Characters / Ace Attorney: Detectives and Other Law Enforcement Officers

Ace Attorney | Main Character Sheet
Wright Anything Agency (Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice) | Defense Attorneys & Assistants | Main Prosecutors (Miles Edgeworth, Franziska von Karma) | Prosecutors & Judges | Law Enforcement | The Fey Clan | Troupe Gramarye | Kingdom of Khura'in
Witnesses and Other Characters (Original Game | JFA | T&T [Dahlia Hawthorne] | AJ | DD | SoJ | Manga | Anime | Novels | Theater) | Victims
Investigations (AAI | AAI2) | TGAA (Major | Minor)
PL vs. PWAA

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Law enforcement agents in the Ace Attorney series. For Angel Starr and Maggey Byrde, both former policewomen, see here and here respectively. For Rip Lacer, a detective mentioned in Investigations 2, see here.

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Main Detectives

Just like how defense attorneys get their own assistants, the main detectives tend to be paired up with the main prosecutors of the game. As their title suggests, they help investigate crime scenes and are usually the earliest witnesses in trials. Defense attorneys often have to coax extra information from them that their prosecutor bosses might not like to be shared.

Dick Gumshoe (Keisuke Itonokogiri)

Dick Gumshoe (Keisuke Itonokogiri)

Voiced by (Japanese): Kouji Ishii (trailers), Masami Iwasaki (anime)

Voiced by (English): Bryan Massey (anime)

Played by: Shunsuke Daito (film)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

"I'm just a lowly detective so... I'm not sure what to do with that, other than arrest it!"

Main detective of the original trilogy. Despite his skill as an investigator, Gumshoe has an unfortunate tendency to make mistakes, and as a result has a small paycheck. He is optimistic and eager to please, but bears the brunt of the prosecutors' frustrations. He is particularly loyal to Edgeworth, and becomes something of an ally to Phoenix as well.

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• Adaptational Attractiveness: He's practically a Bishōnen in the movie.
• Afraid of Blood: In the first case of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, he almost faints when he sees the victim's body.
• Ambiguously Bi:
  • He canonically has a crush on Maggey, but in the first game, he behaved as though he had a crush on Miles Edgeworth. He had very visible Undying Loyalty towards the latter in spite of the constant salary cuts, said they had a "strong working relationship", and would rush to his defence if anyone spoke ill of him. His requesting Phoenix to "stand by Mr. Edgeworth" also comes across as accepting their alleged relationship.
  • In Case 3-3, we get this exchange:
    Gumshoe: There's just something about that lady... I mean, guy.^note Referring to Jean Armstrong.
    Phoenix: Huh!? You can't stop thinking about him!?
    Gumshoe: Not like that! Gimme a break, pal. He's not my type.
• Big Damn Heroes: If there's anything he gets right on a consistent basis, it's this. He's prone to arriving in the nick of time whenever Phoenix needs help or evidence.
• Book Dumb: He isn't a total idiot, but he's showing up to a gunfight with a knife when it comes to people like Phoenix and Edgeworth.
• The Big Guy: To both Phoenix and Edgeworth. He may not be as smart as his associates, but when push comes to shove, he's very useful.
• Blind Without 'Em: In Bridge to the Turnabout, Gumshoe tells Edgeworth that a sign chiseled into a large rock reads "Dusty Bridge" after Edgeworth said that it read "Dusky Bridge", and tells Edgeworth that he needs glasses. Edgeworth then told Gumshoe to carefully read the rock again, and then Gumshoe admits his mistake. Edgeworth then tells Gumshoe that Gumshoe needs to get glasses, implying that he is not doing a good job because his vision is lacking.
• Butt-Monkey: Poor Gumshoe tends to take all kinds of abuse from his superiors.
• Cannot Spit It Out: Towards Maggey Byrde. He has an obvious crush on her, but never admits it. The fact that Maggey is technically his subordinate at the start of the second game (although she eventually leaves her patrolman job), and that she had a boyfriend until that point probably complicates matters.
• Character Catchphrase: In the anime, Gumshoe tends to announce his entrances by declaring "It's the cops!" Even when Gumshoe is the only officer on the scene.
• Clueless Detective: One of the less competent detectives, which is saying something. How incompetent he is varies based on the game and the situation, though; he's not nearly as incompetent early on, and can often be relied on to pull through at critical moments in the climactic cases. Whenever he's cross-examined in court, his contradictions are never due to lies or hiding information, but genuine glaring mistakes on his part.
• The Confidant: Despite the fact that nobody ever seems to give him an ounce of respect, both Phoenix and Edgeworth trust him with critical information when the chips are down. Edgeworth tells him, and him alone, that he is going on a trip to rediscover himself, not committing suicide as his note implies. Phoenix, meanwhile, immediately goes to him once he hears that Maya has been kidnapped in Case 2-4, and Gumshoe's help in this case becomes absolutely critical.
• Continuity Cameo: He is the first witness in the flashback case of Apollo Justice.
• Cowardly Lion: As proven during one Big Damn Heroes moment, he is willing to face down Furio Tigre, get back the important piece of evidence he was about to destroy, and buy time for Phoenix and Maya to escape. He even mentions that the gangster's roar is intimidating but tells himself to keep it together.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: The above feats of sheer bravery and physical badassery, but seriously, when your investigation needs something, whether it's a bridge built overnight, that one piece of evidence found or a high speed race across town, Gumshoe will deliver.
• A Day in the Limelight: Recipe for Turnabout acts as his in the original trilogy. "Farewell, My Turnabout" is also one of Gumshoe's biggest moments to shine, as he's one of the only people Phoenix trusts with the information that Maya has been kidnapped.
• Demoted to Extra: In the second Investigations game, though it doesn't kick in until after the first case, when the cast rapidly starts expanding. Raymond takes the role of Edgeworth's Lancer while still providing comic relief, while Sebastian fills the clueless logic comedy Gumshoe used to provide, leaving him with less and less screentime as the game goes on. After Case 2, his only real role is to occasionally transfer evidence and make arrests, in part because Edgeworth generally doesn't have any authority and Gumshoe is forced to work with the people who are in charge of the investigation. To drive it home, AAI 2 is also the first game in the series where he never gets to testify.
• Detective Patsy: In the Investigations manga, he is hired to guard "Officers" alongside Thomas Bester (who's possibly even less competent than he is) and Monet Kreskin (the museum owner's niece) although it's more because he can't recognize that it's a counterfeit and the original was sold. This happens again in "Turnabout Silver Screen", given that Chase Clink, the murderer, arranged for him to be Emi St. Cloud's bodyguard.
• A Dick in Name: Played with. At first, Gumshoe comes off as gruff and uncooperative, but he's ultimately viewed as a good guy who takes pride in his work (even if he's not exceptionally good at it).
• A Dog Named "Dog": Sort of. Both "Dick" and "Gumshoe" are slang words for detective, making him a detective named Detective Detective.
• The Dulcinea Effect: Develops a crush on Chauncey Laboni in the Investigations manga, which she uses in order to retrieve the diamonds she stashed in his car.
• Dumb Muscle: He is not a very smart detective outside of engineering where he really is a smart engineer, but he is an elite fighter who can defeat whole mobs in a fight by himself.
• Dumb Is Good: Zig-zagged. He's not necessarily stupid, and when he's in his element he can be quite insightful. Unfortunately, as a detective, he borders on hopeless. While he is certainly out of his depth compared to the likes of Phoenix Wright or Miles Edgeworth, he really is a good guy at heart.
• Expy: In his looks and some of mannerisms, Gumshoe is clearly based on Lieutenant Columbo. But where Columbo is really extremely cunning beneath his shappy surface and his cluelessness is an act to throw off the suspect, Gumshoe really isn't all that sharp.
• Failed a Spot Check: He is almost always failing to collect all of the evidence, leaving it up to the player character to pick up clues.
• Flanderization: He wasn't always a completely useless, incompetent idiot whose only narrative purpose was to make other characters look good. Unfortunately, his brains seem to drain away a little more with each passing game, an inevitability when all his contradictions are the result of negligence or stupidity on his part rather than lying. For his part, Edgeworth Lampshades it in Investigations, but interprets the situation as "we keep improving our knowledge while Gumshoe gets left behind."
• Friend on the Force: To Edgeworth and, to a lesser extent, Phoenix.
• Friend to All Children: Fond of kids and easily befriends Kay and Pearl.
• Gadgeteer Genius: He is great at building and maintaining investigative gadgets and tools like bug sweepers.
• George Jetson Job Security: Typically fired at some point during the game's final case and rehired by the game's end.
• Genius Ditz: He's usually a doofus, but really good with machines. Not only did he build the moving mascot for the police department, he's also actually pretty savvy when it comes to high-tech investigative equipment, and he actually built a bug tracking device when he was still in grade school! That bug tracking device becomes essential in case 2-4, probably the case where Gumshoe most proves his worth in the entire series. He also knows the scientific name of Charley, the plant in Mia's office ("Cordyline stricta, pal!")
• Gentle Giant: He always (unintentionally) makes Maya jump whenever he appears, presumably due to his loud voice and imposing build, but he actually wouldn't hurt a fly.
• Guilt by Association Gag: A less comedic version. In Rise from the Ashes, when Edgeworth comes under fire, Gumshoe suffers due to his association with Edgeworth, particularly when he's given the most menial and demeaning tasks despite the police being shorthanded.
• Hero-Worshipper: Besides his Undying Loyalty to Edgeworth, Investigations shows he's a huge fan of Detective Badd. He's visibly crushed when he has to take Badd away after the latter turns himself in.
• High Hopes, Zero Talent: Despite his incompetence, he's genuinely enthusiastic about his job.
• Hidden Depths: If the Ace Attorney stageplays are to be believed, he seems to be quite good at breakdancing.
• Homemade Inventions: He made a bug sweeper in grade school that works just fine aside from treating everything that emits signals as suspicious.
• Inspector Lestrade: While he's always there to get the clues needed to solve the case for the protagonists, he isn't exactly the sharpest mind in the cast, and as such, it mostly falls to people like Phoenix and Edgeworth to get the truth from what he finds.
• Intergenerational Friendship: With Kay Faraday, whom he met while he was a new detective in his twenties and she was a grade schooler. They bought some Swiss rolls together and shared them, while Gumshoe told a lie so Kay wouldn't get in trouble with her father.
• Inventional Wisdom: His Blue Badger animatronic in Case 1-5 has no off switch, so it just dances until the batteries die. This causes a problem for the court when it was still active at a crime scene as it covered the face of a suspect on a CCTV recording. This also put a hole in the true killer's plans, as it covered a bloody handprint which combined with the ID Card Record and Edgeworth only having less than 10 minutes to commit the murder and clean up the crime scene which rules him out as the culprit, proved the victim only could've been murdered at the same time the ID Card Holder "7777777" (Damon Gant) was at the crime scene.
• Large Ham: Almost every other line from Gumshoe is delivered with lots of screen shaking and sound effects.
• The Lancer: He's the big, slovenly and bumbling detective who wears his heart on his sleeve to Edgeworth's slim, trim, hypercompetent and ice-cold attorney. Despite their completely different personalities, Gumshoe is Edgeworth's most trusted and loyal companion.
• Last-Name Basis: He's always called by his surname, his title as a detective, or both.
• Leitmotif: "That's 'Detective Gumshoe,' Pal!" Additionally, he has "I Can Do It When It Counts, Pal!" in Investigations, which is more upbeat and excitable.
• Let's Get Dangerous!: Not so much his overall competence, but Gumshoe is apparently one hell of a fighter. Every time he shows up to save Phoenix, he's outnumbered badly, yet he always seems to walk away none the worse for wear. In the first game, his appearance is enough for a woman to call off her four mafia-esque bodyguards, and in the third game he takes on Furio Tigre, who has backup, on his own. Also during the second game, he repeatedly closes in on Shelly de Killer's hiding places. For reference, de Killer is armed and has a hostage and he repeatedly chooses to escape rather than let Gumshoe catch sight of him.
• Meaningful Name:
  • Both "Dick" and "Gumshoe" are slang words for a detective. In addition, Edgeworth mentally comments once that he's like gum on your shoe — impossible to dislodge.
  • In Japanese, "Keisuke" alludes to Keisuke Kuwata, a Japanese rock star, while "Itonokogiri" roughly translates to "a fretsaw", a strong cutting tool used for more delicate works.
• Mr. Exposition: He is a detective, after all. If he doesn't explain the situation to Phoenix, he'll do it in court, sometimes without even the need to cross-examine him as all he presented were facts.
• No Indoor Voice: Implied; whenever he speaks in a conversational tone, his mouth tends to move a lot more than the other characters, and when he yells, it's proportionally larger. Combine that with the Large Ham nature of the character, and it's not hard to come to the conclusion that he's never all that quiet.
• Noodle Incident: He knew Angel Starr when he was sixteen, and she was the only person able to get him to say "what happened". This is never elaborated on.
• Not-So-Badass Longcoat: His shabby trenchcoat does help convey a bit of a tough guy image for him in the first game, but over time its frequently commented on shabbiness just serves as another indicator of his poverty.
• Older Sidekick: He's a subordinate to Edgeworth, and occasionally Franziska, despite being much older than them. He prefers Edgeworth, since at least he doesn't whip him. In I-4, it's shown that he initially thought of Edgeworth as a kid, but by the time Edgeworth cleared his name, he'd earned Gumshoe's respect.
• Perma-Stubble: Has this, somewhat befitting his slightly unkempt and raggedy appearance.
• Perpetual Poverty:
  • Somehow continues to exist no matter how many pay cuts he gets. It gets Lampshaded in the first game...
    Phoenix: If Detective Gumshoe's salary drops any further, he'll end up paying to work!
  • Still in the first game, Gumshoe himself says something along these lines, in post-Case 5 credits, implying he completely hit rock bottom.
    Gumshoe: "If we penalize you any more, it'd be worse than firing you!" (beat) Yes, that's what they said.
  • Case 3-5 reveals he isn't always able to pay his electric bill.
  • Further lampshaded in Investigations, where his idea of celebrating a big case is to have extra salt in his instant noodles.
  • A hilarious line from Edgeworth regarding this is heard (read: thought) if Edgeworth presents the Magatama to Gumshoe.
    Gumshoe: [after trying to eat said Magatama] I thought it was some sort of hard candy that would fill you up.
    Edgeworth: (Nngh... Perhaps his salary's been cut too much...)
  • There's a throwaway gag about Gumshoe due for an unpleasant salary review in Spirit of Justice (a game he doesn't even appear in), simply because he revealed to Phoenix at some point that Edgeworth also goes around presenting random evidence during his investigations.
  • Inverted in the last case of Investigations 2, where he actually receives a pay raise after helping take down the main villain, though it's not clear how many of the cuts this cancels out.
• The Pig-Pen: Takes pride in never washing his detective's coat, claiming every stain is a new badge of honor. When Maggey buys him a new one at the end of the third game, he can't wait to start getting it dirty.
• Pointless Band-Aid: On his jaw. Presumably he cuts himself shaving... every morning in exactly the same spot.
• Poverty Food: Lives pretty much entirely off instant ramen as a result of all the cuts to his salary. As mentioned above, his idea of a special treat is adding extra salt to it.
• Punny Name: "Dick" and "gumshoe" are two different slang terms for "detective".
• Puppy-Dog Eyes: When he's sad, his eyebrows turn slightly up and he has an incredibly sad expression. Fitting his status as a put upon sad sack, he uses this expression frequently.
• Put on a Bus: In the post-timeskip games. He appears during Phoenix's flashback in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, but that's it. Spirit of Justice implies that he's still on the force, though, per an exchange between Phoenix and Edgeworth.
  Phoenix: Well, I heard you used to present evidence left and right during your investigations, too.
  Edgeworth: That was a long time ago. ...Besides, who did you hear that from?
  Phoenix: Oh, I have my sources.
  Edgeworth: Oh? Well, tell your "source" that I look forward to his next salary review.
• Running Gag:
  • In the first game, he frequently mistakes Phoenix for Larry... who he thinks is named "Harry"... and apparently can't remember that he was proven innocent.
  Wait! You're that killer, Harry Butz!
  • Attempts to eat the Magatama every time it's presented to him. Except for the very first time you get it, where Gumshoe says that it's a very nice brooch and you should wear that instead of your attorney's badge. Pearl then says you should be happy he said that.
  • In the anime, hardly anyone gets his name right. One of the only people who technically gets it correct is Manfred von Karma, who refers to him as Richard.^note "Dick" actually originates from the name Richard, due to Spoonerisms and shortening it to Rick and then Dick.
• Shout-Out:
  • His Japanese name, "Keisuke", is a Shout-Out to Japanese rocker Keisuke Kuwata.
  • His hair, shabby coat and mismatched eyebrows mirror Peter Falk's appearance in the detective series Columbo.
• Skewed Priorities: In "Turnabout Reminiscence," he lies about giving Kay a Swiss roll they bought together so she won't get in trouble with her father, despite the fact that Kay's father is dead and Gumshoe is suspected of the murder, with his dishonesty making him seem even more suspicious.
• Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist: He tries his hardest to not tell Phoenix about the crimes, but he always spills the beans. Also, he never seems to catch the culprit. Except for Case 2-4.
• Thinking Tic: Raises one or both eyebrows and looks upwards in his thinking animation.
• Throw the Dog a Bone:
  • In the third game, it's implied in the credits that he finally hooks up with Maggey.
  • At the end of Investigations 2 Edgeworth finally raises his salary for once! Although how much this counteracts all of his previous salary cuts is not specified.
• Took a Level in Badass: Gumshoe is overall smarter and much more competent in the second Investigations game than in the first one.
• Took a Level in Dumbass:
  • In case 3-5, Gumshoe finds a partially burnt letter that contains instructions on what to do after the lights out bell is rung that ends with "Gravely roast the Master in the fires of Hades and bring our vengeance to fruition." He thinks it's worthless and should be thrown away, since it couldn't possibly have anything to do with the case.
  • In general, this is what happens to him as the series goes on and he gets hit with Flanderization. The one exception is in the second Investigations game, where he actually improves upon his performance in the previous game.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: In the flashback case of Apollo Justice, he's determined to outwit Phoenix, and ends up acting condescending when Phoenix questions his testimony.
• Undying Loyalty: Very much so to Edgeworth. When he's accused of murder in both Case 1-4 and in Case 2 of Investigations Gumshoe adamantly refuses to believe that he could be the culprit. There are two major reasons for this: he interprets Edgeworth's (previously) perfect conviction record a sign of unshakable trust in the police to arrest the right person, and, more personally, Edgeworth cleared his name when he was accused of a double murder in the courthouse — on their very first meeting. While Gumshoe had been standoffish with Edgeworth until then, after Edgeworth clears his name, Gumshoe starts addressing him with respect.
  • In Case 1-5, Phoenix needs to enter chief Gant's office and Gumshoe refuses to risk his career to help him even though he wants to. It isn't until Phoenix shows him that Miles intends to resign as a result of all the trouble he went through in this and the previous Case that Gumshoe helps Phoenix.
• Unfortunate Name: He doesn't like being called Dick, presumably for the obvious reason.
• Verbal Tic: In the English version, punctuates most of his sentences with "pal" when he's talking with someone who doesn't outrank him (e.g. a prosecutor or judge). In the Japanese he slurs the end of his sentences.
  Maya: We're on this case too, pal!
  Gumshoe: Huh? Hey! You can't just go saying "pal" like that! That's MY endearing character trait!
• Vitriolic Best Buds: His dynamic with Edgeworth can at best be described as abusive, with Edgeworth constantly throwing put downs and callous snarks at him. Despite this, Gumshoe continues to admire Edgeworth and Edgeworth is in turn shown to have a certain fondness for Gumshoe. It certainly helps that Edgeworth is the only prosecutor who doesn't ever physically attack him.

Ema Skye (Akane Hozuki)

Ema Skye (Akane Hozuki)

Voiced by (Japanese): Satomi Hanamura (AJ trailers), Marina Inoue (SOJ)

Voiced by (English): Erica Lindbeck (SOJ)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS)

^{Click here to see her original appearance}

^{Click here to see her in Investigations}

"Ah, the power of science. It's my life."

Main detective of the fourth and sixth games. She appeared first as Phoenix's assistant in the DS-exclusive case of the first game, Rise from the Ashes. She loves science with a child-like passion, and as a teenager dreamed of being a forensic scientist. She failed the test for it before Apollo Justice and was made a detective instead, becoming moody and bitter about it. By the time of Spirit of Justice, however, she finally passed and was able to live out her dream. Ema admires both Phoenix and Edgeworth greatly and will willingly help either of them if the need arises. She has a fondness for cute things and even signs her name with a love heart at the end as "Ema Skye ♥".

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• Brainy Brunette: She has a surprising amount of talent in scientific investigation for someone her age.
• Big Sister Worship: She dearly loves and admires her older sister Lana, but doesn't understand why she has become so cold. Lana was protecting Ema the entire time, just keeping her at a distance so she wouldn't be implicated in the murder of Neil Marshall.
• Brilliant, but Lazy: In Apollo Justice, she's brainy enough, but really half-hearted in her detective work. Justified since she's essentially stuck in a job she didn't want.
• Catchphrase:
  • "Scientifically speaking..."
  • She often says "Note to self:" before writing down observations about others.
• Comfort Food: Her Snackoos. When Apollo meets her in Spirit of Justice, she happily declares that she's done with them... but when she's forced to testify against Trucy, she's back to munching away.
• Cool Shades: She trades in her goggles for these when she's an adult in Apollo Justice. She hardly ever wears them on her face, however.
• Contrasting Replacement Character: After the timeskip Ema takes over Gumshoe's position as main detective. While Gumshoe was the friendly but incompetent detective to the cold prosecutors, in Apollo Justice Ema (having taken a level in jerkass) is moody and hostile, but smarter.
• Curtains Match the Window: Zig-zagged. Her first appearance averts this with blue eyes, her appearance in Apollo Justice and Investigations plays it straight with brown eyes, and the official art averts this with greenish-blue eyes.
• Divergent Character Evolution: In her first appearance, she's a Suspiciously Similar Substitute to Maya Fey except replacing Maya's mysticism with an obsession with forensics. Apollo Justice shows her having become embittered and hostile in the wake of her life's dream being crushed, before Spirit of Justice shows her regaining most of her joy after finally attaining her dream. Even then, she's noticably matured a bit more than Maya has.
• Fangirl: Idolizes Edgeworth. The contrast between Edgeworth and Klavier is probably why Ema can't stand him: "Prosecutors should be cool-of-wit and furrowed-of-brow... less 'glimmerous', more 'simmerous'." Her phone also has the Steel Samurai ringtone, and a Pink Princess strap.
• Foregone Conclusion: Being that Investigations is an Interquel, Ema's cheery personality remains intact from "Rise From the Ashes". It's a little sad to know that her good nature will be sucked away in the coming years by her failing the forensics exam, denying her dream... thankfully temporarily.
• Friend on the Force: More in Spirit of Justice than in Apollo Justice. She was moodier and slightly obstructive in the latter, but two years and a job promotion later, she's outright helpful to the defense and unwilling to testify against them... unless the prosecution happens to be Miles Edgeworth.
• Genki Girl: Back when she was a Suspiciously Similar Substitute, she was a slightly more serious and driven version of this than Maya. She was deliberately changed into her more mature and moody self for Apollo Justice so as her role would not clash with Trucy, who filled the Maya role of the fourth game. Her old Genki self is still there though once Apollo gets her excited about forensic science, and it returns for good in Spirit of Justice once Ema finally becomes a forensic investigator like she dreamed.
• Girl Friday: The competent female sidekick to Phoenix in the first game, to Klavier in the fourth (although a more hostile example than most), and to Nahyuta in the sixth.
• Goggles Do Something Unusual: The pink sunglasses that usually rest on the top of her head apparently allow her to see things that are normally hard to spot, such as footprints. In "Rise from the Ashes", she tells Phoenix her pink glasses also make Luminol reactions easier to see, and gives him a spare pair for the same purpose.
• Has a Type: The two men she shows romantic interest in (Edgeworth and Sahdmadhi) are both sophisticated and serious prosecutors with a colorful way of dressing. While Klavier has a similar appearance, she is repulsed by him due to his laid back attitude.
• Insane Troll Logic: In her first appearance, a combination of enthusiasm and naïveté results in most of her "scientific observations" relying on this. This is justified by the fact that she attended a Sucky School during that time. She gets better in future appearances however.
• Inspector Lestrade: Her role in Apollo Justice and Spirit of Justice, being the one who inevitably arrests innocent people. She's more levelheaded than Gumshoe was, but was often subject to Klavier's gimmicks.
• I Owe You My Life: Indirectly. Once Apollo and Trucy reveal their association with Phoenix (the man who defended her sister in 1-5) she gladly helps them any way she can as long as she's in a good mood.
• Labcoat of Science and Medicine: Invoked, as she'd wear a lab coat over her normal clothes as a teen to denote her passion for science. While not technically a forensic scientist in Apollo Justice, she still wears one, and helps Apollo and Trucy with their amateur sleuthing. Finally earned in Spirit of Justice when she does becoming a forensics expert.
• The Lab Rat: She would prefer to be this, but she flunked the exam for it. She eventually succeeded in Spirit of Justice, and is much happier for it.
• Leitmotif: "Turnabout Sisters 2005" during her younger years, following the trend of female assistants having cheerier, upbeat theme songs, as well as connecting her to Maya in the sense of both being investigative partners. It's replaced by "The Scientific Detective" in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, since she's a detective by that point, giving her theme a small lower-key portion that escalates back to the usual cheerfulness to show her newfound angst from being stuck as a detective. It gets remixed in Spirit of Justice to sound a bit more triumphant, since she's finally a forensic investigator like she always wanted.
• Mr. Exposition: As much as she hates it, she's a detective, so she knows what's going on.
• My Greatest Failure: As a teen, it's being too traumatized to testify about SL-9, which she believed led to the forgeries and the rumors surrounding Edgeworth. Making up for this is her main motivator for wanting to become a forensic scientist. As an adult, it's not getting into forensics, though this is only temporary.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: In "Rise From the Ashes", her attempt to stop the brawl between Neil Marshall and Joe Darke indirectly leads to Neil's death due to knocking him out, giving Gant the window of opportunity to set up his "accidental murder" and insurance against the Skyes. Especially notable since Neil actually had the upper hand against Darke and would've likely taken him down without Ema's intervention.
• Open Mouth, Insert Foot: She accidentally insults Edgeworth multiple times to his face in case 1-5.
• Practically Different Generations: She's 13 years younger than her older sister Lana.
• Precocious Crush: She's had a big crush on Edgeworth ever since her sister introduced them when she was young.
• Punny Name: "Skye" comes from, well, "sky", tying in with her Japanese name. "Akane" comes "akane-sasu sora" ("glowing sky"), and "Hozuki" means "jewel moon".
• Puppy-Dog Eyes: When she is deeply upset for having to testify against her friend, she stops eating her Snackoos and just stare at the camera with an expression which really sells that she absolutely doesn't want to do that.
• Put on a Bus: Despite being presumably in the same precinct as always, she is never seen in Dual Destinies, where Fulbright is the main detective. She's only mentioned in passing reference should Phoenix inspect the luminol kit (which has since been surrounded by other pieces of junk) she lent him many years ago. However, she does return in the sixth game, where it turns out she's become a forensics investigator.
• Seen It All: The way she nonchalantly defuses a bomb scare in Spirit Of Justice's DLC case gives this impression.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: The wedding in the ending movie to the DLC case in Spirit of Justice is the only time she's seen in an outfit other than her lab coat. And she looks good!
• Ship Tease:
  • She develops a mild crush on Edgeworth in her very first appearance and keeps it as part of her characterization. He obviously doesn't return her feelings, but he does seem pretty fond of her and is genuinely pleased to see her again when she turns up in Investigations.
  • She gets quite a bit of ship tease with Klavier in the official art and supplementary material, such as in one story where Ema is freezing in the cold and Klavier lends her his coat. She claims to dislike him because "When he walks his shiny chains catch the sun and glimmer in my eyes! It's distracting", how different he is from Edgeworth and his supposed role in Phoenix's disbarment (she doesn't know it wasn't actually his fault). However, her tsundere tendencies in Apollo Justice seem to hint that she may actually like him a bit deep down. This tsundere-ness is much more pronounced in the original Japanese version of the game than the English release, especially with the comparisons to Edgeworth.
  • Spirit of Justice suggests that Nahyuta has an interest in her... an interest she might be interested in returning. When she tells Edgeworth that she's leaving the country for a while to work with him in Khura'in, you can practically hear the "It's not you, it's me"...
• Sucky School: She attended one of these because her high school math test that she wants to study for in the final day of investigation should you examine Mia's desk consists of kindergarten-level addition.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: As an adult, she is less prone to open up to others, but she shows her sweeter side to those who helped her in the past (i.e. Phoenix) and the prosecutors she's working with as she gets to know them more.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: She started out as one to Maya — she's a perky teenage girl with a renowned older sister in the legal profession. Design-wise, she shares some intentional similarities with Maya, and her leitmotif is even called "Turnabout Sisters Theme 2005" in the first game! Their main point of contrast is Ema's staunch passion for science vs. Maya's mysticism. The allusion to Maya is part of the reasons why Phoenix decided to take Lana's case in the first place. Give or take a decade, though, and Ema and Maya have grown into quite different people. Best pronounced in Spirit of Justice - the first game in which they are both present in, and where both of them interact with each other in two full cases (2-3 and 2-6). This probably factored into the reason why Ema and Maya had the same Japanese voice actress for a spell before Ema gained a new one for Spirit of Justice.
• Sweet Tooth:
  • To the point she won't let go of her bag of Snackoos even while witnessing in court.
  • Though she will use them as a weapon. Ka-tonk!
    Apollo: (She Snackoo'd me.)
  • In Spirit of Justice, it turns out that this only emerges whenever she's frustrated, as the Snackoos appear either when she's stuck testifying against someone whom she believes to be innocent, or complaining about the prosecutors she's worked with.
• Thinking Tic: Lays one arm across her torso, rests the other arm's elbow on the wrist, and touches her cheek/mouth area in her thinking animations. She’ll also start to slowly sway from side to side as she ponders.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: Ema finally achieves her dream job as a forensic investigator in Spirit of Justice.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: A huge one in Apollo Justice (presumably due to ending up a detective instead of a forensic investigator like she wanted). She ignores people who ask for her help, puts little effort in her work as stated above, and throws her snacks at anyone who annoys her. However, she becomes much nicer and more cooperative when talking about forensics, a trait that Apollo and Trucy exploited several times when they met her.
• Took a Level in Kindness: She's regained much of her youthful cheer in Spirit of Justice, as a result of finally achieving her lifelong dream.
• Trademark Favorite Food: "Snackoos" in the English, fried dough cakes called Karintou in Japanese.
• Trauma-Induced Amnesia: The stress of SL-9 caused her to forget charging at Darke and Prosecutor Marshall. Her memory is restored after seeing the full drawing she made of the incident.
• Undying Loyalty:
  • Towards Edgeworth, being her idol before Phoenix proved her sister innocent and all. This adoration extends all the way to Spirit of Justice, where her eagerness to look good in front of Edgeworth helps him to play her against the defense.
  • To a lesser extent, to Phoenix. After all, he did clear her sister of murder charges in "Rise from the Ashes". This is one of the reasons she resents Klavier, because he prosecuted the trial that got Phoenix disbarred. It gets to the point that she spites Apollo at the start of the first trial of "Turnabout Revolution" for opposing Phoenix, even though Apollo is just lawyering for what he believes is a good cause.
    Apollo: This is a civil trial, so I was surprised to see a detective take the stand.
    Ema: You disappoint me, Apollo. First, you know I'm not just a detective. I'm a forensic scientist. Do try to remember that. (screen briefly shakes as she says the following) Second, you owe Mr. Wright an apology. After all he's done for you, you have some nerve!
    Apollo: (blushes) First, I'm sorry. And second, I'm really just trying to do my job.
    Ema: You'll never get anywhere with that attitude. (grins) Take some advice from someone who's been there.
• Unfulfilled Purpose Misery: Failing her forensics exam and not becoming a forensic detective hit her hard in Apollo Justice. She hates everything about her situation in Criminal Affairs, and she shows it by slacking off, binging Snackoos on the job, and insulting Klavier behind his back. She only brightens up when Apollo gives her a chance to apply forensic investigation to her crime scenes. She sheds this trope in Spirit of Justice after finally becoming a forensic investigator.
• With Friends Like These...: While not trying to antagonize the prosecutors she's working with, she tends to insult Apollo or bicker with him instead. His first reaction to seeing her again in Spirit of Justice is to instantly run away given how their interactions usually went.

Bobby Fulbright (Gouzou Ban)

Bobby Fulbright (Gouzou Ban)

Voiced by (Japanese): Biichi Satou (DD)

Voiced by (English): Dave B. Mitchell (DD)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies

"In justice we trust!"

Main detective of the fifth game. A hot-blooded detective with the catchphrase "In Justice We Trust!", he has worked with Simon many times and is paired up with him in court. The detective hopes to help the prosecutor redeem himself after he was imprisoned. He's friendly and very energetic. However, this doesn't keep him from fulfilling his duties and he will remain strong when pushed far enough (such as if Simon tries to escape for example). Bobby has such a strong sense of justice that he is compelled to intervene when others are in trouble, and he will even help defense attorneys if it leads to a fair trial.

One day while investigating, he met an important person that lead him to become an important player in the events of Dual Destinies. For more information on this, you can see the profile of this other person in the "Turnabout For Tomorrow" section here. Careful though, you can get spoiled.

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• #1 Dime: Not only does he set aside time every week to make sure his police ID is meticulously polished, but he keeps it in a shoulder holster so he can flash it at appropriate times.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: They're actually quite impressive, even for this series.
• Beware the Silly Ones: He can be silly and goofy all the time, but when it comes to do his job, he won't hesitate to do what has to be done. Even if it means electrocuting a person he considers a friend, like Blackquill, to prevent him from escaping.
• Catchphrase: "In justice we trust!"
• Cool Shades: Very cool orange ones.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He's an over-the-top ham who gives off some impeccably timed Puns (the second of which is lampshaded as such), but he's actually quite competent at handling Blackquill and saves the day, at least temporarily, in Case 4.
• Dead All Along: He was murdered before the game started. The person impersonating him is actually the phantom.
• Deuteragonist: Tetragonist of Dual Destinies, being the main law enforcement officer, integral to the outcome of a few cases. He's actually a bit more important than your other regular detectives due to an event that happened years ago.
• Exact Words: In hindsight, his words when Phoenix magatamas him are true, but not true enough. He's worried about justice, the GYAXA bombing, and Simon's hunt for the phantom... because he's worried that justice will prevail and he, as the culprit of both cases, will be caught.
• For Great Justice: Pretty much his MO. His motto is "In justice we trust!" and he is compelled to help others in the name of justice.
• Hot-Blooded: Often gets into fights with Athena because of their equal temperaments.
• Hot Blooded Sideburns: To emphasize his dramatic ways.
• Impersonation-Exclusive Character: He was being impersonated by the phantom the entire game, having been murdered before the game began.
• Large Ham: His mannerisms and gesticulations are over-the-top, even for this series. His "shocked" animation especially so. It's revealed to all be an act, though judging by the fact that no one ever questioned his impostor's behavior, it's safe to assume that the real Fulbright was every bit as enthusiastic as he seems.
• Leitmotif: "In Justice We Trust!", a loud and goofy-sounding jazz, showcasing Fulbright's tendency for silly antics.
• Light Is Good: He dresses predominately in white, and he's a staunch ally of justice.
• Meaningful Name: "Bobby" is a slang term for police officers in the United Kingdom. His last name Fulbright is used in contrast to Simon's last name Blackquill, representing their different personalities and creeds. It's also a reference to Fool's Gold.
  • Robert - of which "Bobby" is a diminutive - also means "bright".
  • Given his attitude, it can't be coincidence that his name rhymes with Dudley Do-Right.
  • "Fulbright" could reference the fact that it's difficult to make out somebody's features in a bright light, and we never actually learn how he really was like.
  • His Japanese name "Gōzō" contains the kanji for 'three', and he's the third main detective in the main series. It also contains the kanji for "booming/resounding", referencing his personality and the courtroom bombing. "Ban" translates to "watchdog" or "sentry", alluding to his role as Blackquill's guard.
• Nice Guy: He certainly doesn't have many problems stepping aside for any of our main characters when they need to investigate, as long as they ask politely^note or they use an Insane Troll Logic Bomb on him to convince him that they're on the side of "Justice". One of the biggest examples is in the DLC case, where he goes out of his way to try and convince the Prosecutor's Office to put Orla on trial, so Phoenix would at least have a chance to prove her innocence.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: In the final case, he'll eventually start to wear an uncharacteristically stoic expression on his face and speak in a very matter-of-fact tone when you press him enough. A sure sign that the phantom's true personality is starting to shine through.
• Primary-Color Champion: Invoked. he's a justice-obsessed detective who wears a blue tie, a red collared shirt, and a white suit with gold buttons.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: As a detective, he has to preserve the crime scene by keeping people out, but he does allow the defense quite a bit of leeway.
• Riddle for the Ages: In the end, it's never revealed how or why the real Bobby Fulbright was murdered or even who killed him. Nobody seemed interested pressing the phantom on the matter, either.
• Scary Shiny Glasses: His pose when pushing his glasses back into place, the usual stray moment of professionalism, tends to come off as this sometimes.
• Sunglasses at Night: His Cool Shades never come off. Lampshaded by Apollo.
• To Be Lawful or Good: His main dilemma of whether be good and share all of his findings with the protagonists so the defense has a fair and just chance in court, or be lawful and follow protocol and deny the defense of any evidence which would be lawful but not fair and just.
• Too Dumb to Fool: What makes him immune to Simon's psychological influences.
• Walking Spoiler: There is one major revelation about him in the final case of Dual Destinies that has a massive effect on the plot. If you have not yet played/finished the game, exercise caution when looking up information about him. It's to the point that it might be a good idea to play the DLC case, "Turnabout Reclaimed", in chronological order (between cases 2 and 3) instead of after the main game as his presence there can be disruptive or even unnerving after the major reveal at the end of the game.

Other Detectives

Bruce Goodman (Michio Tadashiki)

Bruce Goodman (Michio Tadashiki)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS)

"We can't transfer the evidence out. There are too many questions left unanswered!"

A detective that was in charge of the SL-9 case. Death caused by a stab wound in the chest.

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• Dead Man's Chest: Found in a car trunk.
• Names to Trust Immediately: Nothing indicates that he had any part in the forging of evidence for SL-9, and the fact that he went unpunished seems to suggest that he never took any of the blame.
• Punny Name: He was a good man, and as Jake Marshall put it, good men die young. "Tadashiki Michio" comes from "tadashii michi", meaning "morally right path".
• Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Killed in a moment of haste because he wanted to reevaluate a closed case from years ago, thinking something might be fishy about it.
• White Shirt of Death: He's stabbed to death and bleeds all over his white suit.

Daryan Crescend (Daian Mayuzuki)

Daryan Crescend (Daian Mayuzuki)

Debut: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

"Say "hi" for me, OK? Oh, and "screw you". And tell [Klavier] I want into that crime scene!"

An International Affairs detective who also plays guitar in Klavier's band. Appears in the third case of Apollo Justice. He has a strange fear of planes.

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• Animal Motifs: His design is based on a shark, including his torpedo-shaped hair and jacket decorated with shark teeth.
• Anime Hair: An oversized, phallic pompadour with a patch of white on the tip. It goes beyond even the most extreme standards of impossibility when he has his breakdown, by developing some split hairs... that split in the wrong direction, towards his head, as if they originated from the tip.
• Arc Villain: He's the main bad guy to take down in the Turnabout Serenade arc.
• Didn't Think This Through: He was entirely confident that Machi would not incriminate him as the one behind both the smuggling and the murder because smuggling is worth a death penalty in Borginia - even when Apollo had practically proven these points, Daryan remains confident because of the previous point. Once he's reminded that, by confessing the smuggling in their court instead of Borginia's, Machi could avoid the death penalty, however...
• Delinquent Hair: Subverted. As noted above, his pompadour is extremely long, to the point where he has to constantly keep it up to prevent it from sagging too much. It also splits in the wrong direction once he has his breakdown. He works two jobs as a musician and a detective in International Affairs until it's revealed that he committed murder and tried smuggling an extremely illegal item overseas.
• Dirty Coward: He frames Machi - a 14 year old child who can barely speak English for the crimes he commits (granted, Machi was his accomplice in smuggling drugs, but he acted alone in the murder). The judge even describes him as a cowardly opportunist when noting his plan to sell the cocoon to the Chief Justice, someone who wouldn't rat Daryan out.
• Dirty Cop: Word of God states that he used his position in the police force to mess with the evidence at the trial so Machi would be found guilty instead. Unfortunately, to the game writer's regret, he wasn't able to squeeze in an in-game explanation for Daryan's actions, or any indication that Daryan was altering the Court Record.
• Expressive Hair: His hair sags when he's upset.
• Foreshadowing:
  • When Lamiroir suddenly accuses him of shooting LeTouse, his response makes him sound less concerned about being marked as the killer as he is amazed that she found some way to hear him speak.
  • Phoenix advises Apollo that his trial couldn't be solved with "conventional" means because Daryan is an extremely skilled detective; even with evidence, he would find any existing loopholes to exploit in order to deflect blame and free himself. Hence, Apollo ends up forcing his breakdown by informing him that his accomplice, Machi, will be able to avoid Borginia's death penalty for smuggling cocoons if he confesses to the crime in another country. This also serves as an ante piece for the main problem in the following case, which features an even more skilled lawyer that can't be even taken down with a testimony.
• Hate Sink: He's a rather unpleasant person who not only casually insults people, but murdered an Interpol officer, threw his accomplice under the bus by manipulating the crime scene and tried to kill Lamiroir.
• Jerkass: The guy is a dickhead, both figuratively and literally. Once he's brought to the witness stand, he acts rather confident that he could get off scot-free, and treats Apollo rather rudely by calling him names, and subverting and poking holes into his testimonies. One of his sprite animations has him pointing at someone (both Apollo and the player) and laughing.
• Jerkass Has a Point: When Klavier accuses Daryan of making a mistake during the concert (because he got hurt after killing LeTouse with a gun with more recoil than he's used to) that even an amateur (Apollo and Trucy) could notice, Daryan reminds him that the ones that noticed were amateurs... with a mixing table, proving that practically nobody would notice the error in the finished recording. Klavier does not care.
• Manipulative Bastard: As revealed by the game writer above, the reason why Apollo and Klavier kept going around in circles is because Daryan messed with the evidence to make it look like Machi was the culprit.
• Meaningful Name: "Crescend" might come from "crescendo" and could also be a reference to his Japanese name, which contains the kanji for "moon". "Mayuzuki" may come from "mayu suki" ("I like cocoons").
• Near-Villain Victory: He messed with the case in Turnabout Serenade to the extent where there was little way for Apollo and Klavier to figure out that Machi was innocent of homicide, even with evidence. Daryan was that close to walking away scot-free, and he made sure to rub it in at any chance he got.
• Nerves of Steel: He is most notably the only witness (excluding defendants) that was never Perceived by Apollo. Considering Justice can detect even minor tics thanks to his bracelet, this says a lot about Daryan's ability to not lose his cool, even as more and more proof of him being LeTouse's murderer and a smuggler is presented.
• Pragmatic Villainy: He points out that he wouldn't be stupid enough to sell a Borginian cocoon on the black market, since it's highly likely that he might get caught, or that his clients would suspect him of running a sting operation. Instead, Apollo has to point out that Daryan has a relatively safe client to sell to- the Chief Justice.
• Smug Snake: He's exposed as early as the end of the first day of the trial, but continually insults Apollo for not having the evidence to convict him. He's also quite arrogant about how his accomplice Machi will end up taking the heat for the murder he committed.
• Sure, Let's Go with That: Given the actual timing of events and his initial reaction to Trucy's theory, it's clear that he hadn't planned on matching his actions to the lyrics of "The Guitar's Serenade." But it gives him an airtight alibi at the time that they think the murder occurred, so he steals his own guitar and the victim's body to make it appear that the killer arranged them to fit the final set of lyrics.
• Threatening Shark: Not literally, but fits his Animal Motif. He wears a shark-themed hoodie with teeth lining the edges, and his zipper is in the shape of a golden shark tooth. He's also a crooked detective whose crimes include murder and cocoon-smuggling.
• Villainous Breakdown: Perhaps the only case apart from Redd White in which, rather than present decisive evidence and see him break down as a result, Apollo has to force him into breaking down to make him confess, by suggesting that Machi can avoid the death penalty in Borginia by confessing in the country that the proceedings are taking place in. Once he learns this, Daryan tries to play it cool while trying to bribe Machi with money and a house made of cookies or pianos (likely referring to Machi's piano skills, or threatening to kill Klavier, whose name is German for "piano"). Then he repeatedly and wildly slashes his hair about like a shark tearing through the place, making his hair look like a white blur, while frantically screaming for Machi to not talk and expose him. Once everything's over, he hugs himself and sweats profusely, while his pompadour looks shaggier than usual.
• Visual Pun: His pompadour is rather phallic-looking, and he constantly acts rude and arrogant. He's a dickhead. When his hair sags after his Villainous Breakdown, it refers to having his ego and defenses completely broken by Apollo.
• Would Hit a Girl: He attacks Lamiroir, apparently to prevent her from testifying against him. She barely manages to escape from him

Candice Arme (Hozumi Kaku)

Candice Arme (Hozumi Kaku)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies

A detective who was in charge of a case involving a bombing incident and was found dead at the remains of the courtroom bombing.

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• Bludgeoned to Death: It's discovered that rather than striking her head on rubble due to the blast of the bomb, she was actually struck on the head with the fake bomb.
• Couldn't Find a Pen: The only instance of "the victim writes the killer's identity" in the entire series where it is completely true. However, she didn't know her killer's name well enough, so she instead wrote his identification code.
• Chekhov's Gunman: Although she is the victim of the first case, she's chronologically the last one to die in Dual Destinies. She was planned to be a witness of the trial of Clay Terran's murder and also discovered Clay's corpse along with Yuri Cosmos.
• Demolitions Expert: She is a bomb specialist.
• Exact Words: The murder weapon was the bomb. As in, her head was caved in with it, not via the conventional explosion.
• Meaningful Name: Her Japanese first name is derived from the word meaning "corner" and the surname comes from the word meaning "to conceal".
• Punny Name: Her English name is a pun on "can disarm," a reference to her position on the bomb squad.
• Spared by the Adaptation: Minor example but she isn’t murdered in the demo.
• She Knows Too Much: She was killed because she saw Ted Tonate stealing the bomb.
• Trigger-Happy: Unknowingly shot an innocent man in the chest in the dark because she thought he was a criminal. Thankfully, the bullet was stopped by a medal on his chest.

Other Law Enforcement Workers

Missile

Missile

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

"...The dog Detective Gumshoe takes care of just up and ate a Samurai Dog earlier as well. Poor little dog, slowly coming to resemble his handler." - Miles Edgeworth

A Shiba Inu police dog cared for by Gumshoe. One of the optional tools offered by Gumshoe in Case 1-4, he later appears in Investigations to help find evidence in case 5.

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• Badass Adorable: Played for laughs. Quite a few characters gush over how cute Missile is. But he's quite vicious if you get in the way of his food.
• Beast of Battle: Part of Phoenix's moveset in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 , where he gets summoned to inflict damage.
• Big Eater: Once devoured an entire cart of Steel Samurai hot dogs.
• The Bus Came Back: He appeared in Ace Attorney: Investigations for the first time since the original Ace Attorney!
• Evil-Detecting Dog: Gumshoe likes to see him as one but... he mostly ends up finding food instead. Played with in the second case of Investigations 2, where he DOES help point out the true killer. There's a perfectly logical explanation for it, though.
• Heroes Love Dogs: Both Maya Fey and Shi-long Lang have expressed fondness for Missile. Phoenix, however, makes a joke about using Missile as bait for Gourdy, a Loch-Ness monster type monster. Maya is not amused.
• Nightmare Face: The face he makes in the second image is a little unsettling, but it's Played for Laughs when there's food around.
• Plucky Comic Relief:
  • He's not actually useful in his debut case, but his scene with Larry is hilarious.
  • Shiba Inu are not typically used as police dogs. The first member of the breed to pass the police dog exam in Japan did so ten years after the game first came out. So, he's more obviously a joke character in Japan where the breed is a well-known house pet.
• Team Pet: The police investigation team's, anyway...

Taka (Gin)

Taka (Gin)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies

Simon Blackquill's trusty pet hawk. Has a habit of assaulting defense attorneys and witnesses whose behavior isn't to his master's liking.

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• Amplified Animal Aptitude: Capable of fetching evidence without damaging it. Exaggerated in Spirit of Justice, where he's asked to purchase a box of food and carry it into court with no one batting an eye over the request, or the fact that Taka successfully completes his task.
• Demoted to Extra: Even moreso than his owner, Taka only shows up in a very small portion of the fourth case in Spirit of Justice. He doesn't get the chance to attack anyone in the case either.
• A Dog Named "Perro": Taka is Japanese for... "hawk".
• Head Pet: Frequently perches on the Judge's head. In anniversary art◊, he's sitting on Shah'do's head while the dog is perched on Maya's head.
• Non-Human Sidekick: To Blackquill. Taka frequently acts as his personal messenger and retriever of evidence.
• Right-Hand Attack Dog: "Right Hand Attack Hawk", to be more precise.
• Shown Their Work: Unlike most other birds of prey that have the Red-Tailed Hawk's majestic cry dubbed over whatever noises they would naturally make, Taka screeches like a Red-Tailed Hawk because he actually IS one.

Guard

Security Guard

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

A man who is assigned to guard the visitor's room in the Detention Center.

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• Covert Pervert: Phoenix suspects that he enjoys being able to watch April May as she is interviewed.
• The Faceless: He has no character sprite and is only seen as part of the background of the Detention Center CG, so we never get a clear look at his face.
• Punch-Clock Villain: Or Punch Clock Hero Antagonist. He’s technically keeping the player’s clients at bay, but never shows any malice.
• No Name Given: He’s yet to be given a name or even alias.
• Not So Stoic:
  • Mayor Temna pretending to be possessed by Tenma Taro is creepy enough that the guard just goes along with it and treats him accordingly.
  • The anime has a moment of him failing to hold back his laughter at Max Galactica after the latter finally catches on that he's a been arrested as a murder suspect.
  • He ends up making jazz hands for Jeff Master whenever he bursts into song.

Chief of Detectives

Chief of Detectives

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

The head of the Criminal Affairs Department. He's the proud creator of the Blue Badger and is often shown sitting at his computer reading up on the news.

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• Continuity Cameo: He's seen at Gatewater Land in Case 3 of Investigations admiring the rise in popularity of his creation. He's also with his daughter, who is scared of the badger.
• Clueless Boss: He's the head of the detectives, but sometimes he's found shocked about the news of cases that his own department are working on.
• The Faceless: Similar to the Detention Center guard, he only appears in the Criminal Affairs Department's background and has no character sprite.
• Oblivious to Hatred: He doesn't seem to realize his daughter is scared of the Blue Badger.
• Parental Issues: Implied between him and his daughter. She says she's scared of the Blue Badger because it has her father's eyes. Make of that what you will...
• Salaryman: Similar to Winston Payne, the Chief looks like a stereotypical salaryman: a middle-aged man with a receding hairline wearing a gray suit and glasses.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Despite having very little screentime, the moments he does appear tend to be pivotal to the case.
  • In Case 2-4, he gives Phoenix permission to speak with Matt Engarde despite the Detention Center being closed to visitors for the night, which leads to the confirmation that Engarde is the culprit.
  • In Case 1-5, he gives Phoenix an incomplete missing item report slip from the victim of said case, dismissing it as unimportant. The missing report was for the victim's police ID. This helps Phoenix deduce that the victim needed someone else's ID to enter the evidence room. Someone who wanted to silence the victim...

Yanni Yogi (Kotaro Haine)

Yanni Yogi (Kotaro Haine)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

A former court bailiff who was accused of the murder of Gregory Edgeworth. Thanks to Robert Hammond, he was ultimately found not guilty by reason of insanity, after which he disappeared. See here for more information.

Damon Gant (Kaiji Ganto)

Damon Gant (Kaiji Ganto)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS)

"You know, we should all go swimming together sometime! Jolly!"

Highly eccentric Police Chief. Although he does some pretty odd things (for a guy that intentionally looks like Zeus), he's highly intelligent, clever, and cunning. He used to be Lana's partner when both were detectives.

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• Affably Evil: Need fifty bucks? He's your guy! Want to go swimming? He's open any day! Try to reopen that case Damon doesn't want anyone looking at? You get stabbed! He maintains an almost grandfatherly demeanor even when flagrantly threatening Phoenix and Edgeworth during Lana's trial. Additionally, after his Villainous Breakdown, he expresses sad self-reflection over his actions, regret over losing The Judge's friendship, and good wishes for Phoenix's and Edgeworth's futures.
• Angry Fist-Shake: When you begin to get close to catching him.
• Beneath Suspicion: Marshall and Angel spent years thinking the corruption surrounding the SL-9 case came from the prosecution (and with prosecutors like von Karma on staff, who could blame them?). It never occurred to them to consider looking into the police department where Gant was in charge since they're supposed to be subservient to the prosecutors. Keyword, supposed to be.
• Beard of Evil: Since he's the main villain of Rise from the Ashes, his beard also counts as one of these.
• Beat: There's quite a few times during his conversations with other people and his witness testimonies in 1-5 where he just sits and stares for a few seconds before saying anything, including once where a piece of evidence is shown for a few seconds before he starts speaking about it. This includes even beyond those moments, such as his very first appearance. It's somewhat unnerving.
• Beware the Silly Ones: He's a Large Ham and a goofy old man, but he's a formidable opponent who makes Manfred Von Karma look like Frank Sahwit when faced in court.
• Big Bad: The main force behind Rise from the Ashes.
• Big "NO!": Plus special effects.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He's worse than most criminals Phoenix faces, despite seeming like a friendly police chief.
• Blackmail: He has Lana do his bidding as chief prosecutor under threat of her sister being framed as Neil Marshall's killer.
• Broken Pedestal: Naturally, all respect for him is lost when his crimes are brought to light.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Uses some variation of "Been swimming lately?" as a greeting, eerily stares in silence for moments at a time when asked questions, and calls the Judge, Phoenix, and Edgeworth "Udgey", "Wrighto", and "Worthy", respectively. Still regarded as one of the finest detectives that the police force ever had, and is a well-respected member of the law community. He's also an extremely tough opponent, using his knowledge of the legal system to toss aside incriminating evidence and manipulate the entire prosecutor's office into doing his bidding.
• The Chessmaster: He came across the aftermath of a fight between Joe Darke, a criminal who he didn't have enough evidence to convict, and Neil Marshall, an honest and righteous prosecutor, both unconscious, with a young, traumatized Ema Skye in the room. Rather than just killing Marshall and framing Darke for the murder, he instead framed Ema so that he could use that as blackmail to force Ema's sister Lana to frame Darke, thereby creating a layer of protection in case the lies started to unravel and simultaneously granting him unlimited use of Lana as a pawn for any of his future schemes. He came up with that complex plan in the amount of time it took for Lana to catch up with him.
• Cool Old Guy: About as cool as he's eccentric. Even when the extent of his crimes is revealed, he's still cool as a cucumber, only dropping his easygoing persona when completely cornered.
• Confess to a Lesser Crime: Once it becomes undeniable that he helped Lana falsify Neil Marshall's murder, he doesn't bother denying it and readily admits that he did it to blackmail and controll her, while continuing to deny that he really was the one to murder Marshall.
• Conspicuous Consumption: Gant's office on the top floor of the police station looks more like an old cathedral than the office of a public official, what with the marble floors, elegant furniture, and the giant pipe organ installed in the back wall. It's noted by Phoenix during his visit to the office that it's likely paid for with taxpayer dollars.
• Cool Shades: You never see him without those sunglasses.
• Cop Killer: He is the true murderer of both Neil Marshall in the SL-9 incident and of Bruce Goodman during Rise from the Ashes, both of whom are police detectives.
• Da Chief: The Chief of Police of whatever city the game takes place in. He's far cheerier and less by-the-book than most examples, though.
• Death Glare: What his odd staring habit turns into, once the case has progressed far enough for him to get involved in the proceedings. They're so long, you'll think the game crashed. If not for his regular blinking.
• Didn't Think This Through:
  • He invokes his right to refuse to testify during Lana's trial to stop Phoenix from getting any more information out of him, only to find out the hard way that it also meant that he withdrew his right to testify any further... so suddenly, he legally can't defend himself anymore past that point.
  • His preparation of "insurance" to prove that Ema was responsible for Neil Marshall's death involved cutting a piece of his vest off which had Ema's clear handprint on it. However, he forgot to actually kill Neil first and then cut the piece out as it lacked any blood from his lungs being impaled on a suit of armor's halberd as a result of the "accident". This lack of blood proves that Ema only knocked him out on the floor after shoving him, and then Gant impaled him on the halberd.
• Dirty Cop: It's implied that he had been forging evidence even before SL-9, what with Angel's observation that he always managed to produce "incredible" evidence on the cases he worked on.
• Eccentric Mentor: To Lana Skye when she was a detective. He looks like this to Edgeworth in the present day, but he's mostly just having fun at his expense.
• Evil Genius: Damon Gant is an extremely talented police officer. He's also an extremely cunning murderer, liar, tactician, and orator. He was able to pin a murder on a teenage girl, forge evidence, manipulate the crime scene, and plan out years' worth of blackmail on his scapegoat's older sister in minutes.
• Fallen Hero: Before the Joe Darke killings, Gant was a well respected and valiant police officer. After the events, not so much. The Judge laments this in the end, saying how Gant was once the officer others aspired to be.
• Foreshadowing: Gant is every bit as hostile as Angel Starr when faced in court for the first time. While Starr has a grudge against Lana, Gant should, if anything, be biased towards Lana due to their long and successful partnership. Instead, he seems determined to drag her through the mud and get her convicted; Phoenix has to fight during Gant's first testimony just to keep Lana's case above water. This shows that he has at least some personal bearings in the case as well as the fact he knows far much more than he should. He's basically a boss fight before being revealed as one.
• Graceful Loser: After his initial Villainous Breakdown and ranting about how he should have dealt with Jake, he calms down, suggests that he won't make it to his lunch date with the Judge and says the legal system is now in Phoenix, Edgeworth and the Judge's hands.
• He Who Fights Monsters: His desire to bring down criminals led to some... loosening of his moral standards.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Twice. First, the pieces of evidence he took as "insurance" are later used against him, and when it seems he would succeed in putting the blame on Ema, his own arrogance is what did him in.
• Interface Spoiler: It's possible to recognise him as the culprit or at least someone involved in the crime by spotting an oddity in his sprites. His extremely-villainous-looking Psychotic Smirk is used when he believes he's a few steps ahead of everyone else. This tends to be one of the only visual ways to recognise when he's withholding information or deflecting questions. He noticeably does this during his very first appearance, showing that he's deceptive long before being cross examined.
• It's All About Me: He scoffs when Edgeworth raises the possibility that he committed the evidence forgery for someone else's sake. Of course, this shows the pragmatic side of the trope, as he's perfectly willing to help someone else if he also stands to benefit. In his own words:
  Gant: There are only three people I look out for: Me, Myself, and I.
• I Will Punish Your Friend for Your Failure: If Lana tries to implicate him in killing Neil Marshall or Bruce Goodman, he'll ensure that Ema gets prosecuted, as he frames her for accidentally killing Neil.
• Knight Templar: What he eventually became; interestingly, he also described Manfred von Karma in a similar manner.
• Large and in Charge: With 6'1"/185 cm a rather tall, and imposing looking man; fitting for the Police Chief.
• Large Ham: Mentioned to use Bold Inflation in everyday conversation and otherwise make things sound overly-grandiose.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Waiving his right to testify leaves him unable to defend himself when he's revealed as the culprit. Due to Lana Skye turning against him, he's forced to watch as he's revealed for the scumbag he is. There's something rather ironic about a manipulative Control Freak manipulating the court and inadvertedly leaving himself utterly powerless.
• Laughing Mad: In his Villainous Breakdown—with escalation!
• Leitmotif: "Swimming, Anyone?" Appropriately, it's an organ piece, even if it does sound slightly silly and jovial (there's a big organ in his office).
• Loud of War: Gumshoe claims he sometimes punishes detectives who screw up by dragging them into his office and playing the Ominous Pipe Organ for hours. For the record, it's apparently loud enough to be heard from the ground floor of a nearby building anyway, and Gant's office is on the 12th floor.
• Lucky Seven: His police ID number is 7777777. It's also his safe combination.
• Marathon Boss: He's only beaten by Investigations' Big Bad in this regard. He has two entire days worth of testimonies, providing lengthy and complex testimonies that require multiple corrections and objections each. He also brings in witnesses to testify on his behalf, making it take even longer to defeat him. Besting him takes several real-time hours at the very least.
• Meaningful Name: Damon is probably a pun on "demon", echoing his Japanese name Kaiji which sounds a bit like "kaiju". The first kanji of "Kaiji" is "sea" (he brings up swimming a lot), and his name as a whole might allude to a Chinese proverb: "You can pick on the mountains, but don't pick on the sea [because the sea is merciless]". "Gant" (and "Ganto") come from the French word for glove, which he is always seen wearing. Marshall states during his testimony that the murderer wore gloves. Also, if you change the a's in his name to e's, you end up with "Demon Gent", which he very much is. It can also sound as "demon god, showing he is evil, competent and has a high rank and name in society.
• Narcissist: He's a chummier example, but his outward friendliness belies the fact that he looks out for himself first and foremost and believes that his word matters above all else, and he's willing to let other people face some serious consequences just to maintain the image of being the top authority.
• Nice Guy: Was this prior to the Joe Darke killings causing his morals to loosen, as the Judge laments at the end. In the present, he's more Affably Evil.
• The Nicknamer: Calls the Judge "Udgey", Phoenix "Wright-o," and Edgeworth "Worthy."
• Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: His odd staring habit and overly cheery demeanor turns him into this as the trial goes on. Especially when it is revealed that he's a Dirty Cop and he starts acting more hostile.
• "Not So Different" Remark: He pulls this on Edgeworth, claiming that they both share the same loathing for criminals and willingness to do whatever it takes to see justice be done. It really got under his skin.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: It doesn't take long before it's shown that he's quite intelligent and he's one of the most cunning murderers in the series.
• Old Cop, Young Cop: Implied to have had this dynamic with Lana in the past, considering they used to be partners when both were detectives and he's almost forty years older than her.
• Ominous Pipe Organ: Quite explicitly seen and heard in his office and leitmotif, respectively.
• Psychotic Smirk: In one of his sprites, which makes it clear he's smarter than he appears. He pulls it out usually when lording a fact over someone else.
• Red Baron: Was known as "The Crime Computer" during his detective days with Lana Skye.
• Running Gag: Loves to ask people if they have been swimming lately.
• Sarcastic Clapping: One of his favored animations is to do this while laughing at you. It initially looks like he's just a cheerful old man laughing at his own jokes, but later fully becomes this once he gets serious about keeping anyone away from SL-9. His Villainous Breakdown involves him clapping faster and faster.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: He tries to pull this off by dismissing most of his testimony and evidence by using his police privilege to remove himself from the case. This doesn't work, as he's still caught despite this.
• Stealth Insult: His nickname for Edgeworth, "Little Worthy," sounds affectionate, but suggests that Edgeworth is of little worth. Compare the more insulting "Un-Worthy."
• Thunder Shock: In his "Damage" animation.
• True Final Boss: In a sense, is one to later versions of the original game, being the culprit of the extra case that gets unlocked after the credits of the initial final case. The extra case is far longer than the one where Von Karma was your main opponent, requires far more effort from Phoenix to get anywhere close to the truth, and Gant is also far more thorough and powerful than even the seasoned prosecutor.
• Villain Has a Point: In a way, Gant is frighteningly accurate - on several whole levels. Even prior to this case, Mia was left with no choice but to blackmail Redd White into turning himself in. Also, he tells Edgeworth that, one day, he will have to go outside the law and present illegal evidence to fight criminals. Two years later, Edgeworth has to do exactly that in order to take down Quercus Alba and his smuggling ring. And seven years after that, Phoenix, with Apollo Justice's help, has to present forged evidence to take down Kristoph Gavin. Additionally, though his actions were horrible, Gant's overall desire to see tighter control of the legal system becomes A LOT more understandable in light of some of the criminals Wright and Edgeworth encounter (think Alba's agents pretending to be defense attorneys and prosecutors, not to mention the phantom impersonating Bobby Fulbright).
• Villainous Breakdown: His hair becomes a bolt of lightning and he goes Super Saiyan. His final breakdown, after you prove the decisive evidence that he provided is admissible is him going Laughing Mad and applauding at utterly insane speeds.
  Damon Gant: I knew I should have gotten rid of him… That good-for-nothing scum! For two years he’d been snooping around the department, trying to get something on me! Crimes are being committed every day, yet he insisted on hounding me!
• Villainous Legacy: Goes to jail and is never seen again but his "Not So Different" Remark towards Edgeworth causes him to run away in self-doubt which causes Wright himself to have a crisis of identity, making him responsible for much of the emotional trouble the two go through in Justice For All.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: His actions are unquestionably and utterly vile, and he is definitely a nasty and selfish person, but after his initial breakdown, he really does seem to believe what he did was necessary to fight criminals. His tone and words also seem to suggest that maybe he didn't really want to go through with his deeds, but felt he had to. Furthermore, the way he praises Wright and Edgeworth, rightfully noting how they are a good team that makes sure justice is served, suggests he may even feel a bit relieved that they figured everything out, because now the legal system is in a way stronger as a result.

Jake Marshall (Kyosuke Zaimon)

Jake Marshall (Kyosuke Zaimon)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS)

"When there's gunshots, there's bound to be bullets."

A Cowboy Cop and ex-detective that was demoted to a patrolman after SL-9. Because of the suspiciousness of the decisive evidence, the abruptness and hastiness of his demotion, and the fact that he wanted to know the truth behind his kid brother's death, Officer Marshall refused to let the case go.

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• Armor-Piercing Question: (To Lana Skye) In that trial two years ago... Did you really only use legitimate evidence!?
• Big "NO!": "I only got one word for you, pardner... NOOOOOO!!!"
• Biting the Handkerchief: Or rather, the jerky.
• Born in the Wrong Century: Played for Laughs. He acts like he’s a 19th century cowboy, which confuses Phoenix to no end.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Let's face it, it's par for the course at this point. He's a literal Cowboy Cop who nevertheless was inclued in a task force to investigate a Serial Killer who never left any evidence behind and tirelessly works to reopen the case.
• But Now I Must Go: Due to his own crimes involving assaulting a cop, he's taken off the force, presumably spending some time in prison as a result. He laments to Ema that they won't be able to work together on cases in the future.
• Cowboy Cop: Played straight and literally. Not only did he use to be a cop, he's willing to go outside the law to get things done. Word of God holds it that he was made a cowboy so that he wouldn't be a complete Expy of Godot, as Jake is the Godot in the Fey-Skye parallel.
• Dramatic Wind: His defeat animation has his poncho billow wildly as if he was dramatically shot in an old cowboy movie.
• Ironic Echo: Phoenix telling him to explain himself in eight words or less, when he learns about the fingerprint-sensing locks on his own locker that he used to hide a bloody coat. For extra irony, the ensuing sentence is nine words long.
  Jake: I only got one word for you, pardner. NOOOOOO!!!
• Hopeless with Tech: A Type 2. Jake knows the bare basics of how to operate the security camera system (meaning, he knows how to delete footage). But beyond that, he'll even admit in-court that he couldn't tell you how a bicycle works. He's one of the few who had no idea that the evidence lockers use a fingerprint system.
• Knight in Sour Armor: He's bitter about being demoted, but is willing to risk what's left of his career to find the truth behind SL-9.
• Knight Templar Big Brother: Commits theft and assault, not caring about the consequences, in order to find out who really murdered his younger brother.
• Leitmotif: "Detective from the Wild West" a.k.a. "Renegade Sheriff", which naturally sounds like something out of a cowboy movie.
• McNinja: A one-to-one inversion, though only in the game's domestic release.^note The games took place in their native Japan in domestic markets, but the setting was changed to America for the English localizations Despite being a Japanese police officer, he's a stereotypical Old West cowboy, complete with a poncho, ten-gallon hat, and theme music straight out of a spaghetti western.
• Meaningful Name: The kanji in "Zaimon" mean "sin" and "gate", which are fits with Damon Gant's own Japanese name.
• Punny Name: "Marshall", like a wild west sheriff. Since he lacks his brother's skill, he could be considered a "Fake Marshal".
• Quick Nip: Often seen drinking from a hip flask. At one point he is shown opening the flask with his teeth and spitting out the stopper, suggesting the flask is normally just for show.
• Spanner in the Works: His secret investigation into his brother's death was what kickstarted the whole plot. Damon Gant even admits that none of this would've happened if he had gotten rid of Jake as soon as he could.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Due to only deciding to break into the evidence room on the day of the evidence transferral by stealing Goodman's card, this prompted the latter to submit a lost item report to Gant, who decided to just take him to the evidence room instead of lending him his card, leading to Goodman's murder.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Gets one regarding impersonating Goodman, trying to steal the evidence and assaulting Meekins when he came in after him.
• Youngest Child Wins: Subverted. According to Jake, Neil, the prosecutor, is significantly smarter, but Jake wound up outliving him.

Mike Meekins (Susumu Harabai)

Mike Meekins (Susumu Harabai)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS)

"Sir I... I wish I didn't have to tell you this... but last year, tragedy struck a rising star at the precinct! I lost my case files four times... in three days! They fired me!"

An over-enthusiastic cop that is unnecessarily respectful in speech (he broke the dialogue boxes in the Japanese version). He's not the brightest bulb, doesn't have much luck, and is rather clumsy. He looks up to Gumshoe and aspires to be like him.

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• Alliterative Name: In English, Mike Meekins.
• Butt-Monkey: He idolizes Gumshoe, so that's enough to make him a Butt-Monkey by default.
• Catchphrase: Has a tendency to begin his answers to questions by saying "If I had to say I was (X) or (Y)..."
• Gonk: His head is the shape of a traffic sign and his eyes are wide open, making him the sort that looks distorted rather than ugly.
• Kindhearted Simpleton: Meekins isn't particularly skilled or intelligent at much, but he means well.
• Meaningful Name: He's certainly meek, and the "Mike" might refer to that megaphone. "Susumu" means "press forward".
• New Job as the Plot Demands: From a cop in the first game, to the Blue Badger in Investigations to a court bailiff in Apollo Justice. He is shown to still be in the police force in Investigations, just placed undercover as the Blue Badger. In the end credits, he states he was fired afterwards for losing his gun (although the page quote suggests it was for losing case files).
• No Indoor Voice: Doesn't help any that he always has a megaphone in his hand.
• Non-Standard Character Design: Looks nothing like any other character in the series, with the appearance that he's from a completely different game.
• Retcon: In Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, it's indicated (as shown by the quote above) that he was fired six months before the events of the flashback case, for losing his case files. In Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, it turns out that he lost his job two months before the events of the flashback case, for losing his gun in the middle of Gatewater Land. Possibly justified by him not wanting to admit that he made a mistake which could have endangered the lives of children, and so coming up with a marginally less humiliating explanation for his firing.
• Spanner in the Works: He ends up walking in on Jake Marshall attempting to steal the SL-9 evidence, ending up creating a separate "murder" at the evidence room. Phoenix going to investigate the evidence room ultimately helps place Gant there, although Phoenix wins by proving Gant killed Neil.
• Verbal Tic: Speaks extremely politely and addresses everyone as "sir".
• Younger Than They Look: Downplayed. While it's hard to tell how old he is from his appearance, the fact that Meekins speaks incredibly politely to everyone and is rather enthusiastic gives the impression that he is a new recruit, likely a little older than Maya. Not only is he 5-6 years older than her, he still looks and acts the same way in 2019, when he is at least 24. Part of the problem is that he's drawn so that he only looks around 4 to 5 inches taller than Ema, who is 5'1", when he's supposed to be 6'2".

The Blue Badger (Taiho)

The Blue Badger (Taiho)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS)

"What the hell is that wriggling piece of plywood?" - Miles Edgeworth

The mascot of the police force. Plays a significant role in case 1-5. It becomes the mascot of Gatewater Land in Investigations and gains a family of badgers which includes the Pink Badger, the Proto Badger, and the Bad Badger. The Badgers are also used as the mascots of the Gavinners.

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• Beard of Evil: The Bad Badger's goatee
• Companion Cube: He has quite a few character tropes for someone that started out as a piece of plywood.
• Cool Shades: The Bad Badger.
• Evil Counterpart: The Bad Badger.
• Gotta Catch 'Em All: Visitors to Gatewater Land are awarded a prize if they can take a photo of all four Badgers. Since the Bad Badger only comes out for a certain event and the costume is worn by the victim before being disposed of, Kay never gets the Bad Badger.
• Leitmotif: "I Want to Protect You", a simple, catchy song, perfect for a mascot. It's used quite often in Rise from the Ashes to invoke Soundtrack Dissonance, especially when its head appears in a drawing Ema made during the SL-9 Incident. It gets a remaster in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth.
• Punny Name: He's blue, and carries a police badge. "Taiho" means "arrest". Lampshaded when Kay says that his name sounds threatening to a "Great Thief" like her.
  • "Badger" also means "to harass" and "badgering the witness" is a common cause for objection in courtrooms.
• Nightmare Fuel: In-universe, at least Phoenix and Apollo seemed to think so. The Chief's daughter^note  Who created the Badger is also terrified of it.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: In a certain sense; the character is based on Pipo-kun, the mascot of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.
• Red Herring: In case 1-5, there is an obvious handprint on the Blue Badger's face. Despite being given a fingerprint analysis kit on day 2, you can't examine this print, and it has no relevance to the case. It's probably just meant to show how sloppily Gumshoe painted it.
• Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: Besides her color, her lipstick, longer eyelashes, and a bow, the Pink Badger is identical to the other (male) Badgers. Lampshaded if Edgeworth examines the Pink Badger costume box.

Dustin Prince (Mamoru Machio)

Dustin Prince (Mamoru Machio)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All

Maggey's former boyfriend, and also a police officer. Died due to a broken neck sustained from a large fall.

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• Alliterative Name: In Japanese, Mamoru Machio.
• Couldn't Find a Pen: He appears to have written Maggey's name while dying. As usual on this series, the name was written by the killer, a point that was proven by the fact Dustin wrote the name incorrectly (Maggie instead of Maggey) and with the right hand (Dustin was left-handed).
• Died on Their Birthday: He dies on his birthday from a broken neck sustained from a fall.
• He Knows Too Much: Wellington killed him because he was afraid that Prince looked through his phone full of con-artist contacts and was there to arrest him. In reality, Dustin was killed just because he was wearing his police uniform when off-duty. He never bothered to look through Wellington's phone.
• The Killer Was Left-Handed: Inverted — the victim was left-handed. His left-handedness comes up as a point in the case, thanks to the fact His supposed dying message was written with his right hand, and not his left
• Meaningful Name: His Japanese name alludes to the phrase "machi wo mamoru", meaning "protector of the town".
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: He died because he tried to be a good samaritan and return a stranger's phone. Richard Wellington assumed he was there to arrest him for being a con artist and killed him.
• Punny Name: Dusting prints.

Valerie Hawthorne (Yuki Miyanagi)

Valerie Hawthorne (Yuki Miyanagi)

Voiced by (Japanese): Fumie Mizusawa (anime)

Voiced by (English): Brianna Roberts (anime)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials & Tribulations

"That man... Terry Fawles... He killed her! He threw her off the bridge! He threw my beloved sister into the roaring river 40 feet below!"

Dahlia's step-sister and a former police sergeant. She was the one who arrested and got Terry convicted. Died from a stab wound.

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• Asshole Victim: Tragically played with. She was an accomplice to Dahlia's past crime, and gave the false testimony that convicted Terry, but the entire reason she is killed is because she decided to come clean.
• Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Even after she was killed and stuffed in a trunk, her attractive appearance wasn't marred.
• Curtains Match the Window: Both black or dark-brown.
• Dirty Cop: She was an accomplice to Dahlia's first crime, and the one who came up with the plan to start with in order to spite her father.
• Guilt-Ridden Accomplice: The reason she was killed.
• Heel–Face Door-Slam: Tried to do the right thing and gets stabbed for her troubles.
• Heel–Face Turn: One of the saddest examples of this trope, since not only does she get killed for it, but the guy she initially screwed over and later tried to save through her Heel–Face Turn ends up dying anyway.
• Improbable Age: Despite having been a fully-fledged policewoman, she was eighteen at the time of Terry's original arrest and conviction.
• Meaningful Name: She valiantly tried to confront Dahlia and set the record straight to exonerate Terry. Her version of 'Yuki' (勇希) means 'Courage'.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: The reason she was killed was she decided to come clean about her past wrongdoing.
• Posthumous Character: Comes with the territory of being a case's victim.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: As Mia put it, Valerie played a large part in "making a demon of Dahlia", as securing her as an accomplice to her diamond theft gave Dahlia her first taste of committing a crime and getting away with it at someone else's expense...and Dahlia liked that taste quite a lot.

Ted Tonate (Shingo Barashima)

Ted Tonate (Shingo Barashima)

Debut: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies

BUT I DO NOT LIKE TO SPEAK. SPEAKING IS INEFFICIENT. ENERGY EXPENDITURE: SPEAKING > TYPING UNDERSTAND?

A bomb technician who works for the police force. Was tasked with disarming the bomb that destroyed the courthouse. Although he can speak normally, his preferred way of communicating with others is by typing phrases into his wrist-mounted computer and then having the computer speak for him.

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• Alliterative Name: His English name, which is punny too.
• Angrish: When contradicted or startled he mashes his keyboard, producing the written version of this with his robotic voice.
• Arc Villain: Of the first case of Dual Destinies, as obviously spelled out in the opening.
• Arms Dealer: He secretly smuggled bombs he disabled to sell on the black market instead of retaining them as evidence.
• Believing Their Own Lies: He got so caught up in covering up Candice Arme's murder and trying to frame Junie for the explosion that he completely forgot that he didn't actually blow up the courtroom and it was actually done by someone else. Although he still admits to the murder, he remembers what really happened and tells Phoenix as soon as possible.
• Black Bead Eyes: What his eyes actually look like underneath his visor: Two black circles with a single eyelash on each of them, which, fittingly enough, look like cartoon bombs.
• Catchphrase: He has a tendency to brush off his numerous minor crimes by admitting it, then adding "My bad."
• Collector of the Strange: Admits that he collects bombs and replaces actual ones he encounters in his job with models. However, he later admits he collects these bombs to sell in the Black Market.
• Cool Helmet: One complete with a face shield and a pair of goggles.
• Demolitions Expert: He states his profession as "Bomb Disposal Expert".
• Dirty Cop: A cop who’s also an explosive smuggler.
• Elective Mute: He prefers to communicate via his wrist-mounted computer if he doesn't have his hands full or starts breaking down.
• Even Evil Has Standards: He's a bomb trafficker with no problem murdering a detective to save his skin, but when he finds out that the bomb used as evidence in the trial has been reactivated he immediately tells everybody to evacuate the courtroom, saving many people (including our heroes) in the process.
• Evil Laugh: He uses an evil laugh in his attempts to bluff the court with the fake bomb into letting him go once Phoenix has proven him to be Candice Arme's murderer.
• Expressive Mask: His goggles' shutters act like this. Particularly noticeable during his breakdown.
• Gadgeteer Genius: He's able to disassemble and re-assemble his model bomb in a matter of seconds.
• Goggles Do Something Unusual: He has telescopic vision with the help of his goggles and when questioned by Phoenix if his goggles can see that far, he claims he saw the bomb ticking off with his goggles and remarks he can see what Phoenix ate for breakfast just by looking at his tie. A lie (well, the bomb part) as the bomb was hidden in a stuffed animal.
• Insufferable Genius: Is a bit too proud of his skills as a bomb disposal technician.
• Jerkass: As pathetic as he may look and sound during his breakdown, it's hard to feel sympathy for him when there's not a single person in his Motive Rant that he doesn't call stupid in one way or another. And let's not mention that smug, begoggled stare of his when he thinks he has you beat.
• Leitmotif: "Difficult People" while talking to him in the detention center.
• A Lighter Shade of Black: He and Marlon Rimes are the only culprits in Dual Destinies to have even remotely sympathetic traits (by giving everyone in the courtroom the chance to evacuate, in Tonate's case), unlike clear Hate Sinks like L'Belle, Means, or the phantom (whose capture he inadvertedly helped at).
• Machine Monotone: Courtesy of his wrist-mounted computer.
• Mad Bomber: Subverted. While he reactivated the bomb, he reveals in the last case that he did not set it off; someone nicked the remote control before he could. Now you know why he warned the court about the bomb being reactivated, at that point he was taking his job seriously.
• Madness Mantra: He starts his breakdown by shouting "DISMANTLE DISMANTLE DISMANTLE DISMANTLE DISMANTLE DISMANTLE".
• Meaningful Name: His full Japanese name is a play on "barashi/barasu" and "mashingo" ("dispose" and "machine language").
• Non-Fatal Explosions: His goggles explode in his face during his breakdown, complete with the cartoon-style grey burnt out marks where they used to be.
• Not Me This Time: He may have murdered Detective Arme, but he did not detonate the bomb. That was the phantom.
• Now That's Using Your Teeth!: He tries disarming his bomb like this, biting down on the cables. Doesn't work, however.
• Percussive Maintenance: When he was failing to stop the countdown of the practice time bomb during his Villainous Breakdown, he attempts to smash the bomb with his goggles. It stops only for a few seconds, resuming after the goggles blow up in his face.
• Punny Name: Reverse "Ted" and you get "Detonate".
• Starter Villain: His murder, like most of the other starter villains', was unplanned. Not unlike Jacques Portsman, though, he's also someone whose seemingly unrelated crime ties into the main storyline.
• Smug Smiler: Not all the time, but he does tend to smirk at you when feeling smarter than everyone else in court, which is often.
• Spanner in the Works:
  • Inadvertently. By killing Candice Arme, he prevented her from testifying in the trial for the murder of Clay Terran. A lot of things about that case would be made much clearer much more quickly if she could.
  • He manages to be one to the phantom. If he hadn't been there and evacuated everyone, Athena and Blackquill would have died, and they end up being major parts in the trial against the phantom.
• Tricked-Out Gloves: His wrist-mounted voice synthesizer.
• Villainous Breakdown: Starts to hastily bite down on the wires of the practice bomb to disarm it, but with the timer coming down to the last few seconds, he tries to destroy it by smashing his goggles into it. The timer briefly stops, but his goggles explode in his face. The timer then counts down the last two second and announces that Ted has failed to disarm it.
• Villainous Cheekbones: He's certainly a villain, and his cheekbones are pretty raw.
• Xanatos Speed Chess: He wasn't the one who detonated the bomb as that was done by the phantom. He took advantage after the explosion to leave Detective Arme's body in the destroyed courtroom to make it look like she had been killed by the bomb explosion.

Manga Characters

Officer Hammer (Kanazuchi)

Officer Hammer (Kanazuchi)

The recurring female character in the manga who is one of the officers working with Gumshoe.

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• Alliterative Name: In the Japanese version based on what we know, since her last name also starts with a Ka- sound.
• Living Prop: Typically shows up to do the work of the patrolmen on the case, such as bringing in the body, sealing the crime scene.
• No Name Given: Until "Turnabout Silver Screen" where her last name is finally mentioned by Edgeworth. In the bonus pages, she tries to reveal her first name (begins with "Ka-") to Gumshoe before getting interrupted by the manga artist and his wife.

Nathan Thompkins (Naoshi Tokose)

Nathan Thompkins (Naoshi Tokose)

A police officer who cornered Tarkington and his hostage, Chancey Lanboni, killing the former but getting wounded in the process.

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• Leeroy Jenkins: Goes on ahead to try to capture Tarkington because he had a hostage.
• Shell-Shocked Veteran: After being forced to kill a suspect who had a family, he becomes extremely reluctant to use his gun again.

Thomas Bester (Tsukusu Besuto)

Thomas Bester (Tsukusu Besuto)

A private detective in the Miles Edgeworth manga who is hired to protect "Officers" from the Gentlemen thieves.

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• Buffy Speak: Refers to Edgeworth's Classy Cravat as a "fluttery thing."
• Clueless Detective: Gives Gumshoe a run for his money in this department. Then again, Miller was quite possibly counting on his incompetence, in addition to his ignorance about art.
• Detective Patsy: Although arguably, his lack of skill was secondary to his inability to recognize that "Officers" was fake.
• Dumbass Has a Point: He accuses Edgeworth and Amadeus Seal of being Gentlemen thieves based on their appearance. But it later turns out that Seal was in fact, one of the Gentlemen in disguise.
• Keet: He's quite energetic, especially when it comes to talking up his resume.
• Shorter Means Smarter: Subverted. He's one of the shortest characters in the "Turnabout Museum" arc, and he often shoots off his mouth about things he knows nothing about.
• Small Name, Big Ego: Although he admits that he's only investigated infidelities and lost pets in the past, he's quite full of himself and his abilities.

Chase Clink (Chosuke Sengoku)

Chase Clink (Chosuke Sengoku)

The Deputy Chief of the local police station. He's trying to make Chief of Police and is called the "Armchair Detective" because he can solve the whole case without moving out of his armchair. He once worked with Edgeworth to convict Yardley Kidman, which was the case that makes him on the path to be promoted to chief of police.

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• All for Nothing: Edgeworth concludes that based on the evidence they had, Yardley Kidman was almost certainly guilty, meaning that Chase's initial deduction was correct and he had no reason to kill Emi St. Cloud to prevent it from being called into question.
• Alliterative Name: In the English version, both his names start with Cs.
• Bait the Dog: He starts out as fairly affable and reasonable, but when Edgeworth questions his assertion that Shawn Southern is guilty, he starts insulting him and Gumshoe. And there is, of course, how he's the murderer in the end.
• Broken Pedestal: To the entire police force; while it turns out that he wasn't wrong in identifying Yardley Kidman as the bomber, the fact that he would murder someone and frame another person out of the mere fear that it would come to light and destroys his image, and Gumshoe believes that as unpleasant as the truth is, it has to get out.
• Cool Old Guy: He gives off this impression, as an older member of the police force who appears quite talented at investigations.
• Expy:
  • During his Villainous Breakdown, he starts sounding a lot like Light Yagami of Death Note.
  • He is extremely similar to Damon Gant: Both are high ranking police officers who kill people to keep their past wrongdoing secret, allegedly in the name of fighting crime, simply because they don't want their deductions to be questioned.
• Motive Rant: Declares that actors are scum, and that killing Emi was necessary to prevent the truth from getting out.
• Race Against the Clock: Gives Edgeworth until sundown to find a suspect besides Shawn Southern. It turns out that he himself is the culprit.
• Treachery Cover Up: His entire reason for the killings was a variant on this, to prevent the people from figuring out that Yardley Kidman was innocent. Defied, in the end, when it's stated that the truth about his crimes will be disclosed, even at the expense of the police's reputation.
• Villainous Breakdown: A two-stage one, first giving his Motive Rant, and arguing that Edgeworth is equally guilty. Once it's proven that he did it for nothing, he falls into despair and shame.

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