She’s loud. She’s chain-smoking. She drives a van like a maniac through literal demonic apocalypses without blinking. When Capcom first showed off Nicoletta "Nico" Goldstein in the reveal trailer for Devil May Cry 5, the fanbase sort of collectively tilted its head. Who was this girl? Where was the gothic, leather-clad seriousness we expected?
Fast forward to now. Devil May Cry 5 Nico isn't just a sidekick; she is the mechanical heartbeat of the game. Honestly, without her, Nero is just a guy with a missing arm and a chip on his shoulder. Nico brought a specific kind of "Southern grease monkey" energy that the franchise desperately needed to keep from becoming a parody of its own "edgy" roots. She represents a bridge between the old guard—specifically her grandmother, Nell Goldstein—and the new generation of demon hunters.
The Legacy of the .45 Artiste
You can't talk about Nico without talking about Nell. Most casual fans might not know that Nell Goldstein is the woman who crafted Dante’s iconic pistols, Ebony & Ivory. This isn't just flavor text. It’s the entire reason Nico exists as a character. She is a legacy act.
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She's obsessed with the craft. You see it in the way she looks at Dante’s guns during their first meeting—it’s not hero worship; it’s professional curiosity mixed with a bit of "I could do better." Nico is a self-proclaimed "artisan," and that distinction matters. She doesn't just fix things. She creates. The Devil Breakers she builds for Nero are masterpieces of engineering, even if she treats them like disposable toys once they break in the field.
Her personality is polarizing, sure. Some players find the constant teasing and the "get out of my van" attitude a bit much. But look closer. In a world where everyone is a half-demon or a brooding superhuman, Nico is just a person. A person with a toolbox and a very fast van. She provides a grounding element that makes the supernatural absurdity of the Red Grave City incident feel more tangible.
Why the Devil Breakers Changed Everything
Let's get into the mechanics. The Devil May Cry 5 Nico shop system fundamentally shifted how DMC plays. In previous entries, you bought skills or items from a static divinity statue. It was cold. It was a menu.
With Nico, the shop becomes a character beat. Calling her from a phone booth isn't just a way to restock your Overture or Gerbera arms; it’s a moment of levity. The way she drives that van through a wall just to sell you an upgrade is peak Capcom. It’s ridiculous. It’s stylish. It’s exactly what the series should be.
The variety she brings to Nero's kit is insane:
- Overture: A basic battery-powered blast that feels heavy and satisfying.
- Gerbera: Pure mobility, letting you dodge in mid-air like a pinball.
- Punch Line: A literal rocket-propelled fist that you can ride like a hoverboard.
- Buster Arm: For when you just want to recreate the raw power of Nero’s old demon arm.
Each of these reflects Nico’s chaotic creativity. She’s taking demon parts—literally scraps of the enemies you just killed—and turning them into high-tech prosthetics. It’s a gameplay loop that feels earned. You kill a boss, you give Nico the "materials," and she hands you a new way to play. It's a symbiotic relationship that makes the player feel more connected to the world than a simple skill tree ever could.
The "Southern Belle" with a Scientific Mind
There’s a weird misconception that Nico is just the "tech support." That’s underselling it. If you read the in-game reports—written by Nico herself—you realize she’s essentially a demonologist. Her observations on the Empusa, the Goliath, and the Qliphoth are filled with scientific curiosity. She’s analyzing the biological makeup of these monsters while Nero is just trying to hit them with a sword.
Her dialogue is sharp. It’s filled with "honey" and "sugar," but it’s rarely sweet. It’s patronizing in a way that works because she actually is the smartest person in the room. When she scolds Nero for breaking a Devil Breaker, she’s not worried about the cost; she’s worried about the "art" being disrespected.
Also, can we talk about the van? The DMC Motorhome is basically a TARDIS. It’s a workshop, a library, and a getaway vehicle all rolled into one. The fact that Nico manages to keep it running while driving through crumbling skyscrapers is a testament to her being the best mechanic in gaming. Period.
The Emotional Core: Nico and Agnus
Here is where the story gets heavy. If you played Devil May Cry 4, you remember Agnus. He was the stuttering, weirdly theatrical villain who worked for the Order of the Sword. He was also Nico’s father.
Nico doesn't spend the game crying about him. She knows he was a mess. She knows he was a "mad scientist" who prioritized power over his family. But there is a subtle undercurrent of her wanting to prove she’s better than his legacy. She took his research and actually made it functional without losing her humanity.
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When she finally meets Dante, there’s this unspoken tension. Dante killed her father. She knows it. He knows it. But they don't have a dramatic showdown. Instead, there’s a professional respect. Nico honors her family history by being the best at what she does, regardless of the sins of her father. It’s a mature way to handle a backstory that could have easily become a cliché "revenge" plot.
The Visual Design and Performance
Faye Kingslee, the voice and motion-capture actress for Nico, deserves a lot of credit here. The facial animations in DMC5 are some of the best in the industry, and Nico gets the most expressive moments. The way she adjusts her glasses, the way her cigarette hangs out of her mouth, the smirks—it’s all so human.
Her design is a masterclass in character-coding:
- The Tattoos: They aren't just for show. They are intricate, mathematical, and artistic, echoing the designs on the Devil Breakers.
- The Tool Belt: It looks heavy. It looks used.
- The Glasses: They give her that "scholar" look that contrasts with her messy hair and stained clothes.
She looks like someone who hasn't slept in three days because she was busy soldering a lightning coil into a mechanical hand. It’s authentic.
What Most People Get Wrong About Nico
A lot of people think she’s just there for fanservice or comic relief. That’s a mistake. Nico is the catalyst for Nero’s growth. In DMC4, Nero was an outsider. In DMC5, he’s a business owner. He has a partner. Nico provides the friction he needs to sharpen his own resolve.
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She also represents the "human" side of the war. Dante and Vergil are basically gods fighting in the clouds. Nero is half-human, struggling to find his place. Nico is 100% human. She has no magic, no healing factor, and no devil trigger. Yet, she’s right there in the thick of it. That takes a specific kind of courage that often goes unacknowledged in high-fantasy action games.
Mastery of the Nico Shop: Pro Tips
If you want to actually excel in Devil May Cry 5, you have to treat Nico’s shop as a tactical resource, not just a place to buy "lives."
- Customization is Key: Don’t just take a random assortment of Breakers. Set up your loadout based on the mission. If you're fighting high-mobility enemies, stack Gerberas. If you're going against a heavy boss, you need the Buster Arm and Ragtime.
- The Break Away: Use it. Many players hoard their Breakers like they’re "too good to use." Nico can always make more. Breaking an arm to escape a grab or deal massive burst damage is how the game is meant to be played.
- Read the Reports: Seriously. The lore Nico provides in the "Gallery" section is some of the best writing in the game. It explains the "why" behind the "how."
Moving Forward with Nico
Nicoletta Goldstein changed the DNA of Devil May Cry. She took a series known for its cold, gothic atmosphere and injected a messy, greasy, loud sense of life into it. She’s the daughter of a villain and the granddaughter of a legend, but she’s entirely her own person.
For your next playthrough, pay attention to the idle animations in the van. Watch how she interacts with the different characters. There is a depth there that Capcom rarely gets credit for. She isn't just "the girl in the van." She is the reason Nero is able to stand on his own two feet—literally and figuratively.
Actionable Insights for DMC5 Players:
- Experiment with the "Pasta Breaker": It’s a joke item, but it actually cycles your current Breaker loadout, giving you more tactical flexibility in the field.
- Maximize the Dr. Faust: If you're short on Red Orbs to buy Nico's expensive upgrades, learn the timing for the Dr. Faust hat. It’s the fastest way to farm currency.
- Watch the Cutscenes: Don't skip the van arrivals. There are dozens of different "crashes" Nico performs depending on the environment, and they are all motion-captured perfection.
- Respect the Craft: Next time you use a Devil Breaker, remember that a chain-smoking genius spent all night in a cramped van building that just so you could look cool for five seconds.