The Devil May Cry series certainly knows how to leave a lasting impression. This hack and slash franchise has been synonymous with style since its 2001 debut on PlayStation 2. Stunning level designs, garish costumes, coiffed hairdos, and more make it hard to pinpoint one element that gives the series its identity. A subject that fans discuss with each new title, however, is the boss battles. Almost every Devil May Cry game offers one major opponent that makes players want to throw their controllers out a window. With its fifth main iteration around the corner, here are the franchise’s most challenging bosses so far.
Hardest Devil May Cry bosses | Vergil
The sons of Sparda, Dante and Vergil, are polar opposites of one another. The former is a delinquent while the latter is a cold, calculating servant. Though each man is gifted in combat, Vergil is far more skilled his younger brother. This is evident in Devil May Cry 3, as he’s faster than Dante and deals out a significant amount of damage with each blow.
Vergil also has the ability to teleport and can summon swords made out of energy in a moment’s notice. That’s not to mention the fact he has a Devil Trigger just like Dante, which allows him to utilize his demonic strength whenever he feels it’s needed. Vergil is not an easy boss to face, no matter the difficulty mode players choose from the outset. Playing as him in the special edition is almost as satisfying as playing against him.
Hardest Devil May Cry bosses | Mundus
The final boss of the original Devil May Cry, Mundus, is able to rain down meteors, shoot lighting, and summon an army of demons out of thin air. He’s the most powerful demon that Dante faces throughout the franchise, as the protagonist needs to call upon his father’s power to defeat him. This boss battle is challenging but memorable in how it starts out as a rail shooter in space, then comes back down to Earth to settle things up close and personal. The music for this segment also adds a significant amount of tension and keeps players on their toes throughout.
Hardest Devil May Cry bosses | Savior
Dante’s showdown with the gigantic humanoid statue called Savior is, in a word, epic. This Devil May Cry 4 boss is so large that smaller skirmishes with angels take place on its arms and shoulders. Despite its massive size, Savior is fast and agile, constantly swatting at Dante’s advances. The entity is too powerful for the mascot to handle alone, which is why he tasks his nephew, Nero, with taking down the man responsible for controlling Savior from the sidelines. Even with Dante and Nero’s combined efforts, cutting down this levitating monster to pieces requires a lot of patience.
Hardest Devil May Cry bosses | Arkham
While a big purple blob doesn’t sound like much of a threat, Arkham is so tough that Dante and Vergil need to join forces in order to defeat it. When the Devil May Cry 3 creature possesses some of Sparda’s power in an attempt to become a god, it creates a dark, swirling vortex that’s easy for players to get lost in. The fact that this boss attacks haphazardly adds even more challenge, as it’s nearly impossible to telegraph its attacks and move out of the way in time. Fans can have a friend join in and play as Vergil if they want to tone down the difficulty, but what’s the fun in that?
Hardest Devil May Cry bosses | Nightmare
Nightmare is similar to Arkham in that both look innocuous at a glance. However, the original Devil May Cry‘s pile of goo is even more difficult to defeat, as it transports Dante to different dimensions and has him face opponents from his past. These include regular enemies, bosses, and a mix of the two varieties. Breaking oneself free of Nightmare’s grasp is time intensive and mind-numbing, especially when one realizes that the monster’s lifeline is connected to a few measly generators. Nightmare is taunting players with its illusions, poking fun at their efforts to beat yet another mighty Devil May Cry boss.
Hardest Devil May Cry bosses | Dante
In Devil May Cry 4, fans are tasked with defeating Dante twice as Nero. The first encounter merely serves as a tutorial. The second, however, is much more punishing, as Dante does his best to read a player’s moves and counters appropriately. Should Nero want to do his version of a stinger attack, for example, his uncle will almost always teleport right behind him and swing him down with a helm breaker. Guns are useless too, as Dante cancels out all of Nero’s bullets with ammunition of his own (which is pretty badass when you stop to think about it).
On high difficulty levels, Dante uses his full arsenal of weapons against Nero. When playing on Dante Must Die mode, even the aforementioned tutorial is quite tough to complete. It goes without saying that Capcom did its mascot justice in Devil May Cry 4. Whether or not this comes at the price of a player’s sanity is another topic of discussion.
Though fans have fought against tons of challenging bosses throughout gaming’s history, few can hold a candle to those found in Devil May Cry. Opponents like Vergil, Mundus, and Dante himself can give seasoned hack and slash players a run for their money. Of course, each title can be played on high difficulties if one really wants to test their abilities.
Devil May Cry is a franchise that everyone should try, as it’s not all about getting beaten up. Spectacular battles with opponents like DmC‘s Bob Barbas and Devil May Cry 4‘s Berial are worth playing over and over again, if only to appreciate how much effort went into crafting each fight. It remains to be seen whether or not Devil May Cry 5 will keep in line with these flashy confrontations, though early impressions indicate that Capcom is committed to the franchise’s outlandish gameplay. It’s safe to say that although Dante may look older, he’s still able to kick ass in style.
