List of Ace Attorney characters

Template:VG-in-universe This is a list of fictional characters from the Ace Attorney series of video games by Capcom.

Defense attorneys

Phoenix Wright / Ryuuichi Naruhodou (成歩堂 龍一, Naruhodō Ryūichi)

First Introduced: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Phoenix is defense attorney and is the protagonist of the first three games, and a secondary character in Apollo Justic. He is often called "Nick" by his closest friends, or "porcupine head" by others due to his spiky hair. In his childhood, he befriended Larry Butz and Miles Edgeworth. He was convicted of murder while studying art in college, but successfully defend by Mia Fey, changing his career to law and eventually joining up with Mia's office. After Mia is murdered, Phoenix inherited the office, renaming it "Wright and Co.", and continued his work as a defense attorney. In the courtroom, Phoenix was known for wildly guessing at the truth, allowing him to "turnabout" the court to his favor.

A case seven years prior to the events of Apollo Justice caused him to forfeit his attorney's badge due to the apparent use of forged evidence; at the same time, he adopted the talented Trucy Wright as his daughter, renaming the offices to "Wright Anything Agency". When he is convicted of murder again and found innocent by a green defense attorney, Apollo Justice, Phoenix offers Apollo a position in his agency.

His English name is a play on the words "phoenix", the bird that rises from its own ashes, and a homonym on the word "right". In Japanese, his name is a play on the words "I See".

Marvin Grossberg / Soranosuke Hoshikage (星影 宇宙ノ介, Hoshikage Soranosuke)

First Introduced: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney''

Grossberg, a rotund, mustached man, is a defense attorney and namesake of the Grossberg Criminal Defense law firm. Mia Fey once 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.

Apollo Justice / Housuke Odoroki (王泥喜 法介, Odoroki Hōsuke)

First Introduced: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

The new defense attorney protagonist for the fourth Ace Attorney, Apollo gets his start defending Phoenix Wright in the courtroom while under the tutelage of Kristoph Gavin. When Kristoph is arrested, Phoenix offers Apollo a job at the "Wright Anything Agency" after. As one of the Gramarye, he has a special bracelet which he uses to read subtle changes in body language and expose lies from witnesses. Apollo also uses his "chords of steel" to loudly assert his cases in the courtroom, though he is often reprimanded for this. He once tells Trucy he often wakes up early to practice (although it normally just makes his voice raspy.)

Kristoph Gavin / Kirihito Garyu (牙琉 霧人, Garyū Kirihito)

First Introduced: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Kristoph is Klavier's older brother, Apollo's mentor and Phoenix' acquaintance for many years. 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.

Prosecutors

Miles Edgeworth / Reiji Mitsurugi (御剣 怜侍, Mitsurugi Reiji)

First Introduced: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Serving as Phoenix' rival, Miles is the city's youngest prosecutor. As a child, Edgeworth aspired to become a defense attorney, following in his father Gregory's footsteps. However, upon witnessing a case where a suspected murdered was let free, he gained a hatred for criminals and began studying to be a prospector, learning tactics from his mentor Manfred von Karma to always get a "guilty" verdict, which later earned him the name "demon prosecutor". Miles won every case he was involved with until his first trial against Phoenix, after which he felt he need to defeat Phoenix. After Phoenix successfully defended Miles in a murder accusation from his former mentor, Miles recognized that prosecutors and defense attorneys need to be partners in discovering the truth. After disappearing for a long period of time on a journal of self-discovery, Miles returns to help Phoenix on some of his more difficult cases, including stepping in as the defense attorney when Phoenix became injured.

Manfred von Karma / Go Karuma (狩魔 豪, Karuma Gō)

First Introduced: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Prosecutor Manfred von Karma is a meticulous, ruthless prosecutor who is known for having a perfect record of getting all guilty sentences in all but one case, when Miles' father Gregory discovered forged evidence. When Miles is accused of murder, it is later discovered that the case was set up by Manfred in order to completely clear the record from his earlier loss to Gregory. Manfred has two daughters, one named Franziska, but the other daughter is unnamed; Manfred also adopted Miles after Gregory's death, becoming his mentor.

Franziska von Karma / Mei Karuma (狩魔 冥, Karuma Mei)

First Introduced: Phoenix Wright: Justice for All

The daughter of Manfred von Karma. Franziska became a prosecutor in Germany at the age of 13, and was undefeated during that time. When Miles disappeared on his journey of self-discovery, Franziska took his place at the prosecutor's stand, looking to punish Phoenix for her adopted brother's disappearance. Once Miles reappears, she still held resentment towards Phoenix, but helps out in several cases. Franziska always carries a whip with her and uses it freely on anyone at the courtroom, and is fond of calling others "foolish fools".

Winston Payne / Takefumi Auchi (亜内 武文, Auchi Takefumi)

Winston Payne is a prosecutor that generally starts off with a strong case for the prosecution, but quickly can be demoralized when the defense attorney finds holes in the evidence. Payne can be very smug, and he seems to enjoy mocking young attorneys, earning him the nickname the "Rookie Killer". He serves as the first prosecutor the player goes against in all four games.

Godot

The Stolen Turnabout - Bridge to the Turnabout

Godot (ゴドー, Godō)

Godot is a prosecutor who wears an electronic visor. Promotional material described him as a mysterious man whose name and identity are unknown. He makes his first appearance in Trials and Tribulations and serves as the main prosecutor of the game. He regularly drinks exactly seventeen cups of coffee during court sessions. His real name is revealed to be Diego Armando in the English version and Soryu Kaminogi (神乃木 荘龍, Kaminogi Sōryū) in the Japanese version; and was a friend and coworker of Mia Fey when she worked at Marvin Grossberg's law firm. During his time there, he became her love interest. He also claimed he loved her. After Diego was poisoned by Dahlia Hawthorne (eight months before "Turnabout Memories" in Trials and Tribulations ) he had supposedly "died." Modern medicine enabled him to survive, but his hair turned white and he became partially blind. The visor he wears enables him to see, but he is still unable to see the color red on a white background. He, Misty Fey and Iris work together to stop Dahlia Hawthorne's ghost from killing Maya Fey. Godot then kills Elise Deauxnim (who was actually Misty Fey) because she was channeling Dahlia, who was trying to kill Maya. It is uncertain if Godot actually gets the death penalty or not,or if he's really dead.

Klavier Gavin

Turnabout Corners - Present

Klavier Gavin / Kyouya Garyu (牙琉 響也, Garyū Kyōya)

This prosecutor is the rival of Apollo Justice in Apollo Justice, the fourth Ace Attorney game. Unlike the other Prosecutors in previous Ace Attorney games, Klavier does not care for a perfect win record - instead, he understands the goal as a prosecutor to discover the truth if it means losing, often working with Apollo (this is the "purpose" of a prosecutor and defense attorney that Edgeworth describes to Phoenix in his return in Justice for All, to work together to uncover the truth). In addition to his prosecution work, he is the vocalist for a popular rock band "Gavinners", a band composed of Gavin and fellow legal personnel. Daryan Crescend, second guitarist for the Gavinners, has described Klavier as a "perfectionist", as he tends to be obsessive over slight details. They have a number of hit records at the time of the fourth game, however, during the credits, Gavin says that they've decided to split up. He also likes to perform the air guitar and playing rock music during court sessions to show his passion for music. His older brother is Kristoph, who himself is a famous defense attorney . He also speaks with a slight (possibly fake) German accent refering to Apollo as "Herr Forehead" and exclaiming "Achtung" multiple times during trials usually when presenting evidence against Apollo. He also refers to girls with the German title "Fraulein," such as Trucy and Ema.

Fey Family

The Fey Family is a known family of powerful spirit mediums and during their popularity they are being used by the police as the means of identifying criminals through channeling the souls of the victims. Their popularity waned during the course of the DL-6 incident where the identified criminal became acquitted. The Fey Family played a huge role in Phoenix Wright's cases and Miles' decision in becoming a prosecutor.

Mia Fey

The First Turnabout - Bridge to the Turnabout

Mia Fey / Chihiro Ayasato (綾里 千尋, Ayasato Chihiro)

Eldest daughter of Misty Fey, Mia became a defense attorney to find out what happened to her mother after the DL-6 incident. She initially worked at Marvin Grossberg's office alongside Diego Armando, and subsequently opened her own practice. In the first Phoenix Wright, she serves as Phoenix's boss for the first case, but is murdered by Redd White shortly thereafter in the second case. However, her spirit can be summoned by either Maya or Pearl Fey when Wright needs help. Trials and Tribulations features two "flashback" cases in which the player plays as Mia in her first and second murder cases at Grossberg's law firm.

Maya Fey

Turnabout Sisters - Bridge to the Turnabout

Maya Fey / Mayoi Ayasato (綾里 真宵, Ayasato Mayoi)

Younger daughter of Misty Fey, she is a medium-in-training. As her mother, Misty Fey, died during the last case of Trials and Tribulations, she is the current Master of Kurain village. After Wright defends her from charges of murdering her sister Mia in Case two of the first Ace Attorney game, she stays on with Phoenix to assist in investigation and proceedings of his cases. She returns in both Justice for All and Trials and Tribulations as Phoenix's assistant. In case two of Justice for All, she is accused of murder once again, and she is called as the final witness in the final case of Trials and Tribulations. Maya likes food and is constantly on the look out for a burger place. Larry Butz gives her some of his attention in Trials and Tribulations and calls her and Mia 'gorgeous sisters' which Maya appreciates.

Pearl Fey

Reunion and Turnabout - Bridge to the Turnabout

Pearl Fey / Harumi Ayasato (綾里 春美, Ayasato Harumi)

Pearl is Morgan's youngest daughter, and Maya's cousin. She is referred to as 'Pearly' by Maya and 'Pearls' by Phoenix. Morgan shelters her from the real world, and she knows little outside of Kurain village. Morgan says that she is more talented than Maya in spirit channeling. However, in the final case of Justice for All, Pearl notes that 'something strong' had called Mia's spirit away - Maya. She introduces Wright to the concept of Psyche-Locks and believes Maya and Wright are involved in a romantic relationship. In the second case of Trials and Tribulations, the third game in the series, after Phoenix accepted the case, Pearls got mad and said that she should have never trusted him. She makes up and continues to help with the case by finding evidence. Pearl and Larry Butz form a loser club, after Pearl feels that it is her fault that Maya is lost or possibly dead. At the end of Trials and Tribulations she trains at the Inner Temple.

Other Feys

Ami Fey / Kyōko Ayasato (綾里 供子, Ayasato Kyōko)

Ami Fey was the first medium in the Fey family and created the Kurain channeling technique. Her soul was believed to be contained in an urn at Fey Manor in Kurain Village, that is until Pearl Fey accidentally knocked it over with her Steel Samurai Ball. In Trials And Tribulations, however, it can be seen in a picture during the credits that the urn was broken before this when Mia and Maya were children. The urn was also broken a third time by Adrian Andrews in Trials and Tribulations, "Stolen Turnabout".

Misty Fey / Maiko Ayasato (綾里 舞子, Ayasato Maiko)

Misty Fey is the mother of Mia and Maya Fey, and was the former Master of Kurain Village. She was involved in the DL-6 incident, where the police requested that she channel a spirit to solve a case, but in the end, her work was disqualified and exposed and she disappeared as a result. Misty's involvement was leaked to the papers by Redd White, and because the verdict did not match her spiritual reading, she and her powers were considered fraudulent by the public. She disappeared afterwards. But as claimed later, she still helps the police out from undercover. She returns in the fifth case of Trials and Tribulations as Elise Deauxnim, a children's book author, where she is murdered. Pearl is a great fan of Elise Deauxnim's books and is enthralled to find her at the temple.

Morgan Fey / Kimiko Ayasato (綾里 キミ子, Ayasato Kimiko)

Morgan is Misty Fey's older sister, and due to the rites of Kurain Village, is the head of the Fey branch family. As per tradition, the older sibling is to be the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, but Misty had been chosen instead of her and became the head of the branch family. The branch family's role is to protect the main family from harm. However, she plots to kill the heirs of the main family to install her daughter Pearl as the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique since Morgan's own spiritual power is very weak. She plays a significant role in case two of Justice for All and, to a lesser extent, case five of Trials and Tribulations. Morgan Fey had planned to kill Maya Fey, along with the help of the spirit of Dahlia Hawthorne and Pearl. She seems to have a strong liking for "Very bitter green tea" and "Huge strawberry desserts". Her name may be inspired from the antagonist in Arthurian Legend, Morgan la Fay.

Dahlia Hawthorne / Chinami Miyanagi (美柳 ちなみ, Miyanagi Chinami)

Dahlia is the main villain of Trials and Tribulations. She first appears as a witness in the first case ("Turnabout Memories"), where she is twenty years old and the girlfriend of Phoenix Wright, who is himself twenty one years old and on trial for the murder of Dahlia's ex-boyfriend. She again appears as a witness in the fourth case ("Turnabout Beginnings"), which takes place six months before the first case. She appears as a sweet and innocent girl and takes in the judge and Payne. In the fifth case ("Bridge to the Turnabout"), which takes place in the series present day continuity, Dahlia Hawthorne appears as a channeled spirit, as she was executed a month prior to the case for her crimes. She loathes Mia Fey and was planning to kill her sister Maya, with the help of Morgan Fey and the oblivious Pearl Fey. It turns out that Dahlia is Pearl's half-sister and Maya's cousin.

Iris / Ayame (あやめ)

Iris appears in the final case of Trials and Tribulations as an acolyte living in Hazakura Temple. Her striking resemblance to Dahlia Hawthorne prompts Phoenix to investigate. After the events at the temple, she becomes the accused for the same case. It is later revealed that Iris is Dahlia’s identical twin sister. Iris was abandoned to the Hazakura Temple at Dahlia’s insistence, but the two apparently stayed in touch. Iris greatly admired Dahlia and felt guilty at abandoning her during her sister’s fake kidnapping plot, and it is this guilt that drives Iris into going along with most of Dahlia’s later plots. Iris dated Phoenix for 6 months posing as Dahlia in order to retrieve an incriminating piece of evidence on her sister’s behalf (Dahlia was under heavy investigation and could not act on her own). During this time, Iris develops genuine and strong feelings for Phoenix. Dahlia does not inform Iris of her plans to kill Phoenix due to her feelings, which were such that Iris later states she was willing to give her life or even kill her own sister in order to protect him.

Troupe Gramarye

Troupe Gramarye / Arumajiki Ichiza (或真敷一座, Arumajiki Ichiza)

Parallel to the Feys, the Gramarye Troupe is a group of talented magicians introduced in the fourth game, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney.

The main bloodline of its founder, Magnifi Gramarye, possesses a strong power of perception and is able to see the truth being hidden by people by identifying their body language. They played a huge role in the Apollo Justice game and they somehow played a huge factor in the reason why Phoenix lost his attorney's badge.

Magnifi Gramarye / Tensai Arumajiki (或真敷 天斎, Arumajiki Tensai)

The founder of the Gramarye Troupe and the biological grandfather of both Apollo and Trucy. In his bloodline lies the power to perceive the truth by observing the movements of the subject in question. His murder was the last case Phoenix dealt with and in that case he lost his attorney's badge. However, it is revealed that Magnifi committed suicide, rather than being murdered. He is the parallel of Ami Fey, being the founders of their respective group.

Thalassa Gramarye / Yuumi Arumajiki (或真敷 優海, Arumajiki Yūmi)

The only daughter of Magnifi Gramarye and is the biological mother of both Apollo and Trucy. She was hidden by her father after an unexpected accident during a rehearsal. Because of that incident, she became blind and lost her memory. Her identity was changed to Lamiroir, a popular Borginian singer. She is a jurist in the last case of Apollo Justice and it is revealed that she too has a bracelet like Apollo's, as she is his mother.

Zak Gramarye / Zakku Arumajiki (或真敷 ザック, Arumajiki Zakku)

Real name is Shadi Enigmar / Kagerou Nanafushi (奈々伏 影郎, Nanafushi Kagerō) . The biological father of Trucy Wright and the second husband of Thalassa, he was chosen by Magnifi to inherit the secret trade of the Gramarye Troupe. He was the defendant in the case of Magnifi's murder, and was able to escape arrest before a verdict has been made. Seven years later, he returned with the new identity of Shadi Smith, a traveler. He is the parallel of Misty Fey, both of them suddenly disappearing for a long period of time and then making a return a few days before they become "legally dead". Zak loves his dear daughter Trucy and has a locket around his neck, with a picture of Trucy when she was younger inside. Phoenix takes it when he is killed by Kristoph.

Valant Gramarye / Baran Arumajiki (或真敷 バラン, Arumajiki Baran)

A colleague of Zak and Thalassa, he completes the trio of the Gramarye Troupe. He appeared as a witness in Phoenix's last case and is the last remaining Gramarye during the events of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. He is striving to revive the popularity of the Gramarye Troupe which was lost seven years ago. He is called Uncle Valant by Trucy. Valant's favourite colour is yellow, and claims it brings him luck.

Trucy Wright / Minuki Naruhodou (成歩堂 みぬき, Naruhodō Minuki)

The daughter of Thalassa and Zak Gramarye, she also possesses the power of perception like her mother. Abandoned by her father seven years ago, at the age of eight, Phoenix decided to adopt her as a daughter which she accepted with no hesitation. She served as Apollo's assistant during the latter's tenure in the Wright Agency. Her favourite trick is Mr Hat, a puppet that wears her hat. Trucy's second favourite trick is her magic panties, which have been a great hit in her performances. Trucy is also Apollo's half-sister, although she is unaware of this fact.

Recurring characters

Dick Gumshoe

Dick Gumshoe / Keisuke Itonokogiri (糸鋸 圭介, Itonokogiri Keisuke)

A police detective from the homicide division who appears in the first three Ace Attorney games as the main detective. He has a minor appearance in the fourth game during a flashback trial. He is often the head detective overseeing the case in cases that Phoenix Wright is involved in, and provides evidence and his opinion both during the investigation phase and while on the witness stand during the trial phases. During trials, he is usually the first witness called to the stand, giving an overview of the crime and presenting evidence that the police has gathered. He is referred to in the Japanese version as Itonoko-keiji (イトノコ刑事, "Detective Itonoko").

He constantly finds himself in dire financial straits due to his unconventional style of detective work and the trouble that it puts him in with his superiors, and has an always-present bandage over his left cheek. He also seems to be interested in Maggey Byrde. Due to his lack of money, Gumshoe's dinner consists mainly of instant ramen. He usually calls people pal, although he calls Edgeworth and Franziska sir. Gumshoe is the most likely one to be on the receiving end of Franziska's anger and whip attacks, apart from Phoenix and the judge.

Gumshoe will be acting as Edgeworth's partner and secondary protagonist in Gyakuten Kenji (see above).

Ema Skye

Ema Skye / Akane Houzuki (宝月 茜, Hōzuki Akane)

Ema is a high school junior and Wright's assistant during the case five ("Rise from the Ashes") of the first Ace Attorney game. She is the younger sister of Chief Prosecutor Lana Skye and has hopes of becoming a scientific investigator. She studies to become one in Europe, but fails the final exam. She advocates a scientific approach to investigations, and searches for blood stains and fingerprints, which utilizes the touchscreen and microphone features of the Nintendo DS. She also appears in Apollo Justice, the fourth game of the series, replacing Gumshoe's role as a detective. Ema is not very fond of Klavier and his rock star attitude, calling him a "glimmerous fop".

Her attitude is generally childish, but she's very prone to flattering. She's also usually seen munching from a bag of karintou (referred to in the North American version as Chocolate Snackoos) whenever she's bored or upset, and occasionally flinging one or two at Apollo for kicks. She generally expresses disappointment for her job, which more or less limits the use of her scientific investigations, and thus becomes very enthusiastic when given the chance to make use of such techniques. She has an older sister, Lana, a prosecutor who is accused of murder in case five of the first game.

Judge

The Judge / Saibanchou (裁判長, Saibanchō)

The presiding judge during the majority of the Ace Attorney franchise. He rules on objections, examines the evidence, and calls on witnesses to take the stand. If the player makes a mistake, he will penalize him or her, and when the life bar or all the marks are gone, he issues a "guilty" verdict and a game over for the player.

He is easily swayed by other people's opinions and feelings, and can also be quite clueless at times, but Phoenix Wright describes him as one to 'always give the right verdict'. He has a brother, who is also a judge and presides over two cases in Trials and Tribulations. His brother speaks with a Canadian accent in the localized version.In Trials And Tribulations Marvin Grossberg told Mia Fey that he never got the verdict wrong and because of that he was called The Great Judgini.

Others

Larry Butz / Laurice Deauxnim / Masashi Yahari (矢張 政志, Yahari Masashi)

Larry is a recurring character in the first and third games. He has been friends with Wright since childhood, and Wright gets his start defending Butz on the charge of murdering Butz's old girlfriend in the first case of the original Ace Attorney game ("First Turnabout"). During school, Phoenix was accused of stealing lunch money, but was defended when Larry and Miles Edgeworth stood up for him.But after fourth case in first game he said that it was actually him who stole the lunch money.

He also is called to the stand in the fourth case of the same game ("Turnabout Goodbyes") and in the second and fifth cases of Trials and Tribulations (respectively, "Stolen Turnabout" and "Bridge to the Turnabout"). He holds various odd jobs throughout the series and is smitten for women who are mostly models (mentioned are Cindy, Miranda, Naomi, and Kiyance) and eventually leave him. As he has a knack for getting into trouble, his friends have come up with the phrase 'When something smells, its usually the Butz'.

Wendy Oldbag / Kaoru Ooba (大場 カオル, Ōba Kaoru)

Wendy is a security guard in the first three Ace Attorney games. Her employing company changes in each installment, but her occupation largely stays the same. She has an affinity for younger men, usually in show business, who are usually murdered, while also being infatuated with Edgeworth. She serves as witness in several trials, and as an individual to extract information from, often near the scene of the crime. She makes one final appearance during the end credits of Trials and Tribulations as a security guard at KB Security.

Will Powers / Saburou Niboshi (荷星 三郎, Niboshi Saburō)

Powers is an actor who plays the popular superhero "Steel Samurai" on television. He only plays roles in which he can't be seen because his face is a bit intimidating. He stood trial in the third case of the first game ("Turnabout Samurai"), accused of murdering his co-star Jack Hammer. He reappears in fourth case of Justice for All ("Farewell, My Turnabout") as a witness.As of the end of the first game he plays as the hero in "The Pink Princess".

Lotta Hart / Natsumi Oosawagi (大沢木 ナツミ, Ōsawagi Natsumi)

Hart is a photographer that appears in the first two games. She has an interest in unusual sightings such as the lake monster 'Gourdy' and paranormal occurrences. In the localization, she has a heavy Southern accent. Her photographs are crucial evidence for three cases and she is called as a witness to the murder in two of them.

Maggey Byrde /Mako Suzuki (須々木 マコ, Suzuki Mako)

Maggey Byrde is a police officer who appears in two cases. Her first appearance is in the first case of Justice for All ("The Lost Turnabout"), where she was tried for murdering her boyfriend, Dustin Prince. After that, she retired as a police officer and went to work for a French restaurant known as Trés Bien, and stands trial in the third case of Trials and Tribulations ("Recipe for Turnabout"). She becomes involved in a romantic relationship with Dick Gumshoe.

Adrian Andrews

Adrian is an accident prone assistant who first appears in the fourth case of Justice for All ("Farewell my Turnabout") where she admits to altering a crime scene. She later appears in case two of Trials and Tribulations ("Stolen Turnabout") where she hosts a display of Kurain artifacts and accidentally breaks an urn. She appears to be on friendly terms with Franziska von Karma.

References

• Court Records