Character development isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the Devil May Cry series. Yet the games have done just that with its protagonist in Dante, who has changed a lot since the first time he was seen. This is based on his chronological appearances, meaning Dante’s Awakening is considered as the first game here.
He’s shown remarkable growth as a person in every other appearance as well, with this including his storylines in the Devil May Cry anime series. Since these have happened over time, the changes have presented themselves in subtle mannerisms, so read on further and find out the changes in Dante.
10 Learning To Respect Women And Their Skills
For those that have seen Lady and Trish in action in the Devil May Cry anime, there will most likely be agreement that the two are among the most underrated female anime characters. Dante himself was unwilling to think of women as anything other than being attractive enough for him to hit on.
It was through his experience in Teminigru -- where he saw Lady’s unrelenting personality -- that he grew to have a respect for women. This was grown through his interactions with Trish, whom he learned never to underestimate. Eventually, Dante’s come so far as to agree that Lady, Trish, or any other female could potentially overpower him.
9 He's Open To Teamwork
The initial days of Dante’s career as a devil hunter had him spend his time alone in his shop, with only pizza for company. Later on, he at least had others to share his pizzas with. The younger Dante had no room in his heart for friends and allies, making his acceptance of these people a big change in character.
Not only did he begin to collaborate on his demon hunting with others, he even began to take into account their opinions. While he did prefer his way most of the time, Dante accepted that teamwork and strategy were needed to fight bigger foes.
8 He's Become Aware Of His Cheesiness
Due to Dante’s knack for his extreme cheesy jokes, some fans who’ve seen him in the anime aren’t aware that he’s based on a video game. He takes this cheesiness factor even higher in the game universe, although the younger Dante was unaware of this.
His inexperience meant that he figured people were unable to grasp how cool he was, rather than realize that he came across like some punk. The older Dante, though, knows when he’s being goofy and does it on purpose. Over time, he realized this cheesy attitude played to his benefit as it bamboozled his enemies, and allowed him to capitalize on this.
7 Acceptance Of His Father's Legacy
The enormous powers of Dante’s father Sparda were comparable to mythological creatures found in the God of War universe. Initially, Dante didn’t have respect for his father’s achievements, seeing it as an unworthy honor he had to carry on simply because he was Sparda’s son.
As he battled more dangerous foes, many who could have struck calamity had they not been sealed by Sparda, Dante understood the impact his father had. Due to this, he was able to wield Sparda’s great weapon, as well as continue his father’s mission of eradicating evil from Earth.
6 Developing A Self-Sacrificing Nature
It’s no wonder fans wanted Devil May Cry to be a game adapted into an anime. This is because Dante’s such an engaging protagonist that his character needed to be seen more. In his first chronological appearance, however, he wasn’t exactly on board with the whole hero thing.
While he didn’t have an issue entering the demon world, he only did it because he was arrogant enough to believe he could walk out. Devil May Cry 2 showed how he had turned into a self-sacrificing hero, as he willingly got trapped in the demon world to stop Argosax. Devil May Cry 5 confirmed this change, as he once again left in order to keep people safe.
5 Willingness To Accept His Brother's Flaws
The entire rivalry between Dante and Vergil began because neither of the brothers was willing to communicate. As soon as Dante saw the darkness in Vergil, he had a falling out with him and thereby always responded with violence against him.
Devil May Cry 5 was a turning point in how Dante approached his sibling, as he realized that his influence allowed Vergil to stay aggressive but not give in to his malevolence. Dante was able to channel their rivalry into friendly territory, as he finally found joy in their competitiveness which even Vergil was able to appreciate.
4 His Fighting Style Has Evolved
The way Dante moves, you’d think he had powers like Crash Bandicoot of jumping around. This was more apparent for the younger Dante, who was mostly flash and relatively less substance because of his cocky nature. Against enemies with skill and intelligence, Dante tended to have a hard time because his aggressiveness wouldn’t do the trick.
Although his over-the-top fighting style has gotten even more flashy in recent times, this is blended with Dante’s power moves. He doesn’t rely on one fighting style, instead familiarizing himself with whatever new weapons he gets and using the right ones based on his opponent’s weaknesses.
3 Acceptance Of Both His Devil And Human Side
Like the most powerful Olympians found in the Marvel comics, Dante is also a half-being, in that he’s both human and demon. Earlier on, Dante accepted both sides to varying degrees. He liked his demon side for the powers while claiming his human side to distance himself from evil beings.
However, he proved in Devil May Cry 4 that he’d grown to accept being human and demon together. This was when he showed compassion to the dying Credo, who had met his end as a human while having the powers of a demon. Rather than shame Credo for abusing his powers, Dante held his body to let Credo die in peace.
2 Developing A Protective Nature
There really wasn’t anyone in Dante’s life for him to protect, and he didn’t want to do it either. He hated the idea of someone slowing him down, which contributed to his aloof nature. However, for all the hard time he gave Nero, Dante definitely did have a protective attitude towards his nephew.
This grew over time as well, with Dante in Devil May Cry 4 only occasionally telling Nero to be careful, while he openly voiced his concern for Nero in Devil May Cry 5. His whole “dead weight” comment at Nero had been out of protectiveness rather than him undermining his nephew.
1 He Understands When He's Not Supposed To Be The Hero
People tend to discuss the strength levels of characters like Kratos or Thor in gaming, not realizing that Dante is on par with these guys. This got to his head, though, as the younger Dante reveled at the idea of saving the day, even hoping he could impress girls with his heroics.
He certainly outgrew this streak of immaturity, as Dante was shown gladly stepping aside and playing a supporting part to Nero. In Devil May Cry 5, he trusted Nero with battling Vergil, acknowledging that this was for father and son had to hash out without him interfering to save the day.