Devil May Cry 5 released in 2019 to wide acclaim but has recently re-released as an expanded edition called Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition, which adds Vergil as a playable character, new game modes, enhanced visuals for the new-gen consoles, and more.
Whether you played it on the original release, or you're only just getting to grips with it via the new Special Edition, there's bound to be a few interesting things that you didn't notice about the game. Check out these examples of little details you might not have noticed, then keep an eye out for them on your next playthrough.
10 Dante and Cerberus
When Dante encounters King Cerberus in Devil May Cry 5 and ridicules him, calling him a "puppy" and offering to take him for a walk while beckoning to him, this is actually a throwback to an earlier Devil May Cry title.
In Devil May Cry 3, Dante encounters a similar boss called Cerberus where he does the same thing, clapping his hands to call it over and saying he'll take it for a walk. Dante actually acknowledges this in the latest title, saying "I remember a stinky pooch just like you" to King Cerberus.
9 Ebony and Ivory
Dante's famous guns are called Ebony and Ivory, and unsurprisingly, one is black and one is white. These guns are custom-made, with Ebony modified for long-distance range, while Ivory was designed for rapid firing and quick draw times.
Devil May Cry 5 was actually the first title in the series to show in the game mechanics of the Gunslinger style that the two guns are actually different from one another. Additionally, during the end scene where Dante says "Jackpot!", we can clearly see the bullets from each gun are different — a steel-cored armor-piercing bullet and a hollowpoint with a polymer insert.
8 William Blake Connection
There are multiple references to William Blake within the game, in fact, V carries a book of William Blake's poetry. Additionally, many of V's lines are directly lifted from poetry by Blake, such as "I curse my stars in bitter grief and woe, that made my love so high and me so low."
However, what not many people realize is that Nico also has her own reference to the famous poet in the form of a tattoo. On her ribs is a variation of some lines from Blake's Eternity poem: "He who binds to himself a joy /Does the winged life destroy / He who kisses the joy as it flies / Lives in eternity’s sunrise".
7 Easy Style
If you've ever thought that V is an absolute beast of a character when it comes to achieving high style ranks, you're not wrong. In fact, V's character was purposefully made to be able to achieve higher stylish ranks more easily.
This was done because he is a new character, and most likely Capcom wanted people to not have any reason to dislike him. Hideaki Itsuno, the game's director, has stated that the same was done with the introduction of Nero in Devil May Cry 4. Interestingly, Itsuno has mentioned in the past that he was surprised that V had such a warm reaction from fans, as he thought the introduction of this character would be more divisive.
6 Trish's Shops
Trish is a recurring character in the Devil May Cry series and has even been a playable character in previous titles. She began as an enemy of Dante earlier in the franchise, as she is a demon that was created by Mundus and made to resemble Dante and Vergil's mother, Eva.
There are two shops that can be found during Devil May Cry 5 that are references to Trish. The first is rather obvious, as it's called "Trish's Greasy Spoon", which can be found in Mission 2. The next can be found during Mission 4 and is called "Gloria's Greens", which is a reference to Trish's time with the Order of the Sword in Devil May Cry 4, where she used the alias "Gloria".
5 V's Familiars
V is the mysterious new character that was introduced to Devil May Cry 5 and he quickly became a fan favorite. One thing many might not have noticed is that his three familiars, Griffon, Shadow, and Nightmare, are echos of enemies from the very first title in the series.
In Devil May Cry, Dante has to fight similar demons of the same name and similar appearances. This isn't coincidental, as Griffon later explains in Devil May Cry 5 that they are physical manifestations of Vergil's trauma from when he was Nelo Angelo, which also takes place in the first title.
4 DmC Elements
Though there are many fans who wish to forget Ninja Theory's reboot of the series with Dmc: Devil May Cry, there are actually a bunch of elements that Capcom takes from this title and incorporates into Devil May Cry 5.
As well as taking some visual cues, such as V's hair changing to white when while in Devil Trigger mode, there are also throwbacks to scenes from DmC. For example, in the opening of Devil May Cry 5, we see Nico burn a cigarette into a demon's face, which Dante did in the promotional trailer for DmC.
3 Sparda Easter Eggs
Sparda is the father of Dante and Vergil and was a powerful demon swordsman who was known as "the Legendary Dark Knight". Though he does not appear in Devil May Cry 5, there are multiple easter eggs that allude to him.
For example, during many of the levels, there is a "Sparda Express" brand that is advertised on the walls, and there is also a brand called "SPARDATOOLS" used in the Devil May Cry 5 Official Art Works book that released for the game.
2 Urizen's True Identity
Spoilers ahead for those who have yet to finish the game. Before Urizen's true identity is revealed, there are actually many hints as to who he is. For starters, Urizen's arms strongly resemble Nero's demonic Devil Bringer arm, showing their relation.
During the prologue where Dante is fighting Urizen, there is a scene where Urizen is reflected in Dante's eye in a close-up shot. This is a mirroring of a similar scene from Devil May Cry 3 where Dante is fighting Vergil, and Vergil is reflected in Dante's eye. Additionally, if Nero defeats Urizen in the prologue or Chapter 8, his final words are "Is this...my limit...", the same final words of Vergil in Devil May Cry 4.
1 Nico's Stutter
Nico was a new character that was introduced in Devil May Cry 5 to fulfill the role of a supporting character for Nero. When she finally meets Dante, Nico stutters in places when speaking to him, and while some might put this down to nerves, it's actually another throwback to an earlier title.
Nico's father is Agnus, one of the antagonists of Devil May Cry 4, and Agnus's most noticeable trait was that he stuttered when he spoke. Though Nico doesn't follow in his footsteps and is an ally, not an enemy, hence her saying she only received her looks from him, it looks like she received a little more from him after all.