List of ''Ace Attorney'' characters

Ace Attorney is a series of legal thriller 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, Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, Ace Attorney Investigations 2, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies, Dai Gyakuten Saiban: Naruhodō Ryūnosuke no Bōken and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice. Character names for the English release of the series were changed significantly from the original Japanese release.^[2]

Main characters

Phoenix Wright

Voiced by: Shū Takumi (AA1–AA4), Takayuki Kondō (Promotional material, PXZ2), Hiroki Narimiya (PLvAA), Kōsuke Toriumi (UMvC3), Yūki Kaji (anime) (Japanese); Ben Judd (AA1-AA4), Sam Riegel (UMvC3,^[3] AA5-AA6), Trevor White (PLvAA) (English)

Portrayed by: Tomu Ranju (musical), Hiroki Narimiya (film)

Phoenix Wright (成歩堂 龍一, Naruhodō Ryūichi) is a defense attorney and the main character of the franchise, having a primary role in all games in the main series, except for 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, leading to him joining up with her office after graduation. After Mia was murdered, Phoenix inherited the office, renaming it "Wright and Co.", and continued his work as a defense attorney, assisted by Mia's sister Maya. 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, or, as it is called, bluffing, allowing him to "turnabout" the court to his favor.

In a case in the third game, Trials and Tribulations, his college self was revealed to be somewhat of a crybaby who cares very much for his girlfriend, Dahlia Hawthorne. He wears a pink sweater with a heart in the middle and the letter "P" ("Ryu" in the Japanese version) sewn on. He suffers from a cold during the case and wears a face mask because of it.

During a case seven years prior to the events of Apollo Justice, three months after the epilogue of 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. After clearing his name from the event that forced him to quit his job in Apollo Justice, Wright regains his license and once again takes to the courts in Dual Destinies. Working together on cases with Apollo and the newly recruited Athena Cykes, Wright strives to put an end to the dark age of the law. Wright appears again as one of the protagonists in Spirit of Justice, traveling to the Kingdom of Khura'in to reunite with Maya and discover the truth behind the kingdom's persecution of lawyers.

In the third case of Ace Attorney Investigations, he makes a very minor cameo with Maya and Pearl in a boat on a river. He and Maya also make a minor cameo in the game's sequel, Gyakuten Kanji 2. He is one of only two characters to make an appearance in every installment of the main series.

His English name is a reference to the "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".

Miles Edgeworth

Voiced by: Tatsuro Iwamoto (AA1–AA3, AAI-AAI2), Eiji Takemoto (Promotional material, PLvAA, AA5, PXZ2), Masashi Tamaki (anime) (Japanese); Seon King (AA1–3, AAI), Kyle Hebert (AA5),^[4] Mark Healy (PLvAA) (English)

Portrayed by: Hikaru Nanaho (musical), Hiro Yūmi (musical), Takumi Saito (film), Roi Hayashi (film, young)

Miles Edgeworth (御剣 怜侍, Mitsurugi Reiji) 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. 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 had 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.

Following this revelation, Edgeworth 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 burgundy 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, and can also be seen earlier in the same location during the fifth case of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. A running gag is that he 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 old 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 involved in smuggling, which all comes to a head during the final case of the game. Edgeworth also stars in Ace Attorney Investigations 2, set one week after the previous title's events, in which he, Kay and Gumshoe must solve a series of murders, including uncovering the truth behind his father's last case before his murder, all while an oversight committee scrutinizes his methods and threatens to take away his prosecutor's badge.

Miles Edgeworth returns in the fifth main game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies. By the time that the game takes place, Edgeworth has reached the position of Chief Prosecutor. He remains on friendly terms with Phoenix, and assists him in the game's final case to help bring down the Phantom. He returns once again in the sixth main game, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice, assisting Phoenix in pressing matters in Khura'in, and later taking up the prosecutor's bench once more in the game's special episode, looking to resolve the case of a supposed murder at a wedding.

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.^[5]

Edgeworth makes cameo appearances in She-Hulk's ending for Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, in Chapter 31 of Project X Zone 2, and at the end of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.

Maya Fey

Voiced by: Mirei Kiritani (PLvAA),^[6] Satomi Hanamura (AA6, PXZ2),^[7][8] Aoi Yūki (anime)^[9] (Japanese); Abby Trott (AA6)^[10] (English)

Portrayed by: Mirei Kiritani (film)^[6]

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.^[11] She becomes his legal assistant and investigates cases with him in the first three Ace Attorney games.^[12][13] Maya cheerily banters with Phoenix during investigations,^[14][15] and can channel her sister's spirit when Phoenix needs her help.^[16] 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.^{[12][15][17][18]} Maya also appears in other franchise media: the manga, film, anime series,^[6][19][9] and the spin-off games including the Professor Layton crossover^[6] and Ace Attorney Investigations.^[17] Maya, alongside Phoenix, also makes cameo appearances in several games across other genres.^{[20][21][22][23]}

Takumi created Maya as a partner for Phoenix, who would make cases more fun to investigate by offering advice.^[24] Along with the rest of the first game's characters, Maya was designed and drawn by Kumiko Suekane and Tatsuro Iwamoto.^[25][26][27] She was originally planned as a lawyer-in-training^[25] and designed with clothes typical for traditional Japanese spirit mediums, including a kimono and a magatama bead.^[28] For situations when she channels Mia's spirit, her design changes: her hair and clothing remains, while her face and body change to look like Mia's, so as to emphasize the difference in their bust sizes.^[16] In order to make the first three Ace Attorney games feel like three installments in one larger work, Takumi made Maya and other major characters retain the same character graphics between each release.^[29] Fan requests convinced the developers to return Maya to the series in the sixth game, though they worried that fans would criticize their handling of her. She was written with an eye towards her maturation in the nine years since her last appearance, and returned with a renewed design.^[30]

Mirei Kiritani, who portrayed Maya in the film, was surprised when she was offered the role, as she had been playing the games herself for a long time.^[31] Aoi Yūki, Maya's voice in the anime series, was anxious during her audition for the role, and said that she had her own idea of Maya's character at first, but learned to understand the character through directions from the anime's director.^[32]

IGN listed Maya among the best video game sidekick characters for her helpfulness and quick-thinking,^[33] and Hardcore Gamer praised the banter between her and Phoenix as among the best in video games.^[14] The website called them "the perfect leads" in the Ace Attorney manga due to their "goofiness" and how they are portrayed as close friends.^[19] Anime News Network called Maya their favorite character in the Ace Attorney anime, and said that her character benefited greatly from being animated, with her playfulness well presented through her wide range of actions and expressions.^[34] Kotaku wrote that her portrayal and casting in the Ace Attorney film did not fare as well, where she appeared "emotionally unstable" rather than retaining her childlike innocence from the video games.^[35]

Reviewers regretted Maya's omission from the fourth and fifth Ace Attorney games,^[36][37] and both reviewers and fans praised her return and design in the sixth game as feeling like "catching up with an old pal" and a reminder of what fans appreciate about the series.^{[38][39][17][40]}

Mia Fey

Voiced by: Miyuki Kawahara (AA3), Sayaka Ohara (drama CD), Chie Nakamura (anime) (Japanese); Christina Katano (AA3) (English)

Portrayed by: Rei Dan (film), Minami Hamabe (film, young)

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 became a defense attorney because she did not want to compete with her little sister Maya over the title of the Master 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, believing him to be the one who leaked information about her mother's failed spirit channeling to the press. After her death, Maya and Pearl's channeling abilities help her to reappear during several of Phoenix's trials, helping him out as a mentor. She is a playable character during certain chapters of Trials and Tribulations, where the player learns about Mia's first and second cases as a lawyer.

Pearl Fey

Voiced by: Miyuki Saeki (AA5), Misaki Kuno (anime)

Pearl Fey (綾里 春美, Ayasato Harumi) is Morgan's youngest daughter and Mia and Maya's cousin, who is introduced towards the start of the second game in the series, Justice for All and appears again as a major character in Trials and Tribulations. She is considered a prodigy in the practice of channeling the spirits of the dead. She rarely leaves Kurain Village. She speaks in a polite and sophisticated manner for a girl of her age, calling Phoenix "Mr. Nick" and referring to Maya as "Mystic Maya". Pearl Fey charged Maya's magatama with mystical powers and gave it to Phoenix Wright, allowing for the in-game mechanic of breaking "Psyche-Locks," a kind of outside-of-trial cross-examination whereby he detects lies and secrets.

Pearl later reappears in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies, first during the DLC episode, "Turnabout Reclaimed", where she recharges the magatama and assists in forensics and gathering clues and information. She also appears in the final episode, "Turnabout for Tomorrow", where it is mentioned that she still comes to visit Phoenix and assist him with day-to-day maintenance of the office, and has a close friendship with Trucy, Phoenix's daughter.

Dick Gumshoe

Voiced by: Masami Iwasaki (anime)

Portrayed by: Shunsuke Daito (film)

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 massive crush on, and later 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) at the end of the Trials and Tribulations story, but makes a return in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth.

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. His English name refers to his profession as a detective, as "dick" and "gumshoe" are both slang terms for "investigator".

Franziska von Karma

Voiced by: Yukari Suwabe (AA1–AA3, AAI-AAI2), Miyuki Sawashiro (Promotional material, Drama CD), Saori Yumiba (anime) (Japanese); Janet Hsu (English)

Franziska von Karma (狩魔 冥, Karuma Mei) is the main rival and prosecutor in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All. She 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. Franziska always carries a whip with her and uses it freely on anyone and everyone at the courtroom except Miles Edgeworth (except in Trials and Tribulations in where she told him to get some air; and in Investigations series 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, it's 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.

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.^[41] 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.^[42]

The Judge

Voiced by: Kanehira Yamamoto (UMvC3), Bunmei Tobayama (AA5), Ben Hiura (anime) (Japanese); Dave Mallow (UMvC3), Dave B. Mitchell (AA5) (English)

Portrayed by: Akira Emoto (film)

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 has never gotten the verdict wrong and has been dubbed "The Great Judgini" as a result. Damon Gant seems to be friends with him, calling him "Udgey" and mentioning them going swimming and playing golf together. He claims he was called "The Great Poker-Head of Courtroom No.3" in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, but Apollo reckons he means poker-face. 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 has a blonde beard and speaks with a Canadian accent in the English localization.

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. For example, in Justice for All Phoenix presents a bandana as evidence in the game's third episode, 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 extremely 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. While not physically appearing in Ace Attorney Investigations 2, Edgeworth makes reference to the Judge during a conversation with Hakari Mikagami.

No one in the series knows the Judge's real name as he is always addressed as "Your Honor" in court. Wright obtains one of his business cards during the course of a trial in Justice for All', but is unable to read the signature if the card is examined.

The Judge made an appearance in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 in one of Phoenix's Hyper Combos.

In Spirit of Justice, the Judge in Khura'in bears a strong resemblance to the Judge in Los Angeles, but no direct relation is mentioned.

Apollo Justice

Voiced by: Kotaro Ogiwara (AA4), Kenn (AA5-AA6) (Japanese); JP Kellams (AA4), Orion Acaba (AA5-AA6)^[43] (English)

Apollo Justice (王泥喜 法介, Odoroki Hōsuke) is the new defense attorney 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 gold bracelet which was a gift from his mother at a young age. He uses it to read subtle changes in body language to expose lies from witnesses which is called the "perceive" ability. He wears a red vest and trousers, white shirt with his sleeves rolled up and a blue tie. His eyes are brown and his hair-being the same colour-is mostly slicked back except for his bangs which are spiked at the crown at his forehead, earning him the nickname of "Herr Forehead" by his rival prosecutor in the courtroom. 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 the son of Jove Justice and Thalassa Gramarye, making him Trucy's half-brother, but is unaware of this fact. Apollo's rival is prosecutor Klavier Gavin, who is Kristoph's younger brother.

Apollo returns as a playable character in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies. At the beginning of the game, he is injured in a courtroom bombing; both his arms and his right eye are swathed in bandages, and he sports a slightly tattered long blue coat that hangs from his shoulders over his usual apparel. The coat once belonged to his best friend, Clay Terran, an astronaut who was murdered in the game's fourth case; this event made the case very personal for Apollo, causing him to briefly leave the Wright Anything Agency to search for answers. He rejoins Phoenix and Athena Cykes in court, shedding the coat and bandages, and assisting in bringing down the Phantom in court. He later joins his coworkers to witness the launch of the HAT-3 shuttle. Apollo returns in the sixth main game in the series, Spirit of Justice, helping run the Wright Anything Agency while his boss is away on business. Throughout the game, Apollo is revealed to have been adopted as an infant by Dhurke Sahdmadhi, after his birth father was killed in a fire and his mother could not be found. Apollo was raised in the Kingdom of Khura'in alongside Dhurke's biological son Nahyuta until age 9, at which point Dhurke sent him to the United States to study away from Khura'in's corrupt government. 15 years later, Apollo and Dhurke reunite and travel to Khura'in, where he learns the truth about his father's death and exposes Queen Ga'ran's lies in court. In the aftermath, Apollo and Nahyuta reconcile, and he chooses to stay in Khura'in and help rebuild the kingdom's legal system, inheriting Dhurke's old office.

Trucy Wright

Voiced by: Chieko Higuchi (Japanese); Kira Buckland (English)

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 and her half-brother Apollo. 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 establishes the Wright Talent Agency in Phoenix's former law office, and appoints herself as CEO. She and Phoenix are the only two employees of the agency, but her earnings from her shows and his poker success provide a decent living for the two. She was instrumental in bringing Apollo to the agency, and served as his assistant during his tenure in the newly rechristened Wright Anything Agency. Her favorite trick is Mr. Hat, a puppet that wears her hat. Trucy's second favorite trick is making objects appear and disappear within her pair of magic panties, which has been a great hit in her performances. Neither she nor Apollo is aware that they are half-siblings, as Thalassa asked Phoenix not to tell them yet. She is also the legal inherent of the magic tricks of Troupe Gramarye, as per her father's will.

Trucy returns in the fifth game, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies, where she continues to aid the lawyers in their investigations whilst pursuing a stage career in magic and still attending school, and returns once again in the sixth game, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice, this time being accused of murder during a practice run of one of her magic shows, with Apollo and Athena stepping in to defend her.

Athena Cykes

Voiced by: Megumi Han (Japanese); Wendee Lee (English)

Athena Cykes (希月 心音, Kizuki Kokone) is an 18-year-old rookie defense attorney who recently passed the bar exam and specializes in psychology. She joins the Wright Anything Agency, often working alongside both Phoenix and Apollo in their cases. She has a heightened sense of hearing that allows her to sense emotions from people's words. By using a device called Widget (モニ太, Monita), which has a habit of blabbing her true feelings, she can utilise her talent to use a program called the Mood Matrix, which allows her to hear the discord in people's hearts, pointing out emotions that contradict their statements. Analytical psychology is mentioned in the game, suggesting that the "therapy sessions" this character conducts in court may be a reference to the process of individuation that comes from this school of thought. She had previously had a traumatic experience, which led to her wanting to become a lawyer despite having a severe fear of being invalidated in court, and this fear can sometimes get the better of her. The flashbacks and breakdowns she experiences throughout the storyline are similar to symptoms of PTSD. Despite being the newest character, and significantly hyped-up, Athena is playable for the shortest amount of time of any defense attorney in Dual Destinies, and the fewest cases of any playable character at all, excluding the brief time in Case 4 of Justice for All where Maya Fey is playable. Athena returns in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice, helping Apollo run the Wright Anything Agency when Phoenix is away. She assists Apollo in a case where Trucy Wright is accused of murder, and must take the bench in a later case, being assisted by Simon Blackquill as they solve the case of a murdered theatre performer. Athena also helps Trucy out as an assistant in her magic acts after Apollo chooses to remain in Khura'in.

Others

Recurring characters

Frank Sahwit

Voiced by: Shinya Takahashi (anime)

Portrayed by: Ayumu Saitô (film)

Frank Sahwit (山野星雄, Yamano Hoshio) is a professional burglar, and the first witness and killer in the series. He is a nervous and sycophantic character, though he has a habit of telling transparent lies, and is prone to fits of anger when his testimony is challenged, to the point of ripping off his toupee and throwing it in the face of the person questioning him. His first appearance in the series is in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, where he murders Cindy Stone after she catches him robbing her apartment. He attempts to frame her ex-boyfriend Larry Butz by giving false testimony against him in court, but is instead proven to be the killer by Phoenix in the attorney's first case. The incarcerated Sahwit then appears in Ace Attorney Investigations 2, again as a witness that the player must cross-examine. He is shown to be training as a pet-groomer within the prison in preparation for his eventual release, thus implying that he was convicted for either second degree murder or manslaughter, and is ultimately revealed to be working with the warden to supply contraband goods to Ryōken Hōinbō in exchange for preferential treatment, for which his sentence is extended at the end of the game, much to his fury. His localized name references the fact that he's the first witness of the game, by implying that "Frank saw it."

Misty Fey

Voiced by: Kaori Nakamura (anime)

Portrayed by: Kimiko Yo (film)

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.

Morgan Fey

Voiced by: Shukuko Tsugawa (anime)

Morgan Fey (綾里 キミ子, Ayasato Kimiko), is Misty Fey's older sister, and the head of the Fey branch family. 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 directly, but is found to be behind the murderous actions of her daughter Dahlia in a complex plot to destroy Maya.

Winston Payne

Voiced by: Wataru Hama (AA1-AA4), Wataru Yokojima (anime) (Japanese); David Crislip (English)

Portrayed by: Seminosuke Murasugi (film)

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". Either Payne or a member of his family makes an appearance in the first case of every game in the Ace Attorney series. He serves as the first prosecutor the player faces in court in the first four games of the series. He also makes a cameo in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth in the first case where he extends a friendly invitation to advise Miles Edgeworth on the case, but Edgeworth cannot seem to remember who he is (he thinks that "Mr. Payne" is the name of the building custodian). He once again makes a cameo in the first case of Ace Attorney Investigations 2, where he is once again forgotten and ignored by Edgeworth. 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. In his appearance in Trials and Tribulations, he wears a dark forest green suit and was shown to have had a pompadour hairstyle in his younger days, but the stress and humiliation of his loss in court against the then rookie Mia Fey was too much for him to handle, reducing him to his thin, wispy hair. For his return in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, he wears a bright yellow suit and has grown his hair out on the sides. He brags in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney that he once held a 7 year long consecutive win record in court, which is longer than Miles Edgeworth's and Franziska von Karma's perfect win records combined. His English name is a pun on 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 'ouch'.

Larry Butz

Voiced by: Masaya Onosaka (AA6), Tōru Nara (anime) (Japanese)

Portrayed by: Akiyoshi Nakao (film)

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").

Larry makes a return to the series in Spirit of Justice, in the special DLC episode. Here, he brings a newlywed bride accused of murder to Wright's office, asking him to help defend her. His actions, although well meaning, attract the attention of the police, who believe Larry to have kidnapped her. However, thanks to Larry's actions, Wright manages to defend his new client and save her, along with Edgeworth, who had taken up the prosecutor's bench once again. He is also shown to have made a fairly decent success as a picture book illustrator.

Manfred von Karma

Voiced by: Masakazu Sugimori (AA1, AAI-AAI2), Akio Ōtsuka (anime)

Portrayed by: Ryo Ishibashi (film)

Manfred von Karma (狩魔 豪, Karuma Gō) is the main antagonist of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. He 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- Gregory through murder, for tarnishing his reputation; and Miles through a guilty verdict, for accidentally shooting von Karma in the shoulder. This crime was referred to in the series' history as the DL-6 case. He eventually lost the case to Phoenix Wright, therefore ruining his 40-year-long winning streak and causing him to completely snap. 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, during a flashback to Edgeworth's 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". Von Karma also appears during a flashback in Ace Attorney Investigations 2, showing his role in the investigation of the IS-7 incident, Gregory Edgeworth's final case.

Ema Skye

Voiced by: Marina Inoue (Japanese); Erica Lindbeck (English)

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, Hōzuki, 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.^[44] 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.^[5] 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, which makes her rather moody, 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 returns in Ace Attorney Investigations 2, visiting on break from her studies before helping Edgeworth investigate another case.

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. However, she shows a great deal of respect to Edgeworth, who in turn also respects her skills as both a detective and as a forensic scientist.

Ema returns in the sixth game in the series, Spirit of Justice, this time promoted to forensic investigator, which makes her much happier and marks a return to her more chipper attitude from the first game, though she occasionally reverts to her snacking habits when stressed. She befriends Athena Cykes and assists Apollo Justice in clearing Trucy Wright's name when she is accused of murder.

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".^[45]

Wendy Oldbag

Voiced by: Yu Sugimoto (anime)

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 especially with Miles Edgeworth, whom she attempts to fawn over. 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 others "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-game in cases where Edgeworth is involved (much to his chagrin), and even appeared with him in a trailer for Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney.

Will Powers

Voiced by: Shota Yamamoto (anime)

Will Powers (荷星 三郎, Niboshi Saburō) is an actor who plays the popular superhero "Steel Samurai" on television. Powers was, however, accused of murdering a costar of the show, fellow actor Jack Hammer. Phoenix Wright takes his case in "Turnabout Samurai", and ultimately finds him innocent of the crime. Afterwards the program was cancelled after said murder case, and he became 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. Ironically his English name is a pun on the word "willpower". Various people have also stated that he plays masked characters, to hide his ugly face from the public. Powers is also a witness in the last cases of Justice for All and Investigations 2.

Lotta Hart

Voiced by: Reiko Takagi (anime)

Portrayed by: Mitsuki Tanimura (film)

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). She appears in the fourth and fifth cases of Ace Attorney Investigations 2, continuing her investigative journalism and taking on a protégé, Mikiko Hayami. Her localized name is a pun on the phrase "A lot of heart."

Maggey Byrde

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, who mentored her during her time as a policewoman.

Shelly de Killer

Voiced by: Wataru Yokojima (anime)

The third in a line of professional hitmen, Shelly de Killer (虎狼死家 左々右エ門, Koroshiya Sazaemon) features as an assassin in Justice for All and Ace Attorney Investigations 2, with each game featuring him targeting a certain figure. His most notable trait is how he is completely affable; he is calm, never shows his emotions, and is very well collected. He also places a very strong value in the mutual trust he shares with his clients, and if that trust is broken, his client becomes his next target. In Justice for All's final case, Farewell, My Turnabout, he was hired by Matt Engarde to kill Juan Corrida, and he kidnapped Maya Fey to coerce Wright into getting Engarde a complete acquittal, though in the end his plans change when Phoenix tells him that Matt plans to blackmail him with incriminating evidence. He then releases Maya and promises that Engarde will feel his wrath. He appears in Ace Attorney Investigations 2, intending to assassinate the president of Zheng Fa during the first case, and later crosses blades with rival assassin Ryoken Hoinbo in the game's climax. He escapes police custody in both games, remarking in the latter title's credits scene that he wished to live as an ice cream salesman until his services were required again.

Adrian Andrews

Voiced by: Ayaka Asai (anime)

Adrian Andrews (華宮 霧緒, Kamiya Kirio) was involved in a complicated relationship with two television stars. After her boss and mentor committed suicide two years prior, Adrian attempted suicide herself, but failed. 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. At the end of Trials and Tribulations, she mentions befriending Franziska von Karma, who teaches her how to use a whip.

Marvin Grossberg

Voiced by: Ryo Sugisaki (anime)

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.

Klavier Gavin

Voiced by: Ryoji Yamamoto (AA4), Toshiyuki Kusuda (AA5) (Japanese); Andrew Alfonso (AA4), Yuri Lowenthal (AA5) (English)

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 the last case in the game. In the 3rd case of Ace Attorney Investigations, the Gavinner's logo appears in the stadium's stage. He often tries to flirt with and tease his employee, Ema Skye, who calls him a "glimmerous fop". Klavier makes a brief appearance in Dual Destinies, now retired from music and working full-time as a prosecutor. Whilst preparing to perform a one-off concert for his former high school Themis Legal Academy's annual Mock Trial school festival, his mentor is murdered and he assists Apollo and Athena in finding the culprit. Klavier also appears in Spirit of Justice as part of the non-canon Apollo Justice: Asinine Attorney downloadable content, once again acting as a prosecutor.

Gregory Edgeworth

Voiced by: Kyunosuke Watanuki (anime)

Portrayed by: Takehiro Hira (film)

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. He briefly appears as a playable character during a flashback sequence in Ace Attorney Investigations 2, depicting his investigation of the IS-7 incident, the last case he tried before his murder. Interestingly, the English name "Edgeworth" seems to be a play on his Japanese surname 御剣, which contains the kanji for "sword". His English given name, "Gregory", as well as the character's physical appearance, may be a nod to actor Gregory Peck, who played attorney Atticus Finch in the movie To Kill a Mockingbird.

Kay Faraday

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. Her English name is a pun on the device known as a "Faraday Cage."

Shi-Long Lang

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 Case 3 of Ace Attorney Investigations as an Interpol agent from the fictional nation of Zheng Fa working with Franziska von Karma 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 were once quite influential in law enforcement, but they lost their credibility after an incident where they were accused of evidence falsification. 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. Lang reappears in Ace Attorney Investigations 2, now working alone and investigating the circumstances of his father's last case, which led to the evidence falsification charges.

Lang is also the first adversary to include a new "shout". Although both Apollo and Edgeworth receive new "shouts" ("Gotcha!" and "Eureka!", respectively), Lang replaces "Objection!" with "Not so fast!". Oddly he has no voice-over for his "Hold it!" shout, despite the fact that he says this several times throughout the game.

Tyrell Badd

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 he is a close friend of Kay's father Byrne Faraday. In his first appearance during Case 4 of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, he investigates the murder of Byrne Faraday and keeps watch over the newly promoted Detective Gumshoe. Though initially hostile towards Edgeworth due to his youth, he accepts his aid in the investigation on Manfred von Karma's request. He appears in Ace Attorney Investigations 2 as the lead detective of the IS-7 incident, aiding Gregory Edgeworth in his investigation. He has pale skin and an unshaven face, wearing a black shirt with a white tie, black pants, and a gray trenchcoat that is riddled with bullet holes. Several times, he's seen taking out a mirror from his coat which he reveals is so that he can always be aware of what's behind him. He has what appears to be a cigarette in his mouth, which is later revealed to be a lollipop. The lollipop may be a nod to TV detective Lt. Theo Kojak.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

April May

Voiced by: Mariko Honda (anime)

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 courtroom, as well as the judge, not unlike the powers of Dahlia Hawthorne. Also noted is that her hair is pink and clothes purple, while her boss Redd White has purple hair and pink clothes, and her name is after two months (April and May), while Redd White's name is after two colors (red and white).

Redd White

Voiced by: Hiromichi Tezuka (anime)

Portrayed by: Makoto Ayukawa (film)

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. He is very wealthy, and is seen wearing extremely fine, expensive jewelry and clothing. He is also extremely conceited, and tends to pepper his speech with large, made-up words. He is 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.

In the Ace Attorney film, his role is mostly the same, however, his career is changed to that of a tabloid reporter who carries out the same blackmailing techniques, and his physical appearance is significantly scruffier.

Dee Vasquez

Voiced by: Yurika Hino (anime)

Portrayed by: Miho Ninagawa (film)

Dee Vasquez (姫神サクラ, Sakura Himegami) was the high-ranking producer of the popular TV series The Steel Samurai along with many other shows by the television company Global Studios. She blackmailed the actor Jack Hammer over the death of one of his fellow actors, and later killed him in self defence when he came to murder her.

Dee had ties to the local mob, which she used from time to time to "erase" people.

Yanni Yogi

Voiced by: Takehiro Hasu (anime)

Portrayed by: Fumiyo Kohinata (film)

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.

Damon Gant

Damon Gant (巌徒 海慈, Kaiji Ganto) is the Chief of Police at Los Angeles Police Department who masterminded the murder of Neil Marshall, the blackmailing of Lana Skye and the cover up of both the SL-9 incident and the Bruce Goodman murder. Phoenix Wright eventually figures out through witness testimony and evidence that Gant was the killer in both cases but he denies it. Gant says that Wright could have broken into his office and planted the 'evidence' there, a response that hadn't been seen before in an Ace Attorney game. Gant even uses his rights as Chief to deny testifying. He eventually confesses in maniacal laughter claiming that he can hear the sound of a new beginning referring to Wright and Edgeworth.

Justice for All

Ini Miney

Voiced by: Natsue Sasamoto (anime)

Ini Miney (葉中のどか, Hanaka Nodoka) is a student of the paranormal, who is studying the Fey clan and their channelling methods. Through this she introduces Dr. Turner Grey, the former employer of her deceased elder sister Mimi, to the Feys in order that Grey might extract a confession from Mimi's spirit that she was responsible for the death of over a dozen patients a year prior. Ini is revealed to have conspired with Morgan Fey to kill Grey and then frame Maya for his death, in what Phoenix initially assumes to be a plot to get revenge for Mimi's subsequent death in a car crash, but it then turns out that "Ini" is Mimi; the crash killed the real Ini and severely disfigured Mimi, who mistakenly grabbed her sister's handbag instead of her own, had her face reconstructed based on the driver's license it contained, and subsequently assumed Ini's life and identity. After Phoenix works this out, Mimi breaks down and confesses everything. With her real first name in the middle, her English name is a pun on "Eeney, Meeney, Miney, Mo."

Acro

Voiced by: Takayuki Nakatsukasa (anime)

Ken Dingling (木下大作, Kinoshita Daisuke), known under the stage name "Acro", is a former acrobat employed by the Berry Big Circus. He formerly performed in a team with his younger brother Sean "Bat" Dingling, until a prank gone wrong resulted in a lion attacking the duo, leaving Bat in a persistent vegetative state and costing Acro the use of his legs. Acro blamed the lion's trainer, Regina Berry for the accident and plotted to kill her when she refused to take the consequences of her prank seriously, but due to a mishap he inadvertently ended up killing her father Russell, the circus's ringmaster. Though he initially attempts to cover up his involvement in Russell's death, he ends up being caught with the murder weapon in court, whereupon he breaks out in tears, feeling tremendous remorse for accidentally killing the ringmaster (whom he looked up to as a surrogate father), and apologizes to all involved for his actions.

Matt Engarde

Voiced by: Yasuaki Takumi (anime)

Matt Engarde (王都楼真悟, Ōtarō Shingo) is an actor who plays the role of the Nickel Samurai, a sequel series to the Steel Samurai. He is charged with killing rival actor Juan Corrida, initially being accused of committing the crime directly, and later of hiring Shelly de Killer to kill Corrida. de Killer kidnaps Maya to force Phoenix to get Engarde acquitted of the charges, and Phoenix is horrified to discover that Engarde actually did hire de Killer. Though Phoenix is forced to keep defending Engarde well past the point where his guilt becomes clear, he eventually proves that Engarde filmed de Killer's committing the murder so as to blackmail him in the future, causing the outraged assassin to release Maya and promise to kill Engarde, forcing him to confess everything in order to get sent to jail, the only place where he'd be safe.

Trials and Tribulations

Godot

Voiced by: Hideki Kamiya (AA3), Rikiya Koyama (Trilogy, Drama CD) (Japanese); James C. Wilson (English)

Godot (ゴドー, Godō), real name Diego Armando (神乃木 荘龍, Kaminogi Sōryū), is a coffee-loving prosecutor and Mia Fey's former boyfriend who appears in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trial and Tribulations. Six years prior to the game's events, he worked at Grossberg law offices as a Defense Attorney. He acted as Mia's mentor during her first case, but when he attempted to further investigate Dahlia Hawthorne, she poisoned his coffee, forcing him into a coma. He awakened five years later, but the poison turned his hair white and blinded him, forcing him to wear a special mask to see, though it prevents him from seeing the color red. When he discovered Mia had been killed during his absence, he blamed Phoenix for not protecting her, developing an antagonistic relationship with him. However, when he discovers Dahlia Hawthorne and Morgan Fey's plot for revenge, he attempts to stop it on his own, which ultimately leads to the death of Misty Fey. After Phoenix discovers the truth and defeats him in court, Godot finally admits his own failings and accepts him as Mia's successor.

Dahlia Hawthorne

Dahlia Hawthorne (美柳 ちなみ, Miyanagi Chinami) is the main antagonist of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations. She 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, killing one, her step-sister Valerie, and talking the other, Terry Fawles, into committing suicide in the middle of his own trial. Pursued by Mia Fey and Diego Armando, she poisoned Armando, putting him in a five-year coma and leading to his transformation into Godot. She also dated Phoenix while he was in college, although her primary purpose was to hide evidence, rather than for romantic purposes, and she eventually attempted to kill him before framing him for a murder she had committed in the process. 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 her mother, Morgan Fey, in one of Morgan's plans to dispose of Maya, which Dahlia sees as a last chance at revenge against Mia. Though Morgan instructs Pearl Fey channel Dahlia's spirit, the plan was intercepted by Misty Fey, Godot and Iris. Misty tries to prevent Pearl from channeling Dahlia by distracting her with some reading, but when she cannot find Pearl, she is forced to channel Dahlia herself. Dahlia corners and attacks Maya, but is stopped by Godot, who stabs her with a sword from behind, killing Misty in the process. On Mia's advice, Maya protects herself by locking herself in a cave and channeling Dahlia, who is unaware that her target is literally right under her nose. When Iris unlocks the cave, Dahlia switches places with her, sealing Iris inside. At the next day of Iris's trial, Dahlia (pretending to be Iris) claims to have seen Maya commit the crime, but is found out. Though she brags that she cannot be punished by the court (as she is already dead), Dahlia is defeated when Phoenix and Mia explain that she failed to kill Maya, adding yet another failure to Dahlia's long, long list, and that being Dahlia Hawthorne forever is more than enough punishment. Dahlia is exorcised from Maya's body, screaming Mia's name, before fading away into darkness.

Iris

Iris (あやめ, Ayame) is Dahlia's identical twin sister, but with black hair instead of red, and is a kind, compassionate, gentle soul instead of the evil personality of Dahlia.

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 their stepfather, but didn't show up, causing Dahlia to consider her 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").

Iris was involved in Godot and Misty Fey's plan to save Maya from Dahlia, wanting to atone for her past mistakes. When Misty was killed, Iris helped Godot move the body across a canyon and took it to the courtyard, stabbing it with a ceremonial sword in order to draw suspicion away from Maya. Unfortunately, Sister Bikini saw this, leading to Iris's arrest. She was brought back to the mountain in order to unlock a cave believed (correctly) to contain Maya, but ran ahead when her escort, Miles Edgeworth, passed out due to an earthquake. Iris unlocked the cave, only to find Dahlia in Maya's body. Dahlia locked Iris in the cave and returned to police custody, impersonating her sister once again. Iris was freed once the trial was over, and although she was cleared of murder charges, she was nonetheless charged with concealing evidence, a minor crime for which she accepted punishment. She revealed the truth and her feelings to Phoenix at the end of her trial, and he in turn, states that he never stopped believing in her.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Kristoph Gavin

Voiced by: Ryoji Yamamoto (Japanese); Andrew Alfonso (English)

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 the main antagonist of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. He is Klavier's older brother, Apollo's former 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 Zak Gramayre in a trial that would have bought him great fame should he have won the trial, he plants forged evidence on Wright, knowing that he may present it in court. He then keeps a watchful eye over everyone involved in both the forged evidence and the case to make certain that no one speaks of it. His hard, unwavering stance on evidence being the absolute last word in a court of law is also his ultimate undoing; when he discovers that jurors would determine the case of Vera Misham, and that it was Wright who was responsible for preparing the case, he explodes in rage, screaming Wright's name, and laughing a terrible, insane laugh as he's taken away.

Vera Misham

Vera Misham (絵瀬 まこと, Ese Makoto) is the defendant in the final case of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. As a child, Vera was a highly skilled artist, particularly when it came to replicating existing materials. Because of this, she worked as a forger, duplicating works of art for Drew Misham (絵瀬 土武六, Ese Doburoku), her father. Due to a traumatic event in her childhood involving an attempted kidnapping, she suffers from severe agoraphobia and refuses to leave her home, making her a shut-in. Seven years before the events of the game, she forged a piece of evidence for Kristoph Gavin, that would later end up destroying Phoenix Wright's career, making her partly responsible for his disbarment. During this time, she was given poisoned nail polish by Kristoph, who noted her habit of biting her nails when nervous, in order to cover his tracks. Seven years later, her father died courtesy of Kristoph's poison, and Vera was put on trial for his murder. During the trial, she bit her nails, and went into a coma due to the poison.

Her fate is left to the player. If the player decides she is guilty of the murder, the verdict is postponed, but Vera succumbs to the poison. If the player decides she is innocent, she is cleared of all charges, and later recovers from her coma. She also loses her crippling agoraphobia, and becomes warm and friendly to Apollo and Trucy, mentioning that she wishes to apologize to Phoenix personally for her actions.

Gramarye Family

Troupe Gramarye (或真敷一座, Arumajiki Ichiza) 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

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 suicide after passing on the leadership of the Troupe to Zak, the incident is treated as a murder case with Zak as the only suspect, during which Phoenix lost his attorney's badge.

Thalassa Gramarye

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 initially married to a traveling musician named Jove Justice, Apollo's father, but was distraught when he died in a fire in the Kingdom of Khura'in and she could not find out information about where her son was. She later married Zak, giving birth to Trucy with him. 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 she became a popular Borginian singer. She is accompanied by her pianist Machi Tobaye (マキ・トバーユ, Maki Tobāyu), 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, as well as her eyesight, at the end of the game after being one of the jurists in the final case. In Spirit of Justice, she briefly appears during the game's conclusion, telling Phoenix the time has come to tell Apollo and Trucy of their parentage.

Note: while the game claims Lamiroir means "siren" in Borginian, "Lamiroir" is extremely close to the French meaning for "the mirror" (le miroir).

Zak Gramarye

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 chose Phoenix Wright as his attorney over Kristoph Gavin after playing poker with both men and reading their intentions: Kristoph wanted nothing more than fame and glory, and Phoenix was merely doing his job at defending the innocent. However, he was unaware of the forged evidence planted on Phoenix, and seeing that his arrest was inevitable when the case fell apart, was able to escape the courtroom 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, who was seeking vengeance for his rejection seven years prior. Before his death, however, he wills the secrets of the Gramarye Troupe's magic tricks to Trucy, with Phoenix as his witness.

Valant Gramarye

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 with the death of his former teacher, Magnifi Gramarye, and the subsequent trial that caused his partner Zak to disappear. However, his plans for reviving the Gramarye Troupe are spoiled when he discovers that Trucy Wright has legally inherited the Gramarye Troupe's secret magic tricks from Zak, who had shown up just before 7 years had passed that would declare him "legally dead".

Spark Brushel

Spark Brushel (葉見垣正太郎, Hamigaki Shoutarou) is a freelance journalist who has followed Troupe Gramarye for years, having become friends with Magnifi some years prior when Thalassa mysteriously disappeared. He became close to Zak Gramarye, becoming a confidant of sorts to him. When Zak's trial for the alleged murder of Magnifi took place and Zak disappeared, Brushel continued his work, but he always felt as if he was being watched. He also manages to land an interview with the reclusive Drew Misham, and was witness to his death by poisoning. He testifies in court later in exchange to exclusive rights to the story. Aside from being a journalist, Brushel is a certified notary public, and it was he who helped Zak write his will passing all Troupe Gramarye tricks to Trucy and legitimize it before Zak's untimely death.

Dual Destinies

Gaspen Payne

Voiced by: Hisashi Izumi

Gaspen Payne (亜内 文武, Auchi Fumitake) is Winston Payne's younger brother who appears as the first prosecutor in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies. He is a bit more flexible with the law than his brother and is not averse to using dirty tricks in the courtroom; his attitude is rather conceited towards defense attorneys as well. He wears a black suit with sunglasses and has a large quiff hairdo.^[46] He reappears in Spirit of Justice as a prosecutor in the kingdom of Khura'in, having traded his black suit for a golden one and wearing fine jewelery and a sash. He reveals that he had been expelled from his own country following an investigation into his illegal courtroom tactics. He takes pride in proclaiming himself to be undefeated, having never lost a case in Khura'in due to its lack of defense attorneys. However, an encounter against Phoenix Wright in the Khura'inese court stresses him out so much that his hair falls off his head, revealing that he's completely bald and his hair is only a toupee.

Juniper Woods

Voiced by: Eri Ozeki (Japanese); Kate Higgins (English)

Juniper Woods (森澄 しのぶ, Morisumi Shinobu) is the client in several cases in Dual Destinies and is described as a frail high school girl who is prone to asthma attacks. She's a close friend of Athena, which is how Phoenix came to represent her when suspicion fell her way. She also develops a crush for Apollo Justice when he came to her aid. She attends the Themis Legal Academy, where she is in her third year studying to be a judge.

Simon Blackquill

Voiced by: Shunsuke Sakuya (Japanese)

Simon Blackquill (夕神　迅, Yūgami Jin) is the new main rival prosecutor in Dual Destines. He is a pale Samurai with long black hair and a white patch tied into a ponytail. He wears black eye shadow, and keeps a hawk feather clenched in his teeth at most times. He was ordered to stand in court despite technically serving a murder sentence; he appears in court wearing a large pair of shackles connected by a chain on his wrists, that he tends to break when especially provoked. His prosecution strategy is to intimidate the witnesses, defense attorneys and even the judge with insults and threats of physical violence, such as acting if he will pull a sword, sending Taka after his opponent, the Judge, or even witnesses, or spitting his feather towards witnesses or the defense and flicking his fingers very rapidly to slice at it (a form of Iaijutsu). He is known as a master of mind games, being able to get witnesses and the judge to follow along his own twisted trail of questioning in order to keep the defense on their toes. Blackquill also wears a black and white long coat over a Victorian-era black suit, and is accompanied at all times by his pet hawk, Taka (Gin), who sits on his right shoulder, and fetches files and intimidates the judge or defense attorneys upon command. However, despite his fierce and intimidating exterior, he is a deeply honorable man, fiercely loyal and devoted to those he is close to and does not believe in trickery or treachery in the courtroom. In the final episode, we learn that he was accused of the murder of his mentor: Athena Cyke's mother, Metis, and took the fall to protect Athena, whom he swore that he would keep safe no matter the personal cost, despite the protests of his sister, Aura. He later reappears in Spirit of Justice to aid Athena in a case involving a murdered theatre performer, including delivering a powerful pep talk to her when he feels her defense is faltering.

His English given name "Simon" comes from the Classical Hebrew "שִׁמְעוֹן" (shim'ón), meaning "hearkening" or "he has heard". "Blackquill" is a combination of "black" (dark colors being prominent in his character design) and "quill" (a writing implement made from the molted flight feather of a bird). In Japanese, his surname "Yūgami" literally means 'Twisted '.

Aura Blackquill

Aura Blackquill (夕神 かぐや, Yuugami Kaguya) is the older sister of Simon Blackquill and a robotics engineer at Cosmos Space Center. She was a coworker of Athena's mother, Metis Cykes (希月 真理, Kizuki Mari), who helped co-create several robots with advanced emotional capability. However, she may have harbored a romantic interest in Metis, and was devastated when Metis was murdered by the Phantom and Simon took the blame for the murder. Despite her protests, Simon ended up in prison, determined to both protect Athena and draw the Phantom out. Just a day before Simon's execution, Aura used the robots in the space center to take several hostages, including Phoenix's daughter Trucy, and demand a retrial for Simon. After the trial successfully concluded with Simon's charges overturned and the Phantom revealed, Aura released her hostages and surrendered herself to police, witnessing the launch of the HAT-3 shuttle from her prison cell.

Bobby Fulbright

Voiced by: Biichi Sato (Japanese); Dave B. Mitchell (English)

Bobby Fulbright (番　轟三, Ban Gōzō) is the new detective of the game and is revealed to be the game's main antagonist. He is hot-blooded and has a strong sense of justice, even to the point of helping defense attorneys if it gets fair trials for the defendants. He has worked with Blackquill in the past with the hope that he will redeem himself.

In the final episode of the game, it is revealed that Fulbright is in fact deceased, and that the Fulbright seen throughout the game is an international spy known as the Phantom posing as him, as well as the one behind most of the game's major events.

Spirit of Justice

Ahlbi Ur'gaid

Voiced by: Emiri Katō (Japanese); Michelle Ruff (English)

Ahlbi Ur'gaid (ボクト・ツアーニ, Bokuto Tsuani) is a young monk-in-training and tour guide who befriends Maya Fey, showing her around Khura'in, and then later Phoenix Wright when he comes to meet Maya. A good natured boy who loves his home kingdom and is willing to share any information possible about it, he is arrested soon after Wright's arrival on charges of both theft and murder, but is cleared of all charges by Wright. Ahlbi becomes loyal to Phoenix and his cause afterwards, helping him out with information whenever he can. He later joins with Apollo Justice to help him put his new office together.

Nahyuta Sahdmadhi

Voiced by: Daisuke Namikawa (Japanese); Matthew Mercer (English)

Nahyuta Sahdmadhi (ナユタ・サードマディ, Nayuta Sādomadi) is a prosecutor from the Kingdom of Khura'in, who has worked on cases both at home and overseas. He is the elder child of Dhurke Sahdmadhi and Amara Sigatar Khura'in, and the elder brother of Rayfa Padma Khura'in. He and Apollo Justice were raised together as brothers when Apollo's father, Jove Justice, died in an assassination attempt on Amara's life. However, Nahyuta fell sway under the control of the current Queen, Ga'ran, who coerced him into cooperation by threatening his family. Although Nahyuta is outwardly a calm, serene figure, he is utterly relentless in court, seeking to end trials as quickly as possible. When provoked or angered in court, he tends to slam his beads on his bench, or throw them at the defense, following up with a chant that causes the beads to tighten around them. In addition to objections, Nayuta will frequently shout "Satorha!", a Khura'inese mantra meant to awake those lost in daydreams. Although a prosecutor, Nahyuta was secretly a Defiant Dragon, always remembering the creed of Dhurke, and finally reciting it to Ga'ran to break free of her control, helping Justice remove her from the throne. In the aftermath, he becomes regent for Rayfa until she becomes queen, and begins the process of reforming the Khura'inese legal system alongside Apollo.

Rayfa Padma Khura'in

Voiced by: Saori Hayami (Japanese); Brina Palencia (English)

Rayfa Padma Khura'in (レイファ・パドマ・クライン, Reifa Padoma Kurain) is the crown Princess of the Kingdom of Khura'in, as well as the priestess who performs Divination Séances for the High Court of the Kingdom. She is initially rather aloof and cold, and is quick to anger when she feels that she is proven wrong through her séances. She initially does not take kindly to Phoenix Wright, mocking him and calling him names like "Barbed Head". However, she soon realizes that his intentions and fighting spirit are for good, and understands that her own séances are not the absolute word, but a means to discover the truth. She is attended to at nearly all times by her caretaker, Nayna. Although she believes at first that her mother and father are Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in and the Minister of Justice Inga Karkhuul Khura'in, it is revealed that she is actually the younger child of Dhurke Sadmadhi and Amara Sigatar Khura'in, and Nahyuta Sadmadhi is in fact her elder brother, giving her the courage to defy Ga'ran and aid Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice to victory over her.

Inga Karkhuul Khura'in

Inga Karkhuul Khura'in (インガ・カルクール・クライン, Inga Karukūru Kurain) is the Minister of Justice of Khura'in and the husband of Queen Ga'ran. He is a ruthless individual who uses the country's secret police to maintain an iron grip on the populace. However, he genuinely loves his niece and adoptive daughter Rayfa, and keeps several mementos of her childhood in a safe in his private quarters. He seeks to overthrow Ga'ran in order to seize the throne for himself. To this end, he abducts Maya Fey and uses her as leverage to force Phoenix Wright to obtain the Founder's Orb for him, which is reputed to grant great spiritual power to the one who can solve its riddle. Dhurke Sahdmadhi attempts to rescue Maya, and an altercation ensues that results in Inga shooting Dhurke and killing him. Later, after Apollo Justice successfully keeps the Founder's Orb out of his hands, Inga attempts to ransom Maya for the Orb. However, Ga'ran gets wind of his plan, murders him, and pins the crime on Dhurke, who has been temporarily resurrected through spirit channeling. Apollo successfully proves that it was Ga'ran who committed the murder and removes her from power.

Dhurke Sahdmadhi

Voiced by: Masashi Ebara (Japanese); Jamieson Price (English)

Dhurke Sahdmadhi (ドゥルク・サードマディ, Duruku Sādomadi) is the leader of the rebel group, the Defiant Dragons, who are looking to topple the current Queen, Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in. Although initially painted as a villain, Dhurke is revealed to actually not be such. A former defense attorney in the Kingdom, he was the husband of the prior Queen, Amara Sigatar Khura'in. When an assassination attempt on her life was carried out, Dhurke was accused of the crime and successfully defended himself in court, but was accused of forging evidence and was found guilty; the kingdom considered Dhurke a terrorist for the crime, and passed the Defense Culpability Act in retaliation. Since then, Dhurke had to go into hiding, but has fought long and hard to remove the DC Act from the law books. His life's creed, and the creed of the rebellion, is "A Dragon never yields", referring to his absolute tenacity at uncovering the truth. He fathered two children with Amara: Nahyuta and Rayfa, and raised Apollo Justice as his own son when his biological father, Jove Justice, died in the fire that was meant to take Amara's life.

Dhurke believed that the key to his revolution was in the Founder's Orb, a sacred treasure of the kingdom. He traveled to the United States to obtain it, meeting up with Apollo again after several years. The two traveled to Kurain Village to obtain the orb, finding it hidden in a cave where a local archaeologist hid it to keep it out of the hands of a local corrupt politician. After a civil trial to determine the true owner of the Orb, Dhurke requests that everyone accompany him back to Khura'in to save Maya Fey, who was being held hostage.

Through the events in Khura'in, it is revealed that Dhurke had actually been dead for several days before, and that the Dhurke everyone saw was Maya channeling his spirit. Dhurke was accused of murdering the Minister of Justice, Inga Karkhuul Khura'in, on top of the outstanding charges of the attempt on Amara's life, when in fact it was Inga who had murdered Dhurke. Apollo, through his own tenacity and the encouragement of his friends, manages to clear Dhurke of all charges, and later inherits Dhurke's old law office.

Datz Are'bal

Datz Are'bal (ダッツ・ディニグル, Dattsu Dinigeru) is the right-hand man of Dhurke Sahdmadhi and second-in-command of the Defiant Dragons. He manages to escape from prison, encountering Phoenix Wright in both the courtroom and in the streets of Khura'in. Although he initially plays up that he's amnesiac, his escape plays a key role in a case where Maya Fey is accused of murder. Impressed by Phoenix's deductive skills and willingness to defend the innocent, Datz brings him to Dhurke's old law office, telling him about Dhurke's past and showing him an old photo of Dhurke with a young Nahyuta Sahdmadhi and Apollo Justice. He's also close to Apollo, calling him "AJ" and looking out for him. Although rather spastic and a heavy snacker at times, Datz is utterly devoted to the cause of the Defiant Dragons and fights to the end to see the revolution come to light. He later stays with Apollo Justice to help him put Dhurke's law office back together.

Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in

Voiced by: Gara Takashima (Japanese), Cindy Robinson (English)

Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in (ガラン・シガタール・クライン, Garan Shigataal Kurain) is the main antagonist of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice and the current Queen of the Kingdom of Khura'in. She is the sister of Amara Sigatar Khura'in, and once served as a prosecuting attorney for the Kingdom. She ascended to the throne after her sister was assassinated. Her husband is Inga Karkhuul Khura'in, the current Minister of Justice.

Although seemingly a kind, benevolent ruler initially, Ga'ran's public face is nothing but a farce. She was jealous that her sister had spiritual powers, desiring her own. To obtain what she wanted, she attempted to kill her sister by setting fire to her residence. However, her sister survived, but Apollo Justice's father, Jove, died in the fire. Amara's husband, Dhurke, was blamed for the crime, but Dhurke managed to defend himself in court, causing Ga'ran to pass the Defense Culpability Act in retaliation to discredit all defense attorneys. She ruled unchallenged for 23 years, holding her sister hostage by claiming that Dhurke tried to kill her, but also requiring her spirit channeling abilities by having Amara pose as her when the need arose. Although Amara managed to escape briefly and reunite with Dhurke, later giving birth to Rayfa, Ga'ran brought her back to the kingdom and threatened her with the safety of her daughter. She then raised Rayfa as her own, but never cared for the child like a true mother, threatening to expose her parentage if she ever misbehaved.

When Inga attempted to stage a coup against Ga'ran, she murdered him to stop him, framing Dhurke for the incident. She later acted as the prosecutor for the case, but was ultimately and utterly defeated by Apollo Justice, who uncovered her entire twisted plot, and revealed that Ga'ran has no spiritual power of her own; he challenged her to channel the Holy Mother, and in her desperate attempt to do so, she shattered her mind, thus invalidating her from her claim to the throne, destroying the Defense Culpability Act and all laws she passed under the crown's authority.

Jove Justice

Jove Justice (王泥喜　奏介, Sousuke Odoroki) was the first husband of Thalassa Gramarye and the biological father of Apollo Justice. A traveling musician, Jove was in the Kingdom of Khura'in performing for the Queen, Amara Sigatar Khura'in, at the request of her husband, Dhurke Sahdmadhi, and stayed with the couple at their residence. However, a fire broke out in the middle of the night, and Jove was murdered. While Apollo was rescued, nothing could be done for Jove, and since no one in Khura'in knew his real name (he used his stage name, "Jangly", in his performance), no information about the assassination attempt could be brought up, since no Divination Séance could be performed without his real name. Dhurke spent years looking for information, finally getting a photo in Europe from a couple that were at the performance, which he gave to Apollo. The photo later proved to be a critical piece of information, allowing a Divination Séance to be performed and the truth revealed at last.

Amara Sigatar Khura'in

Amara Sigatar Khura'in (アマラ・シガタール・クライン, Amara Shigatāru Kurain) was the previous Queen of Khura'in. Her husband, Dhurke Sahdmadhi, was a renowned defense attorney for the Kingdom, and the two had a son; Nahyuta Sahdmadhi. Amara was beloved by all in the Kingdom for her kindness and immense spiritual power, things that drove the jealousy of her sister, Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in. One night, an assassination attempt was carried out by Ga'ran, which resulted in the death of Apollo Justice's father, Jove. Amara survived the attempt, albeit not completely unharmed; she was left with a burn scar on her chest. Ga'ran coerced her to stay hidden when she found out Amara survived, as Ga'ran lacked spiritual power and required her sister's abilities as per the rules of the throne. She remained hidden for eight years until Dhurke found her and whisked her away again. Amara and Dhurke had a daughter, Rayfa, soon afterwards. However, Ga'ran found Amara and Rayfa and kidnapped them both.

Fearful for her daughter's safety, Amara disguised herself as an old woman named Nayna (バアヤ, Baaya), filling the role of Rayfa's caretaker to watch out for and educate her daughter over the years, as well as keeping her safe from harm.

During the trial of Dhurke for the murder of the Minister of Justice, as well as the assassination attempt on Amara, Apollo Justice reveals that Amara survived the assassination attempt, forcing Amara to shed her disguise. She attempts to take the blame for Inga's death, but Apollo disproves her. Amara is shot on the witness stand, but survives the ordeal, and goes on to assist Rayfa with running the Kingdom until Rayfa can channel spirits.

Ace Attorney Investigations series

Calisto Yew

Voiced by: Yuki Nakamura

Calisto Yew (葛 氷見子, Kazura Himiko) is one of the main antagonists of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. She masquerades as a defense attorney in Case 4 and as an Interpol Agent in Cases 3 & 5. 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, and she loses control and bursts out into laughter as Edgeworth questions her. 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.

"Teikun Ō"

The target of an assassination attempt that is the subject of the game's first case, Teikun Ō (王 帝君, Ō Teikun) was the Zheng Fa president. Although he seemed to be a very large and imposing man, it was proven that the assassination attempt on him was staged by him to increase his abysmally low approval rating. In the end, after his corpse is discovered, Edgeworth realizes that the man he encountered was in fact a body double who co-conspired with Mari Miwa and Bansai Ichiyanagi to kill his employer for ransom money, then this body double would return as the president, whom he impersonated for 12 years. Whilst he is of low morale, he is cowardly and not nearly as competent a leader as the man he impersonated.

Named Di-Jun Huang in the fan translation.

Tateyuki Shigaraki

The protege of Gregory Edgeworth (Miles' father), Tateyuki Shigaraki (信楽 盾之, Shigaraki Tateyuki) is Edgeworth's new ally in the game. First encountered by him in the second case, Shigaraki is a defense attorney who was the former protege of Gregory Edgeworth, Miles' father. His first investigation was the IS-7 Incident, detailed in the third case. He is laid back, sarcastic, and on occasions silly, though he maintains a determination to help Edgeworth in his investigations and he has been greatly inspired by Edgeworth's father.

Named Raymond Shields in the fan translation.

Ryōken Hōinbō

Ryōken Hōinbō (鳳院坊 了賢, Hōinbō Ryōken) is a blind assassin who uses Kuro, his large black guide dog, for both assistance and attack in his assassinations. He is incarcerated at the start of the game, and is (falsely) named as a suspect in the second case, in which it is revealed that he is blackmailing and intimidating Marī Miwa into supplying him with contraband goods within prison. The last case reveals him to have a major role in the game's plot; several years before the events of the game, he rescued Sota Sasushiro from certain death, and was later hired to assassinate Teikun Ō on the orders of one of his body doubles. His employer attempted to betray him and have him killed, but Sasushiro warned him about the plot and helped him escape, leading to a friendship of sorts developing between the two men. He later escapes from prison to search for Sasushiro, and intervenes on his behalf to protect him from Shelly de Killer. At the end of the game he accompanies Sasushiro to prison, after the latter is arrested for the murder of Teikun Ō's body double.

He and Kuro are named Sirhan Dogen and Anubis, respectively, in the fan translation.

Hakari Mikagami

Hakari Mikagami (水鏡 秤, Mikagami Hakari) is a member of the Prosecutorial Investigation Committee, who is determined to disbar Edgeworth due to his bold actions in his investigations.

Named Justine Courtney in the fan translation.

Yumihiko Ichiyanagi

Voiced by: Kotaro Ogiwara

Yumihiko Ichiyanagi (一柳 弓彦, Ichiyanagi Yumihiko) is the son of Bansai Ichiyanagi, and attempts to replace Edgeworth as prosecutor throughout the game. Though supposedly a genius prosecutor and a top student during his law studies, he is shown to be blatantly incompetent, and it is eventually revealed that all his achievements were the result of his father's manipulations, something he was unaware of. Despite this, he does show genuine promise as a prosecutor; after Edgeworth encourages him to be a better man than his father, he proves instrumental in preventing Mari Miwa's acquittal.

He is named Sebastian Debeste in the fan translation.

Bansai Ichiyanagi

Bansai Ichiyanagi (一柳 万才, Ichiyanagi Bansai) is Yumihiko's father, and the corrupt chief prosecutor who is brought up to light in the fourth case.

Named Blaise Debeste in the fan translation.

Sota Sarushiro

Sota Sarushiro (猿代 草太, Sarushiro Sōta) is an animal tamer at the Berry Big Circus and the main antagonist of Gyatuken Kenji 2. Initially appearing as a suspect in the investigation into Naitō's murder, Sarushiro is ultimately revealed to have masterminded the events of the game. As a young child, Sasushiro was saved from death by the assassin Ryōken Hōinbō, after being trapped in a freezing car by his best friend Manosuke Naitō. Six years later, Sasushiro witnessed Hōinbō's assassination of the real Teikun Ō, and warned the assassin of his employer's attempt to betray and kill him, thus saving his life. For this, Sasushiro was ruthlessly hunted by Hōinbō's client, one of Teikun Ō's body doubles, and his two co-conspirators, Bansai Ichiyanagi and Marī Miwa. The stress of this situation turned Sasushiro into a bitter man who could no longer trust other people, and he plotted revenge against them and Naitō.

Named Simon Keyes in the fan translation.

Notes

References