My ranking of every main series Ace Attorney character! Part 2
This is part two of my Ace Attorney character ranking! You don't necessarily have to read part one but I will be referring back to parts of it.
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And now, my top 25. Everyone past this point has me rolling around on the ground in joy. These characters are Takumi and Yamazaki's gift to humanity and I could write an essay on all of them. You know what? I'd get on a motorbike for them, that's how much I love them! I'm typing this on my phone’s keyboard, which has a group photo made using their sprites set as its background.
This character is known for her big heart… Or at the very least, that's what her name would lead you to believe. That's right, Lotta Hart at #25! All she does is chase that bag and inconvenience other people while she's doing it! I like that she has at least SOME shame, especially in Reunion and Turnabout… Because she then proceeds to go back to chasing that bag and inconveniencing people all over again. The picture she took of everyone at the end of Turnabout Goodbyes made me cry.
You better not forget her name, Angel Starr is making an appearance at #24! Her whole laundry list of lunchboxes is such a unique addition. She's a true, organic girlboss with her goofy little jelly donut (I mean onigiri) hat. It's also funny to meet a character who hates prosecutors for a change, since most of the time, defense attorneys end up taking on the role of “persona non grata.” I'm sure she was a great detective and I hope she had a chance to reapply when Rise From The Ashes was blown over.
You may know him as The Tiger, or simply Xin Eohp. Either way, Furio Tigre is NOT happy about it, but I bet he's glad to be #23! Let me get this out of the way, he has a great breakdown, it's in my top 5 along with that of the phantom, Kristoph, and two people who are gonna be coming up later. He's THE meme character between my best friend and I, and I played through most of Spirit Of Justice using ‘The Tiger’ as Phoenix’s outfit. He's intimidating but also hilarious, especially how easily he folds to Viola. Gotta say though, him calling her a ‘gloomy bitch’ in the anime really surprised me, since Ace Attorney and bad words don't really mesh in my head. But if any character were to say bitch, well, it'd be him.
Now that summer is coming, it's high time to dig out our bathing suits and go for a swim with Damon Gant, #22! Well, you guys can go, I'm not sure I want to. Gant is a real powerhouse of a character because he has a top 5 theme AND a top 5 breakdown (seriously, it freaked me the hell out when I was finishing Rise From The Ashes in the middle of a snowy night.) Most fans consider him to be one of the big bads, and though he's undoubtedly less powerful than say, Ga'ran… The way he's presented is so unique to him. He's nice when we're introduced to him, but unlike most other “twist villains”, you can sense something’s off from the getgo. I'd say it's the silence before he talks at times, it gives off this sense of foreboding. I really wonder what he used to be like, say, ten years ago.
She'd whip me for only being #21, but that doesn't take away from how cool Franziska von Karma is! Her being a prosecutor isn't what I like about her. If anything, I felt like the cases she prosecuted were a bit of a slog to get through (and that's coming from one of the dozen Big Top fans on the planet.) I've seen some people argue she needs a case of her own, to the effect the other prosecutors had, and I agree. I mean, even fucking Lana has a case of her own. What DO I like about her? The almost subtle but clearly there character development she'd gone through between Farewell, My Turnabout and Bridge To The Turnabout. I mean, she flew into the country on behest of her ‘little brother’, lied for his sake, took on a case… and then hiked out into the mountains to help Phoenix investigate. I'm glad she managed to grow into her own person, free from the shadows of others.
Can you really have too much of a good thing? I'm not so sure! These three characters all occupy the same spot on my list, in terms of how much I like them, and I'll be presenting them in alphabetical order! So going once, going twice, going thrice, let's clap it up for all three characters that reside in spot #18!
First, a guy who takes protecting his kids so seriously he does it even from beyond the grave! Friendly neighborhood revolution leader, Dhurke Sahdmadhi! I'm gonna be honest… All throughout Revolution, I sat there thinking ‘please don't let Dhurke die, please don't let him die’. THEN BOOM, HE WAS DEAD ALL ALONG! He wasn't a perfect parent, I know that damn well, but he tried his best to make up for lost time with Apollo… Again, from beyond the grave. I had a feeling they'd pull a whole “a defense attorney did something and that's why we hate them even though said attorney didn't actually do anything” in Spirit of Justice lol. But anyway, he's genuinely such a persistent and all around great guy. It goes well with his creed; a dragon never yields. I've been repeating it to myself sometimes, when I'm going through something unpleasant. He probably lost his license though, with never yielding and all… But it's okay cause he has a great theme!
Sometimes, we have to ask ourselves; Should we just let it go and move on? I'm not sure if it worked for Nahyuta Sahdmadhi but here we are anyway! As you could probably infer from the general lack of characters that practice a certain profession outside of my top 25, I really like my prosecutors. But I wasn't crazy about Nahyuta going through the game, though I didn't dislike him or find him lame or anything. Then Revolution happened, and everything clicked instantly. I mean, I didn't realize he was hurting that badly, or that he was pretty much slowly killing himself for the sake of keeping his sister safe. I thought his relationship with Apollo was especially beautiful, and yes, this is the main reason I like Mr. Red Pepper more now. I don't know if this is a hot take or not, but Nahyuta’s ‘a dragon never yields’ moment was the absolute peak of Turnabout Revolution for me. Also, his theme rocks.
And now, to round out the family, we've got the #1 princess in the world, Rayfa Padma Khura'in! She was easily my favorite Spirit of Justice character going through the game, even if I did NOT like Divination Seances at all. You know what I did like? The song for the Dance of Devotion. Anyway, while she might seem like a bit of a jerk when we meet her, she's clearly trying her best. The fact we see Inga as some jackass and then find out she thought the world of him is extremely bittersweet. I'm also really fond of the relationship she manages to build out with Phoenix, she's one of my favorite investigation assistants. And even if we set all that aside, I was really touched by the realization she has of her duty. It's obvious that she cares deeply for her people and I have no doubt that she'll be a great queen when the time comes!
Her spirit lives on through you, and she's telling you to turn your thinking around! Mia Fey, at #17! She is basically your guide through the first case, and you think she's gonna be important…Then she fucking dies. And THEN spirit channeling is introduced and Mia comes in clutch whenever you're in a bind. I've heard some people say she hands you the answers too easily but I don't really think that's the case cause she'd be “babysitting” Phoenix even if she didn't kick the bucket. And then, she becomes playable in game 3, for two whole cases. Her convictions as a lawyer shine through the people that looked up to her. I was betting on her being namedropped in Spirit of Justice and the one mention of her in Time Traveler really made my day. Though she's dead and gone, believe me, her memory will carry on!
Appears in one case, is about to be acquitted, proceeds to die without as much as ONE smiling sprite. Terry Fawles at #16! I'm gonna be honest, him dying was no doubt one of the most shocking things for me in the franchise. I mean, you're right there, right on the cusp of saving him… only for him to start actively dying right before your eyes. And by all means, seeing someone die doesn't happen TOO often in Ace Attorney as the only other examples I can think of are LeTouse and Dhurke. I'm pretty sure I actually saw him doubled over on the bench at some point while surfing the web. I tend to get attached to characters like him from the get go, he reminds me of certain other folks from other franchises. No doubt that he did wrong but that doesn't mean I don't love him.
Cataloguing a large volume of information, such as a ranking list, is best approached scientifically. Ema Skye at #15! Now, I'll be the first to admit the main reason I personally like her is her role in Rise From The Ashes. She's fine in Apollo Justice and I think it makes sense she's depressed cause she couldn't get her dream job as a forensic investigator. It's also great to see that she's doing well in Spirit of Justice. However, the first introduction we get to her is what really sold me on her scientific ways. Aside from the whole slew of fun mechanics we got from her introduction, her relationship with her sister is very compelling and I think they did great with her in absence of Maya! The twist regarding her supposedly killing Neil was great.
Even though the flower is beautiful beyond compare, you can't touch it as it has far too many thorns. Dahlia Hawthorne at #14! Let's look to the other big bads of the series for a second. We've got a prosecutor with money and power, the literal chief of police, a bigshot actor, a defense attorney that's a board member, an international spy and the QUEEN of a country. All of that versus some girl with an umbrella. I know I said Kristoph wakes up extra early to be a hater but Dahlia straight up never sleeps. Here we have another character who comes back after death, except all she does is try to KILL MORE PEOPLE! She revels in what she does and keeps at it until the very end. I do wonder what her life would've turned out like if she got taken to Hazakura Temple too. Finally, her theme is one I've been sleeping on, and her design is one of the absolute most gorgeous in the whole series.
There was a saying at my school, about a guy named Laurice Deauxnim. Or sorry, Larry Butz at #13! Every time he's on screen, you know something's coming. Whether he just heard it was almost Christmas, tried to explain that he can't find men attractive no matter how hard he tries, saw a woman flying through the sky or saw a fucking PTERODACTYL, he's always up to something! It’s awesome he managed to release Franzy's Whippity Whip Trip, even if it's his only successful work. I thought his dynamic with Franziska was actually pretty great. The only guy to ever give testimony where he's just yelling at Phoenix.
Give him 27 minutes and he'll ruin his life over a gumball! Daryan Crescend at #12! I love this guy. Seriously. At the time of me writing this, I'm going through a major Daryan phase. Out of every character, he's one of the two whose irrelevance I'm most upset about. I mean, he's in one case and is the culprit. We could have gone more in detail about the Gavinners. We could've explored why he wanted or needed the money from the smuggling. But no! Whatever, ignoring my complaints, he's awesome! After Alita's whatever breakdown, his was a breath of fresh air. He has incredible dialogue and is a skilled actor for what it's worth. My guy killed a man, probably dislocated his shoulder and then went friendly neighborhood detective mode without a hitch. I really hope he'll get one more ounce of relevance someday.
Of course, he needs someone to write the melodies so that he can attack them with his guitar… Achtung, baby! It's Klavier Gavin at #11. All this guy does is get fucked over in his game. I mean seriously, his brother goes to jail, his best friend / right hand man goes to jail, and then it turns out his brother killed a second guy and was trying to go for kill number 3. But, in spite of all of that, he can manage better than what we've seen from most other prosecutors. He doesn't need to be saved and doesn't need to learn a lesson. At least, that's the impression he wants to give off, and not even we, the audience, are made aware of his pain until the end of Turnabout Succession. I've seen some people theorize that he expresses his feelings through music. He probably does what he does so that others can be weak while he acts strong, and honestly, I have a more positive outlook on my life thanks to Klavier. I love his theme, and also adore Love Love Guilty. My one complaint is I wish they explored his relationship with Daryan and Kristoph some more, but that's what the fan project my best friend and I are working on is for!
And now… The creme de la creme. Genuinely some of the most enjoyable, charming, incredible characters I've ever had the pleasure of encountering in any media ever. They made me laugh, they made me cry, but most importantly, they made me happy. Take that, my top 10!
Would you sell your soul for the sake of protecting someone you love? In the case or Lana Skye, we know the answer. I didn't really like her when I first started playing Rise From The Ashes, thinking she was being edgy for the sake of it. I never thought I'd end up loving her as much as I did, let alone that she'd be #10 on my favorites list. I don't think I can talk about her without talking about how much Ema and her matter to each other. I also wanna focus on how far Lana was willing to go for her sake, to make sure she was safe and not pulled into this mess. She was 100% ready to face prison, likely for life, just to make sure her sister wouldn't be dragged down. She's the other character I mentioned in Daryan’s segment, I just don't get why they never brought her back. Apparently, she's mentioned in Investigations at some point? But that's not enough for me, because they brought fucking Meekins back! I mean sure, she would go to jail for a while. Going off the estimate given by Save Data in their video on the crimes committed by the Ace Attorney cast, she should be out by the time Trials and Tribulations ends, and yet, we never see her again. I think about you forever, Lana, even if there's no way you'll ever come back.
I hear salary cutting noises! Keep an eye out in case you run into #9, Dick Gumshoe! I've seen a lot of the characters around over the years but he's one of the few I actually remembered. Anyway, this guy is awesome! I love that over the course of the games, he gradually becomes more and more linked with the rest of the cast, going from some random detective guy to being part of the final artwork in Bridge To The Turnabout. Same with how we gradually find out more about him, whether it be his interest in Maggey, his salary probably shrinking past minimum wage, or the love for instant noodles. I also thought it was sweet that when everyone thought Miles was some scumbag, he still had absolute faith in the guy and did not appreciate people slandering him. He's genuinely extremely trustworthy and I'd love to have someone like him in my corner looking out for me. I don't have much else to say, he really speaks for himself.
‘Are clowns anyone’s thing?’ You ask. ‘No one likes clowns.’ And to that, all I can say is I find clowns delightful. Lawrence “Moe” Curls, performing for us as #8! I think he's probably the most shocking placement on this list (only rivaled by Terry) in terms of how high he made it, but I ask… Why not? Matter of fact, I think it's an outrage that Geiru comes up before him when you Google ‘Ace Attorney clown’! He's never done anything that was really that bad. And no, his testimony being a mess doesn't count because this is the franchise where someone can't even BREATHE on the witness stand without ‘accidentally’ committing perjury. Let's take a look at what Moe TRULY does, shall we? He stays loyal to the Berry Big Circus for many long years and is ready to take on the mantle of being the ringmaster after Russell’s death. It's clear he cares about the art of performance and clownery (is that what I'm supposed to be calling it?) deeply. Ultimately, I don't really care what anyone else sees him as. I've mentioned before that I'm a huge fan of Big Top, and he's far and away the best part of the case for me. Despite how much of a troublemaker he comes off as, it's obvious he wants the circus to survive these trying times. I'm proud to say I laughed at some of his bad jokes.
I just got a call, and it looks like #7 got arrested for murder. Again. Sure hope the detention center she ended up in this time has burgers. It's Maya Fey! Seriously, she has terrible luck. I mean, she got accused of murder three times, was held hostage twice, and this goes without mentioning the absolute clusterfuck that Bridge To The Turnabout was for her. And yet, she was never afraid to fulfill her duties as the to-be master of the Kurain channeling technique. Actually, she's not a ‘to-be’ master anymore. I’d be awesome if we knew a bit more about what returning to the village looked like for her. Her characterization is fantastic. I can look at the Maya in Turnabout Sisters and the Maya in Turnabout Time Traveler, and see that despite how much she'd grown, the fundamentals of her character remained unchanged. She has remarkably great relationships with other people and I cannot overstate how likeable she is. I mean, we barely see her and Mia interact and yet, she was one of the first people whose relationship with Maya came to my mind just now. There's of course that of her and Phoenix, the two of whom I view as family. I also thought her willfully beginning to lie in her testimony in order to protect Godot was extremely sweet. She's incredible.
Imagine if protagonists just died in the first scene. Phoenix Wright, at #6! I'm gonna be honest, making a joke about how Maya gets accused of murder constantly felt kind of odd considering she and Phoenix both had it happen to them the same number of times. Setting that aside, he's the foundation upon which everything Ace Attorney has done is built. I can't even begin to describe the sheer number of lives he changed for the better. He has nearly endless faith in his clients’ innocence, even when everything points to them having committed the crime they were accused of, and hell, sometimes even when they confessed to the crime in question! His finest hour in Bridge To The Turnabout is spectacular. We see how his own convictions as a lawyer were shaped by those of Mia, and the games in the Apollo Justice trilogy show us how his convictions shaped those of Apollo and Athena. One character moment of his that I was absolutely blown away by was in Turnabout Succession. After Klavier had exposed him for using the forged evidence, even as his life was actively beginning to crumble before his eyes… The moment it's brought up that this will most likely condemn Zak to a guilty verdict, he seemingly forgets about everything else. Trying with all his might to defend his client, even past the bitter end. I guess the internet's beloved adage really is true – always choose Saul Goodman if you're guilty and Phoenix Wright if you're innocent.
But maybe you don't wanna turn your thinking around, maybe you'd rather rotate it about. Or even better yet, break out of your shackles and threaten everyone with a sword and a hawk. Simon Blackquill at #5! I was absolutely in love with Simon from before I even started Dual Destinies. I'm not exactly sure why, I guess something about an angsty death row inmate got to me (I have to say, that one video introducing the Ace Attorney prosecutors had no business revealing he's on death row since we're only told so in case 5, but that’s besides the point) Anyway, I love this guy. His great dynamic with both Athena and Bobby are some of the absolute highlights of his character for me. In general, we're led to believe he's just some jackass who really doesn't care, all the way until we find out he'd been protecting Athena all this time, who in turn became a defense attorney to try and save him. And save him she did! The moment when his shackles are removed touched me deeply.
While we're on the topic of Turnabout For Tomorrow, it's my third favorite case of them all for what it does with him. The stakes of knowing there IS no tomorrow anymore is intense like nothing else. And there's also the bad ending. I mean sure, Phoenix leaving and Vera dying are undoubtedly bad endings, but… Simon dies, Trucy is gone forever, Athena leaves the WAA, Apollo stops smiling, Phoenix quits, do I really have to keep going?! I have tears in my eyes typing this. The case shows what Simon’s all about, how loyal he is, how desperate he is to protect Athena. I can't even begin to describe how much I love their relationship. And then we get to see more of it in Turnabout Storyteller. Sure, he says he's only helping her for the sake of his beloved soba, but that doesn't really matter to me. He joins her on the side of the defense (CO COUNSEL SIMON BEFORE GTA 6), slices through Nahyuta's fuckass necklace, and then proceeds to SHAKE her. Genuinely one of the most hilarious animations in the franchise. Call me a Barbie phone, cause I'm gonna start singing ‘Butterfly’ to him. Distorted Swordsmanship is great and makes ME feel like a samurai.
Getting bullied for the size of her forehead when we should be focusing on the size of her heart, it's Pearl Fey, here to gravely roast you from spot #4! She's genuinely far and away the sweetest character in the franchise, at least in my opinion. I mean, one of the first major things she does is run the distance of a 2 hour train ride on foot, in sandals. How did she find the courthouse? No clue. But damn it, she was there when Maya needed her! Pearl's addition to her and Phoenix’s dynamic is one of the best decisions they could have made. While all three of them have comedic elements to their characters, there's also a tragedy to each of them. In Pearl's case, it's the fact that she herself loves Maya dearly but is still inadvertently aiding in the plan to take her down, while thinking she's helping. Her involvement in Bridge To The Turnabout is part of what makes that case so incredible, because she understands it the least… All she knows is her mom is in jail, the guy who tried to cheer her up is going TO jail, her cousin is crying and her aunt is dead.
I already knew she was going to turn up in Dual Destinies but part of me was worried she'd change too much, that she wouldn't feel like herself anymore. It'd obviously make sense for her to change between when she's 9 and 17 but man, was I glad she remained recognizable. She was literally just as precious as she used to be in the original trilogy. I will say, though, her randomly going from being a child to being only a few years younger than me gave me whiplash. No matter how much time passes, she's still just as gentle and caring. They really gotta open a mall in Kurain Village.
The snap of someone’s fingers echoes through the room. Manfred von Karma at #3. He singlehandedly ruined the life of almost everyone in the original trilogy because he got a single fucking penalty. I want everyone to think about how much better the vast majority of their lives would've been if he just walked away from the goddamn elevator. Even if we only consider the avenue that in this scenario, Misty isn't labeled a fraud… This guy is the worst. If anything goes wrong in your life, I implore you to blame Manfred.
It's true Ga'ran is undoubtedly THE most powerful villain, and yet, I've never gotten even close to the nerves I felt playing through Turnabout Goodbyes for the first time. We're told ahead of time about how seriously he takes prosecution. Then the trial begins and from the very first moment, he takes the reins full throttle. He doesn't need to use a whip, throw stuff at us or style on us using an air guitar, a single snap of his fingers is enough to command the attention of everyone. And no, I don't wanna hear about the taser, since he uses that outside of court. I'm personally a proponent of theory he got lead poisoning from the bullet, since Manfred doesn't strike me as randomly deciding to enact his revenge on Miles after going out of his way to mentor him. And again, I try to avoid bringing the anime up, so I'm basing this on the assumption that he was nothing more than a mentor to him.
I really can't wait until I get to play Investigations, cause I would eat an onion like an apple for even 5 more minutes of Manfred screentime. I think it was around 5 in the morning when I finished Goodbyes, and his breakdown genuinely scared me. While I'd been loving Ace Attorney all throughout the first game, this case was the one which truly stole my heart. I don't think any other prosecutor comes close to him in terms of sheer prowess. After all, he is fixated on perfection, it stands to reason he'd view prosecution as just another thing for him to excel at.
A lawyer can't cry, not until it's over. Godot, otherwise known as Diego Armando, at #2. Let me get this out of the way, his theme is my favorite track Ace Attorney has to offer. I also have his ringtone set as my ringtone. As for Godot's character, he's awesome! I mean seriously, from the moment he's introduced, his sheer coolness is unparalleled. When playing through Trials and Tribulations together, my best friend and I made a habit of making ourselves so-called ‘Godot drinks’, which entail something that's somewhat coffee-like, even if only in spirit, served in a mug. His quotes and one liners are some of the best in the series, and you know you're in for a treat from the moment we meet him in The Stolen Turnabout. There's also so much intrigue to his character… The mask, his hatred for Phoenix, what could it all mean? His love for coffee is tremendously endearing and it never gets old, maintaining a flavor that's just the right mix of acidic and bitter.
Alright, enough beating around the bush here. I regard Bridge To The Turnabout as THE best case Ace Attorney has to offer. Not my favorite, mind you, but the absolute best. And I believe Godot is a massive part of the reason why. I don't really want to trail off into any more Bridge praising, so, to stay as laser-focused on him as possible, I'll say this: The ending of this case gets me like nothing else. I cried like a baby when it got to the part where he started bleeding the first time, and then did so again when I was recording a let's play for a friend of mine. I went back to look back at my footage as I was writing this, and sure enough, I cried. I'm trying really hard to find the words to be able to talk about him, but I can't come up with anything while simultaneously having too much to say.
The careful construction of everything about him, like a masterfully composed artwork… He presses his own witnesses at times, and before long, we find out he's a former defense attorney. Tigre’s yelling kills the courtroom lights, and we see his visor light up in the dark. Then, he's strangely absent from the first trial of Bridge, but you don't necessarily question it because he probably heard his beloathed Mr. Trite won't be taking the case. He gives Pearl some coffee out of his thermos and faces off against Phoenix, essentially beckoning the man to catch him. He could've gotten away with it, sure, but that clearly wasn't what he wanted. Hell, I think he already knew it deep down, that Mia's spirit was living on through Phoenix. His speech at the end of the case especially destroyed me. It's somber, it breaks my heart, but it's also beautiful. The usage of his theme is brilliant, its conjunction to the scene completely recontexualizing the melody we've heard many times before. And, at the very end, him sharing a cup of coffee with the man he'd been trying so hard to antagonize for managing to do what he could? I have no words. While I personally hope he pleaded ‘defense of a third party’, whatever he ended up deciding on, I hope Godot… no, Diego is happy.
Having peeled back all the lawyers, we're left with the truth. Miles Edgeworth at #1. From the moment when Phoenix was talking to Gumshoe and the dialogue option labeled as ‘Edgeworth’ appeared, I was excited beyond compare. A handful of my friends were into Ace Attorney long before me, so I had some familiarity with him, as well as the myth of the legendary updated autopsy report. As such, I went in with high expectations, knowing I'd end up loving him. And yet, nothing could've prepared me for this. For Ace Attorney changing my life for the better. I know that sounds dramatic, but I mean it completely. That's a topic of discussion for another day, though, so I'm gonna focus on what's important there. In Miles' case, I'm gonna go over the events of his life chronologically.
This story starts with tragedy, the death of Gregory Edgeworth. And of course, his killer isn't incarcerated, even though the identity of said killer isn't exactly what Miles thinks it is. Something I've been thinking about lately is that he might've still followed his dreams of becoming a defense attorney if it weren't for Hammond ending up as Yogi's attorney. If it were someone diligent who would've truly managed to prove him innocent, they might've continued the investigation, shining a light on Manfred way sooner. But that doesn't really matter. As per the games I've played, he decided to become a prosecutor, partway to punish himself for the belief he might've killed his father. To be clear, having Yogi acquitted could have still led to a similar outcome, but things also could have changed.
During his debut as a prosecutor, he's almost a carbon copy of Manfred, from his suit to his mannerisms. He hasn't found himself, not yet, but wholeheartedly managed to buy into the idea of trials being run perfectly for the sake of justice. Things continue in such a way for a few years. Then he's reunited with his childhood friend and suddenly, all of those convictions come into question. He realizes Vasquez is guilty, and against his better judgement, against what he'd been taught, Miles joins in on the offensive along with Phoenix. Presumably, he fosters some unnecessary feelings for the man. Another thing I'd love to mention is the fact he tells Phoenix to go easy on Cody, which very well could be cause he wasn't afforded the same kindness by Hammond.
Then, whether you believe it was caused by a bad case of lead poisoning or not, Turnabout Goodbyes happens. He's forced to confront head on that the system he'd been actively perpetuating and taking part in can easily be turned against him. But ultimately, he's declared innocent, because it's the truth. Rise From The Ashes has him facing off against Gant, made to fear what he might become. And this goes without mentioning Joe Darke's, in all technicality, unjust execution. So Miles leaves, choosing death. One thing that really shocked me when I discovered it is that he used the same word choice when talking about Adrian's suicidal tendencies. I don't think I need to spell out what I'm implying with this. I've mentioned earlier I wasn't a fan of Farewell, My Turnabout, and part of that is thanks to how unsatisfying I feel his return is (if I replay the case and don't end up liking it more, I'll make a post on why I don’t like it in general.) However, for all my issues with it, this does lead to one of my favorite character moments of his. Namely, when he stands down after questioning de Killer. ‘The prosecution… rests.’ I might be wrong, but I've always read this as him making a conscious choice to try and keep Maya alive, even at the cost of what is right. He also manages to guide Franziska onto another path.
Then, after spending another year or so abroad, his phone rings in the middle of the night, the call coming from none other than Larry. Phoenix might be dead. He rushes back into the country, and upon his dear and indispensable friend's behest, dons the role of a defense attorney. I was absolutely stoked when this happened and would love it more than anything if he actually became one in game 7 (I have an analysis to substantiate this point as well, but I don't think this is the time for that.) He calls in Franziska and puts everything he has into his defense, a true natural despite having no prep time whatsoever. It shows us how far he's come, how much he'd changed from the man who stepped behind the prosecutor's bench during Turnabout Sisters.
I could talk about the things he does in the Apollo Justice trilogy, though my loyalties mostly lie in the first three games. However, I want to call attention to him working to save Simon, helping Phoenix with his badge, and even chartering a private jet to go to Khura'in with during Turnabout Revolution. Miles Edgeworth is an incredible character, and no matter where any future installments might take him, I don't think there's a world in which someone else will take the spot of my favorite Ace Attorney character away from him.
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Thank you so much for reading to the end of this list! If you have any questions, or even opinions about my opinions, I would love to hear them. Have a great day!