The chronological order of the Devil May Cry series does not follow the release order of the games. The first game in the time line is Devil May Cry 3, followed by Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 4, then Devil May Cry 2.
The plot of the series begins with Devil May Cry 3 in Dante's as-of-yet unnamed shop as a mysterious man named Arkham appears to offer an invitation from Dante's brother, Vergil. An immense tower erupts from the ground a short distance away from the shop and Dante takes the situation as a challenge. Following numerous battles Dante arrives at the tower's summit, Temen-Ni-Gru, and battles Vergil. Vergil defeats Dante and departs. He eventually catches up in the control room located in the tower's basement. The brothers battle again until they are interrupted by Lady, then Arkham, who has been manipulating them all to reactivate the tower. Arkham intends to steal the Force Edge, Sparda's sword.
Dante crosses over to the demon world and catches up with Arkham, and he and Vergil work together to bring down Arkham. Dante and Vergil battle, and Dante is victorious. Returning to the human world, Dante meets Lady outside the tower where she coins the phrase "devil may cry" while trying to comfort Dante over the loss of his brother. They form a friendship and the beginnings of a partnership in demon-slaying, and he names his shop "Devil May Cry".
Devil May Cry begins with Dante being attacked in his office by Trish. He brushes off her assault and she claims that the demon emperor Mundus is planning a return. Dante explores Mallet Island, encountering a variety of demons, including one named Nelo Angelo. Dante is defeated but Nelo Angelo flees. Other encounters with Mundus' demon generals serve to indicate Dante has become even more powerful than his father since his initial awakening in Devil May Cry 3. Nelo Angelo attacks twice more in later missions, and is eventually revealed to be Dante's twin brother, Vergil. Dante enters the underworld in search of Mundus, where Trish sacrifices herself to save him. Dante releases the power of Sparda that Vergil sought in Devil May Cry 3. Dante and Mundus then battle on another plane of existence. Trish returns and lends Dante her power. Dante then defeats Mundus. Dante and Trish escape as the island collapses, and later work together in the renamed shop, "Devil Never Cry".
In Devil May Cry 4, Lady calls upon Dante to investigate The Order of the Sword, a cult-like group that worships Sparda and has been collecting Devil Arms. Dante is originally uninterested, but Trish goes on ahead and takes the Sparda sword with her. Later, Nero witnesses Dante crash into an Order meeting and assassinate the leader, Sanctus. Nero attacks Dante and awakens his Devil Bringer arm, only to find that Dante was not taking their fight seriously. Nero pursues Dante, and along the way comes to realize that the Order is opening gates to the demon world in order to harness its power. Sanctus is revived through demonic power, and he sets in motion a plan to have Kyrie, Nero's love interest, kidnapped. Nero pursues and fights against Sanctus, but is captured by Sanctus and used together with Kyrie to form the core of The Savior, a giant demon in the form of a god. Dante steps in and destroys all the Hell Gates that the Order has opened, then fights against the Savior. Unable to destroy it from the outside, he leaves that task to Nero to defeat it from the inside. Nero kills Sanctus and rescues Kyrie, and ultimately destroys the Savior. Dante gives Nero the sword Yamato that formerly belonged to Vergil; the Order had found it, broken, and Nero had restored it and used it in his fights as his own Devil Trigger. Later, at the Devil May Cry shop, Lady pays Dante and Trish for their work; however, Trish is unhappy with the amount. Dante avoids dealing with the situation, and as a customer with the password phones in, the three head out to take on another mission.
Devil May Cry 2 begins with Dante entering a museum where an important item called the Medaglia is stored, where Lucia invites Dante to Dumary Island. Lucia's mother, Matier, asks Dante to help fight Arius, a businessman who wields demonic power. Dante decides to help. Lucia confronts Arius, who reveals that she was his creation. Shortly afterward, Lucia gives Dante the last of the Arcana before leaving. Dante then encounters Matier who asks Dante to take the Arcana to save Lucia from Arius. Lucia attacks Arius, though he captures her. Dante arrives and trades the Arcana for Lucia, then attacks Arius, who escapes. A large stream of energy strikes the Uroburos tower and a portal to the demon world is opened. Dante and Lucia argue over who will enter, with Dante entering the portal to deal with Argosax.
After Dante departs, Arius returns too, though Lucia goes on to defeat him. Within the portal, Dante fights and defeats the partially summoned Argosax. Finding the portal closed, Dante instead drives further into the demon realm on a motorcycle. In the aftermath of the battle, Matier insists to Lucia that Sparda returned from a similar trip. Sometime later in Dante's shop, Lucia muses about Dante and examines the coin he gave her. It shows that it was two headed. Outside the sound of a motorcycle echoes, and Lucia leaves to investigate. The player is not shown whether or not it is Dante.
The plot of the series begins with Devil May Cry 3 in Dante's as-of-yet unnamed shop as a mysterious man named Arkham appears to offer an invitation from Dante's brother, Vergil. An immense tower erupts from the ground a short distance away from the shop and Dante takes the situation as a challenge. Following numerous battles Dante arrives at the tower's summit, Temen-Ni-Gru, and battles Vergil. Vergil defeats Dante and departs. He eventually catches up in the control room located in the tower's basement. The brothers battle again until they are interrupted by Lady, then Arkham, who has been manipulating them all to reactivate the tower. Arkham intends to steal the Force Edge, Sparda's sword.
Dante crosses over to the demon world and catches up with Arkham, and he and Vergil work together to bring down Arkham. Dante and Vergil battle, and Dante is victorious. Returning to the human world, Dante meets Lady outside the tower where she coins the phrase "devil may cry" while trying to comfort Dante over the loss of his brother. They form a friendship and the beginnings of a partnership in demon-slaying, and he names his shop "Devil May Cry".
Devil May Cry begins with Dante being attacked in his office by Trish. He brushes off her assault and she claims that the demon emperor Mundus is planning a return. Dante explores Mallet Island, encountering a variety of demons, including one named Nelo Angelo. Dante is defeated but Nelo Angelo flees. Other encounters with Mundus' demon generals serve to indicate Dante has become even more powerful than his father since his initial awakening in Devil May Cry 3. Nelo Angelo attacks twice more in later missions, and is eventually revealed to be Dante's twin brother, Vergil. Dante enters the underworld in search of Mundus, where Trish sacrifices herself to save him. Dante releases the power of Sparda that Vergil sought in Devil May Cry 3. Dante and Mundus then battle on another plane of existence. Trish returns and lends Dante her power. Dante then defeats Mundus. Dante and Trish escape as the island collapses, and later work together in the renamed shop, "Devil Never Cry".
In Devil May Cry 4, Lady calls upon Dante to investigate The Order of the Sword, a cult-like group that worships Sparda and has been collecting Devil Arms. Dante is originally uninterested, but Trish goes on ahead and takes the Sparda sword with her. Later, Nero witnesses Dante crash into an Order meeting and assassinate the leader, Sanctus. Nero attacks Dante and awakens his Devil Bringer arm, only to find that Dante was not taking their fight seriously. Nero pursues Dante, and along the way comes to realize that the Order is opening gates to the demon world in order to harness its power. Sanctus is revived through demonic power, and he sets in motion a plan to have Kyrie, Nero's love interest, kidnapped. Nero pursues and fights against Sanctus, but is captured by Sanctus and used together with Kyrie to form the core of The Savior, a giant demon in the form of a god. Dante steps in and destroys all the Hell Gates that the Order has opened, then fights against the Savior. Unable to destroy it from the outside, he leaves that task to Nero to defeat it from the inside. Nero kills Sanctus and rescues Kyrie, and ultimately destroys the Savior. Dante gives Nero the sword Yamato that formerly belonged to Vergil; the Order had found it, broken, and Nero had restored it and used it in his fights as his own Devil Trigger. Later, at the Devil May Cry shop, Lady pays Dante and Trish for their work; however, Trish is unhappy with the amount. Dante avoids dealing with the situation, and as a customer with the password phones in, the three head out to take on another mission.
Devil May Cry 2 begins with Dante entering a museum where an important item called the Medaglia is stored, where Lucia invites Dante to Dumary Island. Lucia's mother, Matier, asks Dante to help fight Arius, a businessman who wields demonic power. Dante decides to help. Lucia confronts Arius, who reveals that she was his creation. Shortly afterward, Lucia gives Dante the last of the Arcana before leaving. Dante then encounters Matier who asks Dante to take the Arcana to save Lucia from Arius. Lucia attacks Arius, though he captures her. Dante arrives and trades the Arcana for Lucia, then attacks Arius, who escapes. A large stream of energy strikes the Uroburos tower and a portal to the demon world is opened. Dante and Lucia argue over who will enter, with Dante entering the portal to deal with Argosax.
After Dante departs, Arius returns too, though Lucia goes on to defeat him. Within the portal, Dante fights and defeats the partially summoned Argosax. Finding the portal closed, Dante instead drives further into the demon realm on a motorcycle. In the aftermath of the battle, Matier insists to Lucia that Sparda returned from a similar trip. Sometime later in Dante's shop, Lucia muses about Dante and examines the coin he gave her. It shows that it was two headed. Outside the sound of a motorcycle echoes, and Lucia leaves to investigate. The player is not shown whether or not it is Dante.
