Ladder vs. stepladder

"Phoenix Wright"

- (This all seems so horribly familiar somehow...)



A conversation between the protagonist and his assistant about the difference between a ladder and a stepladder is a recurring joke in the Ace Attorney series.

The first instance was in Turnabout Samurai, the third case of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, with a stepladder reappearing in at least one location in each game to date, sometimes in several locations, for the sole purpose of continuing the "tradition". Upon examination, the protagonist and a partner character engage in an argument on the usage of the words "ladder" and "stepladder", and the difference between them. One usually accuses the other of being too absorbed in the details instead of looking at the big picture and realizing that stepladders and other ladders serve roughly the same function. The latter's response to this varies. A similar gag is done with a hearth/fireplace in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations and a cage/prison cell in Gyakuten Kenji 2.

In its original incarnations, Phoenix Wright makes the distinction and Maya Fey tells him to "stop judging things based on narrow-minded cultural assumptions". However, in later instances of the gag, the protagonist fills Maya Fey's role.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
"Maya Fey"

- Look, a ladder!

"Phoenix Wright"

- That's a "step"-ladder.

"Maya Fey"

- So? What's the difference? You need to stop judging things based on narrow-minded cultural assumptions, Nick!

"Phoenix Wright"

- R-right... sorry. (This girl is OUT there!)

"Ema Skye"

- Ah huh! A ladder.

"Phoenix Wright"

- Um... That's a step ladder.

"Ema Skye"

- What's the difference? In scientific terms, please.

"Phoenix Wright"

- S-scientific huh?

"Ema Skye"

- Look at the basic nature of things, Mr. Wright.

"Phoenix Wright"

- (This all seems so horribly familiar somehow...)

Note: This ladder is actually not a stepladder.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice For All
"Maya Fey"

- Ah, a ladder.

"Phoenix Wright"

- It's just a stepladder.

"Maya Fey"

- What's the difference? They do the same thing, right? I think you should stick with the basic facts of the matter.

"Phoenix Wright"

- Oh... Uh... OK. (It's not even worth arguing with her on this one.)

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations
"Maya Fey"

- Look, a ladder!

"Phoenix Wright"

- That's a "step"-ladder.

"Maya Fey"

- So? What's the difference? You need to stop judging things based on narrow-minded cultural assumptions, Nick!

"Phoenix Wright"

- R-Right... sorry. (Why do I feel like we've had this exact same conversation before somewhere...?)

"Dick Gumshoe"

- Look, a ladder!

"Phoenix Wright"

- That's a "step"-ladder.

"Dick Gumshoe"

- What's the difference? Looks like a normal ladder to me, pal.

"Phoenix Wright"

- (Surely everyone knows the difference... I mean, they're pretty ordinary objects...)

"Dick Gumshoe"

- I've met plenty of guys like you, always picking on the smallest details. The vegetable store guy near my place does it all the time. He even corrects me when I ask for a head of lettuce. "That's a cabbage," he says. I'm telling you, they're the exact same thing!

"Phoenix Wright"

- No they're not! They're completely different!

"Dick Gumshoe"

- You have to plant both of them firmly in the ground before they can grow, don't you? Listen. You gotta take a step back and look at the bigger picture sometimes. Otherwise you could miss a really important clue. That's advice from a pro, pal!

"Phoenix Wright"

- (...The last person I need advice from is this guy in front of me.)

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
"Apollo Justice"

- Look, it's a folding ladder.

"Trucy Wright"

- Polly! That's called a "stepladder"! C'mon!

"Apollo Justice"

- ...A stepladder? How is that different from a regular ladder then?

"Trucy Wright"

- It's a much more complex piece of machinery. It's like two ladders stuck together!

"Apollo Justice"

- ...So you admit that basically it's a ladder, right?

"Trucy Wright"

- Wait... Huh?

"Apollo Justice"

- You have to look past the form... at the essence of the thing.

"Trucy Wright"

- Er... Can we talk about something else?

"Apollo Justice"

- Look, a ladder. I guess they need one to work on the lights and such.

"Trucy Wright"

- Why don't they use a stepladder? I prefer stepladders, really ...Is that so wrong?

"Apollo Justice"

- Not wrong, just... well, why do you prefer stepladders?

"Trucy Wright"

- ...... They're so much more flexible than plain old ladders!

"Apollo Justice"

- ...... (I prefer my ladders rigid and stable, thank you.)

"Apollo Justice"

- Huh, another ladder.

"Trucy Wright"

- Actually, it's technically a stepladder.

"Apollo Justice"

- Well hello, Ms. Fancy Pants! Please forgive my lack of ladder discrimination.

"Trucy Wright"

- ! ......

"Ema Skye"

- I'm less worried about the stepladder, and more worried about why it's there.

"Apollo Justice"

- (Why is the ladder there? Well, to climb, right? To reach something on the ceiling?)

"Trucy Wright"

- ...... I still say it's a stepladder.

Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
"Miles Edgeworth"

- Hmm... A ladder.

"Kay Faraday"

- Actually, that's a step-ladder.

"Miles Edgeworth"

- They're the exact same thing.

"Kay Faraday"

- No way! From their structure up, they're totally different! But of course, from a thief's perspective, the best kind of ladder is the rope-ladder. A step-ladder is much too heavy to carry around, after all.

"Miles Edgeworth"

- (And from a prosecutor's perspective, any type of ladder is guilty... of being dangerous during an earthquake.)

Gyakuten Kenji 2
"Tyrell Badd"

- ... What is it attorney? Did that ladder catch your attention?

"Gregory Edgeworth"

- If we are to be proper, Detective Badd, it is a step ladder.

"Tyrell Badd"

- ...They are both the same to me...

"Gregory Edgeworth"

- But they are not the same, you have to consider more the essence of things.

"Tateyuki Shigaraki"

- You really are smart, Mr Edgeworth... Thanks for the tip!

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies
"Athena Cykes"

- There really is no escaping here through the air duct.

"Apollo Justice"

- And here we went through all the trouble of bringing a ladder to check it out.

"Athena Cykes"

- That's not a ladder, Apollo. It's a stepladder.

"Apollo Justice"

- What's the difference? They both have the word ladder in them.

"Athena Cykes"

- What's the difference. ..?.. .. .. .. .. ..Oh, I know! Let's play rock, paper scissors to decide who's right!

"Apollo Justice"

- You're way too competitive. And it's not even related to the original issue, either!

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
"Maya Fey"

- There is no sign of ladder.

"Phoenix Wright"

- Or even a stepladder.

Non-ladder/stepladder variations
"Maya Fey"

- Whoa! It's a huge hearth!

"Phoenix Wright"

- That's a fireplace.

"Maya Fey"

- So? What's the difference? You need to stop judging things based on narrow-minded cultural assumptions, Nick!

"Phoenix Wright"

- R-Right... sorry.

"Kay Faraday"

- It's a cage inside the cage that is the prison. It's like cage-ception!

"Miles Edgeworth"

- I believe the correct term is "prison cell".

"Kay Faraday"

- They're the same thing! You need to look more at the essence of things.

"Miles Edgeworth"

- ...Actually, it's more important to get the correct information.