The 'Nero Is Dead Weight' meme originates from the 2019 action game Devil May Cry 5. During an early boss fight, Dante tells the younger protagonist Nero that he is 'just dead weight' to protect him from a dangerous situation. This line becomes a core motivation for Nero, who spends the rest of the game trying to prove his strength. The internet adopted the phrase to mock characters, teammates, or real-life situations where someone is perceived as a liability. It is frequently used in the gaming community to describe players who aren't contributing to a victory, often featuring Nero’s shocked or angry expression from the game’s cutscenes.