Devil May Cry 4 mission order: when Nero and Dante are playable
Track the original campaign’s 20 missions and prepare for its character transitions.
Edition covered
Original Devil May Cry 4, with original PC storefront imagery including PC crowd/benchmark scenes. The 2015 Special Edition’s playable Vergil, Lady and Trish are excluded; original PC-only modes are not assumed on PS3 or Xbox 360.
Nero opens the campaign
Missions 1 through 11 establish Nero and the Order of the Sword crisis. His arm interactions and Exceed system underpin this route. A walkthrough for Dante’s later visit to the same area may describe different abilities.
| Mission range | Character | Role in the campaign |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nero | Opening encounter and introduction |
| 2–11 | Nero | Main outward campaign route |
| 12–18 | Dante | Dante’s section of the Fortuna crisis |
| 19–20 | Nero | Closing missions |
Dante takes over at Mission 12
Missions 12 through 18 use Dante. Review Skill Up and the style controls immediately after the handover. Familiar locations do not mean the same combat solution, because Dante’s movement and weapon choices replace Nero’s arm mechanics.
| Moment | Check | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Starting a Nero mission | Exceed and arm controls | Nero relies on a distinct toolkit |
| Mission 12 begins | Dante skills and style bindings | The playable character changes |
| Returning to a familiar room | Current mission objective | The route or encounter may differ |
| Mission 19 begins | Nero’s upgrades and inputs | The finale returns to his abilities |
Nero returns for the last two missions
Missions 19 and 20 return to Nero for the closing stretch. Refresh Snatch, Buster and Exceed before the final encounters. Use the mission number, not just the room’s appearance, when looking up a solution.
Keep PC and Special Edition extras separate
The original PC release has presentation and mode options not shared by every console release. The later Special Edition adds playable characters. Neither changes the Nero/Dante story sequence documented here.
The original PC release has presentation and mode options not shared by every console release.
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| Devil May Cry 4 publisher/storefront | store.steampowered.com |
| Capcom: original Devil May Cry 4 manual | static.capcom.com |
| Capcom: original DMC4 guide | static.capcom.com |