Nexus Heroes / Dante

Dante is a playable character in Nexus Heroes, hailing from the Devil May Cry series. His design is based on Devil May Cry 5, with some elements from Devil May Cry 3 : Dante's Awakening.
==Who is Dante?==
===THE STYLISH DEMON HUNTER===
Dante is one of two children conceived by a mortal woman named Eva and the mighty demon known as Sparda. Thousands of years into the past, Sparda himself had rebelled against his own kind and his own emperor, Mundus, sealing his army away into the demon world, never to haunt humanity again. Now, Dante hunts what's left of them on earth for a living, armed with Rebellion, a sword his father gifted to him, and Ebony and Ivory, a pair of customized guns, as well as a myriad of demonic weapons that he unleashes in spectacular and stylish exhibitions when fighting against the many hordes of demons he faces on the regular.
== Gameplay==
===Overview===
Dante is a particularly challenging fighter to use and master, because of the high amount of moves he has access to, and especially because his low damage output pretty much forces him to rely on long strings of attacks to maximize damage and secure KOs, although his main mechanic, the Style Meter, can be of great help on that front. The Style Meter, displayed next to Dante's Damage Display Icon is a Bar that will fill as Dante chains different attacks together in a short period of time, and award a grade for the ongoing combo, going from D to SSS. The higher the grade, the higher the damage output of Dante's attacks is during that combo. This means that an aggressive playstyle with Dante is highly encouraged, but it also means that players need to string moves together and avoid spamming, as using the same move over and over will have the Bar decrease. 
As for his other attributes, Dante is a lightweight with good mobility, and moving around with him is easy enough, being also blessed with a pretty high double jump. The real meat of his moveset, though, is in his Normals. Dante has access to an incredibly high amount of attacks that he can perform with different inputs. Most of these are fast attacks which favors his insane combo game, and a lot of these moves are also cancelable, meaning they can easily link into each other. His Specials mainly serve to further aid his combos, like his Side Special, Dash, or his Up Special, High Time, both great to start combos.
As mentioned, Dante's difficult learning curve may put off some players, but he'll certainly be a rewarding fighter in the hands of players who'll take the time to learn all of his moves and combos.
* STYLE METER : Next to Dante's Damage Display Icon, a Style Meter is shown. This bar will fill up each time Dante attacks, and the more attacks he can string together, the higher the grade assigned by this Meter will be. This works exactly like in the Devil May Cry series. And just like in the original games, a higher grade is awarded not only for how long the combo is, but also by the variety of attacks used : spamming the same attacks for a combo will actively lower the bar. In Project Nexus, a higher grade will temporarily amplify Dante's normally low damage output, for as long as the combo is going. Obviously, a higher grade requires more attacks to be dealt consecutively. The grades, from lowest to highest, are :
**D
**C 
**B 
**A
** S
**SS
**SSS
===Movelist===
  	Name  	Description
Neutral Attack,, 	Rebellion Combo I/ Rebellion Combo II/ Rebellion III	A slash from high to low, then one from low to high, and a final third one from high to low again. The first and second hit can be canceled into other attacks.
Held Neutral AttackHold 	Dance Macabre 	If the input is held, after the two initial slashes, Dante will follow up with two more slashes, then Million Stabs, and finally concludes with three very powerful vertical strikes with the sword, causing very high damage and knockback.
Dash AttackDash, 	Stinger / Million Stabs 	Dashes forward while stabbing with Rebellion in front of himself. A good combo starter at low percents due to its low knockback. If the input is mashed just as Dante deals the stabbing hit, he'll perform a barrage of stabs instead, trapping the opponent in multiple hits, before dealing a final, single stab with great launch power.
Side Tilt 	Cerberus Combo 	Steps forward, taking a knee, and spins the nunchucks King Cerberus in front of himself, dealing multiple hits. This move can be canceled into other attacks.
Up Tilt, 	Prop > Shredder 	Makes Rebellion twirl in one hand, dealing multiple hits. If the same input is pressed again with good timing just as the move is ending, Dante will spin it again counter-clockwise, though at higher speed and for longer, dealing even more damage. However, this animation cannot be canceled, and it leaves Dante open.
Down Tilt 	Crystal 	Slams the nunchucks King Cerberus to the ground, creating ice spikes which lift up the opponent.
Mashed Down Tilt,, ... 	Revolver 	If the input is mashed, Dante will hop up and spin around before slamming King Cerberus to the ground. The spin deals multiple hits.
Forward Strong+ 	Drive / Overdrive 	Charges Rebellion backwards, then sends out up to three slash-shaped projectiles (depending on how long the charge was) from the sword. The slashes don't actually count as projectiles, and cannot be reflected.
Up Strong+ 	Rising Dragon 	Rises upward with a punch from Balrog, his boots and gauntlets. The distance he travels depends on how long the move was charged for.
Dash Up StrongDash, + 	Fly Dragon 	If performed after dashing, Dante's Up Strong becomes Fly Dragon, an uppercut with Balrog similar to the regular Up Strong, but faster and weaker. It also doesn't make Dante rise into the air.
Down Strong+ 	Cavaliere Combo 	Pulls out and rides Cavaliere, a motorcycle, and spins around in circles on it.
Neutral AerialAirborne 	Swing 	Spins vertically while swinging King Cerberus around himself, for a quick, although weak hit. Excellent as a combo tool.
Mashed Neutral AerialAirborne ,, ... 	Fireworks 	If the input is mashed, Dante will pull out his shotgun, Coyote, and fire it rapidly while spinning it around himself, dealing powerful hit all around himself. They are quite short ranged, though, and the direction in which the gun is fired isn't exactly reliable.
Forward AerialAirborne 	Aerial Rave 	A quick combo of four slashes with Rebellion. The first three hits can be canceled into other attacks.
Down-Forward AerialAirborne 	Friction 	Equips Balrog, his boots and gauntlets, and performs a dive kick. Quite powerful and great to start combos, though it's easy to self destruct with it when used near a ledge.
Back AerialAirborne 	Backslide 	Fires Coyote, his shotgun, behind himself. It's a powerful hit, useful to KO at high percents.
Held Back AerialAirborne, Hold 	Highside 	Turns around while swinging Cavaliere, a motorcycle, behind himself. This move slams opponents to the ground, being quite powerful and also covering a pretty wide range thanks to the bike's size. However, it's a very slow move, compared to the rest of Dante's moves.
Up AerialAirborne 	Updraft 	A somersault kick with Balrog.
Down AerialAirborne 	Helm Breaker 	Slams back to the ground with Rebellion, which spikes opponents. An excellent combo finisher for air combos.
Grab 	Grab 	Holds the opponent with one hand.
Pummel, 	Impact Knee 	Hits the opponent with his knee.
Forward Throw, 	Free Ride 	Downs the enemy and uses them a surf board, sliding forward for a good distance before jumping off and launching the enemy away.
Back Throw, 	Trick Kick 	Teleports behind the opponent, then kicks them off with a roundhouse.
Up Throw, 	Air Cavaliere Combo 	Charges into the enemy while riding Cavaliere, then turns and sends the enemy upward with the back wheel.
Down Throw, 	Wild Stomp 	Downs the opponent and holds them under his foot while shooting at them with Ivory, then kicks them.
Floor AttackGrounded > 	Break Spiral 	Performs a breakdance-like spin attack with Balrog, kicking around himself before getting back up.
Edge AttackLedge > 	Pole Kick 	Climbs up, then briefly stabs Rebellion into the ground and uses it as a pole to spin around once, hitting opponents with his legs.
NEUTRAL SPECIAL 	Ebony and Ivory 	Fires a rapid burst of bullets in front of himself from Ebony and Ivory, his pistols. The guns don't make opponents flinch, but are useful to rack up damage during a combo. If the control stick is tilted backwards while Dante fires, he'll aim Ivory behind himself, shooting at both sides.
MASHED AERIAL NEUTRAL SPECIALAirborne ,, ...	Rainstorm 	If the input is mashed while in the air, Dante will flip upside down and twirl while raining bullets on the opponents below.
SIDE SPECIAL 	Trickster Dash 	Dashes forward, becoming invulnerable in the first handful of frames of it. The dash can easily be canceled at any time in any of Dante's attacks, making it his premiere option for approaching and starting combos. It can also be used as an horizontal recovery move.
UP SPECIAL 	High Time 	Swings Rebellion upwards in an arch, launching enemies into the air. Holding down the button will have Dante ascend in the air as well, allowing him to follow up with an air combo. In the air, this move automatically brings Dante upward, making for a quick, although linear recovery.
DOWN SPECIAL 	Royal Block / Release 	Dante assumes a blocking stance. If it is activated right before a hit connects, he can store up to three hits, and can then perform a powerful release by holding down the button, which causes great damage and knockback.
FINISHER 	Sin Devil Trigger 	Dante's sword floats and impales him through his chest, activating his Sin Devil Trigger, the supreme demonic form of Dante, in which he'll stay in for about ten seconds. During this time, Dante gains access to a new moveset, and is much faster and stronger, as well as being able to perform a triple jump. His new moveset consist of :
Sin Devil Trigger Combo : Performed by pressing the Neutral Attack button, this move has Dante perform three wide and powerful slashes with his sword.
Sin Inferno : Performed as his new Down Aerial, Dante crashes down on the ground, creating a fiery shockwave around himself.
The Ombra : Performed with Neutral Special, Dante shoots out a dark energy fireball in front of himself. These are quick and can be fired at a fast pace, though they aren't as damaging as his other attacks in this form.
Sin Stinger : Performed with Side Special, Dante twirls with his wings like a drill in front of himself, traveling half the distance of a regular stage, and badly damaging anyone he comes in contact with.
Air Raid : Performed with Up Special, Dante soars upwards while twirling with his wings for a great distance. During this, he is completely invincible.
Demolition : Performed with Down Special, Dante holds out his hand and generates a sort of black hole in front of himself. Whoever is caught within it will be automatically KOed after two seconds within the hole. It has considerable start lag, and Dante will be locked in the animation until it ends, so it must be used sparringly.
In this mode, Dante cannot die, and if he falls out of the screen he'll respawn immediately back on the stage. However, he cannot use any other attack except the three aforementioned moves, also being unable to block, roll or grab.
===Intro Animation===
Teleports into the stage with Air Trick with a stylish pose, then gets ready to fight.
===Taunt===
Dante's taunt will change depending on the current rank of his Style Meter. Performing a taunt next to an opponent will increase the meter by a good margin, and they can all be canceled. 
*None to C Rank : Leans forward while beckoning with his hand, saying "Come on!" or "Come and get me!".
*B to A Rank : Beckons the opponent as if they were a dog, clapping and motioning with both arms, saying "Over here boy!" or "Wanna play, boy?".
*S to SSS Rank : Shrugs, extending his arms while looking around and chuckling, then says "Jackpot, baby!" or "This party's getting crazy!".
===Idle Poses===
*Rests Rebellion on his shoulder. Dante will hold this pose until he performs any action.
*Stretches and crosses his arms.
===Quotes===
====Selection Lines====
*" Let's rock! "
*" This party's getting crazy! "
*" Wanted to party without me?! "
====Successful KO====
*" Yeah, baby! "
*" Oh yeah! "
*" I'm on fire! "
*" What, too much for ya? "
*" Don't make me laugh. "
*" Is that all you got? "
*" Should've walked away. "
*" Woohoo! Yeah! "
*" Damn I'm good! "
*" Man, what a letdown. "
*" I was just getting warmed up! "
====Respawning====
*" Alright, now I'm pissed. "
*" Hey, you stained my coat! "
*" That almost tickled, you know? "
*" You're gonna pay for that one. "
*" Now we're getting somewhere. "
*" My turn now! "
*" You wanna play? Let's play. "
*" So much for some peace around here ... "
===Victory Poses===
*UP : Tosses Rebellion up into the air, then turns around, making his coat flail, and says "What else were you expecting?" with a dramatic shrug. He then catches Rebellion as it falls back, turning back around and pointing the blade at the camera.
*SIDE : Pulls out Ebony and Ivory and makes them spin around in his hands while posing and saying "Hah! That was crazy!". He then stops and aims the guns at the camera, shooting repeatedly at it and causing bullet holes to appear on the screen, shattering the camera.
*DOWN : Dante will perform a special win pose with one of his weapons, chosen at random. The weapons are Balrog, King Cerberus and Cavaliere.
**With Balrog, Dante will punch the ground, creating a shockwave so powerful that it lifts up rock debris into the air. He'll then jump up and slice one of them with a karate chop, landing back with the shattered rock and a pose. Inspired by the cutscene in Devil May Cry 4 where Dante gains Gilgamesh, a weapon similar in function and moveset to Balrog.
**With King Cerberus, Dante will expertly flail the nunchucks around for a bit, ending then with a pose, based on the one he makes after defeating Cerberus in Devil May Cry 3 : Dante's Awakening. At the end of the pose, he says "Too easy".
**With Cavaliere, Dante will drive into view at high speed, then spin around in circles for a bit before stopping and separating the bike into his weapon form, posing with it. During this, he says "Woo! I'm all revved up!". Based on his entrance with Cavaliere from Devil May Cry 5.
==Arcade Mode==
In the first round, Dante fights 2B in a one-on-one battle, as a nod to the studio Platinum Games who developed both NieR : Automata and DmC : Devil May Cry. The stage, Big Shell, also references yet another hack-and-slash title by the studio, Metal Gear Rising : Revengeance. Following this match, Dante battles three opponents who all reference allies of Dante : Zagreus, who represents Nero, Lara Croft, representing Lady, and finally Blaze, who represents Trish. Both Nero and Lady were also bosses that Dante fought against at some point.
After completing the first Bonus Stage, Dante goes on to fight a set of two matches with the same theme : opponents which represent his various Styles. To start off with, he faces Master Chief and Sakai, representing Gunslinger and Swordmaster respectively. He then moves on to face Undyne and Sonic, with them representing Royal Guard and Trickster (as Trickster is a style focused on movement).
Once the second Bonus Stage is completed, Dante now has to fight a clone of himself, which mainly references Vergil, Dante's twin brother, but could also represent Doppelganger, a boss from Devil May Cry 3. Then, before he can fight Kerrigan, Dante fights his Rival, Jin Kazama, in a battle titled "The Devil Within". The connection between them is their respective "Devil" forms that they can assume, with Dante being able to activate his Devil Trigger and Jin turning into Devil Jin.
Round 	Opponent 	Stage 	Music 	
1 	2B 	Big Shell 	Gekko 	
2 	Zagreus
 Lara Croft
 Blaze	Astral Chaos 	Unblessed Soul 	
Bonus Stage 1	Bonus Stage 1	Bonus Stage 1 	Bonus Stage 1 	Bonus Stage 1
3 	Master Chief
 Sakai	Pilot's Gauntlet 	Rifleman Cooper	
4 	Undyne
 Sonic	Omi Lake 	Khotun Kahn 	
Bonus Stage 2	Bonus Stage 2	Bonus Stage 2 	Bonus Stage 2 	Bonus Stage 2
5 	Dante 	Temen-Ni-Gru 	Bury The Light 	
6 	Jin Kazama
(Rival Battle)	Tiger Dojo 	Opening Movie 	
7 	Kerrigan 	Kerrigan's Leviathan	Conscience 	
==Alternates==
===Alternate Colors===
*RED : Default appearance, based on his design in Devil May Cry 5.
*BLUE : Based on Vergil, Dante's twin brother and rival.
*BROWN : Based on Nero, Dante's nephew and protagonist of Devil May Cry 4.
*BLACK : Based on V, a playable character from Devil May Cry 5. Also references Neo Dante.
===Alternate Costume===
File:PN DANTE RENDER.png|"Default" Costume
File:PN DANTE ALT.png|"Demon Hunter" Costume
*Demon Hunter : Based on his appearance in Devil May Cry 5.
*Demon Hunter : Based on his appearance in Devil May Cry.
==Trivia==
*Dante is the only character in the game to have more than three victory poses, and has the highest number of taunts.
*Of all the characters in the game, Dante vocalizes the most during combat, having many lines when attacking.
*When performing a double jump, Dante uses Air Hike, with the same visual effect it has in the Devil May Cry series.
Category:Project Nexus
Category:Project Nexus / Movesets
Category:Movesets