page_title: Nero (Devil May Cry)
section_title: Creation and concept
hierarchical_section_title: Nero (Devil May Cry) / Creation and concept
caption_attribution_description: English: Bust of Nero at the Capitoline Museum, Rome
context_page_description: Nero is a fictional character in the Devil May Cry video game series which was created and published by Capcom. He first appeared in Devil May Cry 4 in 2008 as the primary protagonist. Nero, a teenager who works for the Order of the Sword, uses demonic powers inherited from Sparda to hunt enemies. In Devil May Cry 4 he meets Dante, a demon hunter and the series' primary protagonist, to whom he learns he is related. Nero returns as the primary protagonist in Devil May Cry 5 to fight the demon king Urizen, a new threat.
  Nero was created by Bingo Morihashi and designed by Tatsuya Yoshikawa, who wanted to distinguish him from Dante. The character was redesigned for Devil May Cry 5 to indicate his relationship to Dante's father and brother with physical similarities. Nero is voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch in English and Kaito Ishikawa in Japanese.
  Critical reception has been mainly positive; game journalists found that although fans would miss playing as Dante during Nero's debut, his personality and abilities would be equally appealing. His new look and actions in the sequel, Devil May Cry 5, have also been praised by critics.
context_section_description: Nero was created by the Capcom staff as a new protagonist who would develop across the Devil May Cry series because Dante had become stronger with each game. Originally a weak character, he develops new powers (primarily through his Devil Bringer ability) until he reaches Dante's level. Nero was also introduced to attract new gamers to the franchise. The Devil Bringer was originally intended to be part of Dante's mechanics, but the staff found that the games would be more interesting if a character who cannot transform into a demon develops a demonic arm. During their development, Capcom wanted to keep Nero's characteristics (except for Kyrie being his love interest) secret. Bingo Morihashi was inspired to write Nero's story by manga artist Ramo Nakajima in the Amagasaki City series: "I love you, so I protect the city you love". Love is the focus of the Devil May Cry series, and Devil May Cry 4 focuses on Nero's love for Kyrie. The staff were satisfied with Morihashi's simple story, similar to Hollywood films about a damsel in distress.
  Fearing negative feedback similar to what followed the replacement of protagonist Solid Snake by newcomer Raiden in Konami's stealth game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi said that Capcom intended to make Nero fun to play compared with Dante and the team aimed to make him stronger. Kobayashi described Nero as "characteristically wild, quite immature, young, and very passionate ... kind of a rebel."
  Capcom originally planned to name their new character after the French sculptor Auguste Rodin, who created The Gates of Hell from Dante Alighieri's Inferno, and the work makes demons spawn in the human world in Devil May Cry 4. However, the team later wanted a simpler name (similar to Dante and Vergil). Writer Morihashi Bingo persuaded the staff to use the name of the Roman emperor; according to Bingo, the similarities between Nero and the name of Vergil's alter ego (Nelo Angelo) were coincidental and there is no connection between the characters. Most of Nero's moves were named after casino terms, which Morihashi thought would suit the character's personality.
  In Devil May Cry 5, Nero's gameplay emphasizes his anger at how Dante first treats him. The game's climax, where Nero awakens his demonic powers and ends the struggle between Dante and Vergil, was meant to give the story depth. Nero's new powers' availability near the game's end intended to enhance its replay value and emphasize the power Nero needs to face Vergil; he could not defeat his alter ego, Urizen, at the beginning of the game.
caption: Nero was named after the Roman emperor.
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