Alright people, this one is going to be heavy. I also want to say that Im not an expert (neither a larper, pls give me two months to get the Switch 2 and lock in).
Maybe Im just being repetitive as hell here, but I love how deep Dante is as a character. We might enjoy seeing him as the goofy rock pizza and broke man, but him being so "goofy" quite represents how he masks his sadness with jokes and laughs. I dont know, but it hits and hurts a bit more when you have the exact same trauma response as him.
Dante has suffered a lot since he was young. Losing his family, feeling guilt over all the mess and dead people he has seen, and feeling guilt and anger for Vergil.
Vergil fucked up Dante, pretty bad. They do enjoy fighting, but not in a "I hate you so much I want to kill you" way (I think), but more because they enjoy being close and fighting gives them an excuse to be close; but Dante has to hold Vergil accountable no matter how because of all the crimes he commited, even if he (maybe) missed him.
The mix of hating but missing someone is awful.
For me, the way he handles the Devil May Cry is the peak example of how deep he is in the dark place. He seemed not to care about not having water or light for who knows how long, probably he also had no food, couldnt shower or take care of himself, didnt clean... And when Morrison gives him the job, he doesnt seem desperate for it, he accepts because of the cash before the job. My mother usually says "a messy room represents a messy mind", and I think that fits him. Sometimes its easier to let yourself rot than facing the elephants in the room.
Dante is for the people who prefer to mask their suffering with a smile instead of letting people worry about them. He doesnt even want Nero to worry about probably never seeing him again, knowing that in the underworld it will be just him and Vergil, so probably there will be a lot of talking or a cycle of fighting each other and fighting other demons. But he is happy with it.
Dante does bad jokes, teases around, dances (a lot)... and still struggles. Struggles a lot. But he feels like he has to be the one who handles the other's struggles.
Even if, honestly, the Sparda family has a big problem with expressing their emotions. Like Nico said, crying is not bad sometimes. So... remember to cry once a week guys! :)