Dante's Not Actually Dante: Theory

[HandsomePeanut]

So who's heard the theory that Dante isn't actually Dante in DMC2?

I know I have. I first encountered in Karaii's comic Redemption. Basically the theory is that Dante is actually Vergil disguised as him in DMC2. It basically comes around because of how silent Dante is in the game. In Redemption the theory goes that DMC2 is an alternate dimension to the rest of the series, one where Nelo Angelo kills Dante in DMC1 before coming to his senses (somehow). Guilt-stricken, he takes on Dante's appearance and role.

I'm well aware this isn't canon. Why would it happen anyway? Why would Vergil pretend to be his dunce of a twin? Maybe it is guilt (humanizing Vergil) or he doesn't remember and thinks he's Dante (mistaken identity anyone?).

Despite that, I like this theory. DMC2 is never really acknowledged by Capcom, but by using this theory they can bring in the most mediocre of the installments in the series and use it plot-wise (insert joke about Capcom's inability to write a plot here) to bring Vergil back into the series while sticking to their guns that he died. It also explains why he is so serious when the direction Capcom has chosen to go with og Dante is anything but.

I don't know, I was just wondering what people thought about it.

 

[Chancey289]

Well, if they wanted to use some kind of alternate universe angle on this Dante to explain why he's just this quiet and more brooding protagonist, then couldn't they just say in this alternate universe Dante is just like that?

Sounds to me like a plot someone is trying to make more complex, but not really getting what they need to do to develop this character study that has Vergil being this nut job. (basically Cloud from FF7?)

 

[MigsRZXAStylish]

Dante's always been different in each DMC game, even in the anime. It's like he got rebooted every single time.

 

[Xeroxis]

It's possible. As long as all assertions are made only from the first DMC, the theory holds.

 

[Chancey289]

It was brought our attention not long ago that DMC 4 originally had Dante losing control to his raging demonic blood and going on a rampage. A rampage that would leave him responsible for the deaths of Trish and Lady. That actually could have been a very interesting thing to include and something that could leave Dante changed forever.

Maybe in between he dealt with some more demons, and I'm not talking the ones he hunts because of his career choice. Depression, anger, substance abuse (he is a drinker), and a possible suicide attempt. By DMC 2, he would have at least been brought back to being a functional person in a demon infested society, but long gone are his days of the jester he once was. Because this path he has chosen will always be the one that lead to him murdering the closest thing he had to family since his mother died. A job that needs to be done, but isn't all fun and games anymore.

 

[Xeroxis]

It was brought our attention not long ago that DMC 4 originally had Dante losing control to his raging demonic blood and going on a rampage. A rampage that would leave him responsible for the deaths of Trish and Lady. That actually could have been a very interesting thing to include and something that could leave Dante changed forever.

Maybe in between he dealt with some more demons, and I'm not talking the ones he hunts because of his career choice. Depression, anger, substance abuse (he is a drinker), and a possible suicide attempt. By DMC 2, he would have at least been brought back to being a functional person in a demon infested society, but long gone are his days of the jester he once was. Because this path he has chosen will always be the one that lead to him murdering the closest thing he had to family since his mother died. A job that needs to be done, but isn't all fun and games anymore.

This is some impressive insite *applauds*
however during the conception of DMC 2, the persona of DMC 3 and 4 Dante's didn't *technically* exist, so the transition from DMC 1 Dante to DMC 2's is what we ultimately have to compare (in the context of this thread). There is a difference, but not nearly as drastic as happy uncle Dante to brooding silent Dante

 

[Devil Player]

Well, when DMC 2 got released and got bad reviews, many people said he wasn't Dante. They kept saying he was Enzo.

I get that many hated the movie, BUT pretending to call the main character something else, just because the game sucked, is plain laughable. Hate it all you want, but the game is still called Devil May Cry 2 and the main character is called Dante.

Perhaps Capcom doesn't care about the game anymore, given the fact that its events don't get mentioned in the sequels. Better yet, Capcom is quite stuck in the corner now. They don't know how to make a sequel set AFTER DMC 2. DMC 3 is a prequel to DMC 1 and DMC 4 happens before DMC 2, according to them. So, either they pretend DMC 2 doesn't exist or they don't know how to make a real sequel.

 

[Chancey289]

This is some impressive insite *applauds*
however during the conception of DMC 2, the persona of DMC 3 and 4 Dante's didn't *technically* exist, so the transition from DMC 1 Dante to DMC 2's is what we ultimately have to compare (in the context of this thread). There is a difference, but not nearly as drastic as happy uncle Dante to brooding silent Dante

DMC 2 is the game that takes place further in the future, timeline wise, it's 3, 1, 4, then 2.

And I was talking in context if they went with the original idea to have Dante's rampage responsible for the deaths of Lady and Trish.

 

[Demi-fiend]

Why is it that whenever fans don't like a certain game in the series, they always say, "that's not really Dante?"

Does this mean that DMC2 Dante was the original Donte!?

Well, when DMC 2 got released and got bad reviews, many people said he wasn't Dante. They kept saying he was Enzo.

I get that many hated the movie, BUT pretending to call the main character something else, just because the game sucked, is plain laughable. Hate it all you want, but the game is still called Devil May Cry 2 and the main character is called Dante.

This.

 

[Viper]

I'd like to know what people claiming DMC2 Dante is actually Enzo were inhaling back then, must have been something really strong. One is everything Dante is, except more serious and silent, the other is a middleman described in the novel as short and a pig of a man. Non-matching specie on the side, he'd have to change hell of a lot to even start to resemble Dante, and Enzo certainly doesn't seem the type to care enough.

Deterioration of mental health changing Dante's personality or even him being Vergil is far more plausible.

 

[V's patron]

So who's heard the theory that Dante isn't actually Dante in DMC2?

I know I have. I first encountered in Karaii's comic Redemption. Basically the theory is that Dante is actually Vergil disguised as him in DMC2. It basically comes around because of how silent Dante is in the game. In Redemption the theory goes that DMC2 is an alternate dimension to the rest of the series, one where Nelo Angelo kills Dante in DMC1 before coming to his senses (somehow). Guilt-stricken, he takes on Dante's appearance and role.

I'm well aware this isn't canon. Why would it happen anyway? Why would Vergil pretend to be his dunce of a twin? Maybe it is guilt (humanizing Vergil) or he doesn't remember and thinks he's Dante (mistaken identity anyone?).

Despite that, I like this theory. DMC2 is never really acknowledged by Capcom, but by using this theory they can bring in the most mediocre of the installments in the series and use it plot-wise (insert joke about Capcom's inability to write a plot here) to bring Vergil back into the series while sticking to their guns that he died. It also explains why he is so serious when the direction Capcom has chosen to go with og Dante is anything but.

I don't know, I was just wondering what people thought about it.

Well alternate dimensions are an actual thing in DMC (DMC2 light novel) and in the novel he did traverse to one such universe where mundus won, and there was another Vergil who fought on the side of justice.

Your idea works better with the mistaken ID angle since vergil's brain is probably Swiss cheese after Mundus got through with it. His sense of self must be totally shattered so it makes it easier to see him mistakenly believe he's dante.

Plus I think the twins have too much an individualistic streak so I dont see Vergil willingly taking on Dante's appearance to honor him.

I did my own DMC2 remake idea in a seperate thread, you should check it out.

 

[absolitude]

oh, come on now, that's like a huge denial, like reallllllly huge, i mean more than godzilla huge.. anyway, it's huge..

 

[MigsRZXAStylish]

oh, come on now, that's like a huge denial, like reallllllly huge, i mean more than godzilla huge.. anyway, it's huge..

Should see what I said here to back your claim:

Dante's always been different in each DMC game, even in the anime. It's like he got rebooted every single time.

 

[absolitude]

Should see what I said here to back your claim:

that was spot on sucker punch actually, one thing i resent from the og DMC.. and the looks, they could've at least made them looked same on the artwork..

capcom sure was messed up, like resident evil imo, blew things up out of proportions, from a common themed bio hazard leak to new world order..

 

[V's patron]

I did think about taking some attributes of DMC2 Dante and shifting them into Vergil's character so the idea has some merit.

 

[windleopard]

It was brought our attention not long ago that DMC 4 originally had Dante losing control to his raging demonic blood and going on a rampage. A rampage that would leave him responsible for the deaths of Trish and Lady. That actually could have been a very interesting thing to include and something that could leave Dante changed forever.

Maybe in between he dealt with some more demons, and I'm not talking the ones he hunts because of his career choice. Depression, anger, substance abuse (he is a drinker), and a possible suicide attempt. By DMC 2, he would have at least been brought back to being a functional person in a demon infested society, but long gone are his days of the jester he once was. Because this path he has chosen will always be the one that lead to him murdering the closest thing he had to family since his mother died. A job that needs to be done, but isn't all fun and games anymore.

It certainly makes his words to Lucia when she's contemplating suicide seem more poignant. "Devil Never Cry" suddenly isn't just a ham-fisted repetition of what he told Trish in DMC 1. It's Dante rediscovering his own humanity again while helping someone else do the same.