UZUDAE;290836 said:
Alright...I'll hold my tongue on that one, and I won't say what I was going to say
I'd argue that you can't prove he SHOULD be in it though.
I'm not mocking you at all, its a legitimate offer, give me a factual reason why he SHOULD be in it? No antagonism or subtext attached, I wanna hear your thoughts
This isn't about proof, this is about logical arguments that don't stem from a dislike of the character or a lack of imagination on the part of the naysayer. Seeing as most arguments against Vergil's return tend to be based upon these considerations, I was curious as to whether anyone could offer a reason not founded upon such blatant "opinion."
Even if I couldn't prove why he should return, that wouldn't mean that he shouldn't, which is something I'm sure you realize in asking for my "proof." That said, there are actually a few logical arguments for his reinsertion into the series. DS13 touched on a few of them above, but I'll try to list them more explicitly.
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1. His Absence - This is what most arguments for his inclusion in the series are based upon, it forms the foundation of the rest of them, if you will. The reason that he should be included is that his character has been unceremoniously excluded from the series, indeed, to the detriment of the series. Consider that Dante has received 5 games, an anime, a reboot game coming up, two novels, a manga, and a bunch of statues. Vergil as himself has been featured in 1 game, another game as Nelo, another game solely as the "elephant in the room," 1 manga, sort of 1 novel, and he has 1 statue. Overexposed, he is not. His absence has gotten so ridiculous that it spawned the creation of a superfluous copycat character for no apparent reason other than to exclude him. When Capcom is creating unnecessary characters out of the blue, when they have a perfectly good character waiting in the background, you know something is amiss. (I blame Kobayashi, personally).
2. His significance - Regardless of how one feels about Vergil, it is undeniable that he has been a major catalyst for the series in terms of narrative, character development, and gameplay, be it in the form of Nelo Angelo, himself, or the plot device thing he was in DMC4. It is apparent that Dante and his story have begun to stagnate without Vergil to spur them on. Vergil is Dante's foil and Dante's Shadow, and while they may not need to oppose each other for all eternity in a Zoroastrian dualism, they cannot truly thrive without one another, and they are more interesting when together. This is because, contrary to popular belief, Dante is not DMC, Sparda is DMC, and the twins represent his legacy split equally in two. Vergil is just as much a son of Sparda as Dante is, and without him, Sparda cannot be fully understood and his character cannot be fully explored.
3. His potential - And contrariwise, Dante's lack of it without him. One problem with the series as I see it, is that Dante has reached the end of his rope. He has sved the day multiple times, he has got the girl thrice, and he has literally defeated the Devil and claimed his father's power. He may have even gotten the T-shirt, who knows. While I'm not saying that Dante should be retired, I am saying that he doesn't need to be in the spotlight for too long, because there's no mystery left and his adventures are becoming more banal and inconsequential (See: Anime, DMC4, DMC2?). Vergil, on the other hand, is pretty much overflowing with potential in terms of character development, story possibilities, abilities, associate characters, weapons, abilities, etc.
Let's look at some facts about Vergil:
-There is an entire portion of Vergil's life between DMC3 and DMC1 unaccounted for, where he spent about 10 years in Hell as Mundus' servant. Story potential, check. New demonic associate characters, and deeper insight into the culture of Hell, double check.
-There is also a portion of his life after he is defeated by Dante in DMC1 that is unaccounted for. Story potential 2, check.
-"" "" during DMC2 and the time leading up to it. Massive story potential 3, check.
-He was made Mundus' bitch in DMC3 and apparently freed from his control in DMC1 after years of serving in Hell, all because of his lust for power. Character development? Oh my! What? Vergil's descent into darkness could foreshadow a more complex storyline where Dante literally struggles with his inner demons, thus explaining some of the peculiarities of DMC2? You don't say...
-He has only used 3 real weapons in the course of the series and the phantom swords. Just imagine if he could get his hands on some other weapons and other styles. Instant weapon and abilities potential: Just add Vergil.
I've just listed facts here, not even story ideas themselves, although I can prove 3 off the top of my head if necessary. But not only does Vergil have potential as a character, he has they key to unlocking the potential of the series itself, of shedding light on areas of the series that are rarely seen. He would of necessity be a darker character than Dante and so could give us access to darker aspects of the DMC universe.
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Those are the three best cases for his return IMO, presented without the actual ideas themselves, which I think are a lot more convincing. Vergil's return need not happen chronologically, i.e. he could get a prequel or a side series. One thing is for sure though, and it is that there is no good reason to keep him from the series, except perhaps to spare him the indignity of being connected with tripe like (sort of) DMC2, DMC4 and (maybe) DINO.
