Devil May Cry 5: Complete Guide

A guide to Devil May Cry 5 for first-timers and players chasing S ranks: how each of the four playable characters works, what to buy first, the style system, difficulty unlocks, secret missions and collectibles, Bloody Palace, and the fastest ways to farm Red Orbs.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final PC build with the Playable Character: Vergil DLC (December 2020). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status: DMC5 (March 8, 2019) is complete. Bloody Palace arrived as a free update in April 2019. Vergil became playable in the Special Edition (PS5/Xbox Series X|S, November 2020) and as the Playable Character: Vergil DLC on PC (December 15, 2020). Special Edition extras like Turbo Mode and Legendary Dark Knight difficulty are not in the standard PC version. Season 2 of Netflix's Devil May Cry animated series premiered on May 12, 2026, so expect newcomers in the community.

Quick Start

Three campaigns in one. The 20 missions rotate between Nero, V and Dante. On some missions you choose which character to play.
Buy abilities with Red Orbs at Nico's van or a Divinity Statue. Early buys make a huge difference.
Get Style points by varying your moves. Repeating one attack drops your rank. Mix weapons, guns and styles.
Taunt (default: a dedicated button) builds style and Devil Trigger gauge when there's no danger.
Blue Orbs raise max health and Purple Orbs raise Devil Trigger. Blue Orb Fragments (four per orb) are hidden in missions.
Gold Orbs revive you on the spot (Red Orbs can also buy a continue). It can cost you a top mission rank, but it's better than a restart.
Difficulty unlocks: Human and Devil Hunter are available from the start. Clearing the story unlocks Son of Sparda, and beating that unlocks Dante Must Die. The gimmick modes Heaven or Hell (everything dies in one hit, including you) and Hell and Hell (you die in one hit) unlock later in the chain.
Use the Auto Assist option (Human difficulty) if you want to see the story. It turns mashing into combos.
Secret Missions are hidden in the story missions. There are 12, and they reward Blue Orb Fragments.
Replay missions with new abilities to find missed collectibles and improve ranks.

The Style Meter

Ranks: D (Dismal), C (Crazy), B (Badass), A (Apocalyptic), S (Savage), SS (Sick Skills) and SSS (Smokin' Sexy Style!!).
Rank factors: your final mission rank depends on time, style points, Red Orbs collected, and damage taken, and it drops if you use items or Gold Orbs.
Keeping rank up: avoid repeating the same move, and avoid getting hit (taking damage drops your rank sharply).

Characters

Nero

Core kit:
- Red Queen (sword) with Exceed, which revs up the sword for powered attacks.
- Blue Rose (revolver).
- Wire Snatch, which pulls enemies to you or you to them.
Devil Breakers: prosthetic arms with a special move each. You can carry several, and they break when you use their strongest ability (or when you're hit during their use). You can Break Away (discard one) to escape grabs.
Devil Breakers to learn first:
- Overture: an electric blast, and a quick stun or damage tool.
- Gerbera: a blast wave for evasion and repositioning.
- Punch Line: a rocket fist you can ride or send out.
- Helter Skelter: a drill that shreds shields.
- Buster Arm: grab-throw damage.
- Tomboy: boosts Red Queen damage massively.
- Also Rawhide, Ragtime (slows time in an area) and Pasta Breaker.
Devil Trigger: Nero earns his own later in the story.
Tips:
- Exceed: time your rev presses (MAX-Act and Exceed charges) for much higher damage. It's the core of skilled Nero play.
- Buy early: Streak, Split and the Exceed-related upgrades, and more Devil Breaker slots from Nico.

V

How V fights: V attacks through three familiars.
- Griffon is ranged lightning.
- Shadow is melee blades and spikes.
- Nightmare is a golem summoned with Devil Trigger, which fights on its own.
Finishing blows: V must finish enemies himself with his cane. The familiars can't land the killing blow.
Tips:
- Stay at range and keep familiars attacking while V reads his book to build Devil Trigger.
- The familiars can be downed and need time to recover. Don't let them sit in danger.
- Buy Griffon's and Shadow's range and combo upgrades early. Nightmare's upgrades are strong later.

Dante

Styles: switch on the fly between Trickster (mobility), Swordmaster (melee), Gunslinger (guns) and Royal Guard (block and counter). Style switching is the heart of high-level Dante.
Melee weapons:
- Rebellion, and Sparda (later the Devil Sword Dante).
- Balrog (fire gauntlets and boots with Blow and Kick modes).
- Cavaliere (a motorcycle that splits into chainsaw blades).
- King Cerberus (a triple-element nunchaku staff).
- Dr. Faust (a hat that steals Red Orbs and damages with them).
Guns: Ebony & Ivory, Coyote-A (shotgun), Kalina Ann.
Devil Trigger and Sin Devil Trigger: Dante gets a second, stronger transformation after story events.
Tips: Royal Guard is hard but game-changing. Practice Blocks and Releases in the Void (training mode). Trickster makes any fight safer.

Vergil (DLC)

Weapons: Yamato (katana), Beowulf (gauntlets and greaves) and Mirage Edge (summoned blades).
Concentration gauge: rises when you play precisely (hitting cleanly, not missing or spamming) and boosts his damage.
Doppelganger and Sin Devil Trigger give Vergil some of the most powerful damage in the game.
Judgement Cut End is his signature finisher.
Where to play him: Vergil can play all 20 story missions and Bloody Palace, with his own ending.

Early Shop Priorities

Character	Buy first
Nero	Streak, Split, more Devil Breaker slots, Exceed upgrades
V	Griffon and Shadow basic combos, Cane attacks, faster familiar recovery
Dante	Stinger (Rebellion), Swordmaster moves, Trickster dash upgrades, Royal Guard Release
All	Blue Orbs (health) when they appear in the shop, and Purple Orbs (Devil Trigger)

Tip: you can Rebuy (refund) abilities at no loss, so experimenting is free.

Missions, Collectibles and Secrets

Missions: 20 story missions, plus a Prologue.
Secret Missions (12): small challenge rooms hidden inside missions. Each clear gives a Blue Orb Fragment.
Blue Orb Fragments: also found hidden in missions. Four make a Blue Orb.
Achievements to watch: mission-rank and difficulty-clear achievements, all Secret Missions, and Bloody Palace progress. Check the Steam achievement list before you start so you don't need extra replays.

Bosses (no spoilers on order)

The game's major bosses include Goliath, Artemis, Cavaliere Angelo, Elder Geryon Knight, Gilgamesh, Malphas, Nidhogg, King Cerberus and Urizen, plus more story-critical encounters later. For each:

Learn the telegraphs. Most bosses have clear windups. Jump-cancel or dodge through them.
Save Devil Trigger for boss phases where the boss is vulnerable.
Use a character's safe tools: Trickster dash for Dante, Gerbera for Nero, Griffon at range for V.

Bloody Palace

What it is: a wave-survival tower of 100 floors plus a final boss floor (101), with a timer that grows as you clear floors.
Scoring: clearing floors fast and stylishly extends your time.
Which character: Dante is the most common choice for full clears. Vergil is extremely strong. V is the hardest.

Red Orb Farming

Replay short missions you can clear quickly with a high rank, using your strongest character. Missions with dense enemy waves pay the most.
Dr. Faust (Dante) increases Red Orb income by stealing orbs from enemies.
Style bonus: high style ranks raise the orbs earned per kill and at mission end.
No shortcuts on PC: Red Orb packs were sold as DLC at launch. They're unnecessary with normal play.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mashing one attack. It kills your style rank and damage.
Ignoring Nico's shop and Devil Breaker slots.
Letting V's familiars get knocked out with V standing in melee range.
Never swapping Dante's styles. You lose most of his toolkit.
Using Gold Orbs on attempts where you want an S rank.
Skipping the Void (training) to practice combos.

Advanced Tips

Jump-cancel (Enemy Step) resets aerial combos. It's the core of advanced play for all characters.
Nero: Exceed timing is where most damage comes from. Aim for MAX-Act on every combo starter.
Dante: Royal Guard "Just Block" negates damage and builds Release power. Learn it against slow bosses first.
Vergil: keep Concentration high by not whiffing attacks or taking hits. Judgement Cut timing is everything.
Customize controls (weapon cycling, lock-on) in Options. Many players remap style switches to face buttons or quick keys.

FAQ

Is the Vergil DLC worth it? Yes, if you enjoyed the game. He has a full campaign run of all 20 missions and Bloody Palace, with a unique playstyle.

How do I unlock harder difficulties? Clear the story (Human or Devil Hunter) to unlock Son of Sparda, then beat that to unlock Dante Must Die. Heaven or Hell and Hell and Hell unlock further along the chain.

How many Secret Missions are there? Twelve. They're hidden in story missions and reward Blue Orb Fragments.

Does the PC version have Legendary Dark Knight or Turbo mode? No. Those are Special Edition features on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Which character should I main in Bloody Palace? Dante, for the most tools and safety.

Do I need to play the older games first? It helps with the story (DMC3, DMC4), but DMC5 includes a recap video in the menu.