History VillainousBreakdown / VisualNovels

** [[spoiler:Jean Greyerl]] from ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonVsPhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' is notable in that she ''averts'' this trope. She barely loses her composure ''at all'' during her trial, and when she's finally cornered, instead of freaking out like every other person Phoenix has ever convicted, she simply admits her deeds, explains the tragic backstory that led her to this point, and prepares to FaceDeathWithDignity. Instead of the usual CatharsisFactor, the scene ends up being one big TearJerker. [[spoiler:Especially since the victim had [[SuicideNotMurder actually committed suicide]].]]

* In ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'', [[spoiler: Monika]] never once loses her cool and gets angry, and barely even cracks her NiceGirl facade, even though she later describes every moment as torment because [[spoiler: she's aware of being trapped in a video game and madly in love with the player because they're her only connection with anything real, but the game is always railroading the player to choose someone else to romance.]] In the climax, though, she becomes incredibly angry and tries to express it through every profoundly hurtful thing she can think of to say after [[spoiler: the player deletes her in self-defence, since the player was all she had left and it feels like the biggest betrayal possible.]] [[spoiler:She eventually comes to her senses, though, and [[HeelRealization realises]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone what she has done]] to provoke such a reaction.]]

** [[spoiler:Jean Greyerl]] from ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonVsPhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' is notable in that she ''averts'' this trope. She barely loses her composure ''at all'' during her trial, and when she's finally cornered, instead of freaking out like every other person Phoenix has ever convicted, she simply admits her deeds, explains the tragic backstory that led her to this point, and prepares to FaceDeathWithDignity. Instead of the usual CatharsisFactor, the scene ends up being one big TearJerker.

** For starters, there's [[spoiler:Richard Wellington]], pictured on the right, who suffers a truly epic breakdown in ''Justice for All''. [[spoiler:When accused of murder, he [[LaughingMad laughs insanely]] while alternating between messing up his hair with his hands and squishing his face. After being found as the real murderer, he strangles himself with his own scarf until his face turns blue and he passes out.]]

** DoubleSubversion: When you back [[spoiler:Luke Atmey]] into the corner during the burglary trial in Case Two of ''Trials and Tribulations'', he pulls off a total nervous breakdown, complete with lapse into TalkativeLoon status. He's faking it; [[spoiler:the burglary charges are his alibi for the murder he committed that night]]. [[spoiler:Once you catch Mr. Atmey as the murderer in the case's ''second'' trial, however]], [[IronicEcho he repeats the breakdown word for word]] -- and this time it's real.

** Happens in ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'' too, probably the best example being [[spoiler:Ambassador Alba seemingly losing entire portions of his face. Ick. And that's not the half of it. Then the already-old man ''ages about 20 years in a matter of seconds''.]]

** The final boss of ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations 2'', [[spoiler:Sōta Sarushiro/Simon Keyes]], has a variation: instead of breaking down directly, he has a comparatively calm MotiveRant followed by a pathetic plea of "I didn't understand anything!" (or if you're going with the fan translation, "The only one who helped me was [[spoiler:Dogen]], so [[ManipulativeBastard I used everyone else]]! [[EvilCannotComprehendGood What's wrong with that!?]]") [[spoiler:As this takes place at a circus, doing so ticks off the nearby animals, who all line up to have a go at him.]] Notably, he also ''[[ISurrenderSuckers fakes]]'' [[ISurrenderSuckers one of these]] when [[NotSoDifferentRemark accused of being no different]] from his despised father just to mess with Edgeworth.

** How about [[spoiler:Matt Engarde?]] You get to choose [[spoiler:which verdict he receives, Guilty or Not Guilty -- but [[MortonsFork he's screwed either way]], because you've just turned the assassin he hired against him. If you choose Not Guilty, Matt BEGS to go to prison. Choosing "Guilty" eventually leads to a similar reaction. Oh, and he claws his face off.]]

*** It's actually easier to list the murderers that ''don't'' freak out when caught and face their guilty verdict with dignity. Usually, these are the ones who have [[SympatheticMurderer a sympathetic motive]] or plain NervesOfSteel. [[spoiler: Dee Vasquez (concedes defeat and congratulates you), Yanni Yogi (loses the ObfuscatingStupidity and admits to the crime since he'd already killed the man who ruined his life), Acro (cries while calling himself a murderer), and Godot (something explodes in his face, but he composes himself and admits defeat).]]