Illustrator Salvatore Tabbi shows off their reimagining of one of the elder Son of Sparda’s iconic Devil Arms.
(SPOILERS FOR DEVIL MAY CRY 5)
The Devil May Cry franchise has never had a shortage of unique, whacky and over-the-top weapons, ranging from a suitcase that morphs into a myriad of guns to a motorbike that doubles as a chainsaw. These weapons, known as ‘Devil Arms’ have always played an integral part in the franchise’s skilful combat. One of the most favoured and well-loved of them all was Beowulf, a demonic set of gauntlets and boots that allowed both Dante and Vergil to unleash a flurry of punches, kicks and uppercuts. It was Vergil’s usage of Beowulf in particular that endeared them with players, since his moveset with the Devil Arm was far quicker and more brutal than that of his younger brother.
Unfortunately, at the time of Devil May Cry 5, Dante was the only one in possession of a weapon of the same ilk, the firey Balrog, leaving Vergil with just his demonic sword Yamato. With the announcement and impending release of the Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition next month, it remains to be seen whether or not Vergil will gain any new additions to his arsenal. Canonically, there’s not much of a way for him to regain the Force Edge and Beowulf as he had before, although his usage of them in the games that DID have them in requires a bit of gameplay and story segregation due to continuity issues it presents.
Enter Salvatore Tabbi, an accomplished illustrator from Italy and massive Devil May Cry fan who saw fit to take the initiative and come up with a brand-new Devil Arm for Vergil that hearkens back to the spirit of Beowulf whilst also injecting elements of Vergil’s unleashed demonic half, Urizen.
“When I think of hand to hand combat weapons for Vergil I usually imagine our good old Beowulf, but I think it’s about time he gained a new form of power,” Tabbi says.
“We already saw that Vergil is capable of kicking our asses when he’s Urizen, so why not give him a Devil Arm that embodies pure power and violence? Enter the Urizen Devil arm (at first I called it Yureizen, but it’s such a weeb name). In the Dmc5SE trailer we can see Vergil splitting into V with a sort of “seppuku” move, but what if we can do the same to awake “a little devil” instead? Imagine having the possibility to tap into that form of Devil Arm when you fill up a gauge and there you go, wipe the floor with demons’ face with The Urizen, that is, if you’re fast enough. I assume the V move is going to be a time limited skill just like Devil Trigger, so it will be the Urizen. But of course it might also be the case that Vergil will get a permanent Devil Arm that you can use at any time just like Beowulf. We will just have to wait and see.“
Christened ‘The Urizen’, Vergil’s new Devil Arm incorporates the demonic physical characteristics of the Demon King to create a look that is both sleek and savage in design.
A variation of the design also includes an Japanese Oni-inspired mask that covers Vergil’s face with that of Urizen, giving him a more beastly appearance.
It’s easy to picture Vergil wielding such a ferocious looking weapon, performing spectacular combos at blazing speed as he has always been wont to do. Had this not been confirmed as fan-made, it would have been very easily mistaken for official art from Capcom themselves. It remains to be seen whether or not Vergil does get anything new when he becomes a playable character in the Special Edition, but even if that doesn’t come to fruition then we will always have imaginative art such as this to keep the spirit of style in our minds.
You can find Salvatore’s art at:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/salvatore.tabbi.art
Artstation – https://www.artstation.com/saltabbi13
Instagram – @Salvatore-Tabbi-Art
Twitter – https://twitter.com/Silver_Savior
Sean Hollyman is an avid fan of action figures, videogames and sometimes other things too. When he's not labourously trying to earn platinum trophies for games that he otherwise probably wouldn't care about, Sean can often be found taking photos of his Transformers in embarrassing situations.
Favorite Food: Roast Dinner
Least Favorite Food: ANYTHING with mayonnaise in it
