Is Argosax a literal deity?

[Sargon Torchrise]

It's been said that Argosax is a deity. An example of this statement can be found in the DMC wiki and the DMC wikipedia.

Is this true?

Now this is weird cause he is the only one in the entire DMC franchise that is explicit called as a deity but there are so many powerful entities in the DMC series that is equal or even more powerful than him to the point that Argosax's title as a deity becomes nothing more than a mockery of a joke. If he is really a deity then shouldn't he be more powerful than Mundus who isn't a deity but just a mere demon?

Or maybe I am just retarded cause the titles "deity" or "god" are... well... just that... mere titles! I am probably too retardedly obsessed with the idea that deities should be considered as the most powerful entities in any fictional works just because they are worshipped and are called "deities". At the end of the day, the only thing that's important is the entity's powers and abilities and not if the entity is worshipped or what the entity's title is.

Another interesting thing about Argosax is that many people say that he was the previous demon ruler that was overthrown by Mundus. Is this true or just mere speculation?

Anyways, is Argosax literally a god? Is Argosax also the previous ruler of the demon world before Mundus?

Let me know your opinions below.

 

[Morgan]

/dusts off file

BradyGames's Devil May Cry Official Strategy Guide states that "A dark prince of the Underworld mustered a great army of evil and slew the former god of evil." Whether or not that "god of evil" was Argosax is not clear, mostly because a) that was the first game's strategy guide, and the second game (thus, Argosax) hadn't been invented yet, and b) the second game's guide doesn't make that clear either, and has some other decisions like "Vie de Marli" being translated as "Vidu Mali" and calling Lucia's clan "The Protectorate".

Even so, just look up the instruction manual. The whole backstory around Dumary Island in DMC2 is that the founders were Mediterranean refugees (and runaway slaves) that held pagan beliefs and got branded as heretics, and worshipped different deities plural to seal away demons, granted power and blessings from their also-demonic gods. Argosax was a god harbored by a cult of worshippers in the island but had to be defeated: "One recent tale, only a few hundred years old, told of a great swordsman appearing from "the outside" to aid in exorcising the most evil god of all time". Mission 8's Guidepost for the Protectors also notes, "The Protector's path to the final piece is a submerged den of murk and corruption. Rising above the waters, the fire of the gods must be used against them." So, y'know, there exist gods plural in this world.

In addition, Argosax's Enemy Files are right there:

• EN: The king once ruled most of the demon world and subdued all the demons, but was defeated by Sparda.
• JP: 一時は魔界の大半を手中に収め多くの悪魔を屈服させた混沌の覇王だがスパーダに敗れて復活の時を待っていた
  あらゆる魔の姿と能力を兼ね備えている
• TR: Overlord of chaos that one time held in his hands most of the Demon World and subdued many demons but, defeated by Sparda, was waiting for the time of resurrection. Possesses both forms and abilities of every demon.

• EN: Possessing an androgynous perfect body and awesome dignity, he is sometimes worshipped.
• JP: 覇王アルゴサクスの「真の姿」
  男女両性の完璧な容貌を持ち侵しがたい威厳を備えているため「神」と崇められたことも多いが本質は究極の絶望である
• TR: Overlord Argosax's “true form.”
  Having both male and female perfect appearance and possessing majestic dignity he was often worshipped as “God,” but his true nature is ultimate despair.

DMC5: Before the Nightmare more or less says Argosax was the ruler of Hell before Mundus and challenged him to a battle when Mundus ate from the Qliphoth, and their battle split Hell into two sides. Capcom's Devil May Cry Story in 5 Minutes video also calls Argosax a "ムンドゥスと同等の力を持つ魔界の覇王": Supreme king of the demon world with power equal to Mundus.

As far as canon is concerned,

Argosax ruled, Mundus fought him and didn't do a very good job defeating him thoroughly. After Mundus was beaten by Sparda, Argosax rose up to reclaim his portion of Hell and was recognized by worshippers in Dumary as the most evil god of all time, and then Sparda went and killed Argosax for real. Argosax gets resurrected in DMC2 and gets killed again for real by Dante.

Or maybe I am just retarded cause the titles "deity" or "god" are... well... just that... mere titles! I am probably too retardedly obsessed with the idea that deities should be considered as the most powerful entities in any fictional works just because they are worshipped and are called "deities".

I'm gonna be up front.

Yeah that is a stupid hangup. Do you realize what series this is?

Sparda is also "worshipped as a god" as of DMC4, the Divinity Statue is called a "God of Time", Bolverk from DMC2 is literally post-Ragnarok Odin, Agni and Rudra are the Hindu deities of fire and wind, the Vajra is described as "an ancient weapon used to control lightning" suggesting that Indra exists somewhere, the chamber where Dante obtains Artemis is called the Mute Goddess's Chamber, Mundus is referred to as "Pluto" the Roman god of the Underworld and Dante identified him as a "god the castellans used to worship", the Judge of Death statue in Mallet may or may not be Yamaraja the God of Death, and Dante recognizes different gods throughout his exploration of Mallet Island's castle right in the first game.

• "Something about the strange occurrence in the cathedral of the castle is written. 'It happened on a hot humid night. The columns twisted and the statue of a god disappeared. We quickly sealed the cathedral in hope that someone righteous with a strong heart will come save us.'"
• "This statue must be the watcher of time. This god knows and remembers all of the past"
• "It’s a statue of an angel, the guardian of a god"
• "A god stands before thee. To open the path, use thy strength to drive it back"
• "It's a statue of a water goddess"
• "This must also have been a statue of some goddess"
• Secret Mission 8: "Treasure of the Reaper"/"Treasure Guarded by the Death God"

You have to abandon thinking of the gods in this series like a Capital G "God" akin to Abrahamic religions, as an all powerful and omniscient entity and supreme being above all with implied invincibility. This is not that. These are the types of gods that are just supernatural beings considered as holding power over an aspect of nature and honored as such, but are many kinds and can be killed or replaced where needed.

 

[Sargon Torchrise]

/dusts off file

BradyGames's Devil May Cry Official Strategy Guide states that "A dark prince of the Underworld mustered a great army of evil and slew the former god of evil." Whether or not that "god of evil" was Argosax is not clear, mostly because a) that was the first game's strategy guide, and the second game (thus, Argosax) hadn't been invented yet, and b) the second game's guide doesn't make that clear either, and has some other decisions like "Vie de Marli" being translated as "Vidu Mali" and calling Lucia's clan "The Protectorate".

Even so, just look up the instruction manual. The whole backstory around Dumary Island in DMC2 is that the founders were Mediterranean refugees (and runaway slaves) that held pagan beliefs and got branded as heretics, and worshipped different deities plural to seal away demons, granted power and blessings from their also-demonic gods. Argosax was a god harbored by a cult of worshippers in the island but had to be defeated: "One recent tale, only a few hundred years old, told of a great swordsman appearing from "the outside" to aid in exorcising the most evil god of all time". Mission 8's Guidepost for the Protectors also notes, "The Protector's path to the final piece is a submerged den of murk and corruption. Rising above the waters, the fire of the gods must be used against them." So, y'know, there exist gods plural in this world.

In addition, Argosax's Enemy Files are right there:

• EN: The king once ruled most of the demon world and subdued all the demons, but was defeated by Sparda.
• JP: 一時は魔界の大半を手中に収め多くの悪魔を屈服させた混沌の覇王だがスパーダに敗れて復活の時を待っていた
  あらゆる魔の姿と能力を兼ね備えている
• TR: Overlord of chaos that one time held in his hands most of the Demon World and subdued many demons but, defeated by Sparda, was waiting for the time of resurrection. Possesses both forms and abilities of every demon.

• EN: Possessing an androgynous perfect body and awesome dignity, he is sometimes worshipped.
• JP: 覇王アルゴサクスの「真の姿」
  男女両性の完璧な容貌を持ち侵しがたい威厳を備えているため「神」と崇められたことも多いが本質は究極の絶望である
• TR: Overlord Argosax's “true form.”
  Having both male and female perfect appearance and possessing majestic dignity he was often worshipped as “God,” but his true nature is ultimate despair.

DMC5: Before the Nightmare more or less says Argosax was the ruler of Hell before Mundus and challenged him to a battle when Mundus ate from the Qliphoth, and their battle split Hell into two sides. Capcom's Devil May Cry Story in 5 Minutes video also calls Argosax a "ムンドゥスと同等の力を持つ魔界の覇王": Supreme king of the demon world with power equal to Mundus.

As far as canon is concerned,

Argosax ruled, Mundus fought him and didn't do a very good job defeating him thoroughly. After Mundus was beaten by Sparda, Argosax rose up to reclaim his portion of Hell and was recognized by worshippers in Dumary as the most evil god of all time, and then Sparda went and killed Argosax for real. Argosax gets resurrected in DMC2 and gets killed again for real by Dante.



I'm gonna be up front.

Yeah that is a stupid hangup. Do you realize what series this is?

Sparda is also "worshipped as a god" as of DMC4, the Divinity Statue is called a "God of Time", Bolverk from DMC2 is literally post-Ragnarok Odin, Agni and Rudra are the Hindu deities of fire and wind, the Vajra is described as "an ancient weapon used to control lightning" suggesting that Indra exists somewhere, the chamber where Dante obtains Artemis is called the Mute Goddess's Chamber, Mundus is referred to as "Pluto" the Roman god of the Underworld and Dante identified him as a "god the castellans used to worship", the Judge of Death statue in Mallet may or may not be Yamaraja the God of Death, and Dante recognizes different gods throughout his exploration of Mallet Island's castle right in the first game.

• "Something about the strange occurrence in the cathedral of the castle is written. 'It happened on a hot humid night. The columns twisted and the statue of a god disappeared. We quickly sealed the cathedral in hope that someone righteous with a strong heart will come save us.'"
• "This statue must be the watcher of time. This god knows and remembers all of the past"
• "It’s a statue of an angel, the guardian of a god"
• "A god stands before thee. To open the path, use thy strength to drive it back"
• "It's a statue of a water goddess"
• "This must also have been a statue of some goddess"
• Secret Mission 8: "Treasure of the Reaper"/"Treasure Guarded by the Death God"

You have to abandon thinking of the gods in this series like a Capital G "God" akin to Abrahamic religions, as an all powerful and omniscient entity and supreme being above all with implied invincibility. This is not that. These are the types of gods that are just supernatural beings considered as holding power over an aspect of nature and honored as such, but are many kinds and can be killed or replaced where needed.

Was Argosax killed?