Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney/Awesome

This page covers the first three games. Take moments specific to Apollo Justice or Investigations to those pages, please.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

• There's a lot from the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series to choose from, but one of the best is in the third case of the first game when Edgeworth raises an objection to a trial that he's won just because he's ultimately more interested in finding the real criminal, and he still suspects the witness on the stand did it (she did).
  • More than once. Including to point out a glaring hole in the testimony that everyone else somehow managed to miss. This officially convinced me that Edgeworth is freaking awesome.
  • Not to mention when determining the motive. The Smug Snake witness declares that there's no motive for her to kill Hammer. At which point Phoenix presents the evidence, and he and Edgeworth team up to kick the witness's ass.
• Gumshoe's Big Damn Heroes moment in 1-3, where he saves your can from the mafia.
• While Phoenix himself doesn't really have a specific moment, stop and think about what he accomplished at the end of the fourth trial of the first game. Against a prosecutor who not only never lost, but had only ever received one penalty throughout the forty years of his legal career, Phoenix gets an acquittal... for a crime which his client confessed to, singlehandedly handing Von Karma his only defeat and derailing 15 years of planning. That's why we call him Ace Attorney.
  • Also, defeating Von Karma by pulling out a METAL DETECTOR, running it over his body, then bringing up the ballistics marking that Von Karma himself taught Phoenix about? PRICELESS!
  • Don't forget to take into consideration the fact that getting von Karma guilty led to solving a case that had gone unsolved for almost fifteen years. Yes, that's right, an attorney with less than a year of experience under his belt solves a case that went without any progress for so long.
    • Or the fact that he solves this case on the LAST DAY it is able to be opened up for investigation. As in a single day later would have been too late.
    • Earlier in the fourth trial of game one: Cross-examining a parrot. Successfully. Didn't think that could be topped, up until the bit above.
• Related to the above, Gregory Edgeworth gets a Moment of Awesome in the backstory for being the first person to ever get Manfred von Karma penalized during a trial, destroying his perfect and to that point unblemished record.
  • Hey, don't forget Edgeworth! His own Moment of Awesome came when he realized the bloodcurling scream he heard fifteen years ago - and every night since then - was Von Karma's. Edgeworth = badass.
  • Right after Edgeworth confesses to killing his father and they all sit out in the lobby...

Maya: "...? Nick? What are you doing?"
Phoenix: "Huh? Oh... I was just reading through the court record once more. I'm getting my case ready."
Maya: "Your case... for what?"
Phoenix: "Huh? Isn't it obvious? I'm going to prove that Miles Edgeworth is innocent."

• • And then, a little later:

Phoenix: "I'm sorry, Edgeworth. But I don't believe your 'nightmare.' It's just a dream. It's not real. The truth is right here in this court record. In any case, tighten your belts. The real fight is just beginning. I'll prove you're innocent. Trust me."

• In 1-5, when Edgeworth explains the King of Prosecutors trophy. "Cross Examination ~ Moderate" plays while he's explaining, until a contradiction appears in the story. Phoenix actually objects to it, and "Pursuit ~ Cornered" starts playing. Awesome.
• Mia's first Big Damn Heroes moment when she comes Back from the Dead and drives her own killer into a Motive Rant, thus saving Phoenix from a false conviction.
• "Just sit back, relax... and enjoy the sound of the noose tightening around your own neck." When Edgeworth said this in 1-5, this troper simply stopped, sat, and reveled in the pure awesome created by the timing and circumstances surrounding the line.
  • Made even better by an Edgeworth line before that. Gant tells Edgeworth to be a good little boy and shut his mouth. Edgeworth shuts him down, allowing the case to move forward without Lana's forced confession.
    • Then, of course, there's this, when Lana is blackmailed by Gant and tries to end the trial prematurely:

Lana "Mr. Edgeworth. I am exercising my right to self-representation. I don't think...
Edgeworth "I don't care what you think."

• • • Owned.
• Of all people, Larry Butz gets my vote for the best moment of the game for his Just in Time save during the fourth case.
• The scene where Manfred Von Karma mockingly suggests to a beaten Phoenix that "perhaps you'd like to cross-examine the parrot for a little comic relief?" And Phoenix takes him up on his proposal. And it works!
  • This troper, however, feels, that von Karma had that planned as well. He actually retrained said parrot and he was about to bring up the death of Gregory Edgeworth anyway, parrot or no parrot.
• Gant's Epic Stare Of Death. It pierces my soul. The first time it showed up, I was paralyzed with fear for a good minute before I could hit the "next" button.
• Gant's Villainous Breakdown. When the guy is flinging lightning, you can't argue with that.
  • Speaking of Gant,the way Phoenix caught him was some impressive stuff - first turning his "insurance" piece of fake evidence against him, then highlighting the evidence law he was trying to use against Phoenix to deliver the final blow. Hoisted by his own petard indeed.
  • 1-4, when the noose starts to tighten around von Karma's neck.

Judge: I permit the use of the metal detector. Mr. von Karma, you WILL submit yourself to testing!

• During case 1-2 when you cross-examine a witness who you know is the real murderer, after you've already forced him to alter his testimony several times, making him very nervous, you can press him when he talks about the way the victim moved before being killed. This results in this dialogue:

Phoenix: What did you do then?
Redd White: I chased after her, of course. ...Wait, I didn't mean that!

The best part? This does not get him convicted, making this moment completely optional, not required to complete the case.

• • That entire case warrants a mention, as it is the first real case. It's wonderfully designed to give you a great pang of satisfaction when you put all the puzzles together and lay down the law.
  • Mia coming back from the dead for the first time. This leads the court into a recess, and Phoenix asks her what to do...and then she says "You've already won". She updates one of your pieces of evidence, and there is something strangely tensely satisfactory about coming back into court and knowing exactly what to do. It goes from hopeless to triumphant so quickly that it's truly fantastic, and seeing the reactions of the prosecution and the witness as you make the point none of them knew about...just. Awesome.
  • Don't forget what you do to get Redd White to confess. You read off a list of famous people, who are implied to be all the people Redd blackmailed over the years, and threaten to hand the list over to the press unless he confesses. That's right, you just won the case by blackmailing a man who built his entire career on blackmail.
• The final case in the first game, Edgeworth's trial for murder, is a BIG Moment of Awesome for the Judge, of all people: Phoenix points out two facts that give his argument weight, but prosecutor Manfred von Karma dismisses them both as coincidences with no weight in the case. The Judge then answers that Prosecutor von Karma has a point, a coincidence should not be admissible as evidence... However, he retorts "Two coincidences at the same time seems more like a pattern to me", and he allows Phoenix to continue his line of questioning. HELL. YES.
  • It's even more awesome when you realize that von Karma was, for all intents and purposes, running the whole trial, having intimidated the Judge into silence to the point where he even started trying to overrule objections on his own, to which the Judge only protests meekly. This moment marks the point where the Judge decides that he's had enough of von Karma's crap and takes the law back into his own hands.
• In 1-4, Edgeworth gets another Moment of Awesome when he, as a child, defended Phoenix in regards to him stealing money. It's pretty awesome to see Edgeworth side with the person that everyone else in the classroom is against, which could have very well ended with him sharing unfair persecution along with Phoenix. Instead, he successfully stands up to an entire classroom including his teacher and gets them to back down. He had more bravery as a kid than some people do for their entire lives.
• More for 1-4. Maya taking the taser attack to try and let Phoenix get away with the evidence. It doesn't work, but she still manages to get the evidence needed to close the case.
  • Then there's also her Moment of Awesome in court where she gets Phoenix out of von Karma's trap, convincing the Judge to hold her in contempt of court instead.
• The Judge gets one for overcoming his problems with being easily intimidated, and forcing Manfred to undergo a search with the Metal Detector Phoenix brought in.
• The finale to case 1-5. The true culprit, Police Chief Damon Gant, was pretty much built up to be all but untouchable by the time he takes the stand, starting it off by immediately saying that he can refuse to testify at any point. Not to mention that Lana Skye, right up until recently, was still vehemently taking the blame for the murder because Damon Gant openly threatened to put Ema away for murder, while he was still on the witness stand. Throughout the trial (which has Phoenix and Edgeworth teaming up to take him down, which is already a Moment of Awesome in and of itself,) the culprit has pretty much turned into a Devil in Plain Sight, constantly mocking you while the stakes keep getting higher, until not only is Lana at risk of getting convicted for murder, but Ema is at risk of going to prison for accidentally killing Neil Marshall, not to mention that Phoenix could not only lose his job, but get sued by the culprit himself and possibly even face jail time over the lengths he's gone to get him convicted. And that's not even counting all the numerous traps he's set throughout the entire case, including one near the very end of that will instantly end the game if you fall for it. Needless to say, when the culprit finally falls into one of his traps and allows Phoenix and Edgeworth to move in and seal the deal, it's one of the most satisfying moments of the series.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All

• In 2-4, Edgeworth gets another Moment of Awesome as he makes his triumphant return. At the end of the case, he delivers a World of Cardboard Speech about the true role of a prosecutor - not to get a "Guilty" every time, but to uncover the whole and complete truth - and the long, hard journey he made to discover that.
• One of this troper's favorites is Phoenix kicking down the door in case 2-2 to save Maya. "Send the bill to Wright and Co.!"
  • Especially when you think how much that door probably cost and how often Phoenix has money issues, it doubles as a Heartwarming Moments.
• And Matt Engarde has pretty much the best Obfuscating Stupidity revelation ever. The revelation of the scar, the evil grin, the complete personality change? Typical... but once he somehow pulls the glass of cognac out of Hammerspace, while in police custody, for the sole purpose of swirling it evilly... you know you're seeing something special.

Matt: "How do you do...Mr. Lawyer? I'm Matt Engarde."

• Phoenix Wright: Door Killer. He successfully manages to knock down a fully-locked door by ramming into it, and actually does it in two different occasions. This is mentioned often as a particularly manly moment for Wright.
  • Even the Judge concurs that how Wright blasted the door in Kurain Village must've been badass.
• Another moment of Pearl's awesome is when she shows up at the court for the first time in 2-2. She lived a two hour's train ride worth from the court and she didn't walk her way to the court then. She ran.
• "To the gentleman who spoke just now...excuse me, but would you care to die?" Shelly de Killer to the Judge if you press one of the statements in his testimony in 2-4.
• Franziska von Karma gets one in 2-4: the case is nearly over and Phoenix is just about to declare Matt Engarde guilty without decisive proof, thus signing Maya's death warrant, but before he can say anything... * CRACK* "Objection!" * Franziska's fanfare and Great Revival plays* ...and the most unlikely Big Damn Heroine shows up, backlit by the awesomeness of her own entry.
  • Not to mention that she was shot in the shoulder the previous day.
  • I would add the ending of 2-2 when Franziska whips Phoenix into unconsciousness after losing against him. Poor guy never heard that verdict.
• Edgeworth. Case 2-4. Phoenix is panicking because the judge is trying to end the day's trial and begin another investigation, but De Killer is holding Maya hostage on the condition that he get Engarde found innocent on the first day. When Udgey asks why he's upset, since it means his client has another day to live, Nick blurts out "If I don't get the verdict... then Maya..." Edgeworth immediately catches on that something weird is happening; cue OBJECTION! to keep the witness on the stand because he can tell Phoenix is a) desperate and b) on the wrong track, leaving Mia wondering exactly whose side he's on.
• When Edgeworth suddenly shows up to take Franziska's place as prosecutor in 2-4 (he has a lot of these moments, doesn't he?):

Edgeworth: Due to the circumstances, I will be taking over the prosecution. While I did not investigate, I have read over the notes and am familiar with the details. The prosecution is ready...naturally.

• In the first case of the game, even after losing his memory, Phoenix's lawyer instincts are as strong as ever, leaping in with an "Objection!" and a pointed finger before he even realises what he's doing. As Phoenix himself says, "What a rush!"
• 2-3 wasn't my favorite case, but there are two moments I have to give cred to. 1: At one point, Phoenix sums up how the murder happened in court, to circus music, with every twist in the tale accompanied by a crash of cymbals. It's a fantastic effect, and thoroughly impressive. 2: The way Phoenix perfectly sums up and clarifies the sneaking suspicioun you've been having about an incident that happened in the circus. It's the phrase that finally ties the bond between a harmless prank and a fatal accident. Two words: "Lions sneeze."
• It was a minor moment, but Phoenix managing to intimidate the judge (something usually reserved for the prosecution and particularly intimidating witnesses) with the determined look on his face in 2-2 was pretty badass.
• Another small moment, but rather badass: the end of case 2-3. Throughout the trial, Franziska has been needling (and whipping) Phoenix while proclaiming her own superiority, and when he finally wins, she grudgingly bites out that he "beat [her] again!" Even after all the abuse he's suffered, though, Phoenix doesn't rub it in her face; he just stands there with his expression unreadable. He's not just an ally of justice, he's a graceful victor, too!

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations

• Gumshoe's Big Damn Heroes moments in 3-3, where he saves your can from an All Devouring Black Hole Loan Shark, then the defendant's when he barges through the courtroom door with evidence, complete with Theme Music Power-Up.
• Phoenix and Mia get a joint Moment in the final case of the third game, when, up against a Big Bad who's been reduced to a ghost possessing Maya's body, they verbally brutalize her so effectively that the combined Hannibal Lecture banishes her soul to Hell.
• Speaking of Tigre, no mention of how you defeat him in 3-3? Phoenix presents the victim's ear medicine, passing it off as potassium cyanide. Tigre shoots down this point, and points out the real container of the potassium cyanide. Then the whole courtroom goes silent, for a very good reason: this is supposed to be his first time seeing the real container. By pointing out what it is, he's unwittingly implicated himself as the murderer, in what is in this troper's opinion one of Phoenix's most clever tactics.
  • • Or one of the stupidest moments from a witness in the entire series. Depending on how you view things.
      • I'd say that its more on the lines of how Phoenix makes the situation an impossible win for Tigre. Even if he never corrected Phoenix on the poison bottle, he still would have pretty much proved his guilt if he remained silent about what was happening. Because he should logically think that Phoenix has definitive proof (his prints of a bottle with poison) so he should be panicked if indeed he had no idea what the bottle really looked like. However if Tigre did act panicked by what Phoenix was saying (pretending to be panicking at least), it would be as good as admitting that what Phoenix is saying rings true. So basically Phoenix put the witness in a position where he had three choices as too how too respond: State Phoenix is lying and say what the bottle really looked like, pretend too be panicked too give of the feeling that he does not know Phoenix is lying, or don't react at all. All of these would have lead too him looking guilty as hell. Not only that, but in a spare of the moment decision that he had too make within a few seconds, it's very easy too see how he ended up stating the bottle's description. Not so much Tigre being stupid but more him making a mistake due too the pressure of his response.
• Even Pearl, a nine-year old girl, gets one of these when she verbally blasts Franziska, telling her: "You're nothing but a little girl without your whip!" (amongst other strong words). Franziska is actually rendered speechless.
• The last evidence-presenting part of "Bridge to the Turnabout":

Godot: "You'll never be half the lawyer that Mia was! Isn't that right, Trite...?"
(Mia's "ghost" appears behind Phoenix.)
Godot: (Wh-What was that just now? Mia? It-it can't be! You're living on...through him!?)

• • And of course, the "Super Objection."
    • "It's beneath your mask!"
  • From the same case, I rather liked Phoenix's line to the fake Iris: "no matter how hard you try, you will never be able to hide the truth from a true defense attorney!"
• The revelation that Ron DeLite, who had previously been presented as a completely spineless fantasist, actually met his wife by saving her from two armed robbers singlehandedly.
  • Even better is where he points out that he can't be convicted as Mask DeMasque, even though he actually IS the infamous thief, because he had ALREADY been given a Not Guilty verdict for that particular crime, referencing a law that had only been mentioned a bit earlier in the day. One has to wonder if he's Obfuscating Stupidity.
  • There were four other heists. He was only cleared of the last one.
  • No, he was cleared of all of them, which is why he's not in prison during the end credits.
• Near the start of Case 5 from Trials and Tribulations, Phoenix nearly loses his life trying to cross a burning bridge to get to Maya, who he fears is trapped with a murderer. Ironically, it turns out he's right -twice- but she's not actually in any danger. Nevertheless... He know how dangerous it is (borderline suicidal) but tries anyway- he is frantic with worry about her and the thought of NOT doing it simply doesn't occur to him:

Larry: D-Don't be stupid! The bridge is nothing but a burning wreck right now!
Phoenix: Listen to me! There's been a murder! Here! At Hazakura Temple!
Larry: Wha-Whaaaaat!?
Phoenix: The murderer might have fled across the bridge! I have to make sure Maya is safe!
Larry: B-B-But...
Phoenix: Please! Call the police! I've got to go! ...Get outta my way, Larry!

• • After that, This Troper has to wonder whether Phoenix's insistence that She Is Not My Girlfriend isn't really just him protesting too much.
    • This troper just calls that being in denial.
  • +100 Bravery points for Phoenix doing this when a) he's afraid of heights, and b) the bridge was a rickety old thing high above a rapid river.
• Incredibly enough, even the Judge himself has his moment in Trials and Tribulations in which, right after Phoenix pointed out how the Judge was rather calm and collected even after witnessing a severe case of spirit possession (and exorcism by epic speech, see above), the Judge's reply displayed an insight of wisdom never before seen on him:

Judge: Well, to be frank, my younger brother is quite judgmental... He often criticizes me for not studying hard enough. That's why I made a concerted effort to study up on the Kurain Channeling Technique. I've seen quite a few things in my many years on the bench. And in all that time, I've finally learned this one thing: Each case is different, and takes place in its own world, if you will. In order to fully understand that world... First we have to immerse ourselves in it completely. And that's where... My brother and I used to differ.

• Mia daring Dahlia to take one of Phoenix's ( poisoned) Coldkiller X pills at the end of case 3-1 has to be on here, if only for Dollie's reaction. And then when Payne receives the same offer and loses his hair and is reduced to the pathetic shell of a man we see in the first two games.
  • It also ensures that Dahlia will finally face justice for her crimes. In addtion to the Glowing Eyes of Doom she starts screaming like a madwoman.
• Franziska von Karma gets one in 3-5: Edgeworth stands ready in the defense's position, but the prosecution is absent. Just before the Judge can declare an instant win for the defense, once again there's the familiar * CRACK!* , and Franzy makes her very awesome entrance for the first time in the entire game. Say what you will about her, but she knows how to make an entrance.
• A moment of awesome that is the result of another, from Edgeworth. The mad connections he has. Not only is he able to pose as a defense attorney despite all logic being against it, (1-5 reveals that Phoenix's badge has an ID number in order to prevent exactly this sort of thing) but he's able to select a specific prosecutor AND judge for the trial.
• The tail end of 3-5. The music cue in particular, with the callback to the case 7 years prior, always sends chills down my spine.
• She may be a despicable excuse for a human being, but, you've got to admit, Dahlia Hawthorne's introduction in case 3-5 was pretty badass.

Godot: When talking to a beautiful lady, always ask for her name and occupation. That's one of my rules.
Dahlia:(nonchalantly) Dahlia Hawthorne. And my occupation? Permanently retired.

• • And also when she gives her "The Plan" testimony section, instead of regular testimony music, Dahlia's own theme plays instead for a spine-chillingly awesome effect.
• The way Godot effectively shuts up Furio Tigre when he's brought into court while the Judge and Maya were cowering under their desks and Phoenix was about wet his pants. "You're caught in a snare... the relentless snare of the law." *takes a gulp of coffee* "And I'm the one that hauled you in!" Phoenix's reaction sums it up:

Phoenix: (T... Too cool...)

• Judge finally explaining why he always gives both the defense and the prosecution so many chances.

Judge: I know the existence of this umbrella seems trivial... But as long as the smallest doubt remains, I cannot render final judgement!

• • I still call that blatant lies, but nevertheless impressive.
• Another one for the Judge. In case 3-3 Phoenix has just proven that Furio Tigre had posed as him during the phony trial. The Judge then has a moment of realization:

Judge: So it was you... The Phoenix Wright who put up the most disreputable, shabby defense I had ever seen!

• • What makes this a moment of awesome is that right afterwards, the Theme Music Power-Up usually reserved for Phoenix starts playing

Multiple games

• The first cases you played through, no matter which game. The incredible satisfation of taking down the witnesses lies one by one, driving him/her slowly mad until they explode with fury, and winning. When you were not spotting lies in the testimonies, you were extremly cautious and afraid of receiving a penalty, and while the games are not time based, you felt a damn high pressure yourself as everything depended on you.
• Gumshoe gets one in all three games - usually even two! Let's tally - bursting in to save you from being lynched by Vasquez's mob (1-3), finding Yanni Yogi no matter what it takes (1-4), letting you investigate Gant's office even knowing he'll lose his job (1-5), chasing De Killer to save Maya (2-4) and then, in the same case, stealing the evidence(!!) to save her, saving you from Tigre and bring in a crucial piece of evidence (3-3), fixing the bridge (3-5)... It's almost too many for one character.