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One of the most appealing aspects of Capcom’s desk-abuse simulator,Ace Attorney, is its ongoing interconnected plot. Like a soap opera meets a legal serial, various characters come and go over the course of the long, meandering timeline. From prosecutors to witnesses to circus performers, they run the gamut.
But just how many of these fresh-faced finger-pointers are there? Ace Attorney now spans six mainline titles and five spinoffs, so it can be tough to keep track of who’s who. We’ve got the definitive guide to managing the series' sizable rogues' gallery!
Fair warning: there’ll bea handful of spoilersfor these (highly plot-driven) games in this article. If you want to step into Phoenix Wright’s shoes for the first time blind, then kindly avert your peeping eyes!
How Many Major Ace Attorney Characters Are There?
The Ace Attorney series, for reference,can be generally split into three distinct ‘eras’. There’s the original trilogy, consisting ofthe original game, its sequel Justice For All, and the threequel Trials And Tribulations. Then there’s the sequel era, collectively known as the ‘Apollo Justice Trilogy,’ consisting ofApollo’s titular game, Dual Destinies, and Spirit of Justice.
Finally, there’sthe Great Ace Attorney era, which is a duology of distant prequels set in the Japanese Meiji era starring Phoenix’s ancestors. TheMiles Edgeworth Investigationsspinoff games take place in between the two OG trilogies.
With all these games in mind, here’s a breakdown ofall the major charactersyou can expect to meet across the core series! We’re defining ‘major’ asany main character that recurs at least once, or has such a narratively significant role in a single game’s plot that they leave a lasting impression.
Prosecutor, Phoenix’s rival and childhood friend.
PWAA, JFA, T&T, SOJ
Mia Fey
Phoenix’s boss and Maya’s sister, spends most of the series deceased as a ghost.
Klutzy childhood friend of Miles and Phoenix.
Corrupt prosecutor, Edgeworth’s guardian and mentor.
Ryunosuke’s troubled friend and fellow legal student.
Self-proclaimed great thief and assistant to Edgeworth.
AAI, AAI2
This makes a total of28 major recurring charactersin the Ace Attorney series.
How Many Minor Ace Attorney Characters Are There?
Of course, a central cast is all well and good – but the Ace Attorney owes its lived-in feel to itsstrong contingent of supporting characters. Fromwacky witnesses to devious killers, here’s a breakdown of the general number of minor faces in each game, as well asa choice selection of notable examples.
20
18
22
16
19
21
17
23
25
Klint van Zieks, Enoch Drebber, Judge Jigoku
Not accounting for multiple appearances by the same character, this makes a total ofroughly 201 minor facesin the franchise.That is a huge cast!
How Many Ace Attorney Characters Are There In Total?
If we combine our numbers for the major and minor Ace Attorney characters,we come to a staggering 229 individual players across the entire series. It’s little wonder that even hardcore fans find themselves forgetting a face or two (particularly when you have such memorable “characters” as Deid Mann, a victim in AAI1 whose sole contribution to the plot is to get bumped off).
Of course, this doesn’t account for theeven more minor participants, like the guards at the detention centre, bailiffs who occasionally have a line or two, or even thesurprisingly large number of animal characterslike Polly the parrot, Missile the dog, or Orla the killer whale.
Phoenix, Apollo, and Athena have defended more than their fair share of bonkers and non-human clients – but we wouldn’t have it any other way!
