Dante (ダンテ, Dante^?) was the main protagonist of the Demon Lord Dante series. For the majority of the series he was under the identity of Ryo Utsugi, the reincarnation of his consciousness that was separated from his main body.

Appearance

Ryo possesses two forms while transforming into the demon version of Dante. One is a human sized version reminiscent of Akira Fudo's Devilman form in the early anime and manga series. however His demon form however was far removed from Fudo's Devilman form. Utsugi's demon form features his hairstyle in a messier state, a pair of antenna coming out of his head, markings near his eyes, red eyes, blue skin, and a long tail.

Dante's true form is massive in size with dark blue fur across his body, he had bird like claws on his feet a massive pair of bat like wings attached to his arms and talon like fingers. Three long tails that each split off into three ends, a short neck, he had large horns and a mass of long red hair from his head. He had large lips and massive yellow eyes, in between them was a small human face that was once his human face before he was transformed by God's energy.

Personality

As Utsugi he was strong willed and was close with his best friend, Sosuke Oshiba, as well as his younger "sister", Kaori, though was unaware of her unrequited love for him. In his true life as Dante, he was equally as defiant at threats, scoffing at God, the Japanese Special Defence Forces and traitor demons alike. Prior to his transformation, he was in a committed relationship with Medusa Gorgon, a fellow resident of Sodom. Zennon, his best friend from those pre-demon days, would eventually falter in his beliefs and join God's forces, leading to a tragic battle between the two that left Zennon dead, much to Dante's sorrow

While the story takes a great deal of time showing Ryo's personal doubts about really being the reincarnated Demon Lord, making mistakes when he kills his fellow demon Honiekparne, or fails to defend Racavise from Oshiba's sadistic butchery, his reuniting with Medusa brings him back to his prior proud self as the true hero of demon kind.

Abilities

Dante was capable of flight with his mighty wings. He was capable of great bounds of strength, able to lift and tear apart other demons effortlessly. He could teleport and emit rays from his eyes and could conduct electricity from his tail.

History

Ryo Utsugi is a young man, beset by nightmares. In his dreams he is attacked by a colossal bat-like creature surrounded by ice, he see's himself as a demon swooping through the skies and slaughtering cavemen or even see's himself as a giant, wandering through an empty city. Despite finding these dreams disturbing, his sister, Kaori, only teased him about it.

The next day, Ryo joined a climbing group to trek across the Himalayas. While at rest with the group in a hillside cabin, a voice calls out to Ryo, urging him to come to it. Beset by frenzy, Ryo crashes through the window and chases the voice. The other hikers do their best job to restrain him, but are met by fists and elbows as Ryo rushes to the voice, leading to him rushing off a cliff-edge, and vanishing into thin air, much to the shock and awe of the other trekkers.

Ryo was teleported to a colossal tomb, part ice and part machinery, all restraining a colossal bat-like beast, the same one from his nightmares. The bat like beast reveals himself to be Judas Iscariot, a proud warrior who fought against Jesus two-thousand years ago, where upon he was defeated and encased in the icy casket. He urges Ryo to free him, which he does, only for "Judas" to betray his saviour, first skewering his stomach with a mighty claw, before devouring him. Afterwards the demon destroys his tomb and climbs out of the mountains, relishing at his freedom with maniacal glee.

Back in the city, a group of Satanists led by the psychic Beelzebub, hold a Black Mass, with the intent of summoning their Demon Lord to them, so that he may bring about ruin to God's modern Earth. They manage to do so, however Dante arrives staggered and confused. Karne, one of the Satanist leaders notices the face on Dante's forehead resembling another's face, Utsugi. With that, Dante flies away, landing in Nagoya.

Dante wanders through the city in a stupor, with the citizens of Nagoya fleeing in terror and the Japanse Special Defence Force is brought out to combat Dante. He is bombarded with missiles and bullets until he falls and is buried in debris. After a moments, pause, Dante pulls himself out of the rubble, much to the horror of the military, and finally finds himself cognitive. With the mind of Ryo Utsugi still controlling the body, he questions how he arrived in such a place after dying in the Himalayas. Piccolos, the right hand of Beelzebub, approaches in a helicopter-like machine and tries to communicate with him, urging him to remember his true origins as Dante, the Demon Lord. In anguish, they let out a mighty cry.

Name Etymology

He is named after Dante Alighieri, an Italian poet/author from the Middle Ages who wrote the divine comedy, including his most famous work The Inferno, a fictional story about how he envisions himself traveling through hell to reach limbo/purgatory, and then heaven, while being guided by the classical era Roman poet Vergil.

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