I rarely make art purely for fan service or gaining public attraction despite being a "fan" artist. Vergil is a well-made character. I appreciate that CAPCOM did a good job of making DMC5. And I thank my fans who like my art. I know ppl want to see me draw Vergil. So I did, but... that is just it.
There is a bit long story between my all thoughts and contradiction to DMC series, that I am not a big loyal fan to 100% of it. DMC is still the biggest inspiration to me that I won't deny, which is why I still create its fan art. But the inspiration itself, unfortunately, is the theme that CAPCOM doesn't bother to polish or focus on.
I guess I owe everyone who pays attention to my DMC works and waits for me to dive into D/V fandom an explanation. It's hard to tell in a foreign language and I used to avoid doing so because it's a torment to deal with people who want to force their ideas.
Some people might not be too happy about me drawing Vergil if they know I'm not very interested in the relationships between him and Dante, or Sparda. I never pay much attention to brothers, families drama, or "he is the only one who understands me the best" relationship. I'm more a fan of standing in a third person perspective and seeing a world, if an entity possesses insanely power like Dante who can blur the barrier of known and unknown, while human struggling and trying to against or accept it. Nero was like a first start for me to think about it, but then I found Credo is the perfect choice for me. He stands in the perfect position to confront the contradiction of his ideal and cruel reality, and then denied it enough to make attempts transforming himself into something else, just for catching up with an unreachable goal. Such a theme never ends well in a moral story but I felt very touched to it. Maybe this is just more like what I feel about life, and I want to keep it on by my works.
You can say Credo is actually a character inspired by Vergil. (It should be obvious, the same actor and the same movements from Nelo Angelo in the boss fight) But they are still fundamentally different. There is nothing convenient for Credo to approach Dante. Not even hinted a bit by canon. He has more limits and less knowledge of what he is capable to reach. He lives in an environment where everyone treats the unknown like a god. The only thing he gets is determination. What he searches for is not a relationship, but more like to fulfill his own vision even though he is deemed to fail the trials.
And then, well, all possibilities are only in my head. I'm also a comic artist and I'm supposed to be good at imagining things. To think if he didn't die, to think if he is reaching the giving up point but the desire of pursuing after his own vision never fades away.
I am only motivated to create works which I'm passionate about, so for almost a decade I only draw Dante/Credo, even though I know it's awkward to see it on your dashboard if you can't get why it exists. And I love this theme enough that I wish one day to make my own original stories inspired by it.
And Yes everyone can see what the core of DMC is, or is now. Every DMC fangirl I know in Taiwan or any other countries for the past decade has been making Vergil/Dante/Nero fan arts or fics. There are already doujins that my friends made about them on my book shelve. Because there is no other choice if I want to read something from the DMC fandom.
I doubt if not being a fan to its, well, supposedly, "core", will equal me as not a fan or qualified to draw DMC fanart, to draw Dante. I saw the potential CAPCOM once made in DMC4 despite it turns out neither being well accepted nor executed, I appreciate the game dev at least tried once to build the Order of Sword, to create a character like Credo, who inspired me so much that still no other works can surpass.
Sorry about being such a difficult and stubborn person on this topic and the disappointment you might feel by now. I appreciate Vergil makes his appearance in DMC5 because he is no doubt a well-made character. I enjoy the gameplay and character charisma. The Sparda family dramas are enjoyable, but just not the topic I'm going to linger about.