List of Ace Attorney characters

Several of the series' characters, from left to right:
Back – Larry Butz
Middle – Ema Skye, Kristoph Gavin, Dick Gumshoe (with Missile), Miles Edgeworth, Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, Trucy Wright (with Mr. Hat), Franziska von Karma, Godot
Front – Klavier Gavin, Pearl Fey, Maya Fey

Ace Attorney is a series of legal thriller comedy-drama adventure/visual novel games created by Shu Takumi. Players assume the role of a defense attorney in a fictional courtroom setting in the main series. Published by Capcom, the series includes Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, Ace Attorney Investigations 2, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice, and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve. Character names for the English release of the series were changed significantly from the original Japanese release.

Main characters

Phoenix Wright

Main article: Phoenix Wright

Phoenix Wright (成歩堂 龍一, Naruhodō Ryūichi) is a defense attorney and the main character of the franchise, and the protagonist in all games in the main series, except for Apollo Justice. In his childhood, he befriended Larry Butz and Miles Edgeworth. He was accused of murder while studying in college, but was successfully defended by Mia Fey, leading to him joining up with her office after graduation. After Mia was murdered, Phoenix inherited the office, renaming it "Wright and Co.", and continued his work as a defense attorney, assisted by Mia's sister Maya. He is typically seen wearing a blue suit with a white shirt and red tie.

His Japanese name, 「成歩堂」(Naruhodō), is a play of the phrase 「なるほど」(naruhodo), which is synonymous to "I got it.", or "I knew it."

Mia Fey

Main article: Mia Fey

Mia Fey (綾里 千尋, Ayasato Chihiro) is Misty's eldest daughter, opting to become a defense attorney after her mother disappeared as a result of the DL-6 case. She became a defense attorney because she did not want to compete with her little sister Maya over the title of the Master as their mother had with their aunt Morgan. She is typically seen wearing a black skirt-suit paired with a tan neckerchief. She started her work in Marvin Grossberg's law office, then moved to her own law firm. Shortly after bringing Phoenix on board, she was murdered by Redd White, whom she was investigating prior to her death, believing him to be the one who leaked information about her mother's failed spirit channeling to the press. After her death, Maya and Pearl's channeling abilities allow her to reappear during several of Phoenix's trials, helping him out as a mentor. She is a playable character during certain chapters of Trials and Tribulations, where the player learns about Mia's first and second cases as a lawyer.

Miles Edgeworth

Main article: Miles Edgeworth

Miles Edgeworth (御剣 怜侍, Mitsurugi Reiji) is Phoenix Wright's long-time friend and first rival in the court room. He is temporarily playable in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations and the main player character in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Ace Attorney Investigations 2. As a child, Edgeworth aspired to become a defense attorney, following in his father Gregory Edgeworth's footsteps. When they were children, Edgeworth successfully defended Phoenix in a classroom trial, where Phoenix was accused of stealing lunch money from Edgeworth himself. However, upon witnessing his father's death and watching in horror as the suspected murderer was let free, he gained a hatred for criminals and began studying to be a prosecutor, learning tactics from his mentor Manfred von Karma to always get a "guilty" verdict. This later earned him the name "demon prosecutor". Miles had not lost a case he was involved with until his first trial against Phoenix, after which he felt a need to defeat Phoenix.

Edgeworth's spin-off game Ace Attorney Investigations was originally going to star Ema Skye, another character from the series, but due to fan response, they went with Miles Edgeworth, a more popular character.

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

Maya Fey

Main article: Maya Fey

Maya Fey (綾里 真宵, Ayasato Mayoi) is a spirit medium and the younger sister of Phoenix's boss, Mia Fey. Maya is introduced in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, in which she is accused of her sister's murder and defended by Phoenix. She becomes his legal assistant and investigates cases with him in the first three Ace Attorney games. Maya cheerily banters with Phoenix during investigations, and can channel her sister's spirit when Phoenix needs her help. She does not appear in the fourth and fifth games, but returns in the sixth, reuniting with Phoenix in Khura'in as she prepares to complete her channeling training. Maya also appears in other franchise media: the manga, film, anime series, and the spin-off games including the Professor Layton crossover and Ace Attorney Investigations. Maya, alongside Phoenix, also makes cameo appearances in several games across other genres.

Pearl Fey

Main article: Pearl Fey

Pearl Fey (綾里 春美, Ayasato Harumi) is Morgan's youngest daughter and Mia and Maya's cousin, who is introduced towards the start of the second game in the series, Justice for All and appears again as a major character in Trials and Tribulations. She is considered a prodigy in the practice of channeling the spirits of the dead. She rarely leaves Kurain Village. She speaks in a polite and sophisticated manner for a girl of her age, calling Phoenix "Mr. Nick" and referring to Maya as "Mystic Maya". Pearl Fey charged Maya's magatama with mystical powers and gave it to Phoenix Wright, allowing for the in-game mechanic of breaking "Psyche-Locks," a kind of outside-of-trial cross-examination whereby he detects lies and secrets. In Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies, she reappears in a DLC case, working at an aquarium. In another DLC non-canon case called "Phoenix Wright: Asinine Attorney" added for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice, she appears taking vacation in Khura'in. She also claims to be the royal priestess of Khura'in and soon becomes the priestess of Khura'in.

Dick Gumshoe

Portrayed by: Shunsuke Daito (film)
Voiced by (English): Bryan Massey
Voiced by (Japanese): Masami Iwasaki

Dick Gumshoe (糸鋸 圭介, Itonokogiri Keisuke) is a police detective from the homicide division. He is often the head detective overseeing the crime, and provides evidence and his opinion both during the investigation phase and while on the witness stand during the trial phases. A running joke throughout the series is his salary. He constantly finds himself in dire financial straits due to his unconventional style of detective work and the trouble it puts him in with his superiors including Miles Edgeworth and Franziska von Karma. At one point Edgeworth tells him "This is exactly why your salary keeps on getting cut!" after Gumshoe makes an embarrassing mistake. Even so, Edgeworth does look out for Gumshoe's well-being to a degree: he buys Gumshoe occasional pasta lunches as mentioned in Trials & Tribulations. Gumshoe develops a massive crush on his co-worker and later love interest Maggey Byrde. Gumshoe's signature dirty green-brown overcoat is replaced by a new one (which he refers to as his important coat) at the end of the Trials and Tribulations story, but it makes a return in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney and Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. The character is also featured in the Skulduggery Pleasant short story Going Once, Going Twice by Irish playwright Derek Landy, depicted as a detective working for the American Sanctuary (also known as Mr. Grady), whose ex-girlfriend attempts to sell a stolen magic Rosetta stone tablet in a black market auction.

Franziska von Karma

Voiced by (English): Janet Hsu (AA2-AA3, AAI); Jessica Peterson (anime)
Voiced by (Japanese): Yukari Suwabe (AA2-AA3, AAI-AAI2); Saori Yumiba (anime)

Franziska von Karma (狩魔 冥, Karuma Mei) is a German-born prosecutor, and the daughter of Manfred von Karma. She is introduced in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All as the main rival of Phoenix Wright. Franziska became a prosecutor in Germany at the age of 13, and was undefeated during that time. When Miles disappeared on his journey of self-discovery, Franziska took his place at the prosecutor's stand, looking to defeat Phoenix so she can step out of her adoptive brother's shadow. Franziska always carries a whip with her and uses it freely on anyone and everyone at the courtroom, and is fond of calling others "foolish fools", in addition to generally abusing the word "fool". Though her personality seems razor sharp and very cold, she cries openly in the after-credits scene of Justice for All after a conversation with Miles. She loves Miles like a "little" brother, though he is older than she is and despite her previous jealousy-driven claim that she had always hated him and wanted revenge on him. Her thoughts on Phoenix Wright himself seem to be varied, but by the end of Trials and Tribulations she has clear respect for his legal skills, and by the end of the game Phoenix clearly regards her as a friend and ally. There is also a sequence in which Franziska is having an argument with Phoenix, and he makes a mental comment that she "is so openly hostile, it's actually kind of cute.", but Franziska duly whips him for smirking at the thought.

Franziska also appears in the fifth case of Trials and Tribulations, in which she cooperates with Phoenix and Edgeworth, and her character seems to have grown some over the course of the past year. She is still very hostile towards Phoenix, but also clearly seems to have a great deal of respect for him, and even rises to his defense against prosecutor Godot. She appears in the Investigations games as a recurring ally to Edgeworth in the cases he undertakes.

Ema Skye

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

Ema Skye (宝月 茜, Hōzuki Akane) is the younger sister of Chief Prosecutor Lana Skye (宝月 巴, Hōzuki Tomoe) and has hopes of becoming a scientific investigator. She first approaches Phoenix's office to obtain a defense attorney for her sister, Lana. Though he ignored most of the cases he received during Maya's two-month absence, he took Ema's due to her resemblance to Maya in personality and appearance. The kanji for her Japanese surname, Hōzuki, translates to "treasured moon" or "jeweled moon". She was included in the video game Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney due to the developers' desire to bring back some familiar faces to it. Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth was originally to star Ema Skye, but due to the response from the fanbase, they chose to replace her with Miles Edgeworth, who was a much more popular character. She was featured as a secondary character in it.

Nintendo World Report editor Michael Cole commented that Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney's witnesses are not quite as funny or interesting as the ones in the Phoenix Wright story arc, specifically mentioning Ema Skye, adding that she lacks Dick Gumshoe's "lovable incompetence".

The Judge

Portrayed by: Akira Emoto (film)
Voiced by (English): Dave Mallow (UMvC3) Dave B. Mitchell (AA5), Kent Williams (anime)
Voiced by (Japanese): Kanehira Yamamoto (UMvC3); Bunmei Tobayama (AA5); Ben Hiura (anime)

The unnamed Judge (裁判長, Saibanchō) is the same character during the majority of the Ace Attorney games. He rules on objections, examines the evidence, and calls on witnesses to take the stand. He is easily swayed by other people's opinions and feelings (which apparently resulted in him getting the nickname "Judge Fickle" according to the first case of Trials and Tribulations), and can also be quite clueless at times, requiring either the prosecution or defense to explain the facts. It is claimed that he has never gotten the verdict wrong and has been dubbed "The Great Judgini" as a result. Damon Gant seems to be friends with him, calling him "Udgey" and mentioning them going swimming and playing golf together. He claims he was called "The Great Poker-Head of Courtroom No.3" in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, but Apollo reckons he means poker-face. The regular Judge has a younger brother, who is also a judge in the same district and appears in cases 2, 4 and 5 of Trials and Tribulations; his brother has a blonde beard and speaks with a Canadian accent in the English localization. The younger Judge is voiced by Kyle Phillips in the English dub of the anime.

Apollo Justice

Voiced by (English): Orion Acaba (AA5-AA6)
Voiced by (Japanese): Kotaro Ogiwara (AA4); Kenn (AA5-AA6)

Apollo Justice (王泥喜 法介, Odoroki Hōsuke) is the new defense attorney and protagonist of the fourth Ace Attorney game. Apollo gets his start defending Phoenix Wright in the courtroom while under the tutelage of his mentor Kristoph Gavin. After Kristoph is arrested, Phoenix offers Apollo a job at the "Wright Anything Agency". As one of the Gramarye, he has a special gold bracelet which was a gift from his mother at a young age. He uses it to read subtle changes in body language to expose lies from witnesses which is called the "perceive" ability. He wears a red vest and trousers, white shirt with his sleeves rolled up, and a blue tie. His eyes are brown and his hair-being the same colour-is mostly slicked back except for his bangs which are spiked at the crown at his forehead, earning him the nickname of "Herr Forehead" by rival prosecutor Klavier Gavin in the courtroom. His English name is a reference to the Greek god of truth and knowledge while his surname gives him the opportunity to make numerous puns such as "It's time for Justice!" Apollo is known for using his "chords of steel" to loudly assert his cases in the courtroom, though he is often reprimanded for this, and has a habit of constantly saying "I'm fine" all the time when nervous. He is the biological son of Jove Justice and Thalassa Gramarye, making him Trucy's half-brother, but is unaware of this fact, having been raised by Dhurke Sahdmadhi and Datz Are'bal as Dhurke's adoptive son. Apollo's main prosecutor rivals are Klavier Gavin, who is Kristoph's younger brother, and Nahyuta Sahdmadhi, who is Apollo's own adoptive brother.

Trucy Wright

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

Trucy Wright (成歩堂 みぬき, Naruhodō Minuki), born Trucy Enigmar (奈々伏 みぬき, Nanafushi Minuki) is the daughter of Thalassa and Zak Gramarye and as such possesses the power of perception like her mother and grandfather Magnifi and her half-brother Apollo. After Zak fled the courtroom during Magnifi's murder trial, Phoenix decided to adopt her as his daughter, which she accepted with no hesitation. She establishes the Wright Talent Agency in Phoenix's former law office, and appoints herself as CEO. She and Phoenix are the only two employees of the agency, but her earnings from her shows and his poker success provide a decent living for the two. She was instrumental in bringing Apollo to the agency, and served as his assistant during his tenure in the newly rechristened Wright Anything Agency.

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

Athena Cykes

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

Athena Cykes (希月 心音, Kizuki Kokone) is a rookie defense attorney who recently passed the bar exam and specializes in psychology. She joins the Wright Anything Agency, often working alongside both Phoenix and Apollo in their cases. She has a heightened sense of hearing that allows her to sense emotions from people's words; as a child, this sense was often severely debilitating for her, causing her mother to attempt to prevent sensory overload with a special pair of sound dampening headphones. By using a device called Widget (モニ太, Monita), which has a habit of blabbing her true feelings, she can use her talent to use a program called the Mood Matrix, which allows her to hear the discord in people's hearts, pointing out emotions that contradict their statements. Analytical psychology is mentioned in the game, suggesting that the "therapy sessions" this character conducts in court may be a reference to the process of individuation that comes from this school of thought. She had previously had a traumatic experience, which led to her wanting to become a lawyer despite having a severe fear of being invalidated in court, and this fear can sometimes get the better of her. She has a particular rivalry with prosecutor Simon Blackquill, who she has known since childhood. Athena wears a yellow blazer, a white dress shirt, blue tie, and yellow skirt, and sports a left-side orange ponytail hairstyle, with a blue ribbon tying her hair.

Ryunosuke Naruhodo

Voiced by (English): Mark Ota
Voiced by (Japanese): Hiro Shimono

Ryunosuke Naruhodo (成歩堂 龍ノ介, Ryūnosuke Naruhodō) is the main player character in of the spin-off prequel series The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, and a Japanese ancestor to Phoenix Wright. A second-year student at Imperial Yumei University who later becomes an official defense attorney, he has a strong sense of justice and is prone to putting himself in dangerous situations.

Susato Mikotoba

Voiced by (English): Rina Takasaki
Voiced by (Japanese): Kana Hanazawa

Susato Mikotoba (御琴羽 寿沙都, Susato Mikotoba) is a judicial assistant who often helps Ryunosuke in his cases. She is described by Capcom as a yamato nadeshiko (a personification of the image of the ideal Japanese woman), a progressive dreamer, and a lover of foreign mystery novels.

Herlock Sholmes

Voiced by (English): Bradley Clarkson
Voiced by (Japanese): Shinji Kawada

Main article: Herlock Sholmes (Ace Attorney)

Herlock Sholmes (シャーロック・ホームズ, Shārokku Hōmuzu, Sherlock Holmes), a parody of Sherlock Holmes, is a private detective featured as a supporting character in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. Initially presenting as outwardly eccentric and forgetful, Sholmes cares for his roommate Iris Wilson while assisting Ryunosuke and Susato in honing their own deductive abilities.

Due to long-standing copyright issues related to the character of Sherlock Holmes with the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the character was renamed Herlock Sholmes for the international release in homage to Maurice Leblanc's Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes; in the original Japanese language releases of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, Sholmes is still known as Sherlock Holmes.

Iris Wilson

Voiced by (English): Claire Morgan
Voiced by (Japanese): Misaki Kuno

Iris Wilson (アイリス・ワトソン, Airisu Watoson, Iris Watson) is Sholmes's assistant and adopted daughter. Despite her young age, she holds a degree in medicine and authors The Adventures of Herlock Sholmes, a series of popular short stories, under the pen name "John H. Wilson". She occasionally assists Ryunosuke in his investigations.

Barok van Zieks

Voiced by (English): Robert Vernon
Voiced by (Japanese): Kenjiro Tsuda

Barok van Zieks (バロック・バンジークス, Barokku Banjīkusu) is an English prosecutor known colloquially as the "Grim Reaper of the Old Bailey". This is due to the fact that all of the defendants of trials that he prosecuted who received a "not guilty" verdict soon died in mysterious ways. Although originally racist to Naruhodo and Susato when he first met them, both later learn that the source of his prejudice stem back to the case of "the Professor" a serial killer active in London ten years prior to the game's events. The final "victim" of the Professor was believed to have been Barok's brother, Klint, who served as a prosecutor in London during the time. The Professor was believed to have been Genshin Asogi, a detective who Barok had befriended. Hurt by this betrayal, he personally prosecuted Genshin for the five murders he was accused of committing.

At some point in time, Barok became suspicious of Inspector Gregson for masquerading as the "Grim Reaper" and conducted a private investigation into the matter. When he went to confront Gregson over his findings, he is accidentally framed for his murder. The results of the trial, however, prove to be a shock: not only was the "Grim Reaper" actually a secret organization headed by Gregson (with notorious assassin Asa Shinn and the victim of the first case, John H. Wilson, being members), but Barok's brother Klint was actually the real Professor. After this trial, Barok retires from prosecuting.

Kazuma Asogi

Voiced by (English): Ben Deery
Voiced by (Japanese): Yūichi Nakamura

Kazuma Asogi (亜双義 一真, Kazuma Asōgi) is a close friend of Naruhodo and fellow student at Imperial Yumei University. In the first game, he is presumably killed off after a misunderstanding. However, in the second game, he was revealed to have survived the events of the first game and comes back as Barok van Ziek's apprentice, the Masked Apprentice. After his master reveals his father, Genshin Asogi, to be "The Professor", a serial killer, his true self is revealed to the player. After van Zieks is accused of murdering Inspector Gregson, he prosecutes van Zieks as revenge for prosecuting his father ten years ago.

Others

Recurring characters

Frank Sahwit

Voiced by (English): Ben Phillips
Voiced by (Japanese): Shinya Takahashi

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

Misty Fey

Voiced by: Kaori Nakamura

Misty Fey (綾里 舞子, Ayasato Maiko) is the mother of Mia and Maya, and was the former Master of Kurain Village. She was asked to assist in the DL-6 case, but the results of her actions proved to be untrue; as a result, she disappeared for several years, though remained aware of her daughters' lives. When she learned of Morgan Fey's plot to displace Maya from the Kurain Village Master through Godot, she came out of hiding, disguised as children's book author Elise Deauxnim (天流斎 エリス, Tenryūsai Erisu), and sacrificed herself to save Maya's life.

Morgan Fey

Voiced by (English): Stephanie Young
Voiced by (Japanese): Shukuko Tsugawa

Morgan Fey (綾里 キミ子, Ayasato Kimiko), is Misty Fey's older sister, and the head of the Fey branch family. She has been married twice, having Dahlia and Iris from her first marriage and Pearl in her second. She is overly protective of Pearl and schemes to great lengths to try to destroy the Fey main family line, so she can instill Pearl as the Master of Kurain.

In Justice For All, Morgan tries to discredit Maya as Master of Kurain by aiding and abetting a murderer during one of Maya's spirit channelings, but she is exposed and sentenced to solitary confinement. In Trials and Tribulations, Morgan does not appear directly, but is found to be behind the murderous actions of her daughter Dahlia in a complex plot to destroy Maya.

Winston Payne

Portrayed by: Seminosuke Murasugi (film)
Voiced by (English): David Crislip (AA1-AA4); Gregory Lush (anime)
Voiced by (Japanese): Wataru Hama (AA1-AA4); Wataru Yokojima (anime)

Winston Payne (亜内 武文, Auchi Takefumi) is a prosecutor that generally starts off with a strong case for the prosecution, but can be quickly demoralized when the defense attorney finds holes in the evidence. Payne is smug, and seems to enjoy mocking young attorneys, earning him the nickname "Rookie Killer". Either Payne or a member of his family makes an appearance in the first case of every game in the Ace Attorney series. He serves as the first prosecutor the player faces in court in the first four games of the series. He also makes a cameo in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth in the first case where he extends a friendly invitation to advise Miles Edgeworth on the case, but Edgeworth cannot seem to remember who he is (he thinks that "Mr. Payne" is the name of the building custodian); similarly, after the first case on Justice for All, Phoenix is unable to remember who Payne is even after recovering from his amnesia. He once again makes a cameo in the first case of Ace Attorney Investigations 2, where he is once again forgotten and ignored by Edgeworth. Payne is characterized by his thick glasses and his shrill, high-pitched voice. In his first appearance he wears a gray suit and red tie, and has thin, wispy hair. In his appearance in Trials and Tribulations, he wears a dark forest green suit and was shown to have had a pompadour hairstyle in his younger days, but the stress and humiliation of his loss in court against the then rookie Mia Fey was too much for him to handle, reducing him to his thin, wispy hair. For his return in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, he wears a bright yellow suit and has grown his hair out on the sides. He brags in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney that he once held a 7 year long consecutive win record in court, which is longer than Miles Edgeworth's and Franziska von Karma's perfect win records. His English name is a pun on the phrase "Winced in Pain" (which he often does when he is humiliated in court) with his Japanese surname being a pun on the English word 'ouch'.

Larry Butz

Voiced by (English): Josh Martin (anime)
Voiced by (Japanese): Masaya Onosaka (AA6); Tōru Nara (anime)

Larry Butz (矢張 政志, Yahari Masashi) is a childhood friend of Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth. Due to his antics in school, he earned the catchphrase "When something smells, it's usually the Butz". This still holds true as an adult. Larry is very flight-of-fancy and quite prone to yelling fits, and has held several jobs over the years (a hot dog vendor, a security guard, a painter, and as the Steel Samurai). A running joke throughout the series with him is that he has had a number of different girlfriends, nearly always a model, who dumps him for other men. He is also a hopeless flirt; he hits on practically any and every girl he meets, regardless of their relationship status or even interest in him; Maya Fey, Mia Fey, Franziska von Karma and countless female witnesses and characters have had passes made on them by Larry. Comedically, the judge (and Gumshoe, referring to Phoenix) constantly mispronounces his name as "Harry" (as in "Harry Butz") on several occasions. His Japanese name is a pun on the phrase やはり or やっぱり, which means "as I thought" (which is likely where the phrase "...it's usually the Butz" comes from. In the Japanese version, the schoolyard saying was "Just as I thought...Yahari's at the bottom of this mess"). In Trials and Tribulations, Larry claims off-hand that Sister Bikini is his mother when her profile is presented to him, though he retracts this if her profile is presented to him on the second investigation day. He also becomes a children's book author named Laurice Deauxnim (天流斎 マシス, Tenryūsai Mashisu) over the course of the game, becoming wildly successful for a series of picture books he writes about Franziska across the Ace Attorney Investigations series.

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

Manfred von Karma

Main article: Manfred von Karma

Manfred von Karma (狩魔 豪, Karuma Gō) is the main antagonist of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. He is a meticulous, ruthless prosecutor who is known for having a perfect record of getting all guilty sentences in every case. This "perfect record" was blemished when Miles' father Gregory discovered forged evidence, and though the incident itself did not result in a not-guilty verdict, von Karma was penalized. Distraught over the penalty, von Karma then murdered Gregory, and was not suspected of the crime. When Miles is accused of murder fifteen years later, it is discovered that the case was set up by Manfred in order to exact complete revenge against both Gregory and Miles- Gregory through murder, for tarnishing his reputation; and Miles through a guilty verdict, for accidentally shooting von Karma in the shoulder. This crime was referred to in the series' history as the DL-6 case. He eventually lost the case to Phoenix Wright, therefore ruining his 40-year-long winning streak as well as exposing him for his crimes. Manfred has two daughters, one named Franziska, but the other daughter's name is unknown. Manfred adopted Miles after Gregory's death, becoming his mentor. As stated in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, he has a granddaughter who has a dog named "Phoenix". References to him in successive Ace Attorney titles reveal that he was found guilty of all charges brought forth in the fourth case, and although it is never directly stated, it is implied that he received the death sentence. He also appears in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, during a flashback to Edgeworth's first case. In this case, he states "A prosecutor is a guardian of the court, one with no obligation to outside matters". Von Karma also appears during a flashback in Ace Attorney Investigations 2, showing his role in the investigation of the IS-7 incident, Gregory Edgeworth's final case.

Wendy Oldbag

Voiced by (English): Anastasia Muñoz
Voiced by (Japanese): Yu Sugimoto

Wendy Oldbag (大場 カオル, Ōba Kaoru) is an elderly woman with an affinity for younger men, who are usually in show business, but especially with Miles Edgeworth, whom she attempts to fawn over. She seems to love men with authority. Over the years, she has worked several security-related jobs. Her name is a play on the phrase "Windy Old Bag" because of her tendency to be long winded when ranting about how things were in her childhood. She is terse with those that get in her way and when she is annoyed she calls others "whippersnapper". During Ace Attorney Investigations, Oldbag appears both at the Gatewater Land amusement park and at the Allebahst/Babahl joint embassy and acts as a witness in cases 3 and 5. She has only ever appeared in-game in cases where Edgeworth is involved (much to his chagrin), and even appeared with him in a trailer for Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney.

Will Powers

Voiced by (English): Chris Rager
Voiced by (Japanese): Shota Yamamoto

Will Powers (荷星 三郎, Niboshi Saburō) is an actor who plays the popular superhero known as The Steel Samurai in the television series of the same name. Powers was accused of murdering his costar of the show, Jack Hammer, who played the show's main villain, the Evil Magistrate. Phoenix Wright takes his case in "Turnabout Samurai", and ultimately finds him innocent of the crime. Afterwards the program was cancelled after said murder case, and he became the lead role in another television show, "The Pink Princess". Despite his fierce appearance and the heroic roles he plays in children's television shows, he is actually quite timid. His English name is a pun on the word "willpower". Various people have also stated that he plays masked characters to avoid scaring children with his fearsome appearance, and wishes to give them a figure to look up to growing up. Powers is also a witness in the last cases of Justice for All and Investigations 2.

Lotta Hart

Portrayed by: Mitsuki Tanimura (film)
Voiced by (English): Whitney Rodgers
Voiced by (Japanese): Reiko Takagi

Lotta Hart (大沢木 ナツミ, Ōsawagi Natsumi) is a photographer that has an interest in unusual sightings such as lake monsters and paranormal occurrences. In the localization, she has a stereotypically heavy Southern accent (in the Japanese version she has an Osaka accent) and comically abuses it to the chagrin of other characters. She has appeared in the first and second Ace Attorney games as a regular witness, usually over the ambiguous images her camera catches of the crime scene.

In Ace Attorney Investigations, she appeared as a cameo in Theatrum Neutralis in Case 5 after Kay and Edgeworth enter, as she is seen beside the TV with Steel Samurai video. It's later implied that Lotta also managed to catch a photograph of what appears to be the Yatagarasu, though she herself does not present it (it is instead confiscated and presented by Detective Badd). She appears in the fourth and fifth cases of Ace Attorney Investigations 2, continuing her investigative journalism and taking on a protégé, Mikiko Hayami. Her localized name is a pun on the phrase "A lot of heart."

Maggey Byrde

Voiced by: Yoshiko Ikuta

Maggey Byrde (須々木 マコ, Suzuki Mako) was a police officer, but when she was accused of killing her boyfriend who was also an officer—though found innocent—she was forced to retire from the force and ended up working in a French restaurant known as "Très Bien". She is a magnet for trouble (ever since she fell off the ninth floor of her apartment, she has been known as "Goddess of Misfortune" and "Lady Luckless") and Phoenix defends her twice against murder charges, in both cases framed by the real killer. She is also implicated in a murder case in Ace Attorney Investigations, working as a security guard. Dick Gumshoe, who mentored her during her time as a policewoman, develops a crush on her, though it is unclear whether or not Maggey returns these feelings.

Shelly de Killer

Voiced by (English): Marcus Stimac
Voiced by (Japanese): Wataru Yokojima

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

Adrian Andrews

Voiced by (English): Mallorie Rodak
Voiced by (Japanese): Ayaka Asai

Adrian Andrews (華宮 霧緒, Kamiya Kirio) was involved in a complicated relationship with two television stars. After her boss and mentor committed suicide two years prior, Adrian attempted suicide herself, but failed. Following Matt Engarde's murder conviction, she gained employment at a department store working as an assistant for special events. Adrian can easily drift off into her own thoughts, is accident-prone, and can be high-strung at times. She also has a dependent personality and relies on other people to find the will to live, as mentioned by Edgeworth, Phoenix, and Mia on different occasions. At the end of Trials and Tribulations, she mentions befriending Franziska von Karma, who teaches her how to use a whip.

Marvin Grossberg

Voiced by (English): Phil Parsons
Voiced by (Japanese): Ryo Sugisaki

Marvin Grossberg (星影 宇宙ノ介, Hoshikage Soranosuke) is a defense attorney and namesake of the Grossberg Criminal Defense law firm. Mia Fey once worked under him, supervising her during the trial of a younger Phoenix Wright. Diego Armando also worked under him. Marvin is aware of the history of the Fey family and the events of the infamous "DL-6" case that ties several cases together, but is cautious about giving out that information to others for the sole purpose that the last person to whom he gave the evidence was Redd White, who then blackmailed Grossberg, stealing a precious painting in the process. Marvin is characterized by his bulky appearance and by his long throat-clearing noise.

Klavier Gavin

Voiced by: Ryoji Yamamoto (AA4); Toshiyuki Kusuda (AA5)

Klavier Gavin (牙琉 響也, Garyū Kyōya) is Kristoph's younger brother, a prosecutor, as well as lead vocalist and lead guitar for the rock band the Gavinners, made up of various people in law enforcement. In a stark contrast to the series' previous prosecutors, Klavier, despite being a perfectionist, does not strive for maintaining a perfect record in the courtroom, but making sure that justice is duly served by working with the defense attorneys to achieve the proper verdict. Unlike the previous prosecutors from the series (except for Miles Edgeworth), who usually displayed outright contempt for Phoenix, he is quite civil to Apollo when they run into each other, going as far as openly flirting with him. Despite this, he nicknames Apollo "Herr Forehead" (in reference to a contradiction Apollo pointed out in court, as well as Apollo's forehead being quite prominent). He studied law in Germany, like Franziska von Karma, and often uses bits of German vocabulary in his speech. His name is derived from the German word "klavier" meaning piano. His style of dress reflects his rock star personality; the collar of his shirt is left open and he wears a chain-link belt and a large necklace bearing his last initial. In court, much of Klavier’s behaviorisms align with the music, his theme song being “Guilty Love,” one of the Gavinners’ hits. Some of his animations include a long air guitar riff, snapping his fingers, or clamping his hands over his ears while a discordant note plays. He claims he wishes to keep himself simple, because the rest of the world is complicated. At the end of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Klavier disbanded the Gavinners after the last case in the game. In the 3rd case of Ace Attorney Investigations, the Gavinner's logo appears in the stadium's stage. He often tries to flirt with and tease his employee, Ema Skye, who calls him a "glimmerous fop". Klavier makes a brief appearance in Dual Destinies, now retired from music and working full-time as a prosecutor. Whilst preparing to perform a one-off concert for his former high school Themis Legal Academy's annual Mock Trial school festival, his mentor is murdered and he assists Apollo and Athena in finding the culprit. Klavier also appears in Spirit of Justice as part of the non-canon Apollo Justice: Asinine Attorney downloadable content, once again acting as a prosecutor.

Gregory Edgeworth

Portrayed by: Takehiro Hira (film)
Voiced by (English): Anthony Bowling
Voiced by (Japanese): Kyunosuke Watanuki

Gregory Edgeworth (御剣 信, Mitsurugi Shin) was the father of Miles Edgeworth. He was a highly successful defense attorney, and inspired his son to become a lawyer. However, after the conclusion of a particular trial, he was murdered in an elevator after an earthquake. The subsequent investigation, known as "DL-6", was the focus of the first game, and would continue to be referenced throughout the series. During the investigation, police called upon the services of Misty Fey to channel his spirit in order to reveal the identity of his murderer. His spirit claimed Yanni Yogi as his murderer, though during the trial it was found that the accused was completely innocent, leading to a public scandal. He briefly appears as a playable character during a flashback sequence in Ace Attorney Investigations 2, depicting his investigation of the IS-7 incident, the last case he tried before his murder. The English name "Edgeworth" seems to be a play on his Japanese surname 御剣, which contains the kanji for "sword". His English given name, "Gregory", as well as the character's physical appearance, may be a nod to actor Gregory Peck, who played attorney Atticus Finch in the movie To Kill a Mockingbird.

Director Hotti

"Director Hotti" (堀田 ディレクター, Hotta Direkutā) is a mental patient impersonating the hospital director of the Hotti Clinic. In Justice for All, after Phoenix questions him about Ini Miney while believing him to be the real director, Hotti gives him Ini's driver's license photo and a newspaper clipping on the crash in which the Miney sisters had been involved (both off which he had previously stolen) in order to assist Phoenix in his upcoming trial defending Maya Fey. Later, after Franziska von Karma is shot by Shelly de Killer, Hotti is whipped by her before running into Phoenix, relaying the circumstances of her shooting to him and Miles Edgeworth, the latter of whom does not realize Hotti's imposter nature. In Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, set eight years later, a freed Hotti is reintroduced as "Director Hickfield" (引田 ディレクター, Hikita Direkutā) of the Hickfield Clinic, seeing to Phoenix after he is hit by a car and briefly speaking to Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright. The character is also featured in the transgender webcomic series A Road To Recovery, impersonating Director Winters, the personal physician of Liliana Iris "Lily" (née Liam) and Grace Rivers.

Kay Faraday

Kay Faraday (一条 美雲, Ichijō Mikumo) is a self-proclaimed thief, and also a new assistant for Miles Edgeworth, along with Dick Gumshoe. The daughter of a prosecutor, Kay claims to be the inheritor of the title "Yatagarasu", a legendary thief from years before. However, she claims to only steal the truth that has been hidden and expose it. When Kay was ten, her father was murdered while prosecuting a very powerful smuggling ring. It is here she met Edgeworth and Gumshoe for the first time (this is explained during the game's fourth case, which is a flashback to those events). She first appears in the game's third case, assisting Edgeworth escape from a locked room where he's being held captive. Her pursuit of the truth is what pushes Miles Edgeworth to finally close an unsolved case a decade in the making. Kay has access to a device called "Little Thief" that allows her to create virtual representations of locations. This aids Miles Edgeworth in solving crimes by allowing him to use collected information to observe inconsistencies or how crimes played out. Her English name is a pun on the device known as a "Faraday Cage."

Shi-Long Lang

Shi-Long Lang (狼 士龍, Rō Shiryū, Chinese Pinyin: Láng Shìlóng) is an international detective who has a deep loathing for prosecutors and acts as Edgeworth's rival. Lang is introduced in Case 3 of Ace Attorney Investigations as an Interpol agent from the fictional nation of Zheng Fa working with Franziska von Karma to solve a smuggling ring case. His disdain for prosecutors stems from a grudge that has been held by his family for generations. Lang's family were once quite influential in law enforcement, but they lost their credibility after an incident where a prosecutor withheld and tampered with evidence. Because of this, Lang harbors a dislike for all prosecutors. Lang's personal record of arrests is the highest of any Interpol agent. He employs a 100-man group of elite and loyal investigators and treats every one of them with the utmost respect. Lang reappears in Ace Attorney Investigations 2, now working alone and investigating the circumstances of his father's last case.

Lang is also the first adversary to include a new "shout". Although both Apollo and Edgeworth receive new "shouts" ("Gotcha!" and "Eureka!", respectively), Lang replaces "Objection!" with "Not so fast!".

Tyrell Badd

Tyrell Badd (馬堂 一徹, Badō Ittetsu) is a time-hardened detective for the local precinct. He formed one-third of the Yatagarasu along with his close friend Byrne Faraday, the father of Kay Faraday, as well as a spy for the smuggling ring named Calisto Yew. As part of the Yatagarasu, he covered up their activities by acting as the lead detective on the case. After Byrne's murder, his chief obsession is the capture and arrest of the Calisto Yew. In his first appearance during Case 4 of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, he investigates the murder of Byrne Faraday and keeps watch over the newly promoted Detective Gumshoe. Though initially hostile towards Edgeworth due to his youth, he accepts his aid in the investigation on Manfred von Karma's request. He appears in Ace Attorney Investigations 2 as the lead detective of the IS-7 incident, aiding Gregory Edgeworth in his investigation. He has pale skin and an unshaven face, wearing a black shirt with a white tie, black pants, and a gray trenchcoat that is riddled with bullet holes. Several times, he's seen taking out a mirror from his coat which he reveals is so that he can always be aware of what's behind him. He has what appears to be a cigarette in his mouth, which is later revealed to be a lollipop. The lollipop may be a nod to TV detective Lt. Theo Kojak.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

April May

Voiced by (English): Jeannie Tirado
Voiced by (Japanese): Mariko Honda

April May (松竹 梅世, Shōchiku Umeyo) is a secretary at Bluecorp and a witness in the murder of Mia Fey. She accuses Mia's sister, Maya Fey, for the murder. She is known in her short appearance by her short temper and ability to seduce most men in the courtroom, as well as the judge, not unlike the powers of Dahlia Hawthorne. Her name is after two months (April and May), while Redd White's name is after two colors (red and white).

Redd White

Portrayed by: Makoto Ayukawa (film)
Voiced by (English): Larry Brantley
Voiced by (Japanese): Hiromichi Tezuka

Redd White (小中 大, Konaka Masaru) is the CEO of Bluecorp, a private detective and information agency. He blackmails people to get what he wants, including many politicians, policemen, and other figures of authority. He is very wealthy, and is seen wearing extremely fine, expensive jewelry and clothing. He is also extremely conceited, and tends to pepper his speech with large, made-up words. He is first an enemy of Misty Fey, and later, Mia Fey, as he exposed information regarding the Fey family's channeling of the victim of the DL-6 case 15 years prior to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, creating a scandal. He murders Mia in order to prevent her from blowing the whistle on his blackmailing, forming the second case of the game. He tries to force the blame first on Mia's sister Maya Fey, and later Phoenix. He confesses to his crime when Mia (being channeled by Maya) threatens to reveal a list of people he was blackmailing to the public.

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

Dee Vasquez

Portrayed by: Miho Ninagawa (film)
Voiced by (English): Janelle Lutz
Voiced by (Japanese): Yurika Hino

Dee Vasquez (姫神 サクラ, Himegami Sakura) was the high-ranking producer of the popular TV series The Steel Samurai along with many other shows by the television company Global Studios. She blackmailed the actor Jack Hammer over the death of one of his fellow actors, and later killed him in self-defence when he came to murder her, forming the game's third case. She attempted to pin the murder on the star's lead actor, Will Powers, but her attempts to cover up the accident were revealed in court.

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

Yanni Yogi

Portrayed by: Fumiyo Kohinata (film)
Voiced by (English): R. Bruce Elliott
Voiced by (Japanese): Takehiro Hasu

Yanni Yogi (灰根 高太郎, Haine Kōtarō) is a former court bailiff who was (wrongly) believed to be the murderer in the DL-6 incident. He was defended by Robert Hammond, who told him to pretend to have brain damage in order to avoid a guilty verdict. Although this strategy worked, his life was effectively destroyed; his fiancée Polly Jenkins committed suicide and he lost his job and social standing. Nearly fifteen years later, he tried to get revenge on Hammond, and Miles Edgeworth, who he believed to be the real murderer in DL-6; he murdered Hammond, and framed Edgeworth for the killing, forming the game's fourth case. Eventually, he confesses of his own free will to the crime.

Damon Gant

Damon Gant (巌徒 海慈, Kaiji Ganto) is the Chief of Police at Los Angeles Police Department who masterminded the murder of Neil Marshall, the blackmailing of Lana Skye and the cover-up of both the SL-9 incident and the Bruce Goodman murder. Phoenix Wright eventually figures out through witness testimony and evidence that Gant was the killer in both cases but he denies it. Gant says that Wright could have broken into his office and planted the 'evidence' there, and even uses his rights as Chief to deny testifying. Despite this, he eventually confesses in maniacal laughter claiming that he can hear the sound of a new beginning referring to Wright and Edgeworth.

Lana Skye

Lana Skye (宝月 巴, Houzuki Tomoe) is the older sister of Ema Skye, introduced in "Rise From the Ashes". Her parents died in a car accident, so she took care of Ema. She went to law school, where she met Mia Fey and was top of the class in her third year. Lana joined the Criminal Affairs Department as a detective. She eventually ended up working and sharing an office with Damon Gant. The two of them were known as the "Legendary Duo". Lana was a detective in the SL-9 Incident, so she was present at the day of the blackout. Ema and her wanted to have dinner after Darke's interrogation, so Ema waited in Lana's office. When Darke escaped, Lana chased after him, reaching the crime scene. What she saw seemed as though Ema had killed Neil. To protect her sister she and Gant rearranged the crime scene. After that incident, Gant started to blackmail Lana. He arranged her change to the Chief Prosecutor at the prosecutor's office, so he could control every investigation. Lana started to become very cold towards her sister. After Gant killed Bruce Goodman, he again blackmailed Lana to dispose of the body, which she does in Edgeworth's car. She hides the real murder weapon, because it would have pointed to the SL-9 incident. After that she stabs Goodman with a different knife, which is witnessed by Angel Starr. At the trial she confesses to everything to protect Gant. When the trial ends, Lana finally smiles again and accepts that she will be charged for forging evidence.

In the Japanese musical based on the series, Ace Attorney – Truth Resurrected, staged by the all-female troupe Takarazuka Revue, Asahi Miwa was cast as Leona Clyde, an original character based on Lana, whom Phoenix Wright is featured as having once been in a romantic relationship with in place of Iris/Dahlia Hawthorne. The sequel, Ace Attorney 2 – Truth Resurrected, Again, establishes Leona to have died shortly after the first musical, and he mourns her death.

Jake Marshall

Jake Marshall (罪門 恭介, Kyousuke Zaimon) is the brother of Neil Marshall, who was murdered in the SL-9 case by Damon Gant. He is a current patrolman and has an obsession for cowboys and other western acts. He appears in the 5th and final case of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Jake was a detective at the time, investigating the SL-9 case, along with Angel Starr, Neil, and Bruce Goodman. Jake did not believe his brother was killed by Joe Darke. He was demoted to a police patrolman after the case ended, as there was no literal evidence, as it was forged by Lana Skye and Damon Gant. So on the day of the murder of Bruce Goodman, he decided to steal the evidence of the SL-9 incident by disguising as Goodman himself, as well as stealing his ID card. He stole on the particular day as a evidence transferal was happening and had no choice as the evidence would be wiped out. He also wounded Mike Meekins, as he asked for his ID card, and would be exposed as his face did not match Goodmans. He then stuffed the suit in his evidence locker, as the blood of the wound would reveal himself. He covered this up until Phoenix uncovered this, and admitted that he stole evidence.

Angel Starr

Angel Starr (市ノ谷 響華, Kyouka Ichinotani) is a boxed lunch vendor and former police detective who was fired for her role in the SL-9 case, known as the "Cough-Up Queen" in reference to her ability to get people to "cough-up" information. She appears in the 5th and final case of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, in which she is called as a witness in the murder of Bruce Goodman. Due to her firing, Starr is hostile towards all prosecutors, especially Miles Edgeworth and Lana Skye.

Justice for All

Ini Miney

Voiced by (English): Mikaela Krantz
Voiced by (Japanese): Natsue Sasamoto

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

Acro

Voiced by (English): Clifford Chapin
Voiced by (Japanese): Takayuki Nakatsukasa

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

Matt Engarde

Voiced by (English): Dave Trosko
Voiced by (Japanese): Yasuaki Takumi

Matt Engarde (王都楼 真悟, Ōtarō Shingo) is the main antagonist of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All. He is an actor who plays the role of the Nickel Samurai, a sequel series to the Steel Samurai. He is charged with killing rival actor Juan Corrida, initially being accused of committing the crime directly, and later of hiring Shelly de Killer to kill Corrida. de Killer kidnaps Maya to force Phoenix to get Engarde acquitted of the charges, and Phoenix is horrified to discover that Engarde actually did hire de Killer, which he finds out after breaking his Psyche-Locks. Engarde reveals his true self, and pulls back his hair to reveal gruesome scars on the right side of his face. Though Phoenix is forced to keep defending Engarde well past the point where his guilt becomes clear, he eventually proves that Engarde filmed de Killer committing the murder so as to blackmail him in the future, causing the outraged assassin to release Maya and declare Engarde his next target. Terrified for his life, Engarde pleads guilty to Corrida's murder, choosing to spend the rest of his days in prison in order to be safe from de Killer's wrath.

Trials and Tribulations

Godot

Voiced by (English): James C. Wilson (AA3); Brandon Potter (anime)
Voiced by (Japanese): Hideki Kamiya (AA3); Hiroaki Hirata (anime)

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

Dahlia Hawthorne

Voiced by (English): Dani Chambers

Voiced by (Japanese): Rina Satō

Dahlia Hawthorne (美柳 ちなみ, Miyanagi Chinami) is the main antagonist of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations. She appears to be a sweet and innocent girl but with a sinister and demonic twist in her personality, similar to what the flower present in her name represents; instability. She is able to manipulate others to do her bidding using her looks and seemingly shy demeanor. Years before the events of Trials and Tribulations, Dahlia was involved in a fake kidnapping in which she got her hands on a very valuable diamond. Five years later, she was forced to murder both her co-conspirators to prevent the truth getting out, killing one, her step-sister Valerie, and talking the other, Terry Fawles, into committing suicide in the middle of his own trial. Pursued by Mia Fey and Diego Armando, she poisoned Armando, putting him in a five-year coma and leading to his transformation into Godot. She also dated Phoenix while he was in college, although her primary purpose was to hide evidence, rather than for romantic purposes, and she eventually attempted to kill him before framing him for a murder she had committed in the process.

Luke Atmey

Voiced by (English): Ian Sinclair

Voiced by (Japanese): Toshihiko Seki

Luke Atmey (星威岳 哀牙, Hoshiidake Aiga) is a self-declared "Ace Detective" and nemesis of the thief Mask☆DeMasque, who is known for spanking the monkey in public. He is summoned as a witness to the theft of the Kurain Sacred Urn, which he was hired to guard, but when Phoenix confronts him over the inconsistencies in his claim to have been incapacitated by the thief, Atmey suddenly confesses that he himself is in fact Mask☆DeMasque, whom he claims to have created in order to get hired to guard treasures which he would then steal. In the process of investigating the seemingly unrelated murder of Kane Bullard, Phoenix discovers that Atmey had actually been blackmailing the true Mask☆DeMasque, Ron DeLite, into carrying out thefts so that Atmey could sell the stolen items on the black market, only for Atmey himself to end up being blackmailed by Bullard, whom he was forced to kill. Phoenix is able to stop Atmey from being convicted of the Mask☆DeMasque thefts (which would have provided him with an alibi for Bullard's murder), and proves him to be the true killer.

Furio Tigre

Voiced by (English): Sam Riegel

Voiced by (Japanese): Satoshi Mikami

Furio "The Tiger" Tigre (芝九蔵 虎ノ助, Toranosuke "Zenitora" Shibakuzo) is a loan shark who bears a passing resemblance to Phoenix Wright. Tigre was hugely in debt to the feared Cadaverini crime family, and came up with a plan to have one of his own clients, computer programmer Glen Elg, create a valuable computer virus for him to sell on the black market in exchange for his loan being waived. The plan went awry when Elg won the lottery jackpot and insisted on simply paying off his debt (which wouldn't have been nearly enough to pay off Tigre's own debt to the Cadaverinis), causing Tigre to fatally poison him in order to obtain the virus, then frame Maggey Byrde for the murder. Tigre then impersonates Phoenix to trick Maggey into hiring him as her attoreny, doing an intentionally poor job and ensuring a "Guilty" verdict; when the real Phoenix is informed of the events a month later by Gumshoe, a retrial is called and he once again represents Maggey in court at Gumshoe's behest. Despite exposing Tigre's plan in court, Phoenix is unable to produce any hard evidence to prove this, which nearly causes Maggey's conviction to be upheld until Phoenix tricks Tigre into identifying the bottle he used to poison Elg, something that only the true killer would have known. This causes Tigre to be arrested, and allows Maggey's conviction to be overturned.

Iris

Voiced by (English): Dani Chambers

Voiced by (Japanese): Rina Satō

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

Abandoned at a nearby monastery as a small child, she received love and motherly care from the head nun there, Sister Bikini. Iris was later requested by her sister to help in a plan to steal a two million dollar diamond from their stepfather, but didn't show up, causing Dahlia to consider her a backstabber. Her role in this plan was unknown. She masqueraded as her sister Dahlia during the majority of her "relationship" with Phoenix to get back the bottle that Dahlia gave Phoenix, and fell in love with him as revealed in Trials and Tribulations.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Kristoph Gavin

Voiced by: Ryoji Yamamoto

Kristoph Gavin (牙琉 霧人, Garyū Kirihito, his given name in the Japanese version is an anagram for the word hitokiri, which means "assassin") is the main antagonist of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. He is Klavier's older brother, Apollo's former mentor and Phoenix's friend in the years following his disbarment. Kristoph is known for his usually calm and sophisticated demeanor in court, earning him the nickname "the coolest defense in the West." He runs his own attorney firm, called the Gavin Law Offices. He is found to be a suspect in a murder, and later discovered to be at the center of Phoenix's disbarring seven years prior to Apollo Justice: resentful that Phoenix was chosen, instead of him, to defend Zak Gramayre in a trial that would have bought him great fame should he have won the trial, he plants forged evidence on Wright, knowing that he may present it in court. He then keeps a watchful eye over everyone involved in both the forged evidence and the case to make certain that no one speaks of it. When Zak came out of hiding after seven years, Kristoph murdered him to prevent him from disclosing the truth of the past seven years to anyone. His hard, unwavering stance on evidence being the absolute last word in a court of law is also his ultimate undoing; when he discovers that jurors would determine the case of Vera Misham, and that it was Wright who was responsible for preparing the case, he explodes in rage, screaming Wright's name. After the jury declares Vera not guilty, Kristoph can do nothing but laugh a terrible, insane laugh as he's taken away.

Alita Tiala

Alita Tiala (並奈美波, Namina Minami) is the fiancee of gangster Wocky Kitaki, who becomes Apollo Justice's first client after he joins the newly-renamed Wright Anything Agency. Wocky is accused of murdering Alita's former employer, Dr. Pal Meraktis, who had attempted to operate on Wocky after he was shot in a bungled attack on a rival crime family, and falsely claimed to have removed a bullet lodged near Wocky's heart, gambling that the impetuous Wocky would get himself killed by some other means before the truth could come to light. Alita turns out to have been Meraktis' nurse at the time of the operation, and got engaged to Wocky knowing that the bullet would eventually kill him, allowing her to inheirt the Kitaki family fortune. When the bullet was discovered by another doctor, Alita attempted to kill Meraktis and destroy any evidence that she knew of Wocky's condition, but Meraktis overpowered and seemingly killed her. When he went to throw her "body" in a nearby river, however, he found himself confronted by Wocky, and Alita regained consciousness and shot Meraktis dead, with her fiance none the wiser as to who shot the doctor. Apollo exposes her as Meraktis' killer in court, causing her to admit that she hired Apollo after Trucy Wright gave her a shoddily-made business card for the Wright Anything Agency, which made her believe that Apollo would be incompetent and ensure Wocky's conviction.

Daryan Crescend

Daryan Crescend (眉月大庵, Mayudzuki Daian) is an international affairs detective, and a guitarist in Klavier Gavin's band, The Gavinners. After briefly appearing in court to confirm that the case's victim, Romein LeTouse, had in fact been a secret Interpol investigator, Daryan is suddenly accused of being the killer by the singer Lamiroir, who LeTouse had been posing as the manager of. Apollo Justice eventually finds evidence that Crescend conspired with Lamiroir's supposedly blind concert pianist, Machi Tobaye, in order to smuggle a highly valuable coccoon out of the country of Borginia; extracts from the cocoon can be refined into a cure for a deadly disease, but any alteration to the extraction process will instead create a deadly toxin. LeTouse discovered Daryan's smuggling operation and confronted him, forcing him to kill LeTouse and frame Tobaye for the murder. Apollo persuades Tobaye to confess to being Daryan's accomplice in order to get a light prison sentence, ensuring that even if Daryan somehow avoids being convicted for killing LeTouse, he will be extradited to Borginia and sentenced to death for his coccoon smuggling, which is a capital crime in that country.

Vera Misham

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

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

Magnifi Gramarye

Magnifi Gramarye (或真敷 天斎, Arumajiki Tensai) is the founder of the Gramarye Troupe and the biological grandfather of both Apollo and Trucy. In his bloodline lies the power to perceive the nervous habits other people displays when they are tense or lying. Though he committed suicide after passing on the leadership of the Troupe to Zak, as he was already dying of terminal liver cancer, the incident is treated as a murder case with Zak as the only suspect, during which Phoenix lost his attorney's badge. Seven years later, Magnifi's other apprentice. Valant, confesses to Phoenix that he had tampered with the scene of the suicide in order to frame Zak for their mentors murder, which would have allowed him to claim the rights to Magnifi's magic for himself.

Thalassa Gramarye

Thalassa Gramarye (或真敷 優海, Arumajiki Yūmi) is the only daughter of Magnifi Gramarye and is the biological mother of both Apollo and Trucy. She was initially married to a traveling musician named Jove Justice, Apollo's father, but was distraught when he died in a fire in the Kingdom of Khura'in and she could not find out information about where her son was. She later married Zak, giving birth to Trucy with him. She was hidden by her father after an unexpected accident during a rehearsal of a magic trick in which either Zak or Valant shot her, resulting in retrograde amnesia and blindness. After being discovered by a record producer for her singing voice, her identity was changed to Lamiroir (ラミロア, Ramiroa), and she became a popular Borginian singer. She is accompanied by her pianist Machi Tobaye (マキ・トバーユ, Maki Tobāyu), at all times due to her blindness, but the producer orders Machi to feign blindness while Lamiroir acts as his guide—while it is in fact the opposite. She later regained her memory, as well as her eyesight, at the end of the game after being one of the jurists in the final case. In Spirit of Justice, she briefly appears during the game's conclusion, telling Phoenix the time has come to tell Apollo and Trucy of their parentage.

Zak Gramarye

Zak Gramarye (或真敷 ザック, Arumajiki Zakku), whose real name is Shadi Enigmar (奈々伏 影郎, Nanafushi Kagerō), is the biological father of Trucy Wright and the second husband of Thalassa. He was chosen by Magnifi to inherit the secret trade of the Gramarye Troupe. He was the defendant in the case of Magnifi's supposed murder, and chose Phoenix Wright as his attorney over Kristoph Gavin after playing poker with both men and reading their intentions: Kristoph wanted nothing more than fame and glory, and Phoenix was merely doing his job at defending the innocent. However, he was unaware of the forged evidence planted on Phoenix, and seeing that his arrest was inevitable when the case fell apart, was able to escape the courtroom before a verdict was made. Seven years later, he returned with the new identity of Shadi Smith, a traveler, but is killed shortly afterward by Kristoph Gavin, who was seeking vengeance for his rejection seven years prior. Before his death, however, he wills the secrets of the Gramarye Troupe's magic tricks to Trucy, with Phoenix as his witness.

Valant Gramarye

Valant Gramarye (或真敷 バラン, Arumajiki Baran) is a colleague of Zak and Thalassa, he completes the trio of the Gramarye Troupe, but is the last known Gramarye after Zak and Thalassa's disappearances. He is striving to revive the popularity of the Gramarye Troupe which was lost seven years ago with the death of his former teacher, Magnifi Gramarye, and the subsequent trial that caused his partner Zak to disappear. However, his plans for reviving the Gramarye Troupe are spoiled when he discovers that Trucy Wright has legally inherited the Gramarye Troupe's secret magic tricks from Zak, who had shown up just before 7 years had passed that would declare him "legally dead".

Spark Brushel

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

Dual Destinies

Gaspen Payne

Voiced by: Hisashi Izumi

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

Juniper Woods

Voiced by: Eri Ozeki

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

Simon Blackquill

Voiced by (English): Troy Baker
Voiced by (Japanese): Shunsuke Sakuya

Simon Blackquill (夕神　迅, Yūgami Jin) is the new main rival prosecutor in Dual Destines. He is referred to as the "Twisted Samurai", and has long black hair with a white patch tied into a ponytail. He keeps a hawk feather clenched in his teeth at most times, and has dark bags under his eyes that give him the appearance of wearing black eyeshadow. He was ordered to stand in court despite technically serving a murder sentence; he appears in court wearing a large pair of shackles connected by a chain on his wrists, that he tends to break when especially provoked. His prosecution strategy is to intimidate the witnesses, defense attorneys and even the judge with insults and threats of physical violence, such as acting if he will pull a sword, sending Taka after his opponent, the Judge, or even witnesses, or spitting his feather towards witnesses or the defense and flicking his fingers very rapidly to slice at it (a form of Iaijutsu).

Aura Blackquill

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

Bobby Fulbright

Voiced by: Biichi Sato

Bobby Fulbright (番　轟三, Ban Gōzō) is the new detective of the game and is revealed to be the game's main antagonist. He is hot-blooded and has a strong sense of justice, even to the point of helping defense attorneys if it gets fair trials for the defendants. He has worked with Blackquill (Referred "Fool Bright" by Blackquill) in the past with the hope that he will redeem himself. In the end, it turns out that Fulbright is in fact dead, and that the Fulbright seen throughout the game is an international spy known as the Phantom (亡霊, Phantom).

Spirit of Justice

Ahlbi Ur'gaid

Voiced by: Emiri Katō

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

Nahyuta Sahdmadhi

Voiced by: Daisuke Namikawa

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

Rayfa Padma Khura'in

Voiced by: Saori Hayami

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

Inga Karkhuul Khura'in

Inga Karkhuul Khura'in (インガ・カルクール・クライン, Inga Karukūru Kurain), full name Inga Karkhuul Haw'kohd Dis'nahm Bi'ahni Lawga Ormo Pohmpus Da'nit Ar'edi Iz Khura'in III (インガ・カルクール・ククルーラ・ラルバン・ギジール・ホフダラン・マダラ・ヴィラ・ヤシマ・ジャクティエール・クライン３世, Inga Karukūru Kukurūra Raruban Gijīru Hofudaran Madara Vira Yashima Jakutiēru Kurain San-sei), is the Minister of Justice of Khura'in and the husband of Queen Ga'ran. He is a ruthless individual who uses the country's secret police to maintain an iron grip on the populace. However, he genuinely loves his niece and adoptive daughter Rayfa, and keeps several mementos of her childhood in a safe in his private quarters. He seeks to overthrow Ga'ran in order to seize the throne for himself. To this end, he abducts Maya Fey and uses her as leverage to force Phoenix Wright to obtain the Founder's Orb for him, which is reputed to grant great spiritual power to the one who can solve its riddle. Dhurke Sahdmadhi attempts to rescue Maya, and an altercation ensues that results in Inga shooting Dhurke and killing him. Later, after Apollo Justice successfully keeps the Founder's Orb out of his hands, Inga attempts to ransom Maya for the Orb. However, Ga'ran gets wind of his plan, murders him, and pins the crime on Dhurke by disguising herself in Dhurke's outfit (which inadvertently reveals that Inga also suffers from face blindness). Apollo successfully proves that it was Ga'ran who committed the murder and removes her from power. His English localized middle names are taken from the sentence "How could this name be any longer or more pompous than it already is."

Dhurke Sahdmadhi

Voiced by: Masashi Ebara

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

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

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

Datz Are'bal

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

Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in

Voiced by: Gara Takashima

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

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

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

Jove Justice

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

Amara Sigatar Khura'in

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

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

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

Ace Attorney Investigations series

Calisto Yew

Voiced by: Yuki Nakamura

Calisto Yew (葛 氷見子, Kazura Himiko) is one of the main antagonists of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. She masquerades as a defense attorney in Case 4 and as an Interpol Agent in Cases 3 & 5. Yew displays a hard professionalism about her demeanor but also has a tendency to condescend to anyone she deems too serious (such as Edgeworth), which causes her to break out laughing at inappropriate times. During the case, she murders her fellow attorney Byrne Faraday (Kay's father) for threatening to expose the truth about the Yatagarasu, which is that the so-called "Great Thief" is actually three different people: Calisto, himself, and Detective Badd. When exposed by Edgeworth, Calisto attempts to shoot him before escaping the courthouse.

Yew is actually introduced in the game during the previous case as Shih-na (シーナ, Shīna), Agent Lang's personal assistant, though the connection is not made at the time. Her true identity is later exposed during Case 5, when she is suspected of being the one responsible for the Embassy fire, and she loses control and bursts out into laughter as Edgeworth questions her. As Shih-Na, she displays a very subdued and cold personality, speaking directly to anyone but Lang at only the most necessary of times. She ultimately reveals that both "Shih-na" and "Calisto Yew" are just some of the aliases she has used as an undercover member of the smuggling ring, which she works for by being a double agent among her fellow Yatagarasu members.

Quercus Alba

Quercus Alba (カーネイジオンレッド, Kāneiji Onreddo) is the other main antagonist of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. He is the Ambassador of the fictional country of Allebahst, as well as being a former general. Upon first meeting him, he is presented as a feeble man who blames himself for when things go wrong in his country. This is actually a cover for his true self; he is the leader of an international smuggling ring. His true personality is cruel and egotistical, taunting Miles Edgeworth and others who opposed him. Quercus Alba is also behind the death of several other characters in the game. When Edgeworth brings his crimes to light, however, Alba points out that he cannot be prosecuted because of his diplomatic immunity, and also because his crimes were committed on Allebahstian soil. Agent Lang is able to use the evidence gathered by Edgeworth to have Alba dismissed as ambassador, and then Edgeworth proves that Alba killed his former right-hand man, Manny Coachen (who was attempting to seize control of the smuggling ring from Alba) on American soil, leading to his arrest and the downfall of the ring.

"Teikun Ō"

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

Named Di-Jun Huang in the fan translation.

Tateyuki Shigaraki

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

Named Raymond Shields in the fan translation.

Ryōken Hōinbō

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

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

Hakari Mikagami

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

Named Justine Courtney in the fan translation.

Yumihiko Ichiyanagi

Voiced by: Kotaro Ogiwara

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

He is named Sebastian Debeste in the fan translation.

Bansai Ichiyanagi

Bansai Ichiyanagi (一柳 万才, Ichiyanagi Bansai) is Yumihiko's father, and the corrupt chief prosecutor who is brought up to light in the fourth case. After he is exposed for murder, he attempts to rig Mari Miwa’s trial.

Named Blaise Debeste in the fan translation.

Sota Sarushiro

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

Named Simon Keyes in the fan translation.

The Great Ace Attorney series

Yujin Mikotoba

Yujin Mikotoba (御琴羽悠仁), Mikotoba Yūjin) - Is a professor at Imperial Yumei University, as well as Kazuma Asogi's mentor and Susato's father.

Taketsuchi Auchi

Taketsuchi Auchi (亜内武土, Auchi Taketsuchi) - Is a Japanese prosecutor and ancestor of Winston and Gaspen Payne.

Gina Lestrade

Gina Lestrade (ジーナ・レストレード, Jīna Resutorẽdo) - Is a pickpocket who witnessed the murder of "Thrice-Fired" Mason. She was then the defendant in the murder of Pop Windibank, where Ryunosuke Naruhodo found her to be innocent. Later, she works under Gregson as a detective-in-training.