Ah! Check it out! It's got wings!

The fourth entry in the series is generally not considered as the best one. It has its issues, namely half the game consists of backtracking through the areas and bosses of the first half of the game. Despite those issues and some annoying enemies, I thought the core of the gameplay was well done, with the different characters' abilities and the combat feeling well polished and satisfying.

That said, going for 100% achievements in this game is not for the faint of heart or the impatient. You'll get them through sweat and tears. But I hope this guide will help a bit. And even if you don't care about the achievements, you may still find some use in the mission guides or character tips.

- I know it's not my business, but this could get ugly.

The game works with a single automatic save. You can't save manually in different slots, and you can't restart a new playthrough from scratch (i.e. collecting again all the Blue Orbs, etc) unless you manually delete the save data.

There are 7 difficulty modes. The 4 basic ones are:

• Human. Easy/Normal. Available directly.
  
• Devil Hunter. Normal/Hard. Available directly.
  
• Son of Sparda. Similar to Very Hard in DMC3, with different enemy waves, etc. Unlocked by completing Devil Hunter with any character.
  
• Dante Must Die. The hardest of the main difficulty levels. Enemies can Devil Trigger. Unlocked by completing Son of Sparda with any character.

In addition, there are 3 other difficulty modes that are a bit more gimmicky:

• Legendary Dark Knight. Like Son of Sparda but with a lot more enemies. Available directly.
  
• Heaven Or Hell Everything dies in one hit. Unlocked by completing Son of Sparda.
  
• Hell and Hell Your character dies in one hit but enemies are like in Son of Sparda. Unlocked by completing Dante Must Die.

The Mission Select screen is always available, to replay any mission on any difficulty (provided you've already completed that mission on that specific difficulty, with that specific character). You can also switch costumes at any time between Missions.

In the options menu, two additional settings that affect gameplay difficulty can be turned on or off at any time, and for any of the difficulty modes:

• Turbo mode, which makes everything go 20% faster.
  
• Automatic mode, which simplifies the controls (i.e. some combos are performed automatically, you can just keep pressing the trigger instead of mashing it to keep shooting, etc). It does make things easier, so it is an option that you might consider if you are having trouble at some point. But the downside is that it gives significantly less control over which combos to perform, etc.

- Time to wake up, kid! You're missing out on all the fun!

The default characters are Nero and Dante, who share the playthrough (some missions with Nero, some with Dante). The alternative characters are available from the start: Vergil (all missions with the same character), and Lady/Trish (who share the playthrough like Nero/Dante).

• The missions and location of items are identical for all characters.
  
• Each character has their own weapons and abilities, but they share the Proud Souls resource that allows to buy abilities and upgrades. So if you max out Nero and then start playing with Vergil, you'll already be able to purchase all his abilities right from the start.
  
• The characters also share the health and devil trigger bar upgrades (Blue/Purple orbs), and the Red Orbs account and inventory (Vital Stars, etc).
  
• Difficulty modes unlocked with one character (pair) are also unlocked for the others. The only thing that is not shared between characters is the mission progress within each difficulty.
  
• You will unlock costumes for the different characters. They have no effect on gameplay, except for the super costumes which provide unlimited Devil Trigger and some other goodies. These are obtained by completing DMD with Nero/Dante, and with Vergil. Lady and Trish do not have super costumes.

The gameplay possibilities are very advanced, and you can easily spend hundreds of hours mastering all the subtleties of the game, improving your skills, and refining your combos. In the dedicated sections below (Character Tips), I'll point our some abilities that can be important at (let's say) beginner level: in combat, but also for reaching items and completing Secret Missions.

The first thing you want to do for each character is to set your controls. The most important thing is to remap the ranged attack / shoot button (pistols, etc) to a trigger, so that you can use it (to charge, or to spam) mostly independently of your melee attacks. While we are in the game's option, also note that you can select different lock-on systems (priority to the enemy closest to you, or in the direction you push the stick, etc)... pick the one that works best for you, it can make a difference.

- I fail to see the logic here. Is sanity the price to pay for power?

There are 7 different modes: Human, Devil Hunter, Son of Sparda, Dante Must Die, Legendary Dark Knight, Heaven or Hell, and Hell and Hell. Completing a higher difficulty does not count as completing the lower ones as well, you have to do each one separately. The good news is that each mode can be done with any character (pair).

"A Throne of Glory" isn't actually too bad, considering that there are also achievements for S-ranking every mission in 5 of the 7 difficulty modes (all except Heaven or Hell and Hell and Hell). Long gone DMC1 and DMC2 with their "S-rank one mission in any difficulty". At least, it can be done with any character (pair). Overall it's not too complicated, but it will take some time. You have to learn the location of (and remember to catch) every single hidden red orb in the environment, but I got you covered with some little maps in the Mission Guides.

This is one of 7 similar achievements for the 7 main bosses of the game. Each can be done with any playable character. It's actually not bad practice to try to get these achievements in a somewhat legit way, so as to get to know the bosses' moves very well, and prepare for their appearance in Dante Must Die and the Bloody Palace. However, there are more cheesy ways to get these achievements so none of those should be an obstacle. Dante is probably the hardest one to SSS-rank in a skilled and satisfying way, but he can be cheesed like the rest of them.

This one is going to be painful indeed. 101 stages with various enemies of increasing difficulty. One run can take up to two hours, you can't use any items, and if you die you're welcome to start again from level 1. And that's to be done with each of the 5 characters. Thankfully Nero, Dante, and Vergil have super costumes, which can be used to get the achievement. Lady can mostly charged-shot her way through. Things can get more complicated with Trish.

- When your blood and this sword are combined, we will be able to proceed to the final stage of our ultimate goal.

There are various achievements that can be obtained with any of the characters (e.g. S-rank all missions in DMD), and it may be up to personal preferences and which characters you are more comfortable with. Therefore, the Roadmap below should be seen more as a proposed guideline than an absolutely strict order.

The idea here is to push through with Nero/Dante for most the achievements that they can get, but still leave some things to do for the others. It is organized character by character, since switching from one to another always means (re-)learning new controls etc. Start with the Nero/Dante preliminaries, but for the rest feel free to reorganize things to your liking, or start working on several things in parallel.

Start this long journey with two relaxed playthroughs with Nero/Dante. The main goal is to get cosy with the game. Learn to know the enemies and bosses, the mission layouts, Nero and Dante's abilities and playstyle, etc. The second goal is to get your characters (almost) fully upgraded by collecting Blue Orbs and other items, completing the Adjudicators and Secret Missions, and buying the Blue/Purple Orbs and abilities.

• If you like your first playthrough to be blind (or at least not follow a guide every step of the way), go ahead and have fun, it won't cost you at all in the long term, since a lot of things are not accessible the first time through, and all missions will have to be repeated multiple times anyway.
  
  
• Start on Devil Hunter if you want some challenge, but don't feel bad about switching to Human after a few missions if it is too difficult. Second playthrough will be on Devil Hunter or Son of Sparda.
  
  
• Use your Red Orbs mainly to buy Blue and Purple Orbs. Use your Proud Souls to buy abilities (don't forget that these can be refunded, so you can try things as you like).
  
  
• Follow the Mission Guides below while playing to catch all the Blue Orbs and other collectibles, and attempt the Secret Missions and Adjudicators. Note that some of the items, and many of the Secret Missions, are difficult or impossible to reach or complete on the first run through. So skip at will. Don't worry about getting all the Red Orbs either.

Quite a bit of work to do here, you'll need to get really comfortable with Nero's and Dante's playstyle.

• S-rank all Missions in Human / Devil Hunter / Son of Sparda. See the corresponding section below for some tips on the matter, and use the images in the Mission Guides to locate all Red Orbs. It's a bit grindy, but overall, S-ranking missions is not too difficult. And it is good practice, and it will fill up your Red Orbs account so you don't have to worry about buying items during DMD. Also take the opportunity to complete any remaining Secret Missions, and to learn and practice all the moves and abilities.
  
  
• Complete Dante Must Die mode, and you will unlock the Super Nero/Dante costumes. With your experience S-ranking the lower difficulties, it should not be too difficult. You may however need some Vital Stars, since some enemies deal A LOT of damage. Pick up all red orbs, use items if necessary, but make sure not to die... and you will most likely get a first try S-rank in many missions.
  
  
• (optional) S-rank all missions in Dante Must Die. Once the playthrough is finished, check out how many S-ranked missions are missing, and decide if you want to do this now, or leave it for later. Some people recommend to use Vergil to S-rank Dante Must Die, since he has a good damage output. You can still decide later after playing a bit with Vergil.
  
  
• Once you have unlocked Super Nero/Dante, start working on SSS-ranking bosses. See the corresponding section below for some tips on the matter.
  
  
• Complete the Bloody Palace with Nero. Use Super Nero, put on Turbo mode, and make sure to finish it in under 2 hours for the corresponding achievements. See the Bloody Palace section below for some tips on the matter.
  
  
• Complete the Bloody Palace with Dante. Use Super Dante, and make sure to dispatch your lesser self without taking any damage in the last level (see the Bloody Palace section below).
  
  
• If at any point you find yourself short on Red Orbs, the Bloody Palace with Super Dante in Turbo mode is a decent option for farming Red Orbs (about 170,000 in 30 minutes). You could also already Start Heaven Or Hell with Lady/Trish (see below), as the missions in this mode can be completed very quickly and without items, and still pay out well in Red Orbs (some missions better than others, up to 40,000 Red Orbs in 5 minutes iirc but the game doesn't keep track afterwards).

• Complete and S-rank all missions in Legendary Dark Knight. This may not be the easiest mode to learn how to use Vergil. But it's not extremely difficult either, and Vergil can generally deal well with the enemy masses (or very very well, if we think Judgment Cut End). As for the S-ranks, don't worry about the time or using items, just try not to die, and you should easily get enough Style points to S-rank most missions on the first attempt. Note that you can see your max rank for each mission on the Mission Start screen, since LDK is not in the Total Ranking table. You'll also get the achievement for killing 10 enemies within a second, without even trying.
  
  
• (optional) Complete and S-rank all missions in Dante Must Die. If you prefer to S-rank DMD with Nero/Dante, that's up to you. You could then skip DMD with Vergil altogether, except that DMD unlocks Super Vergil, which can make the Bloody Palace a lot more comfortable. Alternatively, the Super Vergil costume can be bought as DLC.
  
  
• Complete the Bloody Palace with (Super) Vergil.

It is only required to complete one playthrough in any difficulty (Heaven or Hell being the fastest), and the Bloody Palace. However, Lady and Trish do not have super costumes, so it doesn't hurt to get some practice with those characters before tackling the Bloody Palace. This is why I propose here to play Hell and Hell with Lady/Trish, but you can do it with (Super) Nero/Dante or Vergil, if you prefer... and get some practice with Lady/Trish directly in the Bloody Palace.

• Complete Heaven or Hell, if you didn't do it already.
  
  
• Complete Hell and Hell. You die in one hit, but enemies don't (and are on Son of Sparda difficulty). So it can get tricky at times, especially with new characters. But on the other hand, you already have a lot of experience with the game, and you get 3 free Gold Orbs before each Continue, so it's not as bad as it sounds. Don't hesitate to skip enemies when you can (no red walls) and use Holy Water if needed. Hell and Hell is good practice for the Bloody Palace since both these modes are about dispatching the enemies while taking minimum damage, rather than Style.
  
  
• If you are still missing some boss SSS-rank achievements, Lady can cheese most of them with Charged Shots. See the section below.
  
  
• Complete the Bloody Palace with Lady. Since you're not using a super costume, this should almost certainly give you the achievement for completing Bloody Palace with an S-rank.
  
  
• Complete the Bloody Palace with Trish.

- It's a customer with the password. They're nearby. What should we do?
- Eh. You need to ask?

In addition to the location of Secret Missions, Adjudicators and Collectibles, these Mission Guides contain some directions on where to go during the missions, but are not detailed walkthroughs as I wanted to keep it reasonably short and focused so as to not distract too much from just playing the game. To S-rank the missions, you need to grab all Red Orbs in the environment, so these are marked on the maps as well. The legend of the figures is:


There are 12 Secret Missions, each rewarding a Blue Orb Fragment. They have to be completed only once, although you still can return for Red Orbs. Some Secret Missions require specific abilities and may be impossible (or very difficult) to complete on the first playthrough. I added a few tips about how to complete successfully the more complicated ones. If you're having too much trouble, check this guide[www.xboxachievements.com] for more detailed or alternative strategies.

Since Nero and Dante go mostly through the same areas, some Secret Missions can be attempted with either Nero or Dante during different Missions, but usually it is only possible (or much easier) with one rather than the other, I will only note it for with the recommended character (you can still try with the other if you wish).

Hit them and cycle through your moves to raise your Style rank high enough and you'll get a Blue Orb Fragment. I think they should all be doable during the first playthrough, at least if you purchased enough abilities for Red Queen / Rebellion. You only have to destroy each once for the Blue Orb Fragment, although you can still do it again later for Red Orbs. Some adjudicators are only for Nero, and the others only for Dante.

Blue Orb Fragments, Vital Stars, Devil Stars, and Gold Orbs can be found throughout the missions. These will be indicated in the mission guides, on the first mission during which they are accessible (although some are easier to catch with Dante, so I'll put them in Dante's mission). Since you pass multiple times through the same areas, some items can be grabbed later.

Blue Orb Fragments are only acquired once, but each Vital Star / Devil Star / Gold Orb can be acquired once in each difficulty (Human, Devil Hunter, Son of Sparda, Dante Must Die, LDK). Once acquired in a specific difficulty, the item isn't replaced by anything. It doesn't matter which character grabs an item since they share everything (e.g. if you don't pick a Gold Orb in Son of Sparda with Nero/Dante, it will be there in Son of Sparda for Vergil or Lady/Trish).

To S-rank the missions, you usually want to have an S-rank in Red Orbs collected, which means more than 95% of the red orbs available. The ones that are more important are the Red Orbs in the environment (visible ones, hidden caches, and those obtained from breakable objects), since these always count as available as soon as you enter the area. Some missions have "optional" areas, that you can but don't need to enter to finish the mission. If you do enter them, you do have to collect the Red Orbs. Red Orbs from killing enemies are automatically collected. Those from Adjudicators (if you already have the Blue Orb Fragment) and Red Orbs stones only count as available when you collect them, so you can safely ignore those for the S-rank.

It is a tutorial (can be disabled in Options) and a single fight in the [Opera House].

Red Orbs: [Opera House] (10 benches, make sure to destroy them all before the end of the fight).

• Gold Orb: The first building you enter is the [Store House]. On the lower level, wall jump to pick up the Orb in an alcove above a few steps of stairs.
  
  
• Vital Star S: When you drop down on the main floor of the [Cathedral], it is in a cell on the right side (use Snatch).
  
  
• Secret Mission #1 (Blue Orb Fragment #1): You will traverse the [Terrace/Business District] via a series of Grips. After the first one, you'll see a pillar with a red inscription right in your path. Interact with it. It is doable during the first playthrough, though it will become easier later with more abilities. Use your devil bringer hand (Snatch/Buster) at least as much as your sword.
  
  
• Blue Orb Fragment #2: In the market area, a bit further than the Red Orbs Stone, follow a trail of 3 small Red Orbs on the rooftops.
  
  
• Combat Adjudicator B (Blue Orb Fragment #3): Grip to the upper level of the [First Mining Area]. Hard to miss.

Red Orbs: [Opera House Plaza] (6 benches, 4 trash cans, 1 visible); [Store House] (lower level: 2 barrels; upper level: 3 barrels, 5 crates, 5 shelves); [Cathedral] (lower level:10 chairs; upper level: 4 benches, 2 visible); [Residential District] (market: 5 pots, 5 crates, 1 barrel, 3 visible; after exiting the market: 1 dumpster, 2 hidden on top of a tall wooden tower); [Port Caerula] (entrance: 2 visible, exit: 2 dumpsters); [Custom's House] (2 visible); [First Mining Area] (6 visible).

• Blue Orb Fragment #4: More or less above the visible Red Orb in the starting area. Grip your way up to the top of the shaft.
  
  
• Vital Star S: In a small dead-end passage to the left, just before leaving the area.

When you enter the castle's [Grand Hall], take the door to the right, into the [Large Hall]. Do not take the first door you encounter, but run all the way to the other side and into the [Torture Chamber]. You'll eventually return to the [Grand Hall] and the next door will take you for a long detour via the [Central Courtyard] and [Foris Falls], then back again in the [Grand Hall].

• Vital Star S: After descending the stairs in Foris Falls, above a column next to the bridge.
  
  
• Holy Water: When you return into the Grand Hall, on an alcove high up, just before the circular switch. It can be grabbed with wall jump + Snatch.
  
  
• Blue Orb Fragment #5: After hitting the circular switch, move forward and past the door. A bit further, there is a breakable mirror on the (camera) right. The fragment is behind it.

Red Orbs: [Second Mining Area] (1 visible); [Fortuna Castle Gate] (1 visible at the start, 13 thin stone pillars, 2 hidden on top of large pillars, 3 visible in the small path with broken stairs climbing back up); [Grand Hall] (lower: 8 benches, 36 chairs); [Large Hall] (5 chairs, 12 candle stands, some are in a gated area, use Devil Bringer, 2 visible behind a breakable mirror); [Grand Hall] (upper: 2 visible, 1 hidden that requires EX3 - High Roller); [Gallery] (3 armors, 6 chairs, 5 tables, 2 crates); [Library] (outside: 1 hidden; lower: 2 pots, 1 desk; upper: 3 desks).




Backtrack to the [Grand Hall] and take the door on the ground floor into the [Large Hall], then the first door on the right into the [Dining Room].

• Secret Mission #2 (Blue Orb Fragment #6): In the corridor leading to the Dining Room, destroy the fireball launcher with the Gyro Blade. You need 5 mid-air Buster without touching the ground. Jump or double jump then Snatch an enemy, then immediately Buster it, then repeat. Rather easy once you get the timing right.

Red Orbs: [Library] (lower: 2 pots, 1 desk; upper: 3 desks; outside: 1 hidden); [Gallery] (3 armors, 6 chairs, 5 tables, 2 crates); [Grand Hall] (upper: 2 visible, 1 hidden; lower: 8 benches, 36 chairs); [Dining Room] (8 chairs, 4 dinner sets on the table); [Large Hall] (5 chairs, 12 candle stands, 2 visible behind a breakable mirror).

• Secret Mission #3 (Blue Orb Fragment #7). In the starting area, around and under the stairs to the exit. Not recommended on first playthrough, since this practically requires the Hold ability for Devil Bringer. Grab a Scarecrow and Hold it to protect you from the attacks of the Frost(s), try to position yourself as well as possible (attacks from the back will hurt you and ruin the attempt). Taunt at will. Once the first Scarecrow dies, grab the other and continue. Hopefully you'll eventually reach a C in Style.
  
  
• Secret Mission #10 (Blue Orb Fragment #8). In the next room, destroy the mirror above the fireplace. Activate the Gyro Blade and push it around, to "raze everything!" (destroy the 5 black/blue towers). Don't forget to hit it with the sword once or twice to make it move faster and further (unless you need more control). Don't take any doors.
  
  
• Holy Water While making your way up via jump pads in the Spiral Well. It is on the second ledge, under the protruding head. Try to jump close to it and Snatch.
  
  
• Vital Star S On the third ledge, in a closed cell (use Snatch).
  
  
• Vital Star S After going through the painting in the Grand Hall, down the stairs, and you'll see it in a cell (use Snatch).

Red Orbs: [Soldier's Graveyard] (18 tombstones, 10 statues, 8 ice statues, 1 visible high up: stand in place of the horse statue, Air Hike and Snatch, 2 hidden on the platforms against the wall); [Master's chamber] (3 tables, 4 chairs); [Spiral Well] (10 visible, 1 hidden: in an open cell on the first ledge); [Large Hall] (12 candles, 5 chairs, 2 visible behind mirror); [Grand Hall] (36 chairs, 8 benches, 2 visible, 1 hidden).

• Blue Orb Fragment #9. You start at the top of an open shaft in the [Underground Laboratory]. Run around the shaft to grab the fragment before jumping down.

A tip for the Game Room: the Die can be controlled since it always gives the same number that was up at the moment you hit it, and it always rotates in the same order: 1-4-2-6-3-5..

• Blue Orb Fragment #10. After receiving your new sword, exit and walk up the stairs in Foris Falls and you will see the fragment away from the edge of the balcony (use Streak to leap at it).
  
  
• Secret Mission #4 (Blue Orb Fragment #11). After the first fight in [Angel Creation], behind one of the green pods to the left of the entrance. You have limited time to find 3 Red Orbs caches. Follow your glowing hand to locate them. Each time you restart the Secret Mission, 3 caches are randomly selected (out of 8 possible, I believe). So it might take several attempts, but remember the ones you already found and you will eventually succeed.

When you return to the [Grand Hall], proceed via one of the doors on the side of the Sanctus portrait on the upper level. Then all the way to the bridge in [Foris Falls].

Red Orbs: [Underground Laboratory] (1 barrel on the top floor, and 7 more barrels on the way down); [R&D Access] (3 pieces of the broken gate); [Game Room] (1 visible); [Containment Room] (2 chairs, 1 hidden); [Foris Falls] (lower: 6 barrels; upper: 2 barrels); [Angel Creation] (2 barrels, 1 hidden directly to Nero's left when exiting the cylinder); [Underground Laboratory] (7 barrels on the metallic platforms on the way up, 1 barrel on the top floor); [Grand Hall] (you love those 36 chairs and 8 benches, don't you? 2 visible, 1 hidden)

• Vital Star M Inside the large tree trunk in the starting area, you can jump up through a hole and catch it.
  
  
• Holy Water In the next area, before jumping down, follow the ledge to the left side from the entrance.
  
  
• Blue Orb Fragment #12. In the Ruined Valley, about halfway through the vanishing floors, hanging in the air above you. Use Air Hike to catch it.
  
  
• Secret Mission #5 (Blue Orb Fragment #13). In the Lapis River, go left after crossing the stone bridge, to find the entrance to the Secret Mission behind a tree. It involves Grips, so only Nero can complete it.
  
  
• Combat Adjudicator A (Blue Orb Fragment #14). In the beginning of the Forgotten Ruins area, hard to miss.

Red Orbs: [Forest Entrance] (12 eggs); [Windswept Valley] (9 eggs); [Ruined Church] (19 eggs); [optional: Ruined Lowlands] (4 eggs, 1 hidden -- won't affect your score if you don't fall into that area at all); [Lapis River] (12 eggs); [Ancient Plaza] (9 eggs); [Windswept Valley] (4 eggs, previously unreachable); [Ruined Valley] (18 eggs); [Forgotten Ruins] (4 eggs -- there are 2 more eggs up on the bridge that you can try to destroy with EX3 High Roller + Air Hike + Snatch or Shoot in the right direction. I put those in the image, but I recommend to not waste time on them. I'm pretty sure they are not necessary to 100%). [Den of the She-Viper] (8 eggs that you can still destroy after the fight).

• Blue Orb Fragment #15. As you pass under the bridge in the first area, destroy the egg hanging from the ceiling.
  
  
• Blue Orb Fragment #16. Make your way back to the Ruined Church, then into the Lost Woods. Go to the left at the crossroads, and you will be sent to the [Hidden Pit]. The fragment is hanging in the air, use Air Hike.

You need to solve the riddle to get out of the Lost Woods: always go in direction of the light, i.e. choose the path opposite of the direction of the shadows on the ground. You have to do this a few times in a row..

Red Orbs: If you absolutely want 100% in Red Orbs, you may need to turn around at the start of the mission and backtrack via the [Den of the She-Viper] (8 eggs), to get the 4 eggs on the bottom level of the [Forgotten Ruins]. This takes time, and is not necessary to get an S in Red Orbs, so I wouldn't recommend. [Ancient Training Ground] (6 eggs); [Lapis River] (12 eggs); [Ancient Plaza] (9 eggs); [Windswept Valley] (13 eggs); [Ruined Church] (19 eggs); [Lost Woods] (8 eggs); [optional: Hidden Pit] (4 eggs); [Forgotten Ruins] (upper: 2 eggs; [Ancient Training Ground] (upper: 2 eggs).

• Devil Star S. From the entrance of the Grand Hall, up the stairs to the right and around the corner.
  
  
• Combat Adjudicator S (Blue Orb Fragment #17). From the entrance of the Grand Hall, up the stairs to the left.
  
  
• Blue Orb Fragment #18. After the second round of fight in the elevator of The Gauntlet, drop down through the exit that does not lead to the next Chrono Slicer & lasers room.

Red Orbs: [Gran Album Bridge] (4 desks, 6 separators); [Grand Hall] (6 benches, 2 pots, 1 hidden); [Key Room] (4 separators); [The Gauntlet] (1 hidden); [Agnus' Room] (there are some breakable chairs and desks near the entrance, and 3 breakable cages in the main room with green/white orbs; but none of these have red orbs, so they do not count for the 100%).


Go back to the [Grand Hall], and cross the bridge to enter the [Security Corridor].

• Secret Mission #6 (Blue Orb Fragment #19). Directly to the right after passing through the moving lasers. Directly Grab and Hold the Scarecrow, double jump your way up the stairs trying not to get hit. Drop the Scarecrow near the fountain and come back to guard the stairs and to deal with the Chimeras (Buster kills them instantly).

Red Orbs: [The Gauntlet] (1 hidden); [Key Room] (4 separators); [Grand Hall] (6 benches, 2 pots, 1 hidden); [Security Corridor] (corridor: 2 benches, 1 fence; shaft: 3 crates); [Experiment Disposal] (lower: 4 statues; upper: 2 statues, 1 fence); [Meeting Room] (4 candle stands, after leaving the main room); [Ascension Chamber] (2 desks, 4 pots, 6 candle stands; you have to take care of these before the end of the fight).

• Combat Adjudicator SSS (Blue Orb Fragment #20). On the bottom floor, opposite side from the entrance.
  
  
• Devil Star S. On the 3rd floor, after the Divinity statue you'll have to traverse two sets of Grips with visible red orbs. The Star is on the floor below the second set.

Red Orbs: [Advent Chamber] (1 fence, 6 visible, 2 hidden: check the images... you can start worrying about all these when you come in view of the Divinity Statue).

• Secret Mission #7 (Blue Orb Fragment #21). Directly to the right after leaving the Ascension Chamber. You could have done this earlier with Nero, but the easiest way to complete it is probably to use Pandora's Argument (with Gunslinger Style) to fly across. You need to fill up the Disaster Gauge, although this can be done in the Secret Mission, if you trigger the enemies and jump back to the starting platform.
  
  
• Blue Orb Fragment #22. On the second ring of the elevator shaft in the [Experiment Disposal]. Use Air Hike and Trickster Dash to climb.
  
  
• Gold Orb. On the bottom level, after dropping down in the middle of the Experiment Disposal.
  
  
• Combat Adjudicator B (Blue Orb Fragment #23). When you get back in the [Grand Hall], take a detour via the side opening on the right, through the [Key Room], and into [The Gauntlet]. The Adjudicator is on the bottom floor. Then return to the Grand Hall.

Red Orbs: [Ascension Chamber] (2 desks, 4 pots, 6 candle stands); [Meeting Room] (4 candle stands); [Experiment Disposal] (upper: 2 statues, 1 fence; lower: 4 statues); [Security Corridor] (shaft: 3 crates; corridor: 2 benches, 1 fence); [Grand Hall] (6 benches, 2 pots, 1 hidden); [optional: Key Room] (4 separators); [optional: The Gauntlet] (1 hidden); [Gran Album Bridge] (4 desks, 6 separators).

This mission has purple fog that will teleport you. If you get lost: you start in the Ancient Training Ground. Drop down the bridge and take the east exit (farther from the bridge), you'll be in the Forgotten Ruins. Drop down again and go through the fog, to reach the Windswept Valley. Head through the fog on the stairs, and it will take you in the Ancient Plaza. Take the exit on the other side to get to the Lapis River. Go through the fog below the bridge, and you'll be on the stairs in the Windswept Valley. From there, you can enter the Ruined Church.

• Combat Adjudicator A (Blue Orb Fragment #24). In the Ruined Church, behind the breakable glass on the right from the entrance.

Red Orbs: [Ancient Training Ground] (8 eggs); [Forgotten Ruins] (4 eggs); [Windswept Valley] (11 eggs); [Ancient Plaza] (9 eggs); [Lapis River] (12 eggs); [Windswept Valley] (2 eggs); [Ruined Church] (19 eggs); [Lost Woods] (8 eggs); [Forgotten Ruins] (2 eggs); [Den of the She-Viper Ruins] (8 eggs).

• Secret Mission #8 (Blue Orb Fragment #25). In the Forest Entrance, inside the little pavilion next to the hollow trunk. Start by killing one of the enemies, choose the Royal Guard style, then stand in the middle and block at the appropriate times. The enemy has 3 different attacks, learn the timing of each one and with a bit of practice, a bit of luck, and a bit of patience, you should be good to go. If you die, use a Gold Orb, or you'll be sent back 2 areas. If you're having too much trouble, the level 4 ability Dreadnaught (once the RoyalGuard bar is filled) could make things easier.

Red Orbs: [Ancient Training Ground] (6 eggs + 2 on the bridge); [optional - Ruined Lowlands] (4 eggs, 1 hidden); [Lapis River] (12 eggs); [Ancient Plaza] (9 eggs); [Windswept Valley] (13 eggs); [Forest Entrance] (12 eggs).

• Combat Adjudicator SS (Blue Orb Fragment #26). At the start of the mission, ip the stairs on the left side.
  
  
• Secret Mission #9 (Blue Orb Fragment #27). At the bottom of the spiral staircase in the Library.
  
  
• Gold Orb In the Soldier's Graveyard, stand in place of the horse statue, you should see the Gold Orb on a ledge to the left, and a Red Orb on a ledge to the right. Air Hike + Trickster Dash to reach the central ledge, then again to reach the ledge on either side.

Red Orbs: [Grand Hall] (2 visible, 1 hidden: use triple jump with Devil Trigger activated); [Gallery] (3 armors, 6 chairs, 5 tables, 2 crates); [Library] (1 hidden outside, 4 desks, 2 pots); [Large Hall] (6 candle stands, 5 chairs); [Dining Room] (8 chairs, 4 dinner sets); [Large Hall] (6 candle stands, 2 visible behind a mirror); [Spiral Well] (10 visible, 1 hidden: use the red jump pads to grab all this, then back down and use the blue jump pad to get out); [Master's Chamber] (3 tables, 4 chairs); [Soldier's Graveyard] (18 tombstones, 10 statues, 8 ice statues, 1 visible: stand in place of the horse statue, Air Hike and Trickster Dash, 2 hidden on the platforms against the wall).

• Combat Adjudicator S (Blue Orb Fragment #28). At the very start of the mission.
  
  
• Secret Mission #11 (Blue Orb Fragment #29). As you make your way up the broken stairs in the snow of Fortuna Castle Gate, 3 small Red Orbs indicate the way to the Secret Mission. It is however hard to reach. With a full Disaster Gauge, walk up the next set of stairs, double jump and activate Pandora's Revenge (Gunslinger Style) to fly back towards the ledge with the Red Orbs.
  
  
• Blue Orb Fragment #30. Drop down all the way in the Second Mining Area. There will be two Red jump pads, use them to go as high as possible on the opposite side of the visible Red Orb. There is a wooden ledge on which you can land, and a wooden wall that you can break to reach the fragment.

Red Orbs: [Game Room] (1 visible); [Containment Room] (2 chairs, 1 hidden); [Foris Falls] (8 barrels); [Angel Creation] (2 barrels, 1 hidden); [Underground Laboratory] (8 barrels: 2+3+2 on the metallic ledges and 1 on top); [Grand Hall] (36 chairs, 8 benches, 2 visible, 1 hidden: use triple jump in Devil Trigger mode); [Fortuna Castle Gate] (13 pillars, 4 visible, 2 hidden on top of large pillars); [Second Mining Area] (1 visible).

• Blue Orb Fragment #31. On the left side of the large street in the Terrace/Business District, there is a visible red orb above the door of a restaurant. Jump up to catch it and you will see the fragment on a terrace above.
  
  
• Secret Mission #12 (Blue Orb Fragment #32). Just after entering the next area (Opera House Plaza), behind a breakable trashcan to Dante's right.

Red Orbs: [First Mining Area] (6 visible); [Port Caerula] (2 trashcans, 2 visible); [Residential District] (2 hidden on the tower, 1 dumpster, 3 visible on the rooftops, 5 pots, 5 crates); [Terrace/Business District] (9 trashcans, 7 benches, 1 visible); [Opera House Plaza] (3 trashcans)



Nothing here, have fun!


Red Orbs: [Heaven: Draco] (8 eggs - don't forget those after beating Echidna); [Stairway to Heaven] (4 pillars just after the fight with Agnus).



Nothing here, have fun!

- What's the point of packing a sword like that if you're not even gonna use it?

These are not complete character guides, but rather beginner-level tips concerning some abilities that can make your life easier. Check out more in-depth tutorials online if you want to actually start playing well, jump canceling and Royalguard flying and all that.

The tips below are a little bit spoiler-y in terms of gameplay (the joy in discovering that a certain ability works way better than expected, etc). So you may want skip these Character Tips at first, and start learning to know each character for yourself, experiment with their abilities, etc. And only come back here if you're having some trouble. In any case, don't use only the abilities I mention here. Style is about variety after all.

• Snatch lets you pick items from a distance (including from behind bars). It can be upgraded twice for a larger range, which is very useful in combat, although I think the base version is sufficient to grab most items.
  
• Air Hike is obviously extremely useful, and required to reach certain items.
  
• High Roller + Exceed 3: A few items / hidden red orbs are too high to reach even with double/wall jumping. Using the Red Queen High Roller move boosted by Exceed level 3, followed by a jump, lets you reach those high places.
  
• (Devil) Buster Nero's signature move, and it is very good in terms of damage, Style points, and crowd control. Can be used against bosses as well, for great effect. Careful not to get hit when you do it within a crowd, as it can leave you somewhat vulnerable. Learn to not mix it up with Snatch: target lock on for Snatch, and off for Buster. Space it out with other attacks to optimize your Style points.
  
• Charged Shot 3 This is rather OP as it is very easy to use, does a lot of damage, yields a lot of Style points, and it incapacitates most enemies. You basically want to be constantly charging shots.
  
• MAX-Act Hit the trigger right after any attack to instantly fully charge your Exceed gauge, for increased damage and coolness. Try to get used to doing this all the time. It's pretty difficult to consistently get the timing right, but even if you spam the trigger in the least stylish way possible, you'll still benefit from it.

• Air Hike is obviously extremely useful, and required to reach certain items. Note that while in Devil Trigger, Dante can Triple Jump, which allows to reach higher places.
  
• Trickster level 3 is necessary to reach some items as well.
  
• Argument This is a Gunslinger ability for Pandora that puts you in a flying Rocket Launcher. It lets you reach some difficult places, and is almost indispensable for some Secret Missions. It can be devastating in combat as well, but (except with Super Dante) it will be very situational since you need to fill up the Disaster gauge to use it.
  
• Styles Dante is hard to master since you have to juggle between 3 melee weapons, 3 ranged weapons, and 5 Styles. It is easy to get confused, and this may create a tendency to stick to a single style. Start by trying to systematically switch between at least two styles in every encounter. I'd say Swordmaster and Trickster for starters, then progressively add the others.
  
• Real Impact A very OP Swordmaster ability for Gilgamesh. The animation takes a bit to get started, so you usually want the enemy knocked out. Send the enemy in the air with Prop (Rebellion Swordmaster), then prepare your Real Impact. That basic combo can carry you through most encounters. Note that if you activate Devil Trigger at the right time (or just spam the Devil Trigger button when Real Impact starts), you get the Distorted Real Impact, which deals even more damage. Highly recommended against bosses.
  
• Drive/Overdrive (Rebellion Swordmaster). There are many situations where you don't want to stay too close to the enemies (notably with Chimeras), and Dante doesn't have much in terms of crowd control, nor anything like Nero's Charged Shots. So you need to be aware of your ranged options with melee weapons. Slash Dimension (Dark Slayer), Round Trip (Rebellion) and Bondage (Lucifer Swordmaster) can be useful as well in that context.

- Can I come along?
- Do what you want, but don't expect to get paid.

• Aerial Rave B. The key to reaching higher places: jump, then Aerial Rave B (which will move you upwards), then use the Style button to teleport upwards.
  
• Air Trick / Trick Up. Vergil's cool way of moving around. Learn to use appropriately and not mix up these two abilities. Air Trick (target lock on) teleports you close to your marked target. Trick Up (target lock off) teleports you upwards and can cancel most of your animations and keep you safe.
  
• Concentration. Vergil's main gimmick is the Concentration gauge, which you can fill by staying still or walking with an enemy locked on. But you lose concentration if you get hit, run/jump around, or miss an attack. High concentration gives your attacks significantly more range and damage, and access to a few special moves. You need to play Vergil accordingly or you'll make your life harder than it needs to be.
  
• Rapid Slash. Vergil's version of Stinger, which cuts through enemies instead of pushing them away. It effects a decent area, and you can chain them back and forth. Very useful in many circumstances, especially in Legendary Dark Knight mode.
  
• Judgement Cut Hold the melee button after any melee attack (incl. Rapid Slash, etc), the sword will glow, and then release for a slash dimension area damage at range. If you time it perfectly (hold just the right amount of time before releasing), you get the Just/Perfect version, which is faster and stronger. This is worth practicing a bit.
  
• Judgement Cut End. For this move, you need to be in Devil Form and with high Concentration. But it essentially clears the room. If you want Style points, don't use this at the beginning of a fight but raise your Style meter first.
  
• Dragon Breaker. Vergil's version of Real Impact, and it can be distorted as well. It takes more time to charge, but is a must when the situation allows it.
  
• Summoned Swords. You can spam those independently of your melee attacks. Spiral Swords / Blistering Swords / Heavy Rain all consume some of your Devil Trigger gauge, but have very good utility.

• Bayonet Sweep. While Lady's melee options are limited. This move is always satisfying to use, and very good for giving you some breathing space.
  
• Explosion Shot. Or level 3 charged pistol shots. Like with Nero, those are very efficient, and you want to be using them a lot.
  
• Trigger Happy. Nothing out of this world, but it's nice to know that you can use this while charging your pistols. Same goes for many of the Style button abilities, so remember that you don't necessarily have to stay idle while charging shots.
  
• Maximum Burst. Or level 3 charged Kalina Ann shots. Your biggest damage dealer. It takes a long time to charge, and if the enemy moves it will have been for nothing. So you'll often prefer uncharged or level 1 charged shots. But when you can pull a level 2 or 3, it pays off.
  
• Shredder Shot. Or level 3 charged shotgun shots. Unlike the pistols and Kalina Ann, charged shotgun shots are not concentrated when you release, but give you a certain time during which your shots are more powerful. At very close range, these can do a lot of damage, and knock back most enemies.
  
• Wire Shot. Very good for crowd control. A routine that is reasonably safe and thus particularly useful to learn for Hell and Hell, and for Bloody Palace: charge your pistols, double jump, Wire Shot twice to slam the enemy on the ground (or once if it was already in the air), release your charged pistol shot (just after the Wire Shot animation ends), then switch to Kalina Ann and make a quick shot (or level 1 charged shot), then switch back to pistols and repeat.
  
• Burst Attack. Lady does not have a Devil form, but instead a Burst gauge that fills up similarly to the Devil Trigger of other characters, and gets depleted when you perform the Burst Attack. It gives you some invincibility frames, and does a lot of damage at a pretty decent range. But it should be used responsibly, since you may find yourself in situations where you really need it (e.g. if a Blitz grabs you).

• High Voltage. This move, followed by a jump, is the key to reaching higher places for some items.
  
• Round Trip. Arguably Trish's primary move. It is easier and faster to execute than Dante's and Vergil's version and has a better range. Great for crowd control, but it also gives access to some powerful moves while Round Trip is active. The main basic combo that can carry you through most of the game is Round Trip + (charged) Thunder Blow. But do not neglect Collider, and Bare Knuckle combos C (+Electrical Dance) and D (finishing with a Real Impact type uppercut).
  
• V-Divider. Not a critical move, but occasionally very useful, notably to group up enemies before a Round Trip.
  
• Revenge. Your big damage dealer. Particularly useful against bosses and Blitzes. It consumes your DT gauge (you need at least 2-3 bars to perform it). Practice pulling out the laser without messing up the controls. If you have trouble like I had at first: lock on, quick back to forward on the stick and then, only after that, press and hold the shoot trigger.
  
• Luce & Ombra. A bit underwhelming in comparison with Nero's or Lady's charged shots. However, while in Devil Form, the rapid fire from these pistols is nothing to laugh at. Very good for dropping the Mephistos and Fausts.

- You got a jacked up notion of fair play pal, and it's beginning to piss me off.

To get an S-rank for a mission, you need to reach a total score above a certain threshold. You get a Base score value just for completing the mission (between 500 and 3500, depending on the mission). Then, the total score is computed this way:

(Base + Style points) x Multipliers

Multipliers

• Difficulty: Human x0.85, Devil Hunter x1, Son of Sparda x1.8, Dante Must Die x3
  
  
• Clear Time: S x3, A x2.5, B x2, C x1.5
  
  
• Orbs: S (95-100%) x2, A (75-94%) x1.75, B (60-74%) x1.5, C (45-59%) x1.25
  
  
• Bonus and Penalties: No items x1.2, No damage x1.5, Continues x0.8, Gold Orb x0.7, Enemy Handicap x0.8, Super costume x0.2.

This means that the final rank is not simply an average of the ranks in the 3 categories.

The total score thresholds are defined so as to compensate for the Difficulty multipliers, so that the Style points requirement are always the same in Human / Devil Hunter, and in Son of Sparda / Dante Must Die. In certain missions, the Style points requirements are even identical across all difficulties.

Ideally, you want to aim for an S in both Time and Orbs, and get the No Items bonus. In that case, getting sufficient Style points is generally not too difficult. If you get an A in either Time or Orbs, or if you use items, it's often still possible to S-rank the mission, but you need significantly more Style points. If you accumulate the imperfections (using items, getting A in both Time and Orbs), it quickly becomes next to impossible to get enough Style points, unless maybe if you farm them e.g. during the Dice game.

The no damage multiplier obviously greatly increases the likeliness of S-ranking the mission, but if you are able to do the mission without taking damage, chances are you'd get an S-rank anyway. The super costume penalty is huge, so it makes it practically impossible to S-rank a mission with it. Although other penalties are smaller, having to use a Gold Orb, Continue, or triggering the enemy handicap (if you die enough times), generally means you won't S-rank. Actually, if you die and Continue instead of using a Gold Orb, not only will you get a penalty, but you also lose all Style points acquired so far in the mission. So make sure not to die, because a Gold Orb will be difficult to compensate, and a Continue essentially impossible. But remember that if you've used one item, you can use as many as you like without further penalty (particularly interesting in DMD, since you can easily get more Style points to compensate).

In Legendary Dark Knight mode, the scores and thresholds are calculated as in Son of Sparda. But since there are so many enemies, you will get a whole lot more Style points, so getting an S-rank should generally not be a problem. Don't worry about getting an S-rank in Time. Don't worry about using items. Try not to die (since Continues and Gold Orbs cost more than simply using Vital Stars, and they can in some cases cost you the overall Mission S-rank). Some missions are practically impossible not to S-rank, as you can without too much trouble get more than 5 times the required Style points (and thus you could even get it using a Super Costume, but it's riskier obviously).

You can find all the details and thresholds in this guide[gamefaqs.gamespot.com] (except that the difficulty multipliers are not mentioned, for some reason). But it's not necessary to know all that, so I'll focus on the essential.

The table below gives the maximum time to get an S-rank in Clear Time, for each mission on each difficulty. It also gives the Style points required to S-rank the mission, with 2 different values. The first (e.g. 334 in Mission 1) assumes an S-rank in Time and Orbs, and the No items bonus. The second assumes getting an A-rank instead of S-rank in Time OR failing to get the No items bonus.

- I'll do it. I wouldn't want to deny anyone their dying request.

Some general considerations:

• It must be performed on difficulty Son of Sparda or above, so Son of Sparda would be the primary choice. All are doable in Son of Sparda... but for some specific strategies, Dante Must Die or Legendary Dark Knight may be preferable (as bosses have more health and thus you can raise your Style higher). The achievement for Echidna, Credo, Agnus (and maybe Dante?) can be obtained in the Bloody Palace as well.
  
  
• If you get close to killing the boss without being on SSS-rank, let yourself be killed and Continue, to avoid restarting the mission. There is an enemy handicap that may trigger after doing a few "Continues". It makes the enemies less aggressive (though I'm not sure it affects the bosses, it's not very noticeable), and reduces your mission score, but doesn't prevent getting these achievements.
  
  
• You can use Super Costumes.
  
  
• When you gain a rank (from D to S), you don't lose it over time, but only if you get hit. So up to that point, there's no need to rush the fight and take too many risks. The last two ranks (SS and SSS) do however fall back down to S rather quickly, if you don't do any damage.
  
  
• One thing that makes these achievements a lot easier is Holy Water. If you raise your Style rank to SSS, but the boss still has some health left, you can spam Holy Water to finish it with less risk of getting hit or losing the SSS-rank over time.

Missions 7 or 19 with Nero/Vergil/Lady, or Mission 13 with Dante/Vergil/Trish.

She is by far the easiest to SSS-rank. Style points go up really fast on her, so there is a lot of room for mistakes. With Nero, just landing a couple charged shots and a few sword strikes without getting hit, may be enough to reach SSS. Otherwise, when she is sitting on the ground like a flower, you can grab her with Devil Bringer after stunning her, for a lot of Style points. You can also grab her sack when she is in spider position.

Missions 2 or 19 with Nero/Vergil/Lady, or Mission 16 with Dante/Vergil/Trish.

In Mission 2 with Super Nero in Son of Sparda. Prepare a Charged Shot before entering the arena. Start with that, then Maximum Bet, Streak and a couple hits to the head. It should remove his fire and stun it before it has the chance to do anything. Jump and Devil Bringer grab his head, then Streak and Devil Bringer grab his head on the ground. You should be at A-style already. Now you have to be careful not to get hit. Stay at a distance, and spam Charged Shots whenever available. Run for the fire columns, and when he does his big charge move, use the DT activation invincibility frames then land a couple hits and back off. Once your style rank is at least at S, and when he loses his fire again, a double Devil Bringer grab should be enough to bring you to SSS, and probably kill it.

Missions 4 or 19 with Nero/Vergil/Lady, or Mission 15 with Dante/Vergil/Trish.

I got this one on my first attempt with Super Nero. So I don't really have a specific strategy. For the mermaids, just Streak into them, and grab them with Bringer whenever they are stunned or starting an attack. For Beal, hit the crystals. With the max EX from the Super Costume, you should stun it relatively easily and then Devil Bringer grab his face for lots of damage and Style. Don't forget the Devil Trigger activation invincibility frames that are very useful to avoid taking damage from certain attacks.

Mission 8 with Nero/Vergil/Lady.

It might take a few attempts, but he's not too difficult to SSS-rank with Nero (or Super Nero). During his first phase (more than 50% HP), he basically has only two attacks. The first is a sword combo that ends with a downwards slash. Just walk away to avoid the hits and then back in front of him before he gets up, to grab his shield with Buster. The other attack is when he throws his spear from afar. He usually throws 3 of them, dodge the first two, then grab the third (without target lock, press and hold the Bringer button at the moment he throws it), and throw it back at him (press the target lock and release the Bringer). Just with this, and some Charged Shots when available, you can easily get through the first phase without getting hit and bring your rank to A or S.

He gets more aggressive later on, but ideally you have worn him down sufficiently and at some point he will be weakened and his shield will stop glowing. When you grab him, you'll throw some extra punches and have then a decent time (12 seconds according to wiki) to go wild attacking him. If you start from S-rank you should be able to reach SSS easily, and significantly lower his health. Then finish him with Holy Water if you don't want to take any chances.

Mission 9 or 19 with Nero/Vergil/Lady. Mission 17 with Dante/Vergil/Trish.

This one can be more complicated, but is very doable with (Super) Nero as well. I don't really have a specific technique to propose. You have to learn a bit his different attacks and be able to avoid them. What worked for me is to mostly rush him with Super Nero, grab him with Bringer when he gets stunned / loses his yellow glow. Some errors are permitted since it's not too hard to drive up the Style meter... just need enough skill or luck to not get hit during a sufficiently long period of time. Finish with Holy Water if necessary.

Mission 20 with Nero/Vergil/Lady.

He's not difficult to SSS-rank, since his last stage gives Nero the opportunity to make a lot of Style points. So you absolutely don't have to make a perfect fight, you just have to nail the ending. I did it without really trying during my S-rank mission attempts in Son of Sparda.

Bring him down to 2 bars of health (hold your strikes so as to not go much below that). At that point, after you break his bubble he will make a Stinger-type attack that you can grab with Bringer (position yourself at a decent distance, release the target lock, and around the beginning of his movement towards you, press and hold the Devil Bringer button). This should bring you to A-style and leave him with a sliver of health. Break his bubble again without taking any damage. If you successfully repeat the Stinger grab, it should raise your rank to SSS and finish him.

Mission 1 or 10 with Nero/Vergil/Lady.

Dante is typically reported as the hardest one to SSS-rank. It's also the only one that I did not bother to try with Nero. An easy way to do it is in Mission 1 with Lady on Dante Must Die. Charge your pistols, then jump and Wire Shot Dante (2 or 3 times in a row until you catch him and send him in the air), and release your charged shot while he is in the air. Rinse and repeat until he dies, and you should kill him the moment you reach SSS. You might need a couple attempts, but it's rather easy.

Lady can get a lot of Style points with Charged Shots. So many of these achievement can be obtained simply by staying afar, spamming (pistol and/or Kalina Ann) Charged Shots, and dodging attacks. I only used Lady against Dante, and haven't tried for the others since I got them without too much trouble using Nero, but reportedly she can easily SSS-rank most of them.

With Super Dante, you can pick the Gunslinger Style and equip Pandora, activate Devil Trigger, (triple) jump and push the Style button. Then launch the rockets until the boss dies. If something goes wrong at some point let yourself die and restart. This reportedly works with Echidna, Berial, Angelo Agnus, and possibly with Dagon. But do it in Dante Must Die, because they don't have enough health to let you reach SSS in Son of Sparda.

- Oh that's fair! Now I've got to fight a whole herd of these things.

The Bloody Palace must be completed separately with each of the 5 characters. Nero, Dante, and Vergil have super costumes, which makes things easier (or almost trivial). Lady and Trish do not, so it can get a bit more tricky.

There are a few additional achievements related to the Bloody Palace:

• Complete it under 2 hours. This is easy and can be done with any of the characters. Super Dante can do it in 30-40 minutes without any challenge.
  
• Complete it in Turbo mode. Can be done with any character too, preferably one you're comfortable with, and using a super costume.
  
• Complete it with a global S rank. This is practially automatic if you don't use a super costume. So it will come naturally with Lady or Trish.
  
• Kill Dante without taking any damage, on level 101. This is best achieved with Super Dante, see below.

I am giving below a few tips for each character. If you are having trouble, I recommend this guide[psnprofiles.com], which is very detailed and includes tips and strategies for each level of the Palace, with each character.

Nero
It is rather easy to complete with Super Nero. In Devil form and with constant max Exceed, you deal a lot of damage. So not much to worry about, but try not to get hit too much, because your health does not regenerate, and that could turn out to be a problem in some of the higher levels. Abuse Charged Shots against Dante on level 101.

Dante
Using Super Dante, activate Devil Trigger, select Pandora and the Gunslinger Style, and voila, Bloody Palace is done. Well not exactly, but it is going to be trivial. Triple jump and press the style button to activate Argument, then shoot rockets with the style button until everyone is dead. Some of the levels can be cleared a bit faster using Grief (typically in case of many smaller ground-based enemies). Note that there are a couple levels where some enemies are laying on the ground and you need to drop down and get close to activate them. You can also use Argument (or Grief) to kill Dante without taking any damage. Start by running (or trickstering) away to take some distance, or you might get hit by a shot before you can do anything, and that would ruin the whole thing.

Vergil
Using Super Vergil, the Bloody Palace is rather easy as well. You can use Judgement Cut End to dispose of mostly anything. Be careful not to get hit, since you have a few instants of vulnerability when you engage in that maneuver. Other important moves are the Rapid Slash followed by Judgment Cut (the "Just" or instant version ideally), and the Spiral and Blistering Swords. Beowulf to deal more damage to a single bigger target (unshielded Blitzes for example).

Lady
The Bloody Palace with Lady is going to be more complicated as she does not have a super costume. It might take a few attempts, but it is very doable.

• Camera manipulation is very important to keep enemies off screen where they can't attack you. Thankfully most of her attacks do not require locking on, so you can run around the arena releasing charged pistol shots and be generally safe.
  
• Wire Shots are paramount for crowd control. Notably, the routine [charge pistol shot - double jump - ground slam enemy - release pistol shot - quick uncharged Kalina Shot - switch back to pistols and repeat] is very efficient and can be done mostly without locking on, unless you want to focus on a specific enemy to take it out quickly.
  
• When it's safe enough, use level 2 or 3 charged Kalina Ann Shots (after a level 3 charged pistol shot) to dispatch bigger or grouped enemies.
  
• Charged shotgun shots are an efficient way to take out smaller enemies. At least in the early levels, many of those get one-shot. Bigger enemies may take a couple shots, but they also get knocked down. However, you have to go at very close range, so it's not always the safest approach. Highly recommended against the Gladius flying swords. Note that you can charge the shotgun before going through the portal, to start the next stage with an advantage.
  
• Use your Burst attack wisely: against bosses, when in trouble, when surrounded by many enemies. But be sure to have it available when facing Blitzes, because if they catch you it's the only way to avoid A LOT of damage.

Trish
This was by far the most difficult achievement for me. It will probably take several attempts, and failing at the higher levels is likely to get frustrating so be prepared for that. But keep at it, you'll first be able to reach level 85 reliably, then you'll eventually pass through, then you're almost there. To get some sense of progression and stay motivated, keep note of the higher level you reach and what's left on your timer after each set of 10 levels (as you get better, you'll clear stages faster and without taking damage). Now for the combat tips:

• Actively manage your health and Devil Trigger bar. Make sure to have Devil Trigger full for Blitzes (check the list of enemies on each level in the guide linked above). But if you won't need it soon, use it to regenerate health instead of leaving it maxed.
  
• Camera manipulation is very important to keep enemies off screen where they can't attack you. A bit more complicated than with Lady. But an essential part of a successful run. You generally want to stay close to the edge of the arena.
  
• The main strategy against most enemies is Round Trip + Thunder Blow. Collider is an alternative to Thunder Blow depending on the enemies and situation. Collider sends the enemies in the air, so you can't attack them as fast and they might get out of Round Trip. But it can drop enemies that are in the air (e.g. Angelos) and leave enemies knocked out at the end of Round Trip to more easily catch them in the next.
  
• For Infested enemies, I found Collider to be preferable (at the minimum safe distance from their flailing). Charging into them with Thunder Blow is gonna get you hurt.
  
• For Mephistos and Fausts: activate DT and shoot them, which will make them drop quickly, then Round Trip + Thunder Blow.
  
• Pandora's Revenge is your main damage dealer. Practice a bit if necessary, because you should be able to reliably pull it at any time, and in any direction. You can also do it in the air, which is sometimes useful. For all bosses, you want to spam Round Trip and use Revenge at any opportunity. Activate DT in cases where you might get knocked out.
  
• Blitzes suck. That's how it is. Ideally you want to use Pandora's Revenge to take out its shield immediately when it spawns, or when you have an opportunity (if it uses its laser or disappears and re-spawns). Not always easy when there are other enemies, make sure to pick the lock-on system that works best for you in the game's option. Activating DT and shooting with the pistols is a possible alternative but it's less efficient. Once the shield is down, Round Trip + Thunder Blows (but it still moves around, ideally you want to be in front of it to block it).
  
• Level 85 and the double Blitzes is infamous for good reason. Use Revenge at the start if you can, then whenever you get an opportunity (including on unshielded one to take it out as fast as possible). Possibly activate DT to not get knocked by the other one. Try to take as little damage as possible and don't rush, sometimes one can drop the other's shield with its laser. Try to have a bit of luck too, as it can help a lot. Careful of level 89 as well.
  
• A good option to regain DT when you can't melee safely, is to jump and use the forward Pandora attack, then immediately the backward Pandora attack. This should keep you in the air if you time it right, and it regenerates DT efficiently.
  

- Baby! Yeah! Ahahahah! Alright! Nice! Sweet!

Alright, that was a tough 100%. But I enjoyed the challenge. Sure, playing through the same missions and bosses so many times started to feel a bit too grindy at some point, but all playable characters felt sufficiently unique and fun to use. I had about 180 hours playtime on Steam when I got done with this, but this includes A LOT of idle time, in part writing bits for this guide. So maybe about 120h or something, and probably faster if you got the skills.

I hope you liked the guide, let me know if it helped! And you know, if it did... favorite and like and award and all that, to give it more visibility.


If you're interested, I made similar guides for DMC1, DMC2, and DMC3:
https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2934304748
https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2940707560
https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2949541899