Turnabout Memories
- Mia daring Dahlia to take one of Phoenix's (poisoned) Coldkiller X pills at the end (to paraphrase: "If you're right about the medicine not being poisoned, then why don't you take a dose?") has to be on here, if only for Dollie's reaction. In addition to the Glowing Eyes of Doom she starts screaming like a madwoman. And then, just as suddenly, she returns to her "normal" self, butterflies surrounding her, and announces that it's time for her to talk to "the men in blue." When Payne objects, saying Mia hasn't shown any evidence, Mia gives him the same offer, reminding him that he said earlier, "I would trust the witness, Ms. Hawthorne, with my very life!" Payne loses his hair and is reduced to the pathetic shell of a man we see in the first two games.
- Judge finally explaining why he always gives both the defense and the prosecution so many chances.Judge: I know the existence of this umbrella seems trivial... But as long as the smallest doubt remains, I cannot render final judgement!
- While it's played for laughs, Grossberg gets massive props for helping Mia with this case while struggling with hemorrhoids.
- It's not apparent until after you've finished the game, but Phoenix correctly guesses that his girlfriend had an evil twin. His only mistake was that Dahlia was the evil twin, and he'd been dating Iris the whole time. Even so, it's just another example of why he's such an excellent attorney. He wasn't simply in denial because of a crush. He knew something wasn't right about the outcome of the case.
The Stolen Turnabout
- The revelation that Ron DeLite, who had previously been presented as a completely spineless fantasist, actually met his wife by saving her from two armed robbers singlehandedly. And not only that, his claims of being a famous thief are not delusions.
- There's something to be said about how during the second investigation when Ron's put on trial for murder he becomes one of the most helpful defendants after you convince him to share how he pulled off his heists, sharing with you almost all of the information you need to figure out that Luke Atmey was the one blackmailing him and without any of his trademark shyness.
- Godot losing intentionally, though without seeming like he was, during the first trial day by letting you prove that Ron wasn't robbing the Museum, since he was unquestionably at KB Security that night. Cue DeLite being arrested while leaving the courtroom for the murder of KB Security's CEO that night, since Phoenix had just proven he was there at the time of the CEO's murder. Godot basically thanks Phoenix for doing all the hard work of proving Ron's presence there.
- Luke Atmey successfully playing the system in order to get convicted of the "lesser" (and more attention-grabbing) crime of being Mask☆DeMasque. He was literally seconds from having a legally airtight alibi against the murder of Kane Bullard when Phoenix interrupted.
- Ron points out that he can't be convicted as Mask☆DeMasque, even though he actually IS the infamous thief, because he had ALREADY been given a Not Guilty verdict for that particular crime, referencing to Double Jeopardy rule that was mentioned earlier. Best of all, it's a complete reversal of what Luke Atmey was trying to do to him (which is doubly ironic given that Atmey was the one who came up with the plans for most of the robberies in the first place)— instead of trying to be found guilty for one crime so that he can't be charged for a more serious one, Godot's attempt to find him guilty for murder ended up getting him acquitted for his thievery. One has to wonder if he's Obfuscating Stupidity.
Recipe for Turnabout
- Phoenix refusing to give up the medical papers when Furio Tigre tries to take them is pretty admirable. Given that everyone at the trial (including Phoenix himself) is scared to look at him the wrong way, standing up to a direct threat by him takes serious guts.
- Gumshoe's Big Damn Heroes moments, where he saves your case from a Loan Shark, then the defendant's when he barges through the courtroom door with evidence, complete with Theme Music Power-Up.
- The way Godot effectively shuts up Furio Tigre when he's brought into court while the Judge and Maya were cowering under their desks and Phoenix was about to wet his pants. "You're caught in a snare... the relentless snare of the law." *takes a gulp of coffee* "And I'm the one that hauled you in!" Phoenix's reaction sums it up:Phoenix: (T... Too cool...)
- Another one for the Judge. Phoenix has just proven that Furio Tigre had posed as him during the phony trial. The Judge then has a moment of realization:Judge: So it was you... The Phoenix Wright who put up the most disreputable, shabby defense I had ever seen! [The Theme Music Powerup usually reserved for Phoenix starts playing.]
- Related, the Judge knows that Furio Tigre was posing as Phoenix, but refuses to let his own memories affect his verdict without evidence to back them up. Sure, he can be a bit airheaded, but the guy's so dedicated to his job that he makes sure to hold himself to the same standards that he holds the defense and prosecution, even when faced with the man who made a mockery of his court.
- Speaking of Tigre, how you defeat him in the end. Phoenix presents the victim's ear medicine, passing it off as potassium cyanide. Tigre shoots down this point, and points out the real container of the potassium cyanide in detail. Then the whole courtroom goes silent, for a very good reason: this is supposed to be his first time seeing the real container. By pointing out what it is, he's unwittingly implicated himself as the murderer.Tigre: I can see through you Phoenix Wright! That ain't the bottle with the cyanide in it.Tigre: Don't mess with The Tiger or you're going to get ripped to shreds! The cyanide bottle was brown. And it was made of glass. That cheap piece of trash don't look nothin' like that!Phoenix: (Got him. At last...)
- To make this even more epic, Phoenix gives a "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Tigre after sealing his fate:Tigre: Youse don't know who youse messin' with! I'm The Tiger! I control millions of dollars on the black market! Youse think I'm gonna let some jumped-up suit get the better of me!?Phoenix: Sure, the last piece of evidence was phony. But that's just what you deserve! The phony trial with a phony lawyer... It was all played out by you, THE BIGGEST PHONY OF ALL!!Judge: Wh-What's going on?Bailiff: It looks like a blackout.Godot: Well done... Trite. (lights back on) I've saved my 17th cup of coffee just for you. (Camera shows the coffee landed on Phoenix's head) Savor it... While you watch your caged prey.
- After Tigre's been taken away, the Judge and Phoenix comment that Tigre's a frightening man and he nearly gets away if it wasn't for that slip of his tongue. But Godot tells them that he's not the only one who's frightening; referring to Phoenix's wits.
- To make this even more epic, Phoenix gives a "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Tigre after sealing his fate:
- Since you never have a full case when you enter the courtroom, most cases have the thrill of knowing that you're going to win eventually, but not knowing exactly how. The first day of this case is the best example in the entire trilogy, as you have to survive the day by finding a hole in the evidence that has already gotten your client convicted without being able to introduce anything of your own. The hole, that a small bottle of medicine is missing, ends up being amongst the smallest of threads to pull, but you finally find it and can start to build your own case.
Turnabout Beginnings
- After the trial ends prematurely due to the death of the accused, Diego Armando breaks his coffee cup with his bare hand out of frustration at the situation. He doesn't react to the pain, and simply tells Mia that "The only time a lawyer can cry is when its all over."
Bridge to the Turnabout
- Phoenix and Mia get a joint Moment, when, up against a Big Bad who's been reduced to a ghost possessing Maya's body, they verbally brutalize her so effectively
that the combined Hannibal Lecture banishes her soul to Hell. Seeing how the person who has caused misery to a lot of the main casts' life being told she's nothing but a failure and she has to bring the shame to her death is extremely satisfying. - Even Pearl, a nine-year old girl, gets one of these when she verbally blasts Franziska (whom she only remembers from Case 2-2 in her currently traumatized state of mind), telling her: "You're nothing but a little girl without your whip!" (amongst other strong words) Franziska is actually rendered speechless.
- The last evidence-presenting part:Godot: "You'll never be half the lawyer that Mia was! Isn't that right, Trite...?"(Mia's "ghost" appears behind Phoenix.)Godot: (Wh-What was that just now? Mia? It-it can't be! You're living on... through him!?)
- And then comes the "Super Objection."
- "It's beneath your mask!"
- And the music at that moment! It's "Pursuit ~ Cornered", sure, but after two whole games of hearing new versions, you get to have the first one, the iconic one, in all its former glory. Nothing says "Oh it is ON now!" more than this.
- Phoenix's line to the fake Iris: "no matter how hard you try, you will never be able to hide the truth from a true defense attorney!"
- Near the start, Phoenix nearly loses his life trying to cross a burning bridge to get to Maya, who he fears is trapped with a murderer. Ironically, it turns out he's right -twice- but she's not actually in any danger. Nevertheless... He know how dangerous it is (borderline suicidal) but tries anyway- he is frantic with worry about her and the thought of NOT doing it simply doesn't occur to him:Larry: D-Don't be stupid! The bridge is nothing but a burning wreck right now!
Phoenix: Listen to me! There's been a murder! Here! At Hazakura Temple!
Larry: Wha-Whaaaaat!?
Phoenix: The murderer might have fled across the bridge! I have to make sure Maya is safe!
Larry: B-B-But...
Phoenix: Please! Call the police! I've got to go! ...Get outta my way, Larry!- +100 Bravery points for Phoenix doing this when a) he's afraid of heights, and b) the bridge was a rickety old thing high above a rapid river. +100 more Bravery points when the bridge is on fire due to a lightning strike, and it's pretty much a death trap. Even the river below the bridge is another death trap as everyone who has fallen into it, sans Dahlia Hawthorne, has never been found again. Both of them proves them wrong since both manage to survive the fall into the river.
- Incredibly enough, even the Judge himself has his moment in which, right after Phoenix pointed out how the Judge was rather calm and collected even after witnessing a severe case of spirit possession (and exorcism by epic speech, see above), the Judge's reply displayed an insight of wisdom never before seen on him:Judge: Well, to be frank, my younger brother is quite judgmental... He often criticizes me for not studying hard enough. That's why I made a concerted effort to study up on the Kurain Channeling Technique. I've seen quite a few things in my many years on the bench. And in all that time, I've finally learned this one thing: Each case is different, and takes place in its own world, if you will. In order to fully understand that world... First we have to immerse ourselves in it completely. And that's where... My brother and I used to differ.
- Franziska von Karma gets one: Edgeworth stands ready in the defense's position, but the prosecution is absent. Just before the Judge can declare an instant win for the defense, once again there's the familiar * CRACK!* , and Franzy makes her very awesome entrance for the first time in the entire game. Say what you will about her, but she knows how to make an entrance.
- A moment of awesome that is the result of another, from Edgeworth. The mad connections he has. Not only is he able to pose as a defense attorney despite all logic being against it, (1-5 reveals that Phoenix's badge has an ID number in order to prevent exactly this sort of thing) but he's able to select a specific prosecutor AND judge for the trial.
- Hell, just playing as Edgeworth for the first investigation day and first trial day. You finally get a chance to see his thought processes.
- Edgeworth himself has a sole achievement over every other defense attorney: finding multiple contradictions from one piece of evidence against Bikini's testimony; the Shichishito. To wit, he states Iris' strength could not pierce the body with it all the way to the hilt (and the sword looks longer than the average person's height), points out all the branches as a reason for the weapon being unable to be smoothly drawn out, notes the size of the weapon not being able to stop all the bleeding and concludes with the incredible lack of blood for being stabbed all the way to the hilt.
- Really, this shows just how good of a defense attorney Edgeworth would have been had his life been different—this trial is a culmination of his development in the last three games, and he really gets to prove how dedicated he is to his new calling of pursuing the truth.
- The tail end. The music cue in particular, with the callback to the case 7 years prior.
- She may be a despicable excuse for a human being, but, you've got to admit, Dahlia Hawthorne's entrance was pretty badass.Godot: When talking to a beautiful lady, always ask for her name and occupation. That's one of my rules.Dahlia: (Nonchalantly) Dahlia Hawthorne. And my occupation? Permanently retired.
- And also when she gives her "The Plan" testimony section, instead of regular testimony music, Dahlia's own theme plays instead for a spine-chillingly awesome effect.
- Another one for Godot: When he first meets Franziska, he is able to successfully brush her off. He's pretty much the only exception to the 'men who meet Franziska get whipped' rule in the series. Though for some, it might qualify more as a Kick the Dog moment, given that he condescends her specifically for her gender rather than any of her actual flaws.
- When the Judge states his disbelief that Dahlia Hawthorne is the murderer, since she is dead, Godot delivers this line:Godot: Death has no meaning in this courtroom!
- The feeling you get when everything suddenly clicks together and you realize just where Maya has been all this time, and how Dahlia isn't going to like the answer one bit.
- Furthermore, when Phoenix catches on to where Maya is, he delivers an epic Wham Line that more-or-less gives it away;Phoenix: Tell me Dahlia. At this very moment, who is channeling Dahlia Hawthorne?
- Furthermore, when Phoenix catches on to where Maya is, he delivers an epic Wham Line that more-or-less gives it away;
- While his actions are definitely morally questionable and cause an innocent woman's death, Godot's intervention not only saves Maya's life (albeit in a bittersweet fashion), but also makes him the primary Spanner in the Works against Dahlia and Morgan's scheme (meaning that he got his Revenge against the former after all).
- After Dahlia is defeated for good, Godot no longer holds the same grudge against Phoenix, as he is now satisfied... but does give him one final challenge for Phoenix to beat him fairly and show he is a worthy successor of Mia. And he takes his loss, which will lead to his imprisonment, with a lot of dignity.
- Nearly everything Franziska does in this game, especially after the earthquake, walks the line between this and Heartwarming. She's immediately concerned for Maya and Edgeworth, and on seeing the five locks and being told Iris doesn't know the combinations, she immediately volunteers to help unlock them. And she does. She spends the rest of the day, the entire night, and the morning after doing exactly that. On a freezing cold mountain, in a cave that's stated to be colder than the outside. To be clearer, Franziska willingly skips out on court, on the opportunity she's been waiting for to crush Phoenix, something she specifically returned to do, to work on those locks. AND she likely had to work alone off and on, because Bikini can't stand to be out in the cold for so long because of her back, and Iris couldn't stay. While she may have done this because Pearl's words earlier got to her skin, she still puts her life at risk for someone else. Considering who this is, that's even more awesome than what Phoenix did.
- Both Maya and Mia get one at the beginning of the case. Figuring out something's wrong, Maya decides to channel Mia. Mia figures out Dahlia is behind this and therefore asks Maya to channel Dahlia, knowing she would not expect being channeled by anyone other than Pearl.
