Nero (Japanese: ネロ) is a character in Devil May Cry, an action-adventure game series by Japanese developer and publisher Capcom. He is the nephew of original Devil May Cry protagonist Dante, and the son of recurring series antagonist Vergil. He first appeared in Devil May Cry 4 as the primary protagonist. Nero, a teenager who works for the Order of the Sword, uses demonic powers inherited from Sparda to hunt demons. Nero returns as the primary protagonist in Devil May Cry 5 to fight the demon king Urizen, a new threat. He has also appeared in printed media related to these two games. He is portrayed in voice acting and motion capture by Johnny Yong Bosch.

Nero was created by Bingo Morihashi and designed by Tatsuya Yoshikawa, who wanted to distinguish him from the veteran series protagonist Dante. Nero is voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch in English and Kaito Ishikawa in Japanese. Director Hideaki Itsuno aimed to make Nero stand out within the narrative despite being younger than most characters and thus would acquire new powers in the process.

Critical reception has been mainly positive; game journalists found that although fans would miss playing as Dante during Nero's debut, his personality and abilities would be equally appealing. His new look and actions in the sequel, Devil May Cry 5, have also been praised by critics that helped to distinguish him from the other playable characters.

Nero was created by the Capcom staff as a new protagonist who would develop across the Devil May Cry series because Dante had become stronger with each game. Originally a weak character, he develops new powers (primarily through his Devil Bringer ability) until he reaches Dante's level. Nero was also introduced to attract new gamers to the franchise. The Devil Bringer was originally intended to be part of Dante's mechanics, but the staff found that the games would be more interesting if a character who cannot transform into a demon develops a demonic arm. During their development, Capcom wanted to keep Nero's characteristics (except for Kyrie being his love interest) secret. Bingo Morihashi was inspired to write Nero's story by manga artist Ramo Nakajima in the Amagasaki City series: "I love you, so I protect the city you love". Love is the focus of the Devil May Cry series, and Devil May Cry 4 focuses on Nero's love for Kyrie. The staff were satisfied with Morihashi's simple story, similar to Hollywood films about a damsel in distress.

Fearing negative feedback similar to what followed the replacement of protagonist Solid Snake by newcomer Raiden in Konami's stealth game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi said that Capcom intended to make Nero fun to play compared with Dante and the team aimed to make him stronger. Kobayashi described Nero as "characteristically wild, quite immature, young, and very passionate ... kind of a rebel." Yuichiro Hiraki was one of the ones who came up with ideas for Nero's character based on notes from Kobayashi as the staff wanted the new game to feel more innovative. Hiraki wanted Nero to be a violent character as reflected on the way he handles swordsmanship. Hiraki consulted with director Hideaki Itsuno on other traits suitable for the new protagonist. Like in the first Devil May Cry, Hiraki worked with the two motion actors.

Capcom originally planned to name their new character after the French sculptor Auguste Rodin, who created The Gates of Hell from Dante Alighieri's Inferno, and the work makes demons spawn in the human world in Devil May Cry 4. However, the team later wanted a simpler name (similar to Dante and Vergil). Writer Morihashi Bingo persuaded the staff to use the name of the Roman emperor; according to Bingo, the similarities between Nero and the name of Vergil's alter ego (Nelo Angelo) were coincidental and there is no connection between the characters. Most of Nero's moves were named after casino terms, which Morihashi thought would suit the character's personality.

In Devil May Cry 5, Nero's gameplay emphasizes his anger at how Dante first treats him. The game's climax, where Nero awakens his demonic powers and ends the struggle between Dante and Vergil, was meant to give the story depth. Nero's new powers' availability near the game's end intended to enhance its replay value and emphasize the power Nero needs to face Vergil; he could not defeat his alter ego, Urizen, at the beginning of the game. Itsuno claimed that while Dante and V get power ups in Devil May Cry 5 during mid areas of the game, which he finds common in gaming, he wanted Nero to awake these powers for the final fight. Nero's relationship with Dante and Vergil was inspired by a mecha anime Itsuno watched as a child. Vergil was based on the protagonist's missing father who makes a sudden appearance with a giant robot that targets his family: Nero and Dante.

Nero was designed by Tatsuya Yoshikawa, who researched the entire Devil May Cry series. Yoshikawa was satisfied with Nero's appearance, believing that he fits the series' world. Nero's appearance underwent several changes during the development of Devil May Cry 4; although early designs looked more like Vergil, the final design resembled Dante. Capcom wanted to balance the traits of Nero and Dante, the game's two playable characters. Nero was created to be weak due to his youth, and Dante seems more experienced; existing fans would prefer playing Dante. Capcom had planned another Devil May Cry game, in which Nero would return and might team up with Dante, but first wanted to see fan response to Devil May Cry 4.