Ace Attorney/Characters/Witnesses and Other Characters

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Debuted in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Larry Butz (Masashi Yahari)

Phoenix's 'lovable' loser classmate. A very over-the-top, downright idiot playboy-wannabe, who always try to get a girlfriend and fails to keep one, either they dumped him or they get killed (the very first case of the series has his girlfriend murdered). He seems to attract trouble wherever he goes, thus earning him the saying, "When something smells, it's usually the Butz."

  • Big Damn Heroes: In Case 1-4, right as Edgeworth is declared guilty, Larry rushes in, yelling for the judge to wait, and demands to testify, and sheds new light on the case in the process. This provided a large hole in von Karma's case, which, in the end, cost him the trial. Due to this, he also saved Edgeworth's life. He pretty much saved the entire case for Phoenix, really.
    • Ace Attorney Investigations spoiler: and then he and Oldbag burst in in Case 5-5 with decisive evidence, helping to bust Alba for good. He's almost as good at this as Gumshoe!
  • Blush Sticker: Pops up whenever he's flustered, which is often, as he has plenty of good reasons to be ashamed...
  • Butz... er, sorry, I mean... Butt Monkey: Has terrible luck in the romance department, especially in the manga, in which, in "Turnabout with the Wind", his girlfriend Belle turns out to be the murderer, only talking to him to create an alibi (although she wasn't planning on framing him).
  • Casanova Wannabe: His bad luck at love is pretty much a running gag.
  • Desperately Looking for a Purpose In Life: In the third game.
  • The Ditz: Probably why trouble follows him everywhere.
  • Hot-Blooded: He has a tendency of abruptly screaming mid-sentence, and his screams are loud enough to shake the screen.
  • Leitmotif: "In the Shadows of the Government", in the third game. Yes, really, that's the name of his theme track. It returns in Ace Attorney Investigations 2.
  • The Nicknamer: "Nick", "Edgy" and "Franzy" for Phoenix, Edgeworth and Franziska respectively.
  • Ocular Gushers: And HOW!
  • Phrase Catcher: "When something smells, it's usually the Butz."
  • Spanner in the Works: He derails the Big Bad's plans in two different games. In the first game, Edgeworth states that he's the first witness von Karma was unable to manipulate in advance, and thus the first unplanned element in his 40 years of prosecution.
    • In the manga, by getting arrested as the suspect in "Turnabout with the Wind" by various things he does to make himself seem suspicious (calling Bright Bonds to demand that he back out of Belle's life, and running from the cops), Belle ends up having to prove his alibi, and ends up incriminating herself with her own testimony.
  • Too Dumb to Live: In one of the cases in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, Miles must prove that he couldn't have been the murderer after a lengthy discussion with Agent Lang. After that, Larry questions your theory and you have to play another discussion to convince him that he couldn't have been the murderer, while he tries to prove you wrong. In front of Lang.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: Sent Iris a blackmail letter as a means of inviting her to a date, though the What the Hell, Hero? he got when he was busted was Played for Laughs.
    • Though it seems to be less malicious intent, and more him just being really really bad at writing a love letter.
  • Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?: He has a new job (and girlfriend) every time he appears.

Frank Sahwit (Hoshio Yamano)

This guy got the raw end of the deal when it comes to murderers in the series, for the same reason that a statement like that isn't a spoiler: he's blatantly shown to be the murderer of Cindy Stone before Phoenix even gets his name shown for the first time (bar the title screen on non-Japanese versions), and you can get him guilty without even having to press anything. Ace Attorney Investigations 2 spoiler: he reappears in jail in the second case of Ace Attorney Investigations 2, apparently working as the prison's barber.

  • Bad Liar: Unlike most other murderers, whose lies only become obvious when presented with evidence they would otherwise be unaware of or forced to elaborate on their stories when being pressed, his contradictions are completely obvious.
  • Dodgy Toupee: His toupee makes him look younger by hiding his baldness. It'd likely be a lot more convincing if it didn't jump off his head whenever he gets surprised though.
  • Eyes Always Shut: In the first phase of the trial with him, before he throws his toupee and sheds his facade.
  • Hand Rubbing: Does it all the time, though probably not as a part of villainous plotting (even though he's a villain anyway).
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: "Frank saw it".

Phoenix: Proof enough for you, Mr. Sahwit? Or should I say... Mr. Did It!

  • Suspiciously Specific Denial: Practically the master of this in Ace Attorney Investigations 2. The whole Logic Chess battle against him pretty much consists of waiting for him to make one and catching him out on it.
  • Warmup Boss

The Bellboy

"From hence forth I will be known as the 'bellboy who swore the affidavit'!"

The head bellboy of the Gatewater hotel. While never given a name, he is nevertheless an important witness in the second case of the first game.

  • The Cameo: As well as his main appearance in the second case, he appears in the 5th case, is referenced occasionally by Phoenix, Shelly de Killer wears his outfit in the second game, and in Ace Attorney Investigations, he appears as the real Proto Badger.
  • Distracted by the Sexy: Done on purpose by April May.
  • Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": We never hear his true name.
  • No Name Given: His is a particular case in the series as he does not even have a fake name or is called by his alias... he is just the bellboy.

April May (Umeyo Shochiku)

"I like a man with a big... vocabulary."

Redd White's secretary.

Redd White (of Bluecorp) (Masaru Konaka)

"I am always abso-posi-lutely perfect!"

A wealthy "businessman" who built his powerful company through blackmailing lawyers, judges, politicians, police and all sorts of other people. Thanks to him, word of the police using a spirit medium for DL-6 got leaked to the press. So if not for him, Mia wouldn't have (specifically) become a lawyer herself. Then again, he's the one who kills her.

Will Powers (Saburo Niboshi)

"The Steel Samurai is the lead character in a popular kid's show. He walks the streets of Neo Olde Tokyo... Fighting battle after battle against the Evil Magistrate and his minions. Of course, he never really defeats the Evil Magistrate. Although... I guess he did defeat him this time..."

TV star and the first client Maya assisted Phoenix defending. Most well-known for his role as the Steel Samurai.

  • Apologises a Lot: Taken to hilarious levels when you present Pearl's picture to him in Case 2-4, since both of them have this trope, when he tries (and fails) to guess her relationship to Phoenix and Maya.
  • Broken Pedestal: Jack Hammer was his role model. Hammer accidentally killed someone and, while trying to kill Dee Vasquez, tried to frame Will Powers for it out of jealousy.
  • Butt Monkey: At one point, Dee Vasquez notes that he's so ordinary looking, he's sometimes left behind by mistake when the rest of the company comes back from a trip.
  • Carpet of Virility: Apparently nobody has linked his chest hair to that of Austin Powers'.
  • Face of a Thug: Poor guy.
  • Gentle Giant: He is an actor for a children's show, but children are scared of his face so he wears a mask.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: He's got willpower. "Niboshi" is dried sardines (yes, it's ironic).

Wendy Oldbag (Kaoru Ohba)

"Shush! I'm talking to my dear Edgey-Wedgey right now! Don't interrupt us, gramps!"

A hard-ass old woman who for some reason is a security guard. Goes on long-winded rants at a moment's notice, and has a thing for soon-to-be dead actors and Edgeworth, the latter of whom (un)affectionately dubs her the "wicked witch of the witness stand."

  • Abhorrent Admirer: To Miles "Edgey-Poo~" Edgeworth. No seriously, meeting her, in his own words, makes his day go from “not my day” into “waking nightmare” territory. On the day in question, he had already been kidnapped, had his jurisdiction usurped, and discovered a murder victim.

Edgeworth: (Nooooo! Why HER!? Why HERE!? Why NOW!?)

  • Berserk Button: Inverted. She usually calms down when Edgeworth shows up.
  • Blush Sticker: Pops up at the thought of her latest celebrity obsession. Best not thought about at any length.
  • Donut Mess with a Cop: A security guard, but she's quite fond of donuts.
  • Fan Disservice: In what might be a bizarre Shout-Out to a So Bad It's Good fan H-game, Ace Attorney Investigations puts her in an extremely busty Pink Princess outfit.
    • You also get to collect her undershirt as evidence. Edgeworth is rightfully shaken by the very thought.
  • Grumpy Old Woman: She's absolutely a bad temper.
  • Hypocritical Humor: In Ace Attorney Investigations, she complains about a stalker letter she received... though she's been sending Edgeworth flowers for years.
  • I Was Quite a Looker: Or so she says.
    • In the manga, her grandmother Wendolyn is channeled and everyone mistakes her for Wendy because they look just like each other. There is an image of her as a younger girl, and if this can be used as an example, then it's actually true.
  • Jerkass: Very reluctant to give help, especially if she thinks you're trying to smear the name of someone she adores. Usually, you have to pay her off with something to get her to talk and even then, she won't say it nicely.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: Last name refers to the term "old bag" for an ugly old woman, and combined with her first name, also applies to her long-windedness ("windy old bag"). Her Japanese name is a combination of "old lady" ("obachan") and "idiot" (Ohba, Kaoru).
  • Motor Mouth: To the point of Edgeworth raising an objection to stop one of her near-infinite rambles in the first game. It gets pretty silly in Justice For All when she goes into one of her sprees while in an airtight helmet.
  • Mrs. Robinson: Though the objects of her affection tend to ignore or just dislike her.
  • Old Windbag: To everyone's dismay, especially Phoenix's in the first case she appears in and Edgeworth's afterwards. Even her name is a pun on that, and the lampshades fly thick and fast.
  • OOC Is Serious Business: She pleads with Phoenix to defend Julie, insisting that she couldn’t have murdered Flip. Maya notes that she’s "never seen Ms. Oldbag like this."
  • Scrolling Text: At very fast speeds.
  • Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?: She has a new job each time she's seen, including 2 over the course of 2 days in Ace Attorney Investigations.

Penny Nichols (Yumiko Mamiya)

"I don't care what kind of girl you might think I am; I need that card!"

An assistant for Global Studios who was present the day of Hammer's murder. Despite this, she doesn't play much of a role, to the point that developers of the series consider knowing her name a sign of expertise (since her name is even less frequently seen in the Japanese version than the English).

  • Fan Girl: She flips out when she discovers that Phoenix has the last Steel Samurai trading card she needs.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: Pennies and nickels. "Mamiya" might be a pun on "mania".
  • Meganekko: She wears glasses, contributing to her adorkable nature.
  • Otaku: At least she is a much more adorable fan than the ugly Manella.

Cody Hackins (Kyuta Ohtaki)

"By offering me something I already own, you're in effect eschewing the very basis of our consumer society, namely the principle of fair trade! Man, for a grownup, you sure are dumb!"

A seven-year-old Steel Samurai-obsessed fanboy. He's been to every live performance of it and decides that just once he'd like to see an actual filming of the show. The end result is he saw Jack Hammer who was wearing Powers' Steel Samurai costume at the time get murdered.

Phoenix: W-what do they teach these kids in school these days!? Quantum physics!?

  • Katanas Are Just Better: Despite the fact that the Steel Samurai mainly uses a spear, he carries around a katana on his back. He can't get it out of the sheath though.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: Code-hacker. As for his Japanese name, the first three kanji characters (in Eastern name order) form "Otaku".
  • Ocular Gushers: When Phoenix finally succeeds in taking apart his testimony.
  • Otaku: As his Japanese name spells out.

Sal Manella (Takuya Uzai)

"I try not to pay much attention to things that don't interest me. LOL."

Director of the Steel Samurai. He embodies the typical image of an obsessive teenage (despite being 32) geeky fanboy, in both appearance, personality and mannerisms.

  • Abhorrent Admirer: To poor Maya.
  • Gonk: Is a fat slob with obviously poor hygiene and odious habits.
  • Leet Lingo: His speech is littered with emoticons, LOLs and 1337s.
    • He even manages to speak a ":(" at the thought of having not been able to eat a t-bone steak.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: He's as sickening as salmonella. "Takuya" comes from "Otaku", and "Uzai" means "annoying".
  • Otaku: In its worst form possible.

Dee Vasquez (Sakura Himegami)

"Don't hit your desk. It irritates me."

Global Studios (and Steel Samurai) producer that built the studio back up from the brink of ruin (i.e. when Hammer in his prime accidentally killed another actor), and apparently is some sort of business genius. She's also got ties to the mob. She's also the one who murders Jack Hammer, though out of self defense.

  • Beneath Suspicion: Justified.
  • Broken Bird: Five years ago, she watched Manuel die in an accident at Jack Hammer's hands. In the flashback, she is incredibly distraught at his death, the only time you see her act emotionally. If they were lovers, this could explain her cynical, dispassionate attitude.
  • The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: She has a sister Tampopo Himegami who is (surprise!) also a producer.
  • Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: She's always smoking, and evidently has smoker's lung, since her speech is indicated by the lower-pitched beep-de-beeps usually reserved for males.
  • The Mafia: She's got major connections in this criminal organization.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: She's a diva. "Sakura" is obvious, and "Himegami" means "princess-goddess".
  • The Stoic: Throughout much of Case 3, she doesn't seem to be concerned at all with the proceedings.
  • Woman in Black
  • Yakuza

Lotta Hart (Natsumi Ohsawagi)

"Hey! You! Hold on, now! This gal's got a few questions to ask!"

Freelance photographer with a southern accent and a lotta hair. She occasionally appears as a witness when trying to capture some paranormal event or other hot gossip.

  • Berserk Button: Lotta LOVES her camera. She always has it, and does NOT like seeing any abuse come to it, she will go nuts if it does. The first time you run into her, she screams at you because you wasted all of her film by setting off the camera she was using. Maya forces Phoenix to pay for the expenses.
  • Failed a Spot Check: "There ain't no way anyone was hangin' out behind that foldin' screen!" Turns out there was somebody (Ini/Mimi) behind that folding screen.
  • Fiery Redhead: She has red hair, and she gets angry quite often, either at something Phoenix did or something bad that happens to her.
  • Funny Afro: In the second game, she asks if you remember her name. "Lotta Hair" is one of the possible answers.
  • Going for the Big Scoop: This is Lotta's ONLY reason for being on ANY of the crime scenes she shows up at.
  • The Idiot From The South
  • Intrepid Reporter
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Lotta isn't exactly what one would consider the nicest person in the world. In fact, the first time you find her, she not only seems ABSOLUTELY NUTS, but is loud and rude. Until you tell her she might be a witness to a murder...
    • Despite being hot-tempered and sassy, she's actually one of the most willingly helpful repeating characters.
  • Laughing Mad: Happens once in case two in the second game. It scares the heck out of Phoenix Wright.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: She's got a lot of heart. "Ohsawagi" means "big commotion".
  • Paparazzi: After Case 2-2, Lotta decided to pursuit a career with "more glamour and less gore." Obviously, this was the next logical step.
  • Sassy Country Gal: She won't stand for any lip and is more than happy to give some back even to someone as scary as Manfred von Karma.

Lotta:That's because you told me to! You old fool! (sound effect)

  • Shutter Bug: Lotta always has her camera on hand, and you can tell she's nearby either by her mouth or by her snapping photos. Except in Case 4 of Justice For All when it was stolen by Wendy Oldbag.
  • Talks Like a Simile: Related to her Deep South stereotype.


Old Caretaker real name Yanni Yogi (Kotaro Haine)

"Ayup... ZZZ"

A crazy old man that owns the boat rental shack on Gourd Lake, though he's convinced it's a pasta joint called the "Wet Noodle". He owns a pet parrot named Polly. In actuality, he's Yanni Yogi, a former bailiff that was the suspect of the DL-6 incident. Thanks to Hammond, he was proven not guilty, but his life was ruined as a result. With Manfred von Karma's help, he murders his former defense attorney and puts the blame on Edgeworth.

Angel Starr (Kyoka Ichinotani)

"The name is Angel Starr. Don't you go forgetting it. Or before you know it I'll have you whimpering at my heels."

A former detective whose ability to wring information out of suspects earned her the nickname the "Cough-Up Queen". Like Marshall, Starr worked on the SL-9 case, but in her case was fired instead of demoted (hence why she's not in the law enforcers section). With her connections (boyfriends) in the police department, she joined Marshall's attempts to continue investigation of SL-9. Since the case ended, she developed a hatred for prosecutors, and is the primary witness of Goodman's murder.


Debuted in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All

Maggey Byrde (Mako Suzuki)

"Next time we meet, I'll only be an "Unlucky Person", instead of a goddess!"

Policewoman-turned-waitress-turned-security guard-turned-unemployed with horrifyingly bad luck. Maggey is the defendant for three trials (the second one was a mistrial though). Her luck does seem to be looking up, when she helped close a case. Gumshoe has an obvious crush on her.

  • Born Unlucky: My god, where to begin? She fell from the 9th floor of a building as a baby, got hit by all sort of vehicles, got sick from all sorts of food, failed every test she has ever taken, lost every game of tic-tac-toe she's ever played, was framed for murder three times... She was even nicknamed Goddess of Misfortune as a child, and Lady Luckless by the time she reached college!
  • Cosmic Plaything: Maggey is convinced to be a victim of this trope, given her extreme bad luck. If it's not herself who suffers from her bad luck streak, it's someone close to her (such as Dustin Prince).
  • Fair Cop: A very cute cop.
  • Fan Girl:
    • Phoenix's business card is her most prized possession.
    • The way she practically squees over Edgeworth in Ace Attorney Investigations hints that she may be one for him as well.
    • In the very least she has an affinity for the Blue Badger, as she wears Blue Badger shirts when she's not working.
  • Hair Decorations: Three clips near her forehead.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: Magpie birds are unlucky. "Mako Suzuki" is a pun on "maketsuzuki", "continuing to lose".
  • Meganekko: No matter what job she gets, she still keeps her large spectacles.
  • Meido: Soon after her first trial, Jean Armstrong employed Byrde as a waitress at his restaurant. And the waitresses wear maid outfits.
  • My Nayme Is: In her first trial, this is a plot point. Dustin's killer heard it over the phone and mis-spelled it.
  • No One Could Survive That: She first fell off the window of her 9th floor apartment as a 6-month old baby, and it's only gone downhill from there. Seriously. Surviving that almost contradicts her incredibly bad luck.
  • Ocular Gushers: Cries with sparkling tears of joy whenever something greatly pleases her.
  • Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?: First was a police woman, then a waitress, and in Ace Attorney Investigations as a security watcher. Explained in that she keeps getting fired, usually as a side effect of the murder case she's involved in.

Richard Wellington (Takamasa Moroheiya)

"I am Richard Wellington, the "Drifting Virtuoso" with a Ph.D. in Drifting, as it were."

A university student that's very picky with words and is a pompous jerk. He beans Phoenix over the head with a fire extinguisher and knocks him out. He's a member of a group of con artists and the murderer of Dustin Prince.

Ini Miney actually Mimi Miney (Nodoka Hanaka/Mimi Hanaka)

"Um, so, like... A murder is that thing where, like, one person kills another, right?"

An air-headed occult freak that told Dr. Grey about the Kurain Channeling technique. In truth, Ini is dead. After Mimi, her older sister who worked as a nurse to Dr. Grey, accidentally killed fourteen people, the Miney sisters were in a car crash that Ini died in. Mimi, having caused the deaths of many people and lost her job, sister and face, decided to make Mimi disappear and took the guise of her sister in order to put her old life behind. But when Turner Grey began taking an interest in having "Mimi" channeled, Mimi, with Morgan Fey's help, killed him and framed Maya for it.

  • Biting the Handkerchief: Her nervous gesture has her biting her hat. That's hardly the most brutal thing she does with her hat throughout.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: And how?!
  • Dead Person Impersonation: Her sister.
  • The Ditz: Until she gets scared. Then the facade slips.
  • Eyes Always Shut: Until she loses her composure. Then it's Red Eyes, Take Warning.
  • Idiot Hair: Underneath her hat.
  • Magic Plastic Surgery
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: Eeny, meeny, miney, mo.
  • Nice Hat: Which gets utterly abused and wrecked over the course of the case.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity
  • "Silly Me" Gesture: She taps her hat while making a very tiny and very adorable, childlike grin.
  • Surgical Impersonation: Though not intentional. The doctors mistook Mimi Miney for her sister Ini, and the latter's driving license was the only reference they had to reconstruct her face. As a result, Mimi was forced to behave like Ini.
  • Sympathetic Murderer:While not as much as Acro. If what she said is true (heavily implied), then it was Grey who killed Ini.
    • YYMV, since Grey had a point in that he had no real motivation for doing so and was in fact trying to bring her ghost back to clear his name, which would probably be a bad idea if she'd just accuse him of her murder instead. Also, she seemed to kill him because he was about to reveal that she was still alive, not out of any apparent desire for revenge.
  • Valley Girl: Says "like" a lot, ditzy, seemingly unable to function by herself-pretty much a checklist.
  • Verbal Tic: Like, she says "like" so much that, like, it gets a bit, like, irritating, like, you know?

Director Hotti (later Director Hickfield) (Hotta/Hikita)

"Hmm, yes... Well, it's the quality, not quantity that counts. Uh huh..."

Actually, neither of those are his real names. "Dr. Hotti/Hickfield" is actually a patient of the Hotti/Hickfield clinics that sneaks out of his room, puts on a stethoscope and lab coat, and calls himself director to visitors.

  • Dirty Old Man: He really likes female patients, and is eager to take them off for "examination".
  • Fourth Wall Observer: He's somehow able to read Phoenix's inner monologue and comment on the static background of the Hotti Clinic.
  • Lolicon: He apparently has a thing for Trucy.
  • Verbal Tic: He adds "hmm, yes" to most of his sentences. Eventually, it rubs off of Phoenix.

Maximillion Galactica

"Ab-so-lute-ly FABULOUS!"

A famous magician under the employ of the Berry Big Circus; his biggest trick is flying around. Cue the murder of the circus ringmaster whose assailant leaves no footprints in the snow. He's actually a country bumpkin.

  • Bishonen: Probably the straightest example in the entire series, and tries very hard to keep up appearances as one.
  • Camp Straight: Oh, so very much. He'd be the campiest of Camp Gay... except he's madly in love with Regina.
  • Catch Phrase: "Fabulous!"
    • Calling his friends "[his] sweeties".
  • Facial Markings: He has big purple stars on one cheek.
  • Jerkass: The rest of the circus members hate him, since he's the big star and lets everybody know about it. He calls them "dinosaurs" since circuses are no longer that popular, and his success is the only thing keeping the circus afloat (unfortunately, he could be right about that).
    • Also, on the day of the murder, he struck a colleague on the head with a glass bottle (no wonder he's a suspect of the murder later on the same day, since that death was caused by blunt force trauma); even if he didn't commit the murder, he's definitely no saint.
    • Despite all this, his colleagues do have a soft spot for him despite how he treated them. During the trial, Maximillion receives a package from the circus, containing milk, his favorite drink.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Maximillion does have a decent side to him. For instance, he acts arrogant and conceited, but perhaps only to make his circus mates strive to become better.
    • He reconciles with the circus eventually, and offers to keep working with them post-trial. Despite his views on the circus, he realizes that it likely won't draw a crowd without him, so instead of leaving them behind (which would probably be way more financially lucrative for him), he decides to stay with them.
  • Large Ham: Both onstage and in person.
  • Nice Hat: It's a purple silk and has a peacock feather in it. Absolutely fabulous.
  • Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: When the reality of his situation sets in at the beginning, he momentarily loses control of his smooth talk and starts talking in his native hillbilly accent.
  • Pride
  • Screw the Rules, I Have Money: While he's in custody, he says that he'll be fine, since he's both famous and has a lot of money; he apparently believes that would place him above the law.
  • Something About a Rose: White roses on the front of his cape are one of his iconic accessories.
  • Stage Names: His real name is very hick-ish: Billy Bob Johns in English, Kohei Yamada in Japanese.
  • Trademark Favorite Food: Milk. He needs it to calm his nerves before each performance.
  • Walking Shirtless Scene: In some instances, it doesn't even look like he's wearing pants. Just a jacket and makeup.
  • You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Pink though; as a flamboyant circus performer, it might be dyed.

Regina Berry (Rika Tachimi, stage name Mirika)

"Alright! I look so cute in this picture! Don't you think I look cute? Don't ya? Don't ya?"

Russell Berry's daughter and animal tamer of the Berry Big Circus. Because of her sheltered life (in a circus, no less) and her father's protective upbringing, she has a very naïve outlook and doesn't really understand death (in the English version, she thinks that when people die, they become a star in the sky; in the Japanese version, she just thinks that they are in a deep sleep), even when her father doesn't hide the fact that he shot one of the lions with a rifle. Returns in Ace Attorney Investigations 2's second case as a witness due to being asked to put on an animal show at the prison at the time of the murder. Has apparently taken on more responsibility in the circus, but otherwise hasn't changed much.

Lawrence Curls a.k.a. Moe the Clown (Matsuo Tomida a.k.a. Tommy)

"Aha! Aha! Aha! Aha! Aha! Aha! Aha! Aha!"

A stoogey clown working at the Berry Big Circus, and old friend of the ringmaster. He's the witness of Russell's murder. Despite his wisecracking antics, he's actually one of the most level-headed members of the circus.

Benjamin Woodman and Trilo Quist (Ben Kozumi and Rilo)

"Let me lay it all out for you... The pay sucks... The clown sucks... And my partner has his hand up my pants."
—Trilo Quist

Ben is a ventriloquist of the Berry Big Circus, and Trilo is his puppet. Ben doesn't do a lot of talking, and does a lot of stuttering. Trilo, in contrast, is loud, offensive and an all-around Jerkass, who also intends to propose to Regina.

  • Companion Cube: Trilo serves as an emotional crutch for Ben, and a close friend to Regina.
  • Demonic Dummy: More of a Jerkass than supernatural. Ben must be repressing a lot by how badly Trilo acts.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: A puppeteer named Woodman? Also, the obvious "Ben & Trilo Quist".
  • Shrinking Violet: Can't speak well except through Trilo.
  • Speech Impediment: Ben stutters if he's not speaking through a dummy.
  • Spell My Name with an "S": Ben = Ven.
  • Split Personality: Since it's a ventriloquist act, it's likely that Ben is using the puppet to express his other personality. You can see Ben's mouth moving sometimes when Trilo speaks, so it's not as if Trilo is talking on his own. Just like real life puppet shows, Trilo is a character Ben made up for his act, but it seems that he eventually took the act a little too far.

Acro

"But... I just couldn't forgive her! No matter what."

His real name is Ken Dingling (Daisuke Kinoshita), and he's the elder of the two acrobat brothers of the Berry Big Circus. Acro's legs were damaged beyond repair in an accident and can no longer stand. In fact, it was right after Bat's accident: Bat was attempting the "put your head in the lion's mouth" trick with Leon, Regina's lion, but was wearing a pepper-covered scarf at the time, and so the unfortunate inevitable occurred while Bat's head was still in Leon's mouth. Acro flipped out and attempted to get Leon away from Bat, but Leon crushed his legs. As Moe put it, they were cut down at the same time.

Even though Acro knew that Regina (who put the pepper in the scarf in the first place in order to make Bat (not Leon) sneeze) had no intention in causing Bat any real harm, he couldn't stand that Regina didn't take what happened seriously: she sincerely believed that Bat had "become a star in the sky." Acro became resentful, eventually hateful, toward the girl. He had intended to have Regina killed, but Russell, as protective of his daughter as ever and knew what was happening, went in her place.

  • Anti-Villain: Probably one of the least of the murders in the series. However, this does not absolve him from trying to kill Regina due to her ignorance, unintentionally killing her father and then framing an innocent Maximillion Galactica for the crime.
  • Beneath Suspicion: Justified.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: While a large part of his personality is a facade, it's suggested that his niceness, for the most part, is not. Phoenix even comments on how it makes going after him more difficult.
  • Deus Angst Machina: Boy goddamn howdy.
  • Disney Creatures of the Farce
  • Driven to Suicide: Averted, though he really thought about it.
  • Friend to All Living Things: He's got three birds perching on his wheelchair.
  • Manly Tears
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: "Dingling" is probably a combination of "Ringling" and "dangling", and Kinoshita is a Japanese circus. Don't forget the obvious "Acrobat".
  • Murder by Mistake: Regina was his intended target, but he ended up killing her father instead... to add insult to injury, the man was like a father to him, and he was so upset upon discovering that he had killed him instead that he even contemplated suicide.
  • Parental Abandonment: He and his brother didn't run away to the circus, their parents ran away and they had nowhere else to go.
  • Stepford Smiler: He doesn't outwardly show all the emotions inside of him, instead holding to the same bland, non-committal expression.
  • Sympathetic Murderer: All he wanted to do was to get back at the girl he felt was responsible for his brother's coma. Instead, he ends up killing his beloved father figure, the Ringmaster.

Matt Engarde (Shingo Otoro)

"Hold on a sec. I'm gonna ask my manager, OK?"

Actor of the Nickel Samurai, and the fierce rival of Juan Corrida. He's slow-witted, and relies on his manager/producer/et al. for advice via the cell phone he wears like a wristwatch. Naturally, that's all a facade. He's actually a complete sociopath that trusts no one and uses people to their advantage. When he found out that Juan Corrida was going to ruin his "beautiful public image", he hired de Killer to assassinate him.

  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
  • Bishonen: He's rather pretty. He even admits as much.
  • Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: He screws himself over that way.
  • Depraved Kids' Show Host: He's the main star of a popular children's series, and he's really immoral.
  • Fingerless Gloves: Wears a pair of leather ones.
  • A Glass of Chianti: ...while in prison, no less.
  • Good Scars, Evil Scars: Of the good ol' fashioned evil variety.
  • Heads I Win, Tails You Lose: The basic premise of his case: Win, and you let him get away with murder. Lose, and Maya dies.
    • You get to turn the tables on him if you convince de Killer to break his contract with Engarde: the end result (see Villainous Breakdown below) is still the same. Say he's guilty, and he breaks down because... well, he's GUILTY. Say he's not guilty, and he breaks down, demanding to be sent to jail, instead of being free and ready to be killed by a pissed-off assassin that he betrayed (and even then, there is still no saying that de Killer can't break into jail and kill him).
  • Hidden Depths: Matt Engarde is not how he appears, to say the least. There's a very good reason why this character entry is filled with spoiler marks.
  • Karma Houdini: In the Bad Ending.
  • Leitmotif: The second game's "Search - In the Midst", despite not given his name directly in widely, considered to be this for him. "Search - Core" is his theme after he reveals himself.
  • Madness Mantra: When he cracks: "Guiltyguiltyguiltyguiltyguiltyguilty..." (repeat ad infinitum)
  • Manipulative Bastard: Managed to get an assassin to kill his rival, forced a certain defense attorney to take his case by having his friend kidnapped, and nearly pinned the entire crime on one Adrian Andrews.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: He's always on guard. "Otoro" is a pun on "outlaw".
  • Nice Character, Mean Actor: Although he has a reputation as a nice guy.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: He's not as dumb as he lets on though, he just keeps up his public image as a good-looking airhead. He's really something of a sociopath underneath the ditzy attitude.
  • Peek-a-Bangs: They cover over his right eye.
  • The Reveal: "Hold on a sec. I'm gonna consult myself, okay?"
  • Running Gag: He repeatedly calls up certain people to consult about various matters. It stops being funny when he consults himself and reveals his true colors.
  • Slasher Smile: Wears one on his face after The Reveal of him being the client of Shelly de Killer and by extension, the true murderer of Juan Corrida.
  • Smug Snake
  • The Sociopath: It's implied that the reason (besides the one covered under Exact Words) that his lie didn't trigger a Psyche-Lock response is that he genuinely doesn't believe hiring someone to dispose of your rival counts as murder any more than hiring an exterminator to deal with vermin, showing how little he regards those around him. Remember that the Magatama detects fear/guilt locked away in people’s hearts. If there wasn't any guilt to begin with...
  • Surfer Dude: He's got the Verbal Tic, but it is unknown if he likes surfing. He certainly loves motorbikes though.
  • Surveillance as the Plot Demands: He hid a camera in a giant stuffed bear's eye to spy on Juan. And at the same time attempt to blackmail de Killer.
  • Two-Faced: Perhaps more literally than usual. His happy-go-lucky facade has hair covering half his face, but his real self pulls the hair back, revealing some disturbing scars, and is pretty much a completely different person.
  • Villainous Breakdown: Suffers this when de Killer turns on him.

Adrian Andrews (Kirio Kamiya)

"Help... Please... Someone... Help me..."

Adrian first shows up as the stoic manager of Matt Engarde in the last case of the second game. She takes her turn as a suspect in the inevitable murder, and quite nearly gets convicted before mitigating circumstances get her off the hook. She is revealed in the process to be a lot more complex and troubled than her icy persona makes her out to be. Turned out to be popular enough to return in Trials and Tribulations, this time with a much sunnier and clumsier personality.

  • Alliterative Name: Both names.
  • Broken Bird
  • Cute Clumsy Girl: In Trials and Tribulations.
  • Defrosting Ice Queen: Especially in the third game, when she's significantly more cheerful.
  • Failure Knight
  • Framing the Guilty Party: It backfires so hard that she finds herself to be accused of the crime she NEVER committed.
  • Gender Blender Name: This is a plot point, as Shelley de Killer tries to frame Adrian for hiring him, but proves he never met her by referring to her with male pronouns.
  • Infinite Supplies: She breaks her glasses and pulls out a spare pair several times over the course of the second game.
    • Seven to be exact.
  • Living Emotional Crutch: Both Celeste Inpax and Franzika von Karma are this to her. Lampshaded in the Case Files, in which Phoenix suggests that if she's relying on Franziska's advice, she's still co-dependent.
  • Meganekko: Constantly wears a pair of glasses and looks good with them on. If you present her profile to Larry, he will be instantly impressed and say he has a thing for "girls with black sleeveless shirts and glasses."
  • Sugar and Ice Personality: Tries to be The Stoic, but ends up being this. Oh, so much.
  • When She Smiles: Just like Lana Skye, she smiles for the first time in the end upon being found not guilty of murder. By Trials and Tribulations, she's recovered enough that smiling is her default expression.

Shelly de Killer (Sazaemon Koroshiya)

"Alright, I'll tell you that much. My name is... De Killer."

A gentleman assassin from the second game. Highly values honesty and trust that he takes great measures to ensure that their clients are not found guilty of murder (gee, that sounds kinda familiar...). His alias is John Doe (Tarou Tanaka). He was hired by Engarde to assassinate Corrida. He also got off scott-free for it. He appears in Ace Attorney Investigations 2 as a recurring character.

  • Affably Evil: Unlike most villains in the series, he doesn't come across as arrogant; instead, he's a polite man who's only doing his job (which happens to be killing people).
  • Badass in a Nice Suit: Being a butler and an assassin, he's this.
  • Bullying a Dragon: Matt Engarde decides it's a good idea to attempt to blackmail this guy.
  • The Butler Did It: Well, he poses as a butler, at least.
  • Calling Card: One of the aforementioned measures taken to protect clients.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: This is how Phoenix finally beats Matt Engarde, by proving to de Killer that he was planning to blackmail him with a video of the murder. This immediately has de Killer release Maya and basically say in court that if Matt Engarde wasn't found guilty, he would kill him. He also, unlike some of the other assassins Engarde describes, doesn't blackmail his client, but tries to get him off when things don't go as planned, and his client gets charged.
  • Expressive Shirt: De Killer himself always wears a completely stoic expression, but his radio, which resembles his face, shows a lot of emotion, including hopping in anger, sweating oil and exploding. His Ace Attorney Investigations 2 appearance mirrors this effect using an ice cream cone he carries.
  • Eyes Always Shut: Never once opens his eyes, for any reason.
  • High-Class Glass: None of his disguises or the various facsimiles of his face that crop up fail to include his monocle, and he speaks in a highly polite, polished tone.
  • Karma Houdini: He doesn't get caught whatsoever. One of the few villains in the series who manages to get away (alive). It's arguable that this is because Engarde could be considered the true villain of the second game's final case, whom DOES get convicted.
    • He's still at large as of the end of Ace Attorney Investigations 2, where he escaped justice once again.
  • Leitmotif: "Whim of a Murderous Gentlemen".
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: (Sea) Shell(ey), the Killer. "Sazae" means "seashell", and "Koroshiya" means assassin.
  • Mexican Standoff: Against Ryōken Hōinbō.
  • Mr. Smith: He goes by the alias of John Doe, or Tarou Tanaka in Japanese. Both are exceedingly plain names that are commonly used as pseudonyms.
  • Names to Run Away From Really Fast:
    • De Killer?! Yeah, it's pretty obvious he's an assassin even before you meet him.
    • The first three kanji in his name mean 'tiger', 'wolf' and 'death' respectively.
  • Noble Demon: De Killer follows a strict honor code, as a professional killer. The level of trust between him and his client is paramount, and he will honor every deal as long as the client fulfills their end of the bargain. Of course, in this case, his client Engarde does not honor the deal, and once Phoenix proves that Engarde was planning to betray de Killer, he responds by terminating the contract and threatening to assassinate Engarde himself out of revenge for attempting to double-cross him.
  • Not So Different: To Phoenix Wright, and to that extent, the player. De Killer wants to make sure his client is declared Not Guilty. Just like a defense attorney would. Of course, the subversion in this particular case is that your client IS guilty of the crime, which is a rarity in this series.
  • Overly Long Name: "Sazaemon Koroshiya" is nine characters long (???? ?????).
  • Paper-Thin Disguise: His distinctive face means that his different attire does little to disguise him, but he makes sure few people know what he looks like, so it works anyways (except for the players). Lampshaded by one of the Ace Attorney Investigations 2 producers while discussing "John Doe" at a panel:

"Mr. Doe... he's one of those people you just can't have a second game in a series without."

    • It's commented on in Ace Attorney Investigations 2. Edgeworth never actually met him face-to-face in "Farewell, My Turnabout", so it makes sense he falls for it. He still ends up mentally scolding himself once he finds out though, reminding himself he should have at least seen his picture come up in case files.
  • Pragmatic Villainy: His focus is to fulfill the contract with his patient. Anything else is irrelevant to him. He lets Maya go at the end, but certainly not out of kindness. It's because he found out Engarde was plotting to betray him, and as a result felt no need to obey his client any longer.
  • Professional Killer: Of the assassin variety.
  • Punch Clock Villain: He's a professional assassin, so he's simply doing his job.
  • Real Men Wear Pink: He sports a pink kimono while posing as an ice cream vendor on Gourd Lake during Ace Attorney Investigations 2.
  • Red Herring: Despite, you know, being a proffesional assassin, he's the only character who isn't guilty of anything in "Turnabout Target" (apart from the victim, of course).
  • Room Disservice: Kills Juan Corrida whilst masquerading as a hotel waiter.
  • Skunk Stripe: His hair is dark, but has a long white streak in it.
  • Steven Ulysses Perhero: He's an assassin named de Killer.
  • Wicked Cultured


Debuted in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations

Dahlia Hawthorne (Chinami Miyanagi)

"And my current profession? Permanently retired."

Dahlia is introduced as the ever-sweet, ever-innocent Friend to All Living Things, Yamato Nadeshiko girlfriend of Phoenix Wright, but Mia already knew that something was wrong with her. Turns out she tried to frame Phoenix for a murder she committed, AND Phoenix himself was originally supposed to be the victim. Mia eventually unmasks her and put her behind the bars and eventually death row. However, her criminal career started several years before, when she seduced Terry Fawles and used him to fake her kidnapping in an elaborate plan to get back at her family. When the plan didn't go as planned, she faked her own death and got Terry convicted to death for it, then killed her own stepsister and co-conspirator, again framing Terry, to stop her from confessing. In the following trial, she narrowly escaped conviction by manipulating Terry into committing suicide and, a few months later, poisoning then-defense attorney Diego Armando.

She was eventually used by her mother Morgan Fey in her plan against Maya Fey, by calling her back from the dead via channeling, but even then, Dahlia still carried on her own ambitions and revenge. It takes the powers of all the main attorneys and prosecutors (yes, even Edgeworth, Franziska and Godot) to stop her from getting Maya in jail for matricide. She eventually gets Hannibal Lectured back to the afterworld by an incredibly badass Mia Fey.

  • Anti-Gravity Clothing: Her stole floats, Foreshadowing her true nature.
  • Big Bad: Of the third game. Although Morgan Fey is equally guilty in a lot of ways, as the two end up plotting together. So perhaps this is a case of Big Bad Duumvirate.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: In addition to being horrifyingly evil, she also manages to get virtually everyone except Mia and Diego to fall for her charms, at least until she's found out.
  • Cute and Psycho
  • Death Glare: During her Villainous Breakdown, before immediately snapping back to her facade after she's done. It seems she inherited it from Morgan.
  • Disney Creatures of the Farce: In court, butterflies and wild birds will flock to her out of nowhere to highlight her innocent image. During her first Villainous Breakdown, her Death Glare incinerates them with hatred.
  • Enfante Terrible: Planned out such a villainous plot since 14 years old. Poor Terry. She even plotted to get her relative disinherited when she was probably about 8.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Despite her undoubtedly being a Complete Monster, Dahlia didn't really click with the whole "have Pearl become the new master" plan of Morgan, claiming that she forced all of her broken dreams and hopes on Pearl, whether she likes it or not. She also hates Morgan, as well. She agrees that Maya Fey must die, but to her, it is revenge against the already deceased Mia Fey.
  • Evil Redhead: The only physical difference between Dahlia and her well-meaning twin sister Iris is Dahlia's red hair. It's likely a dyed colour as every other Fey has black or brown hair. Still, the one distinguishing feature her ghost has is bright red hair, so dye or not, it's part of her identity.
  • Evil Twin: In a literal sense.
  • Fille Fatale: Just to emphasize the above: started seducing people and ruining lives at age fourteen.
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom
  • Hello, Nurse!: For the Judges and Payne, to Mia's chagrin.
  • It's for a Book: One of her excuses, it doesn't last long.
  • Leitmotif: "Distant Traces of Beauty".
  • Manipulative Bitch: "Two minutes, and she's got the whole courtroom wrapped around her little finger..."
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name/Shout-Out: A reference to the Black Dahlia, and she's certainly got thorns. Possibly a Shout-Out to Nathaniel Hawthorne, specifically the story "Rappaccini's Daughter": the title character is a Walking Wasteland with poison permeating her blood and body, and her very touch is lethal. Dahlia frequently makes use of poison as a murder tool, and she is indeed a person who's lethal if you get close to her, considering the multitude of people she's murdered out of self-interest after getting close to them.
    • In the Japanese version: "Chinami" refers to the saying "chi mo namida mo nai" ("without blood or tears"—basically callous to the extreme).
  • My Death Is Just the Beginning: She was horrible enough in life, but being executed managed to make things worse for everyone as she can now be channeled by anyone.
  • Never Found the Body: She was considered dead as she had fallen from the Dusky Bridge in the fake kidnapping incident five years before Case 4. Of course, the reason they never found Dahlia's body was that she was alive all along. No one, not even Dahlia herself, found the jewel she had stolen, however.
  • Parasol of Prettiness: Yet another part of her innocent image.
  • Pink Means Feminine: Wears an all pink outfit. It's just part of her cover image.
  • Screw the Rules, I'm Beautiful: She gets exactly what she wants with her looks, up to and including clemency from the court for blatant lying that would get other witnesses charged with perjury.
  • Smug Snake
  • Spoiled Brat: Her father is a rich businessman whom spoils his little girl. She also certainly is a brat, to say the least.
    • She goes into a bratty tantrum after Phoenix and Mia pointed out and rubbed in her face that her entire petty revenge scheme had failed big time before being forcefully ejected from Maya's body. Goes to show that in the end, Dahlia is nothing more than a petty spoiled brat.
  • The Vamp: She's cute, and she knows it, and uses her good and innocent looks to deceive people into doing what she wants.
  • Villainous Breakdown: First when Mia exposes her as the Complete Monster she really is, and the second when Mia lectures her to the underworld.
  • Wicked Cultured: How many soulless murderers are literature students?
  • Wounded Gazelle Gambit: A favorite. Too bad (for her) it doesn't work on Mia.
  • Yamato Nadeshiko: SUBVERTED.

Ron DeLite, a.k.a. Mask☆DeMasque (Yusaku Amasugi/Kamen Mask)

"Come on! I'm guilty! Throw the book at meeeeeee!"

Ron is first introduced as the girly-looking, self-proclaimed Phantom Thief, Mask☆DeMasque. Naturally, with his appearance, high-strung actions and the fact that his (incredibly hot) wife says he's delusional, Phoenix has his doubts. Well, if you've read all the spoiler tags up to this point, you already know that he's the real deal.

  • Bishonen: If it weren't for the lower-pitched beep-de-beeps reserved for males when they talk, his gender might have been more of a mystery at first...
  • Calling Card
  • Cowardly Lion: A timid young man who shies off from even finishing his sentences, but when it counts (such as when saving his at the time future-wife from robbers), he'll jump right into danger. Even if he's crying and yelling in terror the whole way.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Not only is he really the Phantom Thief Mask☆DeMasque, he also saved Desirée from a band of robbers. He apparently did it in a rather hysterical way, but he still did.
  • Expressive Hair: His locks fly out to the sides when he's upset, which is often.
  • Gentleman Thief
  • Heel Face Turn: If you examine the chief of police in the next case, you'll hear that Mask☆DeMasque tries to stop a bank robbery. Admittedly, he wasn't much of a bad guy to begin with.
  • Karma Houdini: Regarding the heists and arguably the data theft, at least; though he's a good guy, so it's OK.
  • Leitmotif: "Please Listen"; actually, if you want to get technical, it's Mask☆DeMasque's theme.
  • Lucky Charms Title
  • Phantom Thief
  • Redhead in Green: When he's wearing the Mask☆DeMasque's costume.
  • Rescue Romance: To Desiree.
  • Shaped Like Itself: More obvious in the English version, but still present in Mask☆DeMasque's Japanese name, Kamen Mask: Kamen is Japanese for "mask".
  • Shrinking Violet: He's not really good with people.
  • Unconfessed Unemployment
  • Verbal Tic: ...well, no, that's not exactly true. It's just a tendency for his explanations to trail off into nothing.
  • Wild Take: At the slightest provocation.

Desirée DeLite (Mareka Amasugi)

Ron's incredibly hot wife (did I mention that already?). She spends money like it's going out of style (hence why Ron got into thievery in the first place) and drives her motorcycle fast enough to call it "flying". She despises cowardly criminals above all else. Apparently, Ron doesn't count because he announces his thefts. Man, did he make a good catch...

  • Biker Babe: Loves to ride her motorbike. Very contrasting with her timid husband.
  • Rescue Romance: How she met Ron: he saved her from a bunch of robbers.
  • What Does She See in Him?: The general response. It's heavily implied that he appeals to her maternal instincts... that and she's under the impression he's loaded; he went into crime to not tell her that he was fired. There's also the fact that while Luke Atmey hid and covered up his crime, Ron kept truthfully screaming at anyone who would listen that he was Mask☆DeMasque. So Ron is a criminal, but not the "cowardly" kind Desiree despises.

Jean Armstrong (Kaoru Hondobo)

"Non, non, NON! You naughty man!"

A very... *ahem* flamboyant French chef and owner of the restaurant Trés Bien. Thing is, the food there is anything but. He's armpit-deep in debt in just trying to keep the restaurant afloat. And he's a kleptomaniac.

  • Ambiguously Gay: Despite everything he says and does... he's never explicitly called gay.
  • Brain Bleach: He invokes this in Phoenix when he sees Armstrong rub aromatherapy oil on himself.

Phoenix: "MY EYES!"

  • Camp Gay: His appearance alone renders Phoenix and Maya speechless.
  • Gratuitous French Phrases: He speaks almost exclusively with this.
  • Gratuitous Spanish: Apparently for laughs, because it just plain comes out of nowhere.
  • Manly Gay: Physically, though he certainly doesn't act like it.
  • Lethal Chef: He can't even get coffee right.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: He's got strong arms, just look at him! "Hondobo" is a pun on "fond de veau" (French for "rich veal").
  • Poirot Speak: How he speaks, and rather poorly, at that: he's continuously using feminine articles (la, une) to refer to masculine nouns.
  • Suck My Rose: Sometimes he is holding a rose, and keeps nervously plucking petals off it when he's upset.

Victor Kudo (Shohei Igarashi)

"The uniform! It's a disgrace! You can practically see their... *turns pale* their... YES! It's a disgrace!"

An unemployed grouchy old man that has a thing for the Trés Bien waitress uniforms and always has a box of birdseed with him (most likely for the purpose of having a weapon within arms length). He comes from a family of kimono embroiderers.

Lisa Basil (Keiko Koike)

The head of Blue Screens Inc., and Glen's old boss. Incredibly precise and may very well actually be a robot.

  • Fun with Palindromes: Her, Glen and her new hire Adam Mada in the ending.
  • Making a Spectacle of Yourself: She doesn't even NEED to wear an HMD, but does anyway.
  • Medium Awareness: Whenever you mention someone or something with a picture, it pops up on the screen; she's the only character in the series who moves slightly out of the way to make room for it.
  • Red Herring: If you think she has anything to do with the case or trial, think again. You pressure a little minor info about the victim out of her (that probably could have been deduced through other means), and she's never mentioned again.
  • Robot Girl: ...like a Ghost in the Shell, as Phoenix puts it.
  • Theme Naming: All Blue Screens Inc employees have palindrome names.
  • Tron Lines: ...in her clothes.

Viola Cadaverini (Urami Shikabane)

The Tiger's assistant at Tender Lender. Very, very creepy. She's also the granddaughter of the biggest, baddest mob boss Bruto Cadaverini.

  • Bandage Babe: Though not for fetish purposes. It is the reason The Tiger had a debt himself.
  • Cry Cute: Perhaps not so much cute, but it's hard not to feel sorry for her when one realises how much she wanted to be loved.
  • Face of a Thug: She's creepy as hell, but not that bad.
  • Freudian Excuse: She really, really wants to believe Furio Tigre did everything out of love for her.
  • Karma Houdini: She knowingly helped to frame an innocent woman for murder. That she would suffer no legal repercussions for it isn't surprising, considering the doting grandfather the police are afraid of, but none of the characters seem to think this is important because as it turns out, her thug of a crush object doesn't really love her. Also, she refers to what was done as "evil", but she's still in the loan shark business as of Ace Attorney Investigations.
  • Lethal Chef: Frighteningly, she hints that there's poison in her coffee.
  • Loan Shark: She takes over Tender Lender at the end of Trials and Tribulations. In Ace Attorney Investigations, she sends bills to Lance Amano in the form of love letters.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: "Cadaverini" is Italian for "little corpse", while "Viola" might have been chosen for its similarity to "violence", or perhaps a reference to the instrument (which seems to play a big role in goth culture). "Urami" means "grudge", and "Shikabane" means "corpse".
  • Woman Scorned: During the credits of Trials and Tribulations, she says that she sent poisoned food to Tigre in jail. And when you think about it, him eating that food would be Karmic Death Up to Eleven.
  • Yakuza Princess
  • Yandere: Her Where Are They Now? Epilogue bit at the end of Trials and Tribulations implies this; see Woman Scorned above.


Furio Tigre a.k.a. The Tiger (Toranosuke Shibakuzo a.k.a. Zenitora)

"Gwoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...!!"

Thanks to his similarly-spiky haircut, he looks a lot like Phoenix and even uses that to imitate him, prompting the nickname "Xin Eohp" (pronounced "zin eeope") from Maya. He's the loan shark in charge of Tender Lender, and lent money to Jean Armstrong and Glen Elg. His nickname pretty much sums up his personality. Four months before the case (September of the previous year), he got into an accident with Viola, and the latter nearly died. Her operation was a nominal fee of one million dollars. Viola's grandfather Bruto demanded that The Tiger pay up by the end of the year. Tigre planned to get the money through Glen Elg, one of his clients. Elg was addicted to gambling, but also a genius programmer, and so he made a powerful virus (which could be sold on the black market for several million dollars) as a collateral to pay for his debt. However, literally minutes before he gives the disk to Tigre, Elg won $500,000 in the lottery, more than enough to pay off his debt (a mere $100,000), and therefore no longer needed to give Tigre the deadly program. Tigre less than a month before his time was up, and he panicked and put potassium cyanide in Elg's coffee, killing him and leaving the virus for himself. Then, with Armstrong (whose arm was twisted since he owed money) and Viola's help, he played an act for Kudo to witness that incriminated the Trés Bien waitress Maggey Byrde. Tigre then disguised himself as Phoenix and posed as Maggey's defense and deliberately lost to Winston Payne of all people.

  • Bilingual Bonus: His name is composed of Italian words. "Furio" is a common name for a pet, and "Tigre" is... Well, you know.
  • Brooklyn Rage: "WHADDYA THINK YOUSE DOIN'?!"
  • Devil in Plain Sight: How was no one ingame able to tell that he was impersonating Phoenix Wright?
  • Evil Twin: Parodied: when Phoenix and Maya first find out about that Nick's got a phony, Maya suddenly exclaims, "I got it!". Phoenix replies, "If you're going to ask if I've got a twin brother, the answer is 'no'."
  • In-Series Nickname: "Xin Eohp".
  • Incoming Ham: The first indication that you'll be encountering him in any given scene? Just look at his character quote!
  • Jerkass
  • Leitmotif: "Warehouse Tiger".
  • Loan Shark: The head of Tender Lender.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: He's a furious tiger. "Toranosuke" means "tiger boy", and "Shibakuzo" means, more or less, "I'm gonna kick your ass!". "Zenitora" is roughly "Cash Tiger". Also, tigers are, according to legend, enemies with dragons (i.e. Pheonix, or Ryuichi).
  • Most Definitely Not a Villain: See Paper-Thin Disguise below. No, really. The badge was made of cardboard.
  • Names to Run Away From Really Fast: His name. Also, the French version changes Tender Lender's name to Sadouille-Crédit; that is, "credit scammer". No, really.
  • Obviously Evil: He looks like Phoenix but Red and Black and Evil All Over. It goes as far as the game not even trying to hide he's the murderer in the case... he is seen as the one who poisons the coffee cup in the introduction. Furthermore, his first actual appearance has him threatening to beat the crap out of Phoenix, right before HE claims to be the real Phoenix, giving himself away as the imposter.
  • Paper-Thin Disguise: His disguise consisted solely on a blue suit, his spikey hair and a cardboard cut-out badge. And everyone fell for it, except Godot, so he didn't take the case the first time.
  • Real Men Drive Pink Scooters
  • Red Right Hand: Just look at the guy!
  • Screaming Warrior: Roars like a tiger.
  • Scrolling Text: Most of his roars cannot be contained by just one textbox.
  • Sdrawkcab Name: Maya nicknames him "Xin Eohp".
  • Tiger Versus Dragon: His shirt has a picture of a tiger biting the head of a dragon... Phoenix's Japanese given name has the kanji for dragon in it. Funnily enough, however, he is more of a Dragon than Phoenix, preferring to use complex machinations and skilled planning alongside a healthy dose of intimidation to get his way while Phoenix goes into court with less evidence than he feels he needs and bluffs until he can piece something together, much like the Tiger.
  • Yakuza: Certainly looks the part with his style of dress, but actually, he's on the outside looking in (normally, he's just some two-bit loan shark who shakes people down for money for his own gain, but got dragged into the bigger picture after his "incident" with Viola).

Bruto Cadaverini (Gonta Shikabane)

The head of the mob and doting grandfather to Viola.

Terry Fawles (Michiru Onamida)

"...Ugh. Sorry. I told a little lie."

Mia's first-ever client, an escaped death-row convict. Has a poor grasp of grammar and acts mostly like a scared little kid.

  • Acquitted Too Late: For several crimes he's suspected of.
  • Adult Child: He's a very gullible child in a grown man's body.
  • Blood From the Mouth: After he poisons himself.
  • Ephebophile: Sure does seem like the odd man out on this list, but he dated 14-year-old Dahlia Hawthorne when he was 20 and refers to her as his 'teen angel'.
    • Kind of Values Dissonance here though, since the age of consent is 13 in Japan (meaning this only applies to the localization).
    • Still, given his mental status, if anything was going on, it was Dahlia taking advantage of him.
  • Love Martyr: In f---ing spades.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: Both his English and Japanese names refer to falling tears.
  • Puppy Dog Eyes: When he feels like he's about to cry.
  • Suicide Pact: Damn you, Dahlia. Damn. You.
  • Unwitting Pawn: But you can't help but feel bad for him.
  • You No Take Candle: He speaks like a caveman most of the time. It goes with his brutish appearance.


Debuted in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Olga Orly (Masaka Sakai)

Apollo:"(Oh, really, Ms. Orly?)

Don't worry, her name gets plenty of lampshading. Anyway, she's a waitress of Borscht Bowl Club that was the dealer for Phoenix and Smith's poker game and ergo a witness to the murder. Actually, she didn't witness anything. "Quick Fingers" Orly is a professional gambler and trick dealer, in cahoots with Smith. But by sheer luck, Phoenix found out about their plot to "catch" him "cheating" during the game; as a result, Smith flipped and knocked her out cold.

Wocky Kitaki (Takita Kitaki)

Apollo's second client, and heir to the Kitaki family. He was shot in the heart six months prior to his case and is still highly at risk of dying.

  • Animal Motifs: His hairstyle and the "whisker" marks on his face are meant to emulate a fox, and the fox is the Kitaki family's symbol.
  • Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangster!: His parents disagree, and decide to go legit partly because he got shot because of their criminal practices, and partly to pay for his operation.
  • Jive Turkey: Evidently, Wocky doesn't comprehend the difference between "gangster" and "gangsta".
  • Meal Ticket
  • Meaningful Name: A Wocky is a fox-type Neopet. The Kitaki family's crest is a fox.
  • Punny Name:
    • His full name sounds like "Walkie-Talkie". His first Japanese name is, much like Alita's name, an anagram of his second name.
    • The surname "Kitaki" (北木) literally means "north tree", but the family is also visually linked to "kitsune", the Japanese word for fox and a common subject of Japanese folklore. "Takita" (滝太) comes from the Japanese word "kita" meaning "north". His full Japanese name shares the repetition of Tiala's name in that it consists of "north" repeated three times when written in the Asian format of surname first. Another link to Tiala is that her surname, "Minami" (美波), means "south".
  • Theme Naming: With Alita. His Japanese name in Eastern order is "kita kita kita" ("north" three times).
  • Too Dumb to Live: Even if he doesn't get himself killed, he does get others killed by mere extension. And if experiences like this don't teach a person...
  • Yakuza: What his parents used to be a part of.

Guy Eldoon (Mugitsura Yatabuki)

"You take a spoon, you drink some broth... Those onions will find their way in there. For people who like 'em, why that's just fine. For people who hate 'em... ...I hate onions. Hate 'em! Always sneaking in from the side, gettin' in the way of a good tastin' spoonful."

A noodle stand owner that's a bit bitter towards Meraktis, but he didn't kill him. Nice try, sucker. He comes to Apollo to ask him to find his missing noodle stand. He also used to be a surgeon.

  • Big Ol' Eyebrows: They're big, black and rectangular.
  • Dub-Induced Plot Hole: Eldoon says that Phoenix and his partners went to his father's noodle stand during Nick's attorney days. Problem is, the localization team of the first three games changed references to noodles into burgers. Fortunately, this is pretty easy to overlook (heck, with Maya's voracious appetite, one could easily imagine her stopping off at Eldoon Sr.'s noodle cart on the way home from the local burger bar) and the worst of it in the game.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: "Permit me to speak as a surgeon..."
  • Red Herring: Mentioned in-game when Apollo jokes about him being a suspect after it's revealed that Eldoon and Meraktis were rivals.
  • Sdrawkcab Name: Eldoon is "noodle" backwards, which makes him the "Noodle Guy."
  • You Can't Fight Fate: At first, Eldoon broke family tradition in that he was a doctor instead of a noodle vendor. When Meraktis forced him to quit, he begrudgingly started to sell noodles, saying that it's what he was fated to do.

Plum Kitaki (Koume Kitaki)

Wocky's Sherman tank of a mother (as Phoenix put it). She's typically friendly and takes most things in good humor, but when it comes to her family, she becomes quite serious.

  • Apron Matron: She is the matriarch of the Kitaki family, and she tends to wear an apron.
  • Face of a Thug: Apollo seems quite terrified of her, but she's actually a pretty nice lady.
  • Sword Cane: Or a sword broom, anyway.
  • Yakuza: She used to be a part of it, and will occasionally drop a Deadly Euphemism.

Alita Tiala (Minami Namina)

Wocky's fiancé. She's concerned that Wocky'll get convicted, so she seeks Apollo's services. She got engaged to Wocky because she knew he was going to die and as his wife, she would get the Kitaki family fortune. Eventually, she ends up having to kill Pal Meraktis to keep him quiet.

  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Aren't they all?
  • Fluffy Fashion Feathers: Her dress has feathers arranged over the chest in a pattern like angel wings.
  • Gold Digger
  • Graceful Loser: She freaks out a few times during the trial, but when she's finally exposed as the murderer, she calmly admits to it without much fuss.
  • Meaningful Name: "Alita" is Latin for "small winged one".
  • Perpetual Molt: The "wings" on her dress allow this.
  • Pimped-Out Dress: Her dress has the feather arrangement, a four leaf clover in the middle of the feathers, and lots of frills.
  • Springtime for Hitler: She hired Apollo thinking that a rookie lawyer employed by a questionable anything agency would get Wocky convicted in no time.
  • Wounded Gazelle Gambit: She tries to pull one when it's revealed that Meraktis attacked her on the night of the crime.

Winfred "Big Wins" Kitaki (Tsunekatsu Kitaki)

Big Wins is the head of the Kitaki family, but when he discovers that it was the gangster lifestyle that put his son in mortal danger, he decided that he wanted to come clean and quit the "business". At the end of the case, he starts a pie business.

Wesley Stickler (Kyosaku Kawazu)

"I have got to know the secret of your panties! My very existence depends on it!"

A student of the same college Phoenix went to. He tries to portray himself as keenly intelligent and to have friends, but those seem to be his own delusions. He witnessed the murder of Pal Meraktis. He didn't kill him, but on the same night, he did steal both Trucy and Plum's panties.

  • Comically Missing the Point: "I have a new name, one that reflects my true academic nature... Wesley Sicko, reporting! Yes, curiosity is a sickness, and I am the cure!"
  • Feigning Intelligence: He fools nobody.
  • For Science!!: His justification for stealing panties , of all things.
    • Well, the panties in question were a prop in a magic act, and he stole them with the intention of figuring out how it worked, so it may be Justified. Doesn't explain why he took Plum's though.
    • Yes it does. They seem to be roughly the same size.....
  • Motor Mouth: While it does not reach Unreadably Fast Text unlike other cases in the series, once he starts talking, not much can stop him.
  • Non-Standard Character Design: He was supposed to be a biseinen (pretty man). You can see how that turned out for him.
  • Scrolling Text: Not as bad as Wendy Oldbag, however.

Lamiroir

Blind singer from the fourth game. She was named by her manager as the sole witness to his murder.

  • Absurdly Youthful Mother: She's forty, and Apollo is twenty-two. How old was she when she had him? You do the math.
  • Blind Musician: It's her, not Machi, who's blind... But then, it's implied she got eye surgery between Cases 3 and 4.
  • Fauxreigner:
  • Hot Shounen Mom: For someone in their 40's, who has two children (one being at least half her age, the other in high school), she looks really good. Even moreso when she takes off her mask.
  • Leitmotif: "Landcape Painter in Sound".
  • Luke, I Am Your Father: Lamiroir is actually Thalassa Gramarye, mother of Trucy and Apollo.
  • The Reveal: She is the final juror who decides the outcome of the last case.
  • Woman In A Contrabass Case

Machi Tobaye

A blind (not) pianist that accompanies Lamiroir. Is suspected for murder based on certain circumstances. He doesn't talk much, and only in Borginian. Except for that bit of English he knows.

Vera Misham (Makoto Ese)

Young and prodigious artist and forger of impeccable skill accused of poisoning her father. Doesn't talk much, and she sketches pictures of faces instead of changing her own expression.

Spark Brushel (Shotaro Hamigaki)

A quirky freelance reporter always in search for the next big scoop. He smells like toothpaste whenever he smiles, "which is far too often", to quote Zak. He witnessed Drew's murder.

  • Bunny Ears Lawyer: He's incredibly quirky and tends to jump to the wrong conclusions at times, but he seems to do good work...
  • Intrepid Reporter
  • Metaphorgotten: He describes the events of Case 4-4 as a tangled cobweb; it starts off pretty good, but then he loses Phoenix at "biggerer".
  • Non-Standard Character Design: Looks like a person out of Looney Tunes next to the rest of the Animesque cast.
    • Gonk: Not exceptionally ugly, but there are a number of things that are really off about him. For example, he blinks with only his lower eyelids.
  • Verbal Tic: "Reporter Frequently Speaks In Headlines! Talking To Him Is A Chore!", end quote.


Debuted in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth

Rhoda Teneiro (Ichiru Konomichi)

"That's an iFly Airlines sponsored movie. It's a suspense-hardboiled-action-romance-horror-comedy movie."

A chief flight attendant for iFly Airlines, and a witness and Edgeworth's temporary partner in case two of Ace Attorney Investigations.

Zinc Lablanc II (Zinc White II)

"Hmph! Don't number the birds before they are born!"

A Borginian art dealer with a short temper.

  • Blunt Metaphors Trauma: Doesn't quite have a grasp on the English language, as the quote above will show.
  • Butt Monkey: He finds out that his treasured piece of art is a worthless fake. He gets tricked into buying the fake Primidux Statue in the ending.
  • Eloquent in My Native Tongue: Obviously, he speaks very well in Borginian.
  • Giving Someone the Pointer Finger: He points at people so much that he might as well pass for a lawyer in this universe.
  • Jerkass: When Edgeworth is still pinned as the killer, Lablanc insists that it should stay that way so his flight can continue uninterrupted.
  • Leitmotif: "Time is Money".
  • No Indoor Voice: The number of times he's not shouting at Edgeworth (or anyone else, for that matter) can be counted on one hand.

Cammy Meele (Wakana Shiraoto)

"*yawn* I'm awake, I'm awake........................ zzz."

Rhoda's assistant flight attendant, an airheaded, sleepy young woman fluent in Borginian. Is actually part of the smuggling ring. Her job was to oversee the transportation of the smuggled goods in between countries.

  • Absolute Cleavage: From the front flap of her uniform being removed.
  • Big No: After being exposed as Akbey Hicks' murderer.
  • Chekhov's Gunman: She is first seen standing behind Leblanc, half asleep, right next to the emergency escape hatch in the first class area of the plane she's working on.
  • Cunning Linguist: The only member of the crew who knows Borginian. This helps prove she's the murderer.
  • The Ditz: Comes from being only half-awake. As with that, it's an act. In fact, she's actually quite focused and intelligent, as her use of the Indy Ploy shows.
  • Femme Fatale
  • Gag Boobs: Probably the biggest rack in the entire game.
  • Girls Love Stuffed Animals: Carries around a teddy bear of the airline mascot.
  • Indy Ploy: Murdered her victim in the heat of the moment, able to think of a complex framing scheme in time to actually create a case out of whole cloth.
  • Leitmotif: "Good Night~".
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: "Cammy Meele" is likely derived from "chamomile"; chamomile tea is very effective in helping one fall asleep. "Shiraoto" means "white noise".
  • Mind Control Eyes: She has these as a result of constantly falling asleep and waking up again. They become normal when she drops the 'sleepy' act.
  • Not a Morning Person/Sleepyhead: She's faking it though.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity
  • Rapunzel Hair: Almost knee-length.
  • Sexy Stewardess: It's mostly due to her open shirt showing off a great amount of cleavage.
  • The Slacker: Seems to be this, as she describes Rhoda as being in charge of most areas, but it's noted that she handles passengers who can't speak English.
  • Snot Bubble: When she's asleep. Invoked Trope by way of bubble pipe.

Ernest Amano (Joichiro Amanogawa)

Owner of a company called the Amano Group. Edgeworth is indebted to him because Amano funded his studies abroad. Member of the smuggling ring, and used his company to help it.

Lance Amano (Hikaru Amanogawa)

Ernest's only son, and victim of kidnapping. Orchestrated his own kidnapping, and accidental killer of Oliver Deacon.

  • Chained by Fashion: Not by his own choice: Lance spends all the case handcuffed. His hurt/take damage animation shows said handcuffs are a bit too big for him though, and in his breakdown, they snap apart.
  • Chick Magnet: His father thinks so, but while he does have a cute girlfriend (whom he doesn't hesitate to betray), the only other girl supposedly interested in him is Viola Cadaverini.
  • Damsel in Distress: Subverted. As shown above, he orchestrated his own kidnapping to pay off a debt.
  • Dramatic Wind: He somehow has the ability to summon one when he makes a point.
  • Indy Ploy: Lance wound up with a body after the kidnapping at the haunted house went sour. Out of thin air, he crafted an elaborate plan to pin the blame of the murder on his girlfriend Lauren, starting by convincing her he was still alive.
  • Jerkass: He orchestrated his own kidnapping to get money from his worried father, threatened to harm his own girlfriend to get help from her father and tried to get her sentenced for the death of said father... which he, of course, caused himself (accidentally, or so he claims).
  • Smug Snake: He really doesn't care about his girlfriend at all and tries to pin the killing on her. It's also suggested that he roped Oliver into the whole affair by threatening to harm Lauren if he didn't play along.
  • Talks Like a Simile: He even berates Edgeworth for not understanding what he meant by saying he was "left behind like an unwanted mutt."
  • Tears of Remorse: As part of his Villainous Breakdown.
  • Wounded Gazelle Gambit

Lauren Paups (Himeko Orito)

Lance's girlfriend. Seems prone to falling in love with Bishonen. Involved in the kidnapping plan. Is Oliver Deacon/Colin Devorae's daughter.

  • Attack Backfire: Borderline. Edgeworth's trademark Death Glare does worry her... because she finds it so attractive that she has to loudly tell herself that she's in love with Lance.
  • Blush Sticker: When she gets all lovey-dovey, she sports these.
  • Important Haircut: To the point of exaggeration: she takes a pair of scissors to her hair whenever she feels deeply ashamed or distressed. Although she never actually cuts any of it in-game, when you consider how much shorter and more uneven most of her hair is compared to the two locks she has in front, you can probably figure out for yourself just how often this sort of thing comes up.
  • Karma Houdini: Narrowly averted. She confessed to extortion, but at the end of the case, she appears to just walk away. Then again, she lost something bigger than a few years of freedom... The end sequence shows that she got in trouble with the law after all, as she refers to spending some time in the detention center.
  • Love Martyr: She goes along with the kidnapping scheme entirely for Lance's sake. He repays her devotion by leading her to believe she killed their accomplice and, unbeknownst to her, her father, and setting her up to take the fall for it. Gee, what a great catch.
  • Meido: In appearance only, it seems.
  • Punny Name: Lance's nickname for her is Lollie, making it Lollipops.
  • Self-Made Orphan: Was led to believe that she was this.
  • Shrinking Violet: She's a shy lady that follows Lance wherever she goes. Edgeworth spooks (and even enamors) her very easily.

Colias Palaeno (Damian Hinge)

"All I wish for is the normalization of relationships between our two countries."

Ambassador of Babahl. Outwardly a bit of The Slacker, but tries really hard to promote tourism to his country.

  • Competition Coupon Madness: Kind of. These coupons are only useful in Babahl. But you wonder where is he getting all those coupons from?! Even his guards give away coupons! His country must really be kind to tourists.
  • Crazy Prepared: Subverted. There was going to be a test to see which country's Primidux statue is the real deal. The Primidux statue of Babahl is fake, so he negotiated with Alba to say the test results were inconclusive. However, it was completely pointless by that time since Coachen had hired Ka-Shi Nou to steal the real Primidux statue. And also that was completely pointless since the statues were already switched. He really shouldn't have told Coachen about all of this.
  • Dark-Skinned Blond: He has tan skin and golden hair that flows behind his head.
  • Department of Redundancy Department:

Palaeno: [Babahlese ink is] made from whitcrystal oil, which is mined from our mineral mines.

  • Determinator: He is determined to find Coachen's killer. He goes as far as forcing Alba to testify about his alibi since it would look bad for him if he refused.
  • Diplomatic Impunity: He never even bothers to use his immunity though. And the only time this is in effect in Babahl was around the beginning of the case, causing von Karma to turn to Palaeno.
  • Don't Touch It, You Idiot!: The Primidux statue. He politely asked you not to touch it since only him and Coachen can touch it. And since the statues were switched, you'll become pretty suspicious. But when it is discovered the statue currently in Allebahst has a plate made for counterfeiting, someone else is being suspected.
  • Eyes Always Shut: Due to his incessant smiling. He only ever opens his eyes when he gets serious. Several players reported being disturbed upon seeing it. Others reported swooning.
  • A Father to His Men: He seems to want to be this, and he feels obliged to help catch Coachen's killer because Coachen was his subordinate, even though he knows full well that Coachen was a complete crook.
  • Hair of Gold
  • Hand Rubbing: If you look carefully, his hands resemble a butterfly.
  • It's All My Fault: Once he realizes that he was the sole reason of why Coachen ordered a heist of the real Primidux statue.
  • Leitmotif: "Two Embassies ~ The Lands of the Butterfly and the Flower".
  • Meaningful Name: Colias Palaeno is a species of butterfly, and the butterfly is the Bahbahlese national symbol.
  • Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Only his Japanese name though. You will think he's the killer because his first name is Damian in the Japanese version. But his Japanese name is giving you the same amount of suspicion from Alba, whose Japanese name is Carnage Onred.
  • Nice Guy: This can easily fool anyone into thinking he's the murderer.
  • The Not-Secret: He knew that Coachen is the killer of KG-8, which isn't that surprising to the player but to Edgeworth, it is.
  • The Pollyanna: His country is not doing well, his embassy is even worse off, and the one person he'd come to depend on to fix everything is dead and a crook. Yet Palaeno is, for the most part, genuinely cheerful and optimistic.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Stands as one of the all-round nicest guys in the whole series.
  • Red Herring: His eyes, Hand Rubbing gestures, way too wide smile and ingratiating personality serve to make him look sleazy and suspicious early on, but he proves to be genuinely amiable as the case wears on.
  • Stepford Smiler: He keeps up his smile, even while talking about how his embassy is ruined. Edgeworth even notes it in his thoughts. It's almost as he was happy his embassy was in trouble. Although later on, you can see it's only a habit of his of his words not matching his facial expressions.

Quercus Alba (Carnage Onred)

Ambassador of Allebahst. Appears to be a good old man who occasionally blames himself for mistakes. Leader of the smuggling ring, thus the Big Bad.

  • Annoying Laugh
  • Ass in Ambassador
  • Badass Baritone: When he speaks the screen shakes almost constantly.
  • Beard of Evil: Especially once his "true self" is revealed.
  • Beard of Sorrow: Goes with how he blames himself for all the problems. Of course, that's just to go along with his "frail old man" act.
  • Big Bad: He's ultimately responsible for everything that happened in this game.
  • Bling of War: Has a habit of smirking and letting it gleam during his reveal.
  • The Chessmaster: The man behind everything in this game.
  • Climax Boss: It takes two whole gameplay segments just to take this guy down.
  • Cool Old Guy: NOT!
  • Determinator: He's probably caused more than a few players to scream "JUST GIVE UP ALREADY!".
  • Diplomatic Impunity: Being an ambassador, he has this. Invokes it to trying to get out of the country after Edgeworth learns of his role as the smuggling ring's leader, before it's revoked.
  • Evil Old Folks: The leader of the smuggling ring with a giant rap sheet of crimes. He's not even remotely sorry for any of it, feeling as if he's above it all.
  • Eyes Always Shut: They open when he "transforms".
  • Fan Boy: Of the Steel Samurai.
    • Or rather, he pretended to be one to secure an alibi.
  • Four-Star Badass/Retired Badass/Ambadassador: Manny had a longer knife and was half Alba's age. He barely nicked Alba's shoulder.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: Twice. One occasion has him attempting to secure an alibi by claiming to have been watching a Steel Samurai stage show and citing the Samurai's debuting special move as proof that he was there. Problem is, not only was a different move used due to unforeseen circumstances, but the only way Alba could have known of the move he named was if he had been backstage during the time of the murder. Later, you present him with a bloodstained hot dog box, assuming that the blood belongs to the victim. Alba correctly points out that such evidence would do nothing to place him at the crime scene personally, and the blood turns out not to be the victim's anyway. Rather, it is the blood of Alba himself, who tells you earlier in the case that he had been stabbed in order to create a justified self-defense plea for a separate murder.
  • It's All My Fault: Part of his front.
  • Leitmotif: "The Enemy Who Surpasses The Law".
  • The Man Behind the Man: He is this to all the murderers in Ace Attorney Investigations; they're all connected to him or the smuggling ring somehow. Portsman? Amoral Attorney whose job was to make trials end in the ring's favor. Cammy Meele? Undercover agent tasked with overseeing the transportation of smuggled goods inbetween countries. Lance Amano? Well, he's not a member of the smuggling ring, but his dad certainly was. Calisto Yew? The Dragon.
  • Manipulative Bastard: His actions actually.
  • Meaningful Name: Quercus alba is a species of tree. The national symbol of Allebahst is the flower, and by extension plants.
  • Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Carnage Onred?
  • Obfuscating Disability: The weak frail old man look is just an act, though he later admits he knows the pain of having a bad hip because of it.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: He pretends to be a good old man, but is actually a Manipulative Bastard.
  • Pet the Dog: He calls a doctor to call for Wendy Oldbag when her hip acts up, claiming that the main characters don't know the pain a bad hip can cause. He even seems empathetic about it after he's discarded his pretenses.
  • Smug Snake: Even after all his subordinates are either dead or imprisoned, he is still confident that his extraterritorial rights will keep him safe. That is, until Lang has them revoked. And even then, he still claims that he's safe from the law until Edgeworth proves that he killed Manny Coachen outside of Allebahst.
  • Spikes of Villainy: His hair and beard have more than a few downward spikes.
  • Stroke the Beard
  • Villain Exit Stage Left: Tries really hard to get out of the embassy so he can dodge the ever-tightening noose around his neck, but is cut off at every turn by someone blocking his way.
  • Why Won't You Die?: Drags you through one of the most protracted interrogation sequences in the history of the series, squirming all the while in an attempt to avoid the consequences. Quite a few characters point out his ridiculous persistence.
  • You Meddling Prosecutors: His last line before said Breakdown.

Debuting in Gyakuten Kenji 2

Mikiko Hayami

A self-proclaimed up-and-coming journalist. She witnessed the assassination attempt at Gourd Lake and recorded the president's speech. She soon becomes one of the suspects. She is innocent, even though she did help set up the fake assassination plan.

  • Back for the Finale: To search for the real Borumosu.
  • Bear Trap: Carried one on her parka.
  • Going for the Big Scoop: In Case 1.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: "Hayamimi" means "keen on hearing". It is a reference to how she recorded the gunshots during the assassination.
  • Motor Mouth: When she hastily tries to get her news out of people.
  • Reference Overdosed: The writings on her parka contain numerous references, both In-Universe - KB Security, iFly Airlines, Global Studios, Gatewater Hotel, Will Powers's shirt - as well as Shout Outs to the art director Tatsuro Iwamoto and a furniture company which apparently decorated Yamazaki's family home.
  • The Scapegoat: She was asked to be part of the fake assassination plan on the president of Zheng Fa, but unfortunately, another murder took place, and she was framed as the murderer for that one.
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: She very much resembles Lotta Hart in both appearance and profession, and even has similarly accented speech. She's actually an "apprentice" of her, even though she is a writer, and Lotta a photographer.
  • Too Funny to Be Evil: A minor case, she isn't actually evil, but very few players guessed she'd she'd be a willing conspirator in the fake assassination plan. Admittedly, she never realised how far it would end up going, or that they'd end up pinning the blame on her.

Manosuke Naitō

The bodyguard of a private security company hired by Zheng Fa's president Teikun Ō. Wears a neck brace and is fond of his revolver and playing chess. He got involved in the investigation, and it turned out that he killed Gai Tojiro, the head bodyguard out of jealousy. Also, he and Sōta were childhood friends. They grew up together after their fathers abandoned them. Manosuke lost most of his memory when he nearly froze to death. His friend was the one who suggested making a fake assassination attempt. Manosuke was imprisoned for his crime. Sōta then made sure he was killed by the prison director.

  • Animal Motif: His design is based on a horse.
  • Asshole Victim
  • Berserk Button: Do NOT claim Tojiro was a better bodyguard in front of him. De Killer presses this a lot perhaps as a way of hinting he knows about the murder.
  • Butt Monkey: By de Killer especially. Which may qualify as Fridge Brilliance if you know who his client is.
  • Catch Phrase: Tends to use おっと quite a bit, which translates as something along the lines of "Oops, sorry" or "My bad".
  • Chekhov's Gun: The silver ring he's wearing. It is the Holic family ring. He inherited it from his father.
  • Chekhov's Gunman: Literally! His role in the story is a lot more important than one would expect, considering he was the Big Bad's childhood friend.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Possibly Deconstructed. His bitterly sarcastic mocking of Tojiro after his death is pretty much treated as his Moral Event Horizon. His constant snarks to Edgeworth only make him seem like even more of an utter Jerkass. Edgeworth even calls him a "truly despicable man".
  • Disappeared Dad: He doesn't remember him, but he's dead. And his best friend blames him for it, even though it was his father who murdered him.
  • Fall Guy: Later becomes a Deceased Fall Guy Gambit for the president, though he didn't ask for it.
  • Green-Eyed Monster: He killed his partner Tojiro out of jealousy, hoping that after his death, he would finally be promoted to head bodyguard.
  • Gun Twirling
  • Morality Pet: Sōta.
  • Neck Snap: By Shelly de Killer. It even causes the change in the security plans.
  • Pet the Dog: It's heavily implied, if not outright stated, that he cares about and has a soft spot for Sōta Sarushiro.
  • Posthumous Character: You learn a lot more about him after his death.
  • The Scapegoat: Case 2 reveals that, after his arrest, he was to be tried as the attempted assassin rather than as a common murderer. Obviously done to cover up the fact that the assassination was fake.
  • Shown Their Work: He loves Chess metaphors. He even makes a few obscure ones referencing Tournament Play rules. All of them are completely accurate.
  • Slasher Smile: Does one after twirling his gun and pointing it and someone.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: My GOD, does he takes this Up to Eleven as the case progresses.
  • Tsundere: Though he is most certainly tsuntsun by default, Sōta is quite possibly the only person he'd show his deredere side to.
  • Used to Be a Sweet Kid
  • Villainous Breakdown: Notable among Ace Attorney breakdowns because this one involves the background: Naitou bites down on his lip with sunken-looking eyes as he screams bloody murder and twirls his gun even faster than usual until he loses control and starts tossing it rapidly up in the air; since he is standing in an airplane at the time, it dislodges the overhead compartment and causes various objects to fall on his head, knocking him into his neckbrace until he falls.
  • Villainous Cheekbones

Sōta Sarushiro

A monkey trainer in the Berry Big Circus, and the suspect of the prison case. When he was a child, his best friend Manosuke Naitō tied him up because he was threatened by his father Isaku. They both nearly died and became orphans. Sōta's memories were muddled, but he remembered his saviour Ryōken Hōinbō. He saved him and ever since then, he became his father figure. He held a grudge against the conspirators who betrayed Ryōken as well as against Manosuke, whom he blamed for tying him up; plus, he believed that Isaku was his father, while in actuality it was Yutaka Kazami, the murderer.

  • Affably Evil: When he introduces himself, he's very cheerful and charismatic.
  • Animal Motif: Based around the monkey theme.
  • Asian Airhead: Though he's really just Obfuscating Stupidity.
  • Assassin Outclassin': After his breakdown, Shelly de Killer tries to kill him because he felt betrayed. However, Ryōken Hōinbō saved him.
  • Big Bad: Catalyzes the events of four out of five of the cases in the game.
  • Big Bad Friend: To Kay and especially Regina.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: When he introduces himself, he's very cheerful and charismatic.
  • Break the Cutie: AND. HOW.
  • Broken Bird: A rare male example, but being abandoned by your father and growing up in an Orphanage of Fear can really break someone.
  • Catch Phrase: "Nowaynowaynoway!"
  • Chekhov's Gunman
  • The Chessmaster/Manipulative Bastard: He even refers to himself as an "animal tamer who tames humans."
  • Cute and Psycho
  • Dangerously Genre Savvy: How does he manage to get Bansai Ichiyanagi convicted? By letting the innocent Kay be falsely accused, knowing someone will have to defend her, and in doing so expose the real killer.
  • Dark and Troubled Past
  • Disappeared Dad: Supposedly, he died years ago. Actually, his real father is very much alive and a murderer who went missing to cover up his crime.
  • Dude Looks Like a Lady
  • Evil Laugh: Just like his father.
  • Evil Orphan
  • Evil Redhead: He used to have black hair.
  • Eyes Always Shut: The interesting thing is that when Money the Monkey is with him, Money tugs on his hair to resemble Sōta's facial expressions. This, of course, causes his eyes to be open as a result. So his eyes are basically closed otherwise. Until he opens them. They aren't creepy, though they do make him look just as clever as Edgeworth -which he is,
  • Fluffy Tamer: As an apprentice animal tamer at the Berry Big Circus.
  • Foreshadowing: Bansai Ichiyanagi wore the mask of Zuruwan during the auction. Zuruwan is the nemesis of Global Hero Onyankopon. Souta's wearing a blue shirt with Onyankopon's insignia. This foreshadows their enmity, although Ichiyanagi isn't his top target.
  • Fragile Flower: He's terrified of everyone he meets, going so far as to faint when Edgeworth glares at him. This is probably due to his misanthropy.
  • Friend to All Living Things: He's an animal tamer for a reason. He even got Money the monkey to be friends with him! But when his true nature is made clear, they turn on him.
  • He Who Fights Monsters: In trying to take down the conspirators, he winds up using the same methods they themselves used--to the point that he and Bansai wind up trying to kidnap the exact same kid in order to manipulate the same trial, albeit with a completely different verdict in mind. It especially bothers him to learn Kazami had tried to throw off the estimated death time in the same method he himself did with Ou's body double.
  • Identical Stranger: When his character design was first released, he was criticized for looking like a male Dahlia Hawthorne. He certainly acts like her too.
  • Japanese Pronouns: Boku, as is fitting for a gentle, easily spooked personality. Significantly, he switches to the much rougher ore when his true colors are revealed.
  • Laser-Guided Amnesia: He forgot who his father was, and ended up assuming his father was the victim of the IS-7 Incident, and his friend's father was the murderer.
  • Leitmotif: "Restless People" when you first meet him. "Strange People" when you talk to him. And when he reveals himself, "The Man Who Masterminds The Game".
  • Madden Into Misanthropy: His experiences have given him a chronic distrust of other people, and an obsession with being strong.
  • Monster Clown: Dressed like this during the final confrontation, complete with a Psychotic Smirk and deranged facial expressions.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity
  • People Puppets: When Money the Monkey appears, he immediately starts to control Sōta's arms using his hair.
  • Real Men Wear Pink: He is usually seen with a pink hoodie and shoes on. At the circus, he wears a pink and purple clown costume and has pink makeup on.
  • Right-Hand-Cat: He uses one as part of his Slouch of Villainy pose.
  • The Runaway: A combination of Orphan and Circus type.
  • Sissy Villain
  • Spanner in the Works: To the group who assassinated the President of Zheng Fa. They tried to silence him for years, but he was just too smart for them.
  • Stepford Smiler: Type A and C.
  • Sympathy for the Devil: Though whether or not he's truly a devil is up to you.
  • Tragic Villain: One of the most sympathetic villains in the series. His mother died when he was young, his father abandoned him, he was raised in an Orphanage of Fear, his best friend betrayed him, and his father figure was an assassin. Even Edgeworth felt sorry for him.
  • Used to Be a Sweet Kid
  • Villainous Breakdown: His is one of the most awesome and hilarious Big Bad breakdowns in Ace Attorney, considering that all of his animal friends beat the crap out of him when he was exposed.
  • Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: After all the crap he went through, you almost can't blame him for becoming a Magnificent Bastard Monster Clown.
  • You Killed My Father: Though he didn't murder him, he believes it was Naito's fault that his father died. Of course, he's mistaken about whose father is whose.

Shūji Orinaka

One of the prisoners in the jail. He used to be a boxer, and he continues practicing in prison. His prison number is D-259. He has a polar bear called Mark, who's always hanging around with him (literally). He tried to escape the prison. His bear knocked a guard unconscious, and then Orinaka stole his cell keys and disguised himself as a guard. His plan was foiled when Mark recognized him in the uniform.

  • Dressing as the Enemy
  • Gonk: Just as how you'd expect a boxer from a prison to look like.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: His full name is a pun on "ori no naka shūjin", which means "prisoner in a cage".
  • Mugged for Disguise: He even mugged another guy just to have someone to pin it on.
  • Noodle Incident: It's never explained exactly what he's in for. He can get quite violent when provoked, and threatens to kill Edgeworth on at least one occasion, which could imply something. But then again, Ryōken says several of the inmates were falsely accused, so you never know.
  • Shipped in Shackles: His wristbands have two small weights chained to them.
  • Tunnel King

Ryōken Hōinbō

A former assassin who would use his dog Kuro as a pet and a weapon. The ringing of Kuro's green bell was said to be the last thing his victims would hear before their deaths. He is blind, and Kuro is his guiding dog. He saved the lives of Manosuke and Sōta when they were trapped in a car while it was freezing outside. Their parents abandoned them, so he brought them to an orphanage. Later, when he was asked to assassinate Teikun Ō near this very orphanage, Sōta recognized him and saved his life. He was eventually caught, prosecuted by Edgeworth and imprisoned.

  • Badass Grandpa
  • Bald of Awesome
  • Bald of Evil: Subverted. He may be an assassin, but he's not completely evil.
  • Chekhov's Gunman/Red Herring: Zig-zags repeatedly between the two.
    • You first meet him after a very ominous buildup, and upon seeing him, he's practically the definition of Obviously Evil. But you don't really get much worthwhile information out of him. But later, after finding out the victim was seemingly killed by a dog, the player begins to suspect him. By the time you confront him again, Edgeworth is utterly convinced he's the killer. He isn't. Later subverted again when you find out though he didn't commit the murder, he was the indirect cause of it.
    • As if that wasn't enough, in Case 5 you find out he was hired to kill the real president of Zheng Fa 12 years ago, so his body double could pull a Dead Person Impersonation. Said double turns up dead in the present. Surely, he's the killer this time. Nope. But he does provide the final piece of the puzzle Edgeworth needs to work out who the real mastermind is.
  • Disk One Final Boss: Of Case 2. A very notable case, in that Even Edgeworth is convinced he's the killer, and the scene is even set up just like a final confrontation.
  • Handicapped Badass: He's blind.
  • Hell Is That Noise: The ringing of Kuro's bell. In-Universe, Marie Miwa seemed to think so, given how the sound features in her breakdown.
  • Karma Houdini: He dodges nearly everything the police tries to do to him, except for his arrest, which he isn't that disappointed about.
  • Leitmotif: "Tone of an Assassin".
  • Luxury Prison Suite: Perhaps even more so than Kristoph. Kay lampshades it during an investigation. Later Deconstructed when it's revealed he gets his luxury treatment by threatening the warden.
  • Mexican Standoff: Against Shelly de Killer.
  • Might as Well Not Be in Prison At All: Though he's not able to kill directly anymore, he still maintains the influence he once had. The mere knowledge that he has 'dogs' outside the prison and that they know where her family is allows him to manipulate the warden into giving him anything he wants, through this he established himself as the prison's "supplier", 'ordering' items for other prisoners in exchange for favours. Hell, his imprisonment allows him to play a major role in the Big Bad's plan.
  • Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: The way how he operates and describes his assassination plots are perturbing.
  • Noble Demon
  • Non-Standard Character Design: A blind, corpse-looking old man who can most likely kill you.
  • Parental Substitute: A father figure to Sōta.
  • Pet the Dog: He is fond of his dog Kuro, and he also rescued Manosuke and Sōta when they were children, being a father figure to Sōta.
  • Professional Killer: Rivals even Shelly de Killer in this department, although he's just as much a general crime lord.
  • Prophet Eyes: He has cataracts.

Issei Tenkai

A professional chef who has his own show where he sings, dances and makes sweets, such as cake. He is also the main suspect in the IS-7 case. Gregory Edegeworth was his defense attorney. He didn't manage to completely prove his innocence, but since he revealed that the autopsy report had to be faked because the victim's body was missing, the prosecutor Manfred von Karma had to charge him with accomplice to murder instead.

  • False Confession: He eventually cracked under the pressure and confessed. The fact that von Karma questioned him day and night, causing his hair to turn white, helped a lot.
  • Funny Afro
  • Leitmotif: "Sweet Happiness".
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: His name comes from the phrase "tenka ichi", meaning "the best on earth", referencing his reputation of his pastries being the best around. For once, the pun is actually acknowledged in-game, since it's his nickname.
  • Parental Substitute: To Tsukasa Oyashiki.
  • Perpetual Frowner: Only to his past self.

Delicy Scone

Another confectionery chef who participated in the dessert-making contest. She is from England. She is actually a pharmacist who works for the Tenkai Group, who was sent to oversee the secret Tenkai Recipe. She acts as an old lady and is the only character who hasn't changed a bit in 18 years.

  • Big Eater: She snacks on the other contestants' works. It depends how much she snacks on, them but Kazami doesn't seem to take kindly to that habit.
  • Character Tic: Most of the time, you'll see her stirring in her bowl or holding it.
  • Cheaters Never Prosper: She apparently cheated her way into the competition so she can do her job: never let Tenkai's works go public. That's one more reason for the murderer to attempt to frame her.
  • Frame-Up: Kazami tried to frame her by placing the murder weapon in her room. She only becomes a suspect for a short while as a result.
  • He Knows Too Much: The Tenkai Group sent her to spy on Tenkai and made sure his work never goes public.
  • The Napoleon: Only part of it though. She's not evil, but she can get angry real fast when you insult her.
  • The Nicknamer: To everyone. Including Manfred von Karma.
  • Non-Standard Character Design: Her eyes look different from the rest of the Ace Attorney characters but of course, no one comments on it.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: Multiple layers of it, in fact! When Gregory first exposes the fact that she doesn't know the first thing about cooking and her contest entries are just props, she claims she is just a Big Eater who entered the contest on a whim because she loved sweets, and never expected to get all the way to the finals. Naturally, it's much more complicated than that, and when you meet her in the present, it's clear she's much smarter than she acts. She's able to produce irrefutable evidence clearing her name when accused, for one.
  • Older Than They Look: Her exact age is unknown, but she claims to be very old. It's a running joke in the case.
  • Punny Name: Delicious cone. A scone is a small British quick bread of Scottish origin. And she claims to be from England.
  • Secret Identity: Not really. She's actually a pharmacist, even though she looks like a pastry chef.
  • Why Did It Have To Be Bugs?: Hates cockroaches with a passion, so much so that she carries an incredibly strong persticide with her at all times.


Tsukasa Oyashiki

A girl who assists Issei Tenkai on his show. She was abandoned by her biological parents who left her at Tenkai's doorstep. He raised her as his own daughter. She hid the body of the IS-7 victim and prepared a trap for the real murderer, knowing that he would eventually return.

Yutaka Kazami

A pastry chef without the ability to taste. His son was therefore very valuable to him. He and the victim of IS-7, Isaku Hyōdō, secretly collaborated together in a dessert-making contest. Kazami was in charge of the flavor. Isaku betrayed him, abducted his son and later blackmailed him when he found out about his disability. Kazami killed him and fled the country.

  • Badass Beard: In the present.
  • Chekhov's Gunman: In the past, he barely did anything. In the present, he's been unconscious most of the time, so you couldn't talk to him or anything. Only at the end his role becomes a lot more important. And he's not just a simple criminal. He's the father of Sōta Sarushiro.
  • Desserts Are Serious Business: So much so that he framed Delish simply on account of her being "not a real pastry chef", and is deeply dissapointed Tenkai was suspected instead, as he considered him a Worthy Opponent.
  • Evil Laugh: Even more proof that he's Sōta's father. Edgeworth actually sees the resemblance.
  • Leitmotif: "Brandished Flavor".
  • Luke, I Am Your Father: To Sōta Sarushiro.
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: His name means "full of flavor". He most certainly isn't. His surname contains the kanji for "weathercock".
  • Real Men Are Pastry Chefs: And he's very serious about it too.
  • Villainous Breakdown: Carves a dough effigy of himself with his bare hands, then slices it in half.
  • "Wake-Up Call" Boss: His testimony is considerably harder to crack than anything beforehand. And even then, he still has the Statute of Limitations on his side...
  • Your Princess Is in Another Castle: You prove his motive, means and opprtunity and then, in a shock subversion of the series' normal conventions, he proceeds to flat-out admit everything you said is true and gives a full confession. It seems like it's all over... until he goes Laughing Mad and reminds you of the Statute of Limitations.

Tōko Mutō

A university hospital nurse. She's Otome Itami's granddaughter, and she assists her from time to time. She found and treated Kay after she fell down and lost her memories. She was forced to work with Bansai Ichiyanagi. He made her don a mask and the victim's clothes to pretend she was one of the auction customers.

Otome Itami

A coroner and the director of the Itami hospital who works with Tōko Mutō, her grandchild. She's very old and when speaking, she always whispers it to Tōko who then relays it loud enough to the others. She was forced to work with Bansai Ichiyanagi. He made her create a fake autopsy report, which he then gave to von Karma.

Shimon Aizawa

A 13-year old boy. He's a middle school actor, often mistaken for an elementary school student. He has a starring role in the upcoming Borumosu movie, which is being filmed by the Global Studios. His mother Ami died a few years ago, so her cousin Hakari Mikagami now takes care of him. He is the son of the real Teikun Ō.

  • Animal Motif: Based around the cow theme.
  • Bratty Half-Pint: He addresses adults as old people and doesn't like to be seen with his mother whenever she wants him to behave.
  • Cheerful Child
  • Disappeared Dad: He's been dead for a long time.
  • Failed a Spot Check: Completely failed to notice Bansai Ichiyanagi hiding in the lot and Souta Sarushiro lowering a body into the lot from a hot-air balloon. Granted, he had earphones in and was talking on the phone for the latter event, but still.
  • Fan Boy: He's a fanboy of Borumosu. You can tell by his clothes and the horns he wears.
  • Leitmotif: "Pointed Age".
  • Meaningful Name/Punny Name: "Shimon" means fingerprints.
  • Missing Mom: She died a few years ago, so he was adopted by her cousin.
  • Older Than They Look: He's a 13-year old middle school student. Most people are surprised once they find out.
  • The Stoic: Once you startle him though, he's just like any other boy.
  • Tell Me About My Father: The Ō they saw killed is an imposter. And only the cowardly imposter, an animal-loving warden, a corrupt prosecutor and a circus clown knows. So it's perfectly understandable.
  • Trademark Favorite Food: Milk. His damage sprite shows that his backpack contains more milk cartons, and when he gets kidnapped, a milk carton is used to track him down.

Manga characters

Belle Windsor (Suzume Kazama)

Larry’s latest girlfriend, she was previously in a relationship with Bright Bonds, only for him to keep pursuing her despite being married. It’s the other way around: she wanted him quite badly, then killed him for refusing.

Biddy Tenniman (Yone Ootsuka)

Manager of the Run-Down Inn, and a witness called to the stand.

  • Flaw Exploitation: The Run-Down Inn doesn't have any air conditioning, so Belle Windsor had to open up the window in one of the apartments to make it look like it was her apartment.
  • Gonk: Large eyes and lips.
  • Parrot Pet Position: She always has a cat with her.
  • Seinfeldian Conversation: Payne remarked that she likes to talk about nothing since all she talked about before her tesrimony began was to try to convince Phoenix into moving into the Run Down Inn. It turned out to be useful since she said there was no air conditioning, so Phoenix uses that to figure out that Belle Windsor opened the window in her apartment.
  • Shrouded in Myth: She doesn't know what Gourdy really is.

Bobby Wolfe (Sasao Komori)

Robin Wolfe’s younger brother, a reclusive spider fanatic. He's suspected of killing Robin in Turnabout Gallows.

  • Can't Hold His Liquor: Passes out after one beer, according to Brock.
  • Gonk: He's a very sweaty guy with a unibrow
  • Heroic BSOD: After all his spiders die in the fire, he can't even put two words together.
  • In Vino Veritas: Brock tries this on him, but he passes out too quickly.
  • Loners Are Freaks: He’s a recluse whom his brother says could never get a job at his age, but he’s not a killer.
  • Older Than They Look: He’s fairly short and looks like a young boy, but he’s well into middle age

Theridia Wolfe (Himeko Komori)

Robin Wolfe's wife, who is not on good terms with him at the time of his death, and is also cold to Phoenix and Maya.

  • Ice Queen: But not without a few soft spots, such as when she cries and comforts her daughter after the true killer of her husband is revealed.
  • I Owe You My Life: Subverted. She did sent Lira to shut off the main breaker for Robin, and he dies anyway.
  • The Nicknamer: Subverted. She's the only one who calls Bobby "Robert" while everybody else just calls him Bobby.

Lira Wolfe (Sara Komori)

Robin and Theridia’s daughter, she was in a relationship with Eddie Johnson prior to his death

  • Bratty Teenage Daughter: Although most of her rebellious streak stems from the fact that her father killed her boyfriend.
  • Forgiveness/Revenge: Has an interesting variation of this at the end of the trial: she says she will never forgive Brock for killing her father (whom she hated for killing Eddie but still loved as her father), but won’t take her revenge because revenge never makes anyone feel better.
  • Girlish Pigtails: Her pigtails fit her youthful character.

Brock Johnson (Matsurou Kimura)

An electrician and Eddie's older brother, who is currently investigating Robin over his suspicion that he was responsible for his brother's death.

  • Dead Little Brother: Mr. Wolfe essentially drove Eddie to suicide, so he sought revenge.
  • Confess to a Lesser Crime: He admits to setting fire to Wolfe Manor when it looks as though Bobby might get off, after Edgeworth tricks him into confessing. He claims that he's doing this to catch a murderer, although he's hoping to avoid being revealed.
  • Dead Person Impersonation
  • Meaningful Name/Shout-Out: He and his brother Eddie’s names, combined, form "Eddie Brock", also known as Venom.
  • Muscles Are Meaningful: After all, he was the only one who could lift all the furniture of the Den of Spiders up onto the ceiling.
  • Nice Hat: He uses his hat as part of his impersonation of his dead brother.
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: A more limited example: he pretends to carelessly activate the Den of Spiders' chair's restraints with Maya inside, but it's clear later on that he knew how it worked in advance.
  • Revenge: His motivation, although Lira, who loved Eddie, thinks otherwise, refusing to forgive him, but saying that she doesn’t want revenge.
  • Saying Too Much: Edgeworth tricks him into admitting to setting the fire this way, after he insists that he was wearing gloves.
  • Sleeves Are for Wimps: He goes sleeveless to show off his muscles.
  • Sympathetic Murderer: He killed the man who killed his brother.

Thomas Spitzer (Azuchi Yamashiro)

Bobby's only friend, a professor and expert on spiders who often visits Wolfe Manor.

  • Absent-Minded Professor: He neglects to mention that the elevator in the Den of Spiders only carries one person.
  • Berserk Button: Don't question him about his knowledge of spiders.
  • Face Heel Turn: Of a sort. He initially begs Phoenix to defend Bobby, but then testifies for the prosecution after claiming Edgeworth convinced him that Bobby is guilty.
  • With Friends Like These...: Phoenix has to wonder how much Thomas cares for Bobby, especially considering that he doesn’t stand up to Robin. In the end though, Bobby gets a job working for Spitzer and caring for his spiders, and is considerably happier as a result.

Julie Henson (Juri Okazaki)

Assistant to the publicity team at Sparkle Land, and the defendant in "Turnabout Showtime".

  • Character Tics: Biting her nails when she's nervous. Raymond hates it, but Phoenix finds it cute.
  • The Cutie: Phoenix is quite attracted to her, presumably because she slightly resembles Dahlia. It's unclear whether this is before or after he learns Iris actually did love him.
  • Standard Female Grab Area: Gumshoe takes her away this way. Justified in that resisting arrest is not a good idea.
  • Working with the Ex: There is some unspoken tension between her and Flip because he left her for another girl, leading her to be suspected for his murder.

Raymond Spume (Kosuke Kasugai)

Publicity team leader at Sparkle Land, the creator of the Sparklestar and Friends show and the one playing Sparklestar. He's Julie, Buck and Flip's immediate superior.

  • Adjusting Your Glasses: Constantly does this.
  • Berserk Button: Julie biting her fingernails.
  • Blond Guys Are Evil
  • Disproportionate Retribution: Framing Julie for murder over her biting her nails and in his view, not having "the attitude of a professional."
  • Expy: His appearance is similar to that of Kristoph Gavin, down to committing murder out of jealousy over someone else replacing him.
  • Four Eyes, Zero Soul: He's an unsympathetic murderer that wears glasses.
  • Green-Eyed Monster: Toward Flip, who was to replace him as Sparklestar.
  • Heel Realization: After he’s exposed, he realizes that he was the one who "dragged Sparklestar’s name through the mud."
  • Jerkass: Treats Julie horribly for even minor infractions, and even before trying to frame her for murder.
  • Light Is Not Good: "Ray" was chosen as in "ray of light".
  • Megane
  • Nice Character, Mean Actor: He plays a nice character in Sparklestar, but he's a huge Jerkass in reality. Maya even comments on this.
  • Saying Too Much: A case in which it isn’t immediately obvious that he had even made a mistake. His yelling at Julie for biting her nails after finding Flip dead like she did in the show indicates that he was turned around inside his costume, thus validating Phoenix’s theory that the killer wore his costume backwards to open it from the inside, stabbed Flip (who was himself wearing his costume backwards), then turned himself back around.
  • Serious Business: His view on Sparklestar, from yelling at Julie for biting her nails to killing Flip for being chosen as his replacement and framing Julie over her biting hernails.
  • Sinister Silhouettes: If you look at the intro, you can see part of his hair before he stabbed Chambers.

Buck Montana (Hosaku Futogayama)

Part of the publicity team of Sparkle Land. He plays Humongostar for Sparkle Land.

Cameron Show (Shotaro Sakae)

A long-time Sparklestar fan who has taped every show.

Cool Saito

A fortune teller specifies in ice cream fortune telling.

  • Continuity Nod: Kind of. It's the future that Saito predicted. And that future is when Phoenix Wright will become a pianist.
  • Food Slap: Only that Franziska was the one who did it unintentionally. When Saito offered the Judge some ice cream, Franziska destroys it with her whip, and it wind up on all of the Judge's head.
  • Fortune Teller: One who tells the future through ice creams.
  • Phony Psychic: At least that's what Phoenix thought of him. After all, he was predicted to become a pianist in the future so he thought Saito was a quack psychic. Oh, how wrong Phoenix was...
  • Trademark Favorite Food: Ice cream. After Fortune Circle has been closed down, he decides to master the art of making ice cream.

Russi Clover (Kaede Hiirragi)

A girl who loves anything that has to do with occult. She's accused of killing Oracle Hecate, but she's admitting it since she thought it was the Lord of Death who caused her to do it.

Moira Cytherea (Mariko Kirameki)

A fortune teller who gets her tellings from the Venutian, an alien living on the planet Venus.

  • Compressed Hair: She's really a blonde.
  • Fortune Teller: Oddly enough, she gets her fortunes from an alien instead of the common spirits.
  • Hidden Eyes: Most of the time, her hat covers her eyes.
  • Neat Freak: She claims it's necessary for her hands to be clean during her communication with the Venutian. In that case, her hands would have been dirty from the red ink from Maya's hand, which was dirty from Wally Flores's ink.
  • Never Bareheaded: She takes off her hat after she confesses.
  • Phony Psychic: Her predictions about the Lord of Death were there to make it look like she's a reliable psychic.
  • Prophecies Are Always Right: Her prediction about the Lord of Death taking over Russi's body came true. Because of her meddling, of course.
  • Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Well, she's the one who made one. She predicted that the Lord of Death will possess Russi so she tries to stop that by visiting Oracle. Of course, it only came true because Cytherea made it happen.
  • Tears of Remorse: She does this as, in a rare occasion, she actually apologizes to the person she was trying to frame.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Oracle's Nether World Prophecies was becoming so famous that Oracle didn't need Cytherea anymore.
  • You're Just Jealous: When she threatens to tell everybody of their little trick of their fortune-telling, Oracle merely shrugged it off since everybody will think she's just jealous of her.

Wally Flores (Minoru Hikage)

The substitute for Hans Future Simon, the fortune teller who specifies in palm reading. He's the personal general affairs manager of YY Company. He reappears in Turnabout Gurgitation as Caliente del Fuego/Kaen Homura.

  • Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: He has noticeably more paler skin than the other fortune tellers.
  • Fleeting Passionate Hobbies: He's only going to do palm reading until the usual palm reader gets back. Of course, after the case, Fortune Circle is closed down, so he went back to his original job.
  • Fortune Teller: He does palm reading as a hobby.
  • Jump Scare: He hides under the witness stand during his testimony.
  • Kubrick Stare: This is what he said while he stares like that:

Wally Flores: If you don't take at least two minutes washing your hands, you won't get all the germs off of them.

  • My Card
  • Neat Freak: Well, he does have serious germaphobia.
  • Nice Hat: More like a headband.
  • Non-Standard Character Design: Well, in terms of clothing for fortune tellers, his is the oddest since he wears a suit. Justified as he's just a replacement.
  • Terrified of Germs: Phoenix accidentally had his thumb touch his hand, and it made him all freaked out so much that he had to go to the bathroom for two or three minutes to wash his hands. That's enough time for him to supposedly go through the ventilation and kill Oracle Hecate, but he's not the killer.

Diana Wheatley (Tsukimi Kanenari)

The defendant in Turnabout From Heaven

Dreama Love (Yumeko Aizawa)

Buck Wheatley's doctor and Diana's mother.

Alice Butler (Morie Kidai)

Housekeeper for Buck Wheatley.

Kevin Hattori (Yoshizumi Toriyama)

Host of Gourmand Battle, and the defendant in "Turnabout Gurgitation".

Carl Caesar (Michizane Shimon)

Producer of Gourmand Battle.

Risa Iko (Risa Eko)

One of the contestants on Gourmand Battle, who is obsessed with environmentalism.

Arnold "Muscles" Balboa" (Muscle Taketora)

Another contestant on Gourmand Battle.