In a game series known for its over-the-top action, Devil May Cry's weapons sometimes are, in fact, just weapons taken up a notch. Rebellion, beloved as it is, is simply just a sword. Even King Cerberus, though intense, is still just a very (very) modified nunchaku.
But across the games many entries, they've proven that just about anything can be a weapon if you put your mind to it, and a pretty damn stylish one at that, enough to even give Bayonetta reason to pause.
10 Nightmare-Beta
Not the Devil May Cry boss, or even the demon that lives in V's tattoos, but the weapon itself from the very first Devil May Cry. Nightmare-Beta is a firearm found near the end of the game and stands out as being the only weapon Dante acquires that is not obviously a known weapon.
Nightmare-Beta itself sits on the arm and basically looks like a mini version of the Nightmare boss. It fires off ricocheting laser beams that devastate enemies in exchange for Devil Trigger runes, though deals no damage to Nightmare itself. It doesn't quite function like any other weapon in the game and set the stage for later games always having some stand-out weapon.
9 V's Cane
So an interesting question to ask is of course, how do you make a cane an absurd weapon exactly? And honestly, Devil May Cry 5 answers that question by not making a cane an absurd weapon in itself, but rather in how it's used.
V has three demons at his disposal (all Devil May Cry bosses and enemies, by the way) that do his bidding, fighting enemies until they can't put up a fight. But V, pretentious as he is, needs to deal the final blow with his cane. But it needs to go further than that, so of course, his Bloody Palace taunt basically turns his cane into a lightsaber that can deal damage. He also uses it as a microphone, obviously.
8 Devil Sword Dante
So yes, Devil Sword Dante is technically just a sword. The absurdity of the weapon more comes in how much it's linked to. The sword itself forms from a sacrifice of Rebellion and Sparda to unlock Dante's Sin Devil Trigger (inspired by Devil May Cry 2's secret Majin Form) and is itself basically a mega devil trigger.
But Devil Sword Dante then alters everything. Suddenly, Devil Trigger has constant floating swords that alter with your style and can accompany every weapon to help with combos. It's a wild weapon that plays into the unfathomable depth of Dante's combat, that adds another layer to an already stacked character.
7 Mega Buster
Nero's Devil Breakers are already a great weapon, and another in a string of weaponized prosthetic arms in recent years, but they take a step deeper into madness with the deluxe edition exclusive devil breaker, the Mega Buster.
Even in-game-lore styled after Mega Man, the Mega Buster gives Nero his famed blaster arm letting Nero fire off endless streams of laser blasts that charge up when not in use, resulting in a massive blast when using its Break Age move. But deeper than that, it also changes Nero's jump and dodges to match Mega Man's and even changes his stage entry animation.
6 Pasta Breaker
Another deluxe edition Devil Breaker, the Pasta Breaker was originally made by Nico to help Nero with eating Pasta. But as you might expect by now, it was used as a weapon instead.
Just a bunch of spoons, forks, and pasta utensils slapped together, the pasta breaker has surprising utility despite its low damage and the fact that is it, well, kitchen utensils. It functions like Punch Line's primary attack but ends by dragging the enemy closer to Nero with a little ding to let you know dinner is ready.
5 Nevan
Introduced in Devil May Cry 3, Nevan was any teenager's wildest dream. The fantasy of an electric guitar that literally blew people away by how powerful your strumming was.
Simply put, it's an electric guitar that sends out bats with every attack, summoning up a storm of them with a brilliant combo that has Dante plucking away like a rock star performing a final solo. Nevan just gives the intense feeling inside of having the audience enthralled, as if your every button press is keeping the song going for one more verse.
4 Lucifer
Continuing with the series love of weaving musical themes into its gameplay is Devil May Cry 4's Lucifer. It's a weapon that somewhat defies simple explanation. It's like a skull backpack with two writhing arms that move on their own. But they also summon spectral needles that float in the air until commanded.
Lucifer is a difficult weapon to use. Styled heavily after flamenco dancing, it has Dante summon these needles in specific areas, detonating them with a final clap to proclaim the dance finished. None of its pieces seem to make sense singularly, but they form to make one of the oddest but also fitting weapons in the series.
3 Dr. Faust
Another firearm that quite simply doesn't fit the category is Dr. Faust. Made by Nico and given to Dante as a gift since she's such a big fan, Dr. Faust is designed after the Faust enemies from DMC4, though now as a white hat with the lightest indication of eyes carved into the front.
Dr. Faust is a gambler's aspiration. The biggest thrill of life or death. It uses up your own red orbs to make enemies cough up even more, but poor use leaves you destitute. It also lets you put little Dr. Faust's on your enemies for extra risk/reward, even Dad-of-the-Year Vergil.
2 Cavaliere
Dante's long history with motorcycles begins in the original Devil May Cry with Trish breaking into his store on a motorcycle, to using Lady's motorcycle as a weapon in a cutscene of Devil May Cry 3, Dante has been waiting a damn long time to finally get his motorcycle weapon. So it's only fitting that he fights Cavaliere Angelo, styled after Nelo Angelo and with Trish inside, for him to finally get it.
Cavaliere, in all honestly, is stupid. It's a motorcycle. But also buzzsaws. You extend your attacks by revving the engines at the right moment. With swordmaster, you can basically briefly drive it around the battlefield. Obviously, it has incredible tracking power since you can, you know, drive it. Don't really think any more words are needed to sum it up.
1 Pandora
Devil May Cry 4 might have its many pitfalls by the end of the game due to rushed development, but there's no denying the parts where it shines. And one of those moments is the introduction of Pandora, the simply wildest weapon in the series.
Named after Pandora's Box, and even having a move of the same name. Pandora has the ability to swap between seven different forms for its attacks, all aptly named friendly things like "Hatred", "Revenge", and "Epidemic". Maybe you need a little machine gun, maybe a laser cannon, maybe even a floating ball of guns and cannons? Pandora has it all for the low, low price of filling the disaster gauge. Because nothing says friendly like "Disaster Gauge".