilMayCry/comments/g4a6c8/demonslaying_quarantine_buddies/ is quite a]] [[https://twitter.com/amostheartmanns/status/1224323123627151361 bit of fanart]] portraying Dante and Doomslayer as friends. |
| 109 | ** Many fans of ''Devil May Cry'' became well-acquainted with the ''[[WebVideo/TwoBestFriendsPlay Best Friends]]'' fanbase near the end of the latter series' run, when ''Devil May Cry 5'' was announced and Pat and Woolie played through the entire series (except for ''2''). |
| 110 | ** Most ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' fans will also likely be fans of ''Devil May Cry'' as well, due to both series' being part of the HackAndSlash genre. It also helps that Travis and [[spoiler: Henry]] are semi-parodies of Dante and Vergil. |
| 111 | ** Fans of ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' get along well with ''Devil May Cry'' fans because Creator/ReubenLangdon (Dante), Creator/DanSouthworth (Vergil), Creator/JohnnyYongBosch (Nero), and David de Lautour (''[=DmC=]'' Vergil) were in that franchise prior to ''Devil May Cry''. It was further evident when Dan Southworth reprises Eric Myers/Quantum Red Ranger in ''VideoGame/PowerRangersBattleForTheGrid'' and drops ''numerous'' Vergil references in his battle quotes. |
| 112 | ** Upon the reveal that ''VideoGame/LegoStarWars: The Skywalker Saga'' was going to be utilizing combat more akin to a HackAndSlash, fans of games like ''Devil May Cry'', ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'', ''VideoGame/AstralChain'', ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'', and ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' flocked to the game quickly as a result, due to the combo-based fighting system that was a change from previous ''LEGO'' games. |
| 113 | ** High odds are fans of ''VideoGame/HiFiRush'' also fans of ''Devil May Cry'' due to them being fun, over-the-top action games with a goofy, yet endearing storyline and characters. |
| 114 | * GameplayDerailment: [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools A positive example.]] High-level gameplay in the ''DMC'' series, especially for ''3'' and ''4'', involves players [[GoodBadBugs abusing the ever-loving hell out of various exploits]] regarding combo strings and the physics engine to stylishly kill everything on-screen in times that are flat-out ''impossible'' even by the best "normal" player. [[RuleOfCool It's nothing short of absurd]], [[RuleOfFun and no less pleasing to the eye]]. To wit, there were even ''[[http://devils-lair.org/tourney.php tournaments]]'' held for ''[=DMC3=]'' starting in 2005, [[http://www.phantombabies.net/TST4/ the True Style Tournament,]] to see who could effectively break the game the best, and similar events have continued on to the rest of the series in the following years--including Capcom and Capcom Unity [[https://www.neogaf.com/threads/capcom-unitys-devil-may-cry-4-se-official-style-tournament-final-round-is-a-go.1106378/ organizing official Style Tournaments]] to celebrate the release of ''4:SE'' and ''[=DmC:DE=]''. Capcom has also [[AscendedGlitch legitimized]] a number of advanced techniques discovered by the community, such as jump canceling and [[http://devilmaycry.wikia.com/wiki/Distortion Distorted Combos]] (most famously seen with the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8hx5licmrM Distorted Real Impact]]). |
| 115 | * GameBreaker: [[PromotedToPlayable Playable]] Vergil is always overpowered, mostly because he has mechanics and moves that the other playable characters can't easily replicate. Some of these recurring mechanics allow him to quickly teleport to the target, fire his Summoned Swords while performing melee attacks (the Summoned Swords also equate to an InstantDeathRadius on "Heaven Or Hell" mode just like other ranged weapons), or refill his Devil Trigger gauge whenever he sheates the Yamato. Other mechanics are game-specific, yet are still game-breakers, such as his Concentration Gauge in ''4:SE'' and ''5:SE'' making him [[StatusBuff stronger]] if he performs well in combat, or his "World of V" skill in ''5:SE'' allowing him to [[HealThyself instantly recover some health]] at the cost of his Concentration. He is DifficultButAwesome to effectively play as because you have to juggle a lot of mechanics, but you don't need to reach such high-level gameplay to realize that most of his basic mechanics trivialize a lot of fights. And even if Vergil has [[NecessaryDrawback drawbacks]], those are usually minor and easily overshadowed by his strengths. |
| 116 | * GatewaySeries: The generation of gamers who grew up in the 2000's often cite the ''Devil May Cry'' series as their introduction to the HackAndSlash[=/=]BeatEmUp games. |
| 117 | * GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Interview excerpts with the staff once confirmed that the ''Devil May Cry'' series was intentionally marketed towards Western and Japanese gamers. However, the series has its fair share of vocal fans from other specific nations. |
| 118 | ** Spain and Russia, judging from the comments, memes and video content made by them on sites like Website/YouTube. |
| 119 | ** China, as there are ''DMC'' memes and video clips that were originating from [=BiliBili=]. It also got to the point where an [[https://www.pocketgamer.biz/asia/interview/68023/the-making-of-mihoyos-honkai-impact-3rd/ interview]] with Creator/MiHoYo's co-founder, Forrest Wei Liu, [[WordOfGod confirmed]] that ''Devil May Cry'' and ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' were two action series that served as gameplay [[InspirationForTheWork inspirations]] for ''VideoGame/HonkaiImpact3rd''. And then on the late 2010s, Capcom is collaborating with Chinese developer [=NebulaJoy=] to create ''Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat'', an upcoming {{Gacha Game|s}} spin-off of the franchise. |
| 120 | ** The United Kingdom, as "Devil Trigger", Nero's theme song from ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', was the [[https://twitter.com/dev1_official/status/1006701949645828096/ #1 rock song in the UK]] at the time of its release. |
| 121 | * GoodBadBugs: Though commonly mistaken to be actual bugs, there are several unintentional exploits in the series: Jump Canceling in ''3'' and ''4'', which allows for infinite aerial maneuvers; roll cancelling out of the Grenadegun's firing animation and Shotgun Hiking in the first game, etc. |
| 122 | * HesJustHiding: |
| 123 | ** For over a decade, Vergil's last {{canon}}ical appearance in the first ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry1'' saw him outright exploding. Yet, the fandom refused to believe that he was dead even when his signature weapon Yamato was inherited by Nero and the Angelos were created by his body/armor being experimented on in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4''. And then suddenly, this reaction got resolved when ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' showed Vergil alive and retaking Yamato to heal himself. However, [[UnexplainedRecovery there is no real explanation for how he was still alive]] to begin with. |
| 124 | ** Sparda. The {{Narrator}} from the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 first game]] stated that he died [[labelnote:Excerpt]]"His name was Sparda. Later, he quietly reigned the human world, and continued to preserve harmony, until his death."[[/labelnote]], Arkham in the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening third game]]'s manga stated that he died, but for some reason, the fans insist that he only "disappeared" (and is likely to return one day), basing it on a misinterpreted line in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry2'' or Modeus's musing in the [[Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries animated series]]. No one ever bothers to answer the question of just ''what'' Sparda might be doing if he did simply just vanish. |
| 125 | * HilariousInHindsight: |
| 126 | ** Vergil's katana, Yamato, has its name written as 閻魔刀 in Japanese. 閻魔 ("Enma") is the Japanese name of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yama_(Buddhism) Buddhist god of the dead, Yama]]. The weapon's etymology is even acknowledged InUniverse in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' under "The Legend of Sparda" library file; the Yamato was a devil sword of Sparda and is intentionally named to "embody a god of death". In the WebAnimation/{{Hololive}} fandom, Ina's stream manager, [=ENMa-chan=], also happens to be [[MeaningfulName named after the same god of the dead]], she became infamous for killing a Tank in ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' with a katana, and is therefore commonly depicted as a [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana-wielder]]. ''Devil May Cry'' fans who are also into hololive found it interesting that there are now at least two characters who associate the god Enma with a katana, and thus compare [=ENMa-chan=] with Vergil. |
| 127 | ** The "Berried Delight" meme only becomes funnier when you realize it uses strawberries in its recipe (and strawberry sundaes are one of Dante's favorite foods). Looks like the Sparda brothers aren't so different after all). |
| 128 | * IdiosyncraticShipNaming: "Spardacest" for the ship of [[IncestYayShipping Dante and Vergil]]. |
| 129 | * IncestYayShipping: There are fanworks that ship the twin brothers Dante and Vergil. |
| 130 | * ItsEasySoItSucks: |
| 131 | ** ''2'' took away much of the challenge of the first game that made it so popular. |
| 132 | ** Compared to the classic ''DMC'' games, the reboot's reworked style system, Devil Trigger, and weapons systems make it a breeze for series veterans. |
| 133 | * MagicFranchiseWord: Due to Vergil saying it a lot in his BossBanter, the word "Motivation" is engraved enough in the ''Devil May Cry'' community as a [[MemeticMutation meme]] for more than a decade, so mentioning it will evoke a reaction from any ''DMC'' fan especially if the topic is about Vergil, or simply related to {{katanas|AreJustBetter}} and [[IaijutsuPractitioner iaido]]. |
| 134 | * MemeticBadass: |
| 135 | ** Dante, although his playable version is not ''entirely'' memetic. The real badass though, is the Dante portrayed in the [[CutscenePowerToTheMax over-the-top cutscenes]], also [[FanNickname called by fans]] as "[[CutscenePowerToTheMax Cutscene Dante]]", someone who can perform feats that can't be replicated in actual gameplay. Because his Ebony & Ivory can OneHitKill bosses in cutscenes, some fans joke that he can also destroy galaxies with one shot. |
| 136 | ** Vergil as well, for being a [[FountainOfMemes motivated storm that is approaching]] who is a GameBreaker in ''every'' game where he's playable, even [[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 outside of]] ''DMC''. While he was already considered a memetic badass ever since ''[=DMC3=]'', his reputation and related memes even grew further with the release of ''[=DMC5=]'' and its [[UpdatedReRelease Special Edition]]. His weapon, Yamato, is also affected by this trend; while he can create portals out of thin air by slashing with his weapon, some fans and memes joke that Yamato also allows him to create portals to other alternate universes or third-party video game [=IPs=]. |
| 137 | * MemeticHair: Vergil's slicked-back silver hair became iconic as his quotes, it turned into a memetic hair on the Internet. Simple meme edits crop his hair from any of the ''DMC'' games and put it on top of other pop culture characters should the meme make a ''DMC'' reference. Other edits have the character [[https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UY_GPkjSF7E slicking their hair back]]. ''DMC'' fans also label anything that closely resembles Vergil's hairstyle with nicknames such as the "Motivated Hair". Somebody also made a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0KrI_z_LGA Salon Tutorial]] for the ''[=DMC5=]'' version, while a ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' developer even noted [[https://youtu.be/bZfY1RIeocQ?t=311 Fujin was "motivated"]] when showcasing his slicked-back pointy hair cosmetic. |
| 138 | * MemeticMutation: [[Memes/DevilMayCry Has its own page]]. |
| 139 | * MisaimedFandom: While Vergil is sympathetic, he's still a villain, and willing to unleash a demonic invasion on a town by opening Sparda's seal if it will get him power. Some fans gloss over this. The revelation in ''5'' that [[spoiler:V is Vergil's human side, cast off from his now-unrestrained demon half and [[IHatePastMe ashamed]]/[[MyGodWhatHaveIDone horrified]] by his previous lust for power]], as well as [[spoiler:the revived Vergil making amends for the destruction he wrought as Urizen in pursuit of the Qliphoth's power by sealing himself in Demon World to destroy the demonic tree from that side]] seem to be the writers' attempts at correcting this notion. |
| 140 | * MyRealDaddy: The franchise may have been the brainchild of Hideki Kamiya, the majority of its direction from both a lore and gameplay perspective for all sequels to the original game were under the direction of Hideaki Itsuno. Given that two of the games he's personally directed (''3'' and ''V'') are regarded as being the series' highest points, not to mention his near-universal enthusiasm and willingness to interact with the community more, to say pockets of the ''DMC'' fandom credit Itsuno as more influential than Kamiya isn't too surprising. |
| 141 | * NarmCharm: The ''DMC'' franchise practically runs on silliness and usually doesn't take itself too seriously. Even if the locale is overrun by demons, the heroes' playful reactions in combat are understandable because they know that they are stronger and more powerful than most of the demons they're up against. After all, why should you fear something that's weaker than you? |
| 142 | * OlderThanTheyThink: |
| 143 | ** Almost any other video game character who fights using quick-draw slashes with a katana/nodachi usually gets called a "Vergil reference" or expy. However, Vergil's general fighting style is called [[IaijutsuPractitioner Iaijutsu]], it's a pre-existing style and not a new trend invented by Capcom. Nonetheless, certain third-party characters are still considered as Vergil expies if they are similar to his characterization, aesthetics, if they copy his flashy attack animations and iconic moves (such as his Judgement Cut spawning sharp distortions at a close range from rapid-fast unsheathes), or if the developers themselves admit using the ''Devil May Cry'' series as an [[InspirationForTheWork inspiration]]. |
| 144 | ** Although this franchise's title primarily serves as a [[{{Pun}} wordplay]] on the English idiom "devil may care", the PopCulturalOsmosis, Video game culture and the Internet helped in specifically associating the phrase "Devil May Cry" with this Capcom franchise ever since the early 2000s. This includes any variant mentioning the possibility of a "demon" crying, including the longer TitleDrop from ''[=DMC3=]'' ("Even a devil may cry when they've lost a loved one") However, the phrase "Even a demon can shed tears" was also attributed to the story of UsefulNotes/HattoriHanzo, a Japanese SamuraiShinobi from the 1500s. |
| 145 | * OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight: There's a VocalMinority that believes any installment beyond Creator/HidekiKamiya's involvement in the series is not worth paying attention to anymore aside from their gameplay. These people note points such as Dante's occasional ButtMonkey attributes and bad luck as being disrespectful to Kamiya's original portrayal, ignoring that Kamiya himself presented Dante in a similar way with Trish needing to sell his Devil Arms for money in ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe''. Others believe that he's too lighthearted, not taking any situation seriously and overplaying his attitude shown in the original game to the point that they decry Dante from ''3'' onwards as a caricature of himself. However, as mentioned on this page, Kamiya's successor Hideaki Itsuno is adored by almost the entire fanbase for shaping the franchise into what it is today, with fans loving the complex and heartwarming way Dante is presented in throughout the series. |
| 146 | * PeripheryDemographic: Dante has attracted a large fandom who enjoy him for not just his wacky cutscene antics, but also for the hints that he suffers from depression following the events of ''3'' alongside his attitude in ''2'' and the anime. He's often said to be one of the better understated representations of depressed individuals in modern media. |
| 147 | * PlayerTic: Thanks to Dante's real-time [[StanceSystem Style Switching]] mechanic in ''4'' and ''5'', players developed a habit of amusing themselves by [[https://youtu.be/hum-6NviGp4?t=12 quickly cycling into all of Dante's Styles one after the other]] and listen to him rapidly declaring the initial parts of the Styles' names. This is the basis of the [[Memes/DevilMayCry "TRICKSWORDROYGUN" trend of memes]]. Although the Nintendo Switch port of ''3:SE'' uses clanging sound effects instead of Dante's Style name declarations when it integrated Style Switching, the player tic still lived on and created the "CLANGCLANGCLANG" jokes as an alternative. |
| 148 | * PlayTheGameSkipTheStory: There's enough backstory and lore that explain the motivations of the playable characters and why they have to fight demons. The series also has a CentralTheme about fatherhood or legacy, and a recurring topic of humanity and ThePowerOfLove being stronger than pure demonic power. However, there's a lot of ContinuityLockOut involved (among other game-specific story-related issues), so the general public mostly just remembers the ''Devil May Cry'' games for their main selling points; the fast-paced gameplay, the characters' attack animations, and the stylish techniques gamers can pull off with enough practice. |
| 149 | * ReplacementScrappy: Many fans saw Nero as one [[TaintedByThePreview before the fourth game finally came out]], under the idea that he would completely replace Dante as the main protagonist. However after the release of ''[=DmC=]'' and then ''5'', most agree that the hate was ill-placed. The general complaint about ''[=DmC=]'' is that Ninja Theory and Capcom somehow managed to make the rebooted Dante a Replacement Scrappy ''to himself'', or specifically, his classic counterpart, by having him take Nero's brash attitude and foul-mouthed behavior and amplify them to obnoxious levels. Furthermore, ''5'' would flesh out Nero's character and show his true heroic depths while lining up his attitude as being more akin to both [[spoiler:his father and uncle]] but with a reasonably cruder tongue. |
| 150 | * RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: |
| 151 | ** As soon as people learned that Nero was going to replace Dante as the lead for ''4'', they hated the new character, but grew a soft spot for him when seeing him in action. ''5'' has helped Nero come into his own more than ever, with his fresh new haircut, fashion sense, and robotic arm widening the gap between him and Dante even further; this Nero's hardly the same character as before. Nero was also accidentally rescued from the heap when ''[=DmC=]'' was released. For example, the Gaming Brit [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0a_QlurNZU#t=15s took back every negative comment he said about Nero]] after seeing Dante's characterization in the reboot. |
| 152 | ** There's also a [[WinBackTheCrowd meta example]] in the post-Creator/HidekiKamiya games. The director of ''[[SophomoreSlump 2]]'', Hideaki Itsuno, was also the director of ''3'' and ''4'', and currently is the director of ''5''. To wit, in an interview for the artbook ''3142 Graphic Arts'', Itsuno revealed that he had been brought in as director just [[https://imgur.com/yd3bXLu six months]] before ''2'''s deadline, explaining the less than stellar end result, whereas with ''3'', he was given control right from the start, explaining the sheer improvement (as well ''3'' being a form of an apology). This [[https://imgur.com/Je7pjBP surprised]] [[https://www.reddit.com/r/DevilMayCry/comments/8tcvw0/reminder_that_dmc2_was_essentially_a_miracle/ many fans]]. |
| 153 | * SelfImposedChallenge: |
| 154 | ** Some players choose to use only the character's default equipment, such as not bothering with new Devil Arms with Dante, or having Yamato-only runs with Vergil. It also goes along with the challenge of clearing harder modes without using the upgrades carried over via NewGamePlus. The specifics of the latter can vary between the games. For example in ''3:SE'', clearing the game on Normal mode allows you to start a fresh Vergil playthrough on Hard mode, while in ''4'', you can reset and refund the skills unlocked with Proud Souls. Another related challenge involves players [[MinimalistRun ignoring collectibles]] such as Blue Orbs, Blue Orb Fragments and Purple Orbs in order to play the harder modes without any Vitality Gauge and Devil Trigger Gauge upgrades. |
| 155 | ** Fighting enemies or bosses while staying in the air all throughout, a.k.a. "The Floor Is Lava Challenge". The games have an emphasis on aerial combos and movement, while the [[GoombaSpringboard "Kick Jump" / "Enemy Step"]] mechanic just makes this feasible by letting you jump off the enemy to maintain altitude. The difficulty varies depending on the target, as some can teleport away or knock you off the air. |
| 156 | * SequelDifficultyDrop: Blatant between ''1'' and ''2''. Also happens between ''3'' and ''4'', although in the latter case, it's more due to the Western release of ''3'' being infamously difficult. |
| 157 | * ShipToShipCombat: There are debates on which character could Dante end up with, so there's a division between those who ship him with Lady, Trish, and Lucia (usually in that order of general popularity). Many fans are {{squick}}ed out by the fact that Trish looks like Eva, so Dante probably wouldn't want to fall in love with someone who resembles his mother, making Lady a safe choice since they have some ShipTease moments in ''[=DMC3=]''. A counterpoint to that one mentions how Lady is turned off by Dante's irresponsibility when it comes to money. The two girls' ambiguous feelings for Dante doesn't help matters, which further leads to [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation fans interpreting]] their love for him as either sexual or platonic. Pairing Dante with Lucia is not as common due to ''[=DMC2=]'' not being all that popular. Another group ships Dante with the demon [[HotAsHell Nevan]] as a possible choice, while the YaoiFangirls bring up the pairing of Dante and Vergil as another possibility. |
| 158 | * SpiritualSuccessor: To ''VideoGame/MetalGear''. ''Devil May Cry'' is also a Japanese action game series with many nods to American action cinema, and where twin sons fight over their inexplicably missing father's legacy. Some comparisons have been discussed among fans, which may also have helped in forming FriendlyFandoms between the classic ''DMC'' games and ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'', the ''Metal Gear'' series' take on a StylishAction game. |
| 159 | * StarTrekMovieCurse: ''2'' is widely considered to be a step down from ''1''. ''4'', while quite well-liked, is also considered a little step down compared to the beloved ''3''. ''[=DmC=]'' is more controversial and divisive than ''4'', although that game is set on an AlternateContinuity and still had its fans. Years later, ''5'' is highly-praised, and well-acclaimed critically and financially. The classic continuity games alternate between being generally praised, or being criticized for their issues and TroubledProduction. |
| 160 | * StopHavingFunGuys: Some players criticize those who use Easy Automatic mode, partly because they are seen as unwilling to learn the game in depth. Another reason is that (in ''3'' and ''4'') it results in a loss of precision as combos are largely random. [[http://devilmaycry.wikia.com/wiki/Automatic_Mode As noted on the Wiki]], the mode restricts what the controls can do, rather than simply making a real jumping-on point for beginners. Other players don't mind either way. |
| 161 | * SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: ''2'', helmed by Hideaki Itsuno, is considered borderline CanonDiscontinuity. ''3'', also directed by Itsuno, revived the wise-cracking Dante, brought back the NintendoHard difficulty (so much so that they had to do an UpdatedRerelease in part to [[DifficultyByRegion reorder the difficulties so the classifications would make more sense]]), and restored a tighter physics engine more akin to the first game (but now with a diverse StanceSystem called "Styles" and the ability for true RealTimeWeaponChange on both firearms and Devil Arms). ''4'' retains much of the core design from ''3'' while adding its own features (although all the backtracking might have dropped it a peg or two with the fans). ''5'' [[AuthorsSavingThrow fixed plenty of stuff]] that were criticized from ''4''. |
| 162 | * ThatOneBoss: [[ThatOneBoss/DevilMayCry Has its own page]]. |
| 163 | * TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: |
| 164 | ** Lucia, after being one of the two main protagonists in ''2'', has not returned in any of the games since. Only the prequel novel to ''5'' has even mentioned her again, and even then she didn’t get to appear in the game proper. Ever since ''4'', the games have made a point of keeping all of the series’ secondary protagonists as a part of the story, including Trish from ''1'', Lady from ''3'', and Nero from ''4'', and yet Lucia gets left out. While this is understandable to an extent due to ''2'' being the least popular entry in the series, and one that many fans like to put under FanonDiscontinuity, Lucia herself was not at all seen as a negative aspect of the game. Almost all of the game’s biggest complaints centered around either Dante being OutOfCharacter (portraying him as TheStoic rather than the fun and theatrical LargeHam that he usually is) or the poorly-designed gameplay. When considering Lucia as a character on her own, she has plenty of potential between her interesting origin story and unique personality that is not very similar to any of the series’ other leads. For example, as a more serious and played straight NiceGirl, in contrast to the DeadpanSnarker and LargeHam characters that the series usually runs on, she could easily be used as TheStraightMan or TheComicallySerious to still contribute to the goofy tone without losing her character in the process. And for bonus points, being a dark-skinned redhead with a French accent gives her a unique visual and vocal style that is unlike any other character as well. While it remains to be seen if she will be brought back in a later game, ''4'' and ''5'' left her out despite her potential as a character. |
| 165 | ** Trish and Lady have been met with similar criticism in their appearances after their respective debut games. Despite having fairly strong hooks for character development -- Trish being one of the only pure demons who is a hero and Lady being a BadassNormal with a very troubled past that led to her becoming a devil hunter -- and [[Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries the Madhouse anime]] being a decent showing of their ActionGirl chops, the games don't seem interested in giving their characters the exploration they deserve, instead mostly relegating them to being Dante's [[MsFanservice sexy sidekicks]] who mooch off of him and don't contribute to the plot in any significant way (or, in the case of Trish in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'', in a negative way by giving the villains the Sparda sword). This reached its nadir in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', where [[spoiler:Trish and Lady are defeated by the main villain Urizen in an offscreen battle, with neither even getting a chance to redeem themselves in a later fight against one of his minions or being shown helping civilians.]] Unlike Lucia, Trish and Lady haven't been left to the wayside, but Capcom only seems to feature them because of their popularity and the fact they debuted in less infamous entries of the series. The fact they only have three playable appearances between the two of them is just the cherry on top (''2'' and ''4: Special Edition'' for Trish and ''4: Special Edition'' for Lady). |
| 166 | * TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: When ''[=DmC=]'' was initially announced as a reboot, this was the reaction of many fans towards [[LeftHanging several plot threads that were left hanging]] within the original continuity (i.e. the ''full'' extent of [[ShroudedInMyth Sparda and Eva's tale]], hints that Nero is Vergil's son which were later confirmed by one of the producers and subsequently in print in one of the artbooks, the SequelHook for Nero at the end of ''4'', etc.) But with ''[=DmC=]'' later being rectified as an AlternateContinuity and ''5'' returning to the original games' setting, this sentiment reversed itself in due time, especially when the latter game does cover most of the aforementioned plot points. |
| 167 | * WatchItForTheMeme: From the late 2010s onward, the newer generation of gamers who never heard or played any ''Devil May Cry'' game before sometimes show interest in the franchise because of its memes. The NewbieBoom effect of ''[=DMC5=]'' since 2018 helped with this, as it gave more memes and buzz on the Internet compared to the previous four classic ''DMC'' games. Some ''DMC'' memes also spread into other related fandoms and piqued the curiosity of newcomers, such as Dante's [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 "What the hell is this?"]] being used in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' character announcements, or the [[FountainOfMemes Vergil]]-related quotes being used by the anime fans in certain games with {{Iaijutsu Practitioner}}s. Getting into the older ''DMC'' games to know the memes directly from their sources is also another reaction from fans who started with the newer games. |
| 168 | * WinBackTheCrowd: |
| 169 | ** ''3'' is seen as this after the questionable ''2''. The combat was reworked to be closer to the tighter feel of ''[=DMC1=]'' (with a vastly expanded system that included varied weapon types and a "Style" system that allowed players to come up with creative approaches to battles) and the tone of the game was made considerably more jovial and flamboyant compared to ''2''[='=]s more reserved feel. |
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