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Ace Attorney (Franchise)
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Originally released in Japan as the Gyakuten Saiban (lit. "Turnabout Trial") series on the Game Boy Advance, the Ace Attorney franchise chronicles the adventures of hotshot young defense attorney Phoenix Wright and his friends, allies, and protégés as they investigate their clients' cases (which are usually murders). It was one of the first Visual Novels to have a large-scale distribution in the West, with the entire series (aside from one spin-off title) having received an official English release, if oftentimes belatedly. The gameplay is part point and click, part mystery game where one finds logical inconsistencies in dialogue, part visual novel. There is no item combination and the story is mostly linear. It is well-known in English-speaking locales for its colorful cast of characters, its twists and turns, and its above-and-beyond localization (outside of a few grammatical errors).The central series consists of the following games: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2001note Four cases in GBA version, 2005 DS version adds a fifth case): The first game in the series, which chronicles the start of Phoenix's career, the beginning of his association with the Fey family, and his reunion with childhood friend-turned-rival-prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice For All (2002): The second game in the series. Still reeling from Miles Edgeworth's disappearance, Phoenix continues to solve cases, along the way squaring off with the successor to an old nemesis... Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations (2004): The third game and original Grand Finale to the trilogy. Phoenix and company start to uncover a nefarious plot involving the Fey family. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (2007): Set seven years after Trials and Tribulations, the fourth game sees Phoenix's protégé Apollo Justice take the reins as the truth about Phoenix's disbarment comes to light. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies (2013): The fifth game, in which Athena Cykes joins the firm. However, her past casts a long shadow over events. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice (2016): The sixth game. Phoenix and Apollo become embroiled in events happening in the Kingdom of Khura'in. Additionally, a few spinoffs and cross media instances have been released: Ace Attorney Investigations: A separate series that follows Miles Edgeworth, wherein players act as a prosecutor to build a case and solve crimes outside of the courtroom. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (2009): Set shortly after Trials and Tribulations, Edgeworth finds himself involved in several cases involving a conflict between an international smuggling ring and the phantom thief that seeks to expose their crimes outside the justice system. Gyakuten Kenji 2 (2011): Shortly after the first game, Edgeworth ends up in the crosshairs of the Prosecutorial Investigation Committee, as they see his desire to seek the truth making him ill-suited in his position. note Gyakuten Kenji 2 is named so as it was never released outside of Japan; despite this, English-speaking fans tend to dub it "Ace Attorney Investigations 2", or use the name of its Fan Translation, "Prosecutor's Path".invoked Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2012): A crossover that pits the legal counsel of Mr. Wright against and alongside the investigative skills of Professor Layton, as they find themselves transported to a seemingly medieval-era town where the townsfolk believe in witchcraft. The Great Ace Attorney: A historical take on the franchise, set in the Meiji Era of Japanese history (and later Victorian London). Stars Phoenix Wright's Identical Grandfather Ryunosuke Naruhodo and a host of new characters, including the franchise's take on the most iconic Great Detective in the world of fiction, Sherlock Holmes.note Or in the localized version, Herlock Sholmes. Initially released in Japan as two separate games before a compilation translation in 2021 (as The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles). The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures (2015): Ryunosuke and judicial assistant Susato Mikotoba arrive in London to take up law following a tragedy. The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve (2017): A sequel to the above. Four months after the previous game, Ryunosuke and Susato learn that the cases they worked on were not as simple as they thought, and that London's judicial system is more fraught than they realized. Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3: A Fighting Game that includes Wright as a playable fighter. The game also includes cameos from Maya, The Judge, and Missile, as well as Miles Edgeworth, Franziska von Karma, and Godot as cards in the Heroes and Heralds mode. Project × Zone 2: A crossover game between Namco, Capcom, and Sega which includes Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey as playable units and an NPC appearance by prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. CROSS×BEATS: A Rhythm Game series also by Capcom that features an abridged version of "Pursuit ~ Last Promotion Version" from the Dual Destinies soundtrack and an arrange of "Turnabout Sisters" by OSTER project of Vocaloid fame as playable songs. Teppen (2019): A Collectible Card Game by Capcom that, with the arrival of its ninth expansion "Ace vs. The People", added cards based on the franchise, as well as Wright himself as an EX Skin for Chun-Li. Ace Attorney cosmetics have occasionally featured in other video games by Capcom. A couple of infamous examples are the now-defunct mobile game Monster Hunter Explore (a limited-time event featured Phoenix, Maya, Edgeworth, and Franziska costumes, as well as weapon skins inspired by the Blue Badger and Phoenix's pointer finger), and the Wii-exclusive We Love Golf! (which features Apollo and Pearl skins as unlockable costumes).Futhermore, series creator Shu Takumi indicated in a 2023 interview that his stand-alone game Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective can take place in the Ace Attorney universe should one choose to believe such, having previously stated that he'd be interested in creating a crossover between the two.The franchise has also branched out into other media, including: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Official Casebooks, a Doujinshi series consisting of fan-written manga stories officially collected by Capcom. Four anthology books were released in Japanese, but condensed into two for the English release: The Phoenix Wright Files, collecting stories primarily focused on Phoenix. The Miles Edgeworth Files, collecting stories primarily focused on Edgeworth. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth: Two professionally produced manga series primarily created by Kenji Kuroda (writer) and Kazuo Maekawa (art). Despite (slightly confusingly) sharing their exact titles with two games in the series, the manga aren't adapted from the games, but instead detail original stand-alone cases. A live-action film adaptation directed by Takashi Miike was released in 2012, generally considered to be a surprisingly faithful Pragmatic Adaptation of the original game. An anime series by A-1 Pictures and which premiered in 2016, with the first season adapting Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Justice For All. A second season based on Trials and Tribulations premiered in 2018. Four musical productions by the Takarazuka Revue, based respectively on: "Rise From the Ashes" (Case 1-5); "Farewell, My Turnabout" (Case 2-4); an original story following immediately on from the Investigations: Miles Edgeworth spin-offs; and The Great Ace Attorney. A series of stage plays: Turnabout Spotlight: An original story performed in 2013 and 2014. Farewell, My Turnabout: An adaptation of the case of the same name from Justice For All, performed in 2015. Turnabout Teleportation: An original story based on the Investigations games, performed in 2016 and 2017. Turnabout Gold Medal: An original story performed in 2019. A theme park attraction. A Pachinko machine. A Virtual Reality attraction for the 20th anniversary.There is a (work-in-progress) recap page for the series here. | |
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After-Action Villain Analysis | |
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After-Action Villain Analysis: Many cases have one of these, typically in the Defendant Lobby after the verdict's been declared. | |
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Elderly Ailment Rambling | |
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Elderly Ailment Rambling: In the first three games, Marvin Grossberg is an elderly attorney who is prone to updating the characters about how his hemorrhoids are doing at any given moment. | |
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Dirty Coward | |
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Dirty Coward: Many of the murderers are people who kill in order to keep other crimes secret rather than face the consequences of their actions. In particular, Daryan Crescend kills an Interpol agent who was about to catch him smuggling a cocoon into the country, frames Machi, a young boy and his accomplice in the cocoon theft for the murder, and was planning to sell the cocoon to the Chief Justice, a client he knew would never betray him, in a choice the Judge describes as befitting "a cowardly opportunist]]. | |
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Creator Cameo | |
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Creator Cameo: Prior to Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, all the in-game voice clips were provided by members of the development and localization teams. PLvsAA and Dual Destinies use professional voice actors for most characters due to the greater amount of dialogue and higher sound quality offered by the 3DS, but the teams still do voice clips for the more minor characters | |
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Hero Stage Show | |
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Hero Stage Show: In the manga chapter "Turnabout Showtime", Phoenix and Maya go to a theme park called Sparkle Land and decide to watch the Sparklestar Show, in which actors in costume perform onstage as the park's mascots. During the performance, the actor portraying Twinklestar stumbles onstage and apologizes for being late. Then he collapses with blood coming out of the costume. | |
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No Such Thing as Bad Publicity | |
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invokedThe Gatewater Hotel from the first game's second case. Examining the window facing it in every case reveals that it goes from a no-name hotel to, with the help of that case, a famous five-star hotel and eventually, a theme park. | |
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The Artifact | |
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The Artifact: The 3-day limit for trials. Originally introduced as a plot device to give each case an in-story time limit, all cases after the first game opted to go with a 2-day structure instead once the writers figured out that was the sweet spot for pacing. Even so, the three day limit is still mentioned on occasion in later games as part of the lore, such as in the third case of Gyakuten Kenji 2, where it's mentioned that Gregory Edgeworth's last case, the IS-7 incident, took place before the limit was implemented. | |
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Plot-Triggering Death | |
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Plot-Triggering Death: Often related to That One Case. Gregory Edgeworth's could easily be one of these in the Ace Attorney games. Basically, it was his death that kickstarted Miles' ambition to be a prosecutor, which started Phoenix's ambition to become a defense attorney. These two in-turn would go on to inspire other characters like Franziska von Karma and Apollo Justice to their current careers in a further knock-on effect. You could even go further back and say that it was Isaku Hyodo's death that led to Gregory's, and so on. Gregory's death was also the distant catalyst for Misty Fey's disappearance (which in turn had several repercussions on the Fey clan, such as Dahlia and Iris's father leaving, Mia's Promotion to Parent, etc, Yanni Yogi's Obfuscating Stupidity, etcetera. In fact, a lot of deaths in this game series have kicked off new arcs and plots (Mia Fey, Magnifi Gramarye etc). | |
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Heroic BSoD | |
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5-1: Phoenix appears when Athena gets anxious during a trial and has a Heroic BSoD. | |
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Does This Remind You of Anything? | |
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In the latter part of Investigations' first case, a lot of time was spent on figuring out who touched Portsman's knob. Only Portsman himself and his partner touched his knob. Possibly unintentional, but who knows. | |
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Big, Screwed-Up Family | |
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Big, Screwed-Up Family: The Fey clan. Morgan Fey conspired against her more spiritually powerful younger sister Misty (who became the clan's head because of that) by framing Misty's daughter Maya for murder, so that Pearl (Morgan's very talented daughter) could take over. And that's not even including the Morgan's own secret twin daughters, one of them (Dahlia Hawthorne) being a terrible human being herself. The von Karma family belongs here as well. The patriarch adopted the son of his own murder victim so that he could corrupt the boy's views and mold him as an Amoral Attorney who would stand opposite to everything his own father believed in, only to later frame him for the murder of his father anyway. And the patriarch's own daughter has a very complex relationship with her adopted brother. If they can be considered a family, Troupe Gramarye fits too. And the Kitakis. Actually, practically any two related characters belong to one of these. Phoenix's inner monologue lampshades the Blackquills' version: The Khura'in Royal Family probably takes the cake though. The former queen and the current queen are sisters, with the latter (a prosecutor at the time) claiming that the former queen's husband attempted to kill his own wife, leading to a complex conspiracy where the current queen claims the throne while the former queen hides herself as a servant for protection. The former queen's husband becomes a revolutionary, their son becomes a prosecutor (who in turn is constantly blackmailed by his aunt/current queen with his mother's life). And then there's the current princess who believes that the current queen and her minister of justice husband are her real parents, when in fact she's also the child of the former queen and her revolutionary husband (and thus, sister of the prosecutor), and also has her life threatened by the current queen in order to keep the former queen and the prosecutor nephew in line. | |
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Mystery Magnet | |
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Mystery Magnet: Many cases start with Phoenix having only taken a passing interest in something (an awards ceremony, for example), only for someone involved with whatever it was to turn up dead. Apollo Justice seems to have been set up to become one of these as well, and the same is true for Edgeworth in his Gaiden Game. Lampshaded by Gumshoe, who mentions he's beginning to wonder if Phoenix is the cause of all the chaotic situations he gets wrapped up in. Edgeworth then notes that Gumshoe is usually involved in the exact same incidents. In the manga, Gumshoe again comments that Phoenix "get(s) mixed up in too many murders, pal!" in Turnabout Gallows. | |
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Lying by Omission | |
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Lying by Omission: Some witnesses will only reveal information when specifically asked about it. Miles Edgeworth would use this method for coaching witnesses during his days as the Demon Prosecutor. | |
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Secret Room | |
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Secret Room: During the events of "The Rite of Turnabout" in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice, Phoenix Wright discovers a hideout for the La Résistance hidden behind a statue that was part of a ritual ground sacred to the Kingdom of Khura'in. The fact that the hideout is secretly accessed through a religious site implicates a local priest and his wife as part of the rebels against the Kingdom. During the events of "The Forgotten Turnabout" in the sequel to Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, Edgeworth discovers a secret floor between the 50th floor and the roof of the Grand Tower. The secret floor was used to store evidence which was stolen from police custody and set to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. | |
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Evil Versus Evil | |
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Evil Versus Evil: Multiple instances: Both the victim and the killer are villains in some cases. Some good examples of this are Farewell, My Turnabout, Turnabout Corner, and the second case of Turnabout Revolution. Bridge to the Turnabout puts an interesting spin on this: Godot is a Big Bad, and he killed Misty Fey while defending Maya Fey from Dahlia Hawthorne, the other Big Bad who Misty Fey was channeling at the time and who was trying to kill Maya Fey. Godot is guilty because he intentionally squandered an opportunity to prevent the fight from taking place at all, so lethal force was not required to defend Maya Fey which trashes the defense of others defense which requires that no option other than lethal force exists to succeed. | |
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Put on a Prison Bus | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_17122cfd | comment |
Put on a Prison Bus: Most episodes in the series end with the real killer being arrested, which is usually the last we hear of them. | |
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Frothy Mugs of Water | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_17c7c925 | comment |
In Apollo Justice and Investigations, Phoenix and Edgeworth respectively seem to have a fondness for "grape juice." In huge glass bottles, in bars and VIP lounges. One might think that this is censorship of wine, however, not only is the substitution of grape juice in both the English and Japanese versions, but why would they need to censor alcohol in a game about violent murders? This is lampshaded by Athena in Case 6-5 where she asks if Phoenix enjoyed the "fermented kind" but Apollo stated that it was the normal kind. | |
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All There in the Manual | |
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Edgeworth is a huge Steel Samurai fanboy. It's subtle in the main games, confirmed in the supplemental materials. Investigations throws all pretense out the window and makes it a minor plot point in the final case. | |
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NPC Amnesia | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_181d888c | comment |
NPC Amnesia: In this case, it's also PC Amnesia, as you can repeat an entire conversation in the exact same way multiple times. Sometimes, taking advantage of this is even necessary to continue the game. You only have one shot at getting April May to tell you about her employer. Blow it and you have to drop by Grossberg to find out. | |
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Title Drop | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_18d15922 | comment |
Title Drop: Curiously enough, Phoenix Wright only gains his moniker of “Ace Attorney� in the third game (3-2), where in response to Luke Atmey’s egotistical title of “Ace Detective� he sardonically calls himself an “Ace Attorney� and Maya adds that she then is a “Ace Spirit Medium�. Luke just rolls with it, saying “well met�. In Dual Destinies, Florent L'Belle refers to Apollo as "ace attorney" during a cross-examination. | |
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Graceful Loser | |
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Graceful Loser: Some of the perpetrators, when exposed, don't have Villainous Breakdowns. Those perpetrators (like Dee Vasquez, Acro, and Godot) almost always fit this trope. Even some of those who do have Villainous Breakdowns fit, like Damon Gant. | |
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| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_191a3673 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_19851b86 | type |
The Sociopath | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_19851b86 | comment |
The Sociopath: See here. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_19851b86 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_19851b86 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_19851b86 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_19ebe383 | type |
Never Trust a Trailer | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_19ebe383 | comment |
Never Trust a Trailer: The official trailer for Ace Attorney Investigations showed several scenes of Kay Faraday assisting with the investigation of the second case. Edgeworth doesn't meet 17-year-old Kay until the beginning of case 3. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_19ebe383 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_19ebe383 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_19ebe383 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a2dc1fd | type |
Mission-Pack Sequel | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a2dc1fd | comment |
Mission-Pack Sequel: Aside from the introduction of Psyche-Locks and a Life Meter in the second game, the first three games are almost identical. The fourth game mixes things up a little bit, the gameplay is still extremely similar. The Ace Attorney Investigations and Dual Destinies games avert this. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a2dc1fd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a2dc1fd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a2dc1fd | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a3a91dd | type |
Say My Name | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a3a91dd | comment |
Say My Name: Several times. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a3a91dd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a3a91dd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a3a91dd | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a8b9a47 | type |
Rule of Fun | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a8b9a47 | comment |
Rule of Fun: The justice system presented in the games would be a joke in real life, the lawyers and witnesses get away with attitudes and behaviour that would be punishable by contempt of court at least, and any witness revising their statement that much would have their credibility wrecked in about fifteen minutes. But is it fun? Heck yes. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a8b9a47 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a8b9a47 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1a8b9a47 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1b65dfad | type |
The Cameo | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1b65dfad | comment |
Investigations reuses music from older games that were associated with characters from past games. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1b65dfad | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1b65dfad | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1b65dfad | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1c3d047e | type |
The Rival | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1c3d047e | comment |
The Rival: Each game has a prosecutor who has personal affairs with the protagonist: The first game has Miles Edgeworth, who's revealed to be Phoenix Wright's childhood friend and the reason Phoenix became a defense attorney in the first place. Edgeworth used to want to be a lawyer too but ended up as an alleged Persecuting Prosecutor and Phoenix tries to change his ways. And succeeds. Justice for All has Franziska von Karma, who seeks revenge on Phoenix. She's the daughter of Manfred von Karma, a legendary prosecutor who killed Gregory Edgeworth and turned his son, Miles, into a prosecutor. Phoenix had exposed him as a murderer in the first game. Trials and Tribulations features Godot, who is very spiteful towards Phoenix. Proof of this is his taunting sarcasm, he calls him "Trite" instead of Wright, and he throws coffee mugs at him. It turns out Godot is Mia Fey's former boyfriend. When he was told that Mia had been murdered and Phoenix could have prevented that, he started to hate him. Apollo Justice has Klavier Gavin. He isn't really an Amoral Attorney, unlike the previous prosecutors; he just taunts him from time to time with the name "Herr Forehead". Dual Destinies has Simon Blackquill, a man convicted for murder. He hadn't met Phoenix or Apollo beforehand, but he DID know Athena Cykes, the daughter of a friend of his (the victim of that one murder). Blackquill throws blades at the defense when they make particularly outlandish claims. Spirit of Justice introduces Nahyuta Sahdmadhi, a foreign prosecutor monk. He's very antagonistic towards the defense, claiming that they have a putrid mind, and has a personal affair with Apollo, the adopted son of his father. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1c3d047e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1c3d047e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1c3d047e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1c5002bc | type |
The Stoic | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1c5002bc | comment |
Also, revealing the truth when it comes to your own emotions and feelings is not exactly welcome, seeing how much the Japanese love The Stoic. Many times, the characters have to hide their anguish inside for the sake of others, even if it hurts them and they are, technically, hiding the truth (like Maya and how she feels after her mother died, Phoenix after Case 3 in the Layton crossover or after his disbarrment in Apollo Justice, Apollo's "I'M FINE!" scream, the whole "A lawyer always smiles and only cries when it's all over" message, among others). Hiding how you truly feel and lying about it seems to be much more acceptable than expressing your true emotions. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1c5002bc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1c5002bc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1c5002bc | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1dc5730a | type |
CharacterTic | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1dc5730a | comment |
Character Tic: Everyone has their own poses, but some are more iconic than others. It'd take way too much just to list everyone's personal tic. Some characters even share tics due to their connection to other characters (like Phoenix slamming his hands on the desk in the exact same way as his mentor, Mia). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1dc5730a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1dc5730a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1dc5730a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1dea3034 | type |
Cool Shades | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1dea3034 | comment |
Cool Shades: Ema Skye wears pink glasses for Luminol testing in all of her appearances. Klavier wears sunglasses in the flashback court segment of case 4-4. Shi-Long Lang has what is possibly the most pointlessly elaborate, yet completely awesome pair of sunglasses ever to exist. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1dea3034 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1dea3034 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1dea3034 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1ee9819e | type |
Scary Shiny Glasses | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1ee9819e | comment |
Scary Shiny Glasses: Kristoph in Apollo Justice. You get to see through them at one point, and it isn't pretty. Subverted by Machi in the third case of Apollo Justice — he wears tinted glasses, but he's actually a very kind and gentle boy. He's pretending to be blind. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1ee9819e | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1ee9819e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1ee9819e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1f0c1d33 | type |
Couldn't Find a Pen | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1f0c1d33 | comment |
Couldn't Find a Pen: First rule of practicing law in the Ace Attorney universe: if, at any point, it comes to light the victim wrote the identity of their killer in their own blood as they died, it's a Frame-Up by the actual murderer. Also is referenced often and occurs very frequently: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney case 2: Near the victim's body, Maya's name is written in blood. Detective Gumshoe says this is a message from the victim saying that Maya did it. It turns out that the killer wrote it in the victim's blood to frame Maya. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney case 5: The name "Ema" was written in blood on a broken jar, again by the real killer so as to convince Ema's sister to help forge evidence. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice For All case 1: The name "Maggie" was written in the sand in front of the victim and the victim's right index finger was near the last letter. The player shows that the killer used the victim's hand to write this to frame Maggey by showing that the name is spelled wrong (when the victim would have known how to spell it) and that the victim was left-handed. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations case 5: The name "Maya" is written in the victim's blood. It turns out that the victim was channeling a spirit at the time and that the spirit wrote the name to implicate Maya because said spirit was hostile to Maya. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney case 3: There is something written in blood on the floor in front of the victim, but it's hard to read. It turns out that the victim was an Interpol agent and wrote his agent number. The killer saw this and tried to smear the number to make it unreadable - proving that the person who tried to smear the number wasn't blind. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth case 1: When you put the binders back on the shelf, you find that the name Gumshoe was written in the victim's blood on the file binders. It turns out that the killer wrote this name to frame someone, but then someone else came and stole one of the binders that the name was written on. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies case 1: After Apollo is knocked unconscious, the name of the defendant, "Woods", is written in blood, apparently by him. It turns out that it was written by the victim, and not by Apollo, and that it was used to implicate the real murderer. However, originally it read L10015R, the number of the culprit's bomb carrying case. The culprit altered the message using Apollo's blood to implicate Woods. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice case 4: The victim supposedly used his karuta cards to finger the defendant (the fourth generation owner of a soba shop called Whet Noodle) as the culprit, spelling out WHET NO 4 to implicate him. However, the soba broth stains on the cards indicate the original order the cards were in actually read OWEN 4TH, and was rearranged by the witness who found the body, though without malicious intent towards the defendant. However, the message OWEN 4th was also a false message, left behind by the true killer. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1f0c1d33 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1f0c1d33 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1f0c1d33 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1fe9e22 | type |
Childhood Friends | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1fe9e22 | comment |
The Childhood Friends trio of Phoenix (blue), Edgeworth (magenta), and Larry (yellow-orange) in the first and sixth games. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1fe9e22 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1fe9e22 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_1fe9e22 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20860a0e | type |
Punch-Clock Villain | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20860a0e | comment |
Punch-Clock Villain: Most (with some big exceptions) prosecutors aren't necessarily despicable people, it's just their job to convict defendants and get them thrown in jail or the death penalty. To what degree the prosecutor cares about achieving true justice varies from game to game and case to case; the more sympathetic ones will do what they can (within their position as prosecutor) to help the protagonist while the truly terrible ones will do anything to get their guilty verdict. By the "Dark Age of the Law" that makes up the fourth and fifth games, however, this mentality has seemingly spread all around the Prosecutor's Office and attorneys just coming out of school are even being taught that winning by whatever means one has should be followed by rule. Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth takes it upon himself to correct this by dismissing prosecutors who demonstrate such tactics, to the point that he ends up short-staffed. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20860a0e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20860a0e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20860a0e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20917b55 | type |
Milking the Giant Cow | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20917b55 | comment |
Milking the Giant Cow: Didn't they teach you in law school that it's rude to point? | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20917b55 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20917b55 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20917b55 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20b2adb6 | type |
For Great Justice | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20b2adb6 | comment |
For Great Justice: Most obvious in Phoenix and Apollo, of course, but Edgeworth also learns to seek out the truth rather than just more wins on his record. Being a game series based on lawyers, it's justified. It's the Steel Samurai's motto. This is Bobby Fulbright's entire motivation. Phoenix and co. manipulate him at least one point by convincing him that helping him would better serve the cause of justice than strictly following his orders. Subverted in this case. He's actually an amoral spy, presumably not someone who'd actually care about justice The Yatagarasu's goal: to steal the truth for justice. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20b2adb6 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20b2adb6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20b2adb6 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20bf0546 | type |
Franchise-Driven Retitling | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20bf0546 | comment |
Franchise-Driven Retitling: The sequels all carried the "Ace Attorney" name, since some of the sequels (namely Apollo Justice and Ace Attorney Investigations) don't actually star Phoenix Wright. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20bf0546 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20bf0546 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20bf0546 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20d965e | type |
Gentleman Thief | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20d965e | comment |
Also in the second case of Trials and Tribulations, when talking about Mask DeMasque Phoenix says that when you're famous there are always imitators. Pearl then says that if Phoenix works hard, someday he'll have his own imitators. The next case revolves around Furio Tigre impersonating Phoenix to cover a crime. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20d965e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20d965e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_20d965e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_210c27c4 | type |
Quickly-Demoted Leader | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_210c27c4 | comment |
Quickly-Demoted Leader: Here's a word of advice—don't become the mentor of a rookie attorney. You'll most likely end up dead or the victim of otherwise horrible circumstances. Or in jail, as we see in Apollo Justice. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_210c27c4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_210c27c4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_210c27c4 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_216dab44 | type |
Framing the Guilty Party | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_216dab44 | comment |
Framing the Guilty Party: Crops up on multiple occasions, including one particularly deconstruction. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_216dab44 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_216dab44 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_216dab44 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_21847ef5 | type |
Screen Shake | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_21847ef5 | comment |
Screen Shake: Used for everything from Franziska's whip to random lines of dialogue. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_21847ef5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_21847ef5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_21847ef5 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_21e5b9c7 | type |
Failed a Spot Check | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_21e5b9c7 | comment |
In case 1-2, Mia appears at the last moment when Phoenix gives up to tell him that he Failed a Spot Check, and subsequently pressures the culprit into giving up himself. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_21e5b9c7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_21e5b9c7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_21e5b9c7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2207b002 | type |
Ambiguously Brown | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2207b002 | comment |
Godot: An ambiguously brown albino with a glowing visor. Often deliberately misnames, and has a serious coffee obsession. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2207b002 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2207b002 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2207b002 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_22cf536c | type |
Chekhov's Gun | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_22cf536c | comment |
Chekhov's Gun: A series-wide gun was mentioned by Gumshoe during the "Rise of the Ashes" case: "The prosecutor is responsible for the evidence he presents in court". This applies to Miles Edgeworth, who's known in the first game for presenting forged evidence, but also applies to Phoenix Wright, who is not a prosecutor, but presented forged evidence without knowing. Midway through the third game, a silly digression involving a ketchup stain hints at the fact that Godot can't see red on white — which becomes vitally important in the final case. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_22cf536c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_22cf536c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_22cf536c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_22d2b473 | type |
Share Phrase | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_22d2b473 | comment |
Share Phrase: "(Why do I always get the weird ones?)", a recurring line of Inner Monologue delivered by whoever happens to be the player character at the time when dealing with a particularly quirky witness. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_22d2b473 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_22d2b473 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_22d2b473 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_24321e44 | type |
Only Sane Man | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_24321e44 | comment |
Only Sane Man: The playable character in each game. It seems that they're the only ones to notice that the prosecution is blatantly lying/taking advantage of the Judge/doing something incredibly illegal/whipping people to let off steam/etc. This is a bit jarring in Dual Destinies, when the cases cycle between Apollo, Athena, and Phoenix as the playable characters and, from the perspective of each of them, the other two come across as very ridiculous. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_24321e44 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_24321e44 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_24321e44 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_245a7c37 | type |
Enraged by Idiocy | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_245a7c37 | comment |
Manfred von Karma and his daughter are Enraged by Idiocy to an extreme degree. Wasting their time is another good way to piss them off. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_245a7c37 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_245a7c37 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_245a7c37 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_24cf8a0e | type |
Speech-Centric Work | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_24cf8a0e | comment |
Speech-Centric Work: As one might expect from a Visual Novel that's also a Courtroom Drama. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_24cf8a0e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_24cf8a0e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_24cf8a0e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_25cf1f3d | type |
Rude Hero, Nice Sidekick | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_25cf1f3d | comment |
Rude Hero, Nice Sidekick: The usual dynamic of the prosecutor/detective pairs, with the prosecutor being standoffish and possibly hostile while the detective is more approachable. Inverted in Apollo Justice and subverted in Dual Destinies. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_25cf1f3d | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_25cf1f3d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_25cf1f3d | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_260926c3 | type |
Failure Is the Only Option | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_260926c3 | comment |
Failure Is the Only Option: In case 1-4, there is a piece of evidence that can turn the case around. However, in order to progress, you have to confront Von Karma with it - at which point he hits you with a taser and destroys the evidence, and it's the only thing left during that particular investigation. The only way to progress in Phoenix's final trial is to present the forged diary page, even though it means Phoenix will be disbarred for presenting forged evidence. Justified as the case in question is set in the past. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_260926c3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_260926c3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_260926c3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_266e4fc7 | type |
The Perry Mason Method | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_266e4fc7 | comment |
The Perry Mason Method: Courtroom scenes are nothing but this. Even when you aren't confronting the actual killer, you always have to work to get your current witness to reveal some important piece of information. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_266e4fc7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_266e4fc7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_266e4fc7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2671fb4a | type |
Super Move Portrait Attack | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2671fb4a | comment |
Super Move Portrait Attack: Happens during trials when an attorney or prosecutor delivers a particularly energetic "Objection!" The special sprite is superimposed on light blue Speed Stripes. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2671fb4a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2671fb4a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2671fb4a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_26d1f65f | type |
Verbal Tic | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_26d1f65f | comment |
In the manga, Gumshoe again comments that Phoenix "get(s) mixed up in too many murders, pal!" in Turnabout Gallows. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_26d1f65f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_26d1f65f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_26d1f65f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_26eb6287 | type |
Funny Background Event | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_26eb6287 | comment |
Funny Background Event: After accusing the murderer (Acro) in Case 2-3, the hummingbird seen in Acro's idle animation starts poking Phoenix's forehead while Phoenix is sweating nervously. Nobody seems to notice this, not even Phoenix himself. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_26eb6287 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_26eb6287 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_26eb6287 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2764d432 | type |
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2764d432 | comment |
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Usually the true murderer. Dahlia Hawthorne before she developed her Ax-Crazy tendencies towards Mia, and Alita Tiala from Apollo Justice. Matt Engarde had this as his defining character trait — even his name is a hint. And from Gyakuten Kenji 2, SÅ�ta Sarushiro/Simon Keyes. In Dual Destines we have the phantom/Bobby Fulbright Characters who end up in magatama sessions can be this, regardless of actual personality. Justified that they clearly have things to hide from the protagonists but when not played well this tends to turn into out-of-character moments for people like Pearl and Adriannote 3-2 only. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2764d432 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2764d432 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2764d432 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_28c1d543 | type |
Defrosting Ice Queen | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_28c1d543 | comment |
Franziska, particularly in the third game after she's mellowed a bit. Even lampshaded: both Phoenix and Edgeworth say "she's so openly hostile it's almost cute". | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_28c1d543 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_28c1d543 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_28c1d543 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2937826d | type |
Hurricane of Puns | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2937826d | comment |
Hurricane of Puns: The vast majority of names you meet are a pun of some sort. Some are subtle, most... not so much. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2937826d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2937826d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2937826d | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_297ab1b9 | type |
Parental Abandonment | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_297ab1b9 | comment |
Parental Abandonment: Seems to be a pretty heavy-handed theme throughout the series. In the very least, every character who has accompanied the current protagonist lost at least one parent in some way (usually death) and the only main character to not suffer the same fate has been Phoenix. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_297ab1b9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_297ab1b9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_297ab1b9 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_29e294a6 | type |
Stopped Clock | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_29e294a6 | comment |
Stopped Clock: Used repeatedly (twice in the first game alone). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_29e294a6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_29e294a6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_29e294a6 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a02e5c9 | type |
Guile Hero | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a02e5c9 | comment |
Guile Hero: It doesn't get more "Guile Hero" than a defense attorney who can only use evidence, brains and chutzpah to save innocent people from the noose! | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a02e5c9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a02e5c9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a02e5c9 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a090d00 | type |
Lampshade Hanging | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a090d00 | comment |
2-4 has so many whams that it's actually lampshaded by the Judge. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a090d00 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a090d00 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a090d00 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a552d44 | type |
Recurring Element | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a552d44 | comment |
Recurring Element: A common theme for cases is an otherwise innocuous and wholesome line of work being the scene and focus of a murder, usually revealing its dark underside. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Justice for All has children's Sentai shows. The main games (except Apollo Justice) and Investigations feature masked entities (which may or may not overlap with Sentai shows). Justice for All, Trials and Tribulations and Spirit of Justice have spirit channelling, and Justice for All has a circus. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney and Spirit of Justice have stage magicians. Spirit of Justice features a case based on Rakugo performance. Gyakuten Kenji 2 reveals that the case that started the entire series main plot, ending in the murder of Gregory Edgeworth and public disgracing of Misty Fey, was about the cutthroat world of Dessert Chefs. The details and the styles may be different, but the courtrooms in every single game (sans the two Investigations games) feature similar-looking waiting rooms that are always guarded by two guards, the Judge is always a big bearded old man with no name, and there's always Winston Payne, one of his relatives, or an expy of him waiting for you at the tutorial stage. The character dynamics follow a formula: The main series games will always have a hapless and put-upon yet intelligent and quick-thinking attorney (Phoenix, Apollo, and Athena). The assistant is a perky younger girl with a screwed-up family history (Maya, Ema in her first appearances, Trucy, even Kay). The main prosecutor is feared and renowned, going up against a feared and renowned prosecutor (Edgeworth, the von Karmas, Godotnote Although he admits that he's never prosecuted a case before he meets you, he does have legal experience and certainly walks the talk, Klavier, Blackquill, Nahyuta) and who is in turn assisted by a more amiable detective (Gumshoe, Fulbright, Ema in her later appearances). The exception is Klavier and Ema in Apollo Justice (where she's openly antagonistic towards him and Apollo, while Klavier plays nice with the defense. In several games, the final case of the game has a noticeable influence from the death of a main character's parent: Gregory Edgeworth in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (not taking "Rise from the Ashes" into account). Implied dead by this game and influencing Franziska's ideals, Manfred von Karma in Justice for All. Misty Fey in Trials and Tribulations. Zak Gramarye in Apollo Justice. Thalassa's presumed death can be considered as well. While his death is mostly explored in the penultimate case, Byrne Faraday in Investigations. Gyakuten Kenji 2 has Dai-Long Lang, Dave Gustavia, and (to a lesser extent) Gregory Edgeworth. Metis Cykes in Dual Destinies. Spirit of Justice has three: Jove Justice, Justice Minister Inga, and Dhurke Sahdmadhi. Queen Amara's presumed assassination also counts. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a552d44 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a552d44 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2a552d44 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2bdae2ae | type |
Awesome, but Impractical | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2bdae2ae | comment |
Awesome, but Impractical: The DS support functions for the microphone and touch screen were tacked on to all three of the remakes. While it is cool to press the Y button to turn on the mic and yell "Objection!" and "Hold it!", it's far easier to press the shoulder buttons instead. The touch screen is rarely ever required for any of the games either, though it does make investigating easier. The WiiWare ports let you swing the Wii Remote as if you were making Phoenix's trademark "Objection!" pose. Fun, but ultimately it's easier to just press the minus button. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2bdae2ae | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2bdae2ae | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2bdae2ae | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2c8f12af | type |
Pre-Order Bonus | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2c8f12af | comment |
The Pre-Order Bonus for the first DS game in the US was a stylus...whose tip was a hand with that very pointer finger. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2c8f12af | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2c8f12af | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2c8f12af | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2cb9b1a9 | type |
Cool, but Inefficient | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2cb9b1a9 | comment |
Cool, but Inefficient: The DS supports functions for the microphone and touch screen. While it is cool to press the Y button to turn on the mic and yell "Objection!" and "Hold it!", it's far easier to press the shoulder buttons instead. The touch screen is rarely ever required for any of the games either. Apollo Justice tries to make the best use of both functions by implementing forensic tools to discover clues throughout the game, but for the most part, such a requirement comes up maybe only once or twice per game. In the WiiWare rereleases, while it is cool to do Phoenix's trademark pose with the Wii remote while presenting evidence, it is a lot easier to just press the button. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2cb9b1a9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2cb9b1a9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2cb9b1a9 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2ceee1dc | type |
Head-Turning Beauty | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2ceee1dc | comment |
Mia reacts to every crazy thing in her trials by snarking at the judge, the witness and the prosecutor in her head, usually accompanied by some male shaming (not without reason, considering the reactions Dahlia causes in them). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2ceee1dc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2ceee1dc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2ceee1dc | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d3016e8 | type |
Guilty Until Someone Else Is Guilty | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d3016e8 | comment |
Guilty Until Someone Else Is Guilty: This is not an actual part of the law system in the games, but due to the ways the trials are set up, it is rare to be able to decisively prove your defendant innocent without proving how the crime happened at every step and who actually did it. In the earlier games, for the few exceptions where you do conclusively prove your defendant's innocence early, the game requires you to continue until you've caught the real killer in a bit of Gameplay and Story Segregation, but some later games will instead give you alternate game over screens to the tune of "your client was declared innocent, but the killer got away", or even in one example work it into the plot and save catching the actual criminal for a later case. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d3016e8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d3016e8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d3016e8 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d4a6d8c | type |
Sophisticated as Hell | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d4a6d8c | comment |
Edgeworth pulls roughly one "What the hell?" per game, most memorably from 1-5: | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d4a6d8c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d4a6d8c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d4a6d8c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d4fa515 | type |
Ax-Crazy | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d4fa515 | comment |
Usually the true murderer. Dahlia Hawthorne before she developed her Ax-Crazy tendencies towards Mia, and Alita Tiala from Apollo Justice. Matt Engarde had this as his defining character trait — even his name is a hint. And from Gyakuten Kenji 2, SÅ�ta Sarushiro/Simon Keyes. In Dual Destines we have the phantom/Bobby Fulbright | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d4fa515 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d4fa515 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2d4fa515 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2ea2680a | type |
That One Case | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2ea2680a | comment |
That One Case: Each game (save Justice for All) has one big unresolved case that informs the plot and character motivations: In the entirety of the Phoenix arc, the unsolved DL-6 case figures into the backstory of nearly every major character save Phoenix (and it still indirectly influenced his desire to be a lawyer). It saw Manfred von Karma murder Gregory Edgeworth, and Misty Fey disappearing in disgrace during the fallout. Unsurprisingly, the resolution of this case provides motivation and closure to many of the major characters. Its aftermath reaches as far as Trials and Tribulations, which is highly Fey-centric. In case 1-5, SL-9, which Lana is being blackmailed by Gant with. In Trials and Tribulations, Mia Fey's first case (although it's actually solved and overcome by Mia in the first case, which takes place after it). In Apollo Justice, the one that resulted in Wright's disbarment. In Investigations, KG-8, and "the second KG-8" (Turnabout Reminiscence). In Gyakuten Kenji 2, IS-7 and SS-5 In Dual Destinies, UR-1, the unresolved murder of Metis Cykes, supposedly by her own protégé Simon Blackquill. The Miscarriage of Justice sent the latter to prison, and Athena is working to exonerate him. In The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures, "Thrice-Fired" Mason Milverton's murder case, with 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' possibly becoming one for the subseries. In The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve, the Professor Killings. In Spirit of Justice, the current Khura'in status quo is due entirely to the case of Amara Sigatar Khura'in's assassination, which instilled Ga'ran as queen, sent Dhurke on the run, and also killed Apollo's father. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2ea2680a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2ea2680a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2ea2680a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2f50c5bf | type |
Theme Music Power-Up | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2f50c5bf | comment |
Theme Music Power-Up: Whenever a lawyer gets the upper hand, their Objection theme music plays. And then the Pursuit song comes up to give the final blow to the current witness. Played to the hilt in 3-5 when Phoenix's theme music from the first game plays right when he finishes everything off. The "Allegro" themes (which are quicker, more dramatic versions of the cross-examination themes) play instead of the normal theme after contradictions start showing up. Investigations even gets a "Presto" version of its theme, which is even faster and more dramatic than the "Allegro" theme, and is played solely during the final confrontation with a given villain. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2f50c5bf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2f50c5bf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2f50c5bf | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2fa6b075 | type |
God Save Us from the Queen! | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2fa6b075 | comment |
The final boss of Spirit of Justice dons a very revealing outfit with a hairstyle that resembles a humogous spider when the final trial begins. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2fa6b075 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2fa6b075 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_2fa6b075 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_30de7a51 | type |
Chivalrous Pervert | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_30de7a51 | comment |
Chivalrous Pervert: Larry again. He might be an idiot, but when he falls in love, he falls hard. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_30de7a51 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_30de7a51 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_30de7a51 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_30e0c086 | type |
Angry Item Tapping | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_30e0c086 | comment |
Angry Item Tapping: Every lawyer does desk slams, and several of the types are this trope. Franziska von Karma whips the desk. Godot slams his coffee mug onto the desk. Simon Blackquill makes a point out of doing this with his handcuffed wrists, breaking the handcuffs. Nahyuta Sahdmadhi hits the desk with prayer beads. Queen Ga'ran as a prosecutor does this with a book. This trope applies to all judges with their gavels, special mention going to Mael Stronghart, who instead uses a seemingly metal cane that makes an impressive clang. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_30e0c086 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_30e0c086 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_30e0c086 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_31a4e7b2 | type |
Memory Trigger | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_31a4e7b2 | comment |
Memory Trigger: Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth: In Case 4 of the second game, Kay Faraday recovers from her amnesiac state when Edgeworth bestows her father's Promise Notebook to her. The Great Ace Attorney: In the second game's fourth case, "Twisted Karma and His Last Bow", Daley Vigil cannot remember the true reason why he left his job at Barclay Prison. Presenting him with the documents detailing why he was sacked results in him going light-headed and recounting this deep, dark mystery. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_31a4e7b2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_31a4e7b2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_31a4e7b2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3322dd48 | type |
Hollywood Law | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3322dd48 | comment |
Hollywood Law: All over the place. Procedure is shaky, and conflicts of interest that would force most people to recuse themselves from the case are rampant (in fact, it would be easier to list the cases in which conflict of interest is applied: exactly once, in AAI-4, when the defendant accuses the prosecutor of criminal activity). In general: Attorneys do far more direct investigation then they would in real life, cases go to trial far too fast and last far too short, and the burden of proof is effectively on the defense. Prosecutors are able to get away with insane amounts of verbal and physical abuse against the defense and judges. 1-2: The defense attorney was the second person to discover the body, and the victim was his own mentor. 1-4: The prosecutor is the defendant's guardian and mentor and actively tries to usurp the judge's authority. In addition, a critical plot point is that the statute of limitations on an old murder case is about to expire, when in real life murder has no statute of limitations. note This last point is a Dub-Induced Plot Hole caused by moving the game's setting to the US; Japan had a statute of limitations on murder until 2010, nine years after the game's release (but six years before the game's time period). Finally, the villain's plan hinges on a man being held fully criminally responsible for a shooting death that by all accounts was a horrific accident, which occurred when he was nine years old. 1-4, 3-5, 6-5 second trial, and GAA2-5: Prosecutors are allowed to remain in their role after being directly accused of criminal activity related to the case at hand. 1-5: The defendant was witnessed stabbing the victim in the trunk of the prosecutor's car with the prosecutor's knife. The people in the stands are naturally suspicious. In addition, the judge is friends with one of the witnesses, who turns out to be the real killer. Finally, Phoenix stays on as lead counsel and continues cross-examining witnesses after his client fires him in open court. 2-1: The defense attorney is assaulted and rendered amnesiac before the trial begins, and no effort is made to give him time to recover or find a replacement. 2-2: The prosecutor openly admits to presenting illegal evidence to the court with the aim of influencing the judge and observation gallery while bypassing the evidence submission process, and this does not result in a mistrial. 2-2, 5-2, and 5-3: The defense attorney was one of the first ones to discover the body. 2-3: The defense attorney is held responsible for keeping a particularly obnoxious prosecution witness under control. 3-1: The defense attorney has a grudge against one of the witnesses due to her narrowly escaping a murder accusation in a previous trial, and the attorney takes the case with the specific intention of putting her in jail. (Granted, she's right, but...) 3-2, 3-3, and 3-5: The prosecutor has a grudge against the lead defense attorney, and takes these cases specifically to spite him. 3-3: A fraudster is somehow able to con his way into being the defense attorney with nothing but a cardboard badge. 3-5: The defense attorney was one of the first ones to discover the body. In addition, a practicing prosecutor is forced to con his way into filling in for the defense when he is injured, when in real life it would be perfectly OK for him to defend a case outside his jurisdiction. Backstory for 4: A man is allowed to take custody of an abandoned 8-year-old girl while mired in serious accusations of evidence forgery that could and ultimately does cost him his job, eliminating his only apparent source of income and severely hampering his ability to care for said girl. 4-1: The defense attorney is allowed to remain in his position after the defendant accuses his mentor and co-counsel of the murder. 4-3: The defense attorney and the lead detective were the first ones to discover the body, and the murder took place at a rock concert hosted by the prosecutor. Interestingly, one of the detectives involved in the case is relieved from his duties by the prosecutor because a witness said he was involved in the incident (namely, that he was the murderer)... but all the other involved parties remain present in the case (and the detective's words imply he would have too if not for the prosecutor). As another thing, the defendant is a foreign national who cannot speak English, and no attempt is made to provide him with an official interpreter at any point in the trial process. When they finally do need that service, it goes to his associate who is also a witness. 4-4: A man works to have a new and experimental judiciary system in place for the trial with the intention of influencing the outcome, he has a multifaceted personal stake in said trialTo elaborate The trial is inexorably linked to an incident seven years ago that got him disbarred and left an abandoned 8-year-old girl in his care, as well as another incident that resulted in the death of said girl's biological father and left him accused of the murder; in addition, the victim of this case is the man who forged the piece of evidence that got him disbarred., and he actively collects evidence for the defense, who is his own employee. In addition, one of the jurors is the defense attorney's biological mother, the defense previously got her good friend acquitted of murder charges, she is a tangential figure in the events leading up to the trial, and the witness the defense tries to paint as the murderer was previously convicted of killing this juror's husband, as well as the prosecutor's older brother. In this case though it's acknowledged by both the person responsible for this situation and the juror that this is going against procedure for the sake of imprisoning someone who's clearly dangerous but will escape conviction if tried in a more conventional system. Layton-3: The defense attorney is a friend of the second victim and one of the witnesses and was one of the first ones to discover the body, the prosecutor is a former student of one of the witnesses, and the judge was an acquaintance of the first victim. Layton-4: Someone fills in as inquisitor (Labyrinthia's equivalent of a prosecutor) despite lacking any formal qualifications. However, it should be noted that none of the actual inquisitors were available, and that earlier in the plot, the person in question had already proven themselves to possess equivalent skills to those of an inquisitor, and thus were by far the best option available under the circumstances; therefore, while this would never have flown in a real court, it's more plausible in the much less robust legal system of Labyrinthia. 5-1: The defense attorneys are allowed to remain in their role after their co-worker is bludgeoned with a rock and the assault is added to their client's charges. 5-DLC: The prosecution is filing full criminal charges, complete with trial, against an orca. 5-4: The initial defense attorney was the victim's childhood friend. 5-5: The entire trial takes place as a result of a Hostage Situation, the defense attorney is the adoptive father of one of the hostages, and the second prosecutor has a multi-faceted personal stakeTo elaborate The trial is inexorably linked to an incident seven years ago that resulted in the death of his mentor, his own conviction for the murder, and the death sentence he received for said murder; in addition, the woman who has taken all of the hostages is his own sister and one of his own coworkers eventually comes under suspicion for both murders. in the outcome of the trial. However, in the case's defense, the trial is an unsanctioned trial so any assumption of procedure can technically be disregarded and is only being upheld as a matter of formality. GAA: Most jurors in this sub-series express an open bias against the defendant's character, often before the trial has even begun in earnest. It's also likely easier to list the jurors that don't have a connection to the case in some way. Backstory for GAA: A man is allowed to prosecute the murder of his own brother. Said man admits that he pleaded with the prosecutor for the opportunity to replace him as a favor, and said prosecutor most likely accepted to manipulate him for his own ends. GAA-1: A witness intentionally destroys evidence that could have cast reasonable doubt on the defendant's guilt in naked view of the entire courtroom, and is allowed to get away with it with absolutely no consequences for themselves or the trial. GAA-3: One of the jurors is the guildmaster for London's omnibus drivers, giving him a stake in the outcome of a trial in which the crime occurred inside one of his omnibuses, something that he even states out loud. In addition, one of the workers he represents is a witness. Finally, the defence team has only been in the country for a hair over two hours before the beginning of the trial and is given no time to review the case or construct a proper defence. GAA-4: The foreman of the jury was a key witness in a very recent trial which featured the same defence and prosecution teams as the current one, and was directly accused of criminal activity as a result of the defence's assertions during that trial. In addition, two of the jurors are allowed to keep their positions after it is discovered that they have a casual connection to the case, a third juror is the wife of the defendant's landlord, and when that juror is called to the stand as a witness and turns out to be the (accidental) culprit, she keeps her representation on the jury by proxy of her husband, who is also a witness. GAA-5: The defense attorney was one of the first ones to discover the body, and his own friend/landlord was shot during the commission of the crime. In addition, the jury is a dumpster fire consisting of the surgeon who operated on said landlord and a coworker of the man the defense eventually accuses of the murder, both of whose testimonies are actively used by the defense to bolster his case, a man whose wife was recently arrested for reckless endangerment as a result of the defense's actions, and a foreign national only briefly visiting the country. At least this one is repeatedly lampshaded by the protagonists. 6-1: The judge is friends with one of the witnesses. 6-2: A contract is treated as legally binding despite the signer being a seventeen year old girl whose legal guardian is completely unaware of the contract or any of its contents. 6-3: Again, the judge is friends with one of the witnesses... who also happens to be one of the victims. 6-5 first trial: Two lawyers from the same firm represent opposing parties in a civil trial, and at no point are said parties shown signing an agreement to let it slide. 6-5 second trial: One of the prosecutors involved in the case is the defendant's own son. At least the heroes have the decency to lampshade this one. In addition, the other prosecutor is one victim's wife, the other victim's sister, and the reigning monarch of the country, and actively abuses her power to make life miserable for the defense. This at least has some justification as said prosecutor can change the rules of how the law works as she sees fit. GAA2-1: The victim was responsible for framing the defense's (purported) cousin for murder nine months prior (in actuality her good friend/coworker, a fact known to the judge), in a case overseen by the prosecutor and judge. GAA2-2: One of the jurors is the employer of one of the witnesses, and eventually testifies to impugn the victim's character with allegations of theft. GAA2-3: The prosecutor is an old friend of the defendant from university. One juror witnessed the victim's death at a public demonstration, two of the jurors are aware of one of the individuals accused of orchestrating the murder by the defense by reputation, and another is directly acquainted with the other individual and was previously investigating a seemingly unrelated theft that is eventually tied to the murder at hand. And another juror is a young girl who decides her leaning through corn cob divination. GAA2-4 and GAA2-5: The victim is a work acquaintance of pretty much everyone involved in the trial, the crime is eventually tied to a separate murder one year prior for which the defense attorney was tried and acquitted, the prosecutor has a multifaceted personal stake in said trialTo elaborate The trial is inexorably linked to an incident ten years ago that resulted in his father's conviction and execution for a series of murders in which the defendant was the prosecutor, and he takes the case specifically to exact revenge. He is allowed to remain in his role even after he is discovered to have been a material witness to events leading directly up to the murder and was party to a plot to kill the victim, and as it becomes increasingly clear he's only interested in pursuing his own personal agenda rather than truth or justice. In fact, the defendant questions why the prosecutor is allowed to continue the prosecution on the case's final day., and the second judge is allowed to remain in his role after being directly accused of criminal activity related to the case at hand. Police investigations rarely last more than a single afternoon, often resulting in glaring and obvious pieces of evidence being overlooked. They also don't look into any additional suspects in crimes after arresting the first one. Furthermore, the DA's office is shown to be directly superior to the police department, with prosecutors having enough influence to decrease officers' pay, have them demoted and even have them fired. This conflict of interest means that officers and detectives care more about pleasing prosecutors than seeing justice served. Virtually every witness in the series is guilty of lying and/or intentionally withholding information in their testimonies, and are rarely seriously punished for doing so. Just about everybody who isn't a lawyer shows up in court in their casual or work clothes. In most courtrooms, keeping a formal dress code is Serious Business, and wearing something inappropriate can possibly even lead to a reprimand. A glaring issue is that even if Phoenix can prove without the shadow of a doubt that his client is innocent, and the judge can agree with this, the case almost always won't end until he finds (and proves the guilt of) the murderer. 1-3 in particular showcases this. Phoenix proves his client cannot have committed the crime by day 2, with the Judge agreeing this is the case, but the trial stretches for a third day with the judge specifically charging Phoenix with unearthing the guilty party. Awkward Zombie parodies this in a comic. That said, Layton-1, 5-4, and GAA-3 do end with acquittals even though no alternate culprit has been established by the defense, and the culprit of Layton-1 is outright never revealed to the player. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3322dd48 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3322dd48 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3322dd48 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_356b1efb | type |
Hammerspace | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_356b1efb | comment |
Hammerspace: See Kleptomaniac Hero, below. Also, someone is apparently lugging around 17 cups of coffee to Godot's every trial. Or the coffee machine to make them, and the water, and the various blends, and assorted ingredients. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_356b1efb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_356b1efb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_356b1efb | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_35b090a3 | type |
Shared Family Quirks | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_35b090a3 | comment |
Shared Family Quirks: Family members will sometimes have similar animations. For example, Edgeworth and the von Karmas share the same Thinking Ticnote crossing their arms and squeezing their bicep, and Pearl picks up some of Maya's mannerismsnote such as the "pleased" animation post-timeskip, where she claps her hands together like Maya does. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_35b090a3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_35b090a3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_35b090a3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_35fb9016 | type |
Gratuitous German | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_35fb9016 | comment |
Klavier Gavin: A multi-millionaire American rockstar who studied in Germany who still prosecutes on the side. Slips in and out of German, and can play an audible air guitar. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_35fb9016 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_35fb9016 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_35fb9016 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_36e63b81 | type |
Rule of Cool | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_36e63b81 | comment |
Basically, it takes law—as any non-reader of End User License Agreement will attest, law is really boring—and makes it awesome, often simply by increasing the volume ("Objection!"). The fact that all lawyers in AA look really cool also helps there. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_36e63b81 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_36e63b81 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_36e63b81 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_36ed3e1e | type |
Ascended Meme | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_36ed3e1e | comment |
Ascended Meme: The Attorney's Badge (or variants like the Prosecutor's Badge or Attorney's Armband) appear in the Court Record for nearly every case in the series, which doesn't merit much use in investigations, not that it stopped players from showing it to just about every NPC in each case. While some do comment on it, later games include more acknowledgment of this, including Phoenix commenting that he showed his old attorney's badge a lot in Apollo Justice. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_36ed3e1e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_36ed3e1e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_36ed3e1e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_375b6a06 | type |
That Was Objectionable | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_375b6a06 | comment |
That Was Objectionable: The Trope Namer is an infamous instance in case 1-2: Your playable character will object for the heck of it when they have no evidence just to stall a guilty verdict. Then they will usually come up with a crucial clue that will let you continue the trial. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_375b6a06 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_375b6a06 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_375b6a06 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3936d715 | type |
Everything's Sparkly with Jewelry | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3936d715 | comment |
Everything's Sparkly with Jewelry: Whether it's evidence or for characterization. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3936d715 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3936d715 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3936d715 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_393ec3f9 | type |
Zeerust | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_393ec3f9 | comment |
Zeerust: The first three games take place between the years 2016 through 2019. However, CRT-based computer monitors, CRT-based televisions that are not widescreen TVs, and VCRs are popular throughout the first three games when these technologies died out a long time ago in reality well before these years. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_393ec3f9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_393ec3f9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_393ec3f9 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_396be241 | type |
Video Game 3D Leap | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_396be241 | comment |
Video Game 3D Leap: Though Phoenix and Maya already got the 3D treatment in the Layton crossover, the series' debut on the 3DS marks the jump for the series proper, allowing for more dynamic camera and angle work than in previous entries. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_396be241 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_396be241 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_396be241 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3b113b7 | type |
Character Development | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3b113b7 | comment |
Princess Rayfa in Spirit of Justice usually speaks nothing but poison when Phoenix is around (because she's been told that lawyers are despicable), but will mellow down momentarily when something that Phoenix says gets her attention. It won't last long, especially if Phoenix calls out her ignorance on the subject he's brought up: she will turn red and angrily insult him. And start over again until Character Development kicks in, which takes quite a while. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3b113b7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3b113b7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3b113b7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3b113d4e | type |
Only One Save File | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3b113d4e | comment |
Only One Save File: The games only have one save slot until Dual Destinies, which has two. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3b113d4e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3b113d4e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3b113d4e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3bc88a7f | type |
Foregone Conclusion | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3bc88a7f | comment |
The only way to progress in Phoenix's final trial is to present the forged diary page, even though it means Phoenix will be disbarred for presenting forged evidence. Justified as the case in question is set in the past. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3bc88a7f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3bc88a7f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3bc88a7f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3c5ae1a1 | type |
Schizo Tech | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3c5ae1a1 | comment |
Schizo Tech: The original trilogy takes place between 2016 and 2019, but it's common to come across things such as VCRs and black and white photos. The post Apollo Justice games take place in the late 2020s and early 2030s. It has more futuristic technology than the original trilogy, such as holograms and robots. However, they still use thing suchs as old looking cellphones and CDs are still popular. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3c5ae1a1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3c5ae1a1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3c5ae1a1 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3cc4cdb9 | type |
Check and Mate | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3cc4cdb9 | comment |
Check and Mate: Phoenix and the other protagonists love delivering these speeches when they finally prove the real culprit guilty. Expect the Villainous Breakdown to follow immediately thereafter. Occasionally, if you mess up and trigger one of the Non Standard Game Overs, the villain or prosecutor will do it to Phoenix instead. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3cc4cdb9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3cc4cdb9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3cc4cdb9 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3dd3951e | type |
Cowboy Cop | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3dd3951e | comment |
Jake Marshall: Literal Cowboy Cop. Also used to be a detective. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3dd3951e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3dd3951e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3dd3951e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e24cb38 | type |
Musical Nod | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e24cb38 | comment |
Musical Nod: Objection 2001 appears when Phoenix objects in the first case of Apollo Justice and all the music in the flashback to the trial in case 4 is taken from the first game. Near the end of Trials & Tribulations, a remix of Cornered 2001 is used in place of T&T's own Cornered track. Investigations reuses music from older games that were associated with characters from past games. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e24cb38 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e24cb38 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e24cb38 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e74b72e | type |
The Pollyanna | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e74b72e | comment |
The Pollyanna: All of the assistants, who tend to throw a naïve perspective on things. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e74b72e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e74b72e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e74b72e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e8d3ea5 | type |
Escaped from Hell | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e8d3ea5 | comment |
Escaped from Hell: Godot claims that he has 'come back from Hell to do battle' with Phoenix Wright. Given the potential for ghosts and spirit channeling in the series, he might well be telling the truth. Although he actually just came out of a five-year poison-induced coma. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e8d3ea5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e8d3ea5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3e8d3ea5 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3ed23024 | type |
Surprisingly Realistic Outcome | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3ed23024 | comment |
Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Any witnesses revealed to have lied or tampered with evidence is usually shown locked up in the detention center for having done so. Over the course of the series, numerous prominent Attorneys have been found guilty of murder and discovered presenting forged evidence. By the beginning of Dual Destinies, the public has lost trust in the justice system as a result. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3ed23024 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3ed23024 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3ed23024 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3f737576 | type |
Climax Boss | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3f737576 | comment |
The "Allegro" themes (which are quicker, more dramatic versions of the cross-examination themes) play instead of the normal theme after contradictions start showing up. Investigations even gets a "Presto" version of its theme, which is even faster and more dramatic than the "Allegro" theme, and is played solely during the final confrontation with a given villain. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3f737576 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3f737576 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_3f737576 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_401d4116 | type |
Broken Aesop | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_401d4116 | comment |
Broken Aesop: An example relating to degree of openness. The main aesop of the games (with entire cases like 2-4 and 3-5 dedicated to it) is that bringing The Truth to light should be the main goal, especially when Edgeworth is involved. The issue is that the view of when the truth should be brought to light expressed through the events of the game is a nuanced one, while the view expressed through the dialogue is an absolute one. Edgeworth's dialogue after his Heel–Face Turn could be summarized as "expose the truth, no matter how painful." Yet there are situations in which players are supposed to hate someone for exposing the truth. An example where revealing the truth is praised: telling a man who already knows that he was deceived by his girlfriend five years ago exactly how he was deceived? Sure, the truth turned out to be that he hadn't been as bad a judge of character as he thought he was, but Edgeworth starts pushing for the Truth to come out without knowing what it is. Edgeworth inherently knows that The Truth will heal the man's pain even if it gives him more to be upset about. Situations in which revealing the truth is condemned: Telling a jealous man the truth about his fiance's ex in order to make him reconsider the marriage? How evil! (The timing of the reveal is implied to have been part of what made it evil, but the heroes don't exactly tread lightly when it comes to the timing of big reveals either.) This is Matt Engarde. And he didn't expose his past with Celeste to Juan for any reason other than to cause more pain. He didn't love Celeste, and Celeste never did anything to hurt anybody, but he told Juan because he knew his rival would never marry Celeste because of it. Sure enough, Celeste commits suicide over it and both men use her death as just another means to hurt each other. That's why what Matt did was evil, and even worse he used an assassin in the most abusive sense of the word. Telling a skeptical public about a very unconventional technique the police used to solve a case, that lead them astray? Or publicizing a politician's affair with a secretary? The work of an evil man who caused nothing but pain. (The truth was definitely not the culprit's motive, but revealing the truth about what the police did was an effect nevertheless.) Situations in which exposing the truth was portrayed in a mixed light: In Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, it is clear that the Yatagarasu's tendency to "steal evidence of corrupt dealings of all kinds" and send it to the press is illegal and that Edgeworth would like to be above such actions, but the Yatagarasu's actions in this regard are hardly portrayed as evil. The Yatagarasu was just "stealing the Truth" in order to bring it to light. At one point, Edgeworth threatens to publicize a witness' embarrassing psychological diagnosis unless that witness testifies truthfully. He says that it's not his problem if the witness chooses to commit suicide in response to the psychological profile being publicized. Edgeworth played a similar card when it came down to accusing Athena Cykes of killing her mother when she was 11. The circumstances of the murder were particularly disturbing and grisly given who the suspect was and it was enough to get the judge and Phoenix to try and plead with him not to say it, be it the truth or otherwise. Simon Blackquill's reaction to having his testimony about the UR-1 incident dissected and undone has a similar effect (the truth is there but it is far worse than what was hiding it). Revealing who the killer is, even when there's already enough evidence to prove the defendant didn't do it, and the killer is in some ways a decent person who had a compelling reason for what they did and will now likely get in huge trouble? Mia says it's justice (though Maya didn't seem to agree and it's unclear whether Phoenix was fully convinced). Godot, at least, seemed to WANT to be brought to justice, and in fact subtly encouraged Phoenix to put the nail in the coffin, so to speak. In the above case, the judge has explicitly stated that only Maya or Godot could be the killer. Maya knows that Godot had acted in order to save her and is thus protecting him at all costs; however, Phoenix is just as determined to protect Maya, so he has really no choice but to expose Godot. And as stated in the spoiler above, Godot did subtly encourage Phoenix to prove him as the killer. A case could be made that revealing the truth really was good in the situations where it was portrayed as good and bad in the situations in which it was portrayed as bad, but the dialogue describes bringing The Truth to light as though it is a golden ideal that is always good - as long as the person doing it is a good guy, and the person whose truth got exposed only considers committing suicide rather than actually doing so. All in all it seems the games have the aesop of "bringing the truth to light is a good thing", especially when done to help others, but also point out that in some contexts doing so can cause more harm than good, especially if the motives for doing so aren't really pious, and that the matter isn't quite black and white. On top of that, while revealing the truth tends to ultimately be for the best, it's shown that sometimes you actually need discretion regarding when to reveal things, otherwise you have the potential to make things worse. A discretion that Miles Edgeworth never seems to master, however it could be said that he's very blunt because he knows that Phoenix can turn it back around on a dime. Also, revealing the truth when it comes to your own emotions and feelings is not exactly welcome, seeing how much the Japanese love The Stoic. Many times, the characters have to hide their anguish inside for the sake of others, even if it hurts them and they are, technically, hiding the truth (like Maya and how she feels after her mother died, Phoenix after Case 3 in the Layton crossover or after his disbarrment in Apollo Justice, Apollo's "I'M FINE!" scream, the whole "A lawyer always smiles and only cries when it's all over" message, among others). Hiding how you truly feel and lying about it seems to be much more acceptable than expressing your true emotions. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_401d4116 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_401d4116 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_401d4116 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_403b6f3 | type |
Fainting | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_403b6f3 | comment |
Fainting: A lot of the mysteries depend on a witness being out cold at a crucial moment and missing a key detail. For example, Maggey fainted out of shock and kid Edgeworth was oxygen-deprived while Ron DeLite got a Tap on the Head. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_403b6f3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_403b6f3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_403b6f3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40680cf6 | type |
Stupidity Is the Only Option | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40680cf6 | comment |
Stupidity Is the Only Option: You have to play dumb until it's the "right" time to solve the mysteries, even the ones that are blatantly obvious from the beginning. This becomes an emotionally painful part of game play in the fourth game when the player can't choose to not present the evidence that results in Phoenix's disbarment since by that point it's pretty damn obvious what will happen. Of course, that's also part of a flashback, so averting this would be somewhat of a time paradox. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40680cf6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40680cf6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40680cf6 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40cc0c7e | type |
Bittersweet Ending | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40cc0c7e | comment |
Bittersweet Ending: Some cases end with the client being acquitted from the murder charge, but found guilty of a lesser crime, meaning they'll still have to spend time in jail. Examples include 1-5, 2-4 (for Adrian) and 3-5. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40cc0c7e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40cc0c7e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40cc0c7e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40d8b355 | type |
War Has Never Been So Much Fun | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40d8b355 | comment |
War Has Never Been So Much Fun: Who would have guessed that a series centering around premeditated murder for very materialistic motives could be so funny and upbeat? | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40d8b355 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40d8b355 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_40d8b355 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4163bccb | type |
Crack Fic | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4163bccb | comment |
Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice receive canon cases as well as alternative costumes for the main characters. Spirit of Justice also has two cases of what essentially amounts to in-universe Crack Fic. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4163bccb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4163bccb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4163bccb | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_41b3b87d | type |
UnwinnableByMistake | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_41b3b87d | comment |
Unwinnable by Mistake: The DS-era games make it entirely possible to save at certain spots that force you into a penalty. Hope you have more than one health point left. The GBA versions ironically didn't suffer from this due to only letting you save between trial and investigation phases, and the 3DS games let you restart at the beginning of a cross-examination. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_41b3b87d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_41b3b87d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_41b3b87d | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_41d0640b | type |
Hello, Attorney! | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_41d0640b | comment |
Hello, Attorney!: Of course. Miles Edgeworth is this in-universe, with pretty much every woman he crosses paths with finding him attractive, as is Mia Fey (the first thing Gumshoe says to her, in the trial of Terry Fawles, is how pretty he thinks she is). Among the fans, Phoenix, Godot/Diego, and Gregory Edgeworth have been considered plenty attractive. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_41d0640b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_41d0640b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_41d0640b | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_42c9f1ec | type |
Downplayed Trope | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_42c9f1ec | comment |
Downplayed for all subsequent cases; they are witch trials, but the witchcraft always involves a murder. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_42c9f1ec | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_42c9f1ec | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_42c9f1ec | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_438e94fa | type |
Never the Obvious Suspect | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_438e94fa | comment |
Never the Obvious Suspect: The series thrives on this. The scene of the crime will almost always implicate your client and the prosecution is usually guided by Occam's Razor when going up against you in court. However, chances are something more convoluted actually happened, and it's your job to find out what it is to let your client off the hook. Zig-zagged in Case 2-4. Matt Engarde is the "obvious" suspect, but Phoenix manages to implicate Adrian Andrews as the "obvious" one instead. And then it's revealed that while Matt didn't kill the victim directly, he was behind his death. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_438e94fa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_438e94fa | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_438e94fa | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_43e50d1c | type |
Two Halves Make a Plot | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_43e50d1c | comment |
Two Halves Make a Plot: Case 1-5 of Ace Attorney has this in the form of the Evidence List/Ema's picture. Phoenix finds one half, Edgeworth has the other. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_43e50d1c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_43e50d1c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_43e50d1c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_447d9e50 | type |
Xanatos Speed Chess | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_447d9e50 | comment |
Xanatos Speed Chess: As implied by the Japanese title, most of the courtroom showdowns wind up being this, with both sides playing a hasty game of catch-up whenever a new piece of evidence turns the tables. Many of the murderers have a talent for being able to frequently adjust their story, such as Investigations' Quercus Alba, who manages to keep going the lion's share of an entire chapter after having his Diplomatic Immunity revoked. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_447d9e50 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_447d9e50 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_447d9e50 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_44bed14c | type |
Hostage Situation | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_44bed14c | comment |
5-5: The entire trial takes place as a result of a Hostage Situation, the defense attorney is the adoptive father of one of the hostages, and the second prosecutor has a multi-faceted personal stakeTo elaborate The trial is inexorably linked to an incident seven years ago that resulted in the death of his mentor, his own conviction for the murder, and the death sentence he received for said murder; in addition, the woman who has taken all of the hostages is his own sister and one of his own coworkers eventually comes under suspicion for both murders. in the outcome of the trial. However, in the case's defense, the trial is an unsanctioned trial so any assumption of procedure can technically be disregarded and is only being upheld as a matter of formality. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_44bed14c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_44bed14c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_44bed14c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_463084f4 | type |
Giving Someone the Pointer Finger | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_463084f4 | comment |
Giving Someone the Pointer Finger: In a particular pose that's easily as iconic of the series as any of the catchphrases. It's in the series' logo and even in the scroll text button on the touch screen. It is oddly absent on the touch screen in Apollo Justice and Investigations, however. The Pre-Order Bonus for the first DS game in the US was a stylus...whose tip was a hand with that very pointer finger. The Wii port of the first game even allows you to issue an objection by flailing the Wiimote at the screen in imitation of said pose. Case 1-5 (first game, fifth case, Rise from the Ashes) has this exchange: Simon Blackquill from Dual Destinies tries to point at Apollo during their trial but, because he's wearing handcuffs, he can't do it and gets stuck mid-gesture. When Phoenix is asked to teach a seminar at Themis Legal Academy, it's said that the proper way to do the Objection pose is one of the things he will/should touch upon. The fourth opening for the anime is primarily themed around Phoenix and co. pointing at things. A cartoony glove pointing is a recurring symbol, Phoenix and Edgeworth's points are synchronized with the chorus, and it finishes with all of the main characters pointing in sync. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_463084f4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_463084f4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_463084f4 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_46ec76fb | type |
Working the Same Case | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_46ec76fb | comment |
Working the Same Case: If you ever have to investigate more than one thing at a time, or if the name of an old case is brought up, rest assured it will be relevant to the main mystery. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_46ec76fb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_46ec76fb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_46ec76fb | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_471a505f | type |
Four Is Death | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_471a505f | comment |
Four Is Death: The fourth cases in the first, second, and fourth games in the main series are the final cases of these games (not counting the fifth case that was added as a bonus case in all of the ports of the first game that were released after the original Game Boy Advance version). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_471a505f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_471a505f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_471a505f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4781adbb | type |
Jerk with a Heart of Gold | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4781adbb | comment |
On top of that, while revealing the truth tends to ultimately be for the best, it's shown that sometimes you actually need discretion regarding when to reveal things, otherwise you have the potential to make things worse. A discretion that Miles Edgeworth never seems to master, however it could be said that he's very blunt because he knows that Phoenix can turn it back around on a dime. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4781adbb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4781adbb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4781adbb | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_47fea76b | type |
Butt-Monkey | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_47fea76b | comment |
Butt-Monkey: Individual characters aside, the protagonist at any time, in any game, inevitably ends up a Butt Monkey. Even those cases with multiple protagonists. Made even more apparent by changes in a character's treatment after they slip in or out of the protagonist slot. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_47fea76b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_47fea76b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_47fea76b | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_48b9731f | type |
Paper-Thin Disguise | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_48b9731f | comment |
Winston Payne is described as a "rookie killer", yet every single rookie he goes up against in the games he ends up losing to. The only time the player sees Winston win a case is when he's arguing against Furio Tigre, in a Paper-Thin Disguise as Phoenix, who was trying to lose. The first trial that he lost was chronologically his first appearance, and this first loss led to him becoming the loser that he is in the rest of the games. On the other hand, his brother, Gaspen Payne, is known as the "rookie humiliator" — and it's actually justified in his case, soundly beating Athena until Phoenix saves the day. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_48b9731f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_48b9731f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_48b9731f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4968ed35 | type |
Door-Closes Ending | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4968ed35 | comment |
Door-Closes Ending: Used on game over (e.g. Guilty client, or the bad ending in the poisoning case). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4968ed35 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4968ed35 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4968ed35 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_49dbb457 | type |
Kimono Is Traditional | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_49dbb457 | comment |
Kimono Is Traditional: Worn by characters whose origins are steeped in Japanese tradition, such as the Feys, whose mystic powers of spirit channeling are inherited from Japan, Victor Kudo (a Grumpy Old Man and kimono embroiderer who bemoans the lack of business due to modernization), Jinxie Tenma (the daughter of the mayor in a traditional Japanese village), and the Toneidos, who practice the art of rakugo. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_49dbb457 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_49dbb457 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_49dbb457 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4a8c4e5f | type |
Big "WHAT?!" | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4a8c4e5f | comment |
Big "WHAT?!": Frequent, often in response to case-breaking evidence being presented. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4a8c4e5f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4a8c4e5f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4a8c4e5f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4a932556 | type |
Compilation Re-release | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4a932556 | comment |
The characters of the first game's Rise from the Ashes were designed by a different art director, and they look more detailed than the rest of the game's older GBA sprites (compare April May to Lana Skye or Angel Starr, or Gumshoe to Jake Marshall). Thankfully, the difference is not nearly as noticeable as the above example, and the whole original trilogy getting all its sprites redrawn for a Compilation Rerelease somewhat reduced the difference between styles. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4a932556 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4a932556 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4a932556 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4aaffbd5 | type |
I Never Said It Was Poison | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4aaffbd5 | comment |
I Never Said It Was Poison: Some cases are solved by tricking the killer into saying something they shouldn't know about when claiming not to be involved. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4aaffbd5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4aaffbd5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4aaffbd5 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4ae690ca | type |
Laughing Mad | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4ae690ca | comment |
Laughing Mad: Several guilty parties once they're exposed. Examples include Luke Atmey, Calisto Yew, Damon Gant and, in Apollo Justice's last case, Kristoph Gavin. The game describes the killer's laugh thusly, as you look on his final breakdown. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4ae690ca | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4ae690ca | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4ae690ca | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4b44e74b | type |
Mukokuseki | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4b44e74b | comment |
Mukokuseki: A significant part of the reason the sweeping name changes in the English version don't cause too much complaining; if anything, the number of characters who look distinctly Asian - let alone Japanese - are a minority, and passing off characters like Reiji Mitsurugi and Mei Karuma as caucasians (as Miles and Franziska, respectively) is somewhat more believable given how they look. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4b44e74b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4b44e74b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4b44e74b | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4c0b402a | type |
Crazy Workplace | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4c0b402a | comment |
Crazy Workplace: The Wright Anything Agency, where people can hire magicians and lawyers. The magicians are legit; the lawyers might not be, since their careers revolve around bluffing, quasi-magical lie detectors, and tactics that more serious lawyers would never even consider. Most of the room is taken up by circus memorabilia. The Shipshape Aquarium, where a penguin hands out flyers and employees don pirate personas for work. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4c0b402a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4c0b402a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4c0b402a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4ccd1c09 | type |
Gender-Restricted Ability | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4ccd1c09 | comment |
Gender-Restricted Ability: Spirit channeling, which can only be performed by women, especially those from the Fey clan. It's deconstructed as the Fey clan's high value in spiritual power led to Kurain Village becoming a Lady Land, with the completely normal men being forced to live outside the village in separation. This left said men feeling deeply unappreciated. It's saying something when Kurain Village has one of the highest divorce rates, more than any place in the series. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4ccd1c09 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4ccd1c09 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4ccd1c09 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4d044580 | type |
Motive Rant | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4d044580 | comment |
Motive Rant: Often accompanied by a brief Freak Out or a Big "NO!". In fact this is apparently so omnipresent in the Ace Attorney Universe that when, in 2-4, Adrian Andrews fails to deliver one, Phoenix immediately become suspicious of her guilt. Averted, though, with Kristoph Gavin, who confesses to a murder but refuses to disclose his reason for doing so. Then Drew Misham bites the dust, Apollo and Phoenix investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, and we finally realize why Kristoph is so tight-lipped about his own agenda. Interestingly, Marlon Rimes gives one in the Downloadable Content case of Dual Destinies so he can take the fall for the victim's death because he hates himself for all the unnecessary chaos he's caused when in actuality no one is guilty of murder that is eventually proven to be a complete accident. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4d044580 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4d044580 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4d044580 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4d396c3e | type |
Last Villain Stand | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4d396c3e | comment |
1-5: Angel Starr does both a heroic and a villainous example while she's on the stand. Ema does another heroic Big Damn Heroes moment later, and Gant performs one last villainous example to point out a legal loophole that makes it impossible to convict him of the crime, even though it's been proven beyond a doubt that he did do it. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4d396c3e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4d396c3e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4d396c3e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4dd6313f | type |
It's Always Spring | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4dd6313f | comment |
It's Always Spring: Sun, green trees, and blue skies nearly all-year round, sometimes even in cases that take place in what should be winter (eg. the bulk of Dual Destinies)note It's visibly winter in case 1-4, however, which takes place around Christmas. Case 3-5 also takes place in winter, features a snowy mountainous area and snow plays a very important role in the plot. Justified in the localization, which takes place in Southern California, which does have pretty mild winters. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4dd6313f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4dd6313f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4dd6313f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4e7c4536 | type |
Wham Line | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4e7c4536 | comment |
Wham Line: Whenever something seems to be going too well, expect someone to scream "OBJECTION!" or "HOLD IT!" to come and ruin everything. 3-5 probably does this the best - Big Bad Dahlia Hawthorne is banished back to the afterlife, complete with a Villainous Breakdown, and the Judge even manages to give wise advice, which he generally only does towards the end of games. Then Godot screams "OBJECTION!" and reminds you that you actually haven't solved the murder yet, and the trial continues as it's ultimately revealed that Godot was running a gambit to reveal himself as the true killer. A much smaller one, but the second trial of Matt Engarde, when it shows the courtroom, but the prosecutor box is mysteriously empty. No one knows where Franziska von Karma is. And then the bailiff comes in, and hits the player with this line: | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4e7c4536 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4e7c4536 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4e7c4536 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4e7f703c | type |
Wham Shot | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4e7f703c | comment |
Wham Shot: In Dual Destinies, near the end of Turnabout to Tomorrow, the black Psyche-locks first introduced in Apollo Justice reappear again. On Athena. These are the special Psyche-locks that won't break no matter what. However, when the truth behind the murder of Athena's mother is brought to the fore, we get an even bigger Wham Shot: the supposedly unbreakable black Psyche-locks on Athena all shatter in unison. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4e7f703c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4e7f703c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4e7f703c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4efc4fae | type |
Good Scars, Evil Scars | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4efc4fae | comment |
Good Scars, Evil Scars: Kristoph Gavin has a scar on his hand that looks like a devil's face that's actually an important clue. Matt Engarde has evil scars behind his eye bangs in Justice for All. The Phantom has no known physical attributes except for the scar on his hand. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4efc4fae | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4efc4fae | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4efc4fae | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4f84cdef | type |
Smug Snake | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4f84cdef | comment |
Smug Snake: Many of the murderers turn out to be one of these if it's not immediately obvious, such as Redd White, Morgan Fey, Dahlia Hawthorne, and Matt Engarde. The last of those almost qualifies for Magnificent Bastard status, but made one little mistake. Richard Wellington is a particularly over-the-top example. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4f84cdef | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4f84cdef | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_4f84cdef | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_504e271f | type |
But Thou Must! | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_504e271f | comment |
But Thou Must!: Since these are Visual Novels, the plot must play out in a certain way. Of course, this acts as Dramatic Irony on replays, as several cases still require making wrongful accusations or having to fail at specific parts.note (one or two cases require someone to burst in with evidence at the last moment, or need a guilty verdict) | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_504e271f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_504e271f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_504e271f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_518de95b | type |
Always Murder | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_518de95b | comment |
In "The Stolen Turnabout", the case initially appears to be about the theft of the Kurain Village's Sacred Urn. Maya and Pearl flip out at Phoenix when he decides to defend the guy accused of being the thief. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_518de95b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_518de95b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_518de95b | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_51f336bf | type |
Joggers Find Death | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_51f336bf | comment |
Joggers Find Death: One of the several victims of Joe Darke is found by a jogger... just before the jogger is killed. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_51f336bf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_51f336bf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_51f336bf | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_53c9fc92 | type |
Flashback | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_53c9fc92 | comment |
Flashback: Used frequently to recall key clues during a case, or to reference events from past games or cases. Can be somewhat annoying as the game will sometimes flash back to things that you just saw a few minutes ago, especially in the third case of the fourth game, when you see one scene something like four times in close succession. About half of 4-4 is a playable flashback. Most of Dual Destinies is essentially a flashback. You play 5-1, then 5-2 to the beginning of 5-4 (and the DLC Case) are all the events leading up to it with the second half of 5-4 and 5-5 taking place afterwards. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_53c9fc92 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_53c9fc92 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_53c9fc92 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_54856973 | type |
Accuse the Witness | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_54856973 | comment |
Accuse the Witness: The real culprit almost always testifies at some point in each case. Your only chance to get a Not Guilty verdict is usually to prove their guilt by finding contradictions in their testimony and exposing their lies until they freak out and confess to the crime. There are many instances, however, where you'll be accusing a suspicious but innocent person at first before getting to the perp. And more rarely, you actually don't get to accuse the criminal at all, like in case 4 of Dual Destinies or case 3 of Spirit of Justice. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_54856973 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_54856973 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_54856973 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_558ae6f6 | type |
Moon Logic Puzzle | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_558ae6f6 | comment |
Moon Logic Puzzle: Frequent. Sometimes the Moon Logic comes in when you have two or more pieces of evidence that are equally relevant to the contradiction in question, and/or two or more bits of testimony that the character could reasonably object to. Sometimes the game designers realized this, and give the player more than one correct option. Other times, not so much. Dual Destinies actively tries to correct this problem, and actually combines multiple pieces of evidence into single presentable units. For example, it's not uncommon for a photograph, a newspaper clipping, and a police report to be treated as a single, presentable piece of evidence. Sometimes, players have to press "Part A" of testimony for new evidence, then use it to object to "Part B"; in Case 1-5: "Rise from the Ashes", however, Damon Gant's requested testimony is notorious for being an incredibly complicated variation. To continue, it requires a mix of pressing statements in a specific order, answering a few multiple choice parts correctly, examining new evidence, requestioning a previously pressed statement for a different response, and then objecting with evidence. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_558ae6f6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_558ae6f6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_558ae6f6 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_55e12444 | type |
Smoking Gun Control | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_55e12444 | comment |
Smoking Gun Control: Easy solutions are quickly denied in every. Freaking. Case. In Case 1-5, everyone in the court watches a security camera video and then Phoenix and the prosecutor freak out when it turns out that the most important parts of what happened are not shown. This is also a justified instance, as the culprit was the one whose job it was to manage the cameras, so he knew how he could avoid being seen. If the crime has any direct witnesses, they will almost always turn out to have completely misinterpreted what they saw. They are usually outright lying the other times. Any seemingly-critical photograph taken of the crime will turn out to be entirely misleading. Any drawn pictures will manage to combine bad witnesses with misleading or missing facts. So of course Larry Butz ends up drawing a critical piece of evidence for the trilogy finale. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_55e12444 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_55e12444 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_55e12444 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_583ec33e | type |
Snark-to-Snark Combat | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_583ec33e | comment |
Snark-to-Snark Combat: The series definitely has its moments when a lawyer is forced to deal with a particularly difficult witness. Angel Starr's testimony in 1-5 is a good example. She and Edgeworth clearly don't like each other and aren't shy about admitting it: | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_583ec33e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_583ec33e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_583ec33e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_58626d87 | type |
Genius Ditz | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_58626d87 | comment |
Genius Ditz: Despite Gumshoe's seemingly sieve-like mind and short attention span, he actually seems to have a knack for engineering, over the course of the series building a mechanical puppet, a frequency detector, and a metal detector. The frequency detector is actually a pretty basic model that professional detectives wouldn't usually use, but it's somewhat justified that Gumshoe made it in middle school and didn't have time to fill out the paperwork for the precinct's equipment. Larry, since he built The Thinker clock/statue from the first game. He also turns out to be a pretty talented self-taught painter and only gets better as the series goes on. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_58626d87 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_58626d87 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_58626d87 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_59275ef7 | type |
Chromatic Arrangement | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_59275ef7 | comment |
Phoenix, Apollo and Athena form a traditional Chromatic Arrangement of blue, red and yellow, respectively. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_59275ef7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_59275ef7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_59275ef7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_59907e4f | type |
Police Are Useless | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_59907e4f | comment |
Police Are Useless: As best seen when Gumshoe arrests Maya for her sister's murder. The police arrests the first suspect they see on the spot and devote all their energy into trying to prove their guilt, not looking into any other possible suspects until you point them out in court. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_59907e4f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_59907e4f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_59907e4f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5aa8d3d8 | type |
Friendly Enemy | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5aa8d3d8 | comment |
Friendly Enemy: Edgeworth (after his Heel–Face Turn) and Klavier in general. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5aa8d3d8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5aa8d3d8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5aa8d3d8 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5b0a14b1 | type |
Thinly-Veiled Dub Country Change | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5b0a14b1 | comment |
Thinly-Veiled Dub Country Change: The English localization of Ace Attorney puts it in an alternative universe, in which Japanese culture flourished across America, as a result of anti-Japanese immigration and settlement laws that were passed in real life having never happened. Furthermore, the localization changes the setting of the series to Los Angeles, where Little Tokyo, containing such things as a variety of Japanese restaurants, stores, a Japanese Buddhist Temple, and the Japanese Village Plaza, is located in real life. Nevertheless, the franchise still noticeably includes many references to Japan's culture and legal system – even with all of the legal artistic license – to the point where it becomes fairly obvious the L.A. location and AU set up was a localization gimmick. In Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, one case takes place in a traditional Japanese village where a Yokai spirit was supposedly sealed. In the localization, it's a village in America founded by Japanese immigrants. However, it works in the context of that case, since the "Yokai" is revealed to just be superstition, and is actually a huge chunk of gold that drove the villagers to fight each other over it. This actually works out well for the localization, as California once had a massive gold rush. The Great Ace Attorney games drop this idea; given that Japanese history, culture, and worldwide politics play a much larger role, with the game being said in both Meiji-era Japan and Victorian-era London. As a result, localizers had no choice but to keep the protagonists native to Japan, but they still reworked a number of character names (including Japanese ones) to fit better with English wordplay. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5b0a14b1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5b0a14b1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5b0a14b1 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5b351f0d | type |
IntercontinuityCrossover | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5b351f0d | comment |
Intercontinuity Crossover: Wright co-stars in Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, and appears as a Lethal Joke Character in Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5b351f0d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5b351f0d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5b351f0d | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5beef860 | type |
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5beef860 | comment |
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Due to childhood trauma, Edgeworth has debilitating panic attacks during earthquakes. In Investigations, the turbulence on an airplane produces a close enough effect that it triggers his phobia, and he passes out. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5beef860 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5beef860 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5beef860 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5c1ec068 | type |
Big Red Button | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5c1ec068 | comment |
Big Red Button: In the Stolen Turnabout, there's one at KB security. Of course, Maya feels inclined to press it, revealing it is an emergency alarm. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5c1ec068 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5c1ec068 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5c1ec068 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5d3e7c6 | type |
Kangaroo Court | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5d3e7c6 | comment |
Kangaroo Court: The legal system in this universe clearly operates on presumption of guilt... but it doesn't stop there. It's not enough to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the defendant is innocent. There is at least one point in the games (probably more) where it is actually possible to have the defendant found guilty despite the Judge acknowledging that you've already proved their innocence. It's not even enough to prove who else did commit the crime. To get the defendant acquitted, you have to identify the real criminal and make them confess on the stand. In addition, eyewitness testimony, in Real Life considered to be the least reliable form of evidence, is in this series considered, on its own, to be grounds to convict somebody as long as what they said is physically possible, even if you've already established that they're incredibly shady people whose honesty and/or impartiality are highly questionable.note For the best example of this, take case 1-1. There's literally no evidence against Larry aside from Sahwit's testimony. His fingerprints aren't on the murder weapon, there's no DNA evidence found of him at the crime scene inconsistent with his (true) claim that he just went over to see her, and yet until you conclusively prove Sahwit is the true culprit, Larry's guilt is presumed. This is all Hand Waved by the Next Sunday A.D. fictional legal system having undergone legislated reforms to drastically shorten and simplify the trial process, resulting in a system where the majority of defendants are quickly found guilty unless the defense can prove their innocence. To be fair, the series originated in Japan, which has a significantly different legal system. It has an inquisitive court system, where the goal is to find the truth. Even trial by jury was not established in the Japanese legal system until 2009—and even then only for certain severe crimes (and the arrangement has far more in common with a court-martial than a common law trial). Yeah, it seems mildly biased against the player, but that's simply a gameplay mechanism. The prosecutors tend to treat the inquisitive court system as an adversarial one, doing anything to get their guilty verdict. Phoenix is not corrupt, and tries to only defend clients he truly believes innocent. The Rule of Cool and the Rule of Funny let the characters get away with murder (well, not literally, that's the one thing no one actually gets away with). When the judge believes there are loose ends, he will not give a verdict until the loose ends are tied up. So it's not guilty until proven innocent, except where it inconveniences the player. Even most countries with the inquisitive system, including Japan, have the principle where one is "innocent until proven guilty." However, in a bit of Truth in Television, the Japanese court system has a >99% conviction rate (though it has been attributed to limited funding leading to only the most solid cases being tried), forced confessions are allowed frequently, and prosecutors can appeal not-guilty verdicts. In 2008, the Justice Minister noted that the idea of "innocent until proven guilty" was one that he wanted to constrain. However, this game takes it even further than the broken system in Japan and makes it so that one is "guilty until someone else is proven guilty". More in this article. The trope becomes a plot point between the Trials & Tribulations and Apollo Justice chapters in the series. Phoenix notices just how utterly broken and biased the court system is and how he would have lost several cases if something didn't turn the tide of the trial at the last minute. After Phoenix becomes disbarred from practicing law, this sets off a string of events. In order to get Kristoph Gavin for evidence fraud and murder, Phoenix had to fight to get the court system to instate a jury system so that the fate of a client is decided by their peers rather than a single judge and he used Apollo as a catalyst for seeking out the truth during trials, something Phoenix was no longer able to do anymore legally. And then between Apollo Justice and Dual Destinies comes the "Dark Age of Law", where the justice system became SO corrupt that all the people lost their trust in the legal system, and the Jurist System was abandoned. Thus, the original system is in place for Dual Destinies. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5d3e7c6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5d3e7c6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5d3e7c6 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5d41eb9 | type |
Figure It Out Yourself | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5d41eb9 | comment |
Figure It Out Yourself: Whenever a rookie attorney has a mentor as their co-counsel (Phoenix to Mia, Mia to Grossberg or Diego, etc.), usually the mentor will spot contradictions or piece things together faster. They might give hints, but expect them stay hush about it and wait for the Player Character to figure it out; granted, training someone means they can't have everything done for them, but they never object or step in if you lose the entire case. Taken to its logical extreme when Simon Blackquill, prosecutor of the previous game, becomes Athena's co-counsel in one of the cases in Spirit of Justice. Half the time Blackquill figures out what Athena needs to do before she does. The excuses for him not telling run the gamut from him thinking it should be obvious, to Athena becoming too proud to ask when he hurts her feelings, to outright saying it's not his job to say. Unlike other cases though, while he may know the client and would like to see them acquitted, he makes it clear he'll default to the court's judgement if they're found guilty. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5d41eb9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5d41eb9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5d41eb9 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5e04ab60 | type |
No Mercy for Murderers | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5e04ab60 | comment |
No Mercy for Murderers: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: In bonus case Rise From The Ashes Lana Skye was forced to cooperate with Gant to save her sister. Arrested like every other culprit worse than her. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice For All, as title says, has cases where Justice is given to All, even Sympathetic Murderer: Case 2 has Ini Miney, who through very unfortunate series of events not only kills many people in the hospital, but also loses her face and sister and forced to change her identity. In order to not let this identity to be revealed, she had to murder. Arrested like every other culprit worse than her. Case 3 has Acro, who lost his legs and his brother got into coma. This, combined with Regina's honest belief that his brother became a star, angered him and cause him to do the murder. Arrested like any other culprit worse than him. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5e04ab60 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5e04ab60 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5e04ab60 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5e7c0ab7 | type |
Kleptomaniac Hero | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5e7c0ab7 | comment |
Kleptomaniac Hero: If it even conceivably passes for evidence, Phoenix or Apollo nabs it. However, it's difficult to tell if Phoenix or Apollo actually grabs the evidence, or just takes a picture of it or something similar. It would be highly improbable for them to lug around a large statue or noodle cart, for example. The general consensus seems to be that if it disappears from the scene, Phoenix or Apollo took it, and if it stays there, they took a picture. However, for extra fun, simply imagine them holding everything, and then presenting it in court by lugging it out from Hammerspace. Well, there is always Trucy's panties... Godot and Edgeworth also seem to share this trait, both finding the safest place for evidence to be their pocket and satchel respectively. In Investigations, it's "Jotted down in the Organizer" unless the object is clearly handed to you, and you can examine it in detail. "Stuffed Bear snatched up by Edgeworth." Yeah, that bear the size of a hotel room. The assistants, Maya and Trucy, are also fond of grabbing things and the protagonist often has to talk them out of stealing things. Not that they call it stealing mark you. Subverted with Kay, ironically enough, who, despite calling herself a great thief, never once steals anything. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5e7c0ab7 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5e7c0ab7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5e7c0ab7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5ece868a | type |
Consulting a Convicted Killer | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5ece868a | comment |
Simon Blackquill: An English convict, who prosecutes while serving a murder sentence. Obsessed with samurai culture, and has a vicious pet hawk. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5ece868a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5ece868a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5ece868a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5f3bb274 | type |
Late-Arrival Spoiler | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5f3bb274 | comment |
Late-Arrival Spoiler: Unaware that Miles Edgeworth makes a Heel–Face Turn? Don't even look at the title of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. Dahlia Hawthorne's leitmotif is in the Kurain medley on the Gyakuten Meets Orchestra album. This trope is generally averted in regards to the true culprit of any given case. If a character turns out to have murdered someone, odds are they won't show up or be mentioned in any other game to preserve the twist. So far, only three characters have broken this trend: Frank Sahwit (who is shown in the act in the first game's prologue), Shelly de Killer (who is an assassin anyway), and Manfred von Karma (who is a major player in Edgeworth and Franziska's backstories). Even in the case of these three, it is never explicitly stated who they killed or why in their reappearances. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5f3bb274 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5f3bb274 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5f3bb274 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5f6c6cc1 | type |
Can't Get Away with Nuthin' | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5f6c6cc1 | comment |
Can't Get Away with Nuthin': Played straight with Phoenix and Apollo, averted by everyone else. Witnesses routinely perjure themselves, and they threaten and bully the lawyers; unless their memory is found to be shot, they can continue to provide testimony even if they are called out for perjury in court. Prosecutors withhold evidence; assault the defense, witnesses, and even the Judge; and refer to the defense by insulting nicknames. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5f6c6cc1 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5f6c6cc1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5f6c6cc1 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5fc9b36a | type |
Vigilante Injustice | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5fc9b36a | comment |
Vigilante Injustice: This trope will sometimes appears in their Who Murdered the Asshole cases. The Sympathetic Murderer will turn out to have been wronged in the past, lost faith in the legal system that failed to provide justice, and went on a crusade to personally take revenge. While there are more heroic vigilantes like the Yatagarasu who go out of their way to avoid killing anyone, a frequent moral of the series is that taking the law into your own hands rarely ends well. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations: The true killer of the last case, Diego Armando/Godot, sought to put an end to Dahlia Hawthorne's schemes, and his murder could be said to have been in defense of another. But it is pointed out that the killer, intentionally or not, allowed the situation to escalate to the point where deadly force was needed, and the killer needlessly endangered innocent people in their desire to take the law into their own hands and be the hero, when they could have just told Phoenix what was going on and avoided the whole mess. The killer, for their part, actually agrees and feels that they deserve to be punished for what they did. In Investigations 2, Simon Keyes is revealed to have masterminded almost every murder in the game in order to punish all the people who made his life miserable, from childhood to adulthood. Edgeworth sympathizes and calls him a victim of the system, but also says that it does not justify hurting innocent people like Kay Faraday and John Marsh by trying to frame them, and that he became just like the people he so despises. The Great Ace Attorney: In Adventures, Ashely Graydon murdered Magnus McGilded, a Loan Shark, in revenge for the man murdering his father and managed to secure an acquittal. This makes the killer a sympathetic character, but he then, in the process of covering his tracks, murders an innocent man and frames street urchin Gina Lestrade for it. He himself admits to having become as bad as his victim. In the first case of Resolve, the victim is Jezaille Brett, who was murdered by Raiten Menimemo to stop the victim from getting away with murder. Because Brett was British and not Japanese, she was going to be sent to a British court to be tried- where she would almost certainly be let off scot-free thanks to being a hired gun of the Lord Chief Justice. But the killer then goes on to frame Rei Membami, and is called out by Susato Mikotoba for becoming the same sort of person as the victim. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5fc9b36a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5fc9b36a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5fc9b36a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5fcb9ad1 | type |
Time Skip | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5fcb9ad1 | comment |
Time Skip: Several; three minor time skips of several months between the first three games of the series, then a whooping seven-year time skip between Trials and Tribulations and Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. From that point, there are six months until Dual Destinies and then five until Spirit of Justice. There's also a four-month time skip between The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5fcb9ad1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5fcb9ad1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_5fcb9ad1 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60194b82 | type |
Spanner in the Works | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60194b82 | comment |
The third time is Wendy Oldbag and Larry, the former of whom accidentally delivers decisive evidence. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60194b82 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60194b82 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60194b82 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60ac73a2 | type |
Americasia | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60ac73a2 | comment |
Americasia: The English localization changes the setting from Japan to California. However, the games still have a lot of Japanese set pieces (such as Kurain Village or the rakugo performers in case 6-4). The localization team's official explanation is that the games are set in an Alternate Universe where no anti-immigration laws were passed in California, allowing American and Japanese cultures to coexist and flourish, resulting in this trope. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60ac73a2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60ac73a2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60ac73a2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60cc14ba | type |
Ruritania | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60cc14ba | comment |
Ruritania: The small nation of Borginia, home country of Machi Tobaye and Romein LeTouse from Apollo Justice and Zinc Lablanc and Akbey Hicks from Investigations. For added strangeness, the country also exists in Capcom's Dino Crisis. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60cc14ba | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60cc14ba | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60cc14ba | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60fa92ac | type |
Names to Run Away from Really Fast | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60fa92ac | comment |
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Quite a few characters, both in English and Japanese. Some of the standouts would be Shelly de Killer, Furio Tigre, Manfred von Karma, and Joe Darke. The worst example by far is Quercus Alba's Japanese name: Carnage Onred. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60fa92ac | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60fa92ac | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_60fa92ac | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_617f0563 | type |
Heel–Face Turn | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_617f0563 | comment |
Edgeworth's threatening to reveal Andrian Andrews' psychiatric records and suicide attempt to get her to testify after his Heel–Face Turn is played as this. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_617f0563 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_617f0563 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_617f0563 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_61b8f9e2 | type |
Bunny-Ears Lawyer | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_61b8f9e2 | comment |
In Spirit of Justice, one of Athena's DLC costumes is a waitress outfit from Tres Bien, the restaurant that appeared in the third case of the Trials and Tribulations. Depending on whether you have this costume equipped or not, Athena's formal introduction in the game in case takes on a different meaning. Apollo, who's introducing Athena in the narration, says "She might not look it, but at just 19 years old, she's a lawyer as well." If she's wearing her normal outfit, it sounds like he's talking about her age, but if she's wearing the waitress outfit, it's more literal. She really doesn't look like a lawyer in that uniform. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_61b8f9e2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_61b8f9e2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_61b8f9e2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_61d054a0 | type |
Animal Stereotypes | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_61d054a0 | comment |
Animal Stereotypes: Used in different ways for character designs to help build their characterization. Maggey Byrde's name is a pun based on a magpie, thought to be a very unlucky bird. Furio Tigre isn't just named for an angry, powerful tiger; he has one on his shirt and roars when he's upset. The Kitaki mafia family has trickster foxes on their clothing, and Wocky's hair makes him look like a fox. Alita Tiala has bird wings on her dress to help her look sweeter. Daryan Crescend's hair and jacket are reminiscent of a vicious shark. Phoenix's name is a reference to his trials ability to, essentially, come back from the dead. Not surprisingly, some of these characters have the same puns in their Japanese names. Furio Tigre's surname "Toranosuke" literally means Tiger boy. The tiger devouring a dragon on his shirt is actually a reference to Phoenix that is lost in translation, because Phoenix's name in Japan is "Ryuichi" and is spelled with the kanji for "dragon." "Ryuichi" isn't supposed to have any meaning at all, but the writers chose to play around with it in the third game anyway when they make his "evil twin". The English release gave the main character's name meaning anyway, via Woolseyism. Same for Maggey Byrde, whose name has no animal references in Japanese (but literally means "continues to lose"). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_61d054a0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_61d054a0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_61d054a0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_643659d4 | type |
Spit Take | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_643659d4 | comment |
Spit Take: Godot pulls off a few of these in the third game: he spits his coffee as he's drinking it. Or even after swallowing it. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_643659d4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_643659d4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_643659d4 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69681e01 | type |
Big Brother Instinct | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69681e01 | comment |
Big Brother Instinct: In general, sibling relationships are given high importance in the series, and any major character with a younger sibling will likely have this as at least part of their motivations. For example, Mia Fey left Kurain partly to avoid a power struggle with Maya, Lana Skye took the heat for someone corrupt to protect her sister Ema, Simon Blackquill took the fall for Athena's murder charge and went to prison for seven years in her place, Nahyuta Sahdmadhi pretended to be an evil queen's lackey because he was being blackmailed with Rayfa's reputation, and so on. This has even been used to humanize one of the series' few Sympathetic Murderers, Acro from 2-3. Evil characters tend to not have this, however. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69681e01 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69681e01 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69681e01 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69ab6c58 | type |
Justified Tutorial | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69ab6c58 | comment |
Justified Tutorial: No formal tutorial, per se, but the beginning of each game's first trial is marked by an adviser explaining testimonies and cross-examinations. Justified because in games 1 and 4 it's Phoenix's and Apollo's first trial, game 2 has Phoenix suffer from amnesia right before court and game 3 has Mia Fey on her second trial and hadn't practiced law for a while. Oddly enough, when her first trial gets played, Diego Armando feels no need to explain anything to her, but then again, it is case 4 and the player knows everything at that point. Reaches a hilarious conclusion when in the sixth game, the country Phoenix is in hasn't had a proper court trial happen in decades. Thus he's the one that has to explain concepts like cross-examining and presenting evidence to both his own defendant or the Judge who are hazy on what the procedure is after all this time. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69ab6c58 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69ab6c58 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69ab6c58 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69fb91e8 | type |
Chewing the Scenery | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69fb91e8 | comment |
Chewing the Scenery: Despite being in court, so much as presenting evidence prompts a Take that!. Pressing statements elicits a Hold it!, and pointing out a contradiction (or simply interrupting the opposing attorney's train of thought) is worthy of an Objection! These statements are always delivered at top volume, regardless of whether the circumstances actually warrant it. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69fb91e8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69fb91e8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_69fb91e8 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6a85e9e1 | type |
Dub-Induced Plot Hole | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6a85e9e1 | comment |
In "Turnabout Beginnings" there is a wordplay-based plot point involving Dahlia (Chinami in the original) - the phrase "Chinami ni" ("to Chinami") looks identical to "chinamini" ("by the way"), which was meant to obscure that she was mentioned in Valerie's note. The translation doesn't preserve the ambiguity, creating a minor spoiler. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6a85e9e1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6a85e9e1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6a85e9e1 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b35bdff | type |
Serious Business | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b35bdff | comment |
Serious Business: The law is a serious thing in just about any setting, but this game still manages to push legal work to the level of spectator sport. This is taken to a whole new level of insanity in the film, where it's shown that more prominent court cases sell tickets for each day of the trial so people can watch, and the trial concludes with a holographic "Not Guilty!" accompanied by confetti being fired. And then, case 5-3 reveals that lawyer schools involve lessons on the proper way to shout OBJECTION!, and the correct speed and angle of pointing your finger, among other things. The world of children's television is oddly popular in the setting. It's also filled with tales of murder, organized crime, blackmail, suicide, kidnappings and all other sorts of intriguing conspiracies. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b35bdff | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b35bdff | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b35bdff | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b4b3eba | type |
Lady Land | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b4b3eba | comment |
Lady Land: Justified with Kurain Village; because spiritual channeling is primarily a female domain that is passed from mother to daughter, only women and girls are allowed to live in Kurain Village. The completely normal men and boys are forced to live outside, which understandably led to deep feelings of resentment and high divorce rates. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b4b3eba | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b4b3eba | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b4b3eba | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b6556ee | type |
Mentor Occupational Hazard | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b6556ee | comment |
Mentor Occupational Hazard: Very frequent: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney has Mia Fey murdered, Gregory Edgeworth is murdered in an old case, and Manfred von Karma is executed off-screen for his murders. Trials and Tribulations has Diego Armando being almost killed by poisoning, which put him in a five-year coma. He then symbolicly died when Armando abandoned his old life and adopted an alias. On the non-legal side, Trials and Tribulations also has artist Elise Deauxnim, who was the mentor to Laurice Deauxnim (aka Larry Butz). Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney has Kristoph Gavin convicted of two murders. Another instance has Defense Attorney Marvin Grossberg, who ends up being... Grossberg. Dual Destinies has its third victim, Constance Courte, who was the mentor to Klavier. Spirit of Justice plays with this twice, though the mentor in question is always a mentor to another character from the case- Abbot Tahrust Inmee is the mentor to Puhray Zeh'lot, and is the victim in the case actually killing himself to protect his pregnant wife from being prosecuted for her killing of Zeh'lot in self defense when Zeh'lot was trying to murder her, and done again in the very next case with Taifu Toneido, who was the mentor to two of the witnesses and died shortly after passing on his title to one of them. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b6556ee | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b6556ee | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6b6556ee | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6bb40be3 | type |
Inner Monologue Conversation | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6bb40be3 | comment |
Inner Monologue Conversation: Occasionally happens in different games with someone responding to Phoenix's inner monologue written in blue text. He lampshades it at a certain point mentioning how he didn't say that out loud. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6bb40be3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6bb40be3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6bb40be3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6bda9a30 | type |
Meaningful Name | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6bda9a30 | comment |
Meaningful Name: Too many to name. Especially notable examples are: The Japanese version of Apollo Justice spoils the reveal of Kristoph Gavin, whose Japanese name "Kirihito Garyu" (as in "hitokiri" — "murder"). If you know the correct pronunciation and can make a small logic leap, Prosecutor Godot from Trials And Tribulations contains this. It's the last syllables of his real first and last name (Diego Armando) smashed together. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6bda9a30 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6bda9a30 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6bda9a30 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6c75e0e4 | type |
Beware the Silly Ones | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6c75e0e4 | comment |
Beware the Silly Ones: The Judge may not be all right in the head, but he is the judge for a reason. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6c75e0e4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6c75e0e4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6c75e0e4 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6cf80934 | type |
Big Word Shout | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6cf80934 | comment |
Big Word Shout: Several, each of which is used in a unique situation: "Objection!": The most common speech bubble, used to point out an inconsistency during a cross-examination, denounce an opponent's claim, halt court proceedings, object to some outrageous situation, or its real-life purpose of ensuring the opposition plays by the rules. "Gotcha!": Used when Apollo attempts to invoke the You Can Always Tell a Liar trope. "Eureka!": Used by Edgeworth (and, in a flashback case, his father) when deducing something about a crime scene using evidence. "Overruled!": Used by Justine Courtney in place of "Objection!" "Silence!": Used by Simon Blackquill interchangeably with "Objection!" "Yes!": Used by Ryuunosuke Naruhodou and Susato Mikotoba interchangeably with "Objection!" and "Hold it!" "Satorha!": Used by Nahyuta Sahdmadhi interchangeably with "Objection!" Displayed on screen as a Khura'inese character. "Welcome!": Used in a single scene in the Layton crossover when Phoenix welcomes the professor to the bakery he works at. Additionally, there are several other speech bubbles which, despite being multiple words, still fit the spirit of this trope due to their abruptness and succinctness: "Take that!": Used when presenting evidence outside of a cross-examination. "Hold it!": Used when pressing a witness for more information or to halt court proceedings. "Not so fast!": Used by Shi-Long Lang in place of "Objection!" "Hang on!": Used in Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney to question a witness about their reaction to another witness's statement. "'Scuse me!": Used in The Great Ace Attorney games in the same circumstances as "Hang on!". "Have a look!": Used by Hershel Layton in place of "Take that!" "Got it!": Used to point out an inconsistent emotion or cause of emotional overload during a Mood Matrix session. Also sometimes used to point out a visual contradiction, such as a location in a picture or a detail on a piece of evidence. "Shut up!": Used by Jezaille Brett in place of "Objection!" "That's enough!": Used by Rayfa Padma Khura'in in place of "Objection!" "Such insolence!": Used by Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in interchangeably with "Objection!" | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6cf80934 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6cf80934 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6cf80934 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6d5fb1e0 | type |
Waistcoat of Style | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6d5fb1e0 | comment |
Waistcoat of Style: Phoenix sports one in Dual Destinies onward, which makes him look more dignified than his design in the original trilogy. His protégé Apollo wears one as well in lieu of a full two piece suit, and Edgeworth wears one under his glorious cravat. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6d5fb1e0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6d5fb1e0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6d5fb1e0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6d7026fa | type |
Punny Name | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6d7026fa | comment |
Punny Name: Everybody. The few people whose names aren't some sort of pun or reference have usually just kept variations on their Japanese name (which are puns in their own right). Where the naming department is concerned, Spirit of Justice is a Hurricane of Puns. Taken to extremes with the Overly Long Name of Inga Karkhuul Haw'kohd Dis'nahm Bi'ahni Lawga Ormo Pohmpus Da'nit Ar'edi Iz Khura'in IIInote How could this name be any longer or more pompous than it already is. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6d7026fa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6d7026fa | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6d7026fa | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6ec92fc0 | type |
GuideDamnIt | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6ec92fc0 | comment |
Sometimes, players have to press "Part A" of testimony for new evidence, then use it to object to "Part B"; in Case 1-5: "Rise from the Ashes", however, Damon Gant's requested testimony is notorious for being an incredibly complicated variation. To continue, it requires a mix of pressing statements in a specific order, answering a few multiple choice parts correctly, examining new evidence, requestioning a previously pressed statement for a different response, and then objecting with evidence. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6ec92fc0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6ec92fc0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6ec92fc0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6ec989d8 | type |
Guide Dang It! | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6ec989d8 | comment |
Guide Dang It!: Some cases require spectacular leaps of logic, which can prove frustrating for many people—especially younger children. What makes this even worse is that sometimes they're accommodating and let you present different pieces of evidence that, logically, would raise the same argument as each other, and other times they will only allow one. The games are visual novels through and through, so figuring out the case early means absolutely nothing—you must present specific evidence at the right part, as not using it at the perfect moment means the protagonist can't make the connection (presumably to prevent Sequence Breaking in replays). Even parodied here by Awkward Zombie. Related to the above, it's entirely possible to have figured out what you need to do from a logic point of view (ie: what the contradictions are with a current testimony), but be stumped on how exactly the game wants you to present these. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6ec989d8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6ec989d8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6ec989d8 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6fca80fd | type |
Oblivious Mockery | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6fca80fd | comment |
Oblivious Mockery: A museum worker says that any intelligent person would think that the writing on an urn belonging to a clan whose founder was Ami Fey would say "Ami", and would reassemble the urn to say that if they broke it. Unknown to her, a little girl who broke the urn and is standing with her reassembled it incorrectly such that the name was spelled wrong. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6fca80fd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6fca80fd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_6fca80fd | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_71642c70 | type |
Viewers Are Goldfish | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_71642c70 | comment |
Used frequently to recall key clues during a case, or to reference events from past games or cases. Can be somewhat annoying as the game will sometimes flash back to things that you just saw a few minutes ago, especially in the third case of the fourth game, when you see one scene something like four times in close succession. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_71642c70 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_71642c70 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_71642c70 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_720e28a4 | type |
Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_720e28a4 | comment |
Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_720e28a4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_720e28a4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_720e28a4 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_721325ee | type |
No Cutscene Inventory Inertia | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_721325ee | comment |
No Cutscene Inventory Inertia: Equipping the DLC costumes on any of the main cast of characters in either Dual Destinies or Spirit of Justice causes discrepancies in the dialogue. Side characters occasionally refer to Phoenix, Apollo and Athena as nicknames associated with their respective default outfit's primary color, regardless of if the player is wearing any alternate costumes which no longer feature that color with these characters. In Spirit of Justice, one of Athena's DLC costumes is a waitress outfit from Tres Bien, the restaurant that appeared in the third case of the Trials and Tribulations. Depending on whether you have this costume equipped or not, Athena's formal introduction in the game in case takes on a different meaning. Apollo, who's introducing Athena in the narration, says "She might not look it, but at just 19 years old, she's a lawyer as well." If she's wearing her normal outfit, it sounds like he's talking about her age, but if she's wearing the waitress outfit, it's more literal. She really doesn't look like a lawyer in that uniform. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_721325ee | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_721325ee | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_721325ee | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_72cdfc33 | type |
Big Bad Ensemble | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_72cdfc33 | comment |
Big Bad Ensemble: This trope is invoked by several games: In Trials and Tribulations, Godot and Dahlia Hawthorne are the main villains in an Evil Versus Evil situation. The major problems of the first two post-time skip games all end up being traced back to each of the games' main villains: Kristoph Gavin and the phantom. Further reinforced in Dual Destinies, when it's stated that the Dark Age of the Law was caused by the cases that led to Phoenix's disbarment and Blackquill's conviction, which were respectively masterminded by Kristoph Gavin and the phantom. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_72cdfc33 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_72cdfc33 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_72cdfc33 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7464705c | type |
Arc Words | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7464705c | comment |
Arc Words: "X years ago" is a common one. In the first game's second and fourth cases, it's "15 years ago." In case 1-5, it's "2 years ago" to the point of being lampshaded (and to a lesser extent, "6 months ago"). In Apollo Justice, it's "7 years ago." The third game has a bunch of them, but "5 years ago" is probably the most common. In Dual Destinies the words "Dark age of the law" are said so many times some characters comment on it. In "Turnabout Academy", there's also Aristotle Means's creed, "The end justifies the means." | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7464705c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7464705c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7464705c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_74ede509 | type |
Try Everything | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_74ede509 | comment |
Try Everything: The games sometimes require this when a witness's testimony is not something you can poke holes in at the moment, in which case you need to press them on every statement – even if it makes you look like a complete idiot – until you have tried everything that won't get you penalized and then the trial will progress. If you're not able to divine some the less obvious hints, you'll be doing this even during trials and rebuttals. Admittedly, this can require abuse of saves to avoid restarting the entire day or sequence. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_74ede509 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_74ede509 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_74ede509 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_755ecb56 | type |
Infraction Distraction | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_755ecb56 | comment |
Infraction Distraction: Often used by criminals to create alibis for the crimes they intend to commit (Always Murder, of course). One notable example occurs in the third game, when Luke Atmey deliberately lets himself be caught on camera stealing the Kurain Sacred Urn, so that he'd have an alibi to keep him from being arrested for murdering his blackmailer. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_755ecb56 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_755ecb56 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_755ecb56 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_759978ca | type |
Doujinshi | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_759978ca | comment |
Doujinshi: Two volumes of manga one-shots by various artists were released in English, one with comics focusing on Wright, the other with comics focusing on Edgeworth. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_759978ca | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_759978ca | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_759978ca | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_76c0e85d | type |
High-Voltage Death | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_76c0e85d | comment |
High-Voltage Death: Phoenix is accused of killing Doug Swallow by pushing him onto live wires. It's not true, though. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_76c0e85d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_76c0e85d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_76c0e85d | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_77b009ea | type |
Phrase Catcher | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_77b009ea | comment |
Phrase Catcher: Rather than waiting for the Judge's input on an objection, several heated scenes consist of the defense and prosecution volleying a single "OBJECTION!" back and forth. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_77b009ea | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_77b009ea | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_77b009ea | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_78540917 | type |
Like Brother and Sister | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_78540917 | comment |
Like Brother and Sister: Edgeworth and Franziska were raised as siblings, and are known to squabble and compete as such (through the series, but particularly in the first Investigations game). Apollo and Trucy quickly develop this sort of relationship, as they work well together but not without the bickering and minor arguments you'd expect out of this trope. By Spirit of Justice, Apollo admits that he's so fond of her it's difficult to say no to her requests. Of course, they actually are brother and sister, although neither of them are aware of this. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_78540917 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_78540917 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_78540917 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7881f335 | type |
Chekhov's Armoury | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7881f335 | comment |
Chekhov's Armoury: This is a game based on court proceedings with a judicial system requiring that even with logical sense and linked facts, there needs to be concrete and decisive evidence to prove all separate facts, after all. The only way to be sure you have all the evidence is downright kleptomania. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7881f335 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7881f335 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7881f335 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_792b66e2 | type |
Periphery Demographic | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_792b66e2 | comment |
Periphery Demographic: In-universe, the Steel Samurai franchise seems to be popular amongst older people like Maya and Edgeworth, despite being designed for little kids. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_792b66e2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_792b66e2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_792b66e2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7a3dd888 | type |
Real Men Wear Pink | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7a3dd888 | comment |
Real Men Wear Pink: Very frequent. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney has the first appearance of Edgeworth's iconic suit and Redd White's sparkly suit. Justice for All has Max Galactica. Trials and Tribulations has Phoenix's pink sweater and Laurice/Larry's pink overalls. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney has Kristoph's pink tie, Zak Gramarye's pink costume, and Wocky's jacket. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7a3dd888 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7a3dd888 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7a3dd888 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7a5c7db1 | type |
DuelingShows | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7a5c7db1 | comment |
Dueling Shows: In-universe, the Steel Samurai franchise and the Jammin' Ninja, which even air at the same time. The plot of 2-4 revolves around the intense rivalry between the two leads, and in Investigations Kay and Edgeworth's arguments about which is better shows that they've got a Fandom Rivalry as well. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7a5c7db1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7a5c7db1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7a5c7db1 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7bd44eb9 | type |
Smart People Play Chess | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7bd44eb9 | comment |
Smart People Play Chess: Miles Edgeworth has a chess set in his office. Phoenix notes that the problems he sets up tend to have the red side utterly dominating the blue side, just like Edgeworth cornering Phoenix in court cases. A lot of people play chess in Investigations 2. Not to mention the whole logic chess gameplay element. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7bd44eb9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7bd44eb9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7bd44eb9 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7bf14666 | type |
And Now for Someone Completely Different | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7bf14666 | comment |
And Now for Someone Completely Different: Games and entries occasionally jump between protagonists for specific cases. There's a minor example in Justice For All. You briefly play as Maya on three occasions in the last case after she has been kidnapped, exploring Matt Engarde's mansion. Trials and Tribulations is the first major example, with the first "tutorial" case being from Mia Fey's perspective. This returns in Case 4, where Mia is controlled again, and for part of Case 5, where Edgeworth temporarily acts in Phoenix's place. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney uses two varieties, first with him being the series' second recurring protagonist, and secondly when Phoenix is controlled for the Case 4 flashback sequence. Dual Destinies also uses this, as the plot jumps between three perspectives: Apollo, Phoenix, and newcomer Athena Cykes all act as the game's protagonists. Also used in Spirit of Justice, where the Case 5 goes to court as a civil case. That is, it is the only case in any of the games that doesn't have a prosecutor, instead pitting Apollo's legal prowess against Phoenix's. Though, considering the series, it should come as absolutely no surprise that the "accidental death" still turns out to be a murder. Case 5 is also actually two completely distinct cases- the aforementioned civil case, and the actual finale in Khura'in, which has never been done before, either. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7bf14666 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7bf14666 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7bf14666 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7cb3c6c1 | type |
Ancestor Veneration | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7cb3c6c1 | comment |
Ancestor Veneration: Ami Fey, founder of the Kurain Channeling Technique who died many years before the first game had her cremated body stored in the Sacred Urn, which is held in a shrine by the Fey clan - they believe that females from their bloodline will retain their skills as spirit media only if they preserve her ashes. Of course, this leads to some... interesting (and plot-relevant) shenanigans. Three times. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7cb3c6c1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7cb3c6c1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7cb3c6c1 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7d49d74a | type |
Cultural Translation | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7d49d74a | comment |
Cultural Translation: The English-language versions are posited to take place in an area not unlike Los Angeles (except that it snows in the wintertime and there are a surprising number of Shinto temples in the vicinity), but so many visual elements are so very distinctly Japanese (to say nothing of the court system) that it stretches suspension of disbelief a little much at times. Even parodied by Awkward Zombie. This comes full circle in the musical adaptations, which are produced in Japan and performed in Japanese, yet chose to adapt the English versions of the game as a stylistic choice and are thus set in America and use all of the English character names. In Japanese. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7d49d74a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7d49d74a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7d49d74a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7e8ce096 | type |
Raised by Rival | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7e8ce096 | comment |
Raised by Rival: When the defense attorney Gregory Edgeworth was murdered, Manfred von Karma, a prosecutor he faced in court, took his son under his wing and trained him to become a ruthless prosecutor like himself. Manfred murdered Gregory for coming close to defeating him in court and giving him a penalty, but his revenge didn't stop there. By raising Miles to be more like himself than his own father, he almost twisted him into everything his father would have hated. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7e8ce096 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7e8ce096 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7e8ce096 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7ef728b1 | type |
Tsundere | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7ef728b1 | comment |
Tsundere: Franziska, particularly in the third game after she's mellowed a bit. Even lampshaded: both Phoenix and Edgeworth say "she's so openly hostile it's almost cute". Princess Rayfa in Spirit of Justice usually speaks nothing but poison when Phoenix is around (because she's been told that lawyers are despicable), but will mellow down momentarily when something that Phoenix says gets her attention. It won't last long, especially if Phoenix calls out her ignorance on the subject he's brought up: she will turn red and angrily insult him. And start over again until Character Development kicks in, which takes quite a while. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7ef728b1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7ef728b1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7ef728b1 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7f3be191 | type |
Impossibly Cool Clothes | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7f3be191 | comment |
Impossibly Cool Clothes: In real life, attorneys are not supposed to come to court in flashy suits as to not distract from the court proceedings. Instead, they're supposed to look professional as they can, which often translates to a dull or ordinary-looking suit. Not so much in this series, where over-the-top get-ups are par for the course (especially since the character design has gotten Denser and Wackier over time; Edgeworth's cravat looks positively understated compared to Simon's samurai get-up or Nahyuta's monk attire). A real court may look at Phoenix's blue suit with some raised eyebrows, might allow Athena's bright yellow suit, and flat out disallow outfits like Klavier's full-on bling. Ironically, the two attorneys in the series whose suits would most likely pass in a real court are the Payne brothers. Godot also gets a very ironic pass for his apparently ludicrous Cool Mask since it's eventually revealed he needs it to see and would thus get a medical exemption. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7f3be191 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7f3be191 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_7f3be191 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_808cbaeb | type |
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_808cbaeb | comment |
"Welcome!": Used in a single scene in the Layton crossover when Phoenix welcomes the professor to the bakery he works at. Additionally, there are several other speech bubbles which, despite being multiple words, still fit the spirit of this trope due to their abruptness and succinctness: | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_808cbaeb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_808cbaeb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_808cbaeb | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_80a247a9 | type |
Breather Episode | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_80a247a9 | comment |
Spirit of Justice has Case 4: "Turnabout Storyteller", which has no relation to the Khura'in plot and is there as a Breather Episode according to http://www.capcom-unity.com/zeroobjections/blog/2016/10/01/one-grand-finale-weddings-rakugo-and-succession. Case 2 also has nothing to do with Khura'in, but actually continues the Troupe Gramarye arc introduced in Apollo Justice, with Trucy receiving major development. It also introduces new prosecutor Nahyuta Sahdmahdi, and reveals that he and Apollo know each other. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_80a247a9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_80a247a9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_80a247a9 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_811dfb3f | type |
Voice Grunting | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_811dfb3f | comment |
Voice Grunting: Ace Attorney uses the "beeping" variety of this trope, with females and children usually getting higher-pitched beeps than adult males. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_811dfb3f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_811dfb3f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_811dfb3f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_819b6384 | type |
Sympathetic Murderer | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_819b6384 | comment |
Sympathetic Murderer: Several. Ace Attorney has Yanni Yogi killing Robert Hammond. Granted, he immorally frames Edgeworth for it all, but the fact that Hammond ruined Yogi and drove Yogi's wife to suicide, it's hard to not sympathize with Yogi. There's also Dee Vasquez, who's a fairly evil Mafia Princess, but killed the victim in self-defense. Justice for All has Acro. He wanted to kill Regina because she doesn't understand that she's responsible for putting his brother in a coma and himself in a wheelchair. Then he killed the wrong person, the ringmaster who's pretty much his surrogate father. You get the feeling that if his brother is dead instead of in a coma, he would have just turned himself in or killed himself. Trials and Tribulations has Godot. His murder was self-defense and defense of another, not to mention payback for the poisoning that ruined his life by putting him in a coma for years, making him effectively blind, and making him unable to protect the woman he loved? | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_819b6384 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_819b6384 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_819b6384 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_820ac3c5 | type |
Dysfunction Junction | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_820ac3c5 | comment |
Dysfunction Junction: Pretty much every major character is subject to Parental Abandonment and/or a screwed-up familial or personal history. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_820ac3c5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_820ac3c5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_820ac3c5 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_823c6e3e | type |
Large Ham | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_823c6e3e | comment |
Large Ham: Is the character a lawyer? They are this. Is the character a witness? They are this. Really, there's just something about the court system that turns everyone involved into one of these. Even the judge gets to join in once or twice. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_823c6e3e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_823c6e3e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_823c6e3e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_82518cf7 | type |
Motor Mouth | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_82518cf7 | comment |
Motor Mouth: Wendy Oldbag in all of her appearances. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_82518cf7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_82518cf7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_82518cf7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8328f343 | type |
Pointless Band-Aid | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8328f343 | comment |
Pointless Band-Aid: Detective Gumshoe has been wearing a bandage in the same spot on his left cheek for at least seven years. It's almost-but-not-quite lampshaded in Investigations, when he asks, "Do I have something on my face or something?" | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8328f343 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8328f343 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8328f343 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8391b1c7 | type |
Artistic License – Law | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8391b1c7 | comment |
Artistic License – Law: Since the series is meant to parody the Japanese legal system and its high rate of conviction, and the localization team couldn't risk changing things around too much lest the game would become completely different, many of the things said and done in the court don't translate as well and are downright unrealistic for the American judicial system's standards. An episode of Buzzfeed's Professionals Play, where they got an actual defense attorney from L.A. to play through the first case of the first game's HD remake, explains it in better detail (even the fact that Mia's attire would be considered unprofessional IRL). There is also LegalEagle's dissection of the first episode of the anime, which is based on the same case. Later installments, especially Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice, frequently apply the term "lawyer" exclusively to defense attorneys, neglecting the fact that prosecutors are lawyers as well. For instance, Themis Legal Academy's program for defense attorneys is called "lawyer course", in contrast to the prosecutor course and the judge course, while the people of Khura'in seem to hate "lawyers", but have no problem with prosecutors. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8391b1c7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8391b1c7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8391b1c7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8411ab92 | type |
Red Oni, Blue Oni | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8411ab92 | comment |
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Inverted with Phoenix and Miles. Loud, hot-blooded, and impulsive Phoenix wears a blue suit, while calm, composed and calculated Edgeworth wears a burgundy suit. The same applies for the impulsive and hot-blooded Agent Lang to Edgeworth as well, but without the color scheme. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8411ab92 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8411ab92 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8411ab92 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_84e189a8 | type |
Life Meter | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_84e189a8 | comment |
Life Meter: Used throughout to measure mistakes made when examining witnesses and breaking Psyche Locks; running out means the Judge loses patience due to your wild accusations and gives a verdict, or the secret keeper refuses to continue (thus stopping your investigations). In Spirit of Justice, this literally becomes a life meter for the trials conducted in Khura'in because a defense attorney who loses a case is sentenced to the same punishment that the defendant gets. Since the crimes in this series are Always Murder and the punishment for murder in Khura'in is decapitation, letting this meter empty out means that you get sent to the headsman to be decapitated! | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_84e189a8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_84e189a8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_84e189a8 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_85557b38 | type |
Reality Is Unrealistic | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_85557b38 | comment |
Reality Is Unrealistic: One is tempted when playing the games to believe that the court system is completely made up. Unfortunately, aside from the antics, the exceedingly tolerant judge, and the accelerated pace of investigation and trials, it is disturbingly close to reality in Japan, where prosecution success rates around 100% and defense attorneys without a single acquittal are the norm and juries were absent from World War 2 through 2009. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_85557b38 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_85557b38 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_85557b38 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_868e6134 | type |
Songs in the Key of Panic | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_868e6134 | comment |
Songs in the Key of Panic: Testimonies and cross examinations initially use the Confrontation: Moderato (normal pace) music. As the protagonists get closer to the truth and more lies are exposed, the music switches to Confrontation: Allegro (faster) to illustrate the mounting pressure on everyone involved. The Investigations spinoffs have taken this even further with Confrontation: Presto (fastest) when dealing with the last testimonies of the culprit or highly important people (making this a case of Musical Spoiler). The Allegro treatment also applies to investigation "minigames", like Logic Chess or the Mood Matrix, and the Investigations games even include an allegro version for the Logic theme, used when you are checking some very important piece of evidence or deducing how some key part of the murder happened. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_868e6134 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_868e6134 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_868e6134 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_86cd25b5 | type |
Females Are More Innocent | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_86cd25b5 | comment |
Females Are More Innocent: Zig-zagged. While men are significantly more likely to be the culprit than women are, and around half of the women who are the killer have sympathetic sob stories behind them, compared to the men for the most part being just plain evil, there are a few female villains in the series, particularly Dahlia Hawthorne, Morgan Fey, and Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in, who are genuinely, irredeemably evil, and in fact rank among the most iconic villains in the series. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_86cd25b5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_86cd25b5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_86cd25b5 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_86ee8070 | type |
World of Ham | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_86ee8070 | comment |
World of Ham: In any other world, the desk-slamming, "Objection!"-shouting Phoenix would be a Large Ham. Here he is the most normal person. However, the series draws considerable humor from the fact that it's self-aware that it's in a World of Ham. During Apollo Justice's debut trial, he tries to impress the court by unleashing his "Chords of Steel," only to be scolded and told to tone it down a bit. And in Dual Destinies, it's played for laughs as being essential skills as part of being lawyer. Right down to the mechanical theory of presenting evidence, such as the angle and speed of its delivery to the court. Likewise, Objection pointing and desk slamming are also treated with such precise minutiae, all taught in a law school by a professor of lawyering. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_86ee8070 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_86ee8070 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_86ee8070 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8741b74 | type |
Playing with a Trope | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8741b74 | comment |
Happens twice and in different ways in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth: The trope is subverted in case 3. Upon proving that the culprit that hit him with a sword did so with their right hand, Kay says that Lance, the person who Edgeworth suspects did it, is left-handed. Edgeworth however says that he simply used his non-dominant hand on purpose to throw suspicion away from him, stating that swinging a simple prop sword is easy, no matter what hand you use. Played straight in case 4. The gun was used with the right hand, but the person who held it was a lefty, as demonstrated by another piece of evidence. This leads Edgeworth to conclude that another individual had to fire the gun. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8741b74 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8741b74 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8741b74 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_875615dd | type |
Truth in Television | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_875615dd | comment |
Truth in Television: Unfortunately, all the prosecutors who obsess over perfect win records and with the odds so stacked against you is very true in Japan's criminal justice system, even false confessions are common to avoid dishonoring a family further with a long and drawn out trial. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_875615dd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_875615dd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_875615dd | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_87629455 | type |
No Communities Were Harmed | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_87629455 | comment |
No Communities Were Harmed: For the most part (they're all just puns), but Gumshoe does mention at one point that he lives in Compton. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_87629455 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_87629455 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_87629455 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_889cfd0c | type |
Make the Dog Testify | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_889cfd0c | comment |
The first game already had spirit channeling as an important plot point, children television conspiracies and Phoenix making a parrot testify. However, the character designs are relatively tame, with Maya's "weird outfit" even used as a plot point (which would hold no water by the later games, where everyone has over-the-top designs). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_889cfd0c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_889cfd0c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_889cfd0c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_88ab3310 | type |
Proud to Be a Geek | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_88ab3310 | comment |
Proud to Be a Geek: Edgeworth may be a closet nerd, but Maya's quite upfront with her geekishness. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_88ab3310 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_88ab3310 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_88ab3310 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8a07e085 | type |
Denser and Wackier | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8a07e085 | comment |
Denser and Wackier: The series has been getting progressively weirder and over-the-top ever since the first installment, which was already weird enough to begin with. The first game already had spirit channeling as an important plot point, children television conspiracies and Phoenix making a parrot testify. However, the character designs are relatively tame, with Maya's "weird outfit" even used as a plot point (which would hold no water by the later games, where everyone has over-the-top designs). Justice for All features a prosecutor who wields a whip, a murder where all the witnesses are circus performers and the cross-examination of a radio transmitter with a professional assassin at the other side. Character design becomes more elaborated and colorful from this point on, with way quirkier witnesses that would serve as the series' standard. Trials and Tribulations dials up the spirit channeling up to its logical conclusion, with it becoming the central focus of the entry (complete with a vengeful evil spirit being involved), there's also now a masked Gentleman Thief who is actually a guy with Princess Leia's hair, a burly chef who thinks of himself as a little girl, a literal red man that impersonates Phoenix in court, and a prosecutor who is a coffee-addict wearing a glowing red visor and speaking bizarre philosophical coffee analogies. Apollo Justice swaps the spirit channeling clan for a Stage Magician troupe as the main background plot point, Phoenix is now a hobo, the prosecutor is a literal rock star who Air Guitars in court, panties are used as evidence to catch a panty thief during a murder trial and the final villain causes an epic Chunky Updraft through the power of sheer hatred. Dual Destinies has a samurai prosecutor who is a convicted murderer, sending his pet hawk to attack witnesses and the defense, a defendant pretending to be possessed by a Youkai, a reporter hiding inside a cardboard box, a witness acting like he's teaching in a classroom, funny robots and so on. Oh, and did we mention that Phoenix gets to defend an orca in court? Spirit of Justice brings back the spirit channeling aspect with full force, having an entire country based on it, where defense attorneys are hated and punished with death if they lose a case. Then you have the prosecutor, who is a religious nut (like the rest of the aforementioned country), a New-Age Retro Hippie monk who plays heavy metal in court, more Stage Magician troupe shenanigans, an elder spirit gets to testify while possessing the body of a young woman, an entire case revolving around weirdo rakugo storytellers plus soba noodles (not to mention that the defendant is wasted through the whole thing) and a drone armed with a gatling gun and missiles as a witness. Oh, and there's a case with someone seriously saying they are a time traveller? | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8a07e085 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8a07e085 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8a07e085 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ac2fe0d | type |
Trope Namers | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ac2fe0d | comment |
The Trope Namer is an infamous instance in case 1-2: | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ac2fe0d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ac2fe0d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ac2fe0d | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8af721f7 | type |
Joke Item | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8af721f7 | comment |
Joke Item: Your Player Character has a badge (such as Phoenix and Apollo's Attorney's Badges, or Ryunosuke's University Badge), which is always in the evidence section. It's never used as evidence in court, and very rarely used in investigations after the first game. Presenting it will usually never advance the plot, but it will elicit unique reactions whenever the player does. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8af721f7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8af721f7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8af721f7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8b6e8d7 | type |
Anachronic Order | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8b6e8d7 | comment |
Anachronic Order: Many of the games present their cases out of chronological order to some extent, for plot reasons. Justice for All: Case 2 happens before case 1. Trials and Tribulations: Cases 1 and 4 are flashback cases, with case 4 happening before case 1. Case 4 also uses a framing device that takes place after the opening to Case 5. Apollo Justice: Half of case 4 takes place 7 years in the past. Investigations: Case 4 is another flashback case, and case 1 happens between cases 3 and 5. Gyakuten Kenji 2: Half of case 3 takes place 18 years in the past. Dual Destinies: Case 1 takes place between the two trial days of case 4, cases 2 and 3 happen before case 1, and the DLC case occurs between cases 2 and 3. Spirit of Justice: Mostly averted, though the intro to case 1 shows some events from case 5. The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve: Case 2 is a flashback case taking place after case 4 of the previous game. For the series as a whole, the Investigations games and the Professor Layton crossover were released after Apollo Justice but take place before it, and The Great Ace Attorney takes place long before the rest of the series but was released after Dual Destinies. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8b6e8d7 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8b6e8d7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8b6e8d7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8e20979 | type |
Wham Episode | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8e20979 | comment |
Wham Episode: If a case has a plot twist, expect at least one of these. Especially if it's near the end of the game. In 2-4, for the first time in the series, your client actually IS the culprit. 2-4 has so many whams that it's actually lampshaded by the Judge. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8e20979 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8e20979 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8e20979 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8e5b3b57 | type |
Western Samurai | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8e5b3b57 | comment |
Western Samurai: Simon Blackquill, a samurai-themed prosecutor, becomes this as a result of the series' Thinly-Veiled Dub Country Change shifting the characters from Japan to America. As a result, in the localization he's an American/British man who dresses and acts like an old-fashioned samurai, complete with iajutsu, a loyal pet hawk, and Undying Loyalty to the woman he considered his master. note Janet Hsu, a member of the series' localization team, has stated that she views heavily Japanese-coded characters like the Feys as Japanese in the localization, so the same could possibly be said for the Blackquills. Simon is still American, however. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8e5b3b57 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8e5b3b57 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8e5b3b57 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ed5c6e4 | type |
Asshole Victim | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ed5c6e4 | comment |
Asshole Victim: Roughly half the victims in the series. Sometimes they're done in by other assholes, other times by more sympathetic characters, but in many cases, there's at least two people who hate them enough to kill them. Averted in Dual Destinies, where every victim is completely innocent, law-abiding, and nice, which makes it all the sadder. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ed5c6e4 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ed5c6e4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ed5c6e4 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ee710e7 | type |
Better Manhandle the Murder Weapon | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ee710e7 | comment |
Better Manhandle the Murder Weapon: One reason why Edgeworth ends up accused of Robert Hammond's murder, even though Yanni Yogi was the other person in the boat. Even though said character should have known better, the stated reason was being in shock at the time. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ee710e7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ee710e7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8ee710e7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8f00b02a | type |
Always Identical Twins | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8f00b02a | comment |
Always Identical Twins: Two pairs of twins shown in the series (Dahlia and Iris, as well as Bonny and Betty de Famme) are identical. Naturally, this makes for some good Twin Switch hijinks. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8f00b02a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8f00b02a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8f00b02a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8fcb1ef4 | type |
Pixel Hunt | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8fcb1ef4 | comment |
Pixel Hunt: The investigation segments can sometimes fall into this when you have to examine a tiny area to get a piece of evidence necessary for the upcoming trial. Greatly downplayed in Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice, which give you a magnifier that glows in a notorious color when hovering over an important area and let you know which areas you have already examined. The fingerprinting mechanic presents an interesting -and no less frustrating- variation. The goal is to cover the area where the fingerprint is on the screen with white powder, and then "blow" the powder away, but God help you if you miss even one miniscule section. Exaggerated in Spirit of Justice, where you have to apply powder all over a gigantic 3D object a couple of times in the plot. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8fcb1ef4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8fcb1ef4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_8fcb1ef4 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_906365a2 | type |
Demonic Possession | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_906365a2 | comment |
Dual Destinies has the Case 2 again, the "Monstrous Turnabout", which features Demonic Possession as its main gimmick. Downplayed as Prosecutor Blackquill is introduced here, as well as Detective Bobby Fullbright, but their actual role in the game only becomes clearer from Case 3 onward. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_906365a2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_906365a2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_906365a2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_937fc70c | type |
Chalk Outline | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_937fc70c | comment |
Chalk Outline: Dead bodies tend to be marked with a string rather than chalk, especially when they're discovered at odd positions (e.g. sticking out of a safe.) | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_937fc70c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_937fc70c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_937fc70c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_94332264 | type |
Busman's Holiday | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_94332264 | comment |
Busman's Holiday: This combined with Economy Cast makes many of the characters wonder if it's them that's having the bad luck. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_94332264 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_94332264 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_94332264 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_950bbfa7 | type |
Take a Third Option | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_950bbfa7 | comment |
The final case revolves around this: the murderer has covered his tracks well enough to leave no direct evidence linking himself to the crime, but all the other facts at hand point quite definitively at him. The problem is, the existing court system in place in the series' universe requires either evidence, a confession, or incredibly strong testimony... which is why Phoenix has spent the past seven years working towards the re-establishment of a jury system. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_950bbfa7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_950bbfa7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_950bbfa7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_957e5fc2 | type |
Villainous Breakdown | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_957e5fc2 | comment |
Villainous Breakdown: The closer you get the real murderer to confessing, the more out of control they get. Once the truth is revealed, they cry, scream, tear their hair and clothes, laugh hysterically, and sometimes faint dead away. Also, the more out of control they get, the more smug they get when the prosecuting attorney brings up something that could pull their ass out of the fire. However, the game's legal system is so heavily evidence-based that you can't just convict them on the basis that innocent people simply don't get this smug and be done with it. As the series goes on, the breakdowns get progressively more elaborate and over-the-top. For example, while the first breakdown in the first game consists of the witness throwing his toupee, foaming at the mouth, and fainting, the final breakdown of Prosecutor's Path (the last game to use 2D sprites) has Simon Keyes get pummeled by a series of animals he had trained, culminating in a gorilla punching him in the face so hard he spins and an elephant pulling him off-screen while the sounds of his beating continue. The transition to 3D models has only amplified this trend. In later games, the breakdowns are often thematically based on the culprit's occupation, past, and/or the murder they committed. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_957e5fc2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_957e5fc2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_957e5fc2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_95df9d98 | type |
Contrasting Sequel Setting | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_95df9d98 | comment |
Contrasting Sequel Setting: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice has Phoenix travel to a foreign country that despises lawyers and has practically outlawed them. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is set a century before the main games and explicitly takes place in epoch Japan and England as opposed to modern "Japanifornia". Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney takes place in a medieval city plagued by witchcraft. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_95df9d98 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_95df9d98 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_95df9d98 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_970c790a | type |
Big Bad | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_970c790a | comment |
Bridge to the Turnabout puts an interesting spin on this: Godot is a Big Bad, and he killed Misty Fey while defending Maya Fey from Dahlia Hawthorne, the other Big Bad who Misty Fey was channeling at the time and who was trying to kill Maya Fey. Godot is guilty because he intentionally squandered an opportunity to prevent the fight from taking place at all, so lethal force was not required to defend Maya Fey which trashes the defense of others defense which requires that no option other than lethal force exists to succeed. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_970c790a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_970c790a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_970c790a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_97346240 | type |
We Will Not Use Photoshop in the Future | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_97346240 | comment |
We Will Not Use Photoshop in the Future: Photographs are practically gospel, meaning players have to find a glaring inconsistency with other evidence or a testimony before it's questioned. Notoriously used in Case 2-2, when one of Franziska's arguments centers around proof that Maya physically shapeshifts into whoever she channels, before showing a picture of Maya channelling Mia in the Detention Center. Instead of assuming it's faked, everyone takes this at face value. Subverted in case 5-2. Prosecutor Blackquill raises the possibility that a newspaper photo was doctored in some way, but later it still turns out to be real. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_97346240 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_97346240 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_97346240 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_973d220f | type |
Never My Fault | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_973d220f | comment |
Never My Fault: Edgeworth notes Franziska's tendency to blame others when things go wrong in Case 2-4. Also Godot putting Maya in danger and blaming Phoenix for it in 3-5. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_973d220f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_973d220f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_973d220f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_974d246c | type |
Be as Unhelpful as Possible | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_974d246c | comment |
Characters who end up in magatama sessions can be this, regardless of actual personality. Justified that they clearly have things to hide from the protagonists but when not played well this tends to turn into out-of-character moments for people like Pearl and Adriannote 3-2 only. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_974d246c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_974d246c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_974d246c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_97c6b148 | type |
Allegedly Free Game | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_97c6b148 | comment |
Allegedly Free Game: The iOS port of the first three games. It's free to download and gives you the first two chapters of the first game for free. The remaining chapters must be purchased in packs (one pack contains a full game) for US$5.99 per pack. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_97c6b148 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_97c6b148 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_97c6b148 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_987be393 | type |
Gambit Roulette | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_987be393 | comment |
Gambit Roulette: Many of the arguments for both sides in several cases are these, dependent entirely on a particular character being in possession of the Idiot Ball at a particular time. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_987be393 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_987be393 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_987be393 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9b06e314 | type |
Greater-Scope Villain | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9b06e314 | comment |
Greater-Scope Villain: The first game already throws two of those towards us in the forms of Redd White and Manfred von Karma, two people whose involvement in the DL-6 case would have far-reaching consequences that would be only explored in the third game. Karma was the true culprit of that case while White's subsequent leaking of Misty Fey's channeling (which led to accusations of fraud to the Fey Clan) would drive Mia to become an attorney and Dahlia Hawthorne to become the sociopathic killer we all know and love (to hate), leading to the overall plot of Trials and Tribulations. The second game introduces Morgan Fey, who conceived Dahlia and was also responsible for her involvement in the final case of the third game. The plot of Dual Destinies is more or less driven by an unindentified organization which employed the phantom's services. Ace Attorney Investigations 2 has former Chief Prosecutor Bansai Ichiyanagi/Blaise Debeste, who was the one responsible for giving Manfred von Karma forged evidence and penalizing him for using it in court after Gregory pointed out its illegitimacy, leading von Karma to start the DL-6 Case that would affect most of the series' main characters. And this is not even counting all the illegal dealings and international conspiracies he was also involved with. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9b06e314 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9b06e314 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9b06e314 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9cb3e22e | type |
Interface Spoiler | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9cb3e22e | comment |
Interface Spoiler: In some cases, particularly longer ones, the current player attorney will dispose of evidence that they no longer need. Evidence that they don't discard will likely be used again later. If a particular piece of evidence hasn't been used at any point thus far, it will be used later. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9cb3e22e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9cb3e22e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9cb3e22e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9cb5e4bb | type |
Evil Costume Switch | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9cb5e4bb | comment |
Evil Costume Switch: Aristotle Means began a regular occurrence in the 3D games where the true killer adopts a new appearance and/or demeanor once it becomes obvious to both the attorney and the audience that they're the true culprit. It also occurs with Marlon Rimes, the phantom, Pees'lubn Andistan'dhin, Roger Retinz, Geiru Toneido, Pierce Nichody, and Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9cb5e4bb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9cb5e4bb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9cb5e4bb | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d12bbc1 | type |
Foreshadowing | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d12bbc1 | comment |
Foreshadowing: The games have a lot of this, particularly Trials and Tribulations and the bonus case 'Rise from the Ashes' in the first game, which was created as part of an Updated Re-release with the writers knowing what was going to happen in later games, leading to lines foreshadowing Trials and Tribulations ("We certainly can't get a dead person to testify") as well as Phoenix stating he would get found out if he lent his badge to someone (foreshadowing Phoenix lending his badge to Edgeworth). Also, Gumshoe asks if he can work as Wright and Co. after he is fired, foreshadowing him working for Phoenix in the last case in Justice for All. The climax of the case in which Phoenix is accused of withholding evidence could be foreshadowing Apollo Justice. Also in the second case of Trials and Tribulations, when talking about Mask DeMasque Phoenix says that when you're famous there are always imitators. Pearl then says that if Phoenix works hard, someday he'll have his own imitators. The next case revolves around Furio Tigre impersonating Phoenix to cover a crime. Investigations has an odd case of reverse-foreshadowing. Specifically case four. It's a flashback to four years before the first game and six months before Edgeworth's first trial, and contains multiple references to future events. If you hadn't played the first few games you wouldn't get the meaning behind von Karma's comments (he killed Edgeworth's father), the fire extinguisher being used in a crime (later used to bash Phoenix on the head and give him temporary amnesia), Franziska mentioning she wouldn't know what to do were her father to die (it is implied in JFA that Manfred dies after being convicted on the murder of Gregory Edgeworth) and saying she would never have to work with Detective Gumshoe or Edgeworth mentioning his badge won't stay shiny forever (his reputation will eventually be tarnished). In case five, the 'shadow of the Yatagarasu' is formed by more than one statue. This foreshadows the fact that the real Yatagarasu is more than one person. In case 3 of the first game, Phoenix makes a somewhat overly-dramatic comment to Cody Hackins, a Steel Samurai fanboy, that seeing through lies is "one of his powers". Fast-forward to case 2 of the second game, when Phoenix is given a Magatama, which literally gives him the power to see through lies, via Psyche Locks. In the bonus case of the first game, 'Rise from the Ashes', when accused of forging evidence, Damon Gant points out that although Edgeworth may have been found to have unknowingly presented forged evidence, says "It's not just prosecutors who can forge evidence, right Wrighto?" Fast forward to Apollo Justice.... During 3-3, Phoenix thinks to himself that a "phony case" is "the perfect excuse for some phony evidence". Suddenly, it seems a lot less surprising that this is how he got disbarred in the next game. Apollo Justice, Case 3. A player watching closely during The Guitar's Serenade can notice the flash of the igniter going off and the fire growing. Case 1-5 also foreshadows Investigations as Damon Gant, after being outed for murder in two cases, tells Edgeworth that he will one day need to find a way to deal with certain criminals you can't take down with just evidence and testimony. Fast forward to AAI, and meet Quercus Alba, a criminal who can't be touched by the law due to his diplomatic immunity. Then there's the fact that all the evidence and testimony in the world couldn't touch the killer of the IS-7 Incident because of the Statute of Limitations running out no matter what way the case is looked at. Except one, but even then, the killer is implied to get off scot-free, even though the one who took the fall was released from prison. And that isn't just in the case of Edgeworth as Phoenix Wright himself does it. His monologue at the end of the game talks about not being able to change past mistakes, only make up for them and then move on. What does Nick do in Apollo Justice? He accidentally presents forged evidence in court, and pays for it, then spends seven years making up for that mistake, raising Trucy, and finding out what really happened in the case that caused him to lose his badge. Once he is finally cleared of all suspicion of forging evidence, the fallen attorney "Rises from the Ashes" and picks up right where he left off, cue the return of Nick in Dual Destinies. The opening scene of Apollo Justice's first case depicts a painter in their studio, which doesn't seem to have anything to do with the rest of the case. The rest of the prologue focuses on the murder of this case, but it is drawn in the style of a painted picture. We finally get to meet the painter in case 4, and we find out that they've created paintings of all of Apollo's cases. Also, in a rare soundtrack example, the music in the painter's studio is a remix of the music that plays over the opening scene. Larry's artistic skills are foreshadowed from the very beginning, since he made the Thinker clocks that factored into the first two cases. Godot also does this in case 3-3, when he doesn't notice the Apron covered in blood, but he does notice the coffee. This references the fact that he can't see red through his visor. Even earlier in case 3-2, after presenting a certain piece of jewelry as evidence, we get a strange comment from Godot where he states that he's not very fond of discussing colors. In Case 1-5, Gumshoe uses a flyer of a recently-opened restaurant to write a note to Edgey. Looks closely and one can see Jean Armstrong's profile on the flyer, indicating that the restaurant is Trés Bien from Case 3-3. In Case 3-1, Phoenix says at the conclusion of the case that he doesn't believe Dahlia as she appears on the witness stand is the real deal. This is played off as him being hopelessly naieve and head-over-heels in love with her, but he's actually right on the money - the woman he fell in love with was Iris. In Case 3-2, Godot is noticably distracted when Maya channels Mia. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d12bbc1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d12bbc1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d12bbc1 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d352e21 | type |
Overly-Nervous Flop Sweat | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d352e21 | comment |
Overly-Nervous Flop Sweat: A lot of characters sweat bullets when they see themselves trapped into a corner, attorneys, witnesses, or otherwise. There's even a scene where the radio a certain witness is using to testify starts leaking acid instead. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d352e21 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d352e21 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d352e21 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d724fde | type |
Fan Boy | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d724fde | comment |
Fan Boy: Edgeworth is a huge Steel Samurai fanboy. It's subtle in the main games, confirmed in the supplemental materials. Investigations throws all pretense out the window and makes it a minor plot point in the final case. All of the assistants are also a huge fan of something in popular culture, including Gregory's male assistant, a younger Tateyuki Shigaraki. Maya (Steel Samurai and its spinoffs), Ema (Edgeworth), Trucy (Troupe Gramarye and the Gavinners), Kay (Jammin' Ninja), young Tateyuki (Dansweets), and Susato (Sherlock Holmes). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d724fde | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d724fde | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9d724fde | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9dab0a6e | type |
Continuity Nod | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9dab0a6e | comment |
Continuity Nod: In Justice for All, Shelly de Killer has apparently been paying attention to the previous cases and decided to go in for a symbolic gesture, as when he shoots Franziska, he does so in the right shoulder, just like her father had been. Franziska von Karma shares some animations with her father, as does a young Edgeworth (the younger Edgeworth also wears a blue vest reminiscent of Manfred's, with matching trim on the suit jacket). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9dab0a6e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9dab0a6e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9dab0a6e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9dc9b32 | type |
Linear Visual Novel | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9dc9b32 | comment |
Linear Visual Novel: For the most part, none of the games have any major branching paths or choices of any sort. While some games do have Multiple Endings, the "bad" ones are all effectively a Non-Standard Game Over. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9dc9b32 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9dc9b32 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9dc9b32 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9de2bf95 | type |
Filler | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9de2bf95 | comment |
Filler: Every main entry in the series so far seemingly has at least one case that contains minimal to no relation with the entry's overarching story: Ace Attorney Phoenix Wright has Case 3: "Turnabout Samurai", which is about a TV studio murder and doesn't really develop any of the main characters except Edgeworth, who actually helps Phoenix later on in the trial, contrary to his "win at all costs" attitude. It does bring plot points that are re-used in the final case (namely, the idea of using a disguise to pin the crime on someone else). Justice for All has Case 3: "Turnabout Big Top", which is about investigating a circus murder and features some of the series' most bizarre witnesses. Again, no main character actually develops here, although the end of the case has Gumshoe contact Edgeworth, confirming that the latter is alive. Trials and Tribulations has Case 3 (notice a pattern?): "Recipe for Turnabout", which is about Phoenix investigating a restaurant murder and a supposed impostor that impersonated him in said murder trial. No development here either except for resident detective Gumshoe. It brings up some information that becomes relevant later- specifically, that Godot cannot see red on white and that his mask glows in the dark. Apollo Justice varies it a bit with Case 2: "Turnabout Corner", which, despite introducing the rest of the game's major characters, hardly advances the game's overarching background or plot, being more of a compilation of silly subplots involving panties and noodles that eventually converge into a murder. Dual Destinies has the Case 2 again, the "Monstrous Turnabout", which features Demonic Possession as its main gimmick. Downplayed as Prosecutor Blackquill is introduced here, as well as Detective Bobby Fullbright, but their actual role in the game only becomes clearer from Case 3 onward. Spirit of Justice has Case 4: "Turnabout Storyteller", which has no relation to the Khura'in plot and is there as a Breather Episode according to http://www.capcom-unity.com/zeroobjections/blog/2016/10/01/one-grand-finale-weddings-rakugo-and-succession. Case 2 also has nothing to do with Khura'in, but actually continues the Troupe Gramarye arc introduced in Apollo Justice, with Trucy receiving major development. It also introduces new prosecutor Nahyuta Sahdmahdi, and reveals that he and Apollo know each other. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9de2bf95 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9de2bf95 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9de2bf95 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9e09fbd7 | type |
New-Age Retro Hippie | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9e09fbd7 | comment |
Pees'lubn Andhistan'dhin: New-Age Retro Hippie monk who Looks Like Jesus and eventually plays heavy metal. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9e09fbd7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9e09fbd7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9e09fbd7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9e1f8fde | type |
Good Lawyers, Good Clients | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9e1f8fde | comment |
Good Lawyers, Good Clients: The defense attorneys you play as always only end up defending people who are innocent. It's completely justified though. In the first game you defend your two best friends, your sidekick, a guy whose good nature wouldn't make anyone believe he's bad, and a woman whose innocence is vouched by your other sidekick. From the second game onwards, Phoenix acquires a special power called the Magatama that allows him to discover if a person is lying instantly. This allows him to discover if a person is really guilty almost instantly. As for Apollo and Athena, they both have their own powers that allow them to discover lies from clients. Apollo has a super developed eyesight that allows him to find even the smallest physical tells that a person give away when lying, and Athena has a super developed hearing that allows her to find even the smallest dusrupitions in a person's voice when they're lying (almost as if she was listening to their heart, like Daredevil). It's also justified for regular attorneys, Mia specifically defends a younger Phoenix because Dahlia's involved and Mia's pretty sure she is the culprit, based on a previous case). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9e1f8fde | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9e1f8fde | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9e1f8fde | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9f6fb586 | type |
Leitmotif | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9f6fb586 | comment |
Leitmotif: Several characters have their own personal theme songs that changes through the series. Compare Gumshoe's themes from Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. Also doubles as Leaning on the Fourth Wall with Klavier and Godot, whose phone ringtones are chiptunes of their leitmotifs. In fact, so many characters have specific theme music associated with them that it's almost easier to list the characters who don't. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9f6fb586 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9f6fb586 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_9f6fb586 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a201dad2 | type |
Passive-Aggressive Kombat | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a201dad2 | comment |
Passive-Aggressive Kombat: Cases that don't get heated turn into this. Notably, Mia and Franziska engage in it during Maya's trial (and manage to completely freak out Phoenix in the process). Morgan Fey also seems very fond of invoking this. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a201dad2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a201dad2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a201dad2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a37e27db | type |
Back from the Brink | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a37e27db | comment |
Back from the Brink: A staple of the series. The deck is always stacked against you, and some of your clients will even try to get convicted for varying reasons. Even as you make progress in a case, there's almost always a point where your case hangs in the balance and you'll come perilously close to losing. Cue the Turnabout moment which often flips the case on its head and things finally start to go in your favor. Phoenix Wright has earned a reputation of rescuing even the most hopeless of cases, earning various titles such as The Turnabout Terror and The King of Comebacks. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a37e27db | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a37e27db | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a37e27db | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a409e6f9 | type |
Fluffy Fashion Feathers | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a409e6f9 | comment |
Fluffy Fashion Feathers: Some of the fancy ladies' outfits. In particular, Alita Tiala from Apollo Justice. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a409e6f9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a409e6f9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a409e6f9 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a414c3f0 | type |
One-Hit Kill | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a414c3f0 | comment |
One-Hit Kill: Certain cases will have scenarios where the prosecution or another party raises the stakes by making the next potential penalty be 100%, giving the player character only one chance to present their case/evidence correctly. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a414c3f0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a414c3f0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a414c3f0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a593db6a | type |
Sentenced Without Trial | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a593db6a | comment |
Sentenced Without Trial: Inverted in the majority of the cases. Whenever the player is in control of a defense attorney, the police will almost always arrest the first person to be suspected of whatever crime has occurred with minimal investigation if any. The job of solving the mystery thus falls to the defense attorney, who has to piece together evidence during the trial. Sometimes, the prosecution will attempt to invoke this trope either by offering a plea bargain or by trying to coerce the judge into passing a verdict as quickly as possible. Subverted with witnesses who are exposed as culprits during other people's trials. As shown with Luke Atmey in Case 2 of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations, despite having their guilt proven in another person's trial, witnesses still get tried as defendants in their own separate trials. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a593db6a | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a593db6a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a593db6a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a6cda066 | type |
Rule of Three | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a6cda066 | comment |
Trials and Tribulations has Case 3 (notice a pattern?): "Recipe for Turnabout", which is about Phoenix investigating a restaurant murder and a supposed impostor that impersonated him in said murder trial. No development here either except for resident detective Gumshoe. It brings up some information that becomes relevant later- specifically, that Godot cannot see red on white and that his mask glows in the dark. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a6cda066 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a6cda066 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a6cda066 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a6e8221e | type |
Status Quo Is God | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a6e8221e | comment |
And then between Apollo Justice and Dual Destinies comes the "Dark Age of Law", where the justice system became SO corrupt that all the people lost their trust in the legal system, and the Jurist System was abandoned. Thus, the original system is in place for Dual Destinies. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a6e8221e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a6e8221e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a6e8221e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a70223 | type |
Karma Houdini | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a70223 | comment |
Karma Houdini: Dee Vasquez's guards, Shelly de Killer and Viola Cadaverini never get a comeuppance for their crimes. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a70223 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a70223 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a70223 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a7aef9ff | type |
Obfuscating Stupidity | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a7aef9ff | comment |
Obfuscating Stupidity: Cammy Meele in Investigations. Also Phoenix Wright in the fourth game, to the point that even Apollo believes that he is doing it on purpose. And Yanni Yogi. And Matt Engarde. And April May. And Ini Miney. And Quercus Alba. In fact, if one of your witnesses is extremely ditzy you should probably immediately suspect them of faking it. Although subverted in the case of Colias Palaeno, whose eccentricity and cheeriness seems a bit... suspicious until it's revealed he wasn't the culprit. Damon Gant in Case 1-5 seems to be very happy-go-lucky, even childlike, for a Police Chief. Then things start turning on their head, and you can see how formidable he really is. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a7aef9ff | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a7aef9ff | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a7aef9ff | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a806691d | type |
Casanova Wannabe | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a806691d | comment |
Casanova Wannabe: Larry, with his endless girlfriends and breakups to go with them. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a806691d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a806691d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a806691d | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a8217606 | type |
Sweet Polly Oliver | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a8217606 | comment |
GAA2-1: The victim was responsible for framing the defense's (purported) cousin for murder nine months prior (in actuality her good friend/coworker, a fact known to the judge), in a case overseen by the prosecutor and judge. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a8217606 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a8217606 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a8217606 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a861560f | type |
The Friend Nobody Likes | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a861560f | comment |
Larry started out as Phoenix's goofy, emotional friend who always gets dumped by girls. After the first game, he became a loser who hits on any girl he lays eyes upon and progressively turns more and more unlikeable and disconnected from reality every game. Phoenix and Edgeworth's tolerance for Larry also progressively goes down with each appearance — as Larry also made the switch from "clueless, but means well" to seemingly being as actively unhelpful as he can. Even when Larry does manage to help out in a case, by his next appearance he's back to square one. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a861560f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a861560f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_a861560f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab031997 | type |
Underdogs Never Lose | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab031997 | comment |
Underdogs Never Lose: Played very straight with every defense attorney. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab031997 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab031997 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab031997 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab2df806 | type |
Red Baron | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab2df806 | comment |
Red Baron: Many characters throughout the series have earned nicknames for their legal prowess: Phoenix Wright is known as the "Turnabout Terror", Manfred von Karma is the "God of Prosecution", Nahyuta Sahdmadhi is "The Last Rites Prosecutor", Barok van Zieks is "The Reaper of the Bailey", etc. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab2df806 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab2df806 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab2df806 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab5eea65 | type |
Dramatic Irony | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab5eea65 | comment |
Dramatic Irony: Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice like to point out Apollo's orphan background a lot — except Apollo Justice reveals that his biological mother, Thalassa Gramarye, is alive, and so is his half-sister by her, who is none other than Trucy. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab5eea65 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab5eea65 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ab5eea65 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ac4ac8e5 | type |
Idiosyncratic Episode Naming | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ac4ac8e5 | comment |
Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Every episode (save the bonus case in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, "Rise From the Ashes") contains the word "Turnabout" in the title. The Japanese name of that case can be translated as "Turnabout Revival". And the series itself is originally titled "Turnabout Courtroom", which quite nicely describes Phoenix's tendency to make a dramatic comeback when all seems lost. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ac4ac8e5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ac4ac8e5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ac4ac8e5 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ac6ea68c | type |
Near-Villain Victory | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ac6ea68c | comment |
Near-Villain Victory: Frequent. Very frequent. Most trials typically range from Phoenix having one last chance to present decisive evidence before his client is convicted to the judge announcing the verdict, someone comes in with new information. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ac6ea68c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ac6ea68c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ac6ea68c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ad1db87c | type |
Oh, Crap! | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ad1db87c | comment |
Oh, Crap!: Half of the fun is watching the reactions of the prosecuting attorneys and witnesses as you rip right through their evidence and testimonies. Especially since almost all of them have insulted you in some way at some point or another. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ad1db87c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ad1db87c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ad1db87c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ae3d6438 | type |
Deadpan Snarker | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ae3d6438 | comment |
Deadpan Snarker: The protagonist, whether it's Phoenix, Apollo, Edgeworth, Mia or Athena (with Athena as the least prone to sarcasm and Edgeworth as the most prone), partly for being the Only Sane Man or woman in each case. They may not always say it out loud, but if they are not saying something sarcastic, there's a very good chance they're thinking it. Sometimes people will react to these statements, meaning that either they're muttering at least some of them under their breath, or there's a bunch of telepaths running around. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ae3d6438 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ae3d6438 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ae3d6438 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_aec19d54 | type |
Hyperlink Story | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_aec19d54 | comment |
Hyperlink Story: Almost every overarching storyline is connected to each other is some contrived way. This is especially true of the DL-6 and IS-7 Incidents as it affected the first three games along with the Ace Attorney Investigations duology. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_aec19d54 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_aec19d54 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_aec19d54 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_af157b58 | type |
First-Person Smartass | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_af157b58 | comment |
First-Person Smartass: Phoenix often makes sarcastic remarks in his head, only a few of which he says aloud. This is to compensate for his rather Extreme Doormat behavior towards wacky and Jerkass people. Edgeworth is very abrasive in his playable segment, both in his head and out of it. Mia reacts to every crazy thing in her trials by snarking at the judge, the witness and the prosecutor in her head, usually accompanied by some male shaming (not without reason, considering the reactions Dahlia causes in them). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_af157b58 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_af157b58 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_af157b58 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_af46ad7d | type |
Evidence Scavenger Hunt | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_af46ad7d | comment |
Evidence Scavenger Hunt: Every segment between cases involves combing areas for evidence. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_af46ad7d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_af46ad7d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_af46ad7d | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_afc52a86 | type |
Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_afc52a86 | comment |
Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: Starting with the second game, the player comes up against rival prosecutors that sound like mad-libs, carrying both a bizarre appearance and unique quirks: Franziska von Karma: Sadistic German child prodigy with a ruthless record. Frequently alliterates and indiscriminately assaults people with a whip to assert herself. Godot: An ambiguously brown albino with a glowing visor. Often deliberately misnames, and has a serious coffee obsession. Klavier Gavin: A multi-millionaire American rockstar who studied in Germany who still prosecutes on the side. Slips in and out of German, and can play an audible air guitar. Simon Blackquill: An English convict, who prosecutes while serving a murder sentence. Obsessed with samurai culture, and has a vicious pet hawk. Nahyuta Sahdmadhi: An androgynous holy monk from the fictional Asian-flavored Khura'in who tells lawyers that they're gonna burn in hell. Seemingly has mystic powers that allow him to predict arguments and trial outcomes. Some witnesses are known to mix and match ridiculously awesome concepts. Notable examples include: Jake Marshall: Literal Cowboy Cop. Also used to be a detective. Daryan Crescend: American shark-themed guitarist and detective who plays in the same band as Klavier. Dane Gustavia: Pastry chef who fancies himself as a samurai. Marlon Rimes: Aquarium keeper who is part pirate, part rap artist. Pees'lubn Andhistan'dhin: New-Age Retro Hippie monk who Looks Like Jesus and eventually plays heavy metal. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_afc52a86 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_afc52a86 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_afc52a86 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_afc8486b | type |
Awesome Anachronistic Apparel | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_afc8486b | comment |
Awesome Anachronistic Apparel: Used to make character designs stand out compared to the standard suits you'd expect from a Courtroom Drama. There's the von Karmas and their cravats, the Marshall brothers and their cowboy attire, Simon and his samurai get up, et cetera. Justified with the Feys; they wear traditional robes relevant to their discipline. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_afc8486b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_afc8486b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_afc8486b | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b09bf442 | type |
Whip of Dominance | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b09bf442 | comment |
Whip of Dominance: Franziska von Karma has a habit of whipping people who behave in a foolish way, are incompetent, or just make her waste time. She even whips Phoenix to unconsciousness after losing to him in court for the first time. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b09bf442 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b09bf442 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b09bf442 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b0a529cb | type |
Extreme Doormat | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b0a529cb | comment |
Phoenix often makes sarcastic remarks in his head, only a few of which he says aloud. This is to compensate for his rather Extreme Doormat behavior towards wacky and Jerkass people. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b0a529cb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b0a529cb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b0a529cb | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b1d44353 | type |
Courtroom Antics | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b1d44353 | comment |
Courtroom Antics: The judge states frequently that anyone causing disorder in his court will be held in contempt and detained. This happens exactly once for plot purposes, and even then, Maya takes the bullet for Phoenix. In "3-1" there's a scene where people are trying to catch Phoenix from running away and court descends into madness. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b1d44353 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b1d44353 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b1d44353 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2226c2f | type |
Sheathe Your Sword | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2226c2f | comment |
Sheathe Your Sword: There is at least one point in every game where the prosecution demands evidence supporting your theory and you don't have any. Rather than receive repeated penalties from trying everything in the inventory, the correct answer is to say that you don't have evidence. This is usually followed by a Deus ex machina or The Cavalry sequence. This becomes a key in "Rise from the Ashes", as Damon Gant vaguely pressures Phoenix into presenting the scrap of cloth from his safe, but due to Evidence Law which Gant would use to discredit it, Phoenix simply states that he doesn't have any evidence to present at that time since it's technically worthless until Gant gives it significance after a lengthy amount of Evil Gloating that implicates himself. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2226c2f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2226c2f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2226c2f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2280b66 | type |
Retcon | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2280b66 | comment |
Retcon: A minor case presented in Trilogy, where some of the dialogue in the included Justice for All and Trials and Tribulations were altered slightly to account for the first game's bonus DS case "Rise From the Ashes". | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2280b66 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2280b66 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2280b66 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2f26025 | type |
Genki Girl | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2f26025 | comment |
Genki Girl: It seems to be an unwritten rule for all sidekicks in the series to be hyperactive cheerful girls. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2f26025 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2f26025 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2f26025 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2f4114e | type |
Heir Club for Men | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2f4114e | comment |
Heir Club for Men: Gender-Inverted with the Fey clan. Because spiritual channeling can only be used by women, Kurain Village is completely matriarchal, with the position Kurain Master being only accessible to the most powerful daughter of the family's main branch. Meanwhile, the completely powerless men and boys are forced to live outside of Kurain Village. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2f4114e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2f4114e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b2f4114e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b35b6eda | type |
Secondary Color Nemesis | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b35b6eda | comment |
The younger members of Troupe Gramarye: Zak (red/pink), Valant (yellow), and Thalassa (blue). They're led by Magnifi (black) and have a Secondary Color Nemesis in Reus (green and purple). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b35b6eda | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b35b6eda | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b35b6eda | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b36de8f5 | type |
Statute of Limitations | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b36de8f5 | comment |
Statute of Limitations: Comes up a few times; it's mentioned to be three days long in case 1-3. The length of the statute was actually shortened from the 15 year long statute for murder cases in 1-4, which is why Hammond's murder was committed when it was, because von Karma wanted Edgeworth to be convicted for it, or at least for the DL-6 incident. A key point in 1-5 is that the evidence for a case two years prior was going to be "put to rest", officially closing an old case that its investigators felt wasn't complete. Kind of an Acceptable Break From Reality to be used for the Rule of Drama. In the US, there has never been a Statute of Limitations for murder, while in Japan there has. However, between the time the games were made and 2016 (the time the first game takes place) Japan has officially removed all Statutes of Limitations for murders. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b36de8f5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b36de8f5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b36de8f5 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b4a6ae4c | type |
Everyone Has Standards | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b4a6ae4c | comment |
Everyone Has Standards: The Ace Attorney legal system is generally hideously broken, with conflicts of interest, perjury, and misbehavior running rampant. However, the one crossed line that will not be tolerated is evidence forgery. Even Edgeworth at his worst refuses to resort to outright making evidence up, and when Phoenix is caught presenting forged evidence he is disbarred on the spot. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b4a6ae4c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b4a6ae4c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b4a6ae4c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5049d76 | type |
Added Alliterative Appeal | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5049d76 | comment |
Franziska von Karma: Sadistic German child prodigy with a ruthless record. Frequently alliterates and indiscriminately assaults people with a whip to assert herself. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5049d76 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5049d76 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5049d76 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5b3599d | type |
Amoral Attorney | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5b3599d | comment |
Apollo Justice has Klavier Gavin. He isn't really an Amoral Attorney, unlike the previous prosecutors; he just taunts him from time to time with the name "Herr Forehead". | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5b3599d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5b3599d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5b3599d | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5e63cc4 | type |
Shadow Archetype | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5e63cc4 | comment |
Shadow Archetype: There's really pretty much no difference in practice between what a prosecutor does and what a defense attorney does. Thanks to the gameplay-mandated absurdly biased legal system, defense attorneys have to prove the guilt of somebody, otherwise their client will be found guilty by default, even if they've already demonstrated it was completely impossible for them to do it. And when they're doing this, the prosecutor is going to be arguing to defend the person the defense is accusing, just like the defense was doing earlier in the trial before they could pinpoint an actual culprit. The only real distinction between defense attorneys and prosecutors in practice is that prosecutors always side with the results of the police investigation (and have a much, much easier job). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5e63cc4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5e63cc4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b5e63cc4 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6064061 | type |
Power of Trust | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6064061 | comment |
Power of Trust: Phoenix and Edgeworth, in pretty much everything from midway through their second case together and beyond. It works because Phoenix knows that Miles will expose the truly guilty and Edgeworth knows that Wright will protect the genuinely innocent, so justice will always be served. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6064061 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6064061 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6064061 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6e1d40b | type |
Acceptable Breaks from Reality | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6e1d40b | comment |
Kind of an Acceptable Break From Reality to be used for the Rule of Drama. In the US, there has never been a Statute of Limitations for murder, while in Japan there has. However, between the time the games were made and 2016 (the time the first game takes place) Japan has officially removed all Statutes of Limitations for murders. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6e1d40b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6e1d40b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6e1d40b | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6f33a21 | type |
Rainbow Speak | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6f33a21 | comment |
Rainbow Speak: Orange text indicates hints and important pieces of evidence, blue text is for the protagonist's inner thoughts, and green text is used for witness testimonies (or pieces of logic in the Investigations series). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6f33a21 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6f33a21 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b6f33a21 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b71379ad | type |
Reaching Towards the Audience | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b71379ad | comment |
Reaching Towards the Audience: A very common recurring pose, what with all the finger pointing. The franchise's icon itself is a giant hand pointing! | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b71379ad | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b71379ad | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b71379ad | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b77808f2 | type |
"Where Are They Now?" Epilogue | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b77808f2 | comment |
"Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: Each game has ending credits that show how most characters that where involved in the cases lives are now. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b77808f2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b77808f2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b77808f2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b7920c43 | type |
Lost in Translation | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b7920c43 | comment |
Lost in Translation: Mostly averted: character name meanings and puns are generally carried over to English and French about as well as can be hopednote However, some languages like Spanish use the English names and therefore the audience doesn't see the puns. A few things are lost that make things somewhat more sensible (notably the kanji for dragon in Phoenix's Japanese name, see Animal Stereotypes above). Of course, the Japanese Pronouns are lost, but most of the time it's not a big deal. However, at one point they're used to emphasize that the Matt Engarde you meet at first and the one he reveals himself to be are not the same person. The former uses "boku" (a boyish pronoun) while the latter uses "ore" (a more serious, adult one). Thankfully, the rest of The Reveal is enough to make the change very obvious. In "Turnabout Beginnings" there is a wordplay-based plot point involving Dahlia (Chinami in the original) - the phrase "Chinami ni" ("to Chinami") looks identical to "chinamini" ("by the way"), which was meant to obscure that she was mentioned in Valerie's note. The translation doesn't preserve the ambiguity, creating a minor spoiler. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b7920c43 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b7920c43 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b7920c43 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b8f5a02 | type |
Non-Standard Character Design | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b8f5a02 | comment |
Nonstandard Character Design: Maya looks very cartoony in the first three games where everybody is drawn (almost) realistically. Mike Meekins looks quite unfitting compared to other characters, even the ones drawn by the same artist. Kinda looks like someone from Lupin III. Spark Brushel from Apollo Justice would fit right in with the Looney Tunes. Delicia Scones from Investigations 2 is probably the worst offender. Even after a Time Skip of 18 years, she still looks the same and refuses to mention her age. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b8f5a02 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b8f5a02 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b8f5a02 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b9d334b2 | type |
Aerith and Bob | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b9d334b2 | comment |
Aerith and Bob: Being a series that's absolutely full of oddly-named people, any real-sounding names could count as an example of this. A good one in particular though, would probably be Troupe Gramarye's line-up. Magnifi, Valant, Thalassa... and Zak. The French version applies its own Dub Name Changes... to some, not all, of the characters. This leads to English names like Phoenix Wright and Athena Cykes (as well as some English-based changed names, like Benjamin Hunter for Edgeworth) coexisting with French names like Paul Dèfes (Larry) and Victor Boulay (Payne). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b9d334b2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b9d334b2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_b9d334b2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ba236071 | type |
It Makes Sense in Context | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ba236071 | comment |
At various points in the series, the dramatic close-up of one of the lawyers that's usually reserved for adding impact to rightfully awesome declarations is used for completely ridiculous (though they make sense in context) statements, such as "What kind of murderer uses a Samurai Slap?" or "Baseballs have stitches! Are you saying that all baseballs are suspicious?" | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ba236071 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ba236071 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ba236071 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bb18a227 | type |
It's All About Me | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bb18a227 | comment |
It's All About Me: Some witnesses lie on the stand because they're genuinely confused, or trying to protect someone. But a few witnesses (Lotta Hart, Wendy Oldbag, etc.) seem perfectly happy to ruin a defendant's life for their own entertainment. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bb18a227 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bb18a227 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bb18a227 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bb660963 | type |
Color-Coded Characters | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bb660963 | comment |
Color-Coded Characters: Major characters often are associated with the color that is most prominent in their designs. Those colors are occasionally used in official websites and other promotional materials. Phoenix, Apollo and Athena form a traditional Chromatic Arrangement of blue, red and yellow, respectively. For prosecutors, Edgeworth is associated with magenta, due to his coat. Franziska gets cyan (her hair color). Godot has the teal of his shirt. Klavier follows Edgeworth's example with a dark magenta coat. Nahyuta Sahdmadhi has the lavender of his hair. Simon Blackquill has... just guess. A subtle example is Winston Payne, who has an appropriately boring suit of grey color. His brother Gaspen wears a suit that is of a darker shade of grey, to symbolize his more villainous nature. For assistants, Maya Fey has the purple of her robe. Pearl has the light purple of her robe as well. Trucy has the light blue of her magician robe and hat. Kay has the hot pink of her shirt. For detectives, Gumshoe has the olive green of his coat. Bobby Fulbright has the white of his suit, contrasting directly with Simon. The Themis Legal Academy in Dual Destinies follows this code with its student uniforms. Blue for defense attorneys, red for prosecutors and black for judges. Some recurring or important characters like Larry (orange) and Kristoph (violet-blue) count as well. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bb660963 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bb660963 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bb660963 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc00493f | type |
Precision F-Strike | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc00493f | comment |
Precision F-Strike: Edgeworth pulls roughly one "What the hell?" per game, most memorably from 1-5: In Investigations: | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc00493f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc00493f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc00493f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc2e6e7e | type |
Tokusatsu | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc2e6e7e | comment |
Seventeen-year-old Maya Fey is very into the Tokusatsu series Steel Samurai despite acknowledging that it is specifically for kids younger than her. Spirit of Justice shows that she hasn't outgrown it since she still enjoys the Khu'rianese rip-off, Plumed Punisher at age 28. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc2e6e7e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc2e6e7e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc2e6e7e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc74ef27 | type |
Berserk Button | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc74ef27 | comment |
Aristotle Means in 5-3 puts his air up like a Roman helmet plume and becomes extremely rude and aggressive when Athena calls him a fraud. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc74ef27 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc74ef27 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bc74ef27 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bda3b88e | type |
Sudden Soundtrack Stop | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bda3b88e | comment |
Sudden Soundtrack Stop: When you present the right contradiction to a statement, the background music briefly goes silent to enhance the drama of the moment as the protagonist explains the objection, after which a triumphant tune plays. This functions as a Musical Spoiler, as a player who is Trying Everything only needs to wait to see if the music goes quiet to know if they've found the right answer. However, in one occasion that was subverted - after the correct contradiction is found, the music continues to play for a few lines until Phoenix confirms he's definitely sure of himself, a trap for players who weren't so confident. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bda3b88e | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bda3b88e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bda3b88e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bdddc73e | type |
Yakuza | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bdddc73e | comment |
Yakuza: In the fourth game, Apollo Justice has to defend the son of the head of a yakuza/mafia family. Yakuza/mafias are also present in the third case of the third game. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bdddc73e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bdddc73e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bdddc73e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bea77379 | type |
Youkai | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bea77379 | comment |
Dual Destinies has a samurai prosecutor who is a convicted murderer, sending his pet hawk to attack witnesses and the defense, a defendant pretending to be possessed by a Youkai, a reporter hiding inside a cardboard box, a witness acting like he's teaching in a classroom, funny robots and so on. Oh, and did we mention that Phoenix gets to defend an orca in court? | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bea77379 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bea77379 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bea77379 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_beb91a53 | type |
Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_beb91a53 | comment |
Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter: Franziska von Karma is the daughter of the Big Bad of the first game (not counting DS 1-5), though she doesn't fall in love with Phoenix. At the same time, Miles Edgeworth is the adoptive son of von Karma and Franziska's "unrelated little brother". It's symbolic of Franziska's personality that she calls Edgeworth her "little brother" when he's both older and taller than her. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_beb91a53 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_beb91a53 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_beb91a53 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bf996668 | type |
Sliding Scale of Continuity | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bf996668 | comment |
Sliding Scale of Continuity: The games have a stronger (level 4, Arc-Based Episodic) continuity between cases within each game, but are level 3 (Subtle Continuity) with respect to one another, featuring the same characters (bar Apollo Justice) and explaining things like spirit mediums at the beginning of each game but otherwise having independent stories and not depending on the player knowing the previous games. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bf996668 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bf996668 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bf996668 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bfaff026 | type |
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bfaff026 | comment |
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: The primary characterization of every prosecutor Phoenix encounters in his career (minus Butt-Monkey Winston Payne). Franziska von Karma is this through and through, as she pummels people in the legal sense (figuratively) and with a whip (literally). Klavier Gavin plays both sides of the fence. In his younger days, he exhibits some of the attributes but is cooler-headed than someone who might be the AKFG. Currently he averts it by being rather friendly, helpful, and approachable, even though he has a tendency to tease his peers. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bfaff026 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bfaff026 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_bfaff026 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c0e3994b | type |
Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c0e3994b | comment |
Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male: Franziska's habit of whipping every male who displeases her and Pearl slapping Phoenix when she thinks he's cheating on Maya are both played for laughs. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c0e3994b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c0e3994b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c0e3994b | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c145f69b | type |
Subverted Trope | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c145f69b | comment |
The trope is subverted in case 3. Upon proving that the culprit that hit him with a sword did so with their right hand, Kay says that Lance, the person who Edgeworth suspects did it, is left-handed. Edgeworth however says that he simply used his non-dominant hand on purpose to throw suspicion away from him, stating that swinging a simple prop sword is easy, no matter what hand you use. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c145f69b | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c145f69b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c145f69b | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c2393191 | type |
Show Within a Show | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c2393191 | comment |
Show Within a Show: The Steel Samurai, sort of. Also the Pink Princess, the Nickel Samurai, and the Jammin' Ninja. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c2393191 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c2393191 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c2393191 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c2cedc1c | type |
Big "NO!" | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c2cedc1c | comment |
Big "NO!": Witnesses have a tendency to do this when you manage to break their alibis. Even the Judge shouts one in "Rise From the Ashes", then he remembers he's not the one on trial. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c2cedc1c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c2cedc1c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c2cedc1c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c325f125 | type |
Ho Yay | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c325f125 | comment |
Gumshoe said in 1-4 that he and Edgeworth have a "working relationship." Now, does that mean the relationship is only related to work or that it is going smoothly? | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c325f125 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c325f125 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c325f125 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c33ba0a8 | type |
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c33ba0a8 | comment |
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Most of the major and recurring characters (save Phoenix and the Judge) from the original trilogy disappeared without more than passing mentions in Apollo Justice. Only Pearl, Edgeworth, Maya, Ema and Larry have reappeared in the series. Both Ace Attorney Investigations games feature cameos and witnesses from previous games, but it still fits timeline-wise as both games only take place a few months after the trilogy's end. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c33ba0a8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c33ba0a8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c33ba0a8 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c428afb9 | type |
You Can Always Tell a Liar | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c428afb9 | comment |
"Gotcha!": Used when Apollo attempts to invoke the You Can Always Tell a Liar trope. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c428afb9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c428afb9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c428afb9 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c530519c | type |
Fan Nickname | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c530519c | comment |
The culprit in 6-1 becomes "Heavy Metal Jesus" after getting pushed around too much. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c530519c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c530519c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c530519c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c5e66801 | type |
Border-Occupying Decorations | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c5e66801 | comment |
Border-Occupying Decorations: The Wii ports of the original trilogy fill the leftover space with a colored background and many copies of the game's logo flying by. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c5e66801 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c5e66801 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c5e66801 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c63e5338 | type |
It Runs in the Family | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c63e5338 | comment |
It Runs in the Family: Shared character tics are used as evidence in trying to prove 'Character X is related to Character Y' in forums. Amusingly, some character poses are shared by members of the Master-Apprentice Chain of attorneys and prosecutors, with Phoenix using some of Mia's gestures and Apollo copying Phoenix, while Edgeworth used a gesture borrowed from Manfred von Karma and Simon Blackquill uses a gesture that imitates Edgeworth. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c63e5338 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c63e5338 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c63e5338 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c6dccfb7 | type |
Musical Spoiler | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c6dccfb7 | comment |
Musical Spoiler: If you present the correct piece of evidence in court or rebuttal (Investigations), the soundtrack will cut to silence. Results in subversions in game 3, where, no matter what evidence you submit, the music cuts out and the dialogue is the same... at first. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c6dccfb7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c6dccfb7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c6dccfb7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c75df49a | type |
Shout-Out | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c75df49a | comment |
Shout-Out: Has its own page. Both the Japanese version AND the English translation use many throwaway pop culture references as gags. Justice for All had a serious spike in online memes inserted into the localization, presumably thanks to the Memetic Mutation of the first game. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c75df49a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c75df49a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c75df49a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c7aa8090 | type |
Hairstyle Inertia | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c7aa8090 | comment |
Hairstyle Inertia: Played straight for the most part, probably because the prevalence of Anime Hair and limited sprite design in this series leads to characters being associated with their specific hairstyle. Frequently, different outfits will be used to differentiate character designs between different time periods instead (such as Edgeworth in 3-4). Apollo Justice averts this with Phoenix, whose hair is now unkempt and under a beanie (to reflect his more bum-like appearance), but plays it straight with Ema, who has the same half-ponytail, sidetails, and side-bangs she had in Rise from the Ashes. Post-Apollo Justice, Phoenix's barbed hairstyle is back, and returning characters like Pearl, Maya, and Edgeworth retain their hairstyles from 7-8 years ago (though not without slight changes, such as Pearl's bangs). This is present in flashbacks as well. Phoenix, Edgeworth, and Larry have apparently never changed their haircuts since elementary school, the photograph of the Fey sisters shown at the end of 3-5 has Mia and Maya with the same hairstyles they have fifteen years later, and when photographs of Apollo and Athena as children are seen in Dual Destinies, it's invariably with their signature hairstyles as well. Aversions include Franziska (her hair is longer in the flashback Investigations case than it is in the original trilogy), Klavier, and Simon (both of whom had shorter hair in their youth). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c7aa8090 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c7aa8090 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c7aa8090 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c856e477 | type |
Seamless Spontaneous Lie | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c856e477 | comment |
Seamless Spontaneous Lie: Very common; characters who are caught out on their lies often come up with entirely different, equally detailed stories within very little time. Of course, due to the nature of the game, these are always found out eventually. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c856e477 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c856e477 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c856e477 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c8c2d4a3 | type |
Parodies for Dummies | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c8c2d4a3 | comment |
Parodies for Dummies: In "Rise From the Ashes", Lana sends Phoenix a book about Evidence Law, which has a cartoony cover but otherwise gives details which he'll find handy later. Later in "The Inherited Turnabout", Justine hands Edgeworth a similar book about the Statute of Limitations which also has a cartoony cover, but contains enough details to officially close IS-7. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c8c2d4a3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c8c2d4a3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_c8c2d4a3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ca3a6dbd | type |
Informed Ability | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ca3a6dbd | comment |
Informed Ability: Winston Payne is described as a "rookie killer", yet every single rookie he goes up against in the games he ends up losing to. The only time the player sees Winston win a case is when he's arguing against Furio Tigre, in a Paper-Thin Disguise as Phoenix, who was trying to lose. The first trial that he lost was chronologically his first appearance, and this first loss led to him becoming the loser that he is in the rest of the games. On the other hand, his brother, Gaspen Payne, is known as the "rookie humiliator" — and it's actually justified in his case, soundly beating Athena until Phoenix saves the day. The Judge is also frequently described as, ultimately, in spite of his quirkiness, being good at his job and always giving fair verdicts, but given the series' Kangaroo Court nature and the ridiculous circumstances in which the defendant can be found guilty despite it being proven that the defendant couldn't possibly have committed the crime, this is patently untrue. The fact that he always gives the right verdict is due mostly to being in court with the protagonists who do an extremely good job of convincing him. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ca3a6dbd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ca3a6dbd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ca3a6dbd | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_caa28b82 | type |
Cloudcuckoolander | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_caa28b82 | comment |
The Judge progressively becomes more airheaded; this is most noticeable between Turnabout Goodbyes and Rise from the Ashes, as latter was written after T&T. Dialed back a bit in Dual Destinies. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_caa28b82 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_caa28b82 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_caa28b82 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cb410941 | type |
No Badge? No Problem! | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cb410941 | comment |
No Badge? No Problem!: The lawyers frequently overstep their authority in their crime scene investigations. It's very vague about whether the lawyers are actually allowed to do this—sometimes Phoenix will be stopped from entering a crime scene due to lack of authority, and sometimes the police will gladly let him look the whole thing over and take whatever valuable evidence he wants. For the most part it seems to rely on if a prosecutor or detective is there to refuse the defense a chance to check the crime scene. In Apollo Justice, he is given permission to enter the crime scene after being hired by the defendants wife and lead onto the scene by the prosecutor, but isn't allowed to investigate the crime scene itself due to Ema's interferance until Apollo gives her proof he's working for Phoenix. The prosecutor seems to have more pull than lead detectives when it comes to this situation. In Investigations 2, Gregory Edgeworth has to call his investigation quits for the day when Mannfred von Karma takes all the witnesses into questioning in a room he refuses to allow him to investigate. Detective Badd can't object to this, and one of the major reasons he helps Gregory's investigation behind von Karma's back is to spite him. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cb410941 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cb410941 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cb410941 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cc4b45f6 | type |
Word of God | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cc4b45f6 | comment |
invokedThere's also the fact that after you win a case, confetti rains from the gallery (handcrafted and thrown by Gumshoe) and the crowd cheers. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cc4b45f6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cc4b45f6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cc4b45f6 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cc8109ab | type |
Mistaken for Romance | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cc8109ab | comment |
Mistaken for Romance: Maya and Phoenix go through this a few times, first with Larry Butz assuming Maya is Phoenix's partner in more way than one, then with Turner Grey, and subsequently many, many times with Pearl. And in 3-5, pressing Iris at one point yields the following exchange: | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cc8109ab | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cc8109ab | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cc8109ab | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cdb965a9 | type |
Numbered Sequels | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cdb965a9 | comment |
Numbered Sequels: Only in Japan, all the games simply go by their title plus a number (Gyakuten Saiban, Gyakuten Saiban 2, etc.). For overseas localizations the games are given subtitles (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials & Tribulations, etc.). The exceptions to this are the original game (simply Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) and the fourth game (Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney). Edgeworth's name forms the subtitle of Ace Attorney Investigations. The only game to retain its number outside Japan is Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2, which was given the English title of "The Great Ace Attorney 2", although its subtitle was shortened from "The Resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo" (Naruhodou Ryuunosuke no Kakugo) to simply "Resolve" (despite the final case retaining the full phrase). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cdb965a9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cdb965a9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cdb965a9 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ce27dc3f | type |
Protagonist Title | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ce27dc3f | comment |
Protagonist Title: In the West only, though (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney); in Japan, they are Numbered Sequels (Gyakuten Saiban 1, 2, 3...). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ce27dc3f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ce27dc3f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ce27dc3f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ce68d46b | type |
Next Sunday A.D. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ce68d46b | comment |
Next Sunday A.D.: The first Phoenix Wright game was released in 2001 and takes place in 2016. Nothing's changed at all, really, except the court system. And cell phones have regressed back to the late 1990s. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ce68d46b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ce68d46b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ce68d46b | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cf4d770 | type |
Nightmare Fuel | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cf4d770 | comment |
Nightmare Fuel: In-Universe, Phoenix and Apollo seem to have this opinion of the Blue Badger. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cf4d770 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cf4d770 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_cf4d770 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d076824c | type |
Every Episode Ending | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d076824c | comment |
Every Episode Ending: Every game in the series has the protagonist(s) shout "Objection!" at the very end of the game. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d076824c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d076824c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d076824c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d148b019 | type |
Mundane Made Awesome | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d148b019 | comment |
Mundane Made Awesome: The series lives and breathes this trope. Basically, it takes law—as any non-reader of End User License Agreement will attest, law is really boring—and makes it awesome, often simply by increasing the volume ("Objection!"). The fact that all lawyers in AA look really cool also helps there. invokedThere's also the fact that after you win a case, confetti rains from the gallery (handcrafted and thrown by Gumshoe) and the crowd cheers. At various points in the series, the dramatic close-up of one of the lawyers that's usually reserved for adding impact to rightfully awesome declarations is used for completely ridiculous (though they make sense in context) statements, such as "What kind of murderer uses a Samurai Slap?" or "Baseballs have stitches! Are you saying that all baseballs are suspicious?" The final case of the third game has an exorcism take place on the witness stand, accomplished with little more than some inquisitive prodding. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d148b019 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d148b019 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d148b019 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d24ed873 | type |
Developer's Foresight | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d24ed873 | comment |
Developer's Foresight: Played straight in some cases. There's no shortage of non-plot-advancing but hilarious comments you can get from showing certain evidence to certain people, and in some cases the game will come up with a justification to prevent you from showing certain evidence to certain people such as showing the Amazing Nine-Tails mask to Jinxie, who if you did would most likely reveal that, contrary to what everyone assumes until the climax of Case 5-2, the Amazing Nine-Tails isn't the Alderman but rather her father Damian Tenma. However, there are some instances in trials where witness's statements are blatantly contradicted by multiple pieces of evidence, but only one of them actually works. For example, in Turnabout Reclaimed, Marlon Rhimes' claim to have witnessed Shipley's poolside death at 10:10 AM is supposed to be contradicted by the penguin calendar that he mixed up with Pearl's at that same time, establishing that he wasn't there at 10:10, but it's also contradicted by the security tape footage that Wright had just established proved that Shipley had been long dead and already underwater before 10:10, meaning Shipley couldn't possibly have witnessed him being killed by Orla beside the pool at that time. A rather odd case is in the 7-year flashback trial in Turnabout Succession. You are told to present evidence that contradicts the prosecution's claim that Magnifi didn't go on to write another entry in his diary because he was killed. A blind man could see that the diary has a very obvious torn-out page in it, right after his supposed last entry, and logically, the mere existence of that tear would be enough to call the prosecution's claim into question without having to use the forged diary page. However, the game (through Klavier) simply tells you you're not allowed to present the diary, you have to present the forged diary page. Essentially, the dev team did think of that, but just basically told the player to pretend it didn't exist to go on with the plot. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d24ed873 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d24ed873 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d24ed873 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d2796e58 | type |
Clothing-Concealed Injury | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d2796e58 | comment |
Clothing-Concealed Injury: There are several examples throughout the games where someone is revealed to be hiding an injury under their clothes, which provides more leads to solve the current murder case. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d2796e58 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d2796e58 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d2796e58 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d33456e7 | type |
Improbable Age | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d33456e7 | comment |
Improbable Age: Edgeworth became a prosecutor at a very young age, but he's got nothing on Franziska von Karma, who started practicing law at age thirteen! And Klavier Gavin started practice at age seventeen while still finding the time to become a rock star. The German/American legal system must be fun! Only gets away with it due to Rule of Cool. Mocked in this strip from Awkward Zombie. Dual Destinies has the Themis Legal Academy, where high schoolers are trained to be defense attorneys, prosecutors, or judges. Given that Klavier is an alumnus of the school, improbably young attorneys may actually be par for the course in-universe. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d33456e7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d33456e7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d33456e7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d34cbda2 | type |
Implausible Deniability | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d34cbda2 | comment |
Implausible Deniability: Since the burden of "beyond reasonable doubt" lies entirely with the accused, witnesses for the prosecution can get away with ridiculously obvious lying and denials — and are allowed to retell their story to try to cover themselves when you pick holes in it. (In Real Life, once a witness is caught in a contradiction, the opposing attorney is allowed to start acting like the Spanish Inquisition. You get no such leeway.) | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d34cbda2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d34cbda2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d34cbda2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d39e327f | type |
What the Hell, Hero? | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d39e327f | comment |
What the Hell, Hero?: In "The Stolen Turnabout", the case initially appears to be about the theft of the Kurain Village's Sacred Urn. Maya and Pearl flip out at Phoenix when he decides to defend the guy accused of being the thief. Edgeworth's threatening to reveal Andrian Andrews' psychiatric records and suicide attempt to get her to testify after his Heel–Face Turn is played as this. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d39e327f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d39e327f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d39e327f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d4169bcb | type |
Fake Alibi | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d4169bcb | comment |
Fake Alibi: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Turnabout Samurai has a large broken head of the mascot block the normal path between the two studios, which would make it harder for them to travel within the suspected timeline. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice For All: Episode three uses a mixture of technically not being at the crime scene and a physical disability as the alibi. Episode four has a hired assassin doing the killing, giving the real culprit an alibi. He still ends up on trial due to Framing the Guilty Party. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations: Episode two has the murderer attempt to Confess to a Lesser Crime to be at a different location at the time of the crime. He's using time manipulation via evidence tampering to make it work. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies: Episode three has the culprit use a recorded speech to pretend to be somewhere other than the crime scene. There's also time manipulation at work. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice: The murderer in episode two goes for the non present approach. By luring the victim into an otherwise harmless scheme, modified to include a deadly weapon. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth: Episode one has the culprit take advantage of a mistaken belief about the time the crime took place to make an impromptu alibi for himself when accused. Episode four has the culprit use a recording of a gunshot to throw off the time. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d4169bcb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d4169bcb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d4169bcb | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d45c0b86 | type |
Refuge in Audacity | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d45c0b86 | comment |
Refuge in Audacity: Every murderer in the series bases their plans on the assumption that no one can even hope to imagine the events that have happened. Luke Atmey from Trials and Tribulations is a great example of it, as they try to use a guilty verdict for a lesser crime as an alibi. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d45c0b86 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d45c0b86 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d45c0b86 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d46ddfa2 | type |
CloudCuckooLander | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d46ddfa2 | comment |
Any drawn pictures will manage to combine bad witnesses with misleading or missing facts. So of course Larry Butz ends up drawing a critical piece of evidence for the trilogy finale. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d46ddfa2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d46ddfa2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d46ddfa2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d4f5426 | type |
Absence of Evidence | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d4f5426 | comment |
Absence of Evidence: If the murder was brutal and little blood was found near the body, most probably it was moved from the real scene to a fake one. Sometimes there will be a lack of fingerprints on an item (e.g. a gun) and the prosecution will claim this is proof that your client used it because they were wearing gloves, logic be damned. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d4f5426 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d4f5426 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d4f5426 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d6f284a3 | type |
Anti-Frustration Features | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d6f284a3 | comment |
Anti-Frustration Features: Every time you enter a new area, the date and location name is typed out before the characters start chatting and the player is given the option to examine or talk further. This also happens when the player revisits an area that has changed in some way, acting as a hint that the player is moving in the right direction. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d6f284a3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d6f284a3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d6f284a3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d79f4a9e | type |
Heinousness Retcon | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d79f4a9e | comment |
Heinousness Retcon: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney implies Miles Edgeworth frequently used forged evidence in his days as an "undefeated" prosecutor. The bonus case, "Rise from the Ashes", which was added to re-releases made after Edgeworth's Heel–Face Turn in later games, has Edgeworth state he never willingly forged evidence, it was all just rumors. Downplayed with Manfred von Karma in Gyakuten Kenji 2. A flashback to the case that led to the DL-6 Incident reveals that the forged evidence von Karma used in the trial was prepared by someone else and he wasn't aware of the forgery. At the same time, he's still very much the same Amoral Attorney he is in the present, and it's still implied he forged evidence in past cases, and the flashback case also reveals he had the defendant interrogated non-stop to the point where his hair turned white, which is what he actually received his one penalty for. It's also implied that, through the events of this game, Franziska finally comes to terms with how horrible her father was. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d79f4a9e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d79f4a9e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d79f4a9e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d7fc9fd0 | type |
Vitriolic Best Buds | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d7fc9fd0 | comment |
Vitriolic Best Buds: Phoenix, Edgeworth, and Larry are always helping each other out of tight spots. But no matter the situation, they'll always face it while insulting and frustrating each other to no end. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d7fc9fd0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d7fc9fd0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d7fc9fd0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d8827578 | type |
Alternate Character Reading | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d8827578 | comment |
Alternate Character Reading: In the original Japanese version, the Meaningful Names of some of the characters are disguised to look like normal names by turning everything into kanji (while others just straight up pick special, meaningful combinations of kanji to use as their names). For example, Ryuuichi NaruhodÅ� (Phoenix Wright)'s last name, NaruhodÅ�, comes from ã�ªã‚‹ã�»ã�© (Naruhodo, "I see" in the "I understand what you're thinking" sense), but is written as æˆ�æ©å ‚ (NaruhodÅ�), where æˆ� is Naru, æ© is ho, and the last do is prolonged into dÅ� and written as å ‚. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d8827578 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d8827578 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d8827578 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d88f0679 | type |
Interrogating the Dead | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d88f0679 | comment |
Interrogating the Dead: Certainly a possibility, given the existence of spirit mediums in the setting, but rarely used by the protagonists despite Maya and Pearl being spirit mediums. It does occasionally happen, though. It's justified in the original trilogy. Even prior to the first game, this was only used as a last resort — the police turned to the Kurain Channeling Technique when they had no leads left in Gregory Edgeworth's murder. The technique was dragged through the mud when Misty Fey implicated a man who was later found innocent. The possibility of this happening is the reason spirit testimonies don't really hold much water in court. In Trials and Tribulations, Phoenix gets to do this to Dahlia's vengeful ghost. Spirit of Justice introduces the Divination Seance, where Rayfa calls forth the victim's spirit and shows the court their last moments. Supposedly, the court is to use this information in order to deduce the murderer. The game also has the first straight example in that a dead person is knowingly channeled and called to the witness stand to testify and be cross-examined onscreen, via Maya channeling Tahrust Inmee in 6-3. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d88f0679 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d88f0679 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d88f0679 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d952cef0 | type |
Killing in Self-Defense | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d952cef0 | comment |
Spirit of Justice plays with this twice, though the mentor in question is always a mentor to another character from the case- Abbot Tahrust Inmee is the mentor to Puhray Zeh'lot, and is the victim in the case actually killing himself to protect his pregnant wife from being prosecuted for her killing of Zeh'lot in self defense when Zeh'lot was trying to murder her, and done again in the very next case with Taifu Toneido, who was the mentor to two of the witnesses and died shortly after passing on his title to one of them. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d952cef0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d952cef0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d952cef0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d9d864e2 | type |
Stage Magician | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d9d864e2 | comment |
Stage Magician: Trucy's day job. There's also defendant Max Galactica in 2-3, Troupe Gramarye from game 4 onwards, witnesses Bonny and Betty de Famme in 6-2. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d9d864e2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d9d864e2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_d9d864e2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_daf4da31 | type |
Anime Hair | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_daf4da31 | comment |
Anime Hair: Nearly everyone has some improbable hairstyle. Phoenix's and Apollo's hair spikes are constantly lampshaded, but there's also Athena's ridiculously long side ponytail, Pearl's pretzel hairstyle, Klavier and Kristoph's drill-like ponytails, Daryan's...torpedo... pompadour thing. Lampshaded in "Turnabout Revolution," where Edgeworth fears that "weird hairstyles" will end up being associated with Americans. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_daf4da31 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_daf4da31 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_daf4da31 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dbc2a48f | type |
Game-Over Man | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dbc2a48f | comment |
Game-Over Man: If you run out of penalties during a trial, the judge will make a brief statement about how the facts of the case are extremely clear to him before delivering a verdict of "Guilty". | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dbc2a48f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dbc2a48f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dbc2a48f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc26326 | type |
Two Decades Behind | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc26326 | comment |
Two Decades Behind: The games take place in 2016-2019 but seem to be stuck somewhere around 1995-2000, with their non-smartphone cellphones, black-and-white photographs, and VHS tapes. They even have phone booths! Understandable, though, because the technology present in the games matches with the tech at the time the games were made. (2001-2005). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc26326 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc26326 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc26326 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc3d9a68 | type |
Orgy of Evidence | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc3d9a68 | comment |
Orgy of Evidence: This is how pretty much every trial begins. It's often lampshaded by Phoenix, Apollo, Mia, and Athena, who note that the massive amounts of evidence really do make a compelling case against their clients and that they must look past it to believe in them. Edgeworth also tends to lampshade this in the first game, when he presents his opening statements along the lines of, "We have a lot of evidence and eyewitnesses who saw the defendant do it. We have this in the bag." By the time the trial is over, of course, the defense team has proven that it all points to the real culprit. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc3d9a68 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc3d9a68 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc3d9a68 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc579c91 | type |
Contrived Coincidence | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc579c91 | comment |
Contrived Coincidence: Lots of cases would be unwinnable were a witness not in the right place at the exact right time. Sometimes, the actual truth of the matter is so ludicrous that Phoenix himself acknowledges it, but that's exactly what happened. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc579c91 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc579c91 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dc579c91 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcb40127 | type |
The Killer Was Left-Handed | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcb40127 | comment |
The Killer Was Left-Handed: If someone's dominant hand is emphasized, it'll most likely come up as a plot point in trials. Occasionally subverted, though. In case 4 of the first game, the gun bears prints from the defendant's right hand, while the photograph shows the killer holding it in his left. In Case 1 of Justice For All, it is an Inverted Trope. The victim was left-handed, as evidenced by a baseball glove he was offered by the defendant, which is a plot point: the message written in the sand implicating her was written with his right hand. Happens twice and in different ways in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth: The trope is subverted in case 3. Upon proving that the culprit that hit him with a sword did so with their right hand, Kay says that Lance, the person who Edgeworth suspects did it, is left-handed. Edgeworth however says that he simply used his non-dominant hand on purpose to throw suspicion away from him, stating that swinging a simple prop sword is easy, no matter what hand you use. Played straight in case 4. The gun was used with the right hand, but the person who held it was a lefty, as demonstrated by another piece of evidence. This leads Edgeworth to conclude that another individual had to fire the gun. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcb40127 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcb40127 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcb40127 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcb9c541 | type |
Ship Tease | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcb9c541 | comment |
Ship Tease: Maya's brief stint as a waitress shocks Phoenix into realizing how cute she and her voice are. Guy actually flirts with her and suggests she quit the spirit medium business. In Trials and Tribulations we get Phoenix x Iris big time, because they have already had a romantic time together in the past, with her posing as Dahlia. Dual Destinies has some between Juniper Woods and Apollo. Junie blushes adorably and knits something with heart-shaped patterns while talking favorably about Apollo, and Apollo can be seen smiling at her when she goes to give her performance in the third case. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcb9c541 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcb9c541 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcb9c541 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcd423d2 | type |
Affectionate Nickname | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcd423d2 | comment |
In the Japanese version of Dual Destinies, Kokone Kizuki(Athena) is a bit hurt when Shinobu Morizumi(Juniper) calls her "Kizuki-san"(Ms. Cykes) rather than "Koko-chan"(Thena), signifying that they'd grown apart over the years; in the English localization, Juniper instead calls Athena by her unabbreviated first name. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcd423d2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcd423d2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dcd423d2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dd6749e1 | type |
The Von Trope Family | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dd6749e1 | comment |
The Von Trope Family: The von Karmas, who are very intimidating and very European. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dd6749e1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dd6749e1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dd6749e1 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dda99fa8 | type |
Despair Event Horizon | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dda99fa8 | comment |
Despair Event Horizon: The second game introduced an "All is Lost" sprite for Phoenix, with him bent over the desk and clutching at his head. Usually subverted. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dda99fa8 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dda99fa8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dda99fa8 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ddb124b3 | type |
Cast Herd | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ddb124b3 | comment |
Cast Herd: Each individual episode includes only characters who are relevant to the case at hand. The greatest number of characters in any individual episode is 27 in The Grand Turnabout, many of whom are already dead. Most cases average around 10-15 characters, with tutorial cases having fewer. Further, each game typically only has one detective, one judge, and one or two major prosecutors/rival investigators, making Ace Attorney a rare example of a series with numerous characters which employs an Economy Cast and a Minimalist Cast. However, as a whole, it definitely qualifies, with the vaguely-defined "core cast" growing bigger with every game. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ddb124b3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ddb124b3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ddb124b3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_de10dda2 | type |
Caught on Tape | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_de10dda2 | comment |
Caught on Tape: A videotape is frequently used as evidence; often the player will have to go through the tape frame by frame and point out a contradiction in it. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_de10dda2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_de10dda2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_de10dda2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_de70f5a4 | type |
Continuity Cameo | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_de70f5a4 | comment |
Continuity Cameo: Phoenix Wright is mentioned by She-Hulk in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. In She-Hulk's ending, both Wright and Edgeworth appear. ...And then Phoenix Wright was added into the same game proper, in Ultimate Marvel Versus Capcom 3. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_de70f5a4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_de70f5a4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_de70f5a4 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df04089a | type |
Lineage Comes from the Father | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df04089a | comment |
Lineage Comes from the Father: Inverted with spirit channeling. Only female direct descendants of Khurai'nism's Holy Mother are capable of channeling spirits. This extends to the Fey family — in fact, because this trope is inverted, men are given low importance within the village, with Disappeared Dads being quite common. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df04089a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df04089a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df04089a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df1793de | type |
Updated Re-release | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df1793de | comment |
Updated Re-release: Applies considerably to the original three games of the series. For Japanese players the DS releases of the original trilogy were such to their Game Boy Advance counterparts, featuring a slightly larger resolution by way of the DS screen and enhanced music (not the case outside of Japan as the DS releases mostly exist for the sake of globally releasing the games in the first place, although the original game has an extra case not present in the Game Boy Advance release). The WiiWare versions add Wii Remote mechanics but otherwise do not tamper with the games in any way. The extra case of the original game is offered as Downloadable Content. The trilogy was also globally released with new graphics on iOS as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney HD Trilogy (Gyakuten Saiban 123 HD in Japan). In 2014, this was re-released again for the 3DS, entitled Gyakuten Saiban 123: Naruhodou Selection, which and also includes some mild 3D "flat-layered" effects as well; the pack was also released early December 2014 outside Japan, titled Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df1793de | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df1793de | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df1793de | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df4f7a9b | type |
Tiger Versus Dragon | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df4f7a9b | comment |
Not surprisingly, some of these characters have the same puns in their Japanese names. Furio Tigre's surname "Toranosuke" literally means Tiger boy. The tiger devouring a dragon on his shirt is actually a reference to Phoenix that is lost in translation, because Phoenix's name in Japan is "Ryuichi" and is spelled with the kanji for "dragon." "Ryuichi" isn't supposed to have any meaning at all, but the writers chose to play around with it in the third game anyway when they make his "evil twin". The English release gave the main character's name meaning anyway, via Woolseyism. Same for Maggey Byrde, whose name has no animal references in Japanese (but literally means "continues to lose"). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df4f7a9b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df4f7a9b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df4f7a9b | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df80e640 | type |
Not Proven | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df80e640 | comment |
Not Proven: Most cases seem like they'll end like this, until the protagonist puts everything together at the last second. There are a few exceptions: The Terry Fawles case from the third game. Rather than testify against Dahlia, the woman who framed him and who he still desperately loves, Fawles committed suicide. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney: In the third case, Apollo knows who to accuse but his case hits a wall when he lacks anything concrete enough to get the guilty party to admit to their guilt. The only way he can slam the book on the actual culprit is by having the defendant admit to his own culpability in a different but related crime. The other crime carries a harsh sentence in his homeland but not in Apollo's country, which makes it advantageous to him to confess now instead of being found guilty at a later time. In doing so, the murderer would be revealed as the two were co-conspirators on the latter crime. After threatening to blow the lid off the whole affair, the real guilty party loses it and breaks down. The final case revolves around this: the murderer has covered his tracks well enough to leave no direct evidence linking himself to the crime, but all the other facts at hand point quite definitively at him. The problem is, the existing court system in place in the series' universe requires either evidence, a confession, or incredibly strong testimony... which is why Phoenix has spent the past seven years working towards the re-establishment of a jury system. Happened in the backstory of Ace Attorney Investigations with Manny Coachen. He was never convicted of murdering Cece Yew because The Syndicate that he worked for stole the evidence from the prosecution. The third case of The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures involves this, but in a twist it's your client who gets off on this... right as Ryunosuke (Phoenix's ancestor) starts thinking he may be guilty after all. Unfortunately, he's done such a good job defending his client that the judge and jury feel there isn't enough evicence to be certain of the defendant's guilt, and the trial ends in a Not Guilty verdict. Turns out he is guilty after all... but he's promptly murdered right after he walks free. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df80e640 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df80e640 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_df80e640 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dfa71e43 | type |
Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dfa71e43 | comment |
Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: Winston Payne, minus the "Sympathetic" part. For someone called a "Rookie Killer," it's quite satisfying to see him soundly beaten at the end of every tutorial case. He wins more sympathy points in hindsight for seemingly not being corrupt, unlike his brother. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dfa71e43 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dfa71e43 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_dfa71e43 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e268e2 | type |
The Clan | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e268e2 | comment |
The Clan: The Fey family, a prominent clan of spirit mediums with a long history —Spirit of Justice even implies that the family is descended from Khura'inese royalty. While their reputation is on the rocks at the start of the series, they still have most of the trappings of the trope: a Big Fancy House in a secluded village, acolytes following their teachings, infighting between the main and branch families, etc. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e268e2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e268e2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e268e2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e280b250 | type |
Hard Head | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e280b250 | comment |
Hard Head: Averted more often than not — many murder victims die of blunt force trauma to the head, including one of the series' most tragic and shocking victims, Mia Fey. Phoenix, Apollo and Edgeworth take a Tap on the Head with no lasting ill effects, but each is the playable character at the time, so Plot Armor is undoubtedly in play. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e280b250 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e280b250 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e280b250 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e28f88b8 | type |
Last-Name Basis | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e28f88b8 | comment |
Last-Name Basis: In a world of lawyers, you would expect everyone to call each other by their surnames, and it happens. Your character always refers to the prosecutor as such. But it's not limited to them: Edgeworth and Phoenix, even though they were childhood friends, always do this when addressing each other. In the Japanese version, Phoenix and Edgeworth also do this with Larry, who responds in kind. Detective Gumshoe doesn't want anyone to call him by his given name (which is Richard/Dick). Some of his workmates do call him Dick, though. Redd White is the only person who ever refers to Edgeworth as Miles in court. In the Japanese version of Dual Destinies, Kokone Kizuki(Athena) is a bit hurt when Shinobu Morizumi(Juniper) calls her "Kizuki-san"(Ms. Cykes) rather than "Koko-chan"(Thena), signifying that they'd grown apart over the years; in the English localization, Juniper instead calls Athena by her unabbreviated first name. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e28f88b8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e28f88b8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e28f88b8 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e2c4b927 | type |
Dub Name Change | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e2c4b927 | comment |
Dub Name Change: Not just from Japanese to English, but also to French, and many other languages, to keep the puns they carry. Interestingly enough, the English names have become so ubiquitous that they were used in the Takarazuka Revue musicals, despite them being entirely Japanese productions. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e2c4b927 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e2c4b927 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e2c4b927 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e3048d1b | type |
Amateur Sleuth | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e3048d1b | comment |
Amateur Sleuth: Despite the fact that the defense attorneys have no police training whatsoever, it's also their job to do all the detective work for their client- you don't have any kind of Paul Drake equivalent. It's been stated on-record in interviews that the entire series is a gigantic middle finger to the Japanese judicial system, which is quite accurately depicted in the games. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e3048d1b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e3048d1b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e3048d1b | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e34fc3c2 | type |
Poverty Food | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e34fc3c2 | comment |
Poverty Food: Dick Gumshoe likes eating instant ramen because he's almost always broke. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e34fc3c2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e34fc3c2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e34fc3c2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e35ab565 | type |
Indy Ploy | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e35ab565 | comment |
Indy Ploy: At least once every trial, Phoenix comments on how he's making his defense up as he goes along. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e35ab565 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e35ab565 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e35ab565 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e3ab9e00 | type |
Turns Red | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e3ab9e00 | comment |
Turns Red: Some culprits (though it's not necessarily the culprit every time) undergo complete changes to their personality and/or appearance when they are challenged or accused, but before they are defeated. Matt Engarde in 2-4. When his psyche-locks are broken, he reveals his true personality as a treacherous sociopath who sees everyone in his life as mere pawns to toy with. Dahlia Hawthorne 3-1 and 3-4 becomes much more cold and bitter when she is close to being exposed as the killer. Olga Orly in 4-1 drops her shy and timid personality halfway through, becoming much more short-tempered and serious. Alita Tiala in 4-2 becomes extremely rude and cold after the first contradiction in her testimoy is revealed. Aristotle Means in 5-3 puts his air up like a Roman helmet plume and becomes extremely rude and aggressive when Athena calls him a fraud. Bobby Fulbright drops his bright and cheerful personality when he is accused of being the phantom. The culprit in 6-1 becomes "Heavy Metal Jesus" after getting pushed around too much. Geiru in 6-4 goes from a funny clown girl to an angry, serious clown girl after being accused of the murder. The final boss of Spirit of Justice dons a very revealing outfit with a hairstyle that resembles a humogous spider when the final trial begins. Heroic example: Nahyuta Sadmadhi reveals his allegiance to his now-deceased father and his plan to overthrow the corrupt legal system in Khura'in after Apollo successfully convinces him to betray his (not) mother who has been controlling him for years. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e3ab9e00 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e3ab9e00 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e3ab9e00 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e407c52e | type |
Double Subversion | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e407c52e | comment |
Subverted in the first trial of case 6-5, where a death is said to be accidental — the actual case is a civil case about the legal ownership of an object the victim had possession of. Subverted again in that the accidental death was a murder. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e407c52e | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e407c52e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e407c52e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e43c66bd | type |
Art Evolution | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e43c66bd | comment |
Art Evolution: The series' character design style has changed quite a bit over the years — progressively getting more detailed and anime-like. Also, the character design itself has gotten more wacky and outlandish over time. There's a very visible difference between the sprite art of the games that originated on the GBA, and the one of the games that originated on the DS. Most notable is the height of the DS sprites made for the taller DS screen. The contrast between the styles and quality of spritework is almost jarring in Apollo Justice, when you see the judge's old GBA sprite on the new modern courtroom design, and vice-versa with Klavier's sprite in the old courtroom during the trial seven years ago.. The characters of the first game's Rise from the Ashes were designed by a different art director, and they look more detailed than the rest of the game's older GBA sprites (compare April May to Lana Skye or Angel Starr, or Gumshoe to Jake Marshall). Thankfully, the difference is not nearly as noticeable as the above example, and the whole original trilogy getting all its sprites redrawn for a Compilation Rerelease somewhat reduced the difference between styles. Dual Destinies is probably the most apparent entry, what with the series upgrading its 2D sprites to animated 3D models. Spirit of Justice then went and redid all its 3D models to match the updated art. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e43c66bd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e43c66bd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e43c66bd | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5421161 | type |
Expy | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5421161 | comment |
Expy: The Takarazuka Revue production has Monica Clyde for Ema Skye, obvious from the first glance at her. Less direct expies are also present. All necessary for compressing the plot into a 2-hour play, plus dancing. Kristoph Gavin and Manfred von Karma. invokedLet's face it, the other main young female partners to the lawyers (Ema, Trucy, Kay) are obviously expies of Maya. This is lampshaded and used as a plot point in 1-5, as Ema's resemblance to Maya is what spurs Phoenix to take on the case. Maya, Ema, and Trucy are all identified as "in training", and even Takumi stated before AJ that Trucy's role would be "just like Maya's". Subverted with Athena Cykes in Dual Destinies, as it's shown from the start that, while she does share a bit of genkiness with the former helpers, she's a main character all her own and has a different personality. She's the most competent in court (makes sense as she's an actual attorney), can be extremely emotional (usually a hothead) and is also extremely bright and a prodigy in the field of law. Unfortunately for her, she does share the partner's tendency to have at least one of their parents killed. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5421161 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5421161 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5421161 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e542d80a | type |
Gonk | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e542d80a | comment |
Gonk: Perverted hospital "director" Hotti, and the scholar from Apollo Justice are all good examples. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e542d80a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e542d80a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e542d80a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e567510d | type |
Determinator | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e567510d | comment |
Dhurke's is also the slogan of the rebellion: "A dragon never yields." | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e567510d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e567510d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e567510d | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5d37e0f | type |
Divergent Character Evolution | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5d37e0f | comment |
The main prosecutor is feared and renowned, going up against a feared and renowned prosecutor (Edgeworth, the von Karmas, Godotnote Although he admits that he's never prosecuted a case before he meets you, he does have legal experience and certainly walks the talk, Klavier, Blackquill, Nahyuta) and who is in turn assisted by a more amiable detective (Gumshoe, Fulbright, Ema in her later appearances). The exception is Klavier and Ema in Apollo Justice (where she's openly antagonistic towards him and Apollo, while Klavier plays nice with the defense. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5d37e0f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5d37e0f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5d37e0f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5e6640b | type |
Flanderization | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5e6640b | comment |
Flanderization: From game to game, this gets more and more notable. Gumshoe's poverty and incompetence. The salary cut thing started out as a couple of quick gags in the first game's second case, but later became overused to the point where it became more cruel/frustrating than funny. By the final case of T&T, it's mentioned that Gumshoe cannot pay his electric bill, and cried of joy when Edgeworth gave him pasta with extra cheese. Same thing happened with his clueless traits; by the time the Investigations games came around, Gumshoe's main character traits were: he's dumb, and he lives on instant noodles. He finally gets a break at the end of Investigations 2. The Judge progressively becomes more airheaded; this is most noticeable between Turnabout Goodbyes and Rise from the Ashes, as latter was written after T&T. Dialed back a bit in Dual Destinies. Larry started out as Phoenix's goofy, emotional friend who always gets dumped by girls. After the first game, he became a loser who hits on any girl he lays eyes upon and progressively turns more and more unlikeable and disconnected from reality every game. Phoenix and Edgeworth's tolerance for Larry also progressively goes down with each appearance — as Larry also made the switch from "clueless, but means well" to seemingly being as actively unhelpful as he can. Even when Larry does manage to help out in a case, by his next appearance he's back to square one. Oldbag went from being just a troublesome witness who tend to ramble (but was only hostile to Phoenix due to being a fan of Hammer), to a Jerkass who went around actively annoying everybody, especially Edgeworth. She does make an important contribution in the final case of Investigations. Count how many times Edgeworth says "truth" in the Investigations games. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5e6640b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5e6640b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5e6640b | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5fd8bc2 | type |
Hate Sink | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5fd8bc2 | comment |
Hate Sink: See here. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5fd8bc2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5fd8bc2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e5fd8bc2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e6ab61d | type |
Magic Realism | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e6ab61d | comment |
Magic Realism: Ghosts regularly become involved in what would otherwise be a fairly realistic setting. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e6ab61d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e6ab61d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e6ab61d | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e6b5d22f | type |
Catchphrase | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e6b5d22f | comment |
Catchphrase: "Objection!", of course! To a lesser extent, "Hold it!" and "Take that!". "Objection!" is shouted one last time in every game's ending before the credits, a habit lampshaded by some characters like Edgeworth and Pearl. Even witnesses and others such as Maya and Trucy scream out "Hold it!" and "Objection!", although they don't use a voice clip for it. Phoenix: "I'll get you for this...! In court!" "I've got a bad feeling about this..." (sob) Apollo's "Here comes Justice!" Also, "Gotcha!" And, of course, "I'm fine!" Edgeworth's "Eureka!" Sister Bikini's "Especially in Winter". Ema's "At my age, no less" in her younger years and 'scientifically speaking' all the time. Grossberg's "Ah, the day of my youth... like the scent of fresh lemon". Shi-Long Lang's "Not so fast!" Justine Courtney's "Overruled!" Simon Blackquill's "Silence!" which probably stems from the time he had to silence the room when little Athena was feeling overstimulated. Rayfa Padma's "That's enough!" Nahyuta's "Satorha!" Also, "Let it go, and move on." Dhurke's is also the slogan of the rebellion: "A dragon never yields." Ga'ran's "Such insolence!" The Judge: "The court accepts this as evidence" "Order! Order! Order!!!" and any variations thereof. "The defense is ready, Your Honor." "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." Brushel has "For the record" and "End quote." Klavier has "Achtung!" Bobby Fulbright's "In justice we trust!". | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e6b5d22f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e6b5d22f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e6b5d22f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e85e99ee | type |
It Meant Something to Me | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e85e99ee | comment |
It Meant Something to Me: Phoenix's relationship with Dahlia. The poor kid was pretty hurt to learn that the girl he was head-over-heals for was only dating him to get back something of hers he had. Then, he learns that "Dahlia" was actually her twin sister Iris, and Iris really had been in love with Phoenix as well. Awww!!! This is also the case with the classroom trial from Phoenix's childhood. Larry and Edgeworth defended him, and it meant so much to him that he became a lawyer so he could do the same when it looked like Edgeworth needed his help. When Edgeworth is reminded of this, though, it turns out he pretty much can't remember the incident and finds the idea of Phoenix clinging to that memory foolish, overly sentimental, and the sort of thing he'd expect Phoenix to do. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e85e99ee | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e85e99ee | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e85e99ee | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e899b102 | type |
Sidekick | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e899b102 | comment |
Sidekick: It's series tradition for the main character to have a cute/attractive female sidekick in almost every case. Or Gumshoe for a different kind of fan. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e899b102 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e899b102 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e899b102 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e9e35e8f | type |
Exact Words | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e9e35e8f | comment |
Exact Words: If the contradiction isn't a mistake or an outright lie, it'll usually be in this form and require pressing for further details. One of the most notable examples is Phoenix using the Magatama on Matt Engarde in Farewell, My Turnabout, asking if he killed the case's victim. The response is "No, I didn't kill anyone." The Magatama doesn't register anything because technically he didn't kill Juan Corrida, but hiring an assassin to do it makes him just as guilty. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e9e35e8f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e9e35e8f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e9e35e8f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e9f517e1 | type |
Artistic License – Geography | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e9f517e1 | comment |
Artistic License – Geography: Playing the games might lead one to assume they take place in Tokyo or some other large city in Japan. This is the case in the Japanese version of the games, but not in the international one due to Cultural Translation: Word of God says the city is Los Angeles. Apparently, it's an Alternate History version where the Japanese culture was allowed to thrive, rather than harshly rejected as it was in Real Life. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e9f517e1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e9f517e1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_e9f517e1 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ea6f361f | type |
You Are Number 6 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ea6f361f | comment |
You Are Number 6: All attorneys are given an identification number. Edgeworth takes slight at this. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ea6f361f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ea6f361f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ea6f361f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb0df85e | type |
Ham-to-Ham Combat | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb0df85e | comment |
Ham-to-Ham Combat: Expect a lot of Big Word Shout back-and-forth during trials. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb0df85e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb0df85e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb0df85e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb81c601 | type |
Big Damn Heroes | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb81c601 | comment |
Big Damn Heroes: Ludicrously overused. In case 1-2, Mia appears at the last moment when Phoenix gives up to tell him that he Failed a Spot Check, and subsequently pressures the culprit into giving up himself. 1-4: Edgeworth is found guilty, and the case fades to black, but then, Larry suddenly shows up and announces that he was a witness to the crime. 1-5: Angel Starr does both a heroic and a villainous example while she's on the stand. Ema does another heroic Big Damn Heroes moment later, and Gant performs one last villainous example to point out a legal loophole that makes it impossible to convict him of the crime, even though it's been proven beyond a doubt that he did do it. 2-3: When the culprit is about to get away, Maya suddenly objects to buy Phoenix more time to think. 2-4: After Edgeworth and Phoenix have done all they can do to stall the trial, Franziska appears with the decisive evidence Phoenix needs. 3-3: Dick Gumshoe gets his time to shine when he shows up with decisive evidence after the culprit is dismissed. The evidence isn't decisive, but Phoenix is still able to use it to trick the culprit into incriminating himself. I-5: There are four of them in this case during the final confrontation. First, Kay successfully convinces Quercus Alba to stick around after hi "only one question" ultimatum is fulfilled. Then, Shi Long Lang appears to revoke Alba's ambassadorship, meaning he can now legally be arrested if he is proven to be the culprit, and cannot simply leave whenever he wants. The third time is Wendy Oldbag and Larry, the former of whom accidentally delivers decisive evidence. The fourth and final one is, of all people, the forensics officer, much to the confusion of everyone in-universe. Investigtions 2: Dick Gumshoe gets another moment at the end of the final case. Ray Shields also pulls off two, in cases 2 and 5. Also in case 5, an emotionally recovered Sebastian appearing to put his father behind bars once and for all. 5-1: Phoenix appears when Athena gets anxious during a trial and has a Heroic BSoD. 5-3: The culprit successfully makes Athena doubt herself once more, leading to another anxiety attack. Apollo and friends quickly express their support to get her out of it and continue fighting. 5-5: Athena Cykes pulls one when The Phantom (Bobby Fulbright) is about to leave. 5-6 (DLC Case) plays this trope in a very odd way: After winning the trial, Phoenix objects and provides evidence proving that the "murder" was really an accident. Played with in 6-3: When Phoenix and Maya lose the trial and are about to be executed, the guard shows up and announces that another person has been found dead, and that Maya is the suspect. This buy them another day to work with and allows him to prove what really happened. Rayfa lampshades Phoenix's insane luck repeatedly after this happens. 6-5: Dhurke Sadmadhi suddenly appears when Apollo starts losing hope to encourage him to get back up and keep fighting. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb81c601 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb81c601 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb81c601 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8c2530 | type |
Persecuting Prosecutor | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8c2530 | comment |
The first game has Miles Edgeworth, who's revealed to be Phoenix Wright's childhood friend and the reason Phoenix became a defense attorney in the first place. Edgeworth used to want to be a lawyer too but ended up as an alleged Persecuting Prosecutor and Phoenix tries to change his ways. And succeeds. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8c2530 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8c2530 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8c2530 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8e4fa8 | type |
Jerkass | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8e4fa8 | comment |
Oldbag went from being just a troublesome witness who tend to ramble (but was only hostile to Phoenix due to being a fan of Hammer), to a Jerkass who went around actively annoying everybody, especially Edgeworth. She does make an important contribution in the final case of Investigations. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8e4fa8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8e4fa8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8e4fa8 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8ec7c8 | type |
Jerkass | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8ec7c8 | comment |
Barok van Zieks also ends up being an aversion. While he often can be a complete Jerkass, especially due to his racism against the Japanese, it's made very clear that he is very dedicated to finding justice rather than just a Guilty verdict. He wastes no time in turning on witnesses and aiding the defense if they seem suspicious or are blatantly lying. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8ec7c8 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8ec7c8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eb8ec7c8 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ec062317 | type |
Penultimate Outburst | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ec062317 | comment |
Penultimate Outburst: An essential part of the games. The penalty meter represents how much patience the Judge has left, and when it runs out, he declares the trial over and done with. There are also several points where he demands evidence from the defense to back their claims, on the threat of ending the trial if they can't. (In one trial in Apollo Justice, he threatens to "throw the baby out with the bathwater" if Apollo can't explain how a magic trick works. A question which is all but irrelevant to the trial at hand, at least at that point in time!) | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ec062317 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ec062317 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ec062317 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ec109c7f | type |
Think in Text | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ec109c7f | comment |
Think in Text: Shown as light-blue/teal text between parentheses. Expect lots of snark to come out of these. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ec109c7f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ec109c7f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ec109c7f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_edb737b2 | type |
Cultural Cross-Reference | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_edb737b2 | comment |
Cultural Cross-Reference: All references to Perry Mason are in the original Japanese script. Apparently the Japanese love Perry Mason. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_edb737b2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_edb737b2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_edb737b2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_edeafb2e | type |
Malicious Misnaming | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_edeafb2e | comment |
Malicious Misnaming: Many characters keep calling Phoenix under different names (Mr. Wrong, Trite, etc.) as an insult, and Klavier Gavin's favorite nickname for Apollo is Herr Forehead. Franziska does the complete opposite by always addressing Phoenix and Edgeworth by their full names, but notably refers to Gumshoe as "Scruffy McTrenchCoat". | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_edeafb2e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_edeafb2e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_edeafb2e | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ee0c2c3c | type |
Fictional Country | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ee0c2c3c | comment |
Fictional Country: The franchise ostensibly takes place in Japan/California, with characters often training in America/Europe, but still has some examples of this. Borginia, a country in Northern Europe, with a writing system that looks something like hieroglyphics. Cohdopia is a European principality that was split into two nations (Allebahst and Babahl) which were later reunified. Khura'in, a small nation "on the western edge of the far east," looks like an amalgam of countries in the South and East of Asia, with a distinct Indo-Himalayan feel to it. Zheng Fa is another Asian country, implied to be located near and heavily influenced by China. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ee0c2c3c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ee0c2c3c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ee0c2c3c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ee7a60e9 | type |
One-Steve Limit | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ee7a60e9 | comment |
One-Steve Limit: Averted with the name "Iris". There is Iris of Hazakura Temple from Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations and there is Iris Wilson from The Great Ace Attorney. In the Japanese version, the two has different names but the former still shares a name with another character. The T&T Iris' Japanese name is Ayame (meaning the flower iris), which in GAA is the name of Yujin Mikotoba's late wife and Susato's mother, and also whom the aforementioned Iris Wilson got her first name from. There are no indications that Hazakura Temple Iris is related to the other two. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ee7a60e9 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ee7a60e9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ee7a60e9 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eee69e44 | type |
Boke and Tsukkomi Routine | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eee69e44 | comment |
Boke and Tsukkomi Routine: Pretty much the core comedy dynamic between your main attorney character (tsukkomi) and their side-kick (boke). In court, your attorney is usually the tsukkomi for the prosecutor, the judge, and the more loony witnesses, though Edgeworth often flips the tables on Phoenix in their games. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eee69e44 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eee69e44 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_eee69e44 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ef2d2bae | type |
Mafia Princess | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ef2d2bae | comment |
Ace Attorney has Yanni Yogi killing Robert Hammond. Granted, he immorally frames Edgeworth for it all, but the fact that Hammond ruined Yogi and drove Yogi's wife to suicide, it's hard to not sympathize with Yogi. There's also Dee Vasquez, who's a fairly evil Mafia Princess, but killed the victim in self-defense. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ef2d2bae | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ef2d2bae | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ef2d2bae | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ef43c232 | type |
Downloadable Content | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ef43c232 | comment |
The WiiWare versions add Wii Remote mechanics but otherwise do not tamper with the games in any way. The extra case of the original game is offered as Downloadable Content. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ef43c232 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ef43c232 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ef43c232 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_efd11fe3 | type |
A Dog Named "Dog" | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_efd11fe3 | comment |
A Dog Named "Dog": The Evil Magistrate's name in the Japanese original is "Akudai Kan". "Aku Daikan" literally translates as "Evil Magistrate". This is lampshaded in the official lyrics for the Steel Samurai theme song. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_efd11fe3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_efd11fe3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_efd11fe3 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f005bd1c | type |
Friend on the Force | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f005bd1c | comment |
Friend on the Force: The detectives are this, to varying degrees. Although they're on the prosecution's side, they usually contribute quite a bit to the defense's investigation. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f005bd1c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f005bd1c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f005bd1c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f12d9d83 | type |
Promotion to Parent | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f12d9d83 | comment |
Gregory Edgeworth's could easily be one of these in the Ace Attorney games. Basically, it was his death that kickstarted Miles' ambition to be a prosecutor, which started Phoenix's ambition to become a defense attorney. These two in-turn would go on to inspire other characters like Franziska von Karma and Apollo Justice to their current careers in a further knock-on effect. You could even go further back and say that it was Isaku Hyodo's death that led to Gregory's, and so on. Gregory's death was also the distant catalyst for Misty Fey's disappearance (which in turn had several repercussions on the Fey clan, such as Dahlia and Iris's father leaving, Mia's Promotion to Parent, etc, Yanni Yogi's Obfuscating Stupidity, etcetera. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f12d9d83 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f12d9d83 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f12d9d83 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f273b1cb | type |
Devil in Plain Sight | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f273b1cb | comment |
Devil in Plain Sight: Many suspicious witnesses (and of course, the real culprit of a case) start acting awfully suspicious the more holes you start poking in their testimonies, to the point that some of the culprits could probably have easily been convicted in Real Life simply based on how they were behaving (you wouldn't believe how many of them start openly gloating if the prosecution gets a leg up on you). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f273b1cb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f273b1cb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f273b1cb | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f2bd0945 | type |
Closet Geek | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f2bd0945 | comment |
Miles Edgeworth, a prosecutor in his 20s, happens to be a Closet Geek of the same. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f2bd0945 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f2bd0945 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f2bd0945 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f314f8c4 | type |
Traveling at the Speed of Plot | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f314f8c4 | comment |
Traveling at the Speed of Plot: Kurain Village is a two-hour train ride from the city, yet during the investigation phase of 2-2 you make at the bare minimum two-and-a-half round trips in the span of 3 hours. It's also somehow possible for an eight-year-old child to travel the distance on foot in a single morning. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f314f8c4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f314f8c4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f314f8c4 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f37c192 | type |
Wanton Cruelty to the Common Comma | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f37c192 | comment |
Wanton Cruelty to the Common Comma: If a semicolon should be used somewhere, it'll be a comma,note this makes the sudden proper use of semicolons in Ace Attorney Investigations' fifth case and only in its fifth case fairly jarring and "double quotes are never switched for "single quotes" within larger quotations." Gumshoe also says "their's" at one point during Investigations. "Its" versus "it's" also rears its ugly head fairly often. The German translation is even worse. Whenever you spot a comma, there's what feels like at least a 50% chance it shouldn't be there. To make up for that, if a comma should be there, odds are it isn't. Another annoying typo in the German version is miscapitalization: sie 'she' and Sie 'you (formal)' sometimes show up in each other's place. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f37c192 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f37c192 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f37c192 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f4a0408f | type |
Wake-Up Call Boss | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f4a0408f | comment |
Wake-Up Call Boss: Save for Investigations, players face pushover Winston Payne for Case 1note or his not-much-brighter brother Gaspen Payne in Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice; then, in Case 2, the player meets their formidable rival for the game. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f4a0408f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f4a0408f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f4a0408f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f51c5f3c | type |
Never Say "Die" | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f51c5f3c | comment |
Never Say "Die": An odd example. While the murders are shown and described in bloody detail, and the death penalty is mentioned, it is absolutely never mentioned that the previous killers were executed. In fact, about Franziska von Karma, they only say, "Her father's gone, you know." With one exception: Dahlia in 3-5 talks explicitly about her death, going as far as stating that she was hanged, while her spirit is being channeled. And Investigations 2 suggests that Frank Sahwit seems to have avoided the death penalty, since he appears in prison as a witness in case 2 and even claims that he could become elligible for parole. This is likely because in Sahwit's case, he committed second-degree murder (in other words, he killed his victim without any prior planning), not first-degree (premeditated) murder. It seems that they give death penalties only to first-degree murderers, meaning that Dee Vasquez is probably alive too since in her case it was self-defense (and blackmail). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f51c5f3c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f51c5f3c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f51c5f3c | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f589bf3a | type |
Real Men Take It Black | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f589bf3a | comment |
Real Men Take It Black: Mixed in with Must Have Caffeine, Godot always drinks his coffee pure black, which even provides one of many of his famous quotes "Blacker than a moonless night, darker and bitter than Hell itself... that is coffee." | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f589bf3a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f589bf3a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f589bf3a | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f5a22215 | type |
Ambidextrous Sprite | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f5a22215 | comment |
Ambidextrous Sprite: Occasionally (particularly in the Investigations series but it has happened in the main series as well) there will be characters who can stand on either side of the screen and their features will flip. It also changes which hand they point with. Now that the series uses 3D graphics, it works more like a 2½D fighting game where features won't flip but animations will (for instance Phoenix standing at the prosecutor's bench in Spirit of Justice, where his animations will keep him facing the screen but his attorney's badge stays on his left lapel regardless of his orientation). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f5a22215 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f5a22215 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f5a22215 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f5a3e496 | type |
Suspiciously Similar Substitute | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f5a3e496 | comment |
The assistant is a perky younger girl with a screwed-up family history (Maya, Ema in her first appearances, Trucy, even Kay). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f5a3e496 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f5a3e496 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f5a3e496 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f627b434 | type |
Platonic Life-Partners | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f627b434 | comment |
Platonic Life-Partners: Phoenix and Maya. Despite being very close, they never show any signs of romantic attraction toward each other. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f627b434 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f627b434 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f627b434 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f64a9cf7 | type |
Earn Your Happy Ending | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f64a9cf7 | comment |
Earn Your Happy Ending: Every finale case is this. Phoenix and company really get put through the wringer before reaching a happy ending. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f64a9cf7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f64a9cf7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f64a9cf7 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f688816f | type |
Priceless Ming Vase | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f688816f | comment |
Priceless Ming Vase: The Fey clan's greatest treasure is the Sacred Urn, said to house the soul of the clan's founder. It gets broken and put back together again at least three times over the course of the trilogy. At the very end, a picture is shown of a very young Maya and Mia restoring the vase, implying that it happened a lot before. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f688816f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f688816f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f688816f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f7057d51 | type |
Matriarchy | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f7057d51 | comment |
Matriarchy: Due to magic generally being the domain of women in this series, there are societies based around that. The kingdom of Khura'in is always ruled by a spiritually powerful queen, as the founder and first ruler had been the Holy Mother. In Spirit of Justice, the main conflict started because the powerless sister of the rightful queen usurped the throne out of sheer jealousy. Once Ga'ran is exposed and removed from power, Queen Amara steps down to help prepare her spiritually-inclined daughter, Rayfa, in ruling, while her son, Nahyuta, rules as king regent until his sister is of age. The Fey clan, very distant descendants of the Khura'in royal family, are also matriarchal. Because spiritual channeling can only be used by women, Kurain Village is solely occupied by women and girls, with the powerless men and boys living outside the village in separation. Only the position of Kurain Master can only be held by the most powerful woman of the main family branch. The toxic environment caused by the Fey clan's societal and familial neglect of their men leaves said men feeling deeply unappreciated by their wives and daughters, which is why divorce rates in Kurain Village are so high. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f7057d51 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f7057d51 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f7057d51 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f818b637 | type |
Dude, Where's My Respect? | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f818b637 | comment |
Dude, Where's My Respect?: The Wright Anything Agency should be, by all accounts, the most famous law office in the country due to constantly taking high profile cases and winning them in the most unorthodox ways. But they are almost always treated like a bunch of no name rookies who are way in over their heads (which, to be fair, isn't always an entirely untrue accusation). | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f818b637 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f818b637 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f818b637 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f8702398 | type |
Economy Cast | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f8702398 | comment |
Lampshaded by Gumshoe, who mentions he's beginning to wonder if Phoenix is the cause of all the chaotic situations he gets wrapped up in. Edgeworth then notes that Gumshoe is usually involved in the exact same incidents. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f8702398 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f8702398 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f8702398 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f909b16b | type |
Dark Secret | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f909b16b | comment |
Dark Secret: Almost every character has at least one of these. Figuring out what they are is the whole point of the games. Taken to its logical conclusion with Kristoph Gavin's black Psyche-Locks that never (formally) get cracked. We find out in Dual Destinies that they can be broken, however they're so deeply ingrained to the psyche of the person that without caution, you could destroy their soul in the process. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f909b16b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f909b16b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f909b16b | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f9f2c33 | type |
Running Gag | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f9f2c33 | comment |
Running Gag: The longest running would be the eternal 'ladder vs step-ladder' debate. Every time you visit the detention center and examine the guard (who's really just a part of the background image), Phoenix makes a new smartass comment about his stoicism and general motionlessness, because he's really just a part of the background image. Phoenix's strange fixation with scrubbing the toilet, though this mostly appears in the third game. Both in the American AND Japanese versions. This one returns in Dual Destinies: in case two, Apollo makes mention of hoping to get a case and not clean the toilet again while in the DLC, Apollo responds to Nick's instruction for Apollo and Athena to do some work with 'Work? But we've already cleaned the toilet. Twice. Each.' There is also Charley the potted plant, who gets a special mention despite the fact that pretty much everything in Phoenix's office is a running gag because he even turns up after the law office is converted into a talent agency. Speaking of office gags, starting in 1-4: Miles Edgeworth has poor luck with getting witnesses to introduce themselves on the stand. "Anyone could wear that ____. Even me!" The movie poster in Mia's office, said to be the first movie to make her cry. The gag being that nobody knows the title of the movie, including Mia. Eventually Maya tries to replace it with a Steel Samurai poster, but puts it back when she finally sees the movie (though the reader never hears the title either). In 4-4, Phoenix said he finally found out the name and watched it, and he might show it to Trucy sometime. Then he realised he forgot the name... The guy in the police station is always doing a different type of image training. It changes every time something new happens in the room. In 1-5, he instead seems to be writing a crime novel instead and comes up with different twists (including time machines and him being the murderer because of a split personality). At the end he switches to romance. Incidentally, both time machines and split personalities turn up much later as plot points in Spirit of Justice. Likewise the lead detective in the back middle of the room. Phoenix always assumes the guy's hard at work on something, then gets irritated when he finds out the guy's just looking up gossip on the Internet. invokedThe Gatewater Hotel from the first game's second case. Examining the window facing it in every case reveals that it goes from a no-name hotel to, with the help of that case, a famous five-star hotel and eventually, a theme park. No one can seem to remember Wendy Oldbag's name, or at least know it well enough to not have a sense of doubt. This continues into the Court record. She's always listed as Security Guard or Ex-Security Guard. Her name is listed in her description but both Phoenix and Edgeworth note it with a sense of doubt. There's also her undying love for Edgeworth, which, given her age, is pretty strongly unrequited. Phoenix loves to present his Attorney's Badge to anyone he meets during investigations. Although necessary in a few cases (notably case 4 of the first game), mostly this is met with either confusion or ridicule. Phoenix himself lampshades this if Apollo presents his own badge to him. Gumshoe also lampshades it in 1-5, noting that "you show this to me every time we meet, pal," then adds with a grin, "Real men show their police badge! 'Nuff said!" Continued in Investigations, where you never actually get to use Edgeworth's Prosecutor Badge, and the flavor text states that he tends to keep it in his pocket. It's also lampshaded by none other than MANFRED VON KARMA. In The Great Ace Attorney: The analogous item is the University Collar Pin, which is distinctly Japanese, such that in the second case, by showing it to a Russian, Nikolina Pavlova, he gets the response "That means nothing to me." and the Japanese companion, Susato Mikotoba, advises to "at least choose a Japanese person who might recognize it.", whereupon Ryunosuke immediately tries to show it to her, and gets rebuffed. Then Ryunosuke immediately thinks about showing it to the last Japanese person in the area. In The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve, Gina Lestrade, now a police detective, loves showing off her detective's badge. If Ryunosuke presents his badge to her, she'll do so right back. In Apollo Justice and Investigations, Phoenix and Edgeworth respectively seem to have a fondness for "grape juice." In huge glass bottles, in bars and VIP lounges. One might think that this is censorship of wine, however, not only is the substitution of grape juice in both the English and Japanese versions, but why would they need to censor alcohol in a game about violent murders? This is lampshaded by Athena in Case 6-5 where she asks if Phoenix enjoyed the "fermented kind" but Apollo stated that it was the normal kind. At least for the first three games, all end with Phoenix being put in a difficult position (the first game having this for both the last original case and the bonus case), and finally ending with one last "Objection!" Throughout, whenever flowers are examined or brought up, Phoenix always mentions that the only ones he can identify are tulips and sunflowers. In the final case of Apollo Justice he has an epiphany and realizes that he can identify roses too. This is brought back again in "Turnabout Time Traveler," when Edgeworth hotly objects to Phoenix presenting flowers as evidence. If you present the wrong piece of evidence to a magician in investigation parts, you can bet they will try to make evidence disappear. Max Galactica was the first to do this, followed by Trucy and Valant Gramarye - the only exception to this is Zak Gramarye in the past section of Case 4-4, as he was no longer in his magician persona. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f9f2c33 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f9f2c33 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_f9f2c33 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb111d49 | type |
Sequence Breaking | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb111d49 | comment |
The games are visual novels through and through, so figuring out the case early means absolutely nothing—you must present specific evidence at the right part, as not using it at the perfect moment means the protagonist can't make the connection (presumably to prevent Sequence Breaking in replays). Even parodied here by Awkward Zombie. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb111d49 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb111d49 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb111d49 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb5ab090 | type |
Loan Shark | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb5ab090 | comment |
In Adventures, Ashely Graydon murdered Magnus McGilded, a Loan Shark, in revenge for the man murdering his father and managed to secure an acquittal. This makes the killer a sympathetic character, but he then, in the process of covering his tracks, murders an innocent man and frames street urchin Gina Lestrade for it. He himself admits to having become as bad as his victim. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb5ab090 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb5ab090 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb5ab090 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb6b207f | type |
You Killed My Father | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb6b207f | comment |
You Killed My Father: Ace Attorney is really fond of this. The parent of a major character would be the victim in a major case, with the culprit being the Big Bad of each game. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb6b207f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb6b207f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb6b207f | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb7bc4a8 | type |
Never Trust a Title | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb7bc4a8 | comment |
Never Trust a Title: The officially named Apollo Justice Trilogy, which consists of the fourth through sixth main series entries. Sure, the first game in the trilogy is Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, but in the other two games, the title character is Phoenix Wright. That said, you could argue that Spirit of Justice does have Apollo's name in it, and that game's finale, which is one of the longest cases in the entire series and has Apollo as the player character, makes him retroactively much more important to the game's story than Phoenix. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb7bc4a8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb7bc4a8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fb7bc4a8 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fbd1aeb | type |
Living Emotional Crutch | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fbd1aeb | comment |
Living Emotional Crutch: Celeste and later Franziska for Adrian Andrews. The Case Files manga parodied this with the suggestion that Adrian, by accepting Franziska's advice, was just as co-dependent as ever. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fbd1aeb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fbd1aeb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fbd1aeb | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc151e9d | type |
Department of Redundancy Department | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc151e9d | comment |
Department of Redundancy Department: Franziska von Karma does this often with the word "fool." Take, for example: Not to mention one of Larry's lines in the first game. Larry has quite a few. Or this from Klavier Gavin in the fourth game. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc151e9d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc151e9d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc151e9d | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc33ff16 | type |
One-Winged Angel | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc33ff16 | comment |
One-Winged Angel: Spoofed. Poking enough holes in a witness' story can be generally expected to draw out that witness' "true form", so to speak. These "transformations" are usually very, very dramatic. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc33ff16 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc33ff16 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc33ff16 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc85fadc | type |
You Shouldn't Know This Already | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc85fadc | comment |
You Shouldn't Know This Already: It doesn't matter if you've already figured out who killed the victim, with what, or where, you'll still have to play cat and mouse with the witnesses and prosecution till you reach the appropriate point in the case. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc85fadc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc85fadc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fc85fadc | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fd263f93 | type |
Entertainment Below Their Age | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fd263f93 | comment |
Entertainment Below Their Age: Seventeen-year-old Maya Fey is very into the Tokusatsu series Steel Samurai despite acknowledging that it is specifically for kids younger than her. Spirit of Justice shows that she hasn't outgrown it since she still enjoys the Khu'rianese rip-off, Plumed Punisher at age 28. Miles Edgeworth, a prosecutor in his 20s, happens to be a Closet Geek of the same. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fd263f93 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fd263f93 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fd263f93 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fd94c4ac | type |
Theme Naming | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fd94c4ac | comment |
Theme Naming: The given names of the three defense attorneys working for Wright Anything Agency all follow mythology: Phoenix refers to, well, a phoenix rising from the ashes while Apollo and Athena are a Greek god/goddesses commonly associated with truth and justice. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fd94c4ac | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fd94c4ac | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fd94c4ac | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fe0330fb | type |
Brick Joke | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fe0330fb | comment |
Brick Joke: In case 1-4, Phoenix mentions a line that was already really funny on its own: "When something smells, it's usually the Butz". In case 1-5, upon examining a white rope outlining the victim's body, Ema goes off onto a tangent where she deduces that the victim was murdered by being crushed to death by the door of the car's trunk the body was found in. In Trials and Tribulations upon examining a similar outline coming out of a safe, Maya comes to the exact same conclusion: that the victim was murdered by being crushed to death by the safe door. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fe0330fb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fe0330fb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fe0330fb | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fe48cea2 | type |
Lady of War | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fe48cea2 | comment |
Lady of War: The Pink Princess, the Steel Samurai's love interest, wields a rapier. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fe48cea2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fe48cea2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_fe48cea2 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ff191f42 | type |
The Idiot from Osaka | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ff191f42 | comment |
The Idiot from Osaka: Lotta Hart is this in the Japanese version, though she's translated as being from the South, as per standard procedure. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ff191f42 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ff191f42 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ff191f42 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ff9e9dde | type |
Once a Season | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ff9e9dde | comment |
Once a Season: With the exception of Apollo Justice, the last episode features a different prosecutor from your usual opponent for at least part of the case. Almost every game would end with a main character (usually Phoenix Wright) facing some sort of misfortune, that causes him to protest "OBJECTION!" which is prompted by the player. | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ff9e9dde | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ff9e9dde | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_ff9e9dde | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_name | type |
ItemName | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_name | comment |
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| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_name | featureApplicability |
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| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_name | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_name | |
| Ace Attorney (Franchise) / int_name | itemName |
Ace Attorney (Franchise) |
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