Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney/Heartwarming

This page covers the first three games specifically. Take moments outside of that over to Apollo Justice or Investigations, please.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
"Phoenix:"
 * ...Lana smiles for the first time in years. I can't be the only one whose heart melted after that.
 * When she reunites with Ema after the trial, all I could think was, "Give her a hug, already!" And she does. Awwww!
 * The part at the end of the fourth case of the first game, where.
 * Also in that same case
 * Also having to do with Edgeworth, when Maya  That made me 'aww' like no tomorrow.
 * at the end of the final case of the first game, coupled with Phoenix's touching monologue.


 * after she stood up for him in court, causing something of a ruckus and getting herself arrested. Made this troper go "Awww!"
 * The first case in the entire series gets one, when, at the end of the trial, Phoenix points out to Larry that the late Cindy Stone did have feelings for him after all. How so? The clock statue of "The Thinker" that Larry gave her. It's quite heavy for a clock, yet she took it overseas with her anyway. Think about why she would do that.
 * Edgeworth doting on Ema in 1-5, by encouraging her scientific investigation and spirit, and then giving her a fingerprinting kit and files to help with the case. <3 That, for me, was incredibly heartwarming and sweet. Particularly since it's, you know, Edgeworth. Phoenix goes to thank him, and he shrugs it off, "do as you will".
 * Later on, in court,

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All

 * Everything about the good ending to Justice For All, but especially.
 * Also where
 * This also crosses over as a Moment of Awesome for me, but this troper was just caught by the whole The Power of Trust thing going on between Nick and Edgeworth during case 4. All it takes for Edgeworth to catch on to was one accidental comment made on Phoenix's part. What does he do? He immediately realizes that you need the trial to go on longer and he steps in to help you, even though he doesn't know what's wrong yet. He just knows something's not right, and he doesn't even hesitate to help Nick, even though it's hurting his own case. The revelation Nick has later on that he trusts Edgeworth, even though he's on the other side, was just sweet for me.
 * A What Happened to the Mouse? Moment at the end of Case 2-4. It was revealed at the end that Gumshoe snagged  It goes on for a while without anyone knowing what that piece was until the very end of the credits.
 * The revelation that Gumshoe has a crush on Maggey. Which just makes it sadder that he has to testify against her in court. This makes the confetti at the end of Maggey's trial all the more heartwarming when you realize that it's Gumshoe who is throwing the confetti to celebrate her victory.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations
":''' Phoenix:
 * When Phoenix discovers in the third game that.

"Godot: How many cups of darkness have I drank over the years? Even I don't know. The only thing I do know is... Right now, this one here is the greatest cup I think I've ever had. Don't you think so...
 * Godot's "tears" always chokes up this troper, especially since Godot is . After all, "The only time a lawyer can cry is when it's all over," and this is technically the last game in the series arc.
 * Same trial--every last bit of testimony. The way she's just so torn is adorable and sweet.
 * Definitely, though This Troper found that more heartbreaking than heartwarming.
 * Just... this, at the very end of the trial.
 * * Holding a mug of coffee and drinking as well* Yeah. I think you're right."

"Edgeworth: Phoenix: Edgeworth: Phoenix:"
 * Is there any better way to give closure to Godot's story?
 * When Phoenix recovers from his cold and regains the reigns on the case, one of the first things he discovers is that both of the Fey girls are missing. Charming, sophisticated, adorable little Pearl has disappeared amongst a ton of calamity. To make matters worse, his former opponent Franziska von Karma has decided to follow him around.  Cue the waterworks, from both her AND the player.
 * Despite how much they care for each other, it's not very easy to find such moments for Phoenix and Edgeworth, seeing how they bury their concern under awkward silences and so on. But the bit in Bridge To The Turnabout where ... This Troper has always found that incredibly sweet.
 * And from the same case (the heartwarming quality is reduced by Edgeworth's inability to say "thank you", but still quite touching):

"Desiree: * as the [ =Mask* DeMasque= ] theme kicks in* Why would I want to leave such a wonderful man?"
 * In the epilogue of "Bridge To The Turnabout", the characters open the talisman locket owned by Maya's mother. It's a special treasure, that the Master of the Kurain Tradition is never meant to remove until the day she dies. So, now that it's all over, Maya is able to open the locket, and do you know what was inside? What her mother carried next to her heart until the day she died?
 * A smaller one occurs at the end of "The Stolen Turnabout". The entire reason that Ron  was to support his wife's spending habit, terrified that she was going to leave him if she found out he was running out of money. After he's arrested for theft he is also terrified Desiree will leave him because of her hatred for criminals. If you present the Kurain Urn to him after the trial, Desiree shows up to congratulate Ron on being declared innocent. Maya asks if she's going to leave him.
 * A smaller one occurs at the end of "The Stolen Turnabout". The entire reason that Ron  was to support his wife's spending habit, terrified that she was going to leave him if she found out he was running out of money. After he's arrested for theft he is also terrified Desiree will leave him because of her hatred for criminals. If you present the Kurain Urn to him after the trial, Desiree shows up to congratulate Ron on being declared innocent. Maya asks if she's going to leave him.


 * In the middle of the same case, this troper could not get over how utterly adorable the story of Ron and Desiree's meeting was. Desiree was held hostage by two thugs, and Ron, despite being positively terrified out of his mind, shaking, and with tears streaming down his face, still did not hesitate to shout at them and charge them, successfully scaring them away from her. Just knowing how timid Ron is and how heart-wrenchingly afraid he was and how it still didn't stop him from being an absolute hero made this troper melt.
 * Edgeworth referring to Phoenix as his "partner." Shipping reasons aside, this is utterly squee-inducing: their strong bond, the near-absolute trust between them, and their shared destiny summed up in one word, from emotionally-repressed Edgey no less!