He was flashy over the top & so were the enemies he fought. The original Dante is respectful, thought provoking.
Even though he'd spout cheesy one-liners at times, he'd did it without using foul language & coming off like an ape.
Nero is the same.
Younger, green around the gills hero & like Dante he was this squeaky clean character that was so cool that it was sickeningly sweet lol
And they're more Straight edge then alot of characters today.
DevilMayCry 1 to 4 wasn't filled with alcohol, foul language, & pointless nudity in order to be cool, & people loved it.
Dante & Nero are cool characters that didn't need to do all that to prove they're cool.