| Dante | |
|---|---|
| Devil May Cry character | |
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Dante_(DMC).png) Dante's original Devil May Cry design as seen in Project x Zone | |
| First appearance | Devil May Cry (2001) |
| Created by | Hideki Kamiya |
| Designed by | Makoto Tsuchibayashi, Daigo Ikeno (Devil May Cry 2 and 3) Tatsuya Yoshikawa (Devil May Cry 4 and 5) Alessandro Taini (DmC: Devil May Cry) |
| Voiced by |
|
| Motion capture | Reuben Langdon (Devil May Cry 3, 4, & 5) Tim Phillipps (DmC: Devil May Cry) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Cambion |
Dante (Japanese: ダンテ), also known under the alias of Tony Redgrave (トニー・レッドグレイブ, Tonī Reddogureibu), is a fictional character and the protagonist of Devil May Cry, an action-adventure hack and slash video game series by Japanese developer and publisher Capcom. Introduced as the protagonist of the 2001 game with the same name, Dante is a devil hunter dedicated to exterminating them and other supernatural foes in revenge for losing his mother Eva and having his older twin brother, Vergil, lost. He is the son of Sparda, inheriting demonic powers which he uses with a variety of weapons in the games. The character also appears in several Devil May Cry novels and manga volumes and is featured in the 2007 anime television series. Dante has also made multiple guest appearances in crossover games. Since 2005, he has been portrayed in voice acting and motion capture by Reuben Langdon.
Named after the Italian poet Dante Alighieri, the character was designed to fit Devil May Cry game designer Hideki Kamiya's vision of a "cool and stylish" man; his personality was based on the title character of the Cobra manga series. Dante has been modified in response to criticism in his role in Devil May Cry 2 (2003) as his personality changed making him more serious and less talkative, drifting away from his original persona. Devil May Cry 3 (2005) features a young, cocky Dante, and in the following games an older yet still cocky Dante. Capcom handles the character in the main Devil May Cry series, while Ninja Theory oversaw his persona in DmC: Devil May Cry (2013).
Dante's characterization as a cocky demon hunter with supernatural abilities has turned him into one of the most iconic protagonists in gaming ever since his introduction. Reuben Langdon's portrayal of Dante has also been the subject of praise. Comparatively, his redesign and characterization in DmC: Devil May Cry was highly controversial for the drastic change of his appearance, most notably his iconic white hair.
- ^ Wingfield-Bennett, Kristian (22 November 2012). "Becoming Dante – Developer Diary #3". This Is Xbox. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
- ^ Aguda, Patrick (19 September 2024). "Adi Shankar's Devil May Cry Animated Series Premieres 2025". Operation Rainfall. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
Johnny Yong Bosch, the voice actor behind Nero in the Devil May Cry video games, voices Dante in the animated series.