Dream Smasher Dante: Special Edition

“LET’S START THE PARTY!”

Two years ago I showcased a Dream Smasher here that was based on Devil May Cry 4 Dante, and a year ago I did a video Dream Smasher based on his Devil May Cry 5 incarnation on our YouTube channel. This article is a revision of that video’s content, with some changes made due to feedback I got, correcting mistakes, and just pure indecisiveness. I also made some balance changes as he previously had too many “natural combos”. There’s a lot of changes! 

So, Dante.

Who is Dante?

Dante is the main protagonist of the Devil May Cry series. He’s the son of the world’s savior, a demon who woke up to justice and eventually settled down with a human woman, making him half-human and half-demon. He prides himself on his humanity, for that humanity is what drives him to be the hero after the tragic loss of his mother at the hands of demons.

He’s also a huge goofball. He’s wacky, he’s zany, he sports a devil may care attitude, he knows how to throw a party, and he has severe abandonment issues and drinks to the verge of passing out due to his crippling depression.

Woohoo?

Importance to Nintendo and the Series

Dante is the ever enigmatic main hero of the Devil May Cry franchise, the pioneer of the action game genre. The series took a little snooze cruise for eleven years, but it’s finally back and stronger than ever, with new Switch ports of the original three games and the amazing Devil May Cry 5.

Modern action games wouldn’t exist without Devil May Cry. Bayonetta would not exist without Devil May Cry, and the fact that Bayo got in before DMC is, in my opinion, criminal. Seriously.

Now that Devil May Cry has properly debuted on a Nintendo platform, the lack of Nintendo presence from before is moot, and it has everything it needs to qualify for its inclusion. The series is certainly legendary enough, and Dante is the most iconic action game protagonist. He’s no stranger to crossovers, having appeared in both Project X Zone games and in the Marvel Vs Capcom games from 3 onwards.

Design and Colors

Dante’s default would be his DMC5 costume. Thanks to both DMC1 and DMC5 containing fire gauntlets, the alts would be split down the middle with his DMC5 and DMC1 costumes. His DMC5 design would be more stylized and less hyperreal to fit in Smash, resembling his previous more anime incarnations, but the basic design would stay the same. Also, the only high quality artwork of DMC1 Dante is from Project X Zone, so, we’ll just have to make do with that.

Worn & Torn Red	Red	Navy Blue	Aquamarine	Black	Orange	Dark	Purple
DMC5 Dante	DMC1 Dante	DMC5 Nero	DMC3 Vergil	V	Nico	Doppel-ganger	Sparda

How Would He Play?

Dante is among the most powerful characters in his home series and would easily be the most powerful character in the entirety of Smash. Not only does he have a boatload of demonic abilities, but he has an infinite well of potential due to the strength of his heart. Seriously.

It’s often said that Dante never really gets a chance to show his full potential due to the enemies he fights being so weak. Hopefully some Smash fighters can give him a challenge, and he’ll have reason to bust out his stronger moves. Characters such as Bayonetta, Ryu, and Ken have opened the way for more complex and varied inputs, so Dante could have a few context sensitive moves that can be performed with the right series of inputs.

Taking a step back from the previous article, which tried to incorporate nearly every Devil Arm in the series up to DMC4, I’m going to be limiting Dante to just Sword, Gauntlets, Dual Pistols, and a Shotgun. The reasoning behind this four weapon kit is that it has been around since the first game, giving us a wealth of moves to take from the entire series. Also, Dante will have the rose from Lucifer as he does in DMC5 because throwing an exploding rose to style on your enemies is peak Dante.

Here are Dante’s stats:

• Can they crawl: No
• Can they wall jump: Yes
• How many jumps do they have: 2
• Is there any exclusive abilities they have*: Yes (Devil Trigger & Royal Guard)
• Weight Class: C
• Height Class: B
• Speed Class: B
  
  *alike Peach’s float

(for a more detailed look at the stats check this link here)

Final Aesthetics

The series logo is the letters ‘D M C’ from the neon Devil May Cry sign that adorns the titular in-universe business, changed from the previous Rebellion for reasons that I won’t discuss just yet, but I promise they will be a little motivating. When Kirby copies Dante, he gains his luxurious hair.

Boxing Ring Title: “Legendary Devil Hunter”

Series Icon	Stock Icon	Kirby Hat

When using his DMC5 alts, Dante will have Rebellion, Balrog, and Coyote-A. When using the DMC1 alts, Dante will have Force Edge, Ifrit, and the Shotgun from that game. Both alts use Ebony and Ivory as their dual pistols. These are the appearances of those weapons:

Rebellion Force Edge	Balrog Ifrit	Ebony and Ivory	Coyote-A Shotgun

Dante’s specialized HUD will show how much Devil Trigger he has, and how much Royal Guard energy is built up.

In-Depth Moveset

Move Name & Action	Description	Origin
Entrance	Dante jumps in from the top of the stage, facing away from the screen. He turns to the camera and flashes a cocky smile before the camera flies away.	DMC4
Idle 1	Dante’s idle from Devil May Cry 5.	DMC4
Idle 2	Dante’s first idle animation from Devil May Cry 5. Dante gives his old bones a stretch.	DMC4
Idle 3	Dante’s second idle animation from Devil May Cry 5. He looks behind him, wondering where all the fun is.	DMC4
Walking	Dante walks forward, very slowly, but with swagger. His walk from Devil May Cry 5.	DMC4
Running	Dante breaks out into a sprint. He could be faster, but those bones are getting old and he’s not what he used to be. His run from Devil May Cry 5.	DMC4
Crouch	Based on part of his idle from DMC4. A similar animation is featured as Dante’s crouch in Marvel vs. Capcom 3.	DMC4
Jump Air Hike	Dante launches himself upwards with miniscule effort. His double jump is Air Hike. When he double jumps, the Air Hike glyph will be visible underneath him.	DMC1
Damage	Dante flinches in good spirit, knowing the blow doesn’t really hurt. He’s been impaled a lot.	DMC5
Down Special Devil Trigger	On top of Dante’s percentage is his Devil Trigger bar. The bar can be filled by landing blows, split-second dodges and blocks, taunting successfully, and getting hurt with more devastating attacks, up to ten notches. Once he has three notches on his Devil Trigger bar, Dante can let loose his demonic self by activating his Devil Trigger, which lasts as long as he has energy left.  Specific moves use Devil Trigger energy, and while in Devil Trigger moves are buffed in damage, with certain moves gaining special perks. Also while in Devil Trigger, Dante gains super armor for a lot of his attacks, and regenerates very slight health, about 20% in total for a full bar. The DMC1 alts will use his Sparda Devil Trigger, seen in the final battle of DMC1.	DMC1
Neutral Special Ebony and Ivory	Dante pulls out his trusty pistols Ebony and Ivory and shoots in front of him.  This move can be strengthened with Charge Shots if the special button is held until Dante’s hands glow before being used.  If the button is mashed while Dante is standing still, Dante will execute Twosome Time, which has him shooting in place. The angle of his left pistol can be determined by the left control stick. The shots will do minimal damage as they shoot very fast, and they will only stun enemies when Dante is in Twosome Time.  In the air, this move is Rain Storm. Dante twirls around firing off both his pistols. The button can be held to extend this attack until Dante reaches the ground. When in Devil Trigger, all shots are Charge Shots.	DMC1 (Ebony and Ivory) DMC1 (Charge Shot) DMC2 (Twosome Time) DMC2 (Rain Storm)
Side Special Round Trip	Dante throws his blade into his foe, which whirls into them for a set period of time. The blade can be recalled at any time by pressing the Normal Attack button or using the Side Special again. During the period the sword is away, Dante can run and jump around. He is even able to initiate grabs and use his other Special moves.	DMC1
Up Special Air Trick	Dante teleports forward and up with Air Trick. If an enemy is in line with Dante, he will always lock onto that enemy if they are in range.  If performed on the ground, Dante will appear in midair above the enemy.	DMC3
Final Smash Jackpot (Human) Judgement (DT)	If the Final Smash is activated when Dante is in human form, he will whip out Ebony and Ivory and shoot two superpowered bullets, saying his signature line: “Jackpot!” If the Final Smash is activated when Dante is in Devil Trigger, he will impale himself with DSD and unleash the full power of his Sin Devil Trigger with Judgement, letting loose armageddon with a series of blows that finishes off with an explosion of demonic energy. The DMC1 alts will use the DMC2 Ultimate Devil Trigger, the predecessor of the Sin Devil Trigger, when using Judgement. He will impale himself with Force Edge, as the method of unlocking Ultimate Devil Trigger in Devil May Cry 2 is by being at low health.	DMC1 (Jackpot) DMC5 (Judgement)
Shield Royal Guard	Dante’s shield will function differently to how the rest of the shields in Ultimate function. Ultimate changed up the Perfect Shield mechanic to be activated when the player releases their shield. This complicates things as the previous version of the mechanic, shielding right before an attack, would fit like a glove over Devil May Cry’s Royal Guard.  Royal Guard is one of Dante’s defining techniques. Holding Royal Guard allows Dante to Block incoming attacks, using up Devil Trigger. If you do not have DT, the Block fails.  This limitation can be avoided by performing Royal Guard with perfect timing. If timed just right, releasing Royal Guard at the last second, Dante will execute a Royal Block, a flashier block that does not use up any DT. This fits over the current Perfect Shield system in place in Ultimate. While Dante doesn’t execute a traditional parry, he gains the upper hand and a bit of DT, so pulling this off with him will still be beneficial in the long run. The meter underneath Dante’s Devil Trigger is the Royal Meter. Here, energy is saved up from blocking attacks. Each successful Block will fill half a notch on his Royal Meter with energy, and if a Royal Block is executed, he will gain a full notch (up to ten times). The built-up energy can then be expunged at any time while holding shield, by pressing the special button. As an inverse of the Inkling, who does the same command to build up their meter, Dante does it to bottom-out his stored energy from guarding attacks. Dante can unleash the stored energy at any time in a Release by using this attack. Strength and knockback depends on the amount of stored energy and timing. If he Releases right when he’s about to be attacked, he will perform a Royal Release, which will generate more knockback and launch Dante forward.	DMC3
Dodge	Dante’s Dodge Rolls from DMC5.	DMC
Spot Dodge Ground Trick	Dante vanishes and reappears in a split second.	DMC5
Air Dodge	Dante’s Air Flip from DMC5.	DMC2
Fall Break Flipper	Dante does a cool flip.	DMC4
Floor Attack	Dante spins around, kicking his legs into the air, and flips back onto his feet.	DMC2
Ledge Grab	Dante grabs onto the ledge with bottom hands, supporting his body with both of his legs. He then hops over the edge.	DMC1
Edge Attack	Dante does a somersault over the edge while shooting Ivory. Illustrations by SOBUNOAIYU	Original
Neutral Rebellion Combo II	A four hit combo, done with three button presses. The second button press does a two hit attack where Dante swings his sword around him. If the button is mashed after the second press, Dante will perform Million Stab with a thrust finisher.	DMC3  (Rebellion Combo II) DMC1 (Million Stab)
Dash Attack Cut-in Front	Dante slides across the ground, shotgun in hand, somersaults, and unloads buckshot on his foe.  Pressing the button again during the slide will cause Dante to flip instead of roll, and shoot his gun midair.	DMC5
Forward-Tilt Stinger	Dante performs Stinger. He launches forward on the ground with a stab with his trusty sword.  If the button is mashed after executing stinger, Dante will perform Million Stab.  When in Devil Trigger, this move will be stronger and launch farther with a bigger hitbox in exchange for Devil Trigger energy.	DMC1
Up-Tilt High Time	Using his sword as a platform, Dante thrusts it upwards, lifting his opponent up with his blade.  If up is held during the move, Dante will rise with his opponent.	DMC1
Down-Tilt Volcano	Dante smashes the ground with his gauntlet, unleashing a shockwave of flames. This move is specifically the grounded variant from DMC3, as both the DMC1 and DMC5 variants of this move are aerial.	DMC3
Forward Smash Shotgun	Dante pulls out his trusty shotgun and lets it loose on his enemy. The charging animation for this attack will mimic Charge Shot, which will have Dante’s hand glow red when the more powerful buckshot is ready.	DMC1
Up Smash Dragon	There are three stages to this attack. In the first, Dante unleashes a strong uppercut, called Minimum Dragon. In the second, charging up to the halfway point, Dante does a rising uppercut called Rising Dragon, launching both himself and his opponent into the air. If charged all the way, Dante will do a rising spinning uppercut, called Divine Dragon. This move is devastatingly powerful, but it will take a while to get to it.	DMC1 (Minimum Dragon) DMC3 (Rising Dragon) DMC4 (Divine Dragon)
Down Smash Kick 13	Dante unleashes a strong kick engulfed in fire. When in Devil Trigger, Dante does an uninterruptible four-hit string of two punches and two kicks.	DMC1
Neutral-Air Aerial Rave	Dante swings his sword fluidly while suspended in the air. Each blow of the four hit combo is its own button press.	DMC3
Forward-Air Friction	Dante performs a drop kick. This move is devastatingly powerful, and will crumble all those who it hits. It can also break shields.	DMC1
Back-Air Shot Shell (Backslide)	Dante shoots his shotgun behind him, not even looking where he’s firing. This is based on the grounded Backslide move, but it works perfectly for this situation. Just pretend he’s in the air.	DMC1 (Shotgun) DMC4 (Backslide)
Up-Air Flip Kick (Aerial Combo Hit 2)	Dante does the funny DMC2 flip.	DMC2
Down-Air Helm Breaker	The classic. Dante hefts his sword down, dropping him and it on any foe beneath. This move cannot be canceled, unlike in the games. Have fun.	DMC1
Grab	Dante beratingly holds his enemy in place with just the tips of his fingers, showing how little strength he needs to exert to hold the enemy back.	DMC4
Pummel Light Blow	Dante punches rapidly with his gauntlet. He’d still have his other hand on his foe.	DMC5
Forward Throw Drive	Dante kicks his foe forward and sends them packing with a large projectile from his blade. This is specifically the ‘Quick Drive’ variation of the move introduced in Devil May Cry 4. If the Attack Button is pressed after unleashing the throw, Dante can perform Over Drive, attacking with two more strikes. This animation has a long cool-down.	DMC3 (Drive) DMC4 (Over Drive)
Back Throw Ecstasy	Dante whips his enemy behind him and tosses the rose from Lucifer in their direction. It explodes, knocking them away with great force.	DMC4
Up Throw Real Impact	Dante performs Real Impact. A strong punch with a long windup and devastating impact, rocketing Dante and his foe into the air.	DMC3
Down Throw Wild Stomp	Dante stomps on his enemy and lets loose a flurry of bullets into his enemy before kicking them away. Mashing the special button during the attack will cause Dante to shoot more.	DMC3
Up Taunt	Dante does his classic taunt, a one-handed beckon, egging them on to approach. “Come on!”	DMC1
Side Taunt	Dante shrugs nonchalantly, mocking his opponent. “You scared?”	DMC3
Down Taunt	Dante stands in place, laughing. “Hahahaha, guts and honor…”	DMC5
Victory Transition	The screen is riddled with bullet holes and shatters, revealing the victory screen.	DMC1
Victory Pose 1	Dante does a series of punches while holding a slice of pizza in his mouth. This is a reference to the intro of DMC3. Illustration by SOBUNOAIYU, Background by Voyager	DMC3
Victory Pose 2	Dante faces away from the camera, says “In the end, is silence,” and shoots his pistol into the air. This is a reference to a cutscene from DMC4. Illustration by SOBUNOAIYU, Background by Voyager	DMC4
Victory Pose 3	Dante holds his hands to his side and cockily says, “Man, I’m bored.” This is a taunt from DMC5. Illustration by SOBUNOAIYU, Background by Voyager	DMC5
Losing Animation	Dante slow-claps.	DMC4
Victory Theme	A snippet of ‘Devils Never Cry’, the main theme of Devil May Cry 3. The song is about Dante and it’s become his go-to theme in crossover games.	DMC3

Closing Thoughts

In re-doing this set I held a poll on Twitter asking people what I should include in a “hypothetical” rework. The winner of that poll was Style Switching, one of the core mechanics of Dante in DMC4 and 5, and it’s easy to see why! The prospect of every competitive Smash event devolving into “SWORDTRICKGUARDGUN” is really funny. Unfortunately, there really just aren’t enough moves to pull this kind of thing off without making some up. Royal Guard in particular only has two real moves, three if you really wanna count the health regen move in 5. And locking style moves out of the regular moveset (as logically they’d only change the special moves) really dampens the amount of Dante energy you can put into the kit. So I kept with the basic 4 weapon kit from last time, while changing some moves around, as personally I feel this is how he would be handled in an official game. Maybe Royal Guard might just be cosmetic, it is a little broken for him to have two meters that are so powerful.

I took a lot of feedback from my previous set to heart. A common complaint I received was the lack of the signature “Jackpot!” which I realized immediately afterwards was a glaring omission. So I came up with the idea of having two Final Smashes, which was also helped by a few characters in Ultimate actually doing that. I also did not know what Ground Trick actually was, which was embarrassing.  Thrust Kick as the Forward Throw was a horrible idea, too, just awful; axed that immediately. That’d just be completely broken. I also realized I should probably have Round Trip since it’s been there from the first game.

Here’s hoping whenever Dante gets in that he’s as cool as this hypothetical set, or maybe even cooler! And thank you for reading, especially these ending thoughts that I am writing at 6 in the morning. Dante for Smash. Here’s a Monster Energy Drink Dante alt.

Special Thanks

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