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BayoDante is the het ship between Bayonetta and Dante from the Bayonetta and Devil May Cry fandoms.
Canon[]
On initial glance, Bayonetta and Dante are both skilled hunters of religiously-based supernatural beings, with Dante hunting demons while Bayonetta hunts angels (although she would eventually also go on to hunt demons). Their careers are helped by the fact that both have connections to demons: Dante is half-demon from his father and Bayonetta was born into a demonically-inclined clan called the Umbra Witches. Their origin also both came from a forbidden romance, with Dante being born from Sparda having a relationship with the human Eva and Bayonetta's mother Rosa having an affair with Balder of the Lumen Sages - the angelic rivals of the Umbra Witches (this comparison is more apparent with the 2013 reboot version of Dante, who is half-angel instead of half-human). Their ancestry would also let them inherit a great power as a result, with Sparda being the legendary dark knight of the netherworld and Bayonetta becoming the holder of the Left Eye of Darkness. Both also have someone from their past with white hair and similar abilities that serve as a kind of rival for them: Bayonetta's friend Jeanne and Dante's twin brother Vergil.
They share a similar fighting style involving heavy usage of acrobatics and flashy moves. These styles are also augmented by their large assortment of weapons that are a combination of guns and melee weapons. Several of the latter employed by both are also named after, and contain the soul of, powerful demons. Both Dante and Bayonetta further augment their fighting by tapping into the demonic part of their upbringing. For Dante, it's using his latent demonic power to increase his physical attributes, even being able to enter a form called Devil Trigger to boost these attributes further. Bayonetta's usage of demonic power comes in the form of magic from her training with the Umbra Witches and summoning various demons she has contracted with.
In terms of personality, both Bayonetta and Dante have something of a nonchalant attitude while neutral. This is expressed differently between the two, with Bayonetta's being somewhat cold and callous to others while Dante's is a more laid-back and friendly vibe. When fighting, both showcase a lot of confidence no matter what they're facing, showcased as Dante's willingness to throw himself at the most challenging opponent he can and Bayonetta's playful (and even sexual) teasing. Against more serious opponents, they also have a propensity to banter as a way to lighten the mood. Despite having attitudes that one might call dismissive of others, both have shown that they can be caring to others when they get to know each other, with both holding a particular reverence for their mothers. When dealing with opponents they personally have a connection to, like Bayonetta against Balder and Dante against Vergil, both have a tendency to drop their nonchalantness for a far more serious attitude.
Crossovers[]
While not having an official crossover yet, Bayonetta and Dante have had a couple of mutual guest appearances in other games. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Bayonetta is one of the playable fighters while Dante appears as a DLC outfit for the Mii Swordfighter. More directly, they are both summonable demons in Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2.
Behind the Scenes[]
Around the turn of the millennium, Capcom's Hideki Kamiya would direct the game that would eventually become the original Devil May Cry. However, he and his team wouldn't be involved in its sequels and would ultimately leave Capcom to found Platinum Games in 2006. One of the first games Kamiya would make under this studio is the original Bayonetta in 2009. Notably, Kamiya used Devil May Cry 4 as reference material during Bayonetta's production and has said that, "Of course, if there hadn’t have been DMC, there wouldn’t be Bayonetta"[1].
Fanon[]
BayoDante is a well-known crossover ship for the Devil May Cry and Bayonetta fandoms. With a combination of similar attitudes, similar styles, and being created by the same person, it didn't take long for fans to want Bayonetta and Dante to meet. While many of these fans mainly see it as a chance for them to fight each other (such as in series like DEATH BATTLE!), some see potential for them getting closer. They see Dante and Bayonetta seeing how similar their natures are and consider how well they work together, especially if they were to meet while fighting their typical enemies. Some fanworks of the ship even combine the two desires and have a fight between the two act like a first date for them.
On AO3, this ship has 24 tagged entries.
Fandom[]
FAN FICTION
- Bayonetta/Dante tag on AO3
FAN ART
TUMBLR
- BayoDante tag on Tumblr
- Bayonetta x Dante tag on Tumblr
- Dante x Bayonetta tag on Tumblr
Trivia[]
- The Bracelet of Time from the first two Bayonetta games reference Dante's parents Eva and Sparda (although the latter not by name). It’s also strikingly similar to the Bangle of Time from the first Devil May Cry, having near-identical abilities and appearing visually similar.
- Antonio Redgrave, the father of Bayonetta's partner Luka, shares his name with an alias Dante had used.
- For the crossover game Project X Zone 2, Hideki Kamiya was approached by Sega about including Bayonetta, an offer he declined as he wanted Bayonetta and Dante to meet “on his own terms”. He later regretted this decision due to realizing how much fans want to see them officially interact and if there is ever a Project X Zone 3, he is all for Bayonetta’s inclusion.
References[]
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| SHIPS | het | BayoDante • BayoLuka |
| femslash | BayoJeanne | |
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| Devil May Cry Ships • Devil May Cry Characters | ||
| SHIPS | het | BayoDante • Kante • Kergil |
| poly | Kerte | |
| family | Sons of Sparda | |