He's the son of Sparda. The Legendary Dark Knight's offspring. A wise-cracking, pizza-obsessed demon hunter who has saved the world more times than we can count. But if you’re looking for the Devil May Cry Dante full name, you might be surprised to find that the answer is shorter than his Rebellion sword.
Most fans spend hours digging through game files or wiki pages hoping to find a secret middle name or a regal surname. Is it Dante Sparda? Dante Alighieri? Honestly, after decades of slashing through the underworld, the truth is pretty straightforward.
Dante doesn't have a last name. He's just Dante.
Why the Devil May Cry Dante Full Name Doesn't Actually Exist
It sounds weird, right? In a world filled with complex lore and deep family lineages, the protagonist of Capcom's flagship action series is just a mononym. But there’s a reason for this. In the Devil May Cry universe, demons generally don't use surnames. Since Dante is half-demon—a hybrid born from the union of the demon Sparda and the human woman Eva—he follows the naming conventions of his father's side.
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Sparda didn't have a last name. Vergil doesn't have a last name. Nero? Just Nero.
You’ve probably seen people online refer to him as "Dante Sparda." While it makes sense in a traditional human naming convention—using the father's name as a surname—it has never been officially recognized in any game, from the original 2001 classic to Devil May Cry 5. Capcom has been very deliberate about this. Even in official art books and credits, he is simply listed as "Dante."
The only exception to this rule is a weird bit of "what if" history involving the reboot, DmC: Devil May Cry by Ninja Theory. Even there, he was still just Dante, though the fans often call that version "Donte" to keep the timelines separate. But in the mainline canon? Forget about it. He’s like Cher or Madonna, but with more guns and a red leather trench coat.
The Tony Redgrave Alias
Now, if you want to get technical about the Devil May Cry Dante full name topic, we have to talk about Tony Redgrave. This isn't a "full name" in the legal sense, but it is the name Dante used for years to hide his identity.
Following the brutal attack on his family home when he was just a child, Dante went into hiding. He couldn't exactly walk around calling himself the son of Sparda while demon hit squads were looking for him. So, he adopted the alias Anthony "Tony" Redgrave.
- Where did it come from? The name "Redgrave" actually has a meta-origin. Hideki Kamiya, the creator of the series, took the name from Resident Evil. It was originally intended to be part of the backstory for a character named Tony in a version of Resident Evil 4 that eventually morphed into the first Devil May Cry.
- The Gunsmith Connection: In the Devil May Cry light novels by Shin-ya Goikeda, we learn that Dante (as Tony) hung out at a gun shop owned by a woman named Nell Goldstein. She’s the one who crafted his iconic pistols, Ebony & Ivory. If you look closely at the inscriptions on the sides of the guns in the games, they actually say "For Tony Redgrave, By .45 Art Wks."
So, if you ever see a lore nerd arguing that his name is Tony, they aren't technically wrong—they're just talking about his "witness protection" phase. It’s a cool nod to the series' roots in survival horror.
The Literary Origins of the Name
It’s no secret that Devil May Cry is a loose, stylish remix of The Divine Comedy.
Dante is named after Dante Alighieri. His brother Vergil is named after Virgil, the Roman poet who guides Dante through Hell. Even the woman he meets in the first game, Trish, is a shortened version of Beatrice, Dante’s guide to Heaven. But Capcom didn't take the "Alighieri" part.
By stripping away the surname, the developers made the character feel more like a mythic figure. He isn't just some guy from a specific family in Italy. He’s a legendary entity.
Interestingly, the choice to keep him as just "Dante" helps separate him from the somber, poetic figure of the 14th century. Our Dante is loud. He eats strawberry sundaes. He rides motorcycles into the mouths of giant flying whales. A formal last name would honestly just get in the way of his vibe.
Does He Need a Last Name?
Think about the characters Dante interacts with. Lady's real name is Mary, but she chooses "Lady" to distance herself from her father, Arkham. Trish is a created being. Mundus is just Mundus. The lack of surnames in the series highlights a recurring theme: identity is something you forge through your actions, not something you inherit through a family title.
The only "title" Dante really carries is "The Legendary Devil Hunter." Or, if you’re a debt collector, "The Guy Who Hasn't Paid His Electricity Bill in Six Months."
Common Misconceptions and Fan Theories
People love to fill in the blanks. Because "Dante" feels incomplete to a modern ear, the internet has cooked up several "fake" full names over the years. You'll see these pop up on Reddit or in poorly researched YouTube videos, but don't get fooled.
- Dante Sparda: Again, logically sound, but factually incorrect. In the games, "Sparda" is always treated as a separate entity or a title of origin (e.g., "Son of Sparda").
- Dante Redgrave: This is the most common mistake. Redgrave was a fake name used to hide from demons. Using it as his real last name is like saying Batman’s real name is "Matches Malone." It’s a tool, not a truth.
- Dante Alighieri: This is just people confusing the character with the historical poet. Capcom has never used this name in-game.
The mystery of the Devil May Cry Dante full name really isn't a mystery at all once you realize that the simplicity is the point. He is a man caught between two worlds, belonging to neither. He doesn't have a human lineage to claim a surname from, and his demon side doesn't use them.
Final Verdict for the Fans
If you're writing fan fiction or just trying to win an argument at a local gaming bar, here is the breakdown you need.
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- Real Name: Dante.
- Alias: Tony Redgrave.
- Father's Name: Sparda.
- Mother's Name: Eva.
- Brother's Name: Vergil.
There is no secret middle name hidden in a Japanese-only manual. There is no "lost" surname revealed in the credits of DMC5. He is simply Dante. It’s a name that carries enough weight on its own.
When you think about it, giving him a last name would almost make him feel too "normal." Part of the appeal of the character is his larger-than-life persona. He’s a force of nature in a red coat. Names are for people who stay in one place and pay their taxes. Dante is busy stylishly parrying the literal apocalypse.
Next Steps for Lore Hunters:
If you want to see the "Tony Redgrave" name for yourself, boot up Devil May Cry 5 and use the photo mode to zoom in on the slides of Ebony & Ivory. It’s one of the best "hidden in plain sight" details in the entire franchise. You can also track down the translated versions of the Devil May Cry light novels to read about his days in Redgrave City before he opened his shop. It adds a ton of flavor to a character we’ve known for over twenty years.