History TearJerker / PhoenixWrightAceAttorney

--> '''Edgeworth''': That thought has been the only thing keeping me sane for these past fifteen years. But what if I'm wrong? What if it was ''real''?

* A tearjerker in hindsight, but even though Gumshoe never states it, presenting Mia's profile to him in ''Trials and Tribulations'' has him mention that everyone on the police force knew Mia, which makes sense considering a certain former detective turned chief prosecutor was a close friend of hers. No wonder the man was on edge the whole time; imagine seeing a defense lawyer that even the police liked dead in her own office, and the only suspect seems to be her sister one day and her protégé the next. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And then come the pay deductions...]]

Examples here are entirely for the first game; moments specific to ''TearJerker/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll'', ''TearJerker/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations'', ''TearJerker/{{Apollo Justice|AceAttorney}}'', ''[[TearJerker/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth Investigations]]'', ''[[TearJerker/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'' or [[TearJerker/AceAttorneyAnime the 2016 anime]] can be found on their own pages.

* Will Powers is a big teddy bear of a man, and he honestly looks devestated that he got involved with this situation. Sure he has the FaceOfAThug, but he's a nice guy who wants kids to have a hero to look up too and wears the mask to be that hero. He's only looking out for the kids with this role, and he is crying his eyes out when he asks how the kids will feel about it.

%% NOTE TO EDITORS: Examples in games after Trials and Tribulations belong on the subpages listed in this page's intro.

Examples here are entirely for the first game; moments specific to ''TearJerker/{{Apollo Justice|AceAttorney}}'', ''[[TearJerker/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth Investigations]]'', ''[[TearJerker/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'' or [[TearJerker/AceAttorneyAnime the 2016 anime]] can be found on their own pages.

->''"In my world, the color red doesn't exist. These must be... [[TearsOfBlood my tears.]]"''
-->-- '''Prosecutor Godot''', ''Trials and Tribulations -- Case 5: Bridge to the Turnabout''

Examples here are entirely for the [[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney Phoenix Wright Trilogy]]; moments specific to ''TearJerker/{{Apollo Justice|AceAttorney}}'', ''[[TearJerker/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth Investigations]]'', ''[[TearJerker/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'' or [[TearJerker/AceAttorneyAnime the 2016 anime]] can be found on their own pages.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:''Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'']]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:''Justice for All'']]
[[AC:The Lost Turnabout]]
* While the case was fairly simple to win (as a Training Stage should be), it doesn't change the fact that a good man was murdered, and that his girlfriend was being accused of said murder.
** Not even for doing his job. He was killed all because he didn't take five minutes to change out of his uniform. When all he wanted to do was enjoy his 30th birthday with his girlfriend.
* Maggey Byrde's life [[TheWoobie has pretty much been filled with sadness and accidents.]] And she believes it was her fault her boyfriend died because she thinks her legendary bad luck rubbed off on him. It is pretty awful to blame yourself for the death of a loved one.

[[AC:Reunion, and Turnabout]]
* Mimi Miney's story. She caused the death of 14 patients? Yes, but if her version of the story is correct, her mixing up the meds was only a result of Grey overworking her to the point of exhaustion, which becomes much more believable when you take into account Grey's anal personality and obsession with perfection in his practice. She later fell asleep while driving due to being investigated about the malpractice incident? It was an accident that she couldn't help from being just ''so tired'' from her job. She said she took her purse and got out of the car as fast as she could? True, though with the panic she might have mistakenly grabbed Ini's. Really, it's quite possible that a mistake while getting out of the fiery car led to the doctors making a terrible mistake, and giving her Ini's face instead. And finally, did she take the place of her sister? Yes, she did. But she had no other choice, her previous life was destroyed by the malpractice incident and death of her sister. And it's not like she liked doing it, either. After being exposed, she breaks up in tears when talking about how much she hates the occult and living as Ini in general. With good reason, too. Spending a whole year doing something you hate, without being able to complain because you're "supposed" to love it, all while enduring grief that you couldn't tell anyone about? Yeah, no wonder she was miserable.
* When Maya is arrested for the murder of Dr. Grey, she's convinced that she ''is'' the one who killed him, and emphatically tells Phoenix that he can't take her case, because she's a murderer and he'll lose. Phoenix emphatically tells her to stop it, making it clear that he will not abandon her. That's when she breaks down into tears.
-->'''Maya:''' ...
-->'''Maya:''' ...Help me...
-->'''Maya:''' Nick, help me... I'm scared...
* Since Mia's death, Maya has been the only person who hasn't been able to see or talk to Mia because she was always the one channeling her spirit. Now that Pearl is able to channel Mia, Maya can ''finally'' see her beloved big sister again. It's heartbreaking and heartwarming all in the same moment, and Maya certainly sheds some TearsOfJoy when she gets to hug Mia again.
* Mia and Maya both looked up to and loved their aunt Morgan, so finding out she tried to get Maya convicted for murder, just to replace her with Pearl as the future Master of Kurain, leaves them very disheartened.

[[AC:Turnabout Big Top]]
* Though many [[ThatOneLevel loathe the case]], the end of Turnabout Big Top where Acro quietly sheds tears during his MotiveRant almost makes the player do the same.
** For context, most culprits in the game will engage in a comically over-the-top VillainousBreakdown once they're exposed. Acro just sits there and lets tears stream from his eyes as he says that he's nothing more than a murderer.
* The story as a whole:
** Russell Berry, beloved ringmaster, dies. Before this, his wife died, he was a single father to Regina, adopted Acro and Bat, treated the whole circus like his family, and was an all-around good man. Then he died accidentally, and he wasn't even the intended victim. The characters you will meet and some of the stuff you will see will remind you non-stop about what a great man he was.
** Acro and his brother were abandoned by their parents, he lost his brother because of an accident, was paralyzed because of that same accident, and killed his father figure in another stupid accident. No wonder he broke down...
** Max Galactica got framed for murder and had to endure the trials. And beforehand, he was already unpopular between the majority of the crews when all he wanted was for the others to also bask in the glory he received when winning the Grand Prix by his own efforts, so he was being framed by the people he was trying to improve.
** Moe had to endure verbal and physical abuse during the trials because of his childish behavior and his jokes are not very popular. He also was forced by Phoenix tell the truth about Acro.
** Regina lost her friend because of an accident she unwittingly caused, and also lost a beloved pet friend because of it, shot point blank by her father to keep him from hurting anyone else. Lied to by her father to protect her from painful truths about death (or maybe she also wanted to believe that Bat was now a star because she needed a way to cope.) Is secretly hated by Acro despite (and partially due to) her irreverence about his condition, which he has a slim to none chance of waking up from, let alone ever being anywhere near the same man he once was. Unknowingly contributed to the death of her father, when an accident causes Acro's attempt at revenge to target him insead.
** Moe the Clown, in a very surprisingly mature moment for a man like him, [[CruelToBeKind shows Regina the whole truth about Russell Berry and Bat and the truth about death by taking her to court.]] This breaks her down initially, but as shown in ''Investigations 2'', she uses this to comfort Simon Keyes due to the death of his friend.
** From an animal rights' perspective, the lion's fate is also heartbreaking. He didn't bite Bat on purpose; he merely sneezed while Bat's head was in his mouth, due to the pepper that Regina put in the scarf. By the time anyone realized the truth, he'd already been euthanized.

[[AC:Farewell, My Turnabout]]
* Again, the story of the case. Maya's kidnapping, the near conviction of the innocent Adrian Andrews, trying to prove the guilty-as-hell Engarde innocent, the gallery's reactions, the multiple close calls on Maya's situation, the SadisticChoice where there is little hope for [[TakeAThirdOption Taking a Third Option]], and the Bad Ending. One of the best cases, but definitively one of the most heartbreaking of them.
** In the middle of this stressful case, you're on the verge of rescuing Maya only to discover that you're too late and the villain has made his getaway. All that's left is a message from Maya, bravely telling you to forget about her safety and get the scumbag convicted. And as you're reading it, Maya's face appears on the screen in a visual voiceover, and ''then'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRRs0VnO-FY the slow version of her theme starts up]].
** [[AccuseTheWitness Accusing the Witness]] takes a decidedly [[DudeNotFunny non-comedic turn]] in this case, where you are [[ButThouMust forced]] to accuse Adrian Andrews, who by this point is TheWoobie, just to buy time. If that's not bad enough, you know full well that you're buying time to defend a [[MagnificentBastard bastard so magnificent]] that he produced a glass of cognac from {{Hammerspace}} just to swirl it in your face as he taunts you, the player. The game also forces you to press the button yourself, a la the end of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'', to increase your complicity that much more.
** What really makes accusing Adrian hurt so much is after de Killer claims that she's his client, and the Judge is about to declare Engarde Not Guilty, she panics and starts insisting everyone that she didn't do it, even looking at ''Phoenix'' for help.
** Worse yet, the gallery ''viciously boos at you'' for daring to defend someone who is by now obviously guilty. Phoenix is already in deep shit, and the crowd ganging up on him just makes it worse, ignorance of Maya's kidnapping aside.
** If Phoenix holds his head down on the defense bench, you know someone's heart just got strangled. In this case, the case comes to an end on the first day before Phoenix could get a complete acquittal. Phoenix sits there, even when the judge has left the court, believing Maya to be murdered.
** Adrian Andrews' and Celeste Inpax's tragic past is one big tearjerker: after being discarded like a napkin by Matt, Celeste fell in love with Juan... and Matt, asshole that he is, told him all about his former relationship with Celeste so he'd abandon her over his never-ending feud with Matt, driving her to suicide. The shock was so great that Adrian tried to kill herself as well. You've got to wonder what it's like to be the manager of the nasty bully that led to your mentor's suicide.
** The Bad Ending in its entirety. If Phoenix fails to pick the one evidence (the videotape) and witness (Shelly de Killer), the judge finds Matt Engarde [[KarmaHoudini Not Guilty.]] Although Maya is no longer a hostage, Phoenix never sees her again, Adrian Andrews is found guilty for the crime that you [[spoiler: implicated her for, knowing she didn't do it,]] and this guilt eats Phoenix alive so much that he quits being a lawyer.
** Hell, even long before discovering that Matt Engarde is the culprit all along, pushing and coercing Adrian, who initially appears to be the true culprit, into breaking point in the first trial doesn't feel as satisfying as many other witnesses in other cases, due to the entire scenario plays out as bullying an emotionally fragile and mentally vulnerable woman to breaking point.
** This case is not only full of tears, but nerves too. Just playing through the first trial, knowing you have to finish it in a day, and then failing to do so, we get to see Wright's head-in-hands sprite for the first time, and it's just soul-crushing, because you know just how freaked out and worried he is for Maya, and the first time he gets called by De Killer and finds out she's kidnapped, he freaks out, almost passes out, and is willing to pay any sum to get her back.
* At the end of Justice for All, when Franziska breaks down in tears after Edgeworth returns her whip.
** Hell, Franziska in general. Her beauty mark is under her eye, which in Japan is meant to imply her as a tragic character, someone who has a lot of deep internal sadness, as the beauty mark represents a tear. When you realize Franziska is an extremely lonely person who also just lost her father recently, the man who also manipulated and groomed her for her whole childhood into being obsessed with perfection, and being hit with realizing that he's a cold-blooded murderer (of your adoptive brother's father to boot,) it gets quite depressing.
* Simply this line from Edgeworth, where the entire screen has gone black and all you can see is his sprite and the text box: "And if you don't...you cannot change the ending of this story." It doesn't seem like he's talking to Phoenix, but rather [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall you, the player.]] It's your decision now. You're the one who has to save Maya's life and get Matt Engarde convicted. YOU must change the outcome of this story if you want a happy ending. It really makes the how dire the situation is sink in.
** As for Edgeworth himself, he helps Phoenix stall for as long as he can, even though he knows that Engarde is guilty and suspicion will fall on an innocent woman as a result. He demonstrates his newfound commitment to the ''truth'' (not just to a guilty verdict) by flat-out telling a crying, suicidal woman that he'll push her over the edge if he has to, so long as he finds out what really happened -- but when the assassin is seconds from taking Maya's life if the trial stalls any further, even Edgeworth breaks down. He rests his case and then stands there looking agonized, knowing he's dropped it all on Phoenix but also knowing he can't make the heavy decision for him.
* Pearl's crying animation. [[BerserkButton That was all the inspiration Phoenix needed to do his thing.]]
* When you are investigating Corrida's Hotel Room with a bug sweeper, you have the option to check an alarm clock. When you do that, this line of dialogue occurs;
-->'''Pearl:''' What's wrong? Why do you look so troubled?
-->'''Phoenix:''' I just can't imagine the listening device being inside this alarm clock. It just, um, sort of reminded me of something that happened a long time ago...
-->'''Pearl:''' Oh...
** If you have played through Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, you know that Nick is referring to the Turnabout Sisters case where he lost [[CoolBigSister his friend and mentor,]] Mia. You can imagine his feelings as he is now on the verge of losing Maya as well. He must also be weighed down by the fact that he's failed to protect Maya in Mia's stead. He experiences all this while having to put on a false façade of having things under control to cheer Pearl up. Just imagine how hard it must be for Phoenix in that situation.
* As if the SadisticChoice near the end of the case wasn't difficult enough, immediately after making your choice, Phoenix's thoughts make you feel even worse: "Maya... I'm sorry..." This thought has that effect ''no matter what you pick.'' If you choose "Guilty", Phoenix is apologizing for being unable to save Maya and putting the law first. If you choose "Not Guilty", he's apologizing for being unwilling to stay faithful to justice and convict Engarde, even though Maya told him to, ''at the cost of her own life.'' Either way, Phoenix is truly devastated by his decision, [[Awesome/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney which makes Franziska's timely arrival all the sweeter.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:''Trials and Tribulations'']]
[[AC:Turnabout Memories]]
* A younger Phoenix is on trial for murdering his beloved girlfriend's ex only to find his precious love was the one who did it. Even worse finding that she never really did love him. When the truth about his girlfriend, Dahlia, is revealed, he refuses to believe it and eats the gift Dahlia bestowed onto him the first day they met.
** Becomes even worse once you realize that, considering the entire Iris/Dahlia situation, Phoenix ''wasn't'' just being a naïve, lovestruck kid who was easily tricked by a manipulative bitch - the "Dollie" he knew was the loving girlfriend he thought she was that whole time. Imagine someone who's genuinely sweet, kind, and loving to you... suddenly turning cold, wicked, and being proven a murderer who only ever used you to cover up their crimes, and having no logical explanation as to why besides them truly being a psychopath the whole time and not finding out until ''years'' later. It's a miracle poor Phoenix isn't totally crushed by the reveal.
--->'''Phoenix (after being proven not guilty)''': It-it can't be true...

[[AC:The Stolen Turnabout]]
* Adrian Andrews from the last game returns and it shows things are looking up for her. Only for another disaster to occur and Adrian becoming a nervous wreck due to her last little incident.

[[AC:Recipe for Turnabout]]
* Pretty much everything regarding [[ButtMonkey Gumshoe]] after the first trial segment. After his performance in court, where he outright wanted to cooperate with the defense in order to get Maggey acquitted... she angrily talks to Phoenix about how she hates him and never wants to see him again. After he's informed of this by Maya, he's said to run out of the restaurant and pound his head against the wall repeatedly while crying. ''Ouch.'' He even gives them a bento box he made for Maggey to eat in the detention center, and when presented with it, her reaction turns from happiness to rejection after hearing who it's from and gives it to Phoenix and Maya to eat. Even [[BigEater Maya]] is visibly disheartened at the prospect. And after hearing she didn't eat it? Gumshoe reveals he made an even ''bigger'' meal as back-up. Reminder that this is the character who we're regularly reminded is so poor he has to live off of instant noodles.
** And during the second trial segment, when Gumshoe [[BigDamnHeroes rushes into the courtroom to reveal]] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome the victim's medicine bottle's newly found fingerprint traces]]? Phoenix tells him that they need evidence that proves Furio poisoned Elg's coffee, and that the new information is essentially useless. At this point, you probably expect him to get emotional and run out again. [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness But this time]], he just says how his efforts are useless and says and leaves as soon as Maggey shows up after apologizing to her for screwing up, but seeing Gumshoe just admit, with a ''smile'' on his face, that he's "useless", after working so hard throughout the entirety of the case and making the very person he wants to save hate him... is just heartbreaking. [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Thankfully, Phoenix ends up being able to use the information as the decisive evidence anyway, and specifically says how he "can't let Detective Gumshoe's hard work go to waste" while doing so, and Maya and Phoenix go out of their way to put in a good word for him when Maggey continues to berate him after her acquittal.]]
-->'''Gumshoe''': [[HeroicSelfDeprecation It's alright. I'm a real loser. It's not breaking news to me, pal.]]
* In 3-3, making [[MafiaPrincess Viola Cadaverini]] confess that she knows the man she claims to love may not feel anything for her. Making that slightly creepy, ghostly looking girl cry... god damn you, Furio Tigre. You and your seizure inducing breakdown. What makes it worse is that her crying animation is the exact same one used for her creepy laughter. It makes you wonder if all those times, she was just trying to hold back tears.

[[AC:Turnabout Beginnings]]
* In retrospect to ''Ace Attorney'', it becomes apparent the attorney Mia wanted Maya to go to if she got into trouble wasn't Grossberg but Diego Armando, but Diego was already in a coma at that point, and Mia knew it. This possibly makes it even sadder, in that she almost certainly would have ''wanted'' to leave Maya in Diego's care, but she ''can't''.
* The end of Case 4 in which Terry Fawles kills himself. It's not even so much that he dies that's so horrible (as he certainly had his share of guilt for the things that had happened and landed him in prison) that it is that a life is lost in the courtroom, during a trial, right before the case for his acquittal can be made by the defense team, right in front of many onlookers, and just how ''senseless'' the whole situation ultimately is. [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom So much could have been avoided had Fawles not taken his life that day...]]
--> '''Fawles''': Mister... Armando... Thanks for... the... coffee...
** The worst part is ''why'' he did it: Dahlia, duplicitous bitch that she is, manipulated Terry into making a SuicidePact should they cease to have faith in each other... [[KarmaHoudini all just to get away with murder]].
** There's also this speech by Diego Armando, given if you cycle to the end of Terry's testimony, that details how tragic the situation is, and indicates just why Mia blames herself.
-->'''Armando''': I know it's obvious, but he's clearly lying. He's been cursed... by Dahlia Hawthorne. [[{{Foreshadowing}} He'll probably go to his grave still believing in her]]. Even if you can show he's lying, the poor guy will still be cursed. You'll still have to point out the contradiction anyway.
** Even Edgeworth, who's at the start of his "Demon Prosecutor" phase, is deeply shaken upon seeing Terry's death. He might have been trying to get Terry convicted and sent back to death row (although his belief in Terry's guilt isn't exactly unreasonable), but [[EveryoneHasStandards he can't stand seeing him committing suicide by poison in front of him]].

[[AC:Bridge to the Turnabout]]
* While the last two cases of ''Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations'' have a number of tragic moments, there's one line in particular: "I'm the assistant manager at Wright & Co. Law Offices." To elaborate, this is the profession stated by Maya on the witness stand after finding out about the death of her mother. Note the complete lack of the phrase "spirit medium," much less the "new Master of Kurain".
* In the last part of 3-5 at the sudden, awful realization of what really happened at Hazakura as soon as Maya says she saw a man in the darkness. Godot carries on the trial to convict himself and finally, there's the big reveal of Godot's past. "I hope you remember... my name is Diego Armando." Then they throw the tears of blood at you.
* When Phoenix falls into the river, Larry can only reach out in horror and cry out his name. Think about it like this; a bridge is on fire, someone is in danger and you see your best friend since childhood trying to run over a wooden bridge that is on fire. And being completely helpless in doing anything to help. It's a good thing Phoenix survived, or else that would be haunting Larry.
* Iris confessing that she, not Dahlia, was the one whom Phoenix dated for six months. Does Phoenix, having been deceived all that time, react with anger? No - instead, he tells her, "You really are the person I always thought you were. Even after Dahlia Hawthorne was found guilty... I still believed in you." Iris' response: "Thank you", with tears in her eyes. Only made better by this line being the exact cue for the Trial theme to start.
* Also, the whole scene involving the Master's talisman in the end. Also a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}.
--> '''Phoenix:''' "She'll always be with me, until the day I die", huh...\\
'''Maya:''' ...?\\
'''Phoenix:''' There's a rule or something all Masters are to follow, isn't there? To never take the charm off until the day you die... .\\
'''Pearl:''' Th-That's the Master's Talisman...\\
'''Phoenix:''' The thing that Misty kept by her heart and would never take off...\\
'''Phoenix:''' It wasn't the container that was important. Rather, it was the contents.\\
''The talisman is opened to reveal something inside''\\
'''Bikini:''' Th-That's...!\\
'''Pearl:''' A photo?\\
'''Maya:''' Ah...! M...Mother...\\
[The photo is revealed to be a childhood photo of Maya as a toddler, and Mia as a kid, trying to fix the broken sacred urn, with Maya bawling on one side and Mia with a shocked look on her face at getting caught red handed. Misty carried this around with her for her whole life.]
** And the scene that followed, with Turnabout Sisters' Ballad playing once more and with the whole 'Maya Fey is much stronger than we think' and telling Franziska who Maya is being strong for. Going with that, the implications that Franziska doesn't understand love or anything like that, owing to the implication that she felt never earned her own father's love due to being second best to Miles all the time since she was just two.
* And just when you think the game's going to let up, the ending credits include a shot of Mia, Misty, and Diego looking happy together...; it is heavily implied that it is heaven. Also a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}, even more so when you realize that it's a shot of Larry's sketchbook.
** The sketch as a whole. It has every main character of the Ace Attorney series up to that point, plus Misty. Phoenix, Maya, Pearl, Edgeworth, Gumshoe, Franziska, Mia, Godot, and Misty. And every single one of them has an expression that simply says 'Peace at last...' You know that this is the end of the Phoenix trilogy. You look at that photo, you're reminded of what you played through, and you can now move on to Apollo Justice.
* Case 3-5, at the very end. He evidently started crying just moments before, and that he said the exact same to Mia earlier in the game.
-->'''Godot/Diego:''' You'd do well to remember this. The only time a lawyer can cry is when it's all over.
* One that doesn't strike until you've replayed the game is the first encounter with Elise Deauxnim. Once you realize who she is and why she's on the mountain, the first time you run into her with Maya can be rather sad. She has to keep her façade up as Elise even though this is the first time she's seen her daughter, who is now 19, since she was two.
* Pearl's sincere devotion to her mother, Morgan, is very saddening, as Morgan was manipulating Pearl for her own selfish designs. The fact that she planned to use naïve little Pearl as a pawn to outright murder Maya, her own niece, even knowing how much Pearl loved her, shows how little she truly cared for her, even with her claims that she only wanted Pearl to be the next Master.
* The notion that the usually selfish and icy Franziska decides not to prosecute Iris's case, even though she greatly desires to defeat Phoenix in court. Instead, she stays out with Sister Bikini at the Inner Temple. She works without sleep to break five nigh-impossible locks and rescue Maya, on a freezing cold mountain, all to rescue someone she barely knows. Her CharacterDevelopment is phenomenal.
* In 3-5, when Dahlia taunts Phoenix (and [[PlayerPunch the player]]) by suggesting that Maya, stricken with guilt from killing her own mother, killed herself. The aforementioned "Phoenix holding his head down on the bench" sprite from 2-4 comes into play again. Fortunately, Maya didn't kill Misty nor did she off herself, but Phoenix hasn't come to that conclusion yet.
* Godot blaming Phoenix for the deaths of Mia and Maya. Even if you know it's not true, Phoenix still thinks he's responsible for what happened to them both. And then as it turns out, Godot was just outwardly blaming Phoenix to hide the fact that deep down inside, he's blaming ''himself'', even though neither him nor Phoenix could've stopped her death from happening (Phoenix was out and about and had no idea about the whole incident, while Godot was still ''in a coma''). He may be a wise-cracking coffee addict who fearlessly looks a Mafia/yakuza thug in the eye, [[SadClown but he's one of the most tragic characters in the game]].
* Edgeworth panicking and fainting during the earthquake, letting Iris slip away and trade places with Maya channeling Dahlia in the Sacred Cavern. He kicks himself for the rest of the day over something he really couldn't have prevented. Then Phoenix has to bring it up in court.
-->'''Phoenix''': (I'm sorry. I know you didn't mean to do it. It's not your fault.)
[[/folder]]

* The first major one in the series is, of course, the death of Mia Fey.

** Regina lost her friend because of an accident she unwittingly caused, and also lost a beloved pet friend because of it, shot point blank by her father to keep him from hurting anyone else. Lied to by her father to protect her from painful truths about death (or maybe she also wanted to believe that Bat was now a star because she needed a way to cope.) Is secretly hated by many despite (and partially due to) her irreverence about his condition, which he has a slim to none chance of waking up from, let alone ever being anywhere near the same man he once was. Unknowingly caused the death of her father by another accident.

** Even Edgeworth, who's at the start of his "Demon Prosecutor" phase, is deeply shaken upon seeing Terry's death. He might have been trying to get Terry convicted and sent back to death row(although his belief in Terry's guilt isn't exactly unreasonable), but [[EveryoneHasStandards he can't stand seeing him committing suicide by poison in front of him]].

** The only thing stopping him from breaking down for good was the fact that he could convince himself that his nightmare that he was having every single night was just a dream. Just think about that for a moment.

* Yanni Yogi's story. He was the suspect in the DL-6 incident, where Edgeworth's father was killed. His lawyer, Hammond, a man who cared not for his defendants, ordered him to plead insanity in order to win the case. Following his orders, Yogi lost his job, his social life, and his fiancee, who committed suicide. All he could do was sit in hatred for 15 years, with nothing but a parrot by his side. For a crime he didn't even commit! What's even worse is that if Hammond simply bothered to gather enough evidence, Yanni would've been perfectly proven innocent without being legally declared insane.
** If you thought that was heartbreaking, watch the story's depiction in live action movie. Although many of the details stay the same, you see from his eyes how truly cold-hearted Hammond was, how badly the trial destroyed his life through the vandalism of his home, leading to Polly hanging herself. If that wasn't enough, the final scene with Yogi ends with him seeing the spirit of his wife telling him that she still loves him and he breaks down crying.

*** This parrot probably remembers a lot of conversations he and Polly had that went like this. Yogi might have had a tendency to blame himself for troubles. His fiancee's response? Not, "That's okay," or "I forgive you," just simply, "I love you." Then one day he gets caught up in a murder case, and only escapes punishment by convincing the world he's gone insane. Then Polly kills herself. He must have blamed himself. He's regretted it every day of his life, wishing he could tell her how sorry he is. And every time he says "I'm sorry, Polly," the parrot says, "I love you, Yogi." In her voice. It's the only thing that's kept him going.

* And earlier in that case, as the realization hits as to exactly what the evidence in Gant's safe [[{{Blackmail}} implicate,]] and why Lana has acted the way she has: Neil Marshall appears not to have been killed by Joe Darke at all, but in a tragic accident and was accidentally pushed to his death by Ema. Lana has spent two years taking the fall at Gant's order to protect her sister from this knowledge. And then Phoenix has to ''make the accusation in court'' to prove Lana innocent. It somehow becomes even more heartwrenching when Ema was ''willing to accept this truth if it could save Lana.'' Of course, it all turns out to be a plot by the real murderer, Damon Gant, to gain control over the Prosecutor's Office. Exposing Gant as the real murderer is very satisfying.

* Since Mia's death, Maya has been the only person who hasn't been able to see or talk to Mia because she was always the one channelling her spirit. Now that Pearl is able to channel Mia, Maya can ''finally'' see her beloved big sister again. It's heartbreaking and heartwarming all in the same moment, and Maya certainly sheds some TearsOfJoy when she gets to hug Mia again.

** Moe the Clown, in a very surprisingly mature moment for a man like him, [[CruelToBeKind shows Regina the whole truth about Russell Berry and Bat and the truth about death by taking her to court.]] This breaks her down initially, but as shown in ''Investgations 2'', she uses this to comfort Simon Keyes due to the death of his friend.

** Adrian Andrews' and Celeste Inpax's tragic past is one big tearjerker: after being discarded like a napkin by Matt, Celeste fell in love with Juan... and Matt, asshole that he is, told him all about his former relationship with Celeste so he'd abandon her over his neverending feud with Matt, driving her to suicide. The shock was so great that Adrian tried to kill herself as well. You've got to wonder what it's like to be the manager of the nasty bully that led to your mentor's suicide.

** If you have played through Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, you know that Nick is referring to the Turnabout Sisters case where he lost [[CoolBigSister his friend and mentor,]] Mia. You can imagine his feelings as he is now on the verge of losing Maya as well. He must also be weighed down by the fact that he's failed to protect Maya in Mia's stead. He experiences all this while having to put on a false facade of having things under control to cheer Pearl up. Just imagine how hard it must be for Phoenix in that situation.

** Becomes even worse once you realize that, considering the entire Iris/Dahlia situation, Phoenix ''wasn't'' just being a naive, lovestruck kid who was easily tricked by a manipulative bitch - the "Dollie" he knew was the loving girlfriend he thought she was that whole time. Imagine someone who's genuinely sweet, kind, and loving to you... suddenly turning cold, wicked, and being proven a murderer who only ever used you to cover up their crimes, and having no logical explanation as to why besides them truly being a psychopath the whole time and not finding out until ''years'' later. It's a miracle poor Phoenix isn't totally crushed by the reveal.

* Pretty much everything regarding [[ButtMonkey Gumshoe]] after the first trial segment. After his performance in court, where he outright wanted to co-operate with the defense in order to get Maggey acquitted... she angrily talks to Phoenix about how she hates him and never wants to see him again. After he's informed of this by Maya, he's said to run out of the restaurant and pound his head against the wall repeatedly while crying. ''Ouch.'' He even gives them a bento box he made for Maggey to eat in the detention center, and when presented with it, her reaction turns from happiness to rejection after hearing who it's from and gives it to Phoenix and Maya to eat. Even [[BigEater Maya]] is visibly disheartened at the prospect. And after hearing she didn't eat it? Gumshoe reveals he made an even ''bigger'' meal as back-up. Reminder that this is the character who we're regularly reminded is so poor he has to live off of instant noodles.

* While the last two cases of ''Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations'' have a number of tragic moments, there's one line in particular: "I'm the assistant manager at Wright & Co. Law Offices." To elaborate, this is the profession stated by Maya on the witness stand after finding out about the death of her mother. Note the complete lack of the phrase "spirit medium" much less the "new Master of Kurain".

* And just when you think the game's going to let up, the ending credits include a shot of Mia, Misty, and Diego looking happy together... in heaven, it is heavily implied. Also a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}, even more so when you realize that it's a shot of Larry's sketchbook.
** The sketch as a whole. it has every main character of the Ace Attorney series up to that point, plus Misty. Phoenix, Maya, Pearl, Edgeworth, Gumshoe, Franziska, Mia, Godot and Misty. And every single one of them has an expression that simply says 'Peace at last...' You know that this is the end of the Phoenix trilogy. You look at that photo, you're reminded of what you played through, and you can now move on to Apollo Justice.

* One that doesn't strike until you've replayed the game is the first encounter with Elise Deauxnim. Once you realize who she is and why she's on the mountain, the first time you run into her with Maya can be rather sad. She has to keep her facade up as Elise even though this is the first time she's seen her daughter, who is now 19, since she was two.
* Pearl's sincere devotion to her mother, Morgan, is very saddening, as Morgan was manipulating Pearl for her own selfish designs. The fact that she planned to use naive little Pearl as a pawn to outright murder Maya, her own niece, even knowing how much Pearl loved her, shows how little she truly cared for her, even with her claims that she only wanted Pearl to be the next Master.

* Pearl's crying animation. [[BerserkButton That was all the inspiration Pheonix needed to do his thing.]]

-->'''Pheonix:''' I just can't imagine the listening device being inside this alarm clock. It just, um, sort of reminded me of something that happened a long time ago...

** Not even for doing his job. He was killed all because he didn't take five minutes to change out of his uniform.

* The Cornered theme is playing, and it's absolutely necessary to save an innocent man, but it won't make you feel any better when you force a second grader onto the witness stand and make him relive seeing his hero (who never loses) being murdered right in front of him. The OcularGushers make it feel worse.
* It's a bit of contentious topic, but some think that Dee Vasquez's story is a major Tearjerker. The man she loved was killed by a coworker, who claimed it was an accident. She doubted that, and set about ruining his life as revenge, dedicating her life to the studio. Then he tries to murder her and frame Will Powers for it. She freaks out and kills him in self-defense, and hastily tries hiding the evidence, accidentally framing Powers even further. She never wished Will any harm, and considering what we've seen of Jack Hammer (the fact he was so jealous of Will his response was to frame his murder on him) the idea that Manuel's death wasn't an accident looks pretty likely.

* Mia and Maya both looked up to and loved their aunt Morgan, so finding out she tried to get Maya convicted of murder, just to replace her with Pearl as the future Master of Kurain, leaves them very disheartened.

** For context, most culprits in the game will engage in a comically over-the-top VillainousBreakdown once they're exposed. Acro just sits there and lets tears stream from his eyes as says that he's nothing more than a murderer.

** Moe the Clown, in a very surprisingly mature moment for a man like him, [[Crueltobekind shows Regina the whole truth about Russell Berry and Bat and the truth about death by taking her to court.]] This breaks her down initially, but as shown in ''Investgations 2'', she uses this to comfort Simon Keyes due to the death of his friend.