Just curious, but does anyone still believe that silly "Nero being Vergils son" theory?

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I liked what you said but my only issue is that reincarnation would he coming out of nowhere too. No one else has ever been reincarned, so why would Sparda? Would he continue to be reincarnated forever? And deformities do happen. Nero'a arm could be a deformity from diluted demonic blood. It happens or maybe even a genetic anomaly, like having one blue eye and one brown eye is in some animals. Can't be predicted, just happens. But I wouldn't mind this idea either. And I don't think Vergil was ever confirmed to be dead in DMC -. He just kind of poofed. But correct me if I am wrong.
How was Vergil not confirmed dead? DMC 3 may have totally contradicted Vergil's history in DMC 1, but DMC 3 was there way of explaining that. (despite not thinking *shrugs*) He challenges Mundus and you never see it play out because you know he loses. It's how he becomes Nelo Angelo. Who Dante defeats and he freaking explodes.

And sure reincarnation would also be a new element to DMC, but it's a theory that sounds more believable. I'm just trying to speculate here with what I got and what's implied. Vergil somehow being a daddy just doesn't get supported by much. Sounds like just a cop out explanation.
 
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How was Vergil not confirmed dead? DMC 3 may have totally contradicted Vergil's history in DMC 1, but DMC 3 was there way of explaining that. (despite not thinking *shrugs*) He challenges Mundus and you never see it play out because you know he loses. It's how he becomes Nelo Angelo. Who Dante defeats and he freaking explodes.

And sure reincarnation would also be a new element to DMC, but it's a theory that sounds more believable. I'm just trying to speculate here with what I got and what's implied. Vergil somehow being a daddy just doesn't get supported by much. Sounds like just a cop out explanation.

Whoa friend, if you are assuming that I'm not thinking because I may or may not realize or think Vergil is dead, that is incorrect. I never said you were wrong and your theory should he cast out. It shouldn't. I will be the first to admit that yes, Nero being Vergil's son would be unoriginal, tried and true formula, but that doesn't make it bad or wrong either. And reincarnation would be a new and fresh idea that could be a hit or miss. I said how is it not confirmed because there has been no material that has outright said he was dead. Just like there has been no material confirming Nero's origins. And just because Mundus beat him, doesn't mean he killed him. If he would be scheming enough to reanimate a corpse, he would be scheming enough to brainwash or use some kind of mind control or vice versa.

He doesn't necessarily explode. Blue flames sweep around him and a white light appears in his center. He could have been teleported. It's not like you see a giant bang or Vergil bits fly everywhere.

If that is what you find more believable, by all means, don't stop believing. I find Nero being Vergil's son more believable just because there is nothing to base the whole reincarnation plot off of either. However there is a strong sense of family and what it means in this game and I don't see a father and son relationship being out of place. But that doesn't make either of us incorrect necessarily. In fact because Nero being Vergil's son would be, as I see it, a rather obvious and unoriginal (though I like it the best, it's an oldie but a goody kind of deal), it would be interesting to see if Capcom pulls something that I see as totally unexpected.

And if Capcom's character development skills were that bad, well I don't think any of us would be here on this website. Capcom can be turds but they have created a lot of games we all know and love with stories we care about.
 
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Whoa friend, if you are assuming that I'm not thinking because I may or may not realize or think Vergil is dead, that is incorrect.
You got me all wrong. I wasn't accusing you of not thinking, I was talking about Capcom. I should have worded that better. My bad.
 
In all honesty i want vergil to remain dead in dmc. As we all know dante goes to hell in the end of the second game and with that i hope there is a sequel to the second game where dante finds vergil in hell and he acts as a guide for dante... just like the devine comedy since DMC tajes heavy influence from it
 
In all honesty i want vergil to remain dead in dmc. As we all know dante goes to hell in the end of the second game and with that i hope there is a sequel to the second game where dante finds vergil in hell and he acts as a guide for dante... just like the devine comedy since DMC tajes heavy influence from it
i like that too! I love when they tie in Dante's Inferno themes. That would be interesting too. Though as we have seen you don't have to dead to be in the demon world, it would be interesting if both brothers were in the Demon World working together. I wonder how being there would jack up there powers. Imagine the new DT moves!
 
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I'm so confused about this really! o_o Nero could be Vergil's son, but I heard from somewhere that Dante is 29 in DMC4, but I'm not sure since we haven't gotten a clear answer to his age. And I heard that Nero is ten years younger. If things weren't so vague, I would believe it, but if the age thing regarding Dante is true, then it's not possible.
 
I'm so confused about this really! o_o Nero could be Vergil's son, but I heard from somewhere that Dante is 29 in DMC4, but I'm not sure since we haven't gotten a clear answer to his age. And I heard that Nero is ten years younger. If things weren't so vague, I would believe it, but if the age thing regarding Dante is true, then it's not possible.
No one at Capcom has every confirmed their ages. It isn't in any of the books, manga or video games. Their "age are rumors. Demons apparently don't wrinkle haha so he could be 29, could be older. I always pictured him mid-thirties in 4 but everyone sees it differently. The only person whose age has been hinted at is Nero, to be in late-teens to early twenties, but at the end of the day, they are still just hints, nothing concrete. But it has never been said Dante, Vergil, and Nero are X age. With the exception of they were 8 when Eva died. Unless somebody at Capcom decided, years after all of the games, books, and mangas have been out to suddenly state their age.
 
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No one at Capcom has every confirmed their ages. It isn't in any of the books, manga or video games. Their "age are rumors. Demons apparently don't wrinkle haha so he could be 29, could be older. I always pictured him mid-thirties in 4 but everyone sees it differently. The only person whose age has been hinted at is Nero, to be in late-teens to early twenties, but at the end of the day, they are still just hints, nothing concrete. But it has never been said Dante, Vergil, and Nero are X age. With the exception of they were 8 when Eva died. Unless somebody at Capcom decided, years after all of the games, books, and mangas have been out to suddenly state their age.

All of this is true. Still, I'd like to know. Lol
 
Although familial relation is usually the typical case in plots like this, I think it's actually far less plausible than people are giving it credit for.

So far as ages go, I think Lady is the only character you need to guess that not much time had passed since DMC 3. Even if we assume she was 18 in DMC 3, that would make her nearly 40 in DMC 4 if Nero was born at any point after DMC 3.

Even beyond this, let's consider the game universe we're talking about here. Trish was a fabrication from Mundus, magical relics can open portals to other worlds, and sometimes when a demon is defeated it simply disappears to reappear again later with little explanation. Of course, this is considering the increasingly logical explanations for such events as new games were released.

In this context, would it be so unrealistic to consider another reason for Nero's arm, and his apparent possession by Nelo Angelo when he obtains Yamato?

My personal theory, which isn't very complete, has always been that Vergil's previous defeats in DMC 1 were rather similar to his final defeat where he gave up the amulet. It is entirely possible, within the confines of this universe and canon, that Vergil's soul sought out Yamato and waited there to be revived by controlling someone with demonic powers. Even still, it could be that Nero didn't always have the arm, but an accident near the time of Vergil's 'death' caused Vergil to embed his power in Nero long after he was born. And, even still, it could simply be that Nero always had the arm due to circumstances unrelated to Vergil and later, either through Yamato or Vergil's seeking out a suitable living host, gained some of power.

I don't think you need a literal bloodline leading back to Sparda to explain the concept of Sparda's blood being in Nero, especially if the arm is a remnant of Nelo Angelo in the form of a parasite.

This concept becomes even less difficult to believe when you consider that, in DmC, some of the demons had human 'avatars' that served their purposes. I'm not saying this is a direct parallel to Vergil/Nero, but it's something that you might consider less likely that has been visibly demonstrated in the games. I'm not saying I believe this theory, but I certainly thought it sounded more plausible when I thought to myself back in 2008.
 
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Also, I don't think I could take much stock in the idea of Vergil demon-raping someone when he was a child. That sounds like a much crazier proposition than what I just posted, and it doesn't seem to fit the atmosphere of the games as well.

Now that I'm thinking about it, Vergil inhabiting Yamato makes a lot more sense than I realized. It could very well be that Yamato is simply the 'Devil Arm' for Vergil, just like the other weapons in 3 and 4 that are gained after the defeat of an enemy.
 
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i like that too! I love when they tie in Dante's Inferno themes. That would be interesting too. Though as we have seen you don't have to dead to be in the demon world, it would be interesting if both brothers were in the Demon World working together. I wonder how being there would jack up there powers. Imagine the new DT moves!
or imagine if they both met in hell and end up finding their father who has been imprisoned in hell for centuries :D. although it never really clear where Sparda is in the original series, they just say that he vanished but i like DmC's idea that he is imprisoned in hell....if they can put this into a game that would make for a great sons and father reunion :)
 
or imagine if they both met in hell and end up finding their father who has been imprisoned in hell for centuries :D. although it never really clear where Sparda is in the original series, they just say that he vanished but i like DmC's idea that he is imprisoned in hell....if they can put this into a game that would make for a great sons and father reunion :)
Actually, DMC1 says Sparda reigned over the human world until his death. Looks like he probably died of natural causes - maybe partially due to him sealing his own demonic power too. I think in the manga Arkham tells Vergil that Sparda died as a human, I guess not literally since demons will always be demons, but he probably meant that Sparda died 'weak' and not in battle. I'm not expecting him to return and middle-aged Dante to go 'daddeeeeeh!', lol.
 
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Actually, DMC1 says Sparda reigned over the human world until his death. Looks like he probably died of natural causes - maybe partially due to him sealing his own demonic power too. I think in the manga Arkham tells Vergil that Sparda died as a human, I guess not literally since demons will always be demons, but he probably meant that Sparda died 'weak'. I'm not expecting him to return and middle-aged Dante to go 'daddeeeeeh!', lol.
oh yeah cant believe i forgot about that. there goes my hope for a father and son reunion :(. it would've been a wonderful moment in the series though
 
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Well, consider that Lady was around 19 in DMC3, same as Dante. The developers said that DMC4 takes place around ten years after DMC3, which would make Dante and Lady 30. They look like it too, to me. If they were forty, at least some wrinkles would show. Dante's not immortal either, like some people think.

I see no possession by Nero Angelo in Nero. He does get a devil trigger that looks blue and has a sheath for the Yamato, but other than that, it looks nothing like Vergil's DT or Nero Angelo. They both didn't have a halo attached to their shoulders, and their bodies were pretty different. Even the horns don't match Nero Angelo's horns or Vergil's DT horns.
I think that either Vergil's soul helps Nero out when he goes into devil trigger, OR the Yamato simply grants Nero a blue devil trigger because it did the same for Vergil -- they are both of the Sparda bloodline, therefore they get similar DTs. Seems to make sense.

Nero, as far as I know, was never human. Yes, the booklet says he is, but I think that was just meant as build-up to the realization that he's partially demonic. Nero has always had white hair and extraordinary power, he was left at the orphanage by an unknown person, Vergil was in Fortuna at some point, Sparda was the feudal lord of Fortuna... it's all a bit too coincidental. Nero even fights Dante on the statue of Sparda, and throws Sparda's sword at him. Berial says how similar he is to Sparda, and that he's not human. Sanctus even says Nero is a 'descendant of Sparda's blood', blood probably meaning 'family'. He also says Nero 'inherited' the power of Sparda. Can't inherit something from Sparda if you're not related to him.

As for the Devil Bringer, the DMC4 booklet says that he was attacked in Mitis Forest and got an injury to his arm. The DB came into existence due to that injury, which makes me suspect it's simply an incomplete Devil Trigger. After his arm changed, he started hearing Vergil's soul call out from the Yamato -- and the lab where the Yamato is, is actually pretty close to the forest. So that explains why he heard Vergil (or possibly the Yamato itself) cry out for power. Remember, the Yamato is the Rebellion's counterpart, and it's possible those two swords contain parts of Sparda's soul. The Rebellion even awakened when Dante got his DT.
Anyway, maybe Nero couldn't control his DT, so he only got the arm. I don't think a parasite is in his arm, and I don't think it's Nero Angelo's arm either. It's blue and red, and has powers Nero Angelo didn't (and shouldn't) have. It's weird that Nero has these ethereal powers, since Vergil never had an overpowered stretchy arm, nor did Sparda as far as I know. But maybe it's just a random something that could happen in people who get partially possessed by other demons.



No one at Capcom has every confirmed their ages. It isn't in any of the books, manga or video games. Their "age are rumors. Demons apparently don't wrinkle haha so he could be 29, could be older. I always pictured him mid-thirties in 4 but everyone sees it differently. The only person whose age has been hinted at is Nero, to be in late-teens to early twenties, but at the end of the day, they are still just hints, nothing concrete. But it has never been said Dante, Vergil, and Nero are X age. With the exception of they were 8 when Eva died. Unless somebody at Capcom decided, years after all of the games, books, and mangas have been out to suddenly state their age.
The developer in some interview said that DMC4 takes place ten years after DMC3. Unfortunately, the internet doesn't seem to care much about that interview anymore, can't find it anywhere. But I assure you, I remember reading that interview back then. Since Dante was 19 in DMC3 (I'm pretty sure that was confirmed), Dante must be somewhere around 29 to 33 in DMC4. If he's any older than that, it wouldn't be ''around ten years''.
In DMC1, Dante is 28 - that's actually explicitly stated by Trish: ''you're the man who lost a mother and brother to evil twenty years ago''. Since it's known Dante lost Vergil and Eva when he was eight, he must be 28 in DMC1.
In DMC2, his age is unknown, though of course it takes place after DMC4, making him at least in his mid thirties or maybe even forties.

As for whether he's Vergil's son or more related to Sparda, it could be anything. Vergil doesn't even have to be dead, he could've been freed from Mundus's control after DMC1. It's just the blue devil trigger Nero's got, and his Vergil quote of ''Power. Give me more power!'' that throws people off. That, and the fact that he says things like 'jackpot!' and 'blast' when he fights in devil trigger. But those quotes could just be ways to show how similar he is to Vergil, doesn't necessarily mean he's possessed by Vergil or that he's his son.
There doesn't seem to be any real evidence either way -- but yes I know there's an art book that says ''he really is Vergil's son''...still not proof and could just be Bingo Morihashi's original idea. That said, I do think that all the references to Sparda in DMC4 are food for thought. Berial saying ''you are just like he was (Sparda)''. Fighting Dante on a statue of Sparda, throwing Sparda's sword. Getting a purple aura for a split second when he takes the Yamato, having slight purple undertones with the Devil Trigger. Hell, his DT concept art even shows him with a full DT that's got some kind of glowing eye patch, but Nero's eye isn't damaged. Sparda had a monocle, so I think it's another reference to Sparda.
 
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Well, consider that Lady was around 19 in DMC3, same as Dante. The developers said that DMC4 takes place around ten years after DMC3, which would make Dante and Lady 30. They look like it too, to me. If they were forty, at least some wrinkles would show. Dante's not immortal either, like some people think.

I see no possession by Nero Angelo in Nero. He does get a devil trigger that looks blue and has a sheath for the Yamato, but other than that, it looks nothing like Vergil's DT or Nero Angelo. They both didn't have a halo attached to their shoulders, and their bodies were pretty different. Even the horns don't match Nero Angelo's horns or Vergil's DT horns.
I think that either Vergil's soul helps Nero out when he goes into devil trigger, OR the Yamato simply grants Nero a blue devil trigger because it did the same for Vergil -- they are both of the Sparda bloodline, therefore they get similar DTs. Seems to make sense.

Nero, as far as I know, was never human. Yes, the booklet says he is, but I think that was just meant as build-up to the realization that he's partially demonic. Nero has always had white hair and extraordinary power, he was left at the orphanage by an unknown person, Vergil was in Fortuna at some point, Sparda was the feudal lord of Fortuna... it's all a bit too coincidental. Nero even fights Dante on the statue of Sparda, and throws Sparda's sword at him. Berial says how similar he is to Sparda, and that he's not human. Sanctus even says Nero is a 'descendant of Sparda's blood', blood probably meaning 'family'. He also says Nero 'inherited' the power of Sparda. Can't inherit something from Sparda if you're not related to him.

As for the Devil Bringer, the DMC4 booklet says that he was attacked in Mitis Forest and got an injury to his arm. The DB came into existence due to that injury, which makes me suspect it's simply an incomplete Devil Trigger. After his arm changed, he started hearing Vergil's soul call out from the Yamato -- and the lab where the Yamato is, is actually pretty close to the forest. So that explains why he heard Vergil (or possibly the Yamato itself) cry out for power. Remember, the Yamato is the Rebellion's counterpart, and it's possible those two swords contain parts of Sparda's soul. The Rebellion even awakened when Dante got his DT.
Anyway, maybe Nero couldn't control his DT, so he only got the arm. I don't think a parasite is in his arm, and I don't think it's Nero Angelo's arm either. It's blue and red, and has powers Nero Angelo didn't (and shouldn't) have. It's weird that Nero has these ethereal powers, since Vergil never had an overpowered stretchy arm, nor did Sparda as far as I know. But maybe it's just a random something that could happen in people who get partially possessed by other demons.

So far as Lady's age, that's my exact point- Lady must be younger than 38, so the theory that Nero is Vergil's son falls flat on its face simply due to time constraints. You have to imagine all sorts of less likely things than the theory I mentioned to keep that consistent. The language of 'inheriting Sparda's power' and a 'descendant of Sparda's blood' are not clear indications that it has anything to do with his natural birth- he could simply be referring to Nero's arm, which we just confirmed he got in an 'attack' in the forest when he was young. Perhaps around the time Vergil died? It's not so unlikely compared to how Nero could be Vergil's son.

So far as the design and ability differences between Nelo Angelo and Nero's DT, it could easily be down to character design choices. This could simply be Nelo Angelo's representation in DMC 4, or an alternative look for his deceased self. I wouldn't put it past them, considering how many other characters got redesigned outfits.

One more alternative explanation could be that Nero's father was a weakened Sparda, hence the weakened demonic powers. This explains the time difference and all of the other things you mentioned, but it would mean that Sparda found another lover before his death (that is, if he died after Eva- I'm not sure if he did).

I don't necessarily disagree with you, by the way- I'm just saying that this alternate explanation would be just as plausible, especially considering how vague the inner workings of this series are.
 
So far as Lady's age, that's my exact point- Lady must be younger than 38, so the theory that Nero is Vergil's son falls flat on its face simply due to time constraints. You have to imagine all sorts of less likely things than the theory I mentioned to keep that consistent. The language of 'inheriting Sparda's power' and a 'descendant of Sparda's blood' are not clear indications that it has anything to do with his natural birth- he could simply be referring to Nero's arm, which we just confirmed he got in an 'attack' in the forest when he was young. Perhaps around the time Vergil died? It's not so unlikely compared to how Nero could be Vergil's son.

So far as the design and ability differences between Nelo Angelo and Nero's DT, it could easily be down to character design choices. This could simply be Nelo Angelo's representation in DMC 4, or an alternative look for his deceased self. I wouldn't put it past them, considering how many other characters got redesigned outfits.

One more alternative explanation could be that Nero's father was a weakened Sparda, hence the weakened demonic powers. This explains the time difference and all of the other things you mentioned, but it would mean that Sparda found another lover before his death (that is, if he died after Eva- I'm not sure if he did).

I don't necessarily disagree with you, by the way- I'm just saying that this alternate explanation. So far as Lady's age, that's my exact point- Lady must be younger than 38, so the theory that Nero is Vergil's son falls flat on its face simply due to time constraints. You have to imagine all sorts of less likely things than the theory I mentioned to keep that consistent. The language of 'inheriting Sparda's power' and a 'descendant of Sparda's blood' are not clear indications that it has anything to do with his natural birth- he could simply be referring to Nero's arm, which we just confirmed he got in an 'attack' in the forest when he was young. Perhaps around the time Vergil died? It's not so unlikely compared to how Nero could be Vergil's son.

So far as the design and ability differences between Nelo Angelo and Nero's DT, it could easily be down to character design choices. This could simply be Nelo Angelo's representation in DMC 4, or an alternative look for his deceased self. I wouldn't put it past them, considering how many other characters got redesigned outfits.

One more alternative explanation could be that Nero's father was a weakened Sparda, hence the weakened demonic powers. This explains the time difference and all of the other things you mentioned, but it would mean that Sparda found another lover before his death (that is, if he died after Eva- I'm not sure if he did).

I don't necessarily disagree with you, by the way- I'm just saying that this alternate explanation would be just as plausible, especially considering how vague the inner workings of this series are.

What does Lady have to do with anything?

The developer in some interview said that DMC4 takes place ten years after DMC3. Unfortunately, the internet doesn't seem to care much about that interview anymore, can't find it anywhere. But I assure you, I remember reading that interview back then. Since Dante was 19 in DMC3 (I'm pretty sure that was confirmed), Dante must be somewhere around 29 to 33 in DMC4. If he's any older than that, it wouldn't be ''around ten years''.
In DMC1, Dante is 28 - that's actually explicitly stated by Trish: ''you're the man who lost a mother and brother to evil twenty years ago''. Since it's known Dante lost Vergil and Eva when he was eight, he must be 28 in DMC1.
In DMC2, his age is unknown, though of course it takes place after DMC4, making him at least in his mid thirties or maybe even forties.

As for whether he's Vergil's son or more related to Sparda, it could be anything. Vergil doesn't even have to be dead, he could've been freed from Mundus's control after DMC1. It's just the blue devil trigger Nero's got, and his Vergil quote of ''Power. Give me more power!'' that throws people off. That, and the fact that he says things like 'jackpot!' and 'blast' when he fights in devil trigger. But those quotes could just be ways to show how similar he is to Vergil, doesn't necessarily mean he's possessed by Vergil or that he's his son.
There doesn't seem to be any real evidence either way -- but yes I know there's an art book that says ''he really is Vergil's son''...still not proof and could just be Bingo Morihashi's original idea. That said, I do think that all the references to Sparda in DMC4 are food for thought. Berial saying ''you are just like he was (Sparda)''. Fighting Dante on a statue of Sparda, throwing Sparda's sword. Getting a purple aura for a split second when he takes the Yamato, having slight purple undertones with the Devil Trigger. Hell, his DT concept art even shows him with a full DT that's got some kind of glowing eye patch, but Nero's eye isn't damaged. Sparda had a monocle, so I think it's another reference to Sparda.

I remember that interview, 19 wasn't confirmed that I have ever seen for 3 but in the manga he goes into Love Planet and the strippers seem to have an idea of who he is, not tto mention all the alcohol lying around his place (though that may be reading into things too much, but I remember my naughty days at 19, it's hard to get that much alcohol consistently. I know, I tried. But then again he does have Enzo). And he also talks about drinking at Love Planet, and he owns his own business.i thought he was max 22-23 in DMC 3. But you are right about 1, I forgotTeish says that. So thank you for the reminders :)
 
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It's just the blue devil trigger Nero's got, and his Vergil quote of ''Power. Give me more power!'' that throws people off.

Don't forget the moment when he said that he'd endure the exile of becoming a demon- anything to protect her. This was long before it was clear Kyrie was in real danger, although of course Nero's realization that the Order was behind everything could have had something to do with it. However, I always thought it was a reference to Vergil's need to gain power to protect 'her' (his dead Mother T^T). It was my interpretation that the 'might controls everything' speech in DMC 3 was a reflection of how this drove Vergil to seek power.

That said, I do think that all the references to Sparda in DMC4 are food for thought. Berial saying ''you are just like he was (Sparda)''. Fighting Dante on a statue of Sparda, throwing Sparda's sword. Getting a purple aura for a split second when he takes the Yamato, having slight purple undertones with the Devil Trigger. Hell, his DT concept art even shows him with a full DT that's got some kind of glowing eye patch, but Nero's eye isn't damaged. Sparda had a monocle, so I think it's another reference to Sparda.

Holy crap... are, are you saying that Nero IS a weakened Sparda? Or a reincarnation of Sparda that appeared immediately after he died, a la Soma Cruz in Castlevania?

Yeah, of course not, but it just adds some kindling to the fire, doesn't it?


What does Lady have to do with anything?

She's simply a point of reference in this case. If you use the argument that Dante, Vergil, and Trish don't age normally because they're all demonic to an extent (usually used to justify the apparent time gap for Nero's birth), Lady's natural age as a human is the only fact we can rely on. She's the only non-demonic character we have from previous games to confirm the passage of time.

Also, if the story between the manga and the games conflicts, I'd say the games have more authority.
 
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My interpretation is that Nero, at some point of his life before DMC4 (probably not much earlier, since he had to fake a broken arm), made some kind of "pact with the Devil" following the event he seems to remember in the containment room (where Kyrie is in danger), because of his desire of protecting her with any means possible ("If I become a demon, so be it"). I think that's the point of making us see Nero remember that event.
The Devil who listened to his plea would be Vergil's soul, that merged with Nero's, thus giving him his Devil Bringer.
Therefore, from that day forth (when he made the "pact"), his arm changed. And a voice echoed (Vergil's voice)... "Power... give me more power!"
 
My interpretation is that Nero, at some point of his life before DMC4 (probably not much earlier, since he had to fake a broken arm), made some kind of "pact with the Devil" following the event he seems to remember in the containment room (where Kyrie is in danger), because of his desire of protecting her with any means possible ("If I become a demon, so be it"). I think that's the point of making us see Nero remember that event.
The Devil who listened to his plea would be Vergil's soul, that merged with Nero's, thus giving him his Devil Bringer.
Therefore, from that day forth (when he made the "pact"), his arm changed. And a voice echoed (Vergil's voice)... "Power... give me more power!"

You know, that's not such a bad theory. It sounded a little weird at first but it actually makes Nero seem a bit more interesting, and it makes sense given Vergil's scheming in the past.