- "Time to go to work, guys!"
- ―Dante[src]
Ebony & Ivory are Dante's trademark pair of personally customized[1], semi-automatic pistols, designed to rapidly fire bullets instilled with his demonic power[2][3][4], and are the only weapon to appear in every installment in the series. The right-handed white gun, Ivory, was custom built for rapid firing and fast draw times[5], while the left-handed black gun, Ebony, has been modified for long-distance targeting and comfort.[6] In Devil May Cry 3, upgrading it raises its max firepower.[7]
Design
Ebony & Ivory are both M1911-style handguns chambered for the .45 ACP round, and boast a plethora of customized features:
- Both pistols have been modified with pivot-style triggers as opposed to the 1911's usual straight-pull trigger, this modification resembles the Browning Hi-Power pistol.
- Both feature custom sight systems; Ebony uses a set of target sights, while Ivory uses a pair of combat sights
- Both feature ported muzzle compensators that reduce recoil and counteract muzzle flip. Both barrels are extend through the compensators and are ported to match the cuts in the compensators.
- Both use custom slides that have been noticeably thickened and reinforced along the slide travel rails and around the chamber and firing mechanism. The result is a slide that bears a resemblance to SIG-Sauer's M1911 line.
- Rails have been bolted to the forward portion of both frames. These rails are used to hold the compensators in place.
- Both guns use double-stack magazines with slam-pads.
- Both have gold-plated magazine releases, hammers, safety switches and triggers.
- Ebony features a hooked, two-handed trigger-guard, while Ivory uses a more traditional rounded trigger-guard.
- Both weapons use ergonomic wood grips which are inlaid with portraits of Victorian women; as befits their names, Ebony's is dark-haired, and Ivory's is fair-haired.
- Ebony's ejection port is located on the left side of the weapon, as opposed to the right side (as Ebony is meant to be used left-handed, this causes spent brass to be ejected away from Dante.)
- Both weapons have an outside extractor, resembling Browning Hi-Power pistols.
In addition, several customized features are inconsistent between the various games:
- In the original Devil May Cry game, Ebony utilizes an extended safety latch and a spur hammer. Ivory uses a standard length safety latch and a ring hammer. In later incarnations, both feature spur hammers and standard length safety latches.
- For Devil May Cry 3, Ivory's frame and slide are both completely left-handed, with all of the controls being mirrored from their normal positions.
The inward-facing side of each weapon's slide (Ebony's right and Ivory's left) is engraved with "Ebony & Ivory" in a cursive script along with the unique design of piano keys, further alluding to its name. The outward facing sides (Ebony's left and Ivory's right) are engraved with a dedication to Dante which is explained in Devil May Cry Volume 1 to be from Nell Goldstein:
- For Tony Redgrave
- By .45 Art Warks
Oddly enough, this engraving also appears on the Luce & Ombra, a similar set of pistols belonging to Dante's father and used by Trish which the Ebony & Ivory are modeled after.
The model used for the Ivory within Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening gameplay is simply a recolored copy of that used for the Ebony. The spent shells still behave as though the ejection port is pointed outward, appearing out of thin air above the gun and falling to Dante's right side. Dante tends to cross the guns when firing them.
Movesets
| Action | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Shot |  + |
Shoot. |
| Charged Shot | + (hold) |
Charge your shot with demonic power. Dante remains stationary for this. |
| Action | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Twosome Time | +Any direction+ |
Simultaneously shoot in different directions. |
| Rain Storm | (above enemy) |
Shoot at an enemy right below you while airborne. |
| Action | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Shot | |
| Action | Command | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Twosome Time | Any direction+ |
Fire your guns simultaneously in any chosen direction. |
| Wild Stomp | Rapid Shot (near downed enemy) | Plant a foot down on an enemy that has been knocked over and hold them in place while you riddle off a barrage of bullets, then kick away their battered body. |
| Rain Storm | (mid-air) |
Rain hundreds of bullets down upon unsuspecting foes that lie waiting below you. |
| Charge Shot | (hold and release) |
Focus energy for a brief time then fire off a super-charged magically imbued burst. Levels 2 and 3 increase the number of bullets fired. |
| Rapid Shot | Crazy Normal Shot | Quickly click off shots, resulting in a large number of bullets being fired in a short amount of time. Levels 2 and 3 lower the number of button presses required to execute the move. |
| Action | Command | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS3 | Xbox 360 | ||
| Normal Shot | |
 |
While lacking power, this attack is capable of rapid fire. |
| Charge Shot | (hold and release) |
(hold and release) |
By infusing bullets with accumulated magical energy, they are capable of delivering even more damage. Levels 2 and 3 increase the number of magically charged bullets. |
| Action | Command | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS3 | Xbox 360 | ||
| Twosome Time | Left analog stick + (ground) |
Left analog stick + (ground) |
Fire in two directions to attack multiple foes simultaneously. After beginning the attack, Left stick will determine the direction of fire. |
| Rain Storm | (mid-air) |
(mid-air) |
Enter a vortex-like spin and rain hundreds of bullets upon unsuspecting foes that are below you. If . is held, Dante will continue the attack until he lands.
|
| Honeycomb Fire | Crazy Twosome Time | Turn enemies who lie ahead into honeycombs with the sting of countless rapid-fire bullets. | |
Other appearances
Viewtiful Joe
Dante uses Ebony & Ivory for his long-ranged attacks.
Sengoku Basara
Nouhime/Lady Butterfly's sixth weapon is Ebony & Ivory.
Bayonetta
Bayonetta briefly uses Ebony and Ivory as her handguns against a horde of Angels, with Luce & Ombra as the set on her heels, before she obtains her personal set, "Scarborough Fair."
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
Dante can use Ebony/Ivory as his crouching light attack (depending on the side he is facing), and can also perform Charged Shots/Twosome Time, Wild Stomp, also called Cold Shower, and Rain Storm, as well as fire them during his ground throws. His new Weasel Shot special, in which Dante leaps backward while firing, and his Million Dollars Hyper Combo, in which Dante fires a volley of bullets, then fires two charged shots in the style he used to finish off Mundus in DMC1 while saying "Jackpot", are newly introduced moves outside the original series.
Background
The Ebony and Ivory references the black and white construction of piano keys.[8]
Trivia
- Ebony is the only gun that Vergil is ever shown using, during the battle against Arkham in Devil May Cry 3, after stating that he'll "try it [Dante's] way for once."
- Ebony was also used in the animated series by Lady, Sid and Patty. Lady used it in Mission 09 while undercover since it was easier to hide rather than her standard weapons. Sid used it in Mission 11 and 12 briefly against Dante and Patty used it also in Mission 09 while under a spell to try and shoot Dante.
- In Devil May Cry 4, in the secret ending, Dante is seen reading a magazine called the "Two HandGun". An image of the guns and a line "Ebony & Ivory™" can be seen on the page Dante is reading.
- In DmC: Devil May Cry, Dante once again wields Ebony & Ivory, but refers to them as "girls", in contrast to how the original Dante called his pair "guys".
- In Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, it is possible to see upon close examination that the "Ebony & Ivory" inscription is on the outward pointing side of Ivory's slide, and also printed in reverse, despite the piano keys still being printed in front, as though the inscription and the piano keys design are two separate designs applied to the weapon.
- It's possible to see that while there are many inaccuracies to the design of Ebony & Ivory, their respective iron sights are still correct in Devil May Cry 3, as Ebony uses adjustable target sights, while Ivory uses fixed combat sights.
- A close-up of Ebony & Ivory to the right with the ejection ports copied. Note the dedicated inscription is gold on Ivory, while it is simply a dark black on Ebony.
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References
- ↑ Devil May Cry, Guns — Ebony & Ivory: "Dante's hand-made guns."
- ↑ Devil May Cry 2, Weapon File — Handguns: "Dante’s hand-made twin pistols. They fire bullets with magic power."
- ↑ Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Guns File — Ebony & Ivory: "Dante's personally designed handguns made for rapid fire action."
- ↑ Devil May Cry 4, Dante's Arms File — Ebony & Ivory: "Personally designed by Dante, these pistols are the weapons of choice when rapid-fire is a necessity."
- ↑ Devil May Cry 3, Code: 1 — Dante, Dante's Weapons — Ivory: "Ivory, his right gun, is custom built for rapid firing. Various parts are rounded to ensure fast draw times."
- ↑ Devil May Cry 3, Code: 1 — Dante, Dante's Weapons — Ebony: "Ebony, his left gun, has been modified for long-distance targeting. it is designed for comfort and accuracy."
- ↑ Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Customize Guns — Ebony & Ivory: "Raises max firepower."
- ↑ 'Devil May Cry Technique: "Do you want to know more? The inside story on the devil"
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