Dante is a recruitable guest character from the Devil May Cry franchise appearing in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne.
This dropdown contains the synopsis of Dante’s story. Read at your own risk as you may be spoiled otherwise!
Dante is one of several new additions to the Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne Maniax re-release. In the later Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne Chronicles re-release, Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV from Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon replaces Dante as the recruitable character. In the HD Remaster editions Raidou is the default, but the player has the option to have Dante reprise his role with the purchase of the Maniax Pack DLC.
Dante is first mentioned in pre-Conception Tokyo, where he is described by a passerby as a "strange foreigner wearing a red cloak and carrying a big sword." After the Conception, he survives, and his role of being a demon slayer comes into light. Dante makes his first formal appearance after the Demi-fiend escapes the Shinjuku Medical Center, where he observes how different Tokyo looks from what he originally heard (according to him, the current state of Tokyo doesn't look like a place where one would get sushi).
He would later show up in Ikebukuro, territory of the Mantra demons. After the Demi-fiend prevails in the Mantra's court of strength, the Candelabrum of Sovereignty starts to flicker wildly. Noticing the change, the Demi-fiend soon sees Dante, who leaps down from the highest level of the tower and suddenly forces him into battle.
After a brief exchange, Dante loses the drive to fight for the moment and takes an interest towards the Demi-fiend, as the latter doesn't seem to be like any demon he has encountered before. Dante reveals that he was hired by an "old man" to hunt down some demons, including the Demi-fiend. He also holds a Candelabrum in his possession, but was never told what it was for. Dante then proceeds to tell the Demi-fiend to keep himself alive, as the former would like to experience the thrill of the hunt again when he becomes stronger.
Dante slowly became suspicious of his employer's motives, and begins investigating the Labyrinth of Amala on his own. Upon venturing to the Third Kalpa, the Demi-fiend will encounter Dante once again, and the latter attempts to convince him to turn back. If he says no, Dante will begin to chase and attack him throughout the Kalpa, playing a practical cat-and-mouse game where he resets door switches and guards exits for the next two levels. If he catches the Demi-fiend, Dante will attack him or his minions, then retreat. The Demi-fiend would then find himself back at the entrance hall, where Dante will taunt him from afar. He would then engage him in another battle should the latter slip through his fingers. Following a final encounter, Dante launches one last attack but intentionally avoids stabbing the Demi-fiend, instead impaling the adjacent wall. After explaining his reasons for doing so, Dante hands over the Candelabrum in his possession, dismissing it as "nothing but junk." He would then go on ahead to resume investigating the Labyrinth of Amala.
Upon the Demi-fiend's entry to the Fifth Kalpa, Dante will be waiting within and would begin explaining the details he gathered about the old man's actual intentions. He would then offer his services to the Demi-fiend, as he no longer feels like continuing to perform the dubious tasks asked of him by his former employer. If he decides to hire Dante, the latter would flip the same double headed coin from Devil May Cry 2. Should the Demi-fiend call tails, Dante would take half of his total Macca. But if he calls heads, he will only have to pay Dante a paltry sum of 1 Macca. Dante will remain on standby at the entrance of the Fifth Kalpa if the Demi-fiend decides not to hire him just yet.
Dante's presence is permanent upon joining the Demi-fiend's ranks. He can never be fused with any demon, and despite having an entry in the Demonic Compendium, Dante cannot be summoned from there during a New Cycle.
After joining the Demi-Fiend's party, Dante effectively no longer has a role in the story other than being another party member and his ultimate fate is never shown in any of the endings.
Travel Speed:Superhuman (Can keep up with Demi-Fiend who can keep up with Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV, (shown in the intro to outrun Goutou at full speed. Traveled across large sessions of the town on foot in under a day)
E & I: Small physical damage to one foe. Hits four times.
Rebellion: Medium physical damage to one foe. High critical rate.
Never Yield: Passively equips survives one fatal blow with 1 HP remaining per battle.
Provoke: Buffs physical attack and decreases defense both by 2 levels, all foes and restores user with some MP.
Holy Star: Removes all debuffs from all allies.
Intimidate: Urges an indecisive demon to accept the deal. Works best for user who is 10-level higher than the target or adult/adolescent to child target.
Roundtrip: Heavy electric damage and 15% shock to all foes.
Whirlwind: Heavy force damage to all foes.
Bullet Time: Medium physical damage and 30% panic to all foes. Undodgeable.
Stinger: Medium phys-almighty damage of high critical rate and chance of instant kill to one foe.
Son's Oath: Passively multiplies all damage dealt by 1.5.
Showtime: Heavy almighty damage to all foes.
Other
Standard Tactics: Dante will usually use attacks such as bullet time, rebellion, and holy star to negate debuffs. When he gets serious he starts spamming whirlwind, stinger, and showtime.
Weaknesses: Nothing notable.
Trivia
Dante's artwork in the game is based on his appearance in Devil May Cry 2, presumably because Devil May Cry 2 was the most recent game in the series coming around the time of Nocturne.
When Dante uses his Showtime attack, the B, A and S style prompts from Devil May Cry 2 ("Bingo!," "Are You Ready?" and "Showtime!" respectively) appear onscreen.
Dante's unique Provoke skill acts much like Taunt, but is also a subtle allusion to taunting in Devil May Cry. Taunting in Devil May Cry will raise Dante's current Style rank as well as replenish a portion of his Devil Trigger gauge. Similarly, using Provoke in Nocturne will restore some of Dante's MP along with the usual Taunt effect.
For unexplained reasons, Dante avoids using his Devil Trigger transformations throughout the game. In Devil May Cry these represent his true demonic powers and drastically enhance his strength, speed, agility and vitality regeneration. He also neglects using the Majin Form available to him in the (at the time) recent entry Devil May Cry 2, which channels his ultimate, demonic potential.
Consistent to his appearance in Ikebukuro, after Dante has joined Demi-fiend and is summoned to the party, he is the only one who will remain unscathed if the Demi-Fiend leaps off from 60/F to the ground at the Mantra Headquarters.
In exchange for Dante's presence in Nocturne, Kazuma Kaneko was brought into the Devil May Cry 3 project to design the Devil Trigger forms of Dante and Vergil. This design of Dante's Devil Trigger would later be used in both versions of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 while Vergil's Devil Trigger would also appear in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Project X Zone 2 and Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition, with Kaneko being credited appropriately. In addition, Dante and Vergil's Sin Devil Triggers in Devil May Cry 5 seem to be based loosely on Kaneko's original designs.
References
↑Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 7: Chapter 6, " Accompanied by the glittering of the stars, unending empty space surrounded Nakajima. Below his feet, the endlessly spinning shining blue globe looked up at him. It took him a few moments for him to realize that he was floating in outer space. Nakajima unfolded his arms. In them, he held the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, emitting a strand of light in the blackness of space. Its blade twinkled and throbbed, as if responding to the tens of thousands of stars. Suddenly, a sinister psychic wave hit Nakajima from behind. It appeared as if Izanami's robe had given him the power to survive and move about in the vacuum of outer space. Swinging his sword, Nakajima slowly turned around, and found his field of vision dominated by an open, gaping red maw. It was that of an incomprehensibly enormous serpent. Though the demon had only possessed a temporary form on the surface of the earth, the natural effect of powerful magnetic field that had forced him into space had given Set a complete body. Star Scorpion's 60-foot-long solar cells spread out like wings. Now a giant snake, Set's pale green scales glimmered as he coiled around the beautiful yet functional satellite lying in dead orbit. It looks like the insignificant humans had enough knowledge to summon me into this empty space. The voice echoed in Nakajima's mind. But the humans will soon know their folly in thinking that they have banished me. Pulling this satellite down with me to the surface is an easy task. And that is not all. Have a look at all the demons that were summoned here into space! Beside Nakajima, several pale glowing things that looked like hoods floated aimlessly. Soon, they will take on bodies and seek safe haven on Earth. The end of the age of the foolish humans' dominion over the earth will not be long now. Nakajima, whether or not you intended, you have become the knight that blows the trumpet signalling the beginning of the apocalypse. The only path remaining for you is to cast aside your humanity and work for me. It would be a shame to kill you. Think it over. Ignoring Set's call, Nakajima focused all of his anger onto the sword he held directly in front of him. The environment of outer space that had given the demon a body had also removed all restrictions on the divine power he had been granted. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, now an immensely long coil of light, drew an arc like that of a whip emitting red light, and came down onto the body of the enormous serpent. Fool, you do not value your life. Set lurched forward. Weaving away from the enormous serpent's attacking fangs, Nakajima was enveloped by a miasma like ice. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi had already produced many pale sparks striking the body of the serpent coiled around the satellite. Yet the tough scales showed no sign of injury. Not only that, but the ugly faces and disgusting tentacles of materializing new demons floated like ghosts in the space around him. The noisy voices of the demons amplified like they were advancing down on Nakajima."
↑Note: Demons normally showing these contradictions is due to the observation of humanity affecting them.
↑Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 5: Chapter 4, "RAUIERE!" Yomotsu-Shikome tried to tell him something in a foreign tongue. She could sense that this intruder possessed a power much different and far greater than the human tomb robbers that had foolishly wandered in before. If possible, she wanted to repel him without having to fight. Caught off guard, Loki stood still and narrowed his jet-black eyes, as if sizing up the power of this new arrival. Then, he started to walk forward calmly, an arrogant smirk on his face.
↑Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 5: Chapter 2, "At that time, Loki swiftly entered Shirasagi Mound, and was standing before the passageway that Nakajima had passed through earlier. "Just you wait, Nakajima. Soon, I will defile your precious woman before your very eyes before devouring you whole." With a twisted smile on his face, Loki transformed himself into an amorphous blob and oozed into the tunnel. Loki descended the passageway that took Nakajima hours to traverse in mere minutes. Soon the blob of flesh made a squishing sound as it dropped to the stone floor of the plaza before the burial pathway. At that instant, its outer membrane hissed and gave off smoke as it started to melt. "Damn you!" Loki quickly transformed back into his bronze body, and kneeling on the ground, let loose a terrible howl. Most likely, he could not stand the chemical reaction that took place when his protoplasmic body came into contact with the mercuric sulfide. Even now, the one gelatinous place of his body between his eyes throbbed and pulsated. Gritting his teeth and standing, Loki stared solemnly at the crimson burial road."
↑"Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 7: Chapter 6,However, he could not stop fighting. As minor demons from Set's world continued wriggling while trying to enter the Assiah world, an unmistakably familiar voice echoed in Nakajima's mind. Nakajima! I'm here! Aim for here! Yumiko! Is that you!? The instant Nakajima heard the voice, the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi regained a shine like a nova as it tore through the air. Stab your sword in the direction of my voice! Nakajima quickly noticed a pale, white, phosphorescent glow on a part of the enormous serpent's scale-encased body. Yes, I'm inside the demon! If we attack from inside him and outside him at the same time, we might be able to defeat Set... Led by Yumiko's voice, Nakajima stabbed his blade toward the phosphorescent glow. But an instant before the tip reached it, the tail of the giant snake forcefully knocked the blade aside and sent Nakajima flying far back. Flipping over and regaining his composure, robe fluttering behind him, Nakajima saw the rolling form of Set uncoiling, as if swimming through the vacuum. Foolish girl! To think you would let me know that you still live! Now I no longer have to depend on this irritating machine!
↑Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 2: Chapter 2, ""I made it back to Toyoashihara..." His lips trembled with relief. Opening his arms wide, the youth took a deep breath of the humid air, pursed his lips forcefully, turned around, and sat down. For a while, he stared at the form of the grotesque woman chasing him, then shook his head sadly and closed his eyes. The youth started to meditate. When the woman had gotten within reach of a stone's throw, his body seemed to float slightly in midair for a moment, and then there was a huge undulation in the atmosphere. As if a huge invisible power had been released, the earth shook, and the fissure that appeared directly beneath the youth spread to the surrounding moutains, and countless rocks started to fall on the path. As the woman stopped, a giant boulder rolled in front of the path in front of her eyes, sealing it off. "Izanagi! I will come to you! Even if it takes hundreds or thousands of years!" The sound of the woman's bitter cries rose from beyond the towering pile of earth. "Forgive me, Izanami..." Plugging his ears with his hands, the youth staggered into the wetlands, the tall reeds rising even above his height."
↑Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 7, Chapter 2 "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."
↑Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 7, Chapter 2 "A deafening explosion broke Nakajima's concentration. A star-mark-adorned F-14 jet divebombed, slicing through the clouds. Nakajima all of a sudden found himself hovering over a battlefield. Below him was a hair-raising sight. An unbelieveably large lump of flesh, a hideous tower of raw meat, was slowly writhing. Its pale green, transparent gelatinous membrane was greedily expanding at its base. Several long black rivers flowed into it. No, what looked like black rivers were actually the hair of the people heading toward the tower. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people tore off their clothes and proceeded forward completely naked. Rapid explosions echoed through the air. The SDF's F14 jets scrambled from the 7th fleet were attacking, targeting the top of the tower so as to minimize injury to the humans below. A rain of bullets from an attack helicopter's machine guns sprayed through the air. Though that ammunition was capable of penetrating tank armor, it was absorbed without any resistance into the body of the ever-expanding otherworldly creature, as if it was laughing at the pathetic attack. It was almost as if it was trying to prove that any attacks against it would be futile."
↑Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 7: Chapter 6, " Accompanied by the glittering of the stars, unending empty space surrounded Nakajima. Below his feet, the endlessly spinning shining blue globe looked up at him. It took him a few moments for him to realize that he was floating in outer space. Nakajima unfolded his arms. In them, he held the Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, emitting a strand of light in the blackness of space. Its blade twinkled and throbbed, as if responding to the tens of thousands of stars. Suddenly, a sinister psychic wave hit Nakajima from behind. It appeared as if Izanami's robe had given him the power to survive and move about in the vacuum of outer space. Swinging his sword, Nakajima slowly turned around, and found his field of vision dominated by an open, gaping red maw. It was that of an incomprehensibly enormous serpent. Though the demon had only possessed a temporary form on the surface of the earth, the natural effect of powerful magnetic field that had forced him into space had given Set a complete body. Star Scorpion's 60-foot-long solar cells spread out like wings. Now a giant snake, Set's pale green scales glimmered as he coiled around the beautiful yet functional satellite lying in dead orbit. It looks like the insignificant humans had enough knowledge to summon me into this empty space. The voice echoed in Nakajima's mind. But the humans will soon know their folly in thinking that they have banished me. Pulling this satellite down with me to the surface is an easy task. And that is not all. Have a look at all the demons that were summoned here into space! Beside Nakajima, several pale glowing things that looked like hoods floated aimlessly. Soon, they will take on bodies and seek safe haven on Earth. The end of the age of the foolish humans' dominion over the earth will not be long now. Nakajima, whether or not you intended, you have become the knight that blows the trumpet signalling the beginning of the apocalypse. The only path remaining for you is to cast aside your humanity and work for me. It would be a shame to kill you. Think it over. Ignoring Set's call, Nakajima focused all of his anger onto the sword he held directly in front of him. The environment of outer space that had given the demon a body had also removed all restrictions on the divine power he had been granted. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, now an immensely long coil of light, drew an arc like that of a whip emitting red light, and came down onto the body of the enormous serpent. Fool, you do not value your life. Set lurched forward. Weaving away from the enormous serpent's attacking fangs, Nakajima was enveloped by a miasma like ice. The Sword of Hi-no-Kagutsuchi had already produced many pale sparks striking the body of the serpent coiled around the satellite. Yet the tough scales showed no sign of injury. Not only that, but the ugly faces and disgusting tentacles of materializing new demons floated like ghosts in the space around him. The noisy voices of the demons amplified like they were advancing down on Nakajima."
↑Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 2, Chapter 4 "The last demon to appear called himself Set, correct?" "Yes, that's right." "While it's too dangerous to try and conjecture the state of affairs in the demon world based on our own knowledge of this one, my theory is that the demon world is like a colloidal conglomeration of countless mini-universes, each centered around a powerful demon. Most likely, with Loki's death, the mini-universe in contact with Japan or Tokyo vanished, and Set's mini-universe entered to take its place. Demon summoning is just opening a contact point between the two worlds at the same time."
↑Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 4: Chapter 5 " Isma had realized that the bizarre life form that had torn itself out of Ohara's belly was a temporary body for Set, who had been planning to take form by possessing Loki's child. According to his theory, summoning a demon via a computer would require creating a magnetic field with which to summon the demon and the processing of the demon's data to be materialized, both of which would have to be done at virtually the same time. If the magnetic field was weak, the point of connection between the demon's world and the Assiah world would narrow, constraining the amount of data that could be processed. On the other hand, no matter how powerful the magnetic field was, unless the digital data could be processed quickly and concisely, the demon would never be able to take form. It was quite possible that even a supercomputer would not be able to handle the massive amount of data that would be needed to materialize a high-ranking demon. Despite that fact, the high-ranking demon Set was able to to take form in the Assiah world, even if it was only in a makeshift body. Something must have added a great deal of power in setting up the necessary magnetic field for a summoning; this in turn would ease the restraints on the data processing. Isma was convinced that something was Yumiko. Most likely, the high concentration of biological Magnetite within her body had been a major player in creating the magnetic field for the summoning. The divine constitution that she had inherited from Izanami was nothing but a giant retention of that highly concentrated Magnetite. While meager in comparison to that of Yumiko, ordinary humans also retained some biological Magnetite. If enough of it was collected, it might be able to create a permanent overlap of the Atziluth and Assiah worlds entirely. Therefore, having already formed a contract with Set, Isma borrowed his power to summon many people and attempt to create a tower of human flesh. And everything was proceeding just according to plan. Even know the heavens split with a terrible thundering, and Set's most powerful servant, the great serpent Typhon, reared its head into the air as if slithering from behind a black curtain, knocking over the Soga Forest's trees as it went. "Typhon, welcome. Breathe deeply and take in the air of the Assiah world." Isma looked kindly at the enormous snake. "Take a look, your first victim awaits in the shadow of that tree." As Isma pointed to the copse where Officer Nimura was, Typhon vanished beyond the trees. Meanwhile, Set had transformed into a gigantic, vile pillar of flesh, his sinister, red glowing eyes at its peak darting all around the area. Typhon's presence is proof that the demon world Set rules is starting to meld with the Assiah world. Now all that remains is to gather more biological Magnetite and solidify the connection... Isma's eyes shimmered even brighter with madness."
Gallery
Concept art from Devil May Cry 2 in the Nocturne Maniax artbook
Dante in Nocturne
Dante as he appears in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
Dante in Nocturne
Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2 crossover Devil May Cry summon
