Line #84 YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney


1	[[WMG:[[center: [- ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' '''YMMV pages'''\
2	[[YMMV/AceAttorney Franchise as a whole]]\
3	Mainline entries:\
4	'''''Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney''''' \| ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll Justice for All]]'' \| ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations Trials and Tribulations]]'' \| ''YMMV/{{Apollo Justice\|AceAttorney}}'' \| ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'' \| ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice Spirit of Justice]]''\
5	Spin-offs:\
6	''YMMV/{{Ace Attorney Investigations\|MilesEdgeworth}}'' \| ''YMMV/GyakutenKenji2'' \| ''YMMV/ProfessorLaytonVsPhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' \| ''YMMV/TheGreatAceAttorney''\
7	Other media:\
8	[[YMMV/AceAttorney2012 The 2012 film]] \| [[YMMV/AceAttorney2016 The anime]]]]-]]]
9
10	This page is for subjective moments from the first game in the ''Phoenix Wright Trilogy''.
11	----
12	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
13	** There's no question that [[spoiler:Manfred von Karma]] is a terrible person, but is he an {{abusive parent\|s}} to [[spoiler:his daughter Franziska (there's no question he's using Edgeworth as part of his scheme)]] or merely strict and demanding? For that matter, was [[spoiler:getting Miles Edgeworth framed for the murder of Hammond and/or his own father]] always a part of his plan, or did he come up with it only after realizing that his "son" wasn't going to become the perfect, ruthless prosecutor that the family name demanded?
14	*** Taking the events of ''Investigations'' 1 and 2 into account [[https://askaceattorney.tumblr.com/post/648914890560536576/manfred-von-karma-character-essay this essay argues that]] [[spoiler:Manfred von Karma framing Miles wasn't the result of him wanting to gain RevengeByProxy on Gregory but as a result of Manfred running from his guilt. The Investigations series demonstrates Manfred will turn his back on an investigation the moment he no longer has control. After 15 years of molding Miles as the "perfect" prosecutor only for Miles to still suffer from PTSD caused by DL-6, is it possible he wanted to get Miles out of his care so he would be free of having to console a boy that he caused the trauma of?]]
15	*** Did he really [[ButForMeItWasTuesday not recognize]] [[spoiler:Phoenix and Maya]] in the police station? [[spoiler:Given that several events in the courtroom have already gone not-as-planned like Larry's [[BigDamnHeroes last-minute save]] whose seemingly unremarkable actions at Gourdy Lake [[SpannerInTheWorks unravel his case]], it's possible that it's just an act to try to save face]].
16	** Was the [[spoiler:death of Manuel]] really an accident? Also, why exactly did [[spoiler:Dee Vasquez blackmail Hammer]]? Take into account these facts:
17	*** Oldbag mentions that [[spoiler:Hammer never intended to kill Manuel, and in the paparazzi photo, he looked genuinely shocked at Manuel's death, so it's quite possible that it really was an accident.]]
18	*** [[spoiler:Vasquez]] is TheStoic for most of the case, but she seems to take personal offense when Maya yells at her for [[spoiler:controlling Hammer over]] "just an accident", and she seems extremely emotional in a brief flashback to [[spoiler:Manuel's death]]. This opens the possibility that [[spoiler:Manuel was her lover, and she blackmailed Hammer as revenge for killing him.]]
19	*** If these are both true, then it is no surprise the combination of [[spoiler:being forced to work for pennies, and the rise of Will Powers's acting career while his fell because of an accident, drove him to eventually plot on the framing of Powers and attempting to kill Vasquez.]] If anything, Hammer's personality is hard to pin down, he might be just a normal man broken too much with pressure, or he could have been a mean guy in the same vein of the next game's [[spoiler:Matt Engarde or Juan Corrida]]. But the game is really vague on this thanks to the [=POVs=] available are from [[spoiler:someone who possibly had a grudge against Hammer (Vasquez)]] or a LoonyFan (Oldbag).
20	** Did Gregory Edgeworth really believe Yanni Yogi had killed him, or was he trying to protect his son Miles from being accused of the murder? While Grossberg considers the latter a possibility, Yogi's behavior before he and the Edgeworths lost consciousness means that Gregory would have reason to believe that Yogi was the murderer. Alternatively, [[https://youtube.com/watch?v=_wV2fkhcCTM this video]] interprets that Gregory really only suggested Yogi was the most ''probable'' culprit when pressed, but the prosecution {{Quote Mine}}d his testimony to sound more like a direct accusation.
21	* AntiClimaxBoss:
22	** Redd White. He's established over the course of "Turnabout Sisters" as an extremely powerful and dangerous CEO capable of blackmailing anyone, even ''punching'' Phoenix while openly proclaiming the police can't touch him, as well as the guy who killed Phoenix's mentor Mia. Despite all this tension, however, when he comes onto the stand, he buckles near ''instantly'', making comically obvious blunders to where he at one point admits to the murder he committed ''by accident'', and spends almost the entire trial a pathetic wreck. To add insult to injury, [[spoiler:the player doesn't even get the satisfaction of proving White's guilt, as Mia successfully pressures him into giving up.]]
23	** Dee Vasquez. She's reasonably difficult to crack, but by the point she's put on the courtroom you've already figured out most of the mystery, making her lies easier to spot and the damning evidence pretty apparent. Not to mention that Edgeworth helps out. Compared to Cody in the previous trial, who is very stubborn and necessitates a different approach given that he's a child, Vasquez is fairly easy.
24	* ArcFatigue:
25	** "Turnabout Samurai" is sometimes accused of this. Phoenix definitively proves his client's innocence on the second day of the case, but the trial stretches on for a third day as Phoenix is tasked with uncovering the real culprit, something that isn't supposed to be a defence attorney's job. This is compounded further by the fact that the second investigation has very little story development, and a large chunk of it is taken up by the player having to navigate between two points at the ends of a map multiple times in what amounts to a FetchQuest. Lots of fans suspect this case was a major reason later games stick almost entirely with two-day cases.
26	** “Rise From the Ashes” also gets this reaction, due to it not only having three days but also being the only case in the game to have trial and investigation segments that last multiple hours.
27	* AssPull: The ending of ''Turnabout Sisters''. Phoenix firmly seizes hold of the IdiotBall, clearing the way for Mia Fey to swoop in and pull things out of the fire at the last second. Turns out the piece of paper Redd White used to frame Maya was actually the receipt for the glass light stand, proving it was only bought the day before the murder. Had he simply thought to turn the piece of paper over, Edgeworth's last-minute objection to Phoenix's otherwise-airtight disassembly of Redd White wouldn't have happened, and the case would have been much shorter.
28	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[AwesomeMusic/AceAttorney Has its own page.]]
29	* BaseBreakingCharacter:
30	** Angel Starr. She's either an interesting witness with a unique gimmick who poses a formidable challenge, or an obnoxious and unlikable person who wears out her welcome early on by being an annoying WakeUpCallBoss who serves to pad out the already bloated first half of the case.
31	** Depending on who you ask, Wendy Oldbag is either one of the funniest and most memorable characters in the series, or an insanely annoying StalkerWithACrush who ruins the mood of every case she appears in due to being unfunny and cartoonish.
32	* BestBossEver:
33	** [[spoiler:While not as popular as Edgeworth or Godot, Manfred Von Karma is regarded as one of the best prosecutors on a gameplay level. Manipulating testimonies and quashing evidence before it can even be used, he controls the courtroom with an iron fist, displaying just how terrifying of an adversary he is. While never cross examined, he's still the biggest opponent (before Damon Gant usurped his role as the FinalBoss) and the BigBad all future villains tend to be compared to.]]
34	** [[spoiler:Damon Gant is one of the most challenging and satisfying bosses in the series. He uses everything you're learned so far, is an excellent liar with a skilled poker face, and has the unique ability to dismiss incriminating evidence on a whim. While he's second only to Quercus Alba in terms of length, he's seen as a far superior enemy.]]
35	* BestLevelEver: "Turnabout Goodbyes" is considered the best case in the first game, and one of the better cases in the series. The mystery is more complicated than ever, featuring two separate but related murders, a challenging prosecutorial opponent and one of the best villains in the series. It also serves as an effective climax to the game by revealing Phoenix and Edgeworth's backstories and enabling the latter to undergo CharacterDevelopment.
36	* BrokenBase:
37	** "Turnabout Sisters" is the most divisive case in the original game, since while many people consider it the weakest in the first game, it has many fans, and isn't considered quite as bad as "Turnabout Big Top" and "Recipe for Turnabout." Fans consider it an emotional WhamEpisode that heightens the stakes, while detractors believe it has an underwhelming villain and ends anticlimactically.
38	** "Turnabout Samurai" also gets this reaction quite a bit. Most fans agree that it suffers from ArcFatigue owing to its three-day structure and repetitive investigation sections, but there are also plenty of fans who forgive this case for marking the start of Edgeworth's CharacterDevelopment and several RunningGags, and argue that it is one of the better "filler cases" in the series.
39	** “Rise From the Ashes” is either an extraordinarily tedious and drawn-out case with forced gimmicks attached to it, or one of the best cases in the franchise due to its complex mystery, interesting side characters, deeper look at the police force and amazing villain. It doesn’t help that it wasn’t originally part of the game due to it being made after the original GBA games, which, combined with its standalone nature, causes it to feel disconnected from the events of first game and the trilogy as a whole, on top of causing continuity issues with the sequels due to the case making Phoenix too competent (which can make it jarring when Phoenix goes back to needing Mia's help in the sequels). While many fans don't mind this and enjoy the case regardless, others have cried foul at these continuity issues, with some declaring the case to be [[FanonDiscontinuity non-canon because of them]].
40	*** A related issue: Is ''Rise From the Ashes'' best played as the finale to the original trilogy (the Japanese release order) or as the finale to the first game (the Western release order, as well as its positioning in-game)? Proponents of the former cite [[spoiler:Damon Gant as a fitting FinalBoss for the trilogy]], as well as how the new gameplay mechanics and several story elements (the introduction of Ema Skye, Phoenix Wright being at the top of his game) make the case a solid bridge between the trilogy and ''[[VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney Apollo Justice]]''. Proponents of the latter cite its canonical placement in the timeline, and specifically the fact that it does a lot of fleshing out of [[spoiler:Edgeworth's reasons for disappearing prior to ''Justice For All'']].
41	*** One of the more contentious issues related to Rise From The Ashes is the handling of Edgeworth's character, specifically the revelation that Edgeworth never intentionally forged evidence. Detractors consider this a {{retcon}} to whitewash Edgeworth's character, bringing up the "updated autopsy report" as an example of Edgeworth using this tactic. Fans, however, believe this works well in bridging the original game and ''Justice For All'' by having Edgeworth start to show remorse for his actions and fear that he could end up like Manfred von Karma or [[spoiler:Damon Gant]].
42	* CaptainObviousReveal:
43	** You probably figured out well before the characters in the game that [[spoiler:Von Karma is the real culprit in the DL-6 incident. If him literally tasering Phoenix and Maya to steal the case files didn't tip you off, then his demand in court to re-try DL-6 on the spot should have sealed the deal, since he's the only possible suspect other than Edgeworth.]]
44	** [[spoiler: Damon Gant]] pulls a ''very'' [[PsychoticSmirk villainous and smug expression]] in his very first appearance during "Rise From the Ashes," as well as an ominous-sounding theme song, making his status as, at the very least, a deceptive and villainous character, obvious long before the story gets around to showing the cracks in his [[AffablyEvil cheery facade]]. What really clinches this is [[spoiler:the ID number with all sevens used to access the evidence room at the time of the murder, which only belongs to someone higher than the rank of a captain]]. As you can see, [[spoiler:Gant]] is the only character who can qualify.[[note]]The victim was a detective, Jake Marshall is a patrolman, Angel Starr was fired from the police and everyone else is not affiliated with the police[[/note]]
45	* CatharsisFactor: Manfred spends much of the fourth case practically running the courtroom, [[spoiler:and at one point even has a NearVillainVictory as the Judge hands down a Guilty verdict until [[FissionMailed Larry shows up last-minute]] to [[BigDamnHeroes save the day]]]]. Thus it's immensely satisfying to [[spoiler:watch his composure crumble as Phoenix picks him apart to resolve DL-6, watching as he runs out of avenues on which to defend himself, before finally screaming in defeat and having a head-banging breakdown as he's proven beyond reasonable doubt that he killed Gregory 15 years ago.]]
46	* CommonKnowledge:
47	** It's often claimed by fans that Yanni Yogi was found by the court to have been the culprit of DL-6, with him [[OffOnATechnicality avoiding punishment due to an insanity plea from his attorney]]. In actuality, it is stated many times that DL-6 was never officially resolved, and Yogi was declared innocent on a lack of evidence, not an insanity plea. Yogi's [[spoiler:faked]] insanity is actually implied to have been a tactic used by Hammond to discredit evidence, as the only other witness was suffering from TraumaInducedAmnesia. It also would have made no sense for Misty Fey to be disgraced if Yogi was declared the culprit since that is what her channeling claimed.
48	** A prevalent way to mock the game's messed up legal system is the idea that [[spoiler:Miles Edgeworth]] and [[spoiler:Ema Skye]] would have been arrested if convicted of the respective {{Accidental Murder}}s they were alleged to have committed at times both were minors (and in [[spoiler:Ema]]'s case, still underage by the time of the current case). Except it was never actually stated anywhere they were at risk of legal punishment. Phoenix even notes to Lana that [[spoiler:Ema]] would not have been charged and in both cases the focus on proving them innocent is overall more about saving their reputations and mental states than preventing any real sentence.
49	* CompleteMonster: See [[Monster/AceAttorney here]].
50	* CryForTheDevil: [[spoiler:Damon Gant]] is definitely JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope, but his confession in the end is a borderline AlasPoorVillain moment.
51	* DiagnosedByTheAudience: Von Karma [[spoiler:shows many signs of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. His occupation is his life and it comes before even his own family. He desires perfection and turns violent if he is accused of being anything less than flawless. He's a ControlFreak who seeks to impose his views on those around him (such as demanding no prosecutors wear their badges while in court,) and he's obsessed with structure and punctuality, having a hissy fit when the trial goes on longer than he wanted it to. Everything he does is overly meticulous and his inability to change course when the unexpected happens bites him in the ass when things start spiralling out of control.]]
52	* DifficultySpike: Turnabout Goodbyes features a longer, significantly more complex and difficult case. Von Karma is also a ridiculously aggressive prosecutor that makes cross examinations a nightmare, particularly when he shuts down a line of questioning that could have immediately unraveled Lotta's testimony. Accordingly, the follow up episode, Rise from the Ashes, is extremely difficult.
53	* DracoInLeatherPants:
54	** Fans like to portray [[spoiler:Dee Vasquez]] as a BrokenBird who simply made a few mistakes in her life and believe she didn't deserve a harsh sentence because the death she caused was both accidental and in self defense. However, this ignores the fact that she was a cold, abusive blackmailer who drove her victim to try and murder her due years of her constantly threatening and harassing him. She's also a member of the mob and she ordered her goons to kill Phoenix and Maya so casually that it couldn't be the first time she has done such a thing.
55	** Fans also like to portray [[spoiler:Damon Gant]] as a genuinely good guy who didn't ''mean'' to kill Goodman. And while that was spur of the moment, his other crimes were not.
56	* EnsembleDarkHorse:
57	** Penny is one of the most popular one-shots in the series due to her {{Adorkable}} nature. She was brought back for ''Investigations 2'' because of this.
58	** Will Powers is loved due to being a GentleGiant who is one of the kindest characters in the series, despite his FaceOfAThug. Because of this, he returned in the sequel as a witness, [[spoiler:being one of the few friendly ones in the series, with his contradictions stemming from misunderstandings rather than lies; what's especially notable is that his honest, scrupulous testimony is the ''absolute last thing'' Phoenix needs in said case since he's stalling for time]].
59	* FanonDiscontinuity: A minority of fans ignore "Rise from the Ashes" (which was not part of the original Japanese GBA game but instead added for the DS remake) because, despite establishing [[EnsembleDarkhorse Ema Skye]] and providing us with MemeticBadass Damon Gant, it makes it clear that [[spoiler:the rumors about Edgeworth (intentionally) using fake evidence are false]]. This, to said people, effectively reduces the impact of some parts of a good portion of the first game.[[note]](It should be noted that both the original Japanese versions of the trilogy and the English localizations of the first four cases never confirmed one way or the other whether Edgeworth was forging evidence)[[/note]] Interestingly enough, when Phoenix sees Edgeworth again in 2-4, he assumes Edgeworth quit because his perfect win record was tarnished, when actually, in 1-5, particularly on the third day of investigations and the last trial segment, Edgeworth is already questioning himself and admits shame over his AmoralAttorney past and fear that he might become like Manfred von Karma and Damon Gant in the future.
60	* FirstInstallmentWins: Though the debate over which ''Ace Attorney'' game is the best one has plenty of common answers, in terms of cultural impact the very first game is generally the one people will reference. In-particular, Miles Edgeworth is often treated as the main prosecutor by default, and musical homages will generally take from this game's versions of the courtroom music.
61	* FoeYayShipping: Even with Edgeworth and Phoenix as rivals, it doesn't stop certain fans from shipping them like [=FedEx=].
62	* FranchiseOriginalSin:
63	** The tendency for the third case (or fourth case in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'') to be largely irrelevant to the main storyline began with this game, but ''Turnabout Samurai'' isn't nearly as unpopular as cases like ''Turnabout Big Top'', ''Recipe for Turnabout'' and ''[[VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney Turnabout Serenade]]''. Not only was it a BreatherEpisode between the two cases directly tied to DL-6, but it also helped Edgeworth undergo CharacterDevelopment after his first loss in court and established the Phoenix-Maya dynamic. Subsequent third cases didn't add nearly as much to the story or characters, leading many to see them as filler episodes.
64	** Also, the series' ThinlyVeiledDubCountryChange began here. However, it was almost irrelevant at this point, as, unlike future games, this one contained very few explicit references to Japan to start with (or any other real places, for that matter) and the only obvious cultural ties are Maya's outfit and the Steel Samurai in the third case. The game's setting is so cartoonish and over-the-top it doesn't seem to be set in a real country, anyway. For the second game onward, though, the series underwent a reverse EarthDrift and made its Japanese setting -- and, consequently, its strained references to "America" in the English version -- more obvious.
65	** The supernatural elements of the series also begins here, but are more understated, being limited to Maya's channeling of Mia, which is more a plot device to give Phoenix hints than anything. Even then, the fantasy stuff is a case of MaybeMagicMaybeMundane, as the game doesn't even clarify whether characters other than Phoenix recognize Mia when she's being channeled. From the second game onward, fantasy elements start becoming more frequent, cases start revolving around them, and they unambiguously exist in-universe.
66	* GrowingTheBeard: "Turnabout Samurai" was a step forward for the quality of the cases in several regards. The murderer is not [[ReverseWhodunnit immediately obvious]], the case has an elaborate backstory that is revealed while investigating the murder, and there are multiple revelations that force Phoenix and the player to rethink everything they thought they knew about the crime.
67	* HarsherInHindsight:
68	** In the very first case of the game, the judge tests Phoenix's knowledge of the case and provides a tutorial for using the Court Record, with one question asking him "Who is the victim?", with ''Mia Fey'' as an answer option. Come the following case, where ''Mia ends up the murder victim herself''.
69	** When you show Lana Skye the Attorney's Badge, she comments that the gold plating will flake off in a few years (specifically, three), then we'll see the ''real'' Phoenix. This could be foreshadowing [[spoiler:Phoenix solving his biggest case all by himself in "Bridge to the Turnabout"]], but it could also foreshadow [[spoiler:Phoenix being disbarred for unwittingly using falsified evidence]].
70	** In case 4, Gumshoe explains that his UndyingLoyalty to [[MeanBoss Edgeworth]] is because he always got a conviction for the person the police brought in, which Gumshoe took as proof of his trust. It's funny/sad at the moment since Edgeworth ''clearly'' doesn't hold Gumshoe in such esteem -- and then comes 1-5, where we learn about Lana Skye and Damon Gant, and realize that if Edgeworth ''did'' trust the police that much, his trust was misplaced.
71	** After the BigBad of "Rise From the Ashes" is finally taken down, [[GracefulLoser he congratulates Phoenix, Edgeworth and the Judge for their efforts]] but [[spoiler:warns Edgeworth that at one point when chasing down a seemingly-invincible culprit, he'll have to use the same methods as Gant did (forging evidence and fixing crime scenes) to bring true justice. Edgeworth ended up having to present illegal evidence to catch a near-invincible culprit, and Phoenix took this even further this to heart, getting rid of the man who orchestrated his disbarment by FramingTheGuiltyParty.]]
72	* HilariousInHindsight:
73	** [[spoiler:Redd White]] murdered Mia Fey in the first game. In the third game, an important fact is [[spoiler:Godot being unable to see ''red'' on ''white'']]. Since the first game was localized after the third game was written, it's likely this was intentional.
74	** The [[MemeticMutation updated autopsy report]] from the second case became this come ''VisualNovel/GyakutenKenji2'', where [[spoiler:the autopsy report for the fourth case was actually tampered with, leading to Edgeworth and Franziska getting it updated]]. And then in ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'', [[spoiler:Blackquill requests a second autopsy on the victim of the DLC case, and calls it an "updated autopsy report" word-for-word. And said report ''supports'' rather than hinders Phoenix's case]].
75	** Case 3 is the first case that makes it clear that the American version takes place somewhere similar to Los Angeles. Three of the characters are [[WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog William, Hammer, and Penny]].
76	** Phoenix finds a contradiction in Cody Hackins's testimony and says it's because he has a magical power that lets him know when people are lying. He's just teasing a kid at that point, but one game later and he's got the magatama...
77	** There's this exchange when Redd White tries to get out of testifying:
78	--->'''White:''' My stomach, you see, it is hurting...\
79	'''Phoenix:''' [[MemeticMutation Deal with it.]]
80	** During Case 4, Phoenix repeatedly tells the judge to "Look at this photograph". If you're familiar with [[Music/{{Nickelback}} a certain memetic song]] that came out four years later, then every time he does, it'll make you laugh.
81	** Lana Skye, the defendant of case 5, is a [[HelloAttorney young and attractive female chief prosecutor]] who wears a [[GoodLookingPrivates military-style uniform]]. [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/people/natalia-poklonskaya Natalia Poklonskaya, anyone?]] Even better, Poklonskaya called the Ukrainian authorities "devils from the ashes" and the case Lana appears in is called "Rise from the Ashes".
82	** One of the most hilarious moments was the moment where Phoenix made [[MakeTheDogTestify a parrot testify in court]]. Sounds absurd, right? [[http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/Parrot-May-Serve-As-Witness-to-A-Murder-But-Will-He-Be-Flighty--404364076.html But then this comes into play.]] For bonus points, it happened in the same month and year that this case takes place in.
83	** Speaking of said parrot, its name is Polly. The eponymous protagonist of ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'' is also nicknamed Polly.
84	** In case 5, one of the crucial pieces of evidence is a monochrome surveillance video, [[spoiler:allegedly of Bruce Goodman knocking out Mike Meekins]]. However, the whole court's attention is on the animatronic mascot in the room--its jerky motions leave them all deeply perturbed. Nine years later (and a few months before the [=eShop=] ports), players may find themselves [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys capable of sympathizing]]...
85	** After Powers is acquitted in Case 3, Edgeworth makes a surprise appearance at the defendant lobby and introduces himself as a great fan of him. Phoenix thinks he's just pretending, and players are inclined to think the same at this point... but once you play the following games you realize ''he was completely serious about it''.
86	** In Case 2, Phoenix scolds Gumshoe for thinking of the possibility of [[CouldntFindAPen victims writing their killer's name with their blood]], and stick to reality instead. All across the series, this possibility is raised way too often in order to indict a defendant of murder, and in one time, it was actually the case (to an extent, as while the victim did not write the killer's name, they did write something to incriminate them; another victim, instead of writing anything to incriminate the killer, instead writes a message that explains why they were killed).
87	** At one point in Case 3, Phoenix refers to himself as "Literature/SherlockHolmes II", a line not out of place in a series full of pop culture references. [[VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney Almost fifteen years later]], it would be revealed that not only is Sherlock Holmes (or rather, [[{{Woolseyism}} Herlock Sholmes]]) a real person in the world of Ace Attorney, but he was a good friend of one of Phoenix's ancestors. That same game reveals that von Karma's surname comes from a sword... that said ancestor of Phoenix carried, making the encounter between Phoenix and Manfred, and the latter's first ever defeats, prophetic in nature.
88	** Phoenix's backstory involves what is referred to as a [[Franchise/{{Danganronpa}} "class trial"]].
89	** In Case 2 starting from the original Japanese release, [[spoiler:Mia while being channeled by Maya]] has to tell Phoenix to turn the [[spoiler:bloody receipt with Maya's name]] over to reveal a major clue about it. The re-release with "Rise from the Ashes" has 3D inspectable evidence as a central mechanic, and Phoenix does find a major clue by turning a seemingly-nondescript piece of evidence over.
90	* HollywoodHomely: Judging by character reactions, Will Powers is supposed to look downright frightening. He can only get roles wearing a mask. [[BaraGenre Opinions differ.]]
91	* ItWasHisSled: Due to its {{memetic\|Mutation}} status, it's rare to find someone who doesn't know that at one point [[spoiler:Phoenix cross-examines a parrot]].
92	* LoveToHate:
93	** '''Manfred von Karma'''. Despite being present in only three cases in the entire series, two of which being flashback cases in later games, he still manages to remain one of the most memorable {{Complete Monster}}s in the series to this day. It helps that no other prosecutor after him has managed to put as much of a fight as he did during "Turnabout Goodbyes".
94	** The BigBad of "Rise from the Ashes" [[spoiler:Damon Gant]] even moreso. Despite being only in a single case, they remain one of the most popular villains in the franchise due to being one of the most ruthless and intelligent killers in the franchise, and being [[AffablyEvil exceptionally likable]] atop of that. Their [[AlasPoorVillain surprisingly humanizing]] final moments help exceptionally.
95	* MagnificentBastard: [[spoiler:[[DirtyCop Damon Gant]], once a legendary police officer seeking to [[HeWhoFightsMonsters use any means necessary to bring down criminals]], murders a prosecutor to pin the crime on a criminal and ensure his rise to chief of police. Gant also has his old partner installed as the head of the prosecutor's office, having clandestinely framed her sister as the murderer years ago, so he can control both the police and the prosecution, using {{blackmail}} on his old partner Lana. When a detective reopens the old case, Gant murders him and has Lana stab the corpse, resulting in her being framed(although it's implied that this was a backup plan, and he was originally planning to pin the crime on Edgeworth), and Gant knowing she'll plead guilty to protect her sister. Despite his crimes, Gant operates with nothing short of [[AffablyEvil whimsical good nature]] and [[GracefulLoser accepts his defeat with good humor]], claiming that at the end, he can leave the defense of the law to his rivals and one day they will understand the need to rise higher by any means to protect the law as a whole.]]
96	* MemeticBadass: Thanks to [=SaveDataTeam=]'s ''LetsPlay/AceAttorneyWithAnActualLawyer'', Mike Meekins has jokingly been envisioned by fans as a RealityWarper with access to the so-called Blood Dimension.
97	* MemeticMutation:
98	** Due to the murder in "Turnabout Goodbyes" taking place during December [=24th=] (Christmas Eve), it's very common among the fandom to refer to Christmas Day as the "[=DL-6mas=]" and similar nicknames.
99	** Edgeworth pulling out an updated autopsy report mid-trial and being smug about it derailing Phoenix's claim that Mia died instantly and couldn't have left her DyingClue has been the subject of various comics, fandubs, etcetera.
100	* MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales: Discounting any confusion he may cause in regards to the location of the games, Detective Jake Marshall is thoroughly beloved in the United States, even with (or possibly ''because'' of) him being a blatant stereotype of the American southwest.
101	* MisBlamed:
102	** The western releases of the game changing the setting from Japan to California is often held up as an example of Capcom USA's executives believing that gamers are too stupid and/or prejudicial to want to play a game set entirely in Japan. In actual fact, the decision to change the setting was taken by the first game's translator, Alexander O. Smith -- and his main reason for doing so was related to the puzzle from the game's first case where you have to work out that the Thinker clock was nine hours fast/fourteen hours slow instead of three/two hours slow, as he felt that the time difference between Los Angeles and Paris was more likely to be known than the corresponding time difference between Japan and New York, as was the case in the original game. Back then, the change was mostly harmless, as the only really Japanese themes in the game were the mystical Fey family (semi-convincingly reframed as traditionalists) and the Steel Samurai franchise (and even then, it could be chalked up as a show inspired by anime or something akin to ''Franchise/PowerRangers''), but in each following game it became increasingly harder to believe the game's set in the United States. It eventually got to the point the localization team forewent changing the location when VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney duology was localized, keeping the location of those games in Japan and the United Kingdom.
103	** Relatedly, some fans have accused Smith's changing the game's setting for the sake of a single puzzle of being a short-sighted decision which forced future games to jump through hoops to explain away the copious amounts of Japanese iconography. While debates can be had about the wisdom of the decision, Smith actually made it having been told that the next game in the series to be localized would be ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'', which dialled back on the Japanese influence partly because of DependingOnTheArtist, and partly to appeal more to western gamers. The second and third games (where the Japanese iconography is really prevalent) originally weren't planned to be localized, but the stronger than expected sales of the first resulted in them getting western releases to fill the gap until ''Apollo Justice'' was ready.
104	* MoralEventHorizon:
105	** [[spoiler:Manfred von Karma]] crossed it when he [[spoiler:murdered Gregory Edgeworth]]. He then proceeded to [[spoiler:kick Gregory while he was down/dead by raising his son to become his complete antithesis, then framing said son for killing him, all just to get back at the ''entire Edgeworth bloodline'' [[DisproportionateRetribution because Gregory caused Von Karma to get his first and only ever court penalty]], [[ThePerfectionist ruining his otherwise perfect record]]]].
106	** [[spoiler:Damon Gant]] crossed when he [[spoiler:killed Neil Marshall, and made it look like Ema Skye did it to force Lana Skye into becoming Gant's puppet for the next two years, culminating in forcing her to take the fall for Gant's murder of Bruce Goodman]].
107	* {{Narm}}:
108	** Lana Skye's dramatic-looking pose facing her back to the player loses a lot of impact when done in the Detention Center, as the chair she's sitting on constantly faces towards the glass, giving the image of her doing EdgyBackwardsChairSitting.
109	** Angel Starr's gratuitous lunch-based BusmansVocabulary fits the light-hearted, silly parts of case 5, but just gets cringeworthy when she keeps it up during the intense, emotional parts. The worst offender is this line, which completely derails an otherwise intense, heart-pounding scene:
110	--->''"I swear it on my finest plastic spork!"''
111	* NeverLiveItDown: Edgeworth will forever be known for destroying defense attorneys' arguments with updated autopsy reports and being smug about it, and little else, despite the fact that he only ever did it once across all seven games he appears in. Probably because it's [[EstablishingCharacterMoment one of the first things he does the first time the player faces him in court, and first impressions are usually the strongest]], so the fanbase naturally latched onto that as Edgeworth's "prosecutor gimmick" instead of something more suitable, like his inability to get witnesses to state their name and occupation, which happens far more often.
112	* NightmareFuel: In case 4, running into [[spoiler:Von Karma]] in the police station and [[spoiler:getting tased by him]] promptly thereafter.
113	* PlayerPunch:
114	** The opening cinematic of 1-2, due to springing [[spoiler:Mia's death]] onto the player very early on in the game. To an extent, the opening of 1-4 could also qualify, as it's definitely a shocker.
115	** Having to prove towards the end of 1-5 that [[spoiler:Ema, who's been your sidekick for the whole case, accidentally killed Neil Marshall two years ago]].
116	** Redd White punches Phoenix in case 2. What, didn't think physical harm was possible for a visual novel character?
117	* TheScrappy:
118	** You'd be hard-pressed to find any fans of Redd White. Despite having an incredibly important role in the trilogy due to killing Mia, he is largely disliked by fans due to having a very generic CorruptCorporateExecutive personality and, despite being built up as incredibly powerful and dangerous, coming off as a complete idiot with no common sense who is taken out with an anticlimactic AssPull confession. While he's [[HateSink clearly meant to be hated]], many fans have noted how much they dislike that such a generic villain would have the all-important role of being Mia's killer. Also, the fact that he doesn't even make half of the lasting impact that the equally heinous and powerful, yet far more intelligent and cunning Von Karma does only two cases later, doesn't earn White any more fans.
119	** Sal Manella is widely despised for his gross sprites, [[AbhorrentAdmirer creepy behavior towards Maya]], annoying LeetLingo gimmick, and how despite [[spoiler:helping Dee Vasquez cover up her manslaughter of Jack Hammer and frame Will Powers,]] he apparently [[KarmaHoudini faces no charges]].
120	** Mike Meekins is also hated due to being unnecessary, cartoonish looking, and obnoxious, especially in the utter stupidity he frequently displays. It also doesn't help that his megaphone is one of the most irritating noises in the entire series.
121	* ThatOnePuzzle:
122	** The first day of the trial in "Rise from the Ashes" is generally regarded as one of the hardest parts in game. Much of it consists of finding subtle flaws in Angel Starr's testimony, mainly concerning the point from which she supposedly saw Lana stab Goodman. After you're done with Angel's four testimonies, you have to deal with Gant's [[GuideDangIt complicated single testimony]], which doesn't work quite the same as other cross-examinations.
123	** Towards the end of 1-5, you're expected to position a vase in 3D so its outline matches the silhouette of the Blue Badger. It's easy to think you got the right angle but come up short, plus the game is ''very'' finicky on what counts and the exact position even if you're close.
124	* TooCoolToLive: Mia Fey had to be killed since Phoenix Wright is the main character. Otherwise, the game will be "Mia Fey: Ace Attorney".
125	* ToughActToFollow: The role of the prosecutorial rival has proven difficult to get just right over the course of the franchise and, unfortunately, the first game really nailed it with Edgeworth. Edgeworth had both [[SympatheticInspectorAntagonist sympathetic]] and [[InspectorJavert unsympathetic]] qualities, had a dense and complicated personal past with Phoenix, and his character arc was arguably the main plot of the game. He also had great animations and lines, whether he was being very smug or NotSoAboveItAll. It worked so well that every subsequent prosecutor struggled to get out of his shadow, whether leaning too far in one direction or the other when it came to balancing sympathetic and unsympathetic qualities, having to squeeze their character arc in around a more-interesting main plot in which they are just a side player, going a bit ''too'' over-the-top with their animations and CourtroomAntics, or just feeling like they're retreading the same ground Edgeworth once did. None of them are helped by Edgeworth's incredible popularity seeing him join the story for at least part of most final cases, further making them seem less interesting than he.
126	* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: At the time of the first game's initial release, Japan had a 15-year StatuteOfLimitations on murder, and this was incorporated into the plot of the fourth case. The statute of limitations was then revoked in 2010 for all murder cases within the past 15 years and thenceforth. This meant that the revisit of a 2001 murder in 2016 would no longer be impacted by the expiration of the statute of limitations.[[note]]This only applies to the Japanese version, as the United States has never had a statute of limitations on murder.[[/note]] The anime adaptation of Turnabout Goodbyes takes out the plot point of the statute entirely.

Context YMMV / PhoenixWrightAceAttorney