How to create a new lead

[V's patron]

I think there was a rumor that Kamiya wanted a new lead for each DMC.

They eventually did try that with Nero in DMC4 but it lead to mixed results.

So if you had to create a new lead for DMC/DmC how would you approach it? What are your guidelines for creating a new lead?

 

[DDutchguy]

Find a lore reason for the new protagonist to be on the level of DMCs heavy hitters (i.e. Nero being able to hold his own against Dante). Preferably a reason that isn't "you have the blood of Sparda in you" unless we are to believe Sparda was quite the stud.

 

[Lain]

I've always said it, the main character has to carry the story so they must be the most fun person to follow. You should want to see what happens to them, not anyone else.

As the protagonist they also have to move the story forward so they definitely need to be relevant, preferably for other reasons than "has Sparda's blood".

Lastly, you need to have a good power balance between the protagonist and the antagonist. If the hero is so powerful from the beginning then it becomes less interesting because you know they'll win.

 

[Goldsickle]

I remember the ending of the first DMC where Dante says "give your regards to my son" to Mundus, hinting the idea that a possible sequel would star Dante's son, maybe if Kamiya was the one in charge.

 

[Gel]

I remember the ending of the first DMC where Dante says "give your regards to my son" to Mundus, hinting the idea that a possible sequel would star Dante's son, maybe if Kamiya was the one in charge.

Kamiya admitted the ""give your regards to my son" was just a joke and ( in theory) Nero is Dante's "son" , his direct descendant, the child Dante probably will never have.

 

[Viper]

Ho boy! Some time back I'd have already posted a wall of text, now I keep typing and deleting my thoughts... first thing I have become aware of - whatever lead they go with, there will be a group of fans not happy with it.

If I had to think of a entirely new lead, I'd go with a duo, a seasoned veteran and a young rookie, give each their own missions, but not make one character's set of missions reversal of the other character's (in other words, the infamous backtracking Dante did). This way you can satisfy the biggest amount of fans, both those that like manly older heroes and those who are into your standard shounen hero, while riding again on the very popular mentor-student dynamic.
Or you can make them both on about the same level of experience, maybe one higher in power than the other, with their personalities clashing while the situation forces them to cooperate. I was gonna say it kinda makes me imagine young, pre-DMC3 Vergil and Nero's hypothetical mom, but then I remembered how people think these days and DMC doesn't need shippers and anti-shippers outrage.

 

[Gel]

I was gonna say it kinda makes me imagine young, pre-DMC3 Vergil and Nero's hypothetical mom

When I read this , I went "Mmm...! You know how to tickle my fancy...

 

[Viper]

When I read this , I went "Mmm...! You know how to tickle my fancy...

I just wish I wasn't so bad with predictions, but DMC pretty much did all the other possibilities... except some no-name gets sucked into other dimension to fight zombies with a team of survivals. Devil May Survive. Any day now. XD

 

[berto]

I honestly think it's a lot more simple than everyone is making it out to be. Capcom got obsessed with focusing on Sparda left and right but it doesn't have to be like that, not even a little bit. You just make a new character with their own backstory and origins, that's it. What about Sparda? What about him? He doesn't have to be involved at all with this new, hypothetical, lead anymore than the bartender around the corner or the hot dogs that dude sells across town. Just make him, no need for forced involvement from the grand pappi of the series' lore required.

 

[TonyRedgraveDMC]

I'd like to see A. Different demon hybrids, I already have OCs that explore said concepts (1. A human who gains demonic powers by donning one or various oni mask/s, 2. The union of a human and his personal daemon-- a subtype of demon that infiltrate human psyche) or B. An battle-priest who uses sacred weapons instead of devil arms and holy water and stuff.

 

[NessPSI]

I'd like to see A. Different demon hybrids, I already have OCs that explore said concepts (1. A human who gains demonic powers by donning one or various oni mask/s, 2. The union of a human and his personal daemon-- a subtype of demon that infiltrate human psyche) or B. An battle-priest who uses sacred weapons instead of devil arms and holy water and stuff.

I wish we would get more stuff like that in DMC. There are plenty of interesting things they could do with the lore than have the constant blood of sparda plot. Imo Aeron Lowell from the anime was a neat example.

 

[WolfOD64]

I've said it once and I'll probably say it till the end of time when DMC5 finally comes out: DMC's problem isn't that it doesn't have leads...in fact, there are almost too many potential leads. The problem is that they're almost never developed enough, and they're placed at the front and center of a narrative all about them.

With the number of opportunities both the games and the anime series had to explore some of the more intricate aspects of the characters or explore their personalities through character interaction, one would THINK that by this time in the series, Capcom would've shown the characters off from all kinds of interesting angles. But more often than not, the characters serve little purpose outside of providing a flashy spectacle or living up to whatever generic anime character palette they serve in the plot.

And trust me, bringing in new leads would only multiply the issue, not solve it. Nero was living, breathing proof of this.