117-813: Ace Attorney is a series of legal thriller comedy-drama adventure / visual novel games created by Shu Takumi . Players assume the role of a defense attorney in a fictional courtroom setting in the main series. Published by Capcom , the series includes Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney , Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All , Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations , Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney , Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth , Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Gambit , Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney , Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies , The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures , Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice , and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve . Character names for
234-469: A magatama , the player can start breaking the psyche-locks by showing the witness evidence or character profiles that proves they are hiding something. The number of psyche-locks depends on how deep the secret is; when all locks are broken, the topic becomes available, giving the player access to new information. Apollo Justice introduces the "perceive" system, where the player looks for motions or actions made by witnesses that show nervousness, similar to
351-400: A tell in poker . Dual Destinies introduces the "mood matrix", through which the player can gauge the emotions of a witness, such as tones of anger when mentioning certain topics; if the player notices a contradictory emotional response during testimony, they can point out the discrepancy and press the witness for more information. Dual Destinies also introduces "revisualization", where
468-494: A "not guilty" verdict as ransom . Pearl and Maya subsequently each separately channel Mia to allow her to pass information about where Maya is being held to Phoenix, allowing them to turn De Killer against Engarde during his trial and have Engarde plead "guilty", allowing for Maya's release. Pearl additionally displays her athletic abilities in being able to run from the mountaintop Kurain Village to Los Angeles in under five hours,
585-688: A Phoenix transformation is available for a companion character in Monster Hunter XX . Music from the Ace Attorney series is featured in Taiko Drum Master: Doko Don! Mystery Adventure , with Phoenix making an appearance in the game's story. In April 2021, Ace Attorney was introduced to Teppen alongside the Dead Rising franchise with the "Ace vs. The People" expansion. In 2015, GamesRadar+ named Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney as
702-592: A cameo appearance in She-Hulk 's ending in the fighting game Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds ; in the game's update, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 , Phoenix appears as a playable character . Phoenix and Maya are playable characters in Project X Zone 2 , while Edgeworth makes a non-player appearance. Phoenix, Maya, Edgeworth and Franziska were all playable in the mobile game Monster Hunter Explore in 2017, as part of one of its temporary crossover events, and
819-408: A case before. He ultimately decided to have defendant Terry Fawles die during court in order for the trial to end without a verdict in order to deal with this. Mia was designed by Tatsurō Iwamoto, who originally conceived her as an older man wearing a geta. They decided to change this after determining that too many of the characters were old men, causing them to change Phoenix's mentor character to be
936-436: A case he was involved with until his first trial against Phoenix, after which he felt a need to defeat Phoenix. By the end of the first game, Miles would undergo some self-reflection, and eventually cast aside his traumas to become a more well-rounded and just prosecutor, instead of just chasing guilty verdicts. Edgeworth's spin-off game Ace Attorney Investigations was originally going to star Ema Skye , another character from
1053-428: A classroom trial, where Phoenix was accused of stealing lunch money from Edgeworth himself. However, upon witnessing his father's death and watching in horror as the suspected murderer was let free, he gained a hatred for criminals and began studying to be a prosecutor, learning tactics from his mentor Manfred von Karma to always get a "guilty" verdict. This later earned him the name "demon prosecutor". Miles had not lost
1170-556: A defense attorney again in July 2027. In December 2027, his best friend, Clay Terran ( 葵 大地 , Aoi Daichi ) , is murdered at the Cosmos Space Center. Suspicious of his coworker, Athena Cykes, Justice temporarily leaves the agency in order to investigate the murder alone. However, after Wright proves Cykes's innocence in court and identifies the true culprit (who is immediately shot by an unidentified sniper), Justice resumes work at
1287-562: A distance taking two hours to travel by train. Pearl returns in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations , seeing the Sacred Urn she had previously broken displayed at a department store, before it is stolen by the infamous thief Mask☆DeMasque, a.k.a. Ron DeLite . After Phoenix clears Ron of both his true theft charges and untrue murder charges, Ron's wife Desirée hugs him, leading to Pearl, having just arrived on
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#17331050059661404-436: A fraud. Morgan Fey ( 綾里 キミ子 , Ayasato Kimiko ) is the aunt of Mia and Maya Fey, the older sister of Misty and the mother of Dahlia Hawthorne, Iris and Pearl Fey. Winston Payne ( 亜内 武文 , Auchi Takefumi ) is a prosecutor known as the "Rookie Killer" due to winning cases against novice lawyers. He was Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice's first opponent, and the prosecutor on Mia Fey's second case. Payne appears in
1521-540: A judge, based on evidence provided by the defense attorney and the prosecutor. In the original Japanese, the series takes place in Japan, while in the English localization, it takes place in an alternative version of Los Angeles in which Japanese culture is far more prevalent due to a lack of historic anti-Japanese policy. In other versions, the setting depends on region, with Asian languages such as Chinese and Korean following
1638-429: A larger work; he avoided having a lot of changes between games: art from the first game for main characters such as Phoenix, Maya, and Edgeworth was reused to avoid having the previous games look outdated in comparison to newer games in the series. No new gameplay mechanics were added for Trials and Tribulations , as Takumi was happy with the gameplay after having added the psyche-lock mechanic for Justice for All . For
1755-421: A law student, he traveled to Great Britain in an effort to learn from their legal system. Like his descendant, he believes his goal as a lawyer is to find out the truth of any given case. Susato Mikotoba ( 御琴羽 寿沙都 , Mikotoba Susato ) is a judicial assistant who often helps Ryunosuke in his cases. She is described by Capcom as a yamato nadeshiko (a personification of the image of the ideal Japanese woman),
1872-552: A lawyer as a teenager, stated that Mia was the character who drove this desire. They called her "compassionate, dedicated, and hyper-competent," and that she was the kind of person they aspired to be. Fellow Eurogamer writer John Walker called her a "wonderful" character, enjoying her presence in the game while expressing that he had a lot of affection for her as a female video game character. Game Revolution writer Joe Dodson discussed her sexuality, particularly noting that her breasts were particularly large and commenting on how weird it
1989-632: A member of the Fey clan, a family of spirit mediums living in the isolated mountain town of Kurain Village. A spirit medium herself, after her mother Morgan Fey attempts to have Maya framed for murder in order to have Pearl succeed Maya as the Master of Kurain, Pearl channels her deceased cousin and defense attorney Mia Fey so she can guide Phoenix Wright in clearing her cousin's name and exposing Morgan's crimes. Afterwards, Pearl often accompanies Phoenix and Maya, whom she views as each holding romantic interest towards
2106-514: A physical appearance in the series' fourth entry; however, she is briefly referenced in dialogue by Phoenix in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney . By Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies , set eight years after Trials and Tribulations , Pearl is a high school student, regularly keeping in touch with Phoenix and his legally adopted daughter Trucy Wright , who sees her as her "big sister." After Phoenix's new protégé Athena Cykes
2223-481: A plot to kill Maya. Mia was created by the series' creator, Shu Takumi . Originally, Takumi planned to have Mia's law office consist of a protagonist, helper, and mentor, but this changed when Takumi's boss told him to remove one, arguing that three was too many. Takumi did not want to do this, choosing to handle it by having Mia die and exist as a spirit through a spirit medium, saying that this would end up being two characters. He stated that he considered having Mia be
2340-515: A problem with it. Several reviewers praised the series' music. Thew said that the greatest aspect of the series is its audio design, with the first three games using the Game Boy Advance sound chip better than any other game for that platform; he called the music phenomenal, with the exception of that in Justice for All , but said the sound effects are what "steals the show". Mackey commented that
2457-455: A progressive dreamer, and a lover of foreign mystery novels. In contrast to a majority of assistants in the series, Susato is actually more knowledgeable on law than her older attorney counterpart, having studied the subject from a young age. Herlock Sholmes ( シャーロック・ホームズ , Shārokku Hōmuzu , Sherlock Holmes) is a famous detective who frequently assists Naruhodo in his cases with both his inventions and rapid-fire abductive reasoning . He
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#17331050059662574-538: A prosecutor, eventually serving as such in the final trial of Resolve . Frank Sahwit ( 山野 星雄 , Yamano Hoshio ) was a thief posing as a newspaper salesman, he was the culprit in Phoenix Wright's first case. Misty Fey ( 綾里 舞子 , Ayasato Maiko ) is the late mother of Maya and Mia Fey, she was contacted by the police to solve the DL-6 murder and went missing shortly afterwards due to being falsely accused of being
2691-513: A short story which involves a crime that "unravels due to the criminal's contradictory testimony." It had a big impact on him and was a major influence on the game. He was inspired by stories from another Japanese author, Shinichi Hoshi , saying that he was pursuing his "element of surprise and unexpectedness." Takumi felt that the best way to write a mystery with a good climax is to reveal various clues, and then pull them together into one conclusion, and not have multiple possible endings. He said that
2808-447: A spirit from the very beginning of the game, and positive reception during development spurred on this idea. The first trial was intended to be about the murder of Phoenix's mentor with Phoenix as the defendant, but this was scrapped with the idea being that the death wouldn't have an impact if the player had not met the mentor before. Thus, he introduced a new prologue with the mentor assisting Phoenix in his defense. The spirit medium angle
2925-480: A stage play based on the case Farewell, My Turnabout, portrayed by Shiyū Urushibara with understudy Yūna Takano. Pearl also appears in the Ace Attorney anime series , which adapts the events of the original trilogy. Dick Gumshoe ( 糸鋸 圭介 , Itonokogiri Keisuke ) is a homicide detective of the local police department. Despite his occupation, he is a clumsy and forgetful man who is largely seen as incompetent by
3042-465: A witness for the trial of Matt Engarde. Ace Attorney Ace Attorney is a visual novel adventure video game franchise developed by Capcom . With storytelling fashioned after legal dramas, the first entry in the series, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney , was released in 2001; since then five further main series games, as well as various spin-offs, prequels, and high-definition remasters for newer game consoles have been released. Additionally,
3159-475: A young woman. The original old man design was repurposed for the Judge's design. When designing Maya in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice , the game's character artist, Takuro Fuse, considered making her resemble Mia now that she is grown up, ultimately coming up with a design that felt similar to Mia's while attempting to not lose Maya's charm. The theme song for Maya and Mia, "Turnabout Sisters Ballad,"
3276-539: Is Phoenix Wright's adoptive daughter, introduced in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney . She is a stage magician and accompanies Apollo on his investigations. Athena Cykes ( 希月 心音 , Kizuki Kokone ) is a defense attorney and a specialist in analytical psychology. She first appears in Dual Destinies as one of the three player characters. Using her portable computer, Widget ( モニ太 , Monita ) , she
3393-570: Is Phoenix Wright's long-time friend and first rival in the court room. He is temporarily playable in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations and the main player character in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Gambit . As a child, Edgeworth aspired to become a defense attorney, following in his father Gregory Edgeworth's footsteps. When they were children, Edgeworth successfully defended Phoenix in
3510-467: Is Ryunosuke's best friend and a certified lawyer in Japan, having successfully passed their bar exam. He acts as Ryunosuke's co-counsel when he is tried for murder in Japan. He invites Ryunosuke to accompany him on a trip to Great Britain to study their legal system. Unfortunately, an incident aboard the ship they traveled on results in his presumed death. However, he later resurfaces in England, studying to be
3627-597: Is able to access the Mood Matrix, detecting emotions from testimonies to uncover obscured facts. She often serves as co-counsel to Apollo or Phoenix, only being in charge of two separate trials herself thus far. Ryunosuke Naruhodo ( 成歩堂 龍ノ介 , Naruhodō Ryūnosuke ) is the protagonist of the Great Ace Attorney games. He is an ancestor of Phoenix Wright who lived in Japan during the Meiji Era . Although not initially
List of Ace Attorney characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
3744-445: Is accused of Misty's murder, Pearl confronts Franziska von Karma over her poor treatment of Maya, rendering her speechless , before once again channeling Mia to help Phoenix in court. In the aftermath of the trial, Pearl returns to the temple in tears to clean up gravy she had spilled on Misty's portrait; Phoenix and Maya then catch up with her, reassuring her that she is not to blame for the events that occurred. Pearl does not make
3861-499: Is also the titular star of a series of mystery novels based on actual cases he has completed. He often puts his reasoning to the test during investigations, which Ryunosuke ends up correcting during the "dance of deduction" segments of the game. Sholmes is also roommates with Naruhodo and Susato during their stay in Great Britain, with them occupying the attic in his flat. Iris Wilson ( アイリス・ワトソン , Airisu Watoson , Iris Watson)
3978-473: Is arrested, Pearl visits Phoenix on her regular route to clean his office and deliver him a letter from Maya, before accompanying him in proving Athena innocent of her mother's murder, and comforts Athena after Phoenix breaks the black Psyche-Locks on her subconscious mind, representing repressed memories of secrets. In the game's DLC case, set several months earlier, Pearl is visiting Shipshape Aquarium with her summer camp before being questioned by police after
4095-529: Is based on the anime, was published in V Jump in 2016. A novel based on the series, Gyakuten Saiban: Turnabout Idol , was released in June 2016. Ace Attorney drama CDs , soundtrack albums , and figurines have also been released. Ace Attorney characters have made crossover appearances in other video games. Some Ace Attorney characters appear in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS . Phoenix and Edgeworth make
4212-462: Is based on the final episode of the second game; and 2013's Ace Attorney 3: Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth , which is set before the events of The Truth Reborn, Again... In 2023, the Takarazuka Revue wrote and performed a musical based on The Great Ace Attorney , titled The Great Ace Attorney: New Truth Reborn . A stage play based on the series, titled Gyakuten no Spotlight , ran in 2013, and
4329-547: Is murdered and her sister, Maya Fey , framed for the crime. Phoenix successfully defends Maya, and learns of both sisters having spirit channeling powers, with Maya managing to channel Mia. Mia is channeled through Maya and later their cousin Pearl Fey at various points during the series' story. In Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All , Mia again assists Phoenix in proving Maya's innocence after their aunt, Morgan Fey, frames Maya for murder in order to have Maya replaced as
4446-487: Is often a counterpart to him with a similar design and appearance. Apollo Justice ( 王泥喜 法介 , Odoroki Hōsuke ) is the main protagonist in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney and is a major playable character in Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice . He is a defense attorney and was Phoenix Wright's understudy in the three games in which he appears. He was born in 2003 to Jove Justice and Thalassa Gramarye (thus also being Trucy Wright's biological half-brother), though after
4563-412: Is that she can possess Pearl, an eight-year-old, giving her breasts. Nintendo Life writer Kate Gray also commented on Mia's design when channeled by Pearl, calling it creepy. On Mia's character, she felt that Mia's death was meant to teach players not to take anything for granted, comparing this scene to a later case where Phoenix's client turns out to be guilty. She felt that this twist was written with
4680-439: Is the assistant and adoptive daughter of Herlock Sholmes. She is a child prodigy, most notably penning 'The Adventures of Herlock Sholmes' and holding a medical degree at the age of 10. Like Sholmes, she frequently assists Ryunosuke in the investigative portion of his cases, and even once stood alongside him in court. Barok van Zieks ( バロック・バンジークス , Barokku Banjīkusu ) is a feared prosecutor in Great Britain. He has earned
4797-414: Is the games' linearity, as well as how the player sometimes has to resort to a trial-and-error method because the games only accept specific pieces of evidence, and how testimony statements sometimes need to be pressed in a specific order. Some reviewers have criticized the lack of changes to the gameplay and presentation throughout the series, other have said that fans of the series would not have
List of Ace Attorney characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
4914-507: The Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth spin-off title, also appearing in several other Capcom titles, including as an unlockable costume in We Love Golf! and as a collectible card in Teppen: Ace vs. The People . Pearl has appeared in other media adaptations of Ace Attorney . She is a recurring character in the Ace Attorney manga series published by Kodansha Comics , and in
5031-497: The Ace Attorney series. The 2023 visual novel Tyrion Cuthbert: Attorney of the Arcane also parodies the franchise, following a lawyer who defends clients in a supernatural setting. Ace Attorney is referenced in several anime shows. In a murder mystery arc of the 2006 anime series Haruhi Suzumiya , the show's titular character mimics Phoenix Wright during an episode. The 2014 anime series No Game No Life also pays homage to
5148-577: The Ace Attorney Investigations games, is a recurring rival prosecutor character; in addition to him, each new game in the series introduces a new rival: Franziska von Karma is introduced in the second game, Godot in the third, Klavier Gavin in the fourth, Simon Blackquill in the fifth, Nahyuta Sahdmadhi in the sixth, Barok van Zieks in Adventures , and Kazuma Asogi in Resolve . Most of
5265-667: The California Alien Land Law of 1913 have not been passed, anti-Japanese sentiments were not powerful, and where Japanese culture flourished. That dictated the elements which should be localized and what should be kept as Japanese. Things relating to the Fey clan and the Kurain channeling technique were kept Japanese, as that was Maya's heritage; Japanese foods which were not widely known in the West were changed, such as changing Maya's favorite food from ramen to burgers. That particular change
5382-524: The Nintendo 3DS could easily support 3D. Dual Destinies was developed around the use of 3D graphics, which remained a staple for future games in the series. Similarly, Level-5 , the developers of the Professor Layton series, also started using 3D graphics after the crossover title. The localization of the first game was outsourced to Bowne Global; it was handled by the writer Alexander O. Smith and
5499-548: The PlayStation brand. Dengeki PlayStation was originally founded as a magazine in 1994 and ran until 2020, when it ceased production and went fully digital as Dengeki Online . The magazine first went on sale in December 1994 as a special edition version of Dengeki G's Magazine . It ceased publication on March 28, 2020, with issue No. 686, its cover featuring Cloud Strife on covering Final Fantasy VII Remake . The decision
5616-434: The animated series , shares many elements with the Ace Attorney series. The 2013 title Socrates Jones: Pro Philosopher keeps the Ace Attorney format but swaps law for philosophical argument, and the 2015 adventure game Aviary Attorney features similar gameplay but with an all-bird cast of characters. The 2016 video game Detective Pikachu , which received a 2019 film adaptation , has also drawn comparisons to
5733-512: The 55th-best video game of all time. In 2016, Famitsu readers voted the original Gyakuten Saiban as the second-most memorable Game Boy Advance title (behind only Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire ) and Gyakuten Saiban 123 as the tenth-best Nintendo 3DS game. In 2017, Famitsu readers voted Gyakuten Saiban the third-best adventure game of all time, behind only Steins;Gate and 428: Shibuya Scramble . The Ace Attorney series has been credited with helping to popularise visual novels in
5850-475: The English release of the series were changed significantly from the original Japanese release. Phoenix Wright ( 成歩堂 龍一 , Naruhodō Ryūichi ) is a defense attorney and the main character of the franchise, and the protagonist in all games in the main series, except for Apollo Justice. Mia Fey ( 綾里 千尋 , Ayasato Chihiro ) first appeared in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney as Phoenix's boss and mentor at Fey and Co. Law Offices, assisting him before she
5967-672: The Japanese version and European languages such as German and Spanish following the English version. The only official exception is the French version, which takes place in Paris . The series was created by Shu Takumi , who wrote and directed the first three games. The first game was conceived in 2000 when Takumi's boss at the time, Shinji Mikami , gave him six months to create any type of game he wanted to; Takumi had originally joined Capcom wanting to make mystery and adventure games, and felt that this
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#17331050059666084-477: The Kingdom of Khura'in, she is greeted by Pearl, who unsuccessfully pitches the concept of allowing clothing stores to set up in the town. In the non-canon DLC case Asinine Attorney , Pearl appears on vacation in the Kingdom of Khu'rain, briefly impersonating royal priestess Rayfa Padma Khura'in to prevent them from being kidnapped. Outside of the main Ace Attorney series, Pearl makes a brief cameo appearance in
6201-412: The West since the release of a Nintendo DS port in 2005. The series currently consists of six main series games and five spin-offs. The Ace Attorney games are visual novel adventure games in which the player controls defense attorneys and defends their clients in several different episodes. The gameplay is split into two types of sections, investigations and courtroom trials. During
6318-800: The Western world. Vice magazine credits the Ace Attorney series with popularizing the visual novel mystery format and noted that its success anticipated the resurgence of point-and-click adventure games as well as the international success of Japanese visual novels. According to Danganronpa director Kazutaka Kodaka , Ace Attorney ' s success in North America was due to how it distinguished itself from most visual novels with its gameplay mechanics, which Danganronpa later built upon and helped it also find success in North America. The Ace Attorney series has also inspired many video games. The 2008 Capcom title Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law , based on
6435-458: The agency. In April 2028, he meets Nahyuta Sahdmadhi, who is now a prosecutor, for the first time in fourteen years. Justice successfully defends Trucy Wright against Sahdmadhi; however, one month later, after successfully defending Dhurke Sahdmadhi in a civil case against Phoenix Wright, he returns to Khura'in and is once again reunited with the prosecutor. There, he successfully defends his foster father against two counts of murder. However, during
6552-512: The aquarium's owner is apparently murdered. Subsequently, Pearl runs into Phoenix and Athena, introducing herself to the latter before recharging Phoenix's magatama , it having finally run out of spiritual energy after she had first charged it for him upon meeting him nine years prior. After an orca and subsequently their trainer are accused of the murder, Pearl assists Phoenix and Athena in their investigation, retrieving forensics equipment Phoenix had previously received from Ema Skye . Months after
6669-471: The art and gameplay. In 2020, Yamazaki left Capcom. The games developed for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS were created using 2D sprites , initially due to the limitations of the hardware. The developers had discussed switching to 3D models ahead of the development of Apollo Justice , but it was not until the Professor Layton crossover, which used 3D to a limited extent, that they realized
6786-424: The biggest challenge with that was to make the gameplay and story work together. The goal was to make the player feel like they have driven the story forward themselves, with their own choices, even though the game is linear. He did not spend much time writing a backstory for Phoenix before writing the first game's story; instead he made up dialogue and developed Phoenix's personality as he went along. He came up with
6903-430: The cases entertaining, but also that it "resonates on a deeper level" due to its connection to the real Japanese legal system , making the setting still feel relevant in 2014. Bob Mackey at USgamer said that the Ace Attorney games were among the best written games of all time, and that the series' strength is how each game builds up to a "stunning and satisfying finale". Thomas Whitehead at Nintendo Life also liked
7020-417: The character's lawyer badge is used. If all exclamation marks or lawyer badges are lost, or the health bar reaches zero, the player loses the game and their client is found guilty. Several Ace Attorney games introduce new gameplay mechanics to the series. Justice for All introduces "psyche-locks", which are shown over a witness when the player asks them about a topic they do not want to discuss; using
7137-491: The characters, story, and the finding of contradictions; it has also performed well commercially, with Capcom regarding it as one of their strongest intellectual properties. The series has been credited with helping to popularize visual novels in the Western world. As of June 30, 2024, the game series has sold 12 million copies worldwide. The Ace Attorney series launched in Japan with the Game Boy Advance game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney in 2001, and has been published in
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#17331050059667254-455: The crime scene, through which they can discover new information that would otherwise be hidden. Prosecutor's Gambit introduces "Mind Chess", where the player interrogates witnesses in a timed sequence that is visualized as a game of chess, with the player aiming to destroy the other character's chess pieces. To do this, they need to build up their advantage in the discussion by alternating between speaking and listening, and then choose to go on
7371-402: The defense if they present incorrect evidence, at times even increasing the severity of the penalty. If the player incurs too many penalties, the game will end and their client will typically be found guilty. He is easily swayed by arguments, which both the defense and prosecution will use to their advantage. In spite of his foibles, he is said to always hand down the correct verdict, earning him
7488-471: The editor Steve Anderson. While the Japanese version takes place in Japan, the localized version is set in the United States; because one of the episodes involves time zones, it had to be specified where the game takes place and the United States was selected without thinking a lot about it. The Japanese justice system of the original still remained intact in the localization, as changing it would have altered
7605-520: The entire game structure. The change in the series' setting became important in later games and the Japanese setting is more obvious. Beginning with the second game, the series localization direction has been handled by Janet Hsu; One of their first decisions was how to localize Maya's hometown and the mysticism of the Fey clan. The localized versions of the Ace Attorney games happen in Los Angeles in an alternative universe where anti-Japanese laws like
7722-493: The first case of the first four mainline games. Larry Butz ( 矢張 政志 , Yahari Masashi ) is the childhood friend of Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth who always causes trouble. He was the defendant in Wright's first case as a lawyer. He later reappears in various other cases across the series, often accidentally stumbling upon significant clues which help decide the trial's outcome. Manfred von Karma ( 狩魔 豪 , Karuma Gō )
7839-404: The first game was inspired by quite a bit of fanwork which features same-sex pairings , developers in turn took inspiration from Yaoi (boys' love) in writing the sequels' characters. Dengeki Online Dengeki PlayStation ( Japanese : 電撃 PlayStation ) was a Japanese video gaming publication by ASCII Media Works (formerly MediaWorks ). It primarily features information pertaining to
7956-456: The first three Ace Attorney games. Maya cheerily banters with Phoenix during investigations, and can channel her sister's spirit when Phoenix needs her help. She does not appear in the fourth and fifth games, but returns in the sixth, reuniting with Phoenix in Khura'in as she prepares to complete her channeling training. Maya also appears in other franchise media: the manga, film , anime series , and
8073-569: The former's death in 2005, he was adopted by Dhurke Sahdmadhi, a defense attorney at the time, and was raised alongside Sahdmadhi's son Nahyuta in the Kingdom of Khura'in. In 2012, Justice was sent to a boarding school in America, where he met his best friend Clay Terran, an aspiring astronaut. In April 2026, he defended his first client, Phoenix Wright, in court under the supervision of his mentor Kristoph Gavin; however, this trial ended in Gavin's conviction as
8190-406: The fourth game, Takumi wrote the scenario and took on a supervisory role. He had wanted the series to end with the third game, as he felt Phoenix's character had been fully explored and that his story had been told; he said that it is important to know when to end a story, that he did not want the series to become a shadow of its former self, and that he did not see any reason to continue it. Still,
8307-472: The game during an episode. In early 2021, a user on Reddit created a bot which took selected Reddit forum arguments into short movies fashioned after Ace Attorney courtroom battles between the games' various characters. A similar bot was later created for the platform X (commonly known as Twitter). Later in the year, the San Francisco Chronicle noted its queer inspiration and influence:
8424-404: The games' small amounts of animations for each character are used well for their characterization. The Takarazuka Revue , an all-female theater troupe, has adapted the series into stage musicals: 2009's Ace Attorney: The Truth Reborn , which is based on the last episode of the first game; 2010's Ace Attorney 2: The Truth Reborn, Again... , whose first act is an original story, and whose second
8541-481: The idea that you'd grown complacent. On Mia, she discussed whether Mia falls under the women in refrigerators writing trope, where women are killed, abused, or otherwise harmed as a motivation for the player or protagonist. She argued that while she fit this trope, she doesn't "stay in the fridge," stating that she remains "strong, powerful, and utterly unfazed by her own murder," as well as a superior lawyer to Phoenix. Miles Edgeworth ( 御剣 怜侍 , Mitsurugi Reiji )
8658-410: The investigations, the player searches the environments, gathers information and evidence, and talks to characters such as their client, witnesses, and the police. After enough evidence has been collected, the game moves on to a courtroom trial. In the courtroom trials, the player aims to have their client declared "not guilty". They cross-examine witnesses, aiming to find lies and inconsistencies in
8775-433: The latter of which is similar to the courtroom trials of the main series. During the investigation phases, the player searches for evidence and talks to witnesses and suspects. Things which the player character notice in the environment are saved as thoughts; the player can use the "logic" system to connect two such thoughts to gain access to new information. At some points, the player can create hologram reproductions of
8892-534: The master of the spirit channeling technique by Pearl. Mia appears again in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations , where her backstory is explored, particularly her defending Phoenix for murder and proving a woman named Dahlia Hawthorne was the true culprit. It is later revealed that Dahlia was involved in her first trial, causing the death of her defendant and getting away with her crimes before also poisoning her lover, Diego Armando . She later assists Phoenix in defeating Dahlia after Dahlia attempts
9009-503: The moniker 'Reaper of the Bailey' with a majority of those he prosecutes dying after the trial, regardless of whether or not their guilt was proven in court. A thoroughbred aristocrat, van Zieks often tosses bottles of wine and flashes the heels of his high end boots in court. He is notably bigoted towards the Japanese, though he grows to respect Ryunosuke during their many trials against each other. Kazuma Asogi ( 亜双義 一真 , Asōgi Kazuma )
9126-406: The names had to be altered heavily compared to the Japanese versions. Smith and Anderson had a lot of freedom when localizing the names of minor characters in the first game, but discussed the names of the main cast with Capcom. Phoenix's English surname, "Wright", was chosen as his Japanese name, "Naruhodō"—meaning "I see" or "I understand"—is frequently used as a joke in the script. Dual Destinies
9243-512: The nickname, "The Great Judgini." While this is true in his onscreen trials, it is usually thanks to the attorneys rather than himself. He has a younger brother, also a judge, who behaves similarly and uses Canadian slang. The Judge is a fixture of the Ace Attorney series, appearing in every mainline game, being the only character except for Phoenix to do so. Even in the spinoff games where he does not appear (such as The Great Ace Attorney ), there
9360-411: The offensive. The protagonist of the first three games is the defense attorney Phoenix Wright , who is assisted by the spirit medium Maya Fey ; in the third game, Phoenix's mentor Mia Fey is also a playable character. In the fourth game, the protagonist is the defense attorney Apollo Justice; in the fifth, Phoenix, Apollo and the new defense attorney Athena Cykes are all protagonists; and in
9477-594: The original Japanese version of the game, she lived in the United States rather than Germany. Ema Skye ( 宝月 茜 , Hōzuki Akane ) is the younger sister of Chief Prosecutor Lana Skye and has hopes of becoming a scientific investigator . She first approaches Phoenix 's office to obtain a defense attorney for her sister, Lana. Though he ignored most of the cases he received during Maya 's two-month absence, he took Ema's due to her resemblance to Maya in personality and appearance. The kanji for her Japanese surname, Hōzuki , translates to "treasured moon" or "jeweled moon". She
9594-535: The other (as their "special someone"), because of her sheltered upbringing. At one point, they take Pearl to the Berry Big Circus. Nine months after her mother's arrest, Pearl, Maya and Phoenix are invited to an awards show at the Gatewater Imperial Hotel, where Maya is kidnapped by notorious hired hitman Shelly de Killer and Phoenix is made to defend his employer Matt Engarde and have him receive
9711-424: The partner character Maya because he thought it would be more fun for players to have another character with them, giving them advice, than investigating on their own. After the first game's development was finished, Mikami told Takumi that they should make an Ace Attorney trilogy, with a grand finale in the third game's last case. Takumi had originally planned to let Edgeworth be the prosecutor in all episodes in
9828-458: The player being able to see and hear reactions from the different witnesses to the testimony and using this to find contradictions. The Great Ace Attorney introduces "joint reasoning", where the player finds out the truth by pointing out when their investigative partner Herlock Sholmes takes his reasoning "further than the truth". The Ace Attorney Investigations spin-off series splits the gameplay into investigation phases and rebuttal phases,
9945-440: The player reviews vital facts and forms links between evidence to reach new conclusions. Spirit of Justice introduces "divination séances ", in which the player is shown the memories of victims moments before their deaths, and must find contradictions in the victim's five senses to determine what has happened. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney introduces simultaneous cross-examinations of multiple witnesses, with
10062-416: The police. Japanese attitudes towards the police force are reflected in the series, with the police being represented by incompetent characters such as Dick Gumshoe, Maggey Byrde, and Mike Meekins. In the world of Ace Attorney , trials only last three days, and usually end with a "guilty" verdict, with trials taken up by the protagonists of the games being rare exceptions. The outcomes of cases are decided by
10179-459: The prosecutor characters are portrayed as powerful and arrogant characters of high social status and who care about keeping perfect-win records in court, and even may favor convictions over finding the truth, although most have secret motivations and sympathetic backstories and typically help the protagonist at the game's climax. Similarly to real Japanese prosecutors, the prosecutors in the series often directly oversee investigations, issuing orders to
10296-580: The prosecutors, frequently resulting in his salary being lowered. As a result, he lives in poor circumstances. Despite this, he is a friendly man who is determined to find the killer and is fiercely loyal to Miles Edgeworth, and eventually comes to be a trusted ally of Phoenix Wright as well. Franziska von Karma ( 狩魔 冥 , Karuma Mei ) is a prosecuting attorney and the daughter of Manfred von Karma . Franziska first appears in Justice for All as an antagonist to protagonist Phoenix Wright , specifically in
10413-546: The scene, knocking Phoenix out, after mistakenly believing him to have been cheating on Maya. Sometime later, after visiting her mother in prison and travelling with Phoenix and Maya to a mountain retreat, Pearl is tricked by her mother into attempting to channel her deceased half-sister Dahlia Hawthorne to have her kill Maya, only to be saved by her aunt, Misty Fey , who had disappeared many years prior, and Mia's former boyfriend Godot , who had been rendered comatose many years prior. Later, while Pearl's other half-sister Iris
10530-537: The second episode. She is a prodigy prosecuting attorney, becoming an attorney in Germany at the age of 13, going undefeated until she was 18. She seeks to get revenge on Phoenix, who presumes this to be because he defeated her father, Manfred von Karma. She is typically seen holding a whip and using it on others, in and out of court. She tends to use the word "fool" to describe others, and has a cold personality. Phoenix defeats her in two trials, causing her great frustration. In
10647-432: The second game, but during the production the development team learned of the character's popularity which led to Takumi feeling that he had to use the character more carefully and sparingly; he created the new prosecutor character Franziska von Karma, to save Edgeworth for the game's last case and avoid a situation where he—a supposed prodigy—loses every case. Takumi wanted the three first Ace Attorney games to be parts of
10764-422: The series being developed by other Capcom staff, comparing it to a parent sending their child to their first day in school. Yamazaki and Eshiro directed and produced the main series entries Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice . Due to being exhausted after working on Dual Destinies , Yamazaki split direction responsibilities with Takuro Fuse for Spirit of Justice; Yamazaki worked on the scenario and Fuse on
10881-405: The series had sold over 5 million units. In the United States, the first game became surprisingly successful, forcing Capcom to prepare at least three additional runs to meet the demand. By June 2018, the series had sold over 6.7 million units. As of June 30, 2024, the game series has sold 12 million copies worldwide. Geoff Thew at Hardcore Gamer said that the "craziness" of the game world makes
10998-470: The series has been adapted in the form of a live-action film and an anime ; it is the base for manga series, drama CDs , musicals and stage plays . The player takes the roles of various defense attorneys, including Phoenix Wright , his mentor Mia Fey , as well as his understudies Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes who investigate cases and defend their clients in court. They find the truth by cross-examining witnesses and finding inconsistencies between
11115-476: The series, but due to fan response, they went with Miles Edgeworth, a more popular character. Maya Fey ( 綾里 真宵 , Ayasato Mayoi ) is a spirit medium and the younger sister of Phoenix's boss, Mia Fey . Maya is introduced in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney , in which she is accused of her sister's murder and defended by Phoenix. She becomes his legal assistant and investigates cases with him in
11232-399: The sixth, Phoenix and Apollo are the main protagonists, while Athena is playable in one case. The spin-off The Great Ace Attorney is set in England near the end of the 19th century, and follows Phoenix's ancestor Ryunosuke Naruhodo. Susato Mikotoba, Naruhodo's judicial assistant, is a playable character in one chapter. Phoenix's childhood friend Miles Edgeworth , who is the protagonist of
11349-419: The spin-off games including the Professor Layton crossover and Ace Attorney Investigations . Maya, alongside Phoenix, also makes cameo appearances in several games across other genres. Pearl Fey (綾里 春美, Ayasato Harumi ) first appears in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All , where she is introduced as the sheltered younger cousin of spirit medium and investigative assistant Maya Fey and
11466-615: The spin-off series Ace Attorney Investigations , the player takes the role of prosecutor Miles Edgeworth and in the prequel series, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles , they play Phoenix's ancestor Ryunosuke Naruhodo . The series was created by the writer and director Shu Takumi . He wanted the series to end after the third game, but it continued with Takeshi Yamazaki taking over as writer and director starting with Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (2009). Takumi has since returned to write and direct some spin-off titles. The series has been well received, with reviewers liking
11583-439: The spin-off series Ace Attorney Investigations was created, directed by Takeshi Yamazaki, and produced by Motohide Eshiro; Takumi returned to the series to write the crossover Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney . He also directed and wrote the spinoff series The Great Ace Attorney , the first of which was described as being the first entry in a new Ace Attorney series. He said that he has mixed feelings about
11700-399: The testimonies and the evidence they have collected. The cases last a maximum of three days; the judge determines the outcome based on evidence presented by the defense attorney and the prosecutor. While the original Japanese versions of the games are set in Japan, the series' localizations are set in the United States (primarily Los Angeles ) though retaining Japanese cultural elements. In
11817-404: The testimonies. They are able to go back and forth between the different statements in the testimony, and can press the witness for more details on a statement. When the player finds an inconsistency, they can present a piece of evidence that contradicts the statement. If the player is correct, the game presents a sequence that often starts with the protagonist shouting "Objection!" and pointing at
11934-451: The trial of Will Powers. She tends to give lengthy speeches and irritate both Wright and Edgeworth. She has been known to crush on younger men including Edgeworth, and the deceased actors, Jack Hammer and Juan Corrida. Will Powers ( 荷星 三郎 , Niboshi Saburō ) is an actor under Global Studios, best known for the tokusatsu show, Steel Samurai. He was one of Wright's clients, having been accused of murdering Jack Hammer. He later served as
12051-533: The trial's conclusion (the death having been proven to be accidental in nature), Pearl revisits the aquarium with Phoenix, Athena, Trucy, and Apollo Justice . In Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice , Pearl briefly appears in Kurain Village after Apollo visits it with his deceased adoptive father Dhurke Sahdmadhi (channeled by Maya), providing them with directions to a cave they were searching for. After Maya finally returns from her medium studies in
12168-528: The trial, he learns that Dhurke was actually murdered himself just days prior, and was being channeled by Maya Fey in the intervening time. The trial results in Queen Ga'ran's deposition, and Justice decides to stay in Khura'in to run Dhurke's old law office, now known as the Justice Law Offices. Trucy Wright ( 成歩堂 みぬき , Naruhodō Minuki ) , born Trucy Enigmar ( 奈々伏 みぬき , Nanafushi Minuki ) ,
12285-543: The true perpetrator of the crime. Two months later, he joins the Wright Talent Agency, which is then renamed the Wright Anything Agency, and defends three more clients against his former mentor's brother, prosecutor Klavier Gavin. While defending the last of these clients, Justice proves that Kristoph Gavin was behind the forgery that led to Wright's disbarment, allowing Wright to retake the bar exam and become
12402-433: The witness along with a shift in music before they begin to grill the witness with the inconsistency, which has become an iconic aspect of the series. The player is penalized if they present incorrect evidence: in the first game, a number of exclamation marks are shown, with one disappearing after each mistake the player makes; in later games, a health bar that represents the judge's patience is used instead; and in 3DS games,
12519-408: The writing, praising its balance between "light-hearted nonsense" and darker, more serious scenarios. Several reviewers have appreciated the series' characters; Thew felt that Phoenix and Maya's banter is among the best in video games, and that Edgeworth's character arc is one of the most compelling parts of the stories. Reviewers have liked finding contradictions; a common complaint however,
12636-547: Was a big chance for him to make a mark as a creator. The game was designed to be simple, as Takumi wanted it to be easy enough for even his mother to play. Originally it was going to be a detective game and Phoenix was a private investigator , but at one point Takumi realized that finding and taking apart contradictions was not related to detective work; he felt that the main setting of the game should be in courtrooms. Takumi cited Japanese mystery author Edogawa Ranpo as being an inspiration, particularly The Psychological Test ,
12753-501: Was a ruthless perfectionist prosecutor who maintained a perfect trial record for 40 years. He is the mentor of Miles Edgeworth and father of Franziska von Karma. He serves as the prosecutor in charge of the final case of the first game, and makes appearances in the Investigations sub-series during flashbacks to the past. Wendy Oldbag ( 大場 カオル , Ōba Kaoru ) is an elderly security guard first seen working for Global Studios during
12870-415: Was given a digital-only release in the West to release the English version as close to the Japanese release date as possible and maintain a tight development schedule. Its follow-up, Spirit of Justice , was released in the same manner. Both The Great Ace Attorney games were released in the West with English localization in July 2021 as part of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, while Prosecutor's Gambit
12987-451: Was included in the video game Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney due to the developers' desire to bring back some familiar faces to it, where she became a homicide detective after failing to qualify for her dream job. As a result, she became moodier and addicted to a chocolate treat called "Snackoos." In Spirit of Justice , she finally passed the test to become a forensic investigator and lightens up. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
13104-475: Was mocked by players as the dish later became more well known in the West, and was lampshaded in the English release of Spirit of Justice , where Maya is described as liking both ramen and burgers. Character names were localized using double meanings similarly to the Japanese names; the name puns were based on the characters' personalities or backgrounds, or were visual gags. Several English names were based on their Japanese counterparts, but for some characters
13221-620: Was not localized until its inclusion in the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection in September 2024. The Ace Attorney series has been well received by critics, and has performed well commercially: in December 2009, it was Capcom's 9th-best-selling series of all time, and in October 2010, they called it one of their "strongest intellectual properties", with more than 3.9 million units sold worldwide. By December 2013,
13338-486: Was originally to star Ema Skye, but due to the response from the fanbase, they chose to replace her with Miles Edgeworth, who was a much more popular character. Instead, she was featured as a secondary character in both Investigations games. The unnamed Judge ( 裁判長 , Saibanchō ) presides over the vast majority of trials shown in the Ace Attorney series. He is a naïve older man whose age and poor hearing lead to him misunderstanding statements in court. He will penalize
13455-514: Was originally written to be cheerier, but once Mia's death was written, the song was changed by adding a semitonal chord shift to the main part of the song to express sadness. Mia Fey has received generally positive reception. Dengeki writer Ayana felt that her words to Phoenix, to reverse his way of thinking, resonated with her, feeling that being able to change one's way of thinking was a valuable quality in all walks of life. Eurogamer writer Jay Castello, while discussing their desire to become
13572-452: Was planned to be used only in the first game, but expanded this aspect in the second and third games, where the third entry became centered around spirit mediums. Takumi expressed worry, when designing her younger self for Trials and Tribulations , about pulling it off properly. When designing the fourth episode of Trials and Tribulations , Takumi wanted Mia to face off against Edgeworth, but experienced complications due to both having not lost
13689-758: Was written by Eisaku Saito. A 2012 live-action film adaptation of the first game, titled Ace Attorney , was produced at the film studio Toei and directed by Takashi Miike . A 2016 TV anime adaptation of the series, Ace Attorney , was produced at A-1 Pictures and directed by Ayumu Watanabe . Kodansha has published several manga based on the series: a short story anthology was published in Bessatsu Young Magazine in 2006; Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth were serialized in Weekly Young Magazine in 2007 and 2009, respectively; and another manga, which
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