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Ace Attorney is a series of adventure video game legal dramas developed by Capcom. The first entry in the series, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, was released in 2001; since then, five further main series games, as well as various spin-offs and high-definition remasters for newer game consoles, have been released. Additionally, the series has seen adaptations in the form of a live-action film and an anime, and has been the base for manga series, drama CDs, musicals and stage plays.
The player takes the roles of various defense attorneys, including Phoenix Wright, his mentor Mia Fey, and his understudies Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes, and investigates cases and defends their clients in court; they find the truth by cross-examining witnesses and finding inconsistencies between the testimonies and the evidence they have collected. The cases all last a maximum of three days, with the judge determining the outcome based on evidence presented by the defense attorney and the prosecutor. In the spin-off series Ace Attorney Investigations, the player takes the role of prosecutor Miles Edgeworth and in the prequel series The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, of Phoenix’s ancestor Ryunosuke Naruhodo.
While each assistant serves an important role in the case and even the overarching plot, some are much better than others. This list will be breaking down each one and ranking them based on their overall usefulness to an investigation or trial, comedic value, and synergy with their current partner. But mainly how funny they are, because if you can’t pull off humor why are you even in an Ace Attorney game?
20 Marvin Grossberg
Easily the worst of the bunch, Grossberg is technically Mia Fay’s second assistant despite debuting during Trials and Tribulations’ first case. While he at least fulfills the role of support well enough for newcomers, his often shrinking demeanor and gross remarks about his…unfortunate biological issues….make Mia’s comeback trial that much more isolating.
And when you recall that he betrays both her trust and her last wishes later in the timeline by refusing to defend her sister Maya, he becomes even more unbearable.
19 Kristoph Gavin
His overarching plot as the main villain in Apollo Justice is dark and fascinating, but his role as Apollo’s defense assistant for half the first case in his debut game leaves much to be decided.
He clearly held far too much back personality-wise which has the added effect of lacking in proper banter and chemistry between himself and his mentee.
18 Phoenix Wright
The titular defense attorney of the series, he makes for a slightly better assistant than Kristoph. It’s almost a relief to get him on your side and away from Kristoph; however, it turns out that Phoenix is only just better.
He’s cryptic and downright antagonistic toward Apollo when they first meet and even goes so far as to manipulate him during the trial. His saving grace was that he had better chemistry with Apollo, making him more interesting to watch in action.
17 Rayfa Padma Khura’in
Despite the fact that she’s outright antagonistic when she first oversees your investigation, her back and forth banter with Phoenix is pretty funny. Her character development is shown well by how she treats you when she tags along again in a later case.
And to be fair, she’s 14 coping with an incredible amount of pressure, so it’s not too difficult to excuse her brattier side (though sometimes she does skate the line of being obnoxious).
16 Mia Fey
The very first assistant of the series (if not chronologically), Mia was a peerless defense attorney to whom Phoenix owes much of, well, everything. She’s intelligent, perceptive, beautiful, and, if you messed up too much in court, just as sharp-tongued.
The only downside was her lack of screentime before her death which otherwise would have meant seeing more of their already fantastic relationship.
15 Pearl Fey
This adorable and plucky young medium may be tiny, but she’s surprisingly smart and offered quite a bit of insight. She plays especially well with Phoenix during court due to her more serious and headstrong personality.
The sheer dark comedic value of having a little kid investigate bloody crime scenes or sit with you and give you advice during a murder trial doesn’t go unnoticed either.
Most importantly, Pearl introduces the Magatama and spirit locks mechanic, and we all know how integral that became to Phoenix’s investigations.
14 Dick Gumshoe
He’s somehow less useful than an eight-year-old and even more hilarious to have by your side. Gumshoe was the go-to assistant for Miles Edgeworth during the Investigation titles, as well as a guest assistant for Phoenix alongside Franziska during the final case of Trials and Tribulations.
He’s incompetent and bumbles around the crime scene to the point that the normally sympathetic Phoenix starts to lose patience. But it’s just as incredibly funny watching him tag along with Edgeworth with the same gusto and energy as one of the trademark young girl assistants.
13 Franziska von Karma
In that same vein, Franziska is the actually useful assistant during the Trials and Tribulations segment due to her brilliant mind and impeccable attention to detail. She aids Phoenix well during the investigation and, despite her prickly personality, is quite worried for Maya’s well-being.
It’s hilarious to watch her attempt at doting on Pearl fail so poorly. She, Phoenix, and Gumshoe’s personalities play off each other so well that it makes you wish they could join forces for a second investigation.
12 Apollo Justice
Serving as Athena’s co-counsel and assistant during Duel Destinies’ third case, Apollo is quite competent as her senior. His advice is sound and he possesses a sharp mind and wit that matches her own.
Even though he’s her senior, he treats her with respect and is often brought down to her pacing which, considering their opposite yet similar personalities, makes for an endlessly entertaining dynamic.
11 Diego Armando
As Mia’s first assistant, he’s how Mia would later be to Phoenix experience-wise. However, that’s all the similarities they share. Older Mia is the pinnacle of kindness wrapped in professionality; Diego is pithy with quite a bit more bite. This could be off-putting to some players.
Then there’s how palpable the romantic tension between the two is during the trial that adds one more layer to the drama. Despite his gruffness, he’s genuinely kind and protective over her — something proven when she breaks down in the court following her client’s suicide.
10 Simon Blackquill
He becomes an assistant to Athena in the fourth case of Spirit of Justice simply because he was bored as a witness and disliked the prosecutor’s methods. This is not only hilarious but completely on-brand for the normally mercurial prosecutor.
He’s full of insight and wisdom but absolutely refuses to part with it without at least one smug remark or insult. His expertise in psychological manipulation pairs particularly well with Athena’s own psychology training, and makes for an interesting team-up.
9 Herlock Sholmes
The famed genius detective, he serves as one of the main assistants in the Great Ace Attorney. He, along with Iris, teach Naruhodo the basics of both deductive reasoning and forensic instruments.
Though he seems very spacey and eccentric to the point of near unintelligence at first, he quickly becomes serious when the situation gets dire. Not to mention that watching him reach the entirely wrong conclusion only gets funnier when you realize he’s most likely doing it on purpose.
8 Iris Wilson
An incredibly intelligent young woman who always makes the perfect deductions, she serves as an impeccable ally to both Naruhodo and Sholmes. Just as she was designed to, she plays incredibly well with both Sholmes and Naruhodo in balancing the humor between them.
And even though she’s young, she’s no pushover with her debut seeing her threaten a would-be thief of her smoke launcher with an even bigger smoke launcher. This all occurs in the defendant’s lobby, mind you.
7 Trucy Wright
Her profession, while tamer than Maya’s spirit medium, is still rather exotic. After all, magicians don’t often find themselves at crime scenes or in the courtroom.
But like magic, Trucy fits in perfectly and she soon becomes an indispensable ally for Apollo. She clearly has all the brains of her adoptive father plus her comedic timing is impeccable.
6 Ema Skye
This plucky forensics scientist hopeful (who later becomes one after first reaching detective) not only has a sunny and friendly disposition but also introduces what would become one of the most important mechanics of the series: forensics investigations.
Ema, herself, shares many similarities with Maya including an incredibly tragic past involving their older sisters. But her passion for science coupled with her cheery personality gives the otherwise dark case some much-needed levity.
5 Kazuma Asogi
At first, he registers to defend his best friend Naruhodo as an attorney then becomes his partner and assistant after the latter decides to represent himself in court. Kazuma is a wonderful friend and excellent legal partner who motivates Naruhodo through some of the toughest moments of an incredibly long and taxing first trial.
His relationship with Naruhodo is practically the “You’re My Whole World Bro” meme but with added complexity and just the right amount of angst sprinkled in the backstory.
4 Athena Cykes
Athena makes her debut in Dual Destinies as both a lead defense attorney and a co-counsel to the lead. She naturally reprises these roles in Spirit of Justice.
Her Mood Matrix allows for her to use the audio cues she naturally picks up on to determine the target’s mood patterns. This becomes a powerful weapon that completely revitalizes the court system during its “dark age of the law.”
The incredible talent, knowledge, potential, and sheer energy she possesses are a refreshing contrast to the other characters and cements her as a vital addition to any case.
3 Kay Faraday
The self-proclaimed “Great Thief”, Kay enters Edgeworth’s life with a bang and helps him on most of his cases. She has a very strong motivation for committing to uncovering the truth, considering that her father died for that same pursuit.
She’s not alone as she comes with Little Thief — an advanced device that can recreate entire crime scenes. She is easily one of the best assistants for that reason alone, but her bright and optimistic personality balances well with the far more cynical and dour Edgeworth.
2 Maya Fey
Considered the first true assistant and easily the most popular on this list, Maya has had an incredible journey with Phoenix. Though her profession is far removed from the law, she persists in aiding him in the vast majority of his cases and even comes back for a memorable cameo in Spirit of Justice.
Both her serious and humourous aspects pair flawlessly with Phoenix’s. For how much tragedy Maya has endured in her life, the fact that she could continue on with a smile on her face is nothing short of miraculous. Plus she started the whole “ladder versus stepladder” debate — the single best running joke in the series.
1 Susato Mikotoba
An absolutely picture-perfect legal aid and assistant, Susato is incredibly knowledgeable about all things law and becomes an absolutely essential partner for Naruhodo. Even in her debut, she risks imprisonment to hand over crucial evidence to the defense.
Unlike most other assistants, she not only teaches him law while they’re in Japan but also instructs him on British law — a case-winning factor. Susato seems to be a very traditional, demure woman, but is very forward-thinking and has an unquenchable thirst for learning. Watching her own growth in character shaped by her journey with Naruhodo, in both good and tragic times, is truly inspiring.
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