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A defense attorney is supposed to defend both innocent and guilty clients. The writers of Ace Attorney know this, because there is an attorney in the game who specifically defends guilty clients (and is portrayed positively).
Phoenix Wright’s moral superiority complex and black and white thinking, embodied in his refusal to defend guilty clients is a deliberate, core personality trait of the character.
Also simply in terms of methodology, he almost never actually defends his client but rather prosecutes an unindicted individual whom he had not yet identified.
Are we shocked that the art student who became a lawyer for ulterior motives sucks at his job?
To be fair, Ace Attorney is very much a classic whodunnit mystery series crammed into the framework of a legal drama, so it makes sense that it would focus on Phoenix trying to solve a murder and uncover the real culprit rather than Phoenix trying to talk the Judge into giving some guy a lighter sentence. But yeah, I do wish the concept of Phoenix having to defend people who have actually convicted crimes was explored a bit more.
Personally, I like to think that after his seven year stint of being accused of illegal activity, working in a shady job alongside underworld elements, and probably having to do a lot of research into crime and why people commit crimes while helping set up the Jurist System, (plus, he’s got a daughter and employees to support) post AA4 Phoenix would be more amenable to defending criminals… at least those who are genuinely remorseful for their crimes and looking to atone.There’s a story idea.. Phoenix and the WAA visiting the more sympathetic killers (Mimi, Acro, Geiru) and offering to help lessen their sentences.
You are absolutely right! Phoenix Wright’s characterization as a bad defense attorney absolutely serves the narrative of the game. A game where you were playing a good defense attorney would look very different. XD
Phoenix Wright’s narrative position is not attorney, it is “detective”– and he’s a very good detective, I would never say that he isn’t. But because he acts as a detective in the game, he is deliberately portrayed as a bad lawyer, it’s a whole part of his character.
I would love the idea of the WAA revisiting old cases, but I doubt that we would ever see it in the games.
I also have my doubts about whether Phoenix’s moral stance has changed enough for him to do that.
Now Apollo and Athena, I could definitely see doing it XD
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