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Dante (Devil May Cry)
Encyclopedia
is the primary fictional protagonist of the Devil May Cry
video game series published by Capcom
. The character and Devil May Cry are one of Capcom's flagship game franchises, which has sold over nine million copies worldwide as of 2008 and currently spans four video games. Dante has been featured as the main protagonist in the first three games of the series and is a playable character in the fourth game. The character also appears in several Devil May Cry novels
and manga
volumes, and is featured in a 2007 anime
.
Dante is a mercenary in modern America dedicated to exterminating demons and other malevolent supernatural foes, a mission he follows in pursuit of those that killed his mother and corrupted his brother. He is the son of Sparda, a demon of great power that rebelled against the demon emperor and defeated his army. As a result of his demonic heritage he possesses numerous powers beyond that of any human which he uses in combination with a variety of weapons to accomplish his goals. The character was designed to fit Devil May Cry game developer Hideki Kamiya's
vision of a "cool and stylish" man, and his personality was based on the titular character of manga series Cobra. The character has been well received by gamers, and has often been listed as one of video gaming's coolest characters.
Resident Evil
franchise. Series' creator Hideki Kamiya
has said that the titular character from the manga
series Cobra
by Buichi Terasawa
served as the basis for Dante's personality. Kamiya based his idea of Dante on what he perceived as "Stylish" -- with a long coat to make the character "showy" and a non-smoker since Kamiya sees that as more cool. The character wears red because in Japan it is a traditional color for a heroic figure. Kamiya has also stated he perceives Dante as "a character that you would want to go out drinking with", someone who was not a show-off but instead would "pull some ridiculous, mischievous joke" to endear audiences to him. He added that this aspect was intended to make the character feel familiar to audiences.
For DmC: Devil May Cry, Dante was completely redesigned as a result of comments by the Capcom staff. Despite knowing that they would receive negative fan feedback, the staff charge decided to do it. After several drafts of Dante's character, it ended being one done to change the tone of the series as inspired by Christopher Nolan
's film Batman Begins
. Tameem Antoniade from Ninja Theory stated that as they want Dante to "look and making you feel cool when you're playing it," they realized his attire from previous games would be found comical in real life.
cases, preferring those that call for demon slaying. He is muscular, has white/silver hair, electric-blue eyes and is usually seen wearing red duster
s/trench coat
s. Dante's arsenal usually consists of firearm
s and melee
weapons, including "Ebony and Ivory", twin handguns that never need reloading, as well as a variety of swords such as the "Rebellion" and "Force Edge", Devil Arms created by his father. The guns are hand-made with "For Tony Redgrave, By.45 Art Warks" written on them (Tony Redgrave is the alias used by Dante). He has superhuman and supernatural powers, as a result of his half-devil
heritage. This gives him the ability to enter a transformation called "Devil Trigger". In this state, Dante possesses greater strength, speed, endurance, healing, and further abilities with his equipped melee weapon, including flight. Dante is confident in his encounters with opponents, and frequently taunts boss
characters before battling them. With the exception of Devil May Cry 4, Dante says the phrase 'Devils never cry'. Implying that no matter how much of a demon he may prove to be, his ability to cry makes his human side precious to him.
Furthermore he's shown to be very laid back and often indifferent. He seems to be frequently in debt and never seems able to pay someone back. His favorite food is pizza and he loves a strawberry sundae (in the anime with extra strawberries).
Dante is one of the twin sons of Sparda, the demon knight who sided with humanity and drove back an invasion of the human world by demons 2,000 years ago. After Sparda's death, Dante and his twin brother Vergil were raised by their human mother, Eva. When Dante and Vergil were children, the family was attacked by demons, resulting in Eva's death. This event led to Dante's commitment to hunting demons in pursuit of those that killed his mother.
It is shown during Devil May Cry Anime (episode 6) that Dante likes The Strokes musical english band.
After the success of the first game, Capcom immediately began development of its sequel, Devil May Cry 2
. He also had a habit of flipping a coin to make his decisions, although it is revealed at the end of the game that both sides are heads. Set some time after the first game, Devil May Cry 2 focuses on aiding the character Lucia in defeating Arius, an international businessman who uses demonic power and seeks to conquer the world. At the end of the game, Dante must go into the demon world to stop a major demon from escaping, but the gate closes behind him and he is trapped. With no way back to the human world, Dante heads even deeper into the demon world on his motorcycle. There is an extra scene after the credits, in which Lucia is sitting in Dante's office when she hears a motorcycle outside and rushes out to see who it is.
The third game, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
, serves as a prequel to the first game and features a cockier, teenage Dante. He has considerably more dialogue during cutscenes, and players can verbally taunt monsters during gameplay. In the story, Dante is drawn out by his brother Vergil, who is attempting to reopen the portal to the demon world in order to obtain the full power of Sparda, which remains on the other side contained within the sword Force Edge. Along the way, Dante encounters Lady, who is in pursuit of her father Arkham, who is working with Vergil but has plans of his own. In the end, Dante claims ownership of the Force Edge, while Vergil chooses to remain in the demon world. Dante matures considerably during the game and, inspired by Lady's courage and commitment to her own family, continues his demon-hunting business with a greater sense of purpose. They become friends, and he decides to call his shop "Devil May Cry", after something Lady had said to comfort him.
Released in 2008, Devil May Cry 4
is the first game in the series not to feature Dante as the primary character. Dante is seen as an antagonist
, at least at first, by the game's lead character, Nero. Shortly after the halfway point in the game, player control switches to Dante, until he rescues Nero, who the player then uses for the game's final showdown. By the end of the game, Dante and Nero seem to have a mutual respect towards one another.
The fifth installment of the Devil May Cry franchise, DmC Devil May Cry, was announced at Tokyo Game Show 2010, featuring Dante in a very different appearance. His coat is not long, only coming down to his lower-back, his hair is shorter and is black with a white patch in the upper back (his hair was however seen turning fully white while in a Devil Trigger-like state during a second trailer featuring the work-in-progress gameplay).
, he is playable in the PlayStation 2
version of Viewtiful Joe
and the PSP
version of Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble
. In both games, he frequently has dialogue with Alastor, who is revealed to be the embodiment of the identically-named sword from Devil May Cry. Dante is also seen in the last panel of Jedah's ending in Capcom Fighting Jam
. He appears as an enemy and optional ally in the North American/Maniax (director's cut) release of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
. There is a Dante character card in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS. He was also set to appear in Soulcalibur III, but did not make it into the final game. Dante also appears in many other pieces of media based on the video games. These include two light novel
s, the Devil May Cry 3 manga
, a comic of the first game published by Dreamwave Productions
and an anime called Devil May Cry: The Animated Series
.
Dante makes his fighting game debut as a playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
. wearing his Devil May Cry 3 outfit..
produced a similar line for Devil May Cry 2 and a Devil May Cry 3 Dante action figure.
Dante's confident and fearless attitude has gained him widespread popularity. He was ranked third among the "Top Ten Coolest Video Game Characters" list of Screwattack. His design and personality received praise from numerous reviews, including this quote from IGN: "a dark anti-hero kind of guy even a down-in-the-dumps, disgruntled teenager would love". GameDaily named him one of their favorite Capcom characters, ranking him seventh on their "Top 25" list and stating that the various aspects of the character made him an "unstoppable force". Game Informer
described him as "one of the most bad-ass characters around", citing his contrast between the character and those previously seen in the Resident Evil series. GameSpy described his appearance as "awe-inspiring to look at", describing his attire as reminiscent of Vincent Price
. GamesRadar
named him "Mister 2001" in their article on the sexiest new characters of the decade, stating that compared to the female characters in Devil May Cry, Dante was the hottest of them all. The editor cited his muscular build, hair, his fighting abilities, and his attitude for why he won. They also listed him as one of the 25 best new characters of the decade, calling him "unforgettable" as well as stating that he set the template for "smartass action heroes". During February 2010, Dante was twenty-third in a Famitsu
poll featuring the most popular video game characters from Japan. He was also voted by Game Informer
as the thirteenth best character from the 2000s. Dante and Trish were in The Inquirer
s list of the most memorable video game love teams with comments focused on how the two join forces to defeat their enemies. In Devil May Cry 2, Dante's cocky attitude was largely absent, which was one of the main criticisms against the game.
Devil May Cry
is an action game developed and published by Capcom, released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2. Although it is the first game in the series of the same name, the events in Devil May Cry are second in the series storyline's chronological order, taking place after Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and...
video game series published by Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
. The character and Devil May Cry are one of Capcom's flagship game franchises, which has sold over nine million copies worldwide as of 2008 and currently spans four video games. Dante has been featured as the main protagonist in the first three games of the series and is a playable character in the fourth game. The character also appears in several Devil May Cry novels
Devil May Cry (novels)
Capcom developed two light novels in the Devil May Cry universe, written by Shinya Goikeda, illustrated by Shiro Miwa and published by Kadokawa Shoten. Originally released alongside Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 2 the novels act as preludes, with the epilogue of the novel leading into the opening...
and manga
Devil May Cry 3 (manga)
is a manga series based on the best selling video game Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening was released in Japan and later an English translation was released in 2005. The manga is divided into three parts, Code 1: Dante, Code 2: Vergil, and the to-be released Code 3: Lady...
volumes, and is featured in a 2007 anime
Devil May Cry: The Animated Series
is an anime series based on the video game series by Capcom. It debuted on the WOWOW TV network in Japan on June 14, 2007 and ran 12 episodes.The show was produced by the anime studio Madhouse and was directed by Shin Itagaki...
.
Dante is a mercenary in modern America dedicated to exterminating demons and other malevolent supernatural foes, a mission he follows in pursuit of those that killed his mother and corrupted his brother. He is the son of Sparda, a demon of great power that rebelled against the demon emperor and defeated his army. As a result of his demonic heritage he possesses numerous powers beyond that of any human which he uses in combination with a variety of weapons to accomplish his goals. The character was designed to fit Devil May Cry game developer Hideki Kamiya's
Hideki Kamiya
is a video game designer formerly employed by Capcom and Clover Studio. He is currently working with former Clover Studio members at Platinum Games.- Career :...
vision of a "cool and stylish" man, and his personality was based on the titular character of manga series Cobra. The character has been well received by gamers, and has often been listed as one of video gaming's coolest characters.
Conception and design
Dante debuted in Devil May Cry, a game originally intended to be a sequel of Capcom'sCapcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
Resident Evil
Resident Evil (series)
Resident Evil, known as in Japan, is a media franchise owned by the video game company Capcom. It was created by Shinji Mikami as a survival horror game series that was initiated with the eponymous PlayStation title Resident Evil in 1996. Since then, the game series has strayed from its roots to...
franchise. Series' creator Hideki Kamiya
Hideki Kamiya
is a video game designer formerly employed by Capcom and Clover Studio. He is currently working with former Clover Studio members at Platinum Games.- Career :...
has said that the titular character from the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series Cobra
Space Adventure Cobra
is a space-opera manga series written and illustrated by Buichi Terasawa of the Black Sheep studio. The serialized form of Cobra originally appeared the Japanese shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump during 1978–1984...
by Buichi Terasawa
Buichi Terasawa
is a Japanese manga artist. His most famous works include Goku Midnight Eye and Cobra.In the early days of his career when he was still unknown, he contributed materials of comics to a magazine that won him a prize, an event that led him into the world of comics.In 1976, he came to Tokyo and began...
served as the basis for Dante's personality. Kamiya based his idea of Dante on what he perceived as "Stylish" -- with a long coat to make the character "showy" and a non-smoker since Kamiya sees that as more cool. The character wears red because in Japan it is a traditional color for a heroic figure. Kamiya has also stated he perceives Dante as "a character that you would want to go out drinking with", someone who was not a show-off but instead would "pull some ridiculous, mischievous joke" to endear audiences to him. He added that this aspect was intended to make the character feel familiar to audiences.
For DmC: Devil May Cry, Dante was completely redesigned as a result of comments by the Capcom staff. Despite knowing that they would receive negative fan feedback, the staff charge decided to do it. After several drafts of Dante's character, it ended being one done to change the tone of the series as inspired by Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan
Christopher Jonathan James Nolan is a British-American film director, screenwriter and producer.He received serious notice after his second feature Memento , which he wrote and directed based on a story idea by his brother, Jonathan Nolan. Jonathan went to co-write later scripts with him,...
's film Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
. Tameem Antoniade from Ninja Theory stated that as they want Dante to "look and making you feel cool when you're playing it," they realized his attire from previous games would be found comical in real life.
Characteristics
Dante is a mercenary who specializes in paranormalParanormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
cases, preferring those that call for demon slaying. He is muscular, has white/silver hair, electric-blue eyes and is usually seen wearing red duster
Duster (clothing)
A duster is a light, loose-fitting long coat.The original dusters were full-length, light-colored canvas or linen coats worn by horsemen to protect their clothing from trail dust. These dusters were typically slit up the back to hip level for ease of wear on horseback and were the recommended...
s/trench coat
Trench coat
A trench coat or trenchcoat is a raincoat made of waterproof heavy-duty cotton drill or poplin, wool gabardine, or leather. It generally has a removable insulated lining; and it is usually knee-length.-History:...
s. Dante's arsenal usually consists of firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s and melee
Mêlée
Melee , generally refers to disorganized close combat involving a group of fighters. A melee ensues when groups become locked together in combat with no regard to group tactics or fighting as an organized unit; each participant fights as an individual....
weapons, including "Ebony and Ivory", twin handguns that never need reloading, as well as a variety of swords such as the "Rebellion" and "Force Edge", Devil Arms created by his father. The guns are hand-made with "For Tony Redgrave, By.45 Art Warks" written on them (Tony Redgrave is the alias used by Dante). He has superhuman and supernatural powers, as a result of his half-devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
heritage. This gives him the ability to enter a transformation called "Devil Trigger". In this state, Dante possesses greater strength, speed, endurance, healing, and further abilities with his equipped melee weapon, including flight. Dante is confident in his encounters with opponents, and frequently taunts boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
characters before battling them. With the exception of Devil May Cry 4, Dante says the phrase 'Devils never cry'. Implying that no matter how much of a demon he may prove to be, his ability to cry makes his human side precious to him.
Furthermore he's shown to be very laid back and often indifferent. He seems to be frequently in debt and never seems able to pay someone back. His favorite food is pizza and he loves a strawberry sundae (in the anime with extra strawberries).
Dante is one of the twin sons of Sparda, the demon knight who sided with humanity and drove back an invasion of the human world by demons 2,000 years ago. After Sparda's death, Dante and his twin brother Vergil were raised by their human mother, Eva. When Dante and Vergil were children, the family was attacked by demons, resulting in Eva's death. This event led to Dante's commitment to hunting demons in pursuit of those that killed his mother.
It is shown during Devil May Cry Anime (episode 6) that Dante likes The Strokes musical english band.
Devil May Cry video games
In the original Devil May Cry, Dante is hired by Trish, a mysterious woman who looks similar to his deceased mother, to stop the return of the devil king Mundus. However, she is actually setting up events for Mundus' agents to kill Dante as he makes his way to Mundus himself. During the course of the game Dante is also reunited with his brother Vergil, who, under the control of Mundus, attempts to kill him. Trish eventually betrays Mundus to save Dante, and the pair work together to lock Mundus in the demon world. Afterwards, they become partners in Dante's demon-slaying business, now re-named "Devil Never Cry".After the success of the first game, Capcom immediately began development of its sequel, Devil May Cry 2
Devil May Cry 2
is an action game developed and published by Capcom in 2003 exclusively for the PlayStation 2. The game serves as a sequel to Devil May Cry and is, chronologically the fourth and final game in the original Devil May Cry series with Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Devil May Cry, and Devil May...
. He also had a habit of flipping a coin to make his decisions, although it is revealed at the end of the game that both sides are heads. Set some time after the first game, Devil May Cry 2 focuses on aiding the character Lucia in defeating Arius, an international businessman who uses demonic power and seeks to conquer the world. At the end of the game, Dante must go into the demon world to stop a major demon from escaping, but the gate closes behind him and he is trapped. With no way back to the human world, Dante heads even deeper into the demon world on his motorcycle. There is an extra scene after the credits, in which Lucia is sitting in Dante's office when she hears a motorcycle outside and rushes out to see who it is.
The third game, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, released in Japan as simply , is an action game that was developed and published by Capcom, released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2...
, serves as a prequel to the first game and features a cockier, teenage Dante. He has considerably more dialogue during cutscenes, and players can verbally taunt monsters during gameplay. In the story, Dante is drawn out by his brother Vergil, who is attempting to reopen the portal to the demon world in order to obtain the full power of Sparda, which remains on the other side contained within the sword Force Edge. Along the way, Dante encounters Lady, who is in pursuit of her father Arkham, who is working with Vergil but has plans of his own. In the end, Dante claims ownership of the Force Edge, while Vergil chooses to remain in the demon world. Dante matures considerably during the game and, inspired by Lady's courage and commitment to her own family, continues his demon-hunting business with a greater sense of purpose. They become friends, and he decides to call his shop "Devil May Cry", after something Lady had said to comfort him.
Released in 2008, Devil May Cry 4
Devil May Cry 4
Devil May Cry 4 is an action game that was published and developed by Capcom in 2008 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows platforms. The game is the fourth installment to the Devil May Cry series....
is the first game in the series not to feature Dante as the primary character. Dante is seen as an antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
, at least at first, by the game's lead character, Nero. Shortly after the halfway point in the game, player control switches to Dante, until he rescues Nero, who the player then uses for the game's final showdown. By the end of the game, Dante and Nero seem to have a mutual respect towards one another.
The fifth installment of the Devil May Cry franchise, DmC Devil May Cry, was announced at Tokyo Game Show 2010, featuring Dante in a very different appearance. His coat is not long, only coming down to his lower-back, his hair is shorter and is black with a white patch in the upper back (his hair was however seen turning fully white while in a Devil Trigger-like state during a second trailer featuring the work-in-progress gameplay).
Other appearances
Dante has playable appearances in several games outside of the Devil May Cry series of games. In the Viewtiful Joe series, also created by Hideki KamiyaHideki Kamiya
is a video game designer formerly employed by Capcom and Clover Studio. He is currently working with former Clover Studio members at Platinum Games.- Career :...
, he is playable in the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
version of Viewtiful Joe
Viewtiful Joe
is a video game developed by Capcom's Production Studio 4 for the Nintendo GameCube. It was originally released in 2003 as a part of the Capcom Five under director Hideki Kamiya and producer Atsushi Inaba. Viewtiful Joe was later ported to the Sony PlayStation 2 by the same design team under the...
and the PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
version of Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble
Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble
Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble, known in Japan as , is a video game available for the Nintendo GameCube and the PlayStation Portable. It is a slightly mission-based fighting/beat 'em up somewhat similar in style to Super Smash Bros...
. In both games, he frequently has dialogue with Alastor, who is revealed to be the embodiment of the identically-named sword from Devil May Cry. Dante is also seen in the last panel of Jedah's ending in Capcom Fighting Jam
Capcom Fighting Jam
, released in North America as Capcom Fighting Evolution, is a head-to-head fighting game from Capcom. It was originally released as a coin-operated arcade game for the Namco System 246 hardware and ported to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox...
. He appears as an enemy and optional ally in the North American/Maniax (director's cut) release of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
is a role-playing game for the PlayStation 2. It is the third main game in the Megami Tensei series. Shin Megami Tensei III was released nine years after Shin Megami Tensei II, and was the first Megami Tensei game in the series to be released into the United States using the "Megami Tensei" name...
. There is a Dante character card in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS. He was also set to appear in Soulcalibur III, but did not make it into the final game. Dante also appears in many other pieces of media based on the video games. These include two light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
s, the Devil May Cry 3 manga
Devil May Cry 3 (manga)
is a manga series based on the best selling video game Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening was released in Japan and later an English translation was released in 2005. The manga is divided into three parts, Code 1: Dante, Code 2: Vergil, and the to-be released Code 3: Lady...
, a comic of the first game published by Dreamwave Productions
Dreamwave Productions
Dreamwave Productions was a Canadian art design studio and comic book publisher founded in 1996 and is best known for their multiple Transformers comic book series...
and an anime called Devil May Cry: The Animated Series
Devil May Cry: The Animated Series
is an anime series based on the video game series by Capcom. It debuted on the WOWOW TV network in Japan on June 14, 2007 and ran 12 episodes.The show was produced by the anime studio Madhouse and was directed by Shin Itagaki...
.
Dante makes his fighting game debut as a playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom. It features Capcom's own characters and characters from American comic book company Marvel Comics. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel vs...
. wearing his Devil May Cry 3 outfit..
Cultural impact
The popularity of the Devil May Cry series lead to a line of Devil May Cry action figures produced by Toycom. Japanese company KaiyodoKaiyodo
thumb|320px|Kaiyodo Figure Museum Kurokabe is a Japanese company dedicated to figurines and garage kits. Its headquarters is in Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture. While the company mostly focuses on anime related characters, it recently has acquired other licenses, e.g...
produced a similar line for Devil May Cry 2 and a Devil May Cry 3 Dante action figure.
Dante's confident and fearless attitude has gained him widespread popularity. He was ranked third among the "Top Ten Coolest Video Game Characters" list of Screwattack. His design and personality received praise from numerous reviews, including this quote from IGN: "a dark anti-hero kind of guy even a down-in-the-dumps, disgruntled teenager would love". GameDaily named him one of their favorite Capcom characters, ranking him seventh on their "Top 25" list and stating that the various aspects of the character made him an "unstoppable force". Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
described him as "one of the most bad-ass characters around", citing his contrast between the character and those previously seen in the Resident Evil series. GameSpy described his appearance as "awe-inspiring to look at", describing his attire as reminiscent of Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
. GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
named him "Mister 2001" in their article on the sexiest new characters of the decade, stating that compared to the female characters in Devil May Cry, Dante was the hottest of them all. The editor cited his muscular build, hair, his fighting abilities, and his attitude for why he won. They also listed him as one of the 25 best new characters of the decade, calling him "unforgettable" as well as stating that he set the template for "smartass action heroes". During February 2010, Dante was twenty-third in a Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
poll featuring the most popular video game characters from Japan. He was also voted by Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
as the thirteenth best character from the 2000s. Dante and Trish were in The Inquirer
The Inquirer
The Inquirer is a British technology tabloid website founded by Mike Magee after his departure from The Register in 2001. In 2006 the site was acquired by Dutch publisher Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeverijen...
s list of the most memorable video game love teams with comments focused on how the two join forces to defeat their enemies. In Devil May Cry 2, Dante's cocky attitude was largely absent, which was one of the main criticisms against the game.