Ace Attorney

**Gyakuten Saiban** (逆転裁判(ぎゃくてんさいばん), *Gyakuten Saiban, lit. "Turnabout Trial"*), known in the west as **Ace Attorney**, is a series of mystery video games created by Shuu Takumi and developed and published by Capcom. It started in 2001, and went on to have six main games and 5 spin-offs, its latest installment releasing in 2017.

## Synopsis

*Ace Attorney* follows rookie lawyer Phoenix Wright (and later, other lawyers under his employ) as he takes on various cases, defending his innocent clients as they are falsely accused of crimes, all the while battling his rival prosecutors.

## History

The series was conceived by Shuu Takumi, and its first installment was released on October 12, 2001. Following positive reception, two more *Ace Attorney* games followed, released in 2002 and 2004 respectively, concluding the "original trilogy". Three years later, *Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney* was released, the first game to feature a new protagonist instead of Phoenix, acting as a soft reboot of the first three games while maintaining continuity. Subsequently, two spin-off games featuring the prosecutor Miles Edgeworth as the protagonist were released in 2009 and 2011 respectively, marking the end of the era of *Ace Attorney* on the Nintendo DS, the series moving to the Nintendo 3DS and forsaking the 2D pixel graphics for 3D animation. The first game of this era was the crossover game *Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney*, crossing over with the *Professor Layton* series. Afterwards, the fifth and sixth mainline games were released in 2013 and 2016 respectively, interspersed with two spin-off games following an ancestor of the iconic lawyer.

Between 2005 and 2016, almost all *Ace Attorney* games have been released in the West, the exceptions being the second Miles Edgeworth spin-off game and the two *Great Ace Attorney* spin-offs. In the Western releases of the games, the entire story is localized, the setting being changed from Japan to the United States, and the characters being renamed accordingly.

## Main Characters

See also: Ace Attorney/Characters (Contains Spoilers)

* **Phoenix Wright / Ryuuichi Naruhodou** (成歩堂(なるほどう) 龍一(りゅういち), *Naruhodō Ryūichi*)**:** The protagonist and the character with the role of detective. A rookie lawyer at the start of the series, he is notable for his skill at "turning a case around", recovering from seemingly hopeless situations by swiftly catching on to contradictions and coming up with theories on the spot. He is a good natured man, putting his trust into his clients' innocence and fighting for them until the end. He often serves the role of a straight-man when dealing with the various eccentric individuals he encounters in his cases.
* **Maya Fey / Mayoi Ayasato** (綾里(あやさと) 真宵(まよい), *Ayasato Mayoi*)**:** Phoenix's usual assistant. A lively teenage girl and sister of Phoenix's boss, she is a part of a clan of spirit mediums, and is in training to hone her supernatural ability of conjuring spirits. She is energetic and curious, a counterpart to Phoenix's more laid-back behavior, the two being close friends. She has a voracious appetite, often craving hamburgers.
* **Mia Fey / Chihiro Ayasato** (綾里(あやさと) 千尋(ちひろ), *Ayasato Chihiro*)**:** A veteran laywer and Phoenix's boss, as well as the older sister of Maya. A confident and capable woman who often guides the inexperienced Phoenix.
* **Miles Edgeworth / Reiji Mitsurugi** (御剣(みつるぎ) 怜侍(れいじ), *Mitsurugi Reiji*)**:** Phoenix's childhood friend and rival. A skilled and respected prosector with a nearly perfect win record. As a child, he was adopted by the legendary prosecutor, Manfred von Karma, and was raised into an elegant and dignified man, bold during trial and reserved in his private life. He used to be willing to do anything to get a victory in court, making him a tough adversary. His goal is to bring criminals to justice and draw out the truth.
* **Kay Faraday / Mikumo Ichijou** (一条(いちじょう) 美雲(みくも), *Ichijō Mikumo*)**:** Edgeworth's assistant and friend. A teenage girl and the second Yatagarasu, a self-proclaimed "Great Thief" who "steals" the truth. She is energetic and cheeky, and often jokes about stealing valuable objects, much to Edgeworth's distress. She yearns to be a hero of justice like her father before her, the previous Yatagarasu.
* **Dick Gumshoe / Keisuke Itonokogiri** (糸鋸(いとのこぎり) 圭介(けいすけ), *Itonokogiri Keisuke*)**:** A homicide detective of the police department, usually working alongside Edgeworth. He is carefree, trusting and slightly dim-witted, often making mistakes, which lead to Edgeworth threatening to cut his salary. He has also been shown to be kind and dependable, assisting both Edgeworth and Phoenix at times.
* **Apollo Justice / Housuke Odoroki** (王泥喜(おどろき) 法介(ほうすけ), *Odoroki Hōsuke*)**:** One of the protagonists of the later games. A young attorney working under Phoenix. He is often nervous when faced with the pressure of trials, lacking in self-confidence. He often responds in a somewhat sarcastic manner to the eccentric individuals he encounters, and is the target of teasing from both his colleagues and his rival, Klavier. His bracelet, and heirloom from his long-lost mother, allows him to detect when someone is lying by focusing on their nervous habits.
* **Trucy Wright / Minuki Naruhodou** (成歩堂(なるほどう) みぬき, *Naruhodō Minuki*)**:** Apollo's assistant and Phoenix's adopted daughter, as well as a professional stage magician. A bright, energetic and naive girl, she has also been shown to be quite intelligent, sometimes piecing things together faster than Apollo.
* **Ema Skye / Akane Houzuki** (宝月(ほうづき) 茜(あかね), *Hōzuki Akane*)**:** A teenage girl studying to become a forensics scientist. She assisted Phoenix Wright in one of his early cases. Years later, she becomes a detective working for the police department, often partnered with Klavier. When she was young, Ema was a bright, hopeful and optimistic girl. However, as an adult, she becomes more jaded after failing to get her dream job, often being moody and irritated, though she is still a dependable ally to Apollo and Phoenix. She is addicted to chocolate treats known as "snackoos", often munching on them.
* **Athena Cykes / Kokone Kizuki** (希月(きづき) 心音(ここね), *Kizuki Kokone*)**:** One of the protagonists of the later games. A young defense attorney working under Phoenix. A confident, energetic and driven girl, her strong personality sometimes driving her to act recklessly. She studied analytical psychology in Europe and is able to pick up on someone's subtle emotions through their voice. She is accompanied by an AI partner called Widget.
* **Franziska von Karma / Mei Karuma** (狩魔(かるま) 冥(めい), *Karuma Mei*)**:** A genius young prosecutor and the daughter of Manfred von Karma. She is arrogant, confident and aggressive, often calling others fools and carrying around a whip, even in court. She is cold, competitive and focused only on victory.
* **Godot** (ゴドー, *Godō*)**:** A mysterious prosecutor holding a grudge against Phoenix, taking on his cases in an attempt to defeat him. He is almost always calm and collected, and is addicted to coffee, even drinking multiple cups in the middle of trial.
* **Klavier Gavin / Kyouya Garyuu** (牙琉(がりゅう) 響也(きょうや), *Garyū Kyōya*)**:** Apollo's rival, a veteran prosecutor and a musician, the former lead vocalist and guitarist of a rock band. He is a friendly and outgoing man, not showing any hostility, even to his rivals. He is known to frequently tease Apollo. His only desire as a prosecutor is convicting the right person, and doesn't mind losing a case to do so.
* **Simon Blackquill / Jin Yuugami** (夕神(ゆうがみ) 迅(じん), *Yūgami Jin*)**:** A prosecutor convicted for murder, he is called to do his job despite still serving his sentence. He is intimidating and cunning, often making use of psychological manipulation during court, his tactics earning him the nickname of "Twisted Samurai". He has a pet hawk named Taka.
* **Nahyuta Sahdmadhi** (ナユタ・サードマディ, *Nayuta Sādomadi*)**:** An international prosecutor originating from the country of Khura'in, as well as a respected monk. He believes that convicting criminals will provide salvation for their victims. Although he appears soft-spoken and dignified, he often acts condescending towards his rival defense attorneys, not having any respect for the profession.
* **Ryuunosuke Naruhodou** (成歩堂(なるほどう) 龍ノ介(りゅうのすけ), *Naruhodō Ryūnosuke*)**:** An ancestor of Phoenix Wright and a rookie defense attorney from the Meiji era. He travelled to London alongside his assistant, defending clients in the English courtroom. Lacking confidence in his own skill, he appears nervous and uptight, his strongest desire being to meet others' expectations.
* **Susato Mikotoba** (御琴羽(みことば) 寿沙都(すさと), *Mikotoba Susato*)**:** Ryuunosuke's assistant. An intelligent young girl with an interest in literature and law. She is an indispensable ally to Ryuunosuke, teaching him about British law and generally being a responsible and dependable partner.
* **Sherlock Holmes** (シャーロック・ホームズ, *Shārokku Hōmuzu*)**:** A legendary British detective helping Ryuunosuke and Susato through their cases in England. He is known worldwide from the records of his adventures, written down by his partner and published. He is an eccentric, almost hyperactive man, constantly coming up with far-fetched deductions.
* **Iris Watson** (アイリス・ワトソン, *Airisu Watoson*)**:** Sherlock's assistant, an ingenious young girl inventor living with the detective. She is energetic, kind and trusting, immediately befriending the two lawyers from Japan.
* **Barok van Zieks** (バロック・バンジークス, *Barokku Banjīkusu*)**:** A British prosecutor known as the "Reaper of the Old Bailey" due to the fact that all defendants that he had prosecuted would supposedly wind up dying in some way or another, regardless of their innocence or guilt, which lead to him taking a five-year leave of absence, eventually returning and facing Ryuunosuke. He has a calm and somber demeanor, but is also capable of boldly asserting himself.

## Genre & Style

The *Ace Attorney* series is generally a *honkaku* mystery, the cases following a fairly typical and straightforward structure. While the series does feature some supernatural and sci-fi elements, they are only rarely involved in the mysteries themselves, typically being reserved as methods for acquiring information. While the games occasionally delve into darker subject matter, the tone is most often kept light-hearted and comedic, featuring cartoony and eccentric characters, whose names are usually puns of some kind.

### Main Series

1. **Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney / Turnabout Trial** (逆転裁判(ぎゃくてんさいばん), *Gyakuten Saiban*)
2. **Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All / Turnabout Trial 2** (逆転裁判(ぎゃくてんさいばん)２, *Gyakuten Saiban 2*)
3. **Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations / Turnabout Trial 3** (逆転裁判(ぎゃくてんさいばん)３, *Gyakuten Saiban 3*)
4. **Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney / Turnabout Trial 4** (逆転裁判(ぎゃくてんさいばん)４, *Gyakuten Saiban 4*)
5. **Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies / Turnabout Trial 5** (逆転裁判(ぎゃくてんさいばん)５, *Gyakuten Saiban 5*)
6. **Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice / Turnabout Trial 6** (逆転裁判(ぎゃくてんさいばん)６, *Gyakuten Saiban 6*)

### Ace Attorney Investigations

1. **Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations / Turnabout Prosecutor** (逆転検事(ぎゃくてんけんじ), *Gyakuten Kenji*)
2. **Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations 2 / Turnabout Prosecutor 2** (逆転検事(ぎゃくてんけんじ)２, *Gyakuten Kenji 2*)

### The Great Ace Attorney

1. **The Great Ace Attorney / Great Turnabout Trial: The Adventures of Ryuunosuke Naruhodou** (大逆転裁判(だいぎゃくてんさいばん) ー成歩堂龍ノ介(なるほどうりゅうのすけ)の冒險(ぼうけん)ー, *Dai Gyakuten Saiban: Naruhodō Ryūnosuke no Bōken*)
2. **The Great Ace Attorney 2 / Great Turnabout Trial: The Resolve of Ryuunosuke Naruhodou** (大逆転裁判(だいぎゃくてんさいばん) ー成歩堂龍ノ介(なるほどうりゅうのすけ)の覺悟(かくご), *Dai Gyakuten Saiban: Naruhodō Ryūnosuke no Kakugo*)

### Other Games

1. **Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney / Professor Layton VS Turnabout Trial** (レイトン教授(きょうじゅ) VS 逆転裁判(ぎゃくてんさいばん), *Reiton Kyūju VS Gyakuten Saiban*)

## Further Reading

* Find out more on the Ace Attorney Wiki!