Devil May Cry 5 takes the ridiculousness of the series to new heights. It’s full of references, Easter eggs, and silly highlights that are worth pointing out if you’re new to the series. It’s also got a whole lot of continuity built into the story. More than any of the previous games — it even references semi-canonical material, like the DMC anime and the DMC light novel.
Mostly, you’ll just find nods to the previous games in the series — of which there are many. There are so many, we probably missed a bunch. If that’s the case, it’s my duty to (attempt) to add as many references as possible, but here’s what I’ve found so far. Whether it’s over-the-top motorcycles, wacky dance scenes, returning demons, or even infamous lines from past games, we’re going to list them all here.
More Devil May Cry 5 guides:
- Devil May Cry 5: There’s A Secret Ending Right At The Start, Here’s How To Unlock It
- Devil May Cry 5: How To Beat Every Secret Mission | Locations Guide
- Devil May Cry 5: All Blue & Purple Orb Fragment Locations | Collectibles Guide
- Devil May Cry 5: Dante’s Complete Arsenal | All Weapon Locations Guide
- Devil May Cry 5: How To Farm Infinite Red Orbs Fast | Dr. Faust Trick Guide
All The Easter Eggs & References We’ve Found (So Far)
All Of Dante’s Old Friends Are Back
DMC5 references a variety of characters you might not recognize — that’s because they’re from the DMC anime. Morrison comes straight from the animated version, as well as Dante’s young charge Patty Lowell. While Morrison makes several on-screen appearances, you’ll only hear from Patty over the phone — she invites Dante to her 18th birthday party. Considering she was just a child in the animated version, it’s been awhile since the pair have spoken. Morrison also looks completely different from his appearance in the 12-episode anime.
Those are the most obscure characters, but you’ll also find Lady and Trish along for the ride. Lady was a companion of Dante’s starting from DMC3, and also appeared in DMC4. Trish is a whole lot more complicated — she’s appeared in all the games, and she looks just like Dante’s mother. No, she isn’t Dante’s mother. Look, it’s really weird.
And So Are His Enemies
Along with old friends, a slew of old-school enemies return in DMC5. Phantom, Griffon and Nightmare all appear as summons that V controls. The names are the same, but their appearances are pretty different.
In the actual enemies department, you’ll find true replicas of old-school enemies. The standard undead enemies you’ll face, Hell Caina, look almost exactly like the Hell Pride from DMC3. The Nobodies from the end of DMC1 also return, in all their grisly glory — along with other DMC1 ghoulies like Sin Scissors and Blades.
Lots of bosses are back for a rematch. Geryon the Time Steed makes an appearance with a rider that’s very similar to Nelo Angelo. Cerberus also returns for double the DMC3 bosses.
Mega Buster’s Mega Jump
Replacing his lost demonic arm, Nero gains an array of different robotic appendages he can use in battle in DMC5. One of these unmissable arms is the Mega Buster — the iconic weapon of Mega Man. That sidescrolling series is another staple of Capcom, but there’s something even better than a Mega Buster.
When Nero equips the Mega Buster, his jump animation changes to match the Blue Bomber himself. It looks absolutely ridiculous, but it’s also completely awesome.
Newcomer Nico’s Deep Roots In The Franchise
Nico, the friendly (or unfriendly, depending on your perspective) mechanic that provides Nero with his robotic hands actually has deep ties to the lore of the series. She references two character consistently — her evil father, and her incredible weapon-designing grandmother.
Nico’s father is clearly meant to be the evil alchemist working for the villains in DMC4. His diabolical research for the Holy Order in the city of Fortuna caused a deadly crisis. Nico is Agnus’ daughter, and she went on to use his research to help forge demonic weapons for our heroes.
She’s also the granddaughter of the woman that created Dante’s Ebony & Ivory pistols — the .45 Caliber Virtuoso, Nell Goldstein. If you haven’t heard of her, it’s because she was introduced and only appears in a DMC light novel. These are some pretty darn deep cuts.
Riding A Rocket
Dante loves being absolutely crazy — it’s his whole schtick. Especially when it comes to cutscenes. This time around, Nero gains one of Dante’s most outrageous cutscene abilities. You can ride a rocket like a skateboard in DMC5. Equip the Punchline for Nero and launch, and you’ll be able to jump onto the rocket and ride it freely.
This is clearly a reference to the insane cutscene from DMC3. The director of DMC3’s cutscenes also went on to help create the cutscenes in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. Why mention that? Because that game also included a scene where Snake jumps off a rocket. It’s all rocket-rides, all-the-time with this guy.
Motorcycle Mischief
Dante gets a few weapons of his own that reference the past. His motorcycle-based weapon, the Cavalier, transforms from two heavy-duty chunks of metal and back into a rideable cycle in seconds. The DMC series has a long history with completely ludicrous motorcycles, including a logic-breaking scene in DMC3 where Dante rides a motorcycle directly up a demonic tower. Finally, you can now drive your own motorcycle directly into demon faces.
Dr. Faust & Michael Jackson
The Dr. Faust hat is given to Dante by Nico late in the story — and because this is Dante, he breaks into a completely ridiculous dance-number, aping Michael Jackson’s greatest moves (yes, he moon-walks) as he tests out the hat. Sure, the hat and scarf combo might be something the erstwhile King of Pop might’ve worn, but it’s actually a reference to the Faust less demons from DMC1. The ghostly shadow creatures were decked in false hats.
We’ll keep our eyes open for more secrets, references and Easter eggs!
