The Tool Desk
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How to read this ranking
The characters’ tools are not directly interchangeable, so the rankings below are grouped by character and combat system rather than forced into one cross-character power scale. Capcom describes Dante’s swords, guns, and real-time style switching, Nero’s mechanical Devil Breaker arms, and V’s summoned demons in its announcement of Devil May Cry 5. The order within each group reflects how broadly useful a tool can be and what it asks of the player. No researched source supplies comparative damage values, frame data, or a consensus tier list.
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Dante’s melee weapons
1. Rebellion: the dependable all-rounder
Best use: Flexible swordplay that can anchor Dante’s offense. Main tradeoff: Its value depends on learning sword moves and combining them with Dante’s other weapons and styles. Who may prefer it: Players who want a familiar melee foundation while building comfort with Dante’s larger arsenal.
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Dante’s strength is not just any one sword; it is the ability to switch styles in real time and connect swordplay with firearms and other melee weapons. PlayStation’s beginner’s guide recommends learning his pistols, shotgun, swordplay, melee weapons, and four styles, noting that Swordmaster and Gunslinger add weapon-specific moves. Rebellion ranks first here as a practical foundation, not as a claim that it wins every encounter.
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2. Balrog: a strong choice for close-range variety
Best use: Players who want another melee option within Dante’s combinations. Main tradeoff: It expands an already demanding set of moves and requires practice to use confidently. Who may prefer it: Players comfortable switching tools and styles instead of relying on one simple attack pattern.
Dante’s melee arsenal rewards experimentation, but more options also mean more to learn. PlayStation advises getting familiar with weapons and styles before spending on complicated skills. Treat Balrog as a way to broaden Dante’s close-range approach, not as a universally superior replacement for his sword.
Dante’s firearms
1. Ebony & Ivory: reliable ranged support
Best use: Maintaining ranged pressure and complementing melee attacks. Main tradeoff: Firearms are part of a wider style-and-weapon system, so their value is greatest when used in combinations. Who may prefer them: Players who want to keep pressure on enemies while setting up or extending other attacks.
PlayStation includes Dante’s pistols among the weapons new players should learn and notes that Gunslinger adds weapon-specific moves. They are best understood as part of his combat toolkit rather than a stand-alone answer to every enemy.
Rank #2
- Wield the Yamato - Take the stylish action to a new level as Vergil, Dante's long-time rival and twin brother. DmC5 players on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC will also be able to access all Vergil content in the playable character: Vergil DLC at a later date.
- New Gameplay Modes - Test your skills against the unique challenges of the new legendary dark Knight mode and Turbo mode.Legendary dark Knight mode: fans seeking an added challenge can Pit their skills and style against a crazy amount of enemies in the perilous legendary dark Knight mode.Turbo mode: adrenaline Junkies can push their reaction times to the limit against the increased speed of Turbo mode, which ups the rate of gameplay by 20 percent to allow for even more rapid and fluid combo opportunities.
- Ascend the Bloody Palace - Tackle the increasingly difficult floors of the bloody palace challenge mode, originally introduced as free post-launch content for Devil May Cry 5. Only the most skilled demon hunters will make it to the top floor to face the ultimate challenge.
- High-Octane Stylized Action - Play as four different characters: Nero, Dante, V, and the newly-added Vergil. Cut a path through the ruins of redgrave city with each character using radically different play styles as they take on the teaming hordes of demons.
- Groundbreaking Graphics - Developed with Capcom in-house proprietary RE engine, DMC5SE brings the visual quality to new heights, with graphics that utilize photorealistic character designs, stunning lighting and environmental effects. These Superb visuals have been enhanced with Ray tracing technology**, 4K visuals, and increased framerates, all with minimal load times.**Ray tracing will be included in the Xbox series x and series S versions as part of a downloadable title update..Vivid 3D Audio - Maintain their smokin
2. Coyote-A: a close-range firearm option
Best use: Bringing a shotgun into Dante’s varied firearm choices. Main tradeoff: Its role is more situational than a general-purpose melee foundation or ranged support. Who may prefer it: Players who enjoy changing distance and weapon type during a fight.
The shotgun is one of the weapon types PlayStation recommends learning alongside Dante’s pistols, swordplay, melee weapons, and styles. Its place in this ranking reflects that variety; the available sources do not provide controlled weapon-to-weapon damage comparisons.
Nero’s core weapons
1. Red Queen: the core melee tool
Best use: Building sword offense, especially when paired with Blue Rose. Main tradeoff: Its potential is tied to managing its Exceed gauge and coordinating attacks. Who may prefer it: Players who like a deliberate sword rhythm and want Nero’s central melee option.
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Best use: Adding ranged pressure while preparing a powered sword attack. Main tradeoff: It works best as part of Nero’s sword-and-gun rhythm rather than as a substitute for close-range combat. Who may prefer it: Players who like alternating between range and melee.
Rank #3
- Wield the Yamato: Take the stylish action to a new level as Vergil, Dante's long-time rival and twin brother. DmC5 players on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC will also be able to access all Vergil content in the playable character: Vergil DLC at a later date
- New Gameplay Modes: Test your skills against the unique challenges of the new legendary dark Knight mode and Turbo mode. Legendary dark Knight mode: fans seeking an added challenge can Pit their skills and style against a crazy amount of enemies in the perilous legendary dark Knight mode
- Ascend the Bloody Palace: Tackle the increasingly difficult floors of the bloody palace challenge mode, originally introduced as free post-launch content for Devil May Cry 5. Only the most skilled demon hunters will make it to the top floor to face the ultimate challenge
- High-Octane Stylized Action: Play as four different characters: Nero, Dante, V, and the newly-added Vergil. Cut a path through the ruins of redgrave city with each character using radically different play styles as they take on the teaming hordes of demons
- Groundbreaking Graphics: Developed with Capcom in-house proprietary RE engine, DMC5SE brings the visual quality to new heights, with graphics that utilize photorealistic character designs, stunning lighting and environmental effects
PlayStation’s guide describes charging Blue Rose while building Red Queen’s Exceed gauge, combining ranged interruption with a powered sword attack. That pairing is why Nero’s core weapons rank ahead of any single specialized arm: together, they form the foundation of his combat approach.
Nero’s Devil Breakers, ranked by role
Devil Breakers are specialized mechanical arms, not interchangeable grades of the same weapon. Their utility depends on whether a fight calls for movement, control, or a particular attack. PlayStation identifies Gerbera’s damaging shockwaves and knockback, while the GameWith weapon reference describes additional arms and their abilities. The guide was last updated in 2019, so its weapon descriptions are useful for breadth rather than a current comparative performance ranking.
1. Gerbera: movement and knockback
Best use: Creating space or disrupting nearby enemies with damaging shockwaves. Main tradeoff: It is a utility-focused choice, not a universal answer when another arm’s specialty better fits the encounter. Who may prefer it: Players who value mobility and controlling distance.
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Best use: Creating a time-slowing field to control an encounter. Main tradeoff: Its benefit is control, so it will not suit every situation or player preference. Who may prefer it: Players who want an opportunity to manage enemy activity and choose their next move.
Rank #4
- The 16 million unit selling series is back with original Director Hideaki Itsuno at the helm of development
- A demonic invasion begins with the seeds of a "demon tree" taking root in Red Grave City
- Featuring three playable characters each with a radically different stylish combat play style
- Developed with Capcom's in-house proprietary RE engine, the series continues to achieve new heights in fidelity with graphics that utilize photorealistic character designs and stunning lighting and environmental effects
- Battle against epic bosses in adrenaline fueled fights across the over-run Red Grave City.Nero, one of the series main protagonists and a young demon hunter who has the blood of Sparda, heads to Red Grave City to face the hellish onslaught of demons, with weapons craftswoman and new partner-in-crime, Nico
3. Punch Line: rocket attacks and movement
Best use: Adding rocket-based attacks and a mobility option. Main tradeoff: Its distinctive function makes it a situational choice rather than a default best arm. Who may prefer it: Players who enjoy an unusual attack-and-movement tool.
4. Tomboy: more power, less control
Best use: Boosting weapon or gun power. Main tradeoff: The weapon reference describes a loss of control, making it less comfortable for players who value precise handling. Who may prefer it: Players willing to trade control for a more forceful approach.
These rankings reflect breadth and practical roles, not measured damage. Gerbera, Ragtime, Punch Line, and Tomboy solve different problems; choose for the encounter and the way you play rather than treating them as a simple strongest-to-weakest ladder.
V’s familiars: a separate combat system
Griffon and Shadow: V’s active attackers
Best use: Griffon and Shadow are V’s active familiars, giving him a distinct way to fight compared with Dante or Nero. Main tradeoff: Managing their controls can take adjustment. Who may prefer them: Players who enjoy directing multiple combat tools rather than wielding a conventional weapon set.
Nightmare: a summoned demon with utility beyond combat
Best use: Summoning another demon; PlayStation notes that Nightmare can open some routes to hidden collectibles. Main tradeoff: It is a summon, not a standard weapon to compare directly with a sword or firearm. Who may prefer it: Players who want to use V’s summon system and explore routes as well as fight.
PlayStation recommends remapping buttons for Griffon, which may make V’s control scheme more comfortable. Its beginner’s guide also describes Nightmare’s use in reaching some hidden collectibles.
Do bonus weapon versions change the ranking?
Capcom’s Deluxe Edition breakdown says the intent was to balance weapons and versions so there would be no “best” Devil Breaker or weapon variant, with extra weapons offering something fun for fans. The examples show why a variant can be useful without being a straight upgrade:
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- Pasta Breaker: Deals little damage but cycles to the next Devil Breaker.
- Sweet Surrender: Restores health but cannot attack.
- Cavaliere R: Adds a move but has less interruption resistance than the original.
Those tradeoffs make variants choices for a particular utility, not evidence that one version is simply stronger in every situation.
Which weapon should you choose?
- If you play Dante: Start with his sword and pistols, then add styles and other weapons as you learn how their moves interact.
- If you play Nero: Build around Red Queen and Blue Rose, then choose a Devil Breaker for the job—Gerbera for knockback and movement, Ragtime for control, or another arm for its distinct function.
- If you play V: Think in terms of familiar management and summoning, not a conventional weapon ranking; remapping Griffon’s controls may help.
The useful answer to “best” is therefore character-specific: prioritize tools that solve the encounter you face and whose controls you can use well. The available official guidance supports role-based choices, not a universal weapon winner.
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