Universe/Fandom From: Devil May Cry
Name: Dante
Nicknames/Aliases: Tony Redgrave; Son of Sparda
Approximate Age: 65
Apparent Age: 20-30
Birthday: [not canon given] November 17
Occupation: Mercenary, Vigilante Devil Hunter
Species/Race: Devil/Human Hybrid
Clothing Styles:
Dante's fondness for red as a color manifests most in his fashion: his typical outfit always consists of a red longcoat and dark pants. In casual situations, Dante may wear black shirts or vests over a gray undershirt, with black pants or darkened cargo slacks. When dressed for a mission, Dante will wear a reinforced vest under a buckled red longcoat, along with black pants and boots (as well as whatever weaponry on his person).
Overall Personality:
For most of Dante's life, his scale of emotions tended to tip towards a flippant, casually insulting presentation. He frequently played the role of a rebellious soul, mouthing off people and demons alike with a devil-may-care attitude, generally just for his own enjoyment. As the Son of Sparda grew and suffered more, the importance of a serious, focused nature arose to him, but his early attitude never left.
At his current stage, Dante can be equal parts serious and sardonic; he places a notable difference between work and play, yet still always retains a level of cynicism he uses to mock and berate his enemies. Ultimately, being a half-demon, Dante likes the thrill and challenge of a battle, using his profession as a demon hunter to fight the strongest opponents to be found. He will often hold himself back in a fight, as means to challenge his base skills, toy with his foes, and limit the use of his demonic power.
In direct spite of being a half-devil, Dante is a good-natured soul, respecting humans in spite of their occasional tendencies to be even worse then demons. His starting a business devoted to slaying demons and investigating the paranormal shows how he manifests his powers for the good of humanity. Though he may complain about being in frequent debt, Dante will frequently take on missions just for the ability to do good. He is even well known for refusing any job he doesn't like and always taking on paranormal cases, regardless of pay and with no pressure to clients - even if it means he may be taken advantage of sometimes.
Dante also has a certain quirk that allows people to distinguish his current attitude - his hair. When his hair is smoothed out and slicked aside, Dante is cool, collected and lighthearted, ever the toying jokester people know him for. When his hair is more ruffled and loose, however, Dante is very serious to the point of being blunt and rude, focused on directing his spite towards some bastard demons. A savvy individual uses these cues to determine how and when to properly approach Dante.
Likes: Pizza, strawberry sundaes, women, alcohol, fighting demons, pissing off demons, heavy metal
Dislikes: Debt, fighting/killing humans, the color pink, getting impaled, politicians, 'protection' jobs
Friends: Lady, Trish, Nero, Enzo
Family: (All Deceased) Vergil, Sparda, Eva
Enemies: Mundus
Rivals: Vergil, Nero
Place of Residence: Downtown,
Devil May Cry
History:
Dante was born as the second twin son of the Legendary Dark Knight, Sparda, and a human, Eva. He was the younger brother to Vergil, the two of them enjoying a very happy childhood with each other and their parents. Both twins were given a half of the Perfect Amulet, an artifact gifted to Eva from Sparda, as a keepsake to always remember them. Eventually, Sparda died mysteriously, but disaster struck when Eva and the twins were attacked by demons. Dante survived, but he witnessed his mother's death and believed Vergil to have died.
Some time later, after having inherited one of Sparda's devil weapons, the greatsword Rebellion, Dante swore to create a personal business for him to hunt down demons. Under the alias Tony Redgrave, he met Enzo Ferino, an Italian-American with direct connections to the mercenary world. With Enzo's help, Dante was able to establish a small office building as a basic shop with which to offer his services. Before he could even name his business, however, a mysterious stranger arrived at his shop...
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History/DMC3
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Revealing himself as Arkham, the dark stranger personally invites Dante to an ancient tower known as the Temen-ni-gru, on the behalf of Vergil. His interest piqued, Dante was suddenly ambushed by a group of fiends from the Demon Army. With the army having overrun the city, the Temen-ni-gru rises from the ground in the city center, and Dante is beckoned to investigate.
His arrival at the tower's gates is simultaneous with a female demon hunter who refuses to give her name, leading Dante to nickname her 'Lady'. Within the tower, Dante is confronted by the ancient demonic gatekeepers sealed away by his father two-thousand years ago. As he defeats them and inherits their power in the form of Devil Arms, he begins to learn of the tower's true nature - an unholy relic that Sparda used his powers to seal away from the human world.
As Dante reaches the pinnacle of the Temen-ni-gru, he encounters Vergil, who has grown in a league of his own with a stoic eagerness to claim their father's power. The twins clash, but Vergil quickly gains the upper hand and impales Dante on his own sword, Rebellion. Though he loses his half of the Perfect Amulet to Vergil, Rebellion becomes empowered by Dante's blood and awakens his demonic powers. Pursuing Vergil to the depths of the Temen-ni-gru, the twins finally meet again in the room holding the seal upon the tower, in which the fight over the fate of the seal.
Though evenly matched, they are interrupted by a vengeful Lady, before she, too, is suddenly struck down by a hidden Arkham. Revealing that he has manipulated the three of them for his own purposes, Arkham reactivates the Temen-ni-gru, steals the Sword of Sparda in its dormant form, the Force Edge, and scales the tower. The unholy relic's true purpose was a mass gateway to the Demon World, with which Arkham aimed to inherit all of Sparda's power in order to become a true demon.
Dante and Lady pursue Arkham to the tower's new peak, but eventually battle for whom will have to right to pursue him into the Demon World. Lady is defeated, and she lends Dante her weapons with the promise that he'll use them to defeat her corrupt father, Arkham. When at last Dante catches up with the man, he is forced to fight Sparda's demonic form, before the power overwhelms Arkham and transforms him into a shapeless mass. Vergil arrives and teams up with Dante, the twins' combined might able to eject Arkham from his demonic form.
The two Sons of Sparda have a final confrontation, fighting over ownership of the Perfect Amulet and the Force Edge. As Dante emerges victorious, the portal to Earth begins to close, and Vergil urges Dante to flee. The elder brother takes his half of the amulet and plunges into the abyss as Dante is forced to escape. Shedding tears over the loss of his brother, Lady comforts him with the assurance that "even a devil may cry when he loses a loved one". With these words in mind, Dante returns to his office and names his shop 'Devil May Cry'.
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History/DMC1
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Some time later, Dante is attacked within his office by a powerful woman named Trish. Dante's might impresses her, and she remarks the battle was a test of his capabilities. She guides Dante to a castle on Mallet Island, where she claims the Demon King, Mundus, is attempting to emerge in the human world. Trish leaves Dante to his own work, as he traverses the island and destroys the local demons.
One particularly powerful devil who calls himself Nelo Angelo appears frequently to challenge Dante, able to match him in power. However, upon a close glance at Dante's half-amulet, he goes mad and runs away. In their third and final encounter, the Son of Sparda manages to destroy Nelo Angelo for good... only to discover the second half of the Perfect Amulet in the remains. Shedding new tears over having been made to kill his own blood brother, he combines the two halves of the amulet to unleash the true form of the Sword of Sparda.
When Dante meets up with Trish again, she betrays him, revealing she is actually an agent for Mundus. She unleashes a bioweapon against Dante (whom he destroys), but the chaos of the battle causes the room to collapse. Dante rescues Trish from being buried in the rubble, claiming he saved her because she resembles his mother. He warns Trish to stay out of this, but forces himself to save her again when an emerging Mundus holds Trish at ransom.
Before the Demon King is able to strike a fatal blow on the vulnerable Dante, Trish takes the attack, seemingly dying. The tragedy causes Dante to unleash his full power upon Mundus, whom he is able to defeat. During his ensuing escape from the collapsing island, Mundus manages to ambush Dante once more, having his original strength now fully restored. Trish arrives at the last moment to save Dante using the Sword of Sparda, and their combined might is able to beat Mundus back into the Demon World. Reconciling over their hostility, the pair escape the island and work as associates within Devil May Cry.
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History/DMC4
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In a later job, Dante is contacted by Lady regarding a small sect in the castle town of Fortuna, calling themselves the Order of the Sword. Worshipping Sparda as a god, they had recently begun collecting demons and Devil Arms, which was interfering with Lady's work. Dante, Lady, and Trish set out to Fortuna to investigate. They discover that the Order has constructed a massive artificial demon known as the Savior, with the intent to power and control it with the use of Sparda's blood and Devil Arms. By opening artificial Hell Gates with miscellaneous Devil Arms, they will unleash a conspiracy with which the Savior will disperse as by its namesake.
While Trish infiltrates the Order of the Sword by handing over the Sword of Sparda under the alias Gloria, Dante hastens to put a stop to their rituals. In the midst of the Festival of the Sword, Dante breaks into the opera house and assassinates Fortuna's vicar, Sanctus. Several Holy Knights, including a rebellious young adult named Nero bearing a demonic right arm, attempt to stop him - Dante slays the other knights with ease, leaving Nero behind with the cryptic suggestion that he, too, is a demon alike him somehow.
Under commands from the Order of the Sword, Nero pursues Dante through Fortuna Castle and the Order's headquarters. Despite Nero's awakened demonic strength, he is unable to pin down Dante, even when the youth seems to get the upper hand. Dante later on challenges Nero personally in order to obtain Vergil's Devil Arm, the Yamato, which Nero held at the time. After a fierce battle fought to a standstill, the Son of Sparda allows Nero to keep the weapon, seeing as the youth needs it to rescue his childhood love, Kyrie.
However, when a revived Sanctus defeats Nero and absorbs him into the Savior, Dante is brought into action proper. Upon a dying request from Kyrie's brother, Dante pursues the active Savior to rescue Kyrie and Nero while Trish (her disguise since fallen through) evacuates the civilians. By reclaiming the Devil Arms from the Hell Gates, Dante cuts off the flow of demons, catching the attention of Sanctus. When attempting to use the Savior to destroy the Son of Sparda, Dante weakens the giant and frees Nero by plunging Yamato into the huge demon.
Nero finally defeats the Savior from within and breaks out, with Kyrie and the Sword of Sparda in hand. Before they can relax, the Savior awakens once more, merged with Sanctus as a last-ditch effort. The pair take down the giant demonic statue for good, effectively silencing the Order of the Sword. Dante's job finished, he bids farewell to Nero and Kyrie, returning to Devil May Cry with Trish and Lady.
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History/DMC3
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Later yet, Dante's next major operation begins after he infiltrates a museum to reclaim the Arcana Medaglia, four artifacts used to seal a powerful demon in years past. In the process, he runs into Lucia, a fellow half-demon and a sudden ally against an influx of demons. The two of them head towards the city of Uroboros on Dumary Island, where Lucia claims a sinister businessman known as Arius is attempting to use the Arcana Medaglia to summon the power of Argosax the Chaos in order to obtain immortality and seize control of the world.
Dante accepts the job, he and Lucia splitting up to obtain the Arcana. When they meet again, the lady half-devil passes the Arcana she collected to Dante, requesting he deliver them back to her mother, Matier. The old woman, however, refuses to take the Arcana from Dante, insisting he use the relics' power to save Lucia, who has gone to confront Arius on her own. Upon reaching the top floor of the Uroboros Building, Arius traps Dante with a decision: hand over the relics in exchange for Lucia's life. The Son of Sparda is forced to comply, and Arius is able to escape.
Although Lucia is conflicted about her nature, Dante assures her she is well and that he is capable to stopping Arius. He leaves Lucia alone to do so, letting her ruminate on her existence. Although Dante arrives too late to put a stop to Arius's ritual to obtain immortality, the Son of Sparda is unfazed and manages to defeat the businessman regardless. Dante meets Lucia again outside, and is surprised to hear her beg him to kill her. She hoped that being slain, she would have no risk of becoming a full devil, but Dante waves off the idea.
Suddenly, a surge of demon power erupts from the Uroborus Building and generates a portal to the Demon World. Realizing Argosax is being summoned, the pair argue over who will enter the portal to deal with the demon; they decide with a coin toss, which Dante rigs to win. While Lucia takes on a newly revived Arius, Dante ramps into the Demon World on a motorcycle to stop Argosax.
The Son of Sparda is handily successful, but left unable to return, as the portal has been closed with Arius's death. With little elsewhere to go, Dante rides further on into the Demon World upon his motorcycle...
Weapons/Gear:
The first two, plus any two following, interchangeable via his collection at Devil May Cry.
Rebellion - This broad claymore is a keepsake from Dante's father, the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda. Bound to Dante's spirit, it serves as a physical manifestation of his power, and so grows stronger as he does, itself even being a key to unleash his devil half. Dante is rarely seen without the weapon, and wields it with great pride and capability.
Ebony & Ivory - A pair of customized handguns commissioned from Neil Goldstein for Tony Redgrave, Dante's human alias. Ebony is the left-handed gun, and Ivory the right-handed gun; the two pistols together are built for efficiency, speed, and accuracy. Compared to Devil Arms, they are not so powerful, but they are a quick and effective ranged option, and so serve as Dante's go-to firearms.
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Sword of Sparda (Force Edge) - The prized signature weapon of the Legendary Dark Knight, Sparda. Having bestowed much of his demon powers to the weapon, it it one of the strongest Devil Arms to exist, practically bearing a pulse of its own. Being a Son of Sparda, the use of this weapon greatly
empowers Dante's devil form, giving it greater duration and an evolved appearance similar to Sparda himself. Dante values the sword greatly, but restricts his use of it so as not to become dependent on its power.
Coyote-A - Previously a typical double-barreled hunting shotgun Dante obtained, he later modified this firearm for combat against demonic foes. The shells, especially, are built to fire out in a tighter, longer-range spread than the norm. Dante likes to wield the shotgun with one hand when he's not shooting both barrels at once.
Lucifer - An unusual Devil Arm that takes the appearance of an armor-like apparatus worn by the user, bearing two sheathes akin to folded spear-like wings. This weapon allows the user to summon an endless number of large spearheads made from demonic energy, which can hover in midair before shooting forward with explosive impact. These darts can be repositioned, thrown manually, or wielded, but no more than fifteen may exist at a time.
Spiral - An anti-material rifle modified for ease of use and mobility. Loaded with special rounds built for both high penetration and the ability to ricochet off of solid surfaces, using certain aiming maneuvers and trick shots.
Gilgamesh - A Devil Arm consisting of a set of gauntlets and greaves made of an armor-like devilish metal, absorbing organic material and converting it into further metal. They are equipped with rocket thrusters that can used to bolster its heavy attacks, as well as a deployable mask to protect the user from the fumes caused by said thrusters.
Grenade Launcher - A 7-chamber revolving grenade launcher, equipped with 37mm high-explosive grenades. Though its range and speed are poor, it is an excellent weapon in terms of sheer destructive force. Dante found this weapon on Mallet Island, in the hands of a dead soldier.
Powers/Abilities:
Dante is already very unique in his own right due to being a demon/human hybrid, but what truly makes him shine is his demonic heritage from Sparda. When he unleashes his true potential, the Son of Sparda can prove himself to be even more powerful than his father, capable of felling even the likes of demon lords.
Among his most basic of extraordinary functions are:
- Superhuman Strength
- Superhuman Reflexes
- Supernatural Agility
- Supernatural Endurance/Durability
- Near-limitless Stamina
- Demonic Healing Factor
- Supernatural Lifespan
Dante can also channel small amounts of demonic energy for various uses:
- Reinforcing an object he's holding, like an improvised weapon
- Launching energy attacks through his weapons
- Performing basic chemical reactions (sparking small fires or explosions)
- Small bursts of propulsion (air jumps or burst dashes)
- Activating or charging demonic devices
- Altering the nature of his body for combat [his various 'Styles']
Dante's most notable ability as a hybrid is the power to temporarily take the form of a full-blooded demon at full power. This phenomenon is known as
Devil Trigger, and allows Dante to unleash ultimate bulk of his powers at will without the limits of a human form. However, as a half-human, this form is unstable and doesn't last long - Dante will unconsciously disperse this form when he lacks the reserves of demonic energy to fuel it. In addition, the form of Devil Trigger is rather mutable, taking upon slightly different shapes based on the Devil Arms he wields.
Ultimately, Dante is somewhat resentful of his demon powers. Not only does it make him very dangerous to others, Dante's own link to Devil Trigger may prove deadly, corroding away his human form should he use it too much. As such, Dante is very rarely seen unleashing anything more than a fraction of his full potential against anything short of the strongest living demons. A side effect of this is that Dante appears to approach any challenge with little fear or effort, able to deliberately limit himself and toy with his foes to leech some entertainment.
Of course, this does not at all sell Dante short as a blowhard who outright refuses to use his full power - no, that right is reserved for demons only on the level of Sparda or Mundus, where anything less than his best will get him in a hasty grave. He knows exactly when it's time to get serious, and exactly the best moments to use Devil Trigger to annihilate the opposition. And deep down, truth be told, it is in those moments when Dante feels the most exhilaration at fighting a battle he doesn't have to hold back on.
Fighting Style:
Dante's means of fighting are mostly self-taught, not really based upon any existing basis of fighting like martial arts or traditional swordplay. He uses a combination of Devil Arms and firearms when battling with demons, most chiefly using his inherited sword Rebellion and his custom handguns Ebony and Ivory.
The true skill behind Dante's techniques is their free-form, improvised nature, with which he can combine any series of powerful and speedy moves together to overwhelm whatever opponents he faces. His supernatural strength, agility and demonic power also contribute to this, helping make up for whatever actual skill he lacks.
In addition, Dante also bears several distinct fighting styles based around his weapons or devil powers to supplement him further. They are as such: