Ace Attorney/Characters/Troupe Gramarye
Gramarye (Arumajiki) is a name used by magicians that are related to or were taught by Magnifi Gramarye, a famous magician from back in the day.
- Meaningful Name/Punny Name: "Gramarye" is another word for "grimoire", and "Arumajiki" is a pun on "magic".
The characters that use the name Gramarye include:
- Trucy Wright (see Defense Attorneys and Assistants)
Magnifi Gramarye (Tensai Arumajiki)
Magnifi was the teacher of Valant, Zak and Thalassa Gramarye as well as her father, and grandfather of Apollo and Trucy. He was eventually diagnosed with diabetes and cancer, and a few months before he was to die, he sends a note to both Zak and Valant, telling them to kill him due to a reason they can't refuse. Cue Magnifi's death, and the subsequent trial with Zak as the defendant and Valant as the key witness. Neither of them actually killed Magnifi: the notes were a test. Both notes said to fire a bullet to the forehead, but did not specifically say Magnifi's forehead. In his hospital room, there was a clown doll, which Zak shot in the forehead. Zak passed Magnifi's test and inherited his mentor's magic, but Valant did not fire at all, so he failed the test. After Magnifi told this to Valant, and he had left the room, Magnifi committed suicide, and Valant rigged the scene to cast suspicions on Zak.
- Badass Moustache: If that sideburn/moustache thing isn't badass, I don't know what is.
- Jerkass: If you thought Zak was bad, get a load of this guy.
- Meaningful Name/Punny Name: "Magnificent". "Tensai" means "genius".
- Also, "Magnifi", as in "Magnify"... which is what the Perceive ability does.
- Old Master: For Zak and Valant.
- Secret Test of Character: "[Y]ou will shoot, one shot, square in the forehead."
Zak Gramarye (Zack Arumajiki)
Real name Shadi Enigmar (Kagero Nanafushi). One of Magnifi's disciples, and Trucy's true father. He mysteriously disappeared seven years before the events of the fourth game. During the trial in which he was suspected for the murder of his teacher, Phoenix was accused of using forged evidence during the trial, which, for some reason, is grounds for him to be convicted right then and there. But before a verdict can be called, he, along with Trucy's help, manages to escape from the courthouse and is not heard from again until seven years later, where he reappears before Phoenix under the name Shadi Smith. He and Phoenix discuss some major plot points, and Zak writes a brief will stating that he formally passes the rights to all of Gramarye's magic to Trucy. He then plays a game of poker with Phoenix and then is killed by Kristoph Gavin.
- Ambiguously Brown: His real name definitely sounds exotic, but it's hard to tell if his skin is brown due to his ethnicity, or due to him being heavily tanned.
- Asshole Victim: That's an understatement. During the poker game, he hit the dealer with a bottle in a fit of rage.
- Badass Mustache: As to be expected from a male member of the Troupe Gramarye.
- Could Have Avoided This Plot: As Phoenix points out to Zak, if he had shown him the real diary page, then Phoenix wouldn't have been disbarred, and Zak wouldn't have to disappear. After much meandering, Zak finally explains that if he had presented the real page, it would have resulted in Valant's conviction by process of elimination, and he wanted to avoid that. So apparently, he wasn't a complete ass after all.
- Everyone Has Standards: The guy may be a douche, but even he knew that Kristoph was bad news, and refused to allow him to represent him as his defense attorney.
- Hoist by His Own Petard Regarding the second poker game, right before it started, Phoenix inspected a bottle Zak used to perform a magic trick that resulted in Phoenix's business card appearing inside. Phoenix later copies this that night to prevent Zak from cheating.
- Jerkass: He kept the real diary page from Phoenix, resulting in his disbarring, and when confronted by the Judge to testify, he disappeared. He abandoned his 8 year old daughter Trucy, and when he finally showed up again years later, he planned to cheat in a game of poker with Phoenix and ruin his reputation yet again, and when this set-up didn't work, he beat the dealer over the head with a bottle in a fit of rage and nearly killed her. He also is known to regularly abuse his only friend Spark Brushel via punching him if he so much as slightly annoys him.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: As infamous as his Jerkass reputation is (and rightfully so), he isn't completely without redeeming qualitieis either. As mentioned above, he ultimately withheld the real diary page to prevent his partner Valant from being wrongfully convicted for Magnifi's supposed murder, reappeared to apologize to Phoenix about what he did, and made sure to give Phoenix the inheritance letter he signed for his daughter so she could uphold the Gramarye family legacy.
- In addition despite abandoning his daughter, Trucy, he kept a locket with a picture of her, around his neck; even until the very moment, he died.
- Meaningful Name/Punny Name: "Zak" and "Varan" combine to make "zakkubaran", "frankly". Shadi Enigmar is a shady enigma; "Kagero" means "shadow son", and "Nanafushi" may allude to the Seven Wonders/The Seven Mysteries (nana fushigi).
- Real Men Wear Pink: His top hat and cape are pink.
Valant Gramarye (Varan Arumajiki)
"It is forbidden for a magician to have a good imagination." |
The second of Magnifi's disciples. Spent the time between his old partner's disappearance as a small-time magician, awaiting for the time he can legally perform the Gramarye Troupe's magic once more. He also was responsible for Lamiroir's disappearing act in the third case of Apollo Justice.
- Anti-Villain: What he did was pretty awful, but you can understand and sympathise with his motivations; plus, he ends up honestly remorseful and turns himself in to remove the guilt.
- Antiquated Linguistics: His usual speech pattern, mostly for show. Also adds an astonishing amount of alliteration.
- Attractive Bent Gender: During The Guitar's Serenade, he dons a highly highly convincing disguise of the highly beautiful Lamiroir as a part of the act.
- Chekhov's Gunman: He turns out to be either directly or indirectly responsible for huge amounts of the game's backstory, including Phoenix losing his badge.
- Cool Uncle: He's not a blood relative, but Trucy adores him due to his skills as an extremely talented magician.
- Disturbed Doves: "Alakazaaaaaaugh!"
- Everything's Better with Spinning: He's very fond of twirling his cane around.
- Green-Eyed Monster: His motive for pinning Magnifi's death on Zak, who received Magnifi's performance rights instead of Valant.
- Hidden Depths: He seems like just a grandiloquent eccentric when you first meet him, but he's so much more.
- Large Ham: He milks the whole magician act for all it's worth.
- Meaningful Name/Punny Name: "Zak" and "Varan" combine to make "zakkubaran", "frankly". Valant is also the present progressive form of the French word "valoir", meaning "to rate" or "to be worth".
- Porn Stache: Grows one when he gets older. It's supposed to make him look more mature than his younger self.
- Red Herring: Phoenix's last case all but states that he's the one who murdered Magnifi... but it's revealed later on that he didn't kill anyone, Magnifi committed suicide. He DID, however, actively stage a frame-up to make his partner Zak look responsible for it.
- Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: "His overly loquacious manner can get annoying."
Thalassa Gramarye (Yumi Arumajiki)
The "lovely assistant" of Maginifi, as well as Zak and Valant. Died in a rehearsal accident. Thalassa is the daughter of Magnifi. She's had two husbands, the first the father of Apollo, the second Zak. She actually did not die in the "accident", but she had lost her vision and memory. She found herself in Borginia and became the "landscape painter in sound", Lamiroir. See the "Witnesses and Other Characters" section for more info on her Lamiroir side.
- Chekhov MIA: It's established in the fourth case that Thalassa Gramarye was accidentally shot dead at a rehearsal. Just kidding. A witness from the third case, Lamiroir, turns out to have been her under an assumed name (granted, she had lost her eyesight and memory).
- Meaningful Name/Punny Name: "Thalassa" is the primordial goddess of the Mediterranean in Greek Mythology. "Yumi" means "gentle ocean".
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