Ace Attorney is a series of adventure/visual novel games created by Shu Takumi.[1] Players assume the role of a defense attorney in a fictional courtroom setting. 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, and Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. Character names for the English release of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney were changed significantly from the original Japanese names in Gyakuten Saiban: Yomigaeru Gyakuten to help with the localization of the game.[2]
Phoenix Wright (成歩堂 龍一 Naruhodō Ryūichi) is a defense attorney and the protagonist of the first three games, as well as being a secondary character in Apollo Justice. In his childhood, he befriended Larry Butz and Miles Edgeworth. He was accused of murder while studying in college, but was successfully defended by Mia Fey. He eventually joined up with Mia's office. After Mia was murdered, Phoenix inherited the office, renaming it "Wright and Co.", and continued his work as a defense attorney. He is typically seen wearing a blue suit with a white shirt and red tie. In the courtroom, Phoenix was known for wildly guessing at the truth, allowing him to "turnabout" the court to his favor.
During a case seven years prior to the events of Apollo Justice, two months after Trials and Tribulations, he was forced to forfeit his attorney's badge after presenting evidence that, unknown to him, was forged. Two weeks later he adopted Trucy Wright as his daughter after his client Enigmar vanished. Some time later, Wright's Law and Co Office was renamed "Wright Talent Agency". Seven years later, now sporting a toque, casual hoody and pants, he was an undefeated Poker player in a bar where he worked as a pianist. When he was accused of murder again and found innocent by greenhorn defense attorney Apollo Justice, Phoenix offered Apollo a position in his agency. Apollo joined the agency and Phoenix renamed it the "Wright Anything Agency". Later on, it is revealed that he retained Maya's Magatama, and it was also implied that he had, to some extent, stayed in contact with his friends from the previous games. During the credits of Apollo Justice, he is seen considering either taking piano lessons or taking the bar exam again.
His English name is a play on the words "phoenix", the bird that rises from its own ashes, and a homonym on the word "right". His Japanese surname is a pun on the phrase "naruhodo", meaning "I see". He is voiced by Shū Takumi and Ben Judd in the Japanese and English games respectively, by Takayuki Kondō in promotional trailers shown at the Tokyo Game Show, and is portrayed by Tomu Ranju in the musical. In the upcoming film and the Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney videogame, he is portrayed by Hiroki Narimiya.
In Case 3 of Ace Attorney Investigations, he makes a very minor cameo with Maya and Pearl; they are in a boat on a river.
Phoenix appears as a playable fighter in Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, where he is voiced by Sam Riegal.[3]
Miles Edgeworth (御剣 怜侍 Mitsurugi Reiji) is Phoenix Wright's long time friend and first rival in the court room. He is playable in Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations and is the main protagonist of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Gyakuten Kenji 2. 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 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 has not lost a case he was involved with until his first trial against Phoenix, after which he felt a need to defeat Phoenix. After Phoenix successfully defended Miles in a murder accusation from his former mentor, Miles recognized that prosecutors and defense attorneys need to be partners in discovering the truth. He disappeared for a long period of time on a journey of self-discovery and returned to help Phoenix on some of his more difficult cases, including stepping in as the defense attorney when Phoenix was ill and bedridden. He is usually seen wearing a vintage-style maroon suit with a black vest, white shirt and cravat. In Trials and Tribulations he is shown wearing a more elaborate jacket with gold braid during his first trial against Mia Fey. This jacket is later seen framed on the wall of his office in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. A running gag is that Edgeworth is usually unable to get his witnesses to state their names and occupations. Also, in both the manga and the games, it is implied that he is a closet Steel Samurai fan. He also has a phobia of earthquakes and elevators, due to the incident in which his father was murdered (DL-6). He also has his fair share of female fans, especially Wendy Oldbag, an older lady who is apparently obsessed with him, much to his chagrin.
Edgeworth's starring appearance in Ace Attorney Investigations takes place a month after the final case of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials & Tribulations. On the way home from a month-long voyage to the fictional nation of Borginia, he finds himself caught up in a murder of a man on his plane. After solving the case and discovering the man's true identity, he is called upon by an old friend to deliver the ransom at an amusement park in his son's kidnapping. This unfortunately leads to yet another murder which Edgeworth is tasked to solve (despite difficulties dealing with Interpol). During this case, he encounters a female thief named Kay Faraday whom he actually met during his very first case seven years before. Once the case is solved, he returns to his office only to find yet another murder (and a theft) waiting for him. The cases all tie together as a series of events that concern a secret and powerful criminal organization (Yatagarasu), which all comes to a head during the final case of the game.
Edgeworth's starring debut was originally going to star Ema Skye, another character from the series, but due to fan response, they went with Miles Edgeworth, a more popular character.[4] Miles is voiced by Ace Attorney character designer Tatsurō Iwamoto in the video games and by Eiji Takemoto in Tokyo Game Show promotions for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations. On stage, he is portrayed by Hikaru Nanaho in the first musical and by Hiro Yūmi in the second musical.
Edgeworth makes a cameo appearance in She-Hulk's ending for Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds as one of the attorneys (the other being Wright) working on "Jen's Justice", a courtroom reality series hosted by She-Hulk. He and Wright panic when She-Hulk bangs her gavel so hard, she breaks the judge's stand in two.
The Fey family (綾里家 Ayasato-ke) is a known family of powerful spirit mediums that reside in Kurain Village. The Fey family is divided into two lines, the main line (consisting of Misty, Mia, and Maya) and the branch family (consisting of Morgan, Iris, Dahlia, and Pearl). The issues with this family and spirit "channeling" is at the center of many cases in the series.
Misty Fey (綾里 舞子 Ayasato Maiko) is the mother of Mia and Maya, and was the former Master of Kurain Village. She was asked to assist in the DL-6 case, but the results of her actions proved to be untrue; as a result, she disappeared for several years, though remained aware of her daughters' lives. When she learned of Morgan Fey's plot to displace Maya from the Kurain Village Master through Godot, she came out of hiding, disguised as children's book author "Elise Deauxnim", and sacrificed herself to save Maya's life.
Mia Fey (綾里 千尋 Ayasato Chihiro) is Misty's eldest daughter, opting to become a defense attorney after her mother disappeared as a result of the DL-6 case. She also became a lawyer because she did not want to have competition with Maya over the Kurain Masters seat, as their mother had with their aunt Morgan. She is typically seen wearing a black skirt-suit paired with a tan neckerchief. She started her work in Marvin Grossberg's law office, then moved to her own law firm. Shortly after bringing Phoenix on board, she was murdered by Redd White, whom she was investigating prior to her death. Redd White is the one who leaked information about her mother's failed spirit channeling to the press. Even after her death, however, Maya and Pearl's channeling abilities help her to reappear during several of Phoenix's trials, helping him out as a mentor in the most difficult and desperate of times. She is a playable character during certain chapters of Trials and Tribulations.
Maya Fey (綾里 真宵 Ayasato Mayoi) is the younger daughter of Misty Fey and a medium-in-training. She becomes the Master of the Kurain Village after Misty's death in the final case of Trials and Tribulations. After Mia was murdered, Maya stayed around to assist Phoenix in both investigations and the courtroom throughout the series. Over the first three games, she has developed a very close bond with Phoenix and mistaken by Pearl to be in a romantic relationship with him, although it is uncertain whether Maya is actually interested in Phoenix (Some evidence such as the Shelly de Killer card causes some confusion as to Maya's love interest). Maya is Phoenix's closest friend and it distresses him greatly when she is in trouble. She is an eccentric, yet charming character and is often seen convincing Phoenix to follow her rather obscure and comical trains of thought. Maya has an insatiable appetite and has an affinity for cheeseburgers (in the Japanese version, ramen) and various snacks. She is also a huge fan of many tokusatsu shows, particularly the Steel Samurai, which she watches with an almost religious devotion. She always wears the same Kurain outfit which people are frequently commenting on.
In Case 3 of Ace Attorney investigations she makes a cameo with Phoenix and Pearl, they are in a boat on river. Maya makes an appearance alongside Phoenix in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, aiding him during his special moves.
In the Gyakuten Saiban film and the Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney videogame, she is portrayed by Mirei Kiritani.
Morgan Fey (綾里 キミ子 Ayasato Kimiko), is Misty Fey's older sister, and the head of the Fey branch family. She is one of the main antagonists of the series. She has been married twice, having Dahlia and Iris from her first marriage and Pearl in her second. She is overly protective of Pearl and schemes to great lengths to try to destroy the Fey main family line, so she can instill Pearl as the Master of Kurain.
In Justice For All, Morgan tries to discredit Maya as Master of Kurain by aiding and abetting a murderer during one of Maya's spirit channelings, but she is exposed and sentenced to solitary confinement. In Trials and Tribulations, Morgan does not appear but is found to be behind the murderous actions of her daughter Dahlia.
Pearl Fey (綾里 春美 Ayasato Harumi) is Morgan's youngest daughter. Though still young, her channeling ability is very strong. She rarely leaves Kurain Village, and is awed by the big city when she visits Maya. She is very polite to everyone she meets, calling Phoenix "Mr. Nick" and referring to Maya as "Mystic Maya" (in turn, Phoenix and Maya affectionately refer to her as "Pearls" or "Pearly.") She believes that Phoenix and Maya are romantically interested in each other, and gets angry if Phoenix does anything she believes would upset Maya. Maya reveals that growing up in Kurain Village has a huge number of unsuccessful marriages, which Pearl is curious of. She charges Phoenix's magatama that he got from Maya, allowing him to see Psyche-Locks within people's hearts.
Winston Payne (亜内 武文 Auchi Takefumi) is a prosecutor that generally starts off with a strong case for the prosecution, but can be quickly demoralized when the defense attorney finds holes in the evidence. Payne is smug, and seems to enjoy mocking young attorneys, earning him the nickname "Rookie Killer". He serves as the first prosecutor the player goes against in all four games. He also makes a cameo in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth in the first case, in which he offers his help, but Miles cannot seem to remember who he is (he thinks that "Mr. Payne" is the name of the building custodian). Payne is characterized by his thick glasses and his shrill, high-pitched voice. In his first appearance he wears a gray suit and red tie, and has thin, wispy hair. For his return in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney he wears a bright pea-green suit and has grown his hair out on the sides. In his appearance in Trials and Tribulations, he was shown to have had a pompadour hairstyle in his younger days, but the stress and humiliation of losing his first case (to Mia Fey, a rookie at the time) was too much for him to handle, reducing him to his thin, wispy hair. His English name is a pun of the phrase "Winced in Pain" (which he often does when he is humiliated in court) with his Japanese surname being a pun on the English word 'ouchie'.
Dick Gumshoe (糸鋸 圭介 Itonokogiri Keisuke) is a police detective from the homicide division. He is often the head detective overseeing the crime, and provides evidence and his opinion both during the investigation phase and while on the witness stand during the trial phases. A running joke throughout the series is his salary—he constantly finds himself in dire financial straits due to his unconventional style of detective work and the trouble that it puts him in with his superiors, most notably with Franziska von Karma—at one point Miles Edgeworth actually tells him "This is exactly why your salary keeps on getting cut!" after making an embarrassing mistake. He develops a love interest in Maggey Byrde. Gumshoe's signature dirty green-brown overcoat is replaced by a new one (which he refers to as his non-important coat) in the Trials and Tribulations story, but makes a return in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth.
As of the sixth game, Ace Attorney Investigations 2, Gumshoe, Payne (albeit only a cameo) and Wright (another cameo) are the only characters who appear in every game in the series.
In the original Japanese version, the detective has a distinct verbal habit of ending his sentences with "-su", a sloppy pronunciation of the politeness marker "desu". The localization has him refer to people as "Pal" to keep the distinctive pattern.
Franziska von Karma (狩魔 冥 Karuma Mei) is the daughter of Manfred von Karma. Franziska became a prosecutor in Germany at the age of 13, and was undefeated during that time. When Miles disappeared on his journey of self-discovery, Franziska took his place at the prosecutor's stand, looking to defeat Phoenix to step out of her adoptive brother's shadow. Once Miles reappears, she still held resentment towards Phoenix, but helps out in a case in Trials and Tribulations. Franziska always carries a whip with her and uses it freely on anyone and everyone at the courtroom except Miles Edgeworth (except the time in Trials and Tribulations in where she told him to get some air; and in Investigations where she uses her whip on him quite happily), and is fond of calling others "foolish fools", in addition to generally abusing the word "fool". Though her personality seems razor sharp and very cold, she cries openly when Miles departs, and apparently loves him like a "little" brother, though he is older than she is. However, she stated at the end of Justice for All that she had always hated him, mostly due to jealousy. Her thoughts on Phoenix Wright himself seem to be varied, but by the end of "Trials and Tribulations" she has clear respect for his legal skills, and by the end of the game Phoenix clearly regards her as a friend and ally. There is also a sequence in which Franziska is having an argument with Phoenix, and he makes a mental comment that she "Is so openly hostile, its actually kind of cute.", but Franziska duly whips him for smirking at the thought.
Franziska also appears in the fifth case of "Trials and Tribulations", in which she cooperates with Phoenix and Edgeworth, and her character seems to have grown some over the course of the past year. She is still very hostile towards Phoenix, but also clearly seems to have a great deal of respect for him, and even rises to his defense against prosecutor Godot. She also has a drawing of Phoenix that Maya did during the fourth case of "Justice for All" that she claims to be keeping safe until she sees him again, however it is never mentioned again.
Franziska's most recent appearance comes in Ace Attorney Investigations. She first runs into Edgeworth during the game's second case. She has been brought on as an Interpol associate who was supposed to meet the victim of the case, an Interpol agent investigating a smuggling operation. The fourth case takes place seven years before and Franziska makes an appearance as a 13-year old prosecutor-in-training on vacation from her studies in Germany when she gets wrapped up in a murder at the courthouse. In the final case, she is serving as head of embassy security detail during a major event when a legendary thief strikes the embassy. She and Edgeworth work together to unravel a 10-year old mystery and bring the head of a powerful criminal organization to justice. Her personality changes little from the original three games, although it seems to be based on the much more aggressive Franziska that appeared in "Justice For All". rather than the slightly more helpful and friendly version from "Trials and Tribluations". Franziska's personality at 13 is also more or less the same, however she is clearly regarded as an adult by every character other than Edgeworth and Detective Badd. Kay refers to her as being a lady, despite an age difference of only three years between the two.
GamesRadar named Franziska "Miss 2007", calling her one of the sexiest new video game characters from 2000-2009. They commented that while her aggressive, cruel attitude is sexy for sadomasochists, the vulnerability of her character is what made her so alluring.[5] They also called her one of the top 20 overlooked game babes, again citing her "S&M overtones" as well as a "Star Trek bouffant" for why she may be overlooked.[6]
Manfred von Karma (狩魔 豪 Karuma Gō) is a meticulous, ruthless prosecutor who is known for having a perfect record of getting all guilty sentences in every case. This "perfect record" was blemished when Miles' father Gregory discovered forged evidence—though the incident itself did not result in a not-guilty verdict, von Karma was penalized. He then nearly went insane. When Miles is accused of murder, it is later discovered that the case was set up by Manfred in order to exact complete revenge against both Gregory and Miles- Edgeworth through murder, for tarnishing his reputation; and Miles through a guilty verdict, for accidentally shooting von Karma in the shoulder. He eventually lost the case to Phoenix Wright therefore ruining his 40-year-long winning streak. Manfred has two daughters, one named Franziska, but the other daughter's name is unknown. Manfred adopted Miles after Gregory's death, becoming his mentor. As stated in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney he has a granddaughter who has a dog named "Phoenix". References to him in successive Ace Attorney titles reveal that he was found guilty of all charges brought forth in the fourth case, and although it is never directly stated, it is implied that he received the death sentence. He also appears in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, to aid Edgeworth in his first case. In this case, it is shown that although Manfred says to him that he needs a perfect win, he also shows care about Edgeworth. In the same case, he states "A prosecutor is a guardian of the court, one with no obligation to outside matters".[6]
Ema Skye (宝月 茜 Hōzuki Akane) is the younger sister of Chief Prosecutor Lana Skye (宝月 巴 Hōzuki Tomoe) 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, Houdzuki, translates to "treasured moon" or "jeweled moon". She was included in the video game Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney due to the developers' desire to bring back some familiar faces to it.[7] Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth 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.[4] She was featured as a secondary character in it.
During the initial investigation phase, she introduces him to the basics of examining acquired evidence, as well as utilizing luminol and fingerprinting to obtain evidence. Ema was also a witness in the SL-9 case two years before, which would eventually become inextricably linked to the current one involving her sister. When waiting for her sister in the chief's office, Ema—aged fourteen at the time—is attacked by serial killer Joe Darke, a serial killer fleeing from questioning. He comes forward with a knife but Neil Marshall comes to defend Ema but ends up being the last victim in Darke's killings. In this case—SL-9 Incident, Lana Skye provides false evidence which causes uproar in her own trial when she admits to it. The character designer has remarked that Ema looks like Maya while her sister looks like Mia (Ema and Maya's most noticeable similarity is their hairstyle, which the character designer pointed out).
After her sister is arrested as an accomplice to a murder, Ema traveled to Europe to study forensics, but failed the final exam. She returned after several years and joined the police force as a detective in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. The assigned tasks for Ema are rather mundane compared to her ideal job, and she is often found eating her favorite snack, fried dough cakes, which she calls "Snackoos" (karinto in the Japanese version) while waiting for something to happen. She often carries around forensic tools and helps Apollo Justice eagerly when such investigation is needed. She seems to be under the belief that Apollo is Phoenix's apprentice.
Ema Skye also appears in Ace Attorney Investigations. She appears pursuing Edgeworth to a theme park at Gumshoe's request for a forensic specialist who could help them directly. She claims to be on spring break from her forensic studies in Europe and attempted to intercept Edgeworth after he arrived in the country the day before but missed him. Using her forensic skills, she managed to trace him to the park. She is distasteful to her boss Klavier Gavin who constantly tries to flirt with her. She calls him a "Glimmerous Fop" referring to his arrogant rock star attitude.
Nintendo World Report editor Michael Cole commented that Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney's witnesses are not quite as funny or interesting as the ones in the Phoenix Wright story arc, specifically mentioning Ema Skye, adding that she lacks Dick Gumshoe's "lovable incompetence".[8]
The Judge (裁判長 Saibanchō) is the same character during the majority of the Ace Attorney games. He rules on objections, examines the evidence, and calls on witnesses to take the stand. He is easily swayed by other people's opinions and feelings (which apparently resulted in him getting the nickname "Judge Fickle" according to the first case of Trials and Tribulations), and can also be quite clueless at times, requiring either the prosecution or defense to explain the facts. It is claimed that he never got the verdict wrong and because of that he has been dubbed "The Great Judgini". Damon Gant calls him "Udgey", and it seems they are friends as Damon Gant mentions them going swimming and playing golf together. The regular Judge has a brother, who is also a judge in the same district and appears in cases 2, 4 and 5 of Trials and Tribulations; his brother speaks with a Canadian accent in the English localization and has a blonde beard. He claims he is called "The Great Poker-Head of Courtroom No.3" in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, but Apollo reckons he means poker-face.
The Judge also seems to have difficulty understanding, or possibly hearing the other characters, and often mistakes things Phoenix and Apollo say in the courtroom, and often remaining on the subject for some time. In "Justice For All" Phoenix presents a bandana as evidence in the game's third episode, "Turnabout Bigtop", but The Judge mishears the evidence's description and begins calling it a banana. Even despite Phoenix re-explaining the evidence to him, he still continues with the banana idea, thinking that the bandana is banana scented. Apollo has no better luck, and ends up explaining impossibly simple things to the Judge, such as nail polish or digital cameras.
During the fourth case of Ace Attorney Investigations, the judge is questioned as a witness to corroborate Detective Gumshoe's claim that he was standing in the hallway when the incident takes place.
No one in the series knows the Judge's real name as he is always addressed as "Your Honor" in court.
The Judge make an appearance in Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 in one of Phoenix's Hyper Combos.
Larry Butz (矢張 政志 Yahari Masashi) is a childhood friend of Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth. Due to his antics in school, he earned the catchphrase "When something smells, it's usually the Butz". This still holds true as an adult. Larry is very flight-of-fancy and quite prone to yelling fits, and has held several jobs over the years (a hot dog vendor, a security guard, a painter, and as the Steel Samurai). A running joke throughout the series with him is that he has had a number of different girlfriends, nearly always a model, who dumps him for other men. He is also a hopeless flirt; he hits on practically any and every girl he meets, regardless of their relationship status or even interest in him; Maya Fey, Mia Fey, Franziska von Karma and countless female witnesses and characters have had passes made on them by Larry. Comedically, the judge (and Gumshoe, referring to Phoenix) constantly mispronounces his name as "Harry" (as in "Harry Butz") on several occasions. His Japanese name is a pun on the phrase やはり or やっぱり, which means "as I thought" (which is likely where the phrase "...it's usually the Butz" comes from. In the Japanese version, the schoolyard saying was "Just as I thought...Yahari's at the bottom of this mess").
Wendy Oldbag (大場 カオル Ōba Kaoru) is an elderly woman with an affinity for younger men, who are usually in show business but also with Miles Edgeworth. She seems to love men with authority. Over the years, she has worked several security-related jobs. Her name is a play on the phrase "Windy Old Bag" because of her tendency to be long winded when ranting about how things were in her childhood. She is terse with those that get in her way and when she is annoyed she calls Phoenix Wright a whippersnapper. During Ace Attorney Investigations, Oldbag appears both at the Gatewater Land amusement park and at the Allebahst/Babahl joint embassy and acts as a witness in cases 3 and 5. She has only ever appeared in cases where Edgeworth is involved, much to his chagrin.
Will Powers (荷星 三郎 Niboshi Saburō) is an actor who plays the popular superhero "Steel Samurai" on television. When the show is canceled after a murder case, he becomes the lead role in another television show, "The Pink Princess". Despite his fierce appearance and the heroic roles he plays in children's television shows, he is actually quite timid. Various people have also stated that he plays masked characters, to hide is ugly face from the public. Powers is also a witness in the last case of Justice for All.
Lotta Hart (大沢木 ナツミ Ōsawagi Natsumi) is a photographer that has an interest in unusual sightings such as lake monsters and paranormal occurrences. In the localization, she has a stereotypically heavy Southern accent (in the Japanese version she has an Osaka accent) and comically abuses it to the chagrin of other characters. She has appeared in the first and second Ace Attorney games as a regular witness, usually over the ambiguous images her camera catches of the crime scene.
In Ace Attorney Investigations, she appeared as a cameo in Theatrum Neutralis in Case 5 after Kay and Edgeworth enter, as she is seen beside the TV with Steel Samurai video. It's later implied that Lotta also managed to catch a photograph of what appears to be the Yatagarasu, though she herself does not present it (it is instead confiscated and presented by Detective Badd).
Maggey Byrde (須々木 マコ Suzuki Mako) was a police officer, but when she was accused of killing her boyfriend who was also an officer—though found innocent—she was forced to retire from the force and ended up working in a French restaurant known as "Très Bien". She is a magnet for trouble (ever since she fell off the ninth floor of her apartment, she has been known as "Goddess of Misfortune" and "Lady Luckless") and Phoenix defends her twice against murder charges, in both cases framed by the real killer. She is also implicated in a murder case in Ace Attorney Investigations, working as a security guard. She becomes involved in a romantic relationship with Dick Gumshoe.
Adrian Andrews (華宮 霧緒 Kamiya Kirio) was involved in a complicated relationship with two television stars, and with another assistant who also was her close friend and mentor. After her mentor committed suicide, Adrian became reclusive. Following her former boss's murder conviction, she gained employment at a department store working as an assistant for special events. Adrian can easily drift off into her own thoughts, is accident-prone, and can be high-strung at times. She seems also to depend on other people, as mentioned by Edgeworth, Phoenix, and Mia on different occasions.
Gregory Edgeworth (御剣 信 Mitsurugi Shin) was the father of Miles Edgeworth. He was a highly successful defense attorney, and inspired his son to become a lawyer. However, after the conclusion of a particular trial, he was murdered in an elevator after an earthquake. The subsequent investigation, known as "DL-6", was the focus of the first game, and would continue to be referenced throughout the series. During the investigation, police called upon the services of Misty Fey to channel his spirit in order to reveal the identity of his murderer. His spirit claimed Yanni Yogi as his murderer, though during the trial it was found that the accused was completely innocent, leading to a public scandal. Interestingly, the English name "Edgeworth" seems to be a play on his Japanese surname 御剣, which contains the kanji for "sword".
Marvin Grossberg (星影 宇宙ノ介 Hoshikage Soranosuke) is a defense attorney and namesake of the Grossberg Criminal Defense law firm. Mia Fey once worked under him, supervising her during the trial of a younger Phoenix Wright. Diego Armando also worked under him. Marvin is aware of the history of the Fey family and the events of the infamous "DL-6" case that ties several cases together, but is cautious about giving out that information to others for the sole purpose that the last person to whom he gave the evidence was Redd White, who then blackmailed Grossberg, stealing a precious painting in the process. Marvin is characterized by his bulky appearance and by his long throat-clearing noise.
April May (松竹 梅世 Shōchiku Umeyo) is a secretary at Bluecorp and a witness in the murder of Mia Fey. She accuses Mia's sister, Maya Fey, for the murder. She is known in her short appearance by her short temper and ability to seduce most men in the jury and the judge, not unlike the powers of Dahlia Hawthorne.
Redd White (小中 大 Konaka Masaru) is the CEO of Bluecorp, a private detective and information agency. He blackmails people to get what he wants, including many politicians, policemen, and other figures of authority. First an enemy of Misty Fey, and later, Mia Fey, from the DL-6 case 15 years prior to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. He murders Mia in order to prevent her from blowing the whistle on his blackmailing, forming the second case of the game. He tries to force the blame first on Mia's sister Maya Fey, and later Phoenix. He confesses to his crime when Mia (being channeled by Maya) threatens to reveal a list of people he was blackmailing to the public.
Yanni Yogi (灰根 高太郎 Haine Kōtarō) is a former court bailiff who was (wrongly) believed to be the murderer in the DL-6 incident. He was defended by Robert Hammond, who told him to pretend to have brain damage in order to avoid a guilty verdict. Although this strategy worked, his life was effectively destroyed; his fiancee Polly Jenkins committed suicide and he lost his job and social standing. Nearly fifteen years later, he tried to get revenge on Hammond, and Miles Edgeworth, who he believed to be the real murderer in DL-6; he murdered Hammond, and framed Edgeworth for the killing, forming the game's fourth case. Eventually, he confesses of his own free will to the crime.
Dahlia Hawthorne (美柳 ちなみ Miyanagi Chinami) appears to be a sweet and innocent girl but with a sinister and demonic twist in her personality, similar to what the flower present in her name represents; instability. She is able to manipulate others to do her bidding using her looks and seemingly shy demeanor. Years before the events of Trials and Tribulations, Dahlia was involved in a fake kidnapping in which she got her hands on a very valuable diamond. Five years later, she was forced to murder both her co-conspirators to prevent the truth getting out. She is ultimately charged with murder and sent to be executed, thanks to the work of Mia, but not before she can plot one last time with Morgan in one of her plans to dispose of Maya, as an act of revenge against Mia. She also dated Phoenix while he was in college, although her primary purpose was to hide evidence, rather than for romantic purposes. She is Mia and Godot's arch nemesis and arguably the main antagonist of Trials and Tribulations.
Iris (あやめ Ayame) is Dahlia's identical twin sister, but with black hair instead of red and does not share the same evil personality. Somehow, the characters in the game are unable to tell her and her twin sister apart, despite their hair color difference. Abandoned at a nearby monastery as a small child, she received love and motherly care from the head nun there, Sister Bikini. Iris was later requested by her sister to help in a plan to steal a two million dollar diamond from her father but didn't show up and was considered a backstabber. Her role in this plan was unknown. She masqueraded as her sister Dahlia during the majority of her "relationship" with Phoenix to get back the bottle that Dahlia gave Phoenix, and fell in love with him, which may represent the iris flower (for burning, or passion) as revealed in Trials and Tribulations. This is one of the only characters whose name in the English version is a direct translation of the Japanese name (Ayame means "iris").
Apollo Justice (王泥喜 法介 Odoroki Hōsuke) is the new defense attorney protagonist for the fourth Ace Attorney game. Apollo gets his start defending Phoenix Wright in the courtroom while under the tutelage of his mentor Kristoph Gavin. After Kristoph is arrested, Phoenix offers Apollo a job at the "Wright Anything Agency". As one of the Gramarye, he has a special bracelet which he uses to read subtle changes in body language to expose lies from witnesses. He wears a red vest and trousers, white shirt with his sleeves rolled up and a blue tie. His English name is a reference to the Greek god of truth and knowledge while his surname gives him the opportunity to make numerous puns such as "It's time for Justice!" Apollo is known for using his "chords of steel" to loudly assert his cases in the courtroom, though he is often reprimanded for this, and has a habit of constantly saying "I'm fine" all the time when nervous. He is also the half brother of Trucy, but is unaware of this fact.
Kristoph Gavin (牙琉 霧人 Garyū Kirihito, his given name in the Japanese version is an anagram for the word hitokiri, which means "assassin") is Klavier's older brother, Apollo's mentor and Phoenix's acquaintance for many years. Kristoph is known for his usually calm and sophisticated demeanor in court, earning him the nickname "the coolest defense in the West." He runs his own attorney firm, called the Gavin Law Offices. He is found to be a suspect in a murder, and later discovered to be at the center of Phoenix's disbarring seven years prior to Apollo Justice, resentful that Phoenix was chosen, instead of him, to defend in a trial that would have bought him great fame should he have won the trial.
Klavier Gavin (牙琉 響也 Garyū Kyōya) is Kristoph's younger brother, a prosecutor, as well as lead vocalist and lead guitar for the rock band the Gavinners, made up of various people in law enforcement. In a stark contrast to the series' previous prosecutors, Klavier, despite being a perfectionist, does not strive for maintaining a perfect record in the courtroom, but making sure that justice is duly served by working with the defense attorneys to achieve the proper verdict. Unlike the previous prosecutors from the series, who usually displayed outright contempt for Phoenix, he is quite civil to Apollo when they run into each other. Despite this, he nicknames Apollo "Herr Forehead" (in reference to a contradiction Apollo pointed out in court, as well as Apollo's forehead being quite prominent). He studied law in Germany, like Franziska von Karma, and often uses bits of German vocabulary in his speech. His name is derived from the German word "klavier" meaning piano. His style of dress reflects his rock star personality; the collar of his shirt is left open and he wears a chain-link belt and a large necklace bearing his last initial. He claims he wishes to keep himself simple, because the rest of the world is complicated. At the end of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Klavier disbanded the Gavinners after their rhythm guitarist was convicted of murdering an Interpol agent. In the 3rd case of Ace Attorney Investigations, the Gavinner's logo appears in the stadium's stage. He often tries to tease his employee, Ema Skye, who calls him a "glimmerous fop".
Troupe Gramarye is a close-knit team of stage magicians. They play a major role in the final two cases of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney.
Magnifi Gramarye (或真敷 天斎 Arumajiki Tensai) is the founder of the Gramarye Troupe and the biological grandfather of both Apollo and Trucy. In his bloodline lies the power to perceive the nervous habits other people displays when they are tense or lying. Though he committed a suicide after passing on the leadership of the Troupe to Zak, the incident is treated as a murder case with Zak the only suspect, during which Phoenix lost his attorney's badge. In the 3rd case of Ace Attorney Investigations, the name GRAMARYE TROUPE is seen behind the stadium's stage
Thalassa Gramarye (或真敷 優海 Arumajiki Yūmi) is the only daughter of Magnifi Gramarye and is the biological mother of both Apollo and Trucy. She was hidden by her father after an unexpected accident during a rehearsal of a magic trick in which either Zak or Valant shot her, resulting in retrograde amnesia and blindness. After being discovered by a record producer for her singing voice, her identity was changed to Lamiroir (ラミロア Ramiroa), and became a popular Borginian singer. She is accompanied by her pianist Machi Tobaye at all times due to her blindness, but the producer orders Machi to feign blindness while Lamiroir acts as his guide—while it is in fact the opposite. She later regained her memory at the end of the game after being one of the jurists in the final case.
Note: while the game claims Lamiroir means "siren" in Borginian, "Lamiroir" is extremely close to the French for "the mirror" (le miroir).
Zak Gramarye (或真敷 ザック Arumajiki Zakku), whose real name is Shadi Enigmar (奈々伏 影郎 Nanafushi Kagerō), is the biological father of Trucy Wright and the second husband of Thalassa. He was chosen by Magnifi to inherit the secret trade of the Gramarye Troupe. He was the defendant in the case of Magnifi's murder, and was able to escape arrest before a verdict was made. Seven years later, he returned with the new identity of Shadi Smith, a traveler, but is killed shortly afterward by Kristoph Gavin.
Valant Gramarye (或真敷 バラン Arumajiki Baran) is a colleague of Zak and Thalassa, he completes the trio of the Gramarye Troupe, but is the last known Gramarye after Zak and Thalassa's disappearances. He is striving to revive the popularity of the Gramarye Troupe which was lost seven years ago.
Trucy Wright (成歩堂 みぬき Naruhodō Minuki) is the daughter of Thalassa and Zak Gramarye and as such possesses the power of perception like her mother and grandfather Magnifi. After Zak fled the courtroom during Magnifi's murder trial, Phoenix decided to adopt her as his daughter, which she accepted with no hesitation. She served as Apollo's assistant during the latter's tenure in the Wright Agency. Her favorite trick is Mr. Hat, a puppet that wears her hat. Trucy's second favorite trick is her magic panties, which have been a great hit in her performances. She is also Apollo's half-sister, though neither is aware of this fact.
Kay Faraday (一条 美雲 Ichijō Mikumo) is a self-proclaimed thief, and also a new assistant for Miles Edgeworth, along with Dick Gumshoe. The daughter of a prosecutor, Kay claims to be the inheritor of the title "Yatagarasu", a legendary thief from years before. However, she claims to only steal the truth that has been hidden and expose it. When Kay was ten, her father was murdered while prosecuting a very powerful smuggling ring. It is here she met Edgeworth and Gumshoe for the first time (this is explained during the game's fourth case, which is a flashback to those events). She first appears in the game's third case, assisting Edgeworth escape from a locked room where he's being held captive. Her pursuit of the truth is what pushes Miles Edgeworth to finally close an unsolved case a decade in the making. Kay has access to a device called "Little Thief" that allows her to create virtual representations of locations. This aids Miles Edgeworth in solving crimes by allowing him to use collected information to observe inconsistencies or how crimes played out.
Kay has been seen in the preview materials and on the official website for the sequel, Gyakuten Kenji 2.
Shi-Long Lang (狼 士龍 Rō Shiryū, Chinese Pinyin: Láng Shìlóng) is an international detective who has a deep loathing for prosecutors and acts as Edgeworth's rival. Lang is introduced in episode 3 and also has a small appearance in the fourth episode (a flashback). He is an Interpol agent from the fictional nation of Zheng Fa working with Franziska to solve a smuggling ring case. His disdain for prosecutors stems from a grudge that has been held by his family for generations. Lang's family used to be a powerful force in law enforcement but after an incident where they were accused of evidence falsification, they lost their credibility and Lang blames the prosecution in the case that thrust his family into shame. Lang's personal record of arrests is the highest of any Interpol agent. He employs a 100-man group of elite and loyal investigators.
Shi Long is also the first adversary to include a new shout. Although both Apollo and Edgeworth receive new shouts ("GOTCHA!" and "EUREKA!", respectively), Shi Long replaces "OBJECTION!" with "NOT SO FAST!", however he oddly has no voice-over for his "HOLD IT!", despite the fact that he says this several times throughout the game.
Tyrell Badd (馬堂 一徹 Badō Ittetsu) is a time-hardened detective for the local precinct. His chief obsession is the capture and arrest of the Yatagarasu, and is a close friend of Kay's father Byrne Faraday. In his first appearance during Case 4 (the flashback case), he appears to investigate the murder of Byrne Faraday, as well as to keep watch over the newly-promoted Detective Gumshoe. Though initially hostile towards Edgeworth due to his youth, he accepts his request to aid in the investigation on Manfred von Karma's request. He has rather pale skin and a scruffy appearance, wearing black pants, shoes, and shirt with a white tie, and a gray, moth-eaten trenchcoat. Several times, he's seen taking out a mirror from his coat to examine the stubble on his face. He's also always seen with a lollipop in his mouth, probably as a nod to TV detective Lt. Theo Kojak.
Later, in Case 5, Badd reappears to aid in the capture of the Yatagarasu. However, over the course of the long investigation, Badd reveals that he is in league with the Yatagarasu by using his detective status to hide evidence pertaining to the Great Thief, as part of the Yatagarasu's role in exposing the actions of the smuggling ring in secret.
Calisto Yew (葛 氷見子 Kazura Himiko) is a defense attorney who appears in Case 4 and serves as the game's main antagonist (although she is actually a subordinate to the leader of the smuggling ring, corrupt ambassador Quercus Alba). Yew displays a hard professionalism about her demeanor but also has a tendency to condescend to anyone she deems too serious (such as Edgeworth), which causes her to break out laughing at inappropriate times. During the case, she murders her fellow attorney Byrne Faraday (Kay's father) for threatening to expose the truth about the Yatagarasu, which is that the so-called "Great Thief" is actually three different people: Calisto, himself, and Detective Badd. When exposed by Edgeworth, Calisto attempts to shoot him before escaping the courthouse.
Yew is actually introduced in the game during the previous case as Shih-Na (シーナ Shīna), Agent Lang's personal assistant, though the connection is not made at the time. Her true identity is later exposed during Case 5, when she is suspected of being the one responsible for the Embassy fire. As Shih-Na, she displays a very subdued and cold personality, speaking directly to anyone but Lang at only the most necessary of times. She ultimately reveals that both "Shih-Na" and "Calisto Yew" are just some of the aliases she has used as an undercover member of the smuggling ring, which she works for by being a double agent among her fellow Yatagarasu members.
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