Today marks the third in our series of character profiles of the cast of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice! First up is the lawyer left in charge of the Wright Anything Agency while Phoenix is away, Apollo Justice. Right after that, we’ll have information on series newcomer, Nahyuta Sahdmadhi, the globetrotting international prosecutor and devout Khura’inist monk. Watch out, here comes Justice!

Now with two years of experience under his belt, Apollo Justice has matured quite a bit since his early days of panicking at the defense bench. It may come as no surprise that Apollo’s debut trial was during the aptly named Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. For his first trial as a lead defense attorney, Apollo was thrown into the deep end, tasked with defending the legendary lawyer himself, Phoenix Wright! Few knew what Phoenix was up to during that time after a particular incident caused him to withdraw from practicing law. With Phoenix suddenly thrust back into the limelight of the courtroom as a defendant, Apollo quickly learned that his client was accused of murdering a patron of the Borscht Bowl Club during a shady back-room poker game.

I know, Apollo. I was shocked too.
(From Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney)

Defending Phoenix under the watchful eye of his boss and mentor, Kristoph Gavin, Apollo’s first case took a series of unexpected twists and turns that resulted in Phoenix joining Apollo behind the defense bench. Thanks to Phoenix’s help, Apollo was able to identify the true killer and pin the crime on the real culprit. While Apollo was able to prove Phoenix innocent, it also wound up leaving him without a job. With nowhere else to turn, he soon joined what was then known as the Wright Talent Agency (run by Phoenix’s adopted teenage daughter, Trucy), and began to take on defense cases as the agency’s sole lawyer. Apollo took on a number of cases during this time, including the defense of mobster Wocky Kitaki and a memorable case involving the world-famous Borginian songstress, Lamiroir, whose songs touch Apollo’s heart in a way that he can’t quite put into words.

Much like Phoenix, Apollo has an unbreakable spirit and a relentless need to find the truth of every case, with an unwavering belief in his client. He’s also been known to psyche himself up with his “Chords of Steel” vocal exercises to make his objections that much louder, and is often seen (and heard) pacing around the defendant’s lobby repeating “I’M FINE!” to calm his nerves. Throughout his career so far, Apollo has had to use his determination and wit to make it through a variety of strange and unusual trials and investigations. Plus, he also has an ace up his rolled-up sleeves, in the form of his unique bracelet.

(From Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice)

When Apollo’s bracelet contracts around his wrist, it’s a signal for him to focus intently on what a particular person or witness is saying. Focusing allows Apollo to detect subtle “tics” in people’s actions when they’re lying or don’t believe in what they’re saying, such as nervously looking around, scratching the back of the neck, and more. Apollo’s perception allows him to pry the truth out of people that may not be willing to tell it otherwise, and is instrumental to finding out the facts of the many cases he takes on.

When we catch up with Apollo in Spirit of Justice, he’s back and louder than ever! While Phoenix is out traveling in the Kingdom of Khura’in, Apollo has been tasked with holding down the fort at the Agency. However, his first case without Phoenix around in Spirit of Justice hits a little too close to home, as Trucy is accused of murder at a magic show gone wrong!

Apollo certainly has his work cut out for him. It goes without saying that he believes in Trucy to the bitter end, but he’s up against Nahyuta Sahdmadhi. While Apollo has squared off against local prosecutors in the past, Nahyuta hails from the Kingdom of Khura’in, and holds a license to practice law internationally. Called in to crack some of the toughest cases, Nahyuta arrives in Los Angeles to prosecute Trucy’s case.

As a devout monk, Nahyuta earned his title as the “Last Rites Prosecutor” from the way he handles trials in adherence with Khura’inese traditions. To Nahyuta, a trial is not only for proving the guilt of the suspect, but also serves to lay the soul of the victim to rest. He also claims to see the karmic flow of a trial, guiding the courtroom towards its predestined conclusion. He’s quite fond of reciting mantras in court, such as “satorha,” a mantra meant to awaken those lost in the depths of their day dreams, and often recites prayers for the victim or speaks of Khura’inist teachings related to the current case. While Nahyuta is quite pleasant and kind to most people, his language and attitude towards lawyers could best be described as “severe.” Perhaps it’s not that surprising with what we know about the Kingdom of Khura’in and its attitude towards lawyers.

(From Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice)

As a citizen of the Kingdom of Khura’in, Nahyuta will be facing Phoenix in Khura’in’s courts, as well. Pitted against the Wright Anything Agency in two separate countries, Nahyuta has quite a bit of work-related globetrotting in his future.   Having faith in one’s client versus following one’s national traditions – it’s a test of each side’s convictions in this battle of beliefs!

Next time we’ll take a look at the third and newest member of the Wright Anything Agency, the spunky Athena Cykes, and the egocentric producer from Take-2 TV, Roger Retinz! See you then and stay tuned for the upcoming release of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice coming September 8 for Nintendo 3DS!

Additional character profiles:

Phoenix Wright and Rayfa Padma Khura’in

Maya Fey and Ahlbi Ur’gaid