List of Ace Attorney characters

Phoenix Wright / Ryūichi Naruhodō (成歩堂龍一, Naruhodō Ryūichi)

The protagonist, known for his trademark spiky hairdo. He has only been an attorney for three months and before episode 1 has never been in court. He is bright but very inexperienced. His nickname to some of his friends is "Nick" and sometimes "porcupine head" to his enemies. Phoenix is generally cynical, although sometimes quite clumsy, but in a flashback scenario in Gyakuten Saiban 3, we see that when Phoenix was in University, he was very devoted to a woman he considered his "soulmate", even acting irrationally a number of times to defend her. Oddly enough, though he was interested in law even then, he was an art major. He is confirmed to be the first defendant in Gyakuten Saiban 4 and seems to have given up his career as a defense attorney to work at a bar playing the piano, though he tends to make more money playing poker with the customers.

Mia Fey / Chihiro Ayasato (綾里千尋, Ayasato Chihiro)

A highly competent lawyer and Phoenix's boss and mentor. Her first meeting with him was as her second case acting as his defense lawyer, with him being on trial for murder. He was impressed with her constant belief in his innocence, and vowed to work hard for her sake. She tragically meets her end in the second case of the game, but even after death, she continues to provide help and guidance to Phoenix, by channeling her spirit through her sister Maya. Her mother, Misty Fey, was double-crossed by Redd White in a case many years ago. Mia became an attorney with the sole intention of one day putting White behind bars. She is extremely professional and calculating, but friendly and warm towards Phoenix. She often saves Phoenix at the eleventh hour, though on rare occasions even she gets stumped. Mia once worked for Marvin Grossberg, with him acting as her mentor.

Detective Dick Gumshoe / Keisuke Itonokogiri (糸鋸圭介, Itonokogiri Keisuke)

Dick Gumshoe is a police detective from the homicide division. Hot-headed and overzealous at times, he is often known to make wrongful arrests. He holds a deep respect for Miles Edgeworth, almost to the point of hero worship. Gumshoe also has a habit of interrupting conversations at inappropriate moments. He tends to be gullible, brash and definitely isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he means well and he has proven to be surprisingly competent when under severe tension.

Maya Fey / Mayoi Ayasato (綾里真宵, Ayasato Mayoi)

Mia's little sister, Wright's assistant, and a medium-in-training. She can channel her big sister's spirit into her body for a limited amount of time, via a method similar to possession, but can only do so in desperate situations. Otherwise, she is like any teenage girl and is fan of Tokusatsu shows and films, particularly The Steel Samurai. Maya is usually kind and sweet, though she has a tendency to overreact and has a strong love of food, often saying she has a "second stomach" for foods she likes. She seems to treat Phoenix in the same way as she did with her older sister. It has been hinted that she may have a crush on Phoenix.

Miles Edgeworth / Reiji Mitsurugi (御剣怜侍, Mitsurugi Reiji)

Wright's rival, he became a prosecutor at the age of twenty and has been called a "genius" by many. Cold and calculating, he will use any means necessary to get a guilty verdict, and has rumors surrounding him regarding the use of forged evidence and tampered testimonies, though his involvement on such matters was, apparently, involuntary. He, Phoenix, and Larry Butz were once friends in grade school. Edgeworth is the prosecutor in Chapters 2, 3, and 5. He is the defendant in Chapter 4. Interestingly, as time goes on, both Wright and Edgeworth begin pooling their resources against a common foe when Miles learns that his clients truly are guilty, resulting in dramatic (and highly unorthodox) courtroom showdowns which pit both the defense and the prosecution against the third, truly guilty party.

The Judge (裁判長, Saibanchō)

His name and age are unknown, but he's apparently a quite mature man, possibly on his sixties or seventies. He seems to be good friends with the police chief Damon Gant, who calls him "Udgey". Curiously, he happens to preside over almost all of Phoenix's trials, as well as Mia's. Kind-hearted, goofy and sometimes (apparently) dumb and clueless, the judge has a reputation for changing his decision on proceedings several times, earning him the nickname "The Fickle-Hearted Judge". He often needs to have evidence explained to him, sometimes has no idea what he's talking about and is often affected by other people in the court, being easily intimidated by characters with a strong personality (Such as the von Karma family, Damon Gant or Redd White). However, when a lawyer makes a mistake, when the trial drags for too long or the foreseeable veredict becomes extremely clear, he regains his self-confidence and does not allow anyone to discuss his authority. He always manages to make the right decision in the end, also giving the nickname "The Mysterious Perfect Judge". He will not be the main judge on Gyakuten Saiban 4, although it's unclear if he will appear at all in the game.

Winston Payne / Takefumi Auchi (亜内武文, Auchi Takefumi)

Known in legal circles as "The Rookie Crusher", Payne is mild-mannered, becomes easily flustered, and lacks the mercilessness of most prosecutors. Prior to the events in Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney, he was arrogant and highly condescending to "rookie" defense attorneys, but lost his confidence (as well as much of his hair) after being defeated in court by Mia Fey in the first case of Gyakuten Saiban 3, which takes place before the first game. He is the first prosecutor in every game in the series.

Manfred von Karma / Gō Karuma (狩魔豪, Karuma Gō)

Edgeworth's old mentor, von Karma has a similar personality , but he's at least ten times more ruthless and deranged than Edgeworth himself, and will object to just about anything. The prosecutor in "Turnabout Goodbyes", von Karma has been awarded the "King of Prosecutors" award several times. In all his arrogance, he often manages to have an intimidating influence on even the Judge, sometimes even known to "sustain" his own objections prematurely. He has a strong penchant for perfection, to the point of falling in violent despair when everything does not go as he expects, and he will do just about everything to win a trial, even destroy evidence or harm other people.

Larry Butz / Masashi Yahari (矢張政志, Yahari Masashi)

Larry has been Phoenix's friend ever since they were in elementary school. A born troublemaker ("If something smells, it's usually the Butz.") and the defendant in "The First Turnabout", as well as a witness in "Turnabout Goodbyes". Not much is known about him, however, he's generally quite emotional, and somehow manages to date models, even if they don't seem to think much of him. He's not above of petty crimes, such as stealing trifle amounts of money, but he's a good person.

Marvin Grossberg / Soranosuke Hoshikage (星影宇宙ノ介, Hoshikage Soranosuke)

A stuffy, overweight defense attorney who is in charge of the Grossberg Criminal Defense law firm. He is a very famous and well-known lawyer and was once Mia Fey's mentor. He is a very busy man, therefore he is rarely seen at his office. Grossberg often introduces himself with a deep, loud throat clearing and he often loses the subject and talks about his youth and the past ("Ah, the days of my youth, like the scent of fresh lemons"). Still, he's a good man, and always tries to be helpful as he can, though he's also easily scared.

Grossberg was involved in the DL-6 Incident case. He sold the information of Mia's mother, Misty Fey, to the press and as a result, she was publicly called a fraud. Redd White used this information to blackmail Grossberg, to the extent of which he has been paying White for 15 years.

Ema Skye / Akane Hōzuki (宝月茜, Hōzuki Akane)

Ema is a high school junior and Phoenix's assistant during "Rise from the Ashes". She is the younger sister of Chief Prosecutor Lana Skye and has hopes of becoming a scientific investigator. Ema is enthusiastic, sometimes almost overly so, though she's also pretty clumsy and very innocent. However, her scientific methods often come in handy, especially when searching for blood stains or fingerprints. Her parents passed away when she was young. She also is set to appear in the fourth game of the series. [1]

Lana Skye / Tomoe Houzuki (宝月巴, Hōzuki Tomoe)

Lana Skye is the Chief Prosecutor for the district; she used to be a detective working alongside Damon Gant. She was transferred after the SL-9 Incident. She treats everyone coldly, including her younger sister Ema, though it's hinted that she's not usually that way. Lana and Ema's parents passed away when Lana was a teenager, and Lana raised Ema. Lana is the defendant of Case 5 and is accused for the murder of Detective Bruce Goodman. Strangely, she admits to killing him straight off the bat. As with many of the characters in Case 5, she was deeply involved in the mysterious SL-9 Incident. Many characters note she has similar traits to Phoenix's mentor Mia Fey.

Damon Gant / Kaiji Ganto (巌徒 海慈, Ganto Kaiji)

Damon Gant is the Chief of Police. He is notably eccentric, both in appearance and behavior. To most, he's a kindhearted, goofy, easily amused man, although if challenged or put under pressure he can show a very aggresive dark side, resorting to threats and even emotional blackmail. He wears an orange business jacket, a black dress shirt, a red cross-shaped tie, leather gloves, and pink-lens glasses. He has a habit of clapping and laughing loudly, sometimes at inappropriate moments, as well as fiddling with his hair while people are talking to him. He calls people by diminutive nicknames (e.g. Edgeworth — "Worthy", Wright — "Wrighto", the judge — "Udgey").

Franziska von Karma / Mei Karuma (狩魔 冥, Karuma Mei)

One of the two characters introduced in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All. She is the daughter of Manfred von Karma, who wishes to avenge the von Karma name. Although she's extremely arrogant and prideful, and much more violent and forceful than Manfred von Karma, she has not inherited the evil, darker side of her father, and she can even show a softer side sometimes. She's the main prosecutor of the second game. Franziska carries a whip, her trademark item, which she uses very frequently, usually to punish Phoenix and the Judge, who is extremely scared (and respectful) of her. She sees Edgeworth as a little brother, even if he's seven years older than she is.

Pearl Fey / Harumi Ayasato (綾里春美, Ayasato Harumi)

The second character introduced in the second game. She is Maya's kid cousin and knows about "Psyche-Locks". A very nice, kind girl who grew isolated from the world, she's easily scared, amused and/or surprised. Pearl is pretty bright for a kid of her age, sometimes making deductions ahead of Phoenix. Furthermore, she's the real genius of her village, a gifted spirit channeler much more talented than Maya. When Maya's not available, Pearl fulfills her role as Phoenix's assistant. Pearl shares most of Maya's likings, but she's a vegetarian. She thinks Maya and Phoenix are involved on a relationship, and she's delighted with that thought.

Godot (ゴドー, Godō)

The main prosecutor of Gyakuten Saiban 3. Wears an electronic visor due to an incident where he had to "come back from the dead." His real name is Souryuu Kaminogi, a friend and coworker of Mia Fey when she worked at Marvin Grossberg's law firm. Bears a grudge against Phoenix for not being able to prevent Mia's murder in the first game, and became a prosecutor to exact revenge upon Phoenix in court. Godot loves coffee and regularly drinks it in court. He has been known to drink up to 17 cups a day and has various blends.