The Lost Turnabout
- Even after losing his memory, Phoenix's lawyer instincts are as strong as ever, leaping in with an "Objection!" and a pointed finger before he even realises what he's doing. As Phoenix himself says, "What a rush!"
- The fact that he wins at all despite having amnesia.
Reunion, and Turnabout
- Phoenix kicking down the door in Kurain Village to save Maya. "Send the bill to Wright and Co.!" Especially when you think how much that door probably cost and how often Phoenix has money issues, it doubles as a Heartwarming Moment. Even the Judge concurs that how Wright blasted the door must've been badass.Lotta: Well, Mister Lawyer! What's the plan!?
Phoenix: What else!? We're going to break in!
Lotta: What!? But... But there's only one key and that kid's got it.
Phoenix: We're going to have to break the door. Is that alright, Ms. Fey?
Morgan: Well, yes... But there is one matter... That is...
Phoenix: Don't try to stop me! You can send the repair bill to the Wright and Co. Law Offices later! - Pearl shows up at the court for the first time. She lived a two hour's train ride worth from the court and she didn't walk her way to the court then. She ran.
- Phoenix faces Franziska, the daughter of Manfred von Karma, who bullies him with a whip and had passed the bar exam while she was 13. The killer of this case is someone who hides her real identity from everyone, backed up by a ruthless schemer. Phoenix still beats Franziska and Morgan.
- The ending of the case when Franziska whips Phoenix into unconsciousness after losing against him and he stupidly taunts her over that fact. Poor guy never heard that verdict. At the same time, Phoenix really got under her skin by throwing her earlier taunts about the world broadcasting the news of the loser's defeat back in her face.
- It's a minor moment, but Phoenix managing to intimidate the Judge (something usually reserved for the prosecution and particularly intimidating witnesses) with the determined look on his face is pretty badass.
- Lotta Hart sees through the entire murder plot within less than a minute after leaving the scene, only dismissing it because of something Morgan said earlier. Further, after the first day of trial she figures out who the real murderer is and tells Phoenix the next time he talks to her, though Phoenix still has to prove it. She even picks up on the Man Behind the Man, going so far as to explain their motive without realizing it.
Turnabout Big Top
- At one point, Phoenix sums up how the murder happened in court, to circus music, with every twist in the tale accompanied by a crash of cymbals. It's a fantastic effect, and thoroughly impressive.
- The way Phoenix perfectly sums up and clarifies the sneaking suspicion you've been having about an incident that happened in the circus. It's the phrase that finally ties the bond between a harmless prank and a fatal accident. Two words: "Lions sneeze."
- Another small moment, but rather badass: the end of case. Throughout the trial, Franziska has been needling (and whipping) Phoenix while proclaiming her own superiority, and when he finally wins, she grudgingly bites out that he "beat [her] again!" Even after all the abuse he's suffered, though, Phoenix doesn't rub it in her face like he did last time (where he was whipped into unconsciousness for his troubles); he just stands there with his expression unreadable. Clearly he's decided at this point that he's not just an ally of justice, he's a graceful victor, too!
- Near the end, Acro brings up that he was only caught because von Karma and the police did a surprise raid of his room, and he had nowhere to hide the murder weapon except in his wheelchair, leading to him getting caught with the murder weapon in court. As it turns out, von Karma didn't just screw up: the raid was Edgeworth's idea, because he realized that if he was right about Acro having the murder weapon, this would lead to Acro getting caught. So basically, you only won because of Edgeworth.
Farewell, My Turnabout
- Edgeworth gets another Moment of Awesome as he makes his triumphant return. At the end of the case, he delivers a "No More Holding Back" Speech about the true role of a prosecutor - not to get a "Guilty" every time, but to uncover the whole and complete truth - and the long, hard journey he made to discover that.
- And Matt Engarde has pretty much the best Obfuscating Stupidity revelation ever. The revelation of the scar, the evil grin, the complete personality change? Typical... but once he somehow pulls the glass of cognac out of Hammerspace, while in police custody, for the sole purpose of swirling it evilly... you know you're seeing something special.Matt: "Hold on a sec. I'm gonna consult myself, okay?"Matt: "How do you do... Mr. Lawyer? I'm Matt Engarde."
- Matt Engarde's plan in general. Despite having the disadvantage of being the defendant, Matt had a good alibi, hired a master assassin and came really close to winning. He even forced Phoenix (and more importantly, THE PLAYER) to make dilemmas that really elevated the game and the series. Phoenix had to question all his values and actually grow as a person to both save Maya and stop Matt. Engarde might have stupidly thought of blackmailing de Killer, but while it would be laughable if other villains did it, here it was necessary for Matt to be beatable, there would be no really good ending otherwise.
- "To the gentleman who spoke just now... excuse me, but would you care to die?" Said by Shelly de Killer to the Judge if you press one of the statements in his testimony, in response to the honorable Judge questioning de Killer's account. The Judge promptly shuts up in response.
- Everything that witness says straddles the line between Awesome and Funny (in a Crosses the Line Twice way), as you're talking to an assassin with quite a skillset via radio. The true awesome comes when he announces to the court that he has terminated his contract with his client, allowing Phoenix to bring justice without losing Maya.
- Franziska von Karma gets one: the case is nearly over and Phoenix is just about to either declare Matt Engarde guilty without decisive proof (which would get accordingly overruled, and thus signing Maya's death warrant) or innocent (thus convicting an innocent Adrian Andrews to a murder charge), but before he can say anything... *CRACK* "Objection!" *Franziska's fanfare and Great Revival plays* ...and the most unlikely Big Damn Heroine shows up, backlit by the awesomeness of her own entry.
- Not to mention that she was shot in the shoulder the previous day. And when she's reminded of this, she says, condescendingly, that such a trifling matter certainly won't stop her from doing her job.
- The fact that Phoenix even inquires about her condition is probably this as well, as it suggests that despite her... feelings ... toward him, he still bears her no ill will.
- Phoenix is panicking because the Judge is trying to end the day's trial and begin another investigation, but De Killer is holding Maya hostage on the condition that he get Engarde found innocent on the first day. When Udgey asks why he's upset, since it means his client has another day to live, Nick blurts out "If I don't get the verdict... then Maya..." Edgeworth immediately catches on that something weird is happening; cue OBJECTION! to keep the witness on the stand because he can tell Phoenix is a) desperate and b) deliberately on the wrong track, leaving Mia wondering exactly whose side he's on.
- And when this gambit ultimately fails, with both Phoenix and Edgeworth unsuccessfully attempting to stall the trial further, the Judge adjourns for the day. Except, instead of the usual "gavel strike" sound effect, a completely unique one plays that sounds more like the Judge has smashed the bench in half. Cue a silent fade to black... then Fade In on a courtroom, apparently completely empty save for Phoenix at the defence bench, his head in his hands as he realises he's failed. Sure, it's the Phoenix Wright equivalent of a Disc-One Final Boss... but it's still awesome!
- When Edgeworth suddenly shows up to take Franziska's place as prosecutor:Edgeworth: Due to the circumstances, I will be taking over the prosecution. While I did not investigate, I have read over the notes and am familiar with the details. The prosecution is ready... naturally.
- The end of the case, when Nick shows de Killer that Engarde was a backstabbing bastard, he points out that he basically reversed the tables on Engarde's Morton's Fork situation by stating that either Matt gets a guilty verdict and goes to jail, or he claims himself innocent and get murdered by a professional assassin on an equally professional Roaring Rampage of Revenge. The sheer feeling of pure schadenfreude one gets when that bastard finally gets what he deserves is sweet as honey. The execution is also cool as hell, no matter what you do - at the very end, you are asked by the Judge if the defense pleas guilty or innocent, letting Phoenix either fully abuse the moral high ground he now has and change the plea to guilty, or maintains the plea of innocence in the smuggest way possible. Whatever you choose, you'll rub it in Engarde's face about no matter how his life goes from now on, he has nowhere left to run; de Killer will either track down and murder him no matter where he hides or how long it takes, or he can spend the rest of his life in prison, reputation destroyed but safe from the assassin's wrath.
- Edgeworth announcing that a witness-turned-suspect (Matt Engarde) has been arrested and is being questioned by von Karma... more precisely, he states that said witness is receiving "a full-course meal of whip leather." Badass.
- It's twice as satisfying considering Matt had Franziska shot by Shelly. This whipping was really well-deserved.
- Franziska's tearful Badass Boast at the airport.
- Adrian Andrews herself also deserves a mention. She survives her suicide attempt after suffering the loss of her beloved mentor, and instead swears revenge on Matt Engarde and Juan Corrida for pushing Celeste Inpax to suicide. While her attempt to successfully frame Matt for the murder of Juan initially failed and lead to herself being implicated for a crime she didn't commit, her actions created a series of events that prompted Phoenix Wright to suspect that his client (Matt) is not as innocent as he seems, which proves to be enough to expose Matt's true colours, and eventually get him incarcerated after a long grueling trial session. For someone who believes herself to be weak, Adrian was able to find her inner strength in the darkest of times to finally get justice for her late mentor.
- Gumshoe might not be the brightest mind on the force, but he definitely has his moments, as demonstrated at the beginning of the case. When he hears about Maya's abduction and the terms for her release, he immediately guesses that Engarde is the killer, because why else would somebody go to such desperate lengths to get Engarde acquitted? But he also notes that something about the crime scene didn't look right to him, that there was just too much evidence pointing toward Engarde, and that it's possible someone wanted to frame him. He's right on both counts.
- The Judge gives a rather nice "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Engarde, saying that even if there isn't enough evidence to convict him of murder, he still knows Engarde's an awful person who's responsible for Celeste's suicide, and he's fully prepared to let the whole world know his true nature.
