Devil May Cry 3 is one of the finest action game of all time. I know it is a previous gen game, but I still see people struggling with it or showing a new interest in it. I do not like the walkthroughs that tell you strategies or ways to beat the bosses that you either don't have or haven't bought yet. I wish I could show you video, but I can't yet. Perhaps later when I can I'll update this. Anyway, for this, I'll be showing how to beat down the difficult bosses. I'm not going over the basic controls and such, that is up to you. Assume I'm playing on normal difficulty. If you are stuck on later difficulties: then just keep the general strategies in mind and time things out. If you are stuck on easier difficulties: then...well...assume the worst and use this guide anyway? I'll be covering both Dante and Vergil. I'll also be laying on two strategies, those who have all the items and weapons and those who don't. I will not talk about styles either. Assume when I say jump or roll, I also can mean Royalguard or Trickster out of the way. I also suggest, that you at least try the bosses on your own first before looking at this.
Before I begin, let me say this. Do not buy vital stars and holy waters and all that. You will need these on tougher difficulties. You should be spending your money on purchasing new attacks, blue and purple orbs, and making your guns stronger. Items get more expensive as you buy them. This is just a rule of thumb and you don't *have* to listen to me. Especially if you're new and really struggling. If you need a vital star that badly, then buy one. I would also suggest starting out with Trickster if you're new; it makes attacks easier to dodge. But like I said, don't take that so literally if you don't want to. I first began with Gunslinger.
Vergil is a little different from Dante. He's unlocked by beating the game once as Dante. Vergil only has 1 style to use and 3 weapons that he can switch between on the fly (while Dante can only switch between 2). I'm also going to assume you know the 3 weapons from each other. Just remember that Force Edge is the bulky shorter sword that is always unsheathed, and Yamato is the long skinny sword which Vergil has in it's case. Vergil is also a bit stronger than Dante, so you should have a slightly easier time on the first play. DO NOT SAVE OVER DANTE'S FILE WHEN YOU UNLOCK VERGIL. They are TWO different characters and need TWO different save spots. You will kick yourself in the face if you do this, as you will have to begin a new game with Dante again. Also keep in mind, that Vergil can fire his summoned swords while attacking (as they are summoned, not shot from a pistol). You can fire the swords as he's doing an animation from a combo, or do both at once if your fingers can take it. Firing the swords doesn't slow him down in mid-air either. Vergil is also missing an Air Hike move, so he cannot double jump. Tapping triangle with Force Edge equipped makes Vergil slash twice, instead of just once like every single other weapon.
Mission 2: Hell Vanguard
Although a boss in this mission, they become a regular enemy later on. Get used to taking him down with multiple weapons as he'll appear mid-missions and you won't be able to switch.
Dangers: He has 2 attacks. One is just swinging with his sycthe, somtimes multiple times. It's easy to see, as he takes his nice time raising it. Jump or roll away to avoid it, and be sure to take a second to pause in case he is still swinging. His other attack involves him teleporting then appearing from nowhere, flying at you while swing his weapon. A bell sound dings whenever teleports, so listen up and be ready to jump away.
Defense: Will block your attacks with sycthe. Just pause and wait for an opening.
To Defeat Newb Style: Smack him whenever he's open. You have to take risks in this game. You cannot win by hiding all the time. Hit him and then jump out of the way when he's about to attack. You only have Rebellion at this point, so use that. I would not suggest pecking him away with Ebony and Ivory (the pistols) as that takes forever and he blocks most of the bullets anyway.
To Defeat Later: Smack him whenever he's open. The exact same thing applies here. You probably can kill him more quickly, but that is all. If you have Beowulf, use those as they will do more damage to the Hell Vanguard versus other weapons.
Vergil: Use Beowulf for the best results. Beowulf is his weakness and kills him very swiftly. Force Edge is the second best option. Do the strategy above and be sure to jump or teleport when he's swinging your direction.
Mission 3: Cerberus
He's a gigantic ice dog with 3 heads. He's very menecing at first, as he's the first boss you actually fight. As a normal boss, you are free to chose whatever weapons you want to face him with, by talking to the golden statue before-hand. Cerberus is chained to the wall behind him.
Dangers: The 3 heads will cast different attacks. There are multiple ways to decide which one is doing what. Notice that each of the head's has different colored eyes. Whichever one is in the center will attack. The red-eyed head will roar, turn it's head to the left side of the screen and coat the floor in ice. Jump and fire Ebony and Ivory at him (so you will float) to avoid getting frozen and hurt. The blue-eyed head will shrink back a little, glue blue, then fire an ice ball. Roll or jump out of it's way. You can also smash it to pieces but it requires careful timing. The green-eyed head will glow yellow very briefly, lift his head straight up and roar. Ice crystals will fall rom the ceiling. Roll out of the way. Cerberus will sometimes lean back, quiver, then charge at you. Jump out of the way. If you get close to him, he will swipe you with his paws (sometimes twice) or headbutt you. Watch for any subtle movement then get out of the way. He will sometimes jump on his back legs then land and cause spikes to pop out of the ground in front of him (if you're near him, it won't hurt you if you're further away) He can also smack the ground with his paws and cause ice spikes to rise your way. Jump or roll to avoid.
Defense: He is coated in ice. This ice must be smacked off before any damage can be done to him. Cerberus can get his lost ice back when injured enough. He will jump on his back legs, glow blue, and land. It causes no damage to Dante so you must be careful to differenciate it from his actual attack (watch for the blue glowing spots on his body when he rises)
To Defeat Newb Style: You have a couple of options. If you're patient enough, you can peck him to death with your pistols. That's how I did it at first actually, but it takes forever and you will get worn out. Don't use the shotgun, as it isn't as effective. Attacking his legs enough will cause him to fall down and you're free to slash his faces with Rebellion. Or, you can dodge his attacks then attack him directly by jumping. Or, you can back up and wait for him to charge you. As he is dragging back, feel free to smack his heads and really injure him.
To Defeat Later: Angi and Rudra and Rebellion are the best weapons for him. I personally would use Rebellion but that's just me. The same thing I said above applies here. Although I would suggest attacking his face directly to kill him faster since you're more educated on dodging and have more moves. The paw is the always another option. Feel free to use the Devil Trigger. Be sure to watch out his paws and such. Trickster is always there for you (as in Quicksilver or Doppleganger)
Vergil: Cerberus is a bit more tricky with Virgil. Careful jumping and teleporting must be done to avoid his attacks. It's best to pick the ice off first with your summoned swords. If you make him fall down, use Beowulf to chop most of his health down. When he charges at you and is being dragged back, use Force Edge to quickly catch up and watch him. If you just are attacking him by jumping, use Yamato as it's the only one to have mid-air combos. The other 2 just charge down, so I suppose that's an option too but it takes longer to kill him. Attacking his straight up is more difficult as Virgil's is a little bit slower, but if that's the case, use Force Edge or Beowulf.
Fun Fact: Cerbercus' ears droop when he's almost dead.
Mission 4: Gigapede
He's a big bug. ...That's about all there is to him. He flies around a room and goes in and out of tunnels.
Dangers: The Gigapede is the 2nd easiest boss in the game. He pretty much has 2 attacks. He will fire purple orbs in your direction, and fires blue orbs in your direction that shoot lighting to the ground. They are easily avoided once you see them. Jump or roll to get out.
Defense: He will sometimes spin to knock Dante off his back.
To Defeat Newb Style: Cerberus or Rebellion can be used here. Just jump on him and start slashing. Attacking his head will do more damage, as does using Cerberus to attack him rather than Rebellion, but either one will work. Watch out for his orbs and continue slashing. This is where the move "Air Hike" will be important if you have it. It's more difficult to get back on him if he spins and you fall off. You have to jump your way back up to the top of the room, aim, and jump down carefully. Air Hike enables double jumping and makes it easier. It can be purchased with Rebellion, Beowulf, and Agni and Rudra. Be sure to fire your pistols so it slows your fall so you can aim.
To Defeat Later: Same thing. Just whack him. If you're having trouble, Quicksilver can help you dodge his balls easier.
Vergil: Time your jumps more carefully to stay on him when he spins. Run for the head and whack. I'd reccommend using Beowulf or Force Edge.
Mission 5: Jester
He becomes an optional boss later on, but for right now he's a pain.
Dangers: He fires bubbles everywhere in different patterns. Jester teleports to a spot in a room and depending on that, will depend on where the bubbles will fire from. If he goes to a "corner" of the circled arena, the bubbles will fire out from behind him in groups of 3. Jump or roll to avoid. If he teleports in the middle, the bubbles will come from your sides and bounce around in a circle around Jester. Again, jump or roll to avoid. I would suggest turning your camera to see them, as they have a habit of hitting you, knocking you down, then hitting you as soon as you stand and knocking you down again. If Jester teleports back to a "corner" but the bubbles are shooting from his sides, then they will slowly bounce to you in a random pattern. In later difficulties, he also has a moon that will appear. He'll be standing on top of it, and it will explode when Jester vanishes. When the bubbles are flying around, the Moon will shoot strawberries at you too. They are easy to dodge, as long as you're watching.
Defense: Jester will normally be in a forcefield. He can still be hurt in it, but not as much. When he's not in a forcefield, fire Ebony and Ivory until he teleports, or try to melee attack him multiple times. Eventually he'll just stand there and let you kill him until he teleports into a forcefield.
To Defeat Newb Style: He isn't that difficult. Dodge the bubles and beat him up when he's not shielded.
To Defeat Later: He does get harder later on, as his bubbles are flying everywhere and you don't get much of a chance to attack him. Use Quicksilver and Trickster to your advantage. Be on the defensive and peck him to death with Ebony and Ivory if you have to. I wouldn't suggest using Kalina Ann, Spiral, or Artemis as they tend to be slower and it will be harder to dodge the bubbles. Any melee should work except Nevan.
Vergil: Same as Dante. Attack him when he's open with Beowulf. When he isn't, Beowulf or Force Edge will do fine. Force Edge might serve better for when he's in his forcefield, or just shooting him with the summoned swords will work too.
Mission 5: Agni and Rudra
There are two bosses here, which will cause panic at first. However, soon you will understand why these guys are the easiest bosses in the game.
Dangers: They both mainly just slash at your with their swords, normally warning you by saying See Ya, unless it's a fast slash. At times, they will run to the end of the room then charge at you, jumping at the end to do a smash, roll out of the way. They will both sometimes raise their swords and charge up a special attack that's will require you to just run from. When one has both swords, he will attack faster, charge, and be able to fire boomerang energy waves at you. Jump or roll to dodge.
Defense: They will sometimes parry with their swords, which can be turned to an awesome thing for you.
To Defeat Newb Style: The easiest way (which is what makes this the easiest boss) is to use Cerberus and use the Revolver move (must be purchased). Use it constantly, over and over and over and over. Because Dante is spinning and constantly attacking, you can damage and block them even if one is behind. Is it true you will get hurt as you are focused on offensive only, but once you knock a sword out of their hand, keep doing that move and their healthy will be drained. However, make sure to damage them both on a same plain. One one is down, the other will pick up his brother's sword and dual wield...and make the Revolver technique harder to use as it's more difficult to parry his attacks. When they are running, shoot them with whatever gun you have for extra damage. If you do not have the Revolver technique, then use Rebellion. Attack them whenever they are open, and be sure to jump and roll out of the way of the other brother's attacks as well. Try to hit Angi or Rudra's sword with your own to knock it out of his hand after 4 blocks. I would suggest not using Cerberus without the Revolver techinque purchased. Be sure to try to attack them while your in the air from them blocking you (just a single attack, don't make a combo) They can also hurt each other with their slashes, so that in an option as well.
To Defeat Later: Same thing applies here. Cereberus and Revolver will always get it done fastest and easiest. If not, use the same alt strategy as above. Agii and Rudra can be used instead of Rebellion. Beowulf can also come into play when one of them is down. Again, Trickster and Quicksilver are your best friends if you're having problems dodging.
Vergil: He has a very similar way of killing Agni and Rudra. Use the Lunar Phase technique with Beowulf. Vergil spins around in a circle like Cerberus' Revolver attack. And again, do an air attack when they block you.
Mission 7: Vergil
You'll be seeming him 3 times throughout this game, slowly getting more difficult each time. He has a full blown set of attacks and combos like Dante.
Dangers: He has a bunch of different types of slashes (both horizontal and vertical) The best thing to do is to just get away from him. You have a moments notice before he attacks. There is little to no warning, so be on your toes. He can teleport anywhere on the battle field. When you him say "Scum" then jump, as he is about to do his charge at you move. Vergil will sometimes lean back and fire slashes at you from a distance. You pretty much jump away (or toward him for those ranged slashes) to avoid. He'll grunt when he's about to do them. Edit: I forgot to mention this too. In Dante must Die mode, he will use and have the summoned swords. They will spiral around you before converging in. Jump or roll to avoid, depending on how they come at you.
Defense: He will easily block any melee attack unless he's taken off guard (right after an attack basically), or during the ranged slashes move. Do not waste your time trying to fire guns at him, he merely deflects them. This fight is melee only.
To Defeat Newb Style: Attack him with whatever when he's open. Any weapon will work pretty much. Avoid using combos, and immediately run when he blocks you after one of your attacks. He's pretty easy once you know how to avoid his attacks. I'd suggest using the Trickster style to dodge him more easily. Just run, hit, run, hit, run, hit, run.
To Defeat Later: Same as the above. Use Beowulf as your weapon instead. You can use combos but be careful. Vergil can easily interrupt them and damage you. It's normally better to just whack him with the 3 hit basics of Beowulf. Quicksilver and Trickster are again, your friends.
Vergil: Same as above. Use Beowulf, then teleport and jump away from him when he's about to strike. Edit: I discovered while doing Part 2, that Vergil can't block the summoned swords. Use those as you will.
Fun Fact: When Vergil's health is at a quarter, his hair will fall down because of the rain.
Mission 8: Leviathan's Heart
A strange sort of boss, and hard in it's own way. It's a beating heart that's protected by 2 core's and a horde of monsters.
Dangers: Hell Envies will be swarming the ground at all times. Don't waste too much time beating them down. The White Core (on the right) will drain your Devil Trigger meter, and the Red Core (on the left) absorbs the red orbs that fall from the Hell Envies. If they absorb enough of either, the main Heart will shoot it's own attacks. The White Core will make the Heart shoot 3 balls that will slowly follow you around. They are easily to run from. The Red Core will enable the Heart to shoot 2 lasers that will slowly sweep the ground. Jump (and use pistols if needed) to avoid them.
Defense: None really. You just have to attack one of the Core's enough to make the main Heart open so you can attack it.
To Defeat Newb Style: Don't forget to use Devil Trigger whenever you are injured or want some extra spice when the Heart opens. Any weapon will do. I personally use Agni and Rudra for the Cores, then Cerberus for the main Heart (the flipping around will hurt enemies behind you, same goes for Agni and Rudra) Avoid the Hell Envies. When the Heart fires the balls, lead them around to kill the enemies. Just dodge the lasers and it will slaughter the Envies anyway. The hardest part is trying to whack a core enough while avoiding the attacks of the smaller monsters. You should alternate cores. Instead of concentrating on one, run back and forth between them to slowly damage them both. That way, you get 2 chances in a row to maul the exposed Heart. The Envies will attack even if you're slashing the Core, so keep an eye out and jump when needed.
To Defeat Later: Same as above. The lasers and such will move faster at higher difficulties, use Quicksilver if needed. It really doesn't matter what weapon you use. Although, I'd suggest one with good air strikes to avoid the Envies while your hoving in the air.
Vergil: Use anything for the cores. For the main Heart, use Beowulf. Even without Lunar Phase, Beowulf is more useful on Vergil than on Dante. Don't forget about your Darkslayer style, it's your best friend here.
