Vergil (Devil May Cry)

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Vergil

Game series	Devil May Cry series
Voice actor(s)	Daniel Southworth(Devil May Cry 3)
Motion capture actor	Daniel Southworth(Devil May Cry 3)
In-Universe Information
Relatives	Dante(brother); Sparda (father); Eva (Mother)

Vergil is a fictional character who is the twin brother of Dante and one of the two sons of the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda. His real name is Vergil, but was later changed to Nelo Angelo, which is the product of a transliteration error of "Nero Angelo" meaning "Black Angel" in Italian. Nelo Angelo is a boss featured in the video game Devil May Cry. Vergil appears in the prequel, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening. Vergil is, like Dante, a hybrid. His lineage is divided between being half Devil and half human. This gives him abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Unlike his brother, he is more serious about his training in "Dark Slayer" fighting style, and is the better swordsman, he practices the Iaidō sword fighting style. He is also the opposite of Dante, with his cold and stoic demeanor, not to mention his slicked-back hair as opposed to Dante's wild and thrill-seeking demeanor and his uncombed hair (though when his hair is down, Vergil immediately ends up looking identical to his brother).

1 Origin and History
2 Gameplay
3 Quotes
4 Philosophy and Speculation
5 Devil May Cry 4
6 External links

[edit] Origin and History

At the end of Devil May Cry 3, Vergil plummeted to the lowest region of the Demon Realm after a frustrating defeat by Dante, and realized that Mundus was waiting for him. He decided ultimately that "it will be fun to fight the prince of darkness." However, due to the previous battle with Dante, he was weakened and thus was defeated by Mundus. As a result, he was subsequently brainwashed as the Dark Emperor's servant. This was how he became Nelo Angelo.

Vergil battles Dante three times in the 'Devil May Cry 3' storyline. Their first battle is on the highest level of Temen-Ni-Gru, also known as the Devil's Tower. Though Dante puts up a valiant effort, he is abruptly defeated by Vergil's might with the Yamato, his keepsake katana from Sparda. At the end, Vergil obtains Dante's amulet, the only memento left from his mother. Prior to the second fight, Vergil put an end to Beowulf, a blind wolf-like demon (he apparently lost his first eye to Sparda and his last eye in his battle with Dante) who hates the Sparda line with a vengeance, ever since he was defeated and sealed away two millennia ago by the Legendary Dark Knight. By doing this, Vergil acquired the Beowulf gauntlets and greaves.

He had mixed in martial art moves along with his considerable skills with the Yamato. Dante's true Devil Trigger powers had been awakened, and this battle ended in a draw, before Arkham revealed his evil scheme. Lastly, their final battle was in the Demon Realm. Vergil had attained the Force Edge, the symbol of Sparda. He also gains a two new attacks; a diving motion which is executed in sets of three, and a storm of judgement cuts, which he executes while invisible (read: moving so fast that he can't be seen). However, he is eventually defeated by an awakened Dante.

Although they have a thorough dislike for each other at the beginning of Devil May Cry 3, there are indications that Dante and Vergil were once close and were not always enemies. The most significant example of this is at the end of the boss battle against Arkham in level 19 (as halfway through this fight, Vergil joined Dante). Just before defeating their enemy, Dante mentions a phrase they used to say together. They both utter the word, "JACKPOT!" and use Ebony and Ivory to eject Arkham out of the Demon Realm. It should be noted that Vergil normally doesn't use firearms since it is stated that he doesn't believe them to be a true warrior's weapons and upon grasping Ebony, he tells Dante that he shall "Try it your way for once." He quickly tosses the gun back to Dante afterwards, as if eager to be rid of the weapon.

Also, at the end of the last fight against Vergil, he tells Dante to leave the Demon Realm, and began to throw himself off of the waterfall they were battling on. Dante seems to show some reluctance in letting Vergil stay in the Demon Realm, and even made an attempt to reach out and grab his hand to prevent him from damning himself. A smiling Vergil used the Yamato to cut Dante's hand, and fell (he first did this near the end of their first fight, as Dante tried to take back his amulet). While he falls at the end of the game, it is shown briefly that Dante wouldn't have reached him anyway, given the distance between him and Vergil. As he thus had no real reason to cut Dante's hand, it is possible that Vergil simply did that as a way of saying goodbye, and leaving behind something for Dante to remember him by. Dante does however end up shedding a tear, for his seemingly lost brother. After returning to the human world, Lady says "Even a devil may cry, when he loses a loved one". It is suggested that the name "Devil May Cry" (Dante's demon-hunting shop) seems to be something of his way of memorializing Vergil (he also kept the halfglove he was wearing when Vergil cut him, with his blood still staining it). Ironically it is subtly implied that the lost of a loved one led the events in the game, when at the end of Dante and Vergil's first duel Vergil tells Dante that "Might controls everything and without strength, you cannot protect anything, let alone yourself.". This may be in reference to the death of their mother and further dialogue between the two include the topic of their father, Sparda, whom they both admired.

During the credits of the game, Dante is pitted against as many demons as you can kill before time runs out. Should you kill over 100 of them, a secret movie is unlocked. This shows Vergil rising to his feet on a lake of blood, and looking into the sky to see three large glowing orbs in a triangle (representing Mundus). Vergil then charges at the orbs with the Yamato ready.

Vergil is Voiced by Daniel Southworth

[edit] Gameplay

Vergil has only one Style, Dark Slayer (similar to Dante's 'Trickster' style), which includes many evasive maneuvers, and can be leveled up twice, just like Dante's initial four styles. He has three weapons: his Yamato katana, Dante's Beowulf gauntlets, and the Force Edge broadsword from the first game. He has only one ranged attack, "Summoned Swords," which can be summoned to spin around Vergil, damaging enemies, can be stacked and shot at the enemy quickly or can be summoned to surround an enemy and pierce them radiating from the enemy’s position, however they do not automatically hit a target, but deals more damage than Dante's guns.

[edit] Quotes

(His sword is stabbed into Dante) "Foolishness Dante, foolishness. Might controls everything, and without strength you cannot protect anything...let alone yourself."

"Shut up."

"You are not worthy as my opponent!"

(Responding to Dante's jibe about the 'invitation' and the lack of a 'party') "My sincerest apologies brother. I was so eager to see you I couldn't concentrate on preparations for the bash."

"Insane buffoon! I don't know where you came from but you don't belong here. NOW LEAVE!"

"It's time for the clown to bow out, Arkham!"

"I've come to obtain my power, you can't handle it."

"I'll try it your way for once."

"I need more power!"

"Twins...right."

"Am I...being defeated?"

"It'll be fun to fight with the Prince of Darkness. If my father can do it, I should be able to do it too!" (Charges towards Mundus, screaming)

(Back to back with Dante, and speaking in unison) "Jackpot!"

"Not very classy for someone's dying words."

"You will not forget this devil's power."

"This is the power of Sparda!"

"You're going down..."

(gripping his amulet after his defeat at Dante's hands) "No one can have this, Dante. It's mine. It belongs to a son of Sparda."

[edit] Philosophy and Speculation

One may notice that Dante and Vergil share their names with Dante Alighieri and Publius Vergilius Maro, poets of epic works. In Dante Alighieri's work The Divine Comedy, Dante (the author) is guided through Hell by Virgil (the Roman poet), and Heaven by Beatrice Portinari, Dante's idealistic vision of the perfect woman. Both sons of Sparda mirror the characters in the poem; Vergil as Nero Angelo continuously confronts Dante as he delves further into Mundus' castle (Hell), egging him on and drawing him closer to Mundus himself. Trish can be seen as a parallel to Beatrice, his saviour that helps Dante finally defeat Mundus and escape the castle. Mundus can be viewed as Satan, trapped at the center of his castle, and some of the enemies and areas in the game could be seen as metaphors for the concentric circles of hell and their populaces described in Alighieri's work.

[edit] Devil May Cry 4

In the magazine Game Informer Capcom is said to have mentioned that Vergil may appear in Devil May Cry 4, but did not say how. According to the magazine, Vergil still remains important to the Devil May Cry franchise.They believe that Nero has been possessed by Vergil.

Though it does not make any sense how Vergil will corrupt Nero (he is Dante's brother) but the game developers might twist the story into place.