Devil May Cry 5 is the much-anticipated latest installment in the popular Devil May Cry franchise. It came out not long ago, and, with a 98% approval rate (according to Google,) you could say it’s a rather successful game. Like most Devil May Cry games, it has a rich story, plenty of lore, and hours of gameplay featuring breathtakingly cool weapons and abilities. And, of course, it has plenty of secrets and Easter eggs for players to uncover.
One of key elements of Devil May Cry 5’s success is the way the game ties in familiar characters and references with newer, cooler abilities and enemies. It’s deeply anchored in the Devil May Cry world and feels both very familiar and completely innovative. Newer players will discover an incredible universe, and long-time players will be happy to be able to use their existing knowledge of the game in this latest installment. In short, Capcom outdid themselves.
There’s so much to discover in Devil May Cry 5, we thought we’d give you a top 30 of all the things even super fans may have missed. After all, the game references older games in the franchise, but also the Devil May Cry novels and animated series. With plenty of hidden details and secret missions, you’ll be sure to discover new things every time you play it. Please beware of minor spoilers concerning character appearances, weapon locations, and secret missions (all except the first one, which isn’t mentioned here as it’s fairly easy to find).
30 The Identity Of Nico’s Dad
Nico’s dad isn’t explicitly named in the game, but attentive fans will be able to put to put together a series of clues to figure out his identity. All signs point to Agnus, a character you’ll remember from Devil May Cry 4. Indeed, we learn that Nico’s father is from Fortuna, where Devil May Cry 4 was set. He’s also meant to have designed the Red Queen weapon. Not to mention, we know that he was eliminated by Dante… it all lines up!
29 A Secret Ending… Before The Game Even Begins
Devil May Cry 5 begins with a scenario that’s all-too-familiar for gamers. In the prologue, you face a frightening, impossibly powerful boss that’d be hard to beat even much later on in the game. It annihilates you, and, after a cutscene, the real game begins. In DMC5’s prologue, you play as a considerably weakened Nero, facing off against Urizen. He’s meant to beat you… but if you’re skilled enough, you can actually defeat him, ending the game before it even begins and unlocking a secret ending.
28 Red Grave City: Nod To The Game’s Lore
Part of the game takes place in Red Grave City; dedicated Devil May Cry fans will recognize this as a nod to the novels and animated series. It’s a reference to Tony Redgrave, the alias used by Dante in Devil May Cry Volume 1 and in the animated series. Another interesting fact about Red Grave City is that the developers traveled to London for inspiration; you can clearly see that while the design of the city is Victorian Era-inspired, some elements are from modern London.
27 Flying Hunter Secret Mission (Secret Mission 2)
While the first secret mission in the game is part of a tutorial and almost impossible to miss, these missions get harder to spot as you progress. You can find the second secret mission during Mission 3 : The Flying Hunter.
In the sewer, you’ll have to remove roots and gunk from a door with a green exit sign. To complete the mission, you have to prevent all the Red Empusa from escaping. This one isn’t too hard, but the secret missions will keep getting trickier!
26 Throwback To Old Bosses
Did V’s familiars bring back some memories? If you’ve played Devil May Cry 1, that’s normal. Shadow, Griffon, and Nightmare are named after noteworthy bosses from that game.
Some bits of dialogue also reference these bosses, and if you pay close attention to the animation of V’s familiars, they’re very reminiscent of the attacks their DMC1 counterparts had. It’s a cool way to pay tribute to early games in the series! As we’ll see, Devil May Cry 5 is full of little nods to the past like this one.
25 Customized Cutscenes In The Deluxe Edition
If you didn’t get the Deluxe edition, you may have noticed a greyed-out option in the menu: Customize Cutscenes. Unfortunately, this option is only available to fans who purchased the Deluxe Edition; if you have, all you need to do is complete Mission 2: Qliphoth, and you’ll be able to unlock these customized cutscenes.
These really are live-action cutscenes, which developers used as guidelines. They’re hilarious and, thankfully for those of us who don’t have the Deluxe Edition, they’re on YouTube.
24 V Secret Mission (Secret Mission 3)
The third secret mission in the game can be found during Mission 4 : V. You’ll cross a bridge that’s going to collapse; after this: pay attention. You’ll need to find and collect the Nidhogg Hatchling that’s located next to a building entrance, on the left. After this, the secret mission starts. On the other side of the building, you’ll find yourself in a fight, where you can use V’s Devil Trigger, which will break a hole in the wall and reveal the beginning of the secret mission later on.
23 A Tribute To The Faust (And To Michael Jackson)
The Faust were iconic Devil May Cry 4 demons. They were related to the Mephisto, and were easily recognizable thanks to their hats. In Devil May Cry 5, the weapon named Dr. Faust is clearly a nod to the Faust, and it takes the form of, guess what, a wide-brimmed hat.
We see what you did there, Capcom. The weapon grants abilities that are similar to those of the Faust in DMC4, and it makes Dante act in a very peculiar fashion— he starts posing and dancing like Michael Jackson.
22 The Devil Sword Sparda Secret Mission (Secret Mission 4)
This next secret mission is found during Mission 5: The Devil Sword Sparda. Your objective is to get rid of all the demons without getting injured. You’ll need to summon V’s companion Nightmare to find this secret mission!
Keep an eye out for shipping containers, climb them, and use Nightmare to destroy the scaffolding wall you’ll eventually come across. After defeating the enemies that attack you, you’ll need to climb the yellow stairs, which will lead you to the beginning of the mission.
21 Finding The Kalina Ann
The Kalina Ann— and especially its upgraded version— is arguably one of the coolest, most powerful weapons in the game. Devoted fans will remember it from DMC3! Unlike most of the hidden weapons, you can’t simply unlock it by finishing a mission—you’ll need to actually find it.
It’s located in Mission 11: Reason. Once you reach the ruins that Dante comments on, you’ll need to destroy all the Qliphoth roots in the checkerboard room, which will reveal a broken window leading to the room where you’ll find this weapon.
20 A Love For Motorcycles
Talking about Dante’s weapons, do you know what’s even cooler than the Kalina Ann? A demonic motorcycle chainsaw sword, of course. The Cavaliere is just as absurd and as fun to use as it sounds, but it actually serves a dual purpose. Not only is it awesome, it also serves to establish a continuity between the games.
If you recall, Dante does seem to love motorcycles, and there were some in earlier games. By turning the familiar motorcycle into an chainsaw-sword, the Cavaliere gives Dante a great new weapon and reminds fans of previous games.
19 Demon King Secret Mission (Secret Mission 5)
For the game’s fifth secret mission, you’ll have to reach the goal without touching the ground. Secret Mission 5 can be found late into Mission 8: Demon King. When you reach the second lava fall, you’ll need to find the grassy overhang on the right. From there, you’ll be able to use Grim Grip Points to reach the other side of the room. Jump into the opening and you’ll eventually find the beginning of Secret Mission 5. Just make sure not to fall!
18 Dante’s Fight With King Cerberus
You’ll definitely be glad to have Dante’s super-powered weapons once you reach the fight with King Cerberus. You’ll find him in Mission 17, so by then, you should have quite a few in your arsenal. This frightening giant demon will throw everything at you: fire, electricity, ice…
In short, it’s not an easy fight. It’s also one that will remind long-time players of DMC3. If you played that game, you’ll remember fighting Cerberus, a “weaker kin” of the boss you face in DMC5. Cerberus could only control ice, but he was still a formidable enemy.
17 Genesis Secret Mission (Secret Mission 6)
Secret Mission 6 can be found during Mission 9: Genesis. Get ready to fight, because you’ll have to eliminate all the demons before time is up! Before reaching the Catacombs in Mission 9, you’ll see a path blocked by demonic roots. By summoning Nightmare, you can destroy them, which will allow you to pick up the Blue Orb fragment behind them. Behind that fragment are some stairs; jump to them and a red beam should appear. You can then turn around to activate the secret mission.
16 Nico’s Grandmother
While the identity of Nico’s dad is never explicitly revealed, we do learn who her grandmother is: Nell Goldstein, gunsmith extraordinaire. She’s one of several characters than fans will remember from the Devil May Cry novels and/or animated series.
Back when Dante used the alias Tony Redgrave, he and Nell were close friends, and Dante would often buy guns from Nell. She was removed from the canon after Devil May Cry 3, but Devil May Cry 5 brings her back!
15 Awaken Secret Mission (Secret Mission 7)
In Secret Mission 7, you fight Death Scissor. You’ll need to be quick and precise in order to take down the enemy in one hit. In fact, you’ll also need to be quick and precise to find Secret Mission 7 (located in Mission 10: Awaken) in the first place, as it’s behind a timed door.
At some point during Mission 10, you’ll find yourself in a room with two timed doors and some enemies. Defeat them quickly, then go through the door on the right and climb the stairs to find the beginning of Secret Mission 7.
14 You Can Read V’s Poetry Book
V can be heard reading from his poetry book when he's resting up. It’s pretty interesting to listen to, but did you know that if you position the camera right, you can read the poems yourself? The poems on the page aren’t always the ones V is reading (or reciting), so it’s worth a look.
It turns out they’re poems from 19th century British romantic poet William Blake! Interestingly enough, this isn’t the only time he’s referenced in the game: Nico also has a verse of Blake’s poetry tattooed on her ribs.
13 Reason Secret Mission (Secret Mission 8)
In Mission 11: Reason, you’ll be able to find Secret Mission 8. You’ll know you’re there when you find Qlipoth roots in a vast old building. By destroying the first one, you’ll trigger a cutscene, and the building will sink. Instead of going down, go back up to where you came from; you’ll be able to reach a new pathway; look outside to find the insignia and launch the secret mission. You’ll need to keep a Stylish rank for a minute; activating automatic combos might help.
12 Morrison: An Anime Character With A Different Design
Devil May Cry 5 brought back Nell Goldstein from the DMC novels and animated series, but also a few other characters, such as J.D. Morrison. In the animated series, Morrison is Dante’s agent, the one who brings him jobs. You might not recognize him at first, though, because DMC5 J.D. Morrison looks very different from his animated incarnation. It’s the same character, though, and a nice call-back for long-time fans! It’s always good to see fan favorite characters pop up in newer games.
11 Patty Lowell’s Call
Talking about old characters making guest appearances in newer games, remember Patty Lowell? In the animated series, she was a young girl Dante protected. She ended up in his care for a while and lived in the Devil May Cry shop with him very briefly.
They share a bond that’s close and are practically family, so it’s good to hear her voice in DMC5! While we don’t see Patty, she does make an appearance via a telephone call during which she excitedly invites Dante to her eighteenth birthday.