Apollo Justice


 * You may be looking for the game Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney.

"Apollo Justice"

- I find that shouting "I'm fine!" in a loud voice really relieves stress. It's part of my "Chords of Steel" workout, and a must before every trial.

Apollo Justice is a defense attorney working for the Wright Anything Agency. He is notable for his involvement in a test trial for the Jurist System, an effort to reintegrate the jury into court proceedings, along with co-counsel Trucy Wright, Prosecutor Klavier Gavin, and mentor Phoenix Wright.

Early life

 * Main articles: Turnabout Succession and The Cosmic Turnabout

Justice was born to Thalassa Gramarye and an undisclosed stage performer. His father died because of a tragic stage accident shortly after Justice was born and his mother abandoned him soon afterwards, although she did leave him with one of her bracelets. His mother later remarried and gave birth to Trucy Wright. Justice grew up not knowing about his mother or his half-sister. In middle school, he came to idolize and respect the well-known defense attorney Phoenix Wright, and aspired to someday become a lawyer just like him.

One day, Justice found a classmate named Clay Terran crying alone after learning that his mother had died. Justice, knowing the pain of having no mother himself, encouraged Terran to yell, "Clay Terran is fine!" in an effort to make him feel better. The two soon became close friends, and both shared and talked about their dreams, with Terran wanting to become an astronaut. It was through this friendship that Justice came to visit the Cosmos Space Center and meet Solomon Starbuck, whom he soon respected deeply. Justice and Terran became practically a fixture in the Space Center throughout their high school years. Meanwhile, Phoenix Wright was disbarred in 2019 following a vaguely reported forgery incident, which contributed to the ushering in of the dark age of the law.

Gavin Law Offices

 * Main article: Turnabout Trump

As an adult, Justice passed the bar exam and came to work for Kristoph Gavin's law firm, Gavin Law Offices. Gavin acted as his co-counsel during his first trial, in which the defendant was the disgraced former lawyer and Justice's idol, Phoenix Wright. The trial was a very standard one until Wright began to accuse Gavin of being the real killer. Wright helped Justice to figure out the truth about the case, securing the not guilty verdict and resulting in Gavin's arrest.

After the trial, Wright told Justice that he had faked a key piece of evidence. Horrified that someone he respected would openly admit to forgery, Justice punched Wright and then left, intending never to see Wright again. Gavin Law Offices was consequently dissolved, and Justice was left without work. Wright invited Justice to work for the Wright & Co. Law Offices, which he refused. At the time, Terran was preparing for his screening exams to become an astronaut at the Cosmos Space Center, and he encouraged Justice to continue being an attorney despite recent events.

Joining the Wright Anything Agency

 * Main articles: Turnabout Corner & Turnabout Serenade

"Phoenix Wright"

- You know what changed her mind? Hearing your defense in there today. She could feel your gaze, unwavering, always looking straight at the truth.

After two months, with nowhere else to turn for a job, Justice reluctantly visited Wright's old law firm. He found that it was now a "talent agency" run by Wright's adoptive daughter Trucy. After some initial confusion, Trucy hired Justice as the agency's lawyer. Since Justice had no entertaining talent to speak of, Trucy renamed the agency the Wright Anything Agency to account for Justice's involvement in it.

At first, Wright assigned Justice to three minor, seemingly pointless cases, but Justice later found that all three were tied to a murder that had occurred in nearby People Park. Desperate for real work, he offered to take on the resulting defendant's case. With the help of Trucy and Detective Ema Skye, Justice gathered evidence and then faced off against Kristoph Gavin's brother, Prosecutor Klavier Gavin, in court. Justice implicated the defendant's fiancée as the real killer, and as Klavier began to figure out that Justice was right in his accusation, he helped Justice prove her guilt. However, this left Justice wondering whether he had really earned his victory.

As well as being a prosecutor, Klavier also had his own band, and he invited Justice and Trucy to one of his concerts at a discounted price. However, during the concert, a bodyguard was fatally shot, and Justice once again defended the accused in court against Klavier. A blind witness implicated one of Klavier's band members, Daryan Crescend, as the real killer. While Crescend had set up an alibi for himself, Justice was able to show that Crescend had set up the crime in such as way as to throw off the time of the shooting, and that he had been smuggling an illegal Borginian cocoon, which had led to the confrontation that had killed the victim. Lacking decisive evidence, Justice convinced his client to testify to his involvement in the smuggling, thereby proving Crescend's motive.

The Jurist System

 * Main article: Turnabout Succession

Three months later, Justice participated in a test trial for the Jurist System, defending Vera Misham against the charge laid on her for the murder of her father Drew Misham, with Klavier once again as the prosecutor. Although Wright promised Justice a "simple" case, it quickly ballooned into a complex monstrosity, as the murder weapon, a Troupe Gramarye commemorative stamp laced with atroquinine, was tied to Vera's secret life as a forger, as well as the case that had cost Wright his attorney's badge. It was revealed that Wright had continued his investigation into his last case for the intervening seven years, and that the forged evidence that he had presented during said trial had been given to him without him knowing it was fake.

Eventually, Kristoph Gavin was summoned from his prison in Solitary Cell 13, accused by Justice of setting up the murder seven years prior. As Justice and Klavier closed in on the truth, they found that they had no decisive evidence to prove that Kristoph had done the deed. However, they had no need for this under the Jurist System. As Kristoph utterly broke down upon finding out that mere members of the public would decide the outcome of the case, Klavier and the judge gave their justifications for the new system, though Justice was rendered speechless. Justice vowed that he would learn what law was for himself, and fight to change it if he had to.

The new recruit and the Twisted Samurai

 * Main article: The Monstrous Turnabout

The following April, Justice stumbled upon a murder scene in the village of Nine-Tails Vale. He agreed to defend Damian Tenma, who had been accused of killing alderman Rex Kyubi, and met up with Athena Cykes, a new lawyer whom Wright had recruited from Europe who would act as his assistant and co-counsel during the case. The duo met the stalwart detective Bobby Fulbright and faced off against the convict prosecutor Simon Blackquill. Eventually, Justice and Cykes were able to prove Damian Tenma's innocence by showing that Florent L'Belle was the true culprit.

Supporting roles

 * Main articles: Turnabout Reclaimed & Turnabout Academy

Wright, having been exonerated, regained his attorney's badge and took a case in July. Cykes accompanied him to the crime scene at Shipshape Aquarium, while Justice was left behind to look after the office. During the course of the investigation, Wright found a suspicious pill and gave it to Justice to research. Justice went to the Hickfield Clinic to investigate and found out that the pill was a powerful sleeping drug, and that Herman Crab had bought a large quantity of them. It turned out that the reason for this was so that Crab could pretend to euthanize the orca Orla Shipley using the pills.

In October, the three lawyers went to attend a presentation and mock trial at Themis Legal Academy. Although only Wright had a seat reserved for him, he gave it to Justice while he and Cykes waited for Constance Courte, one of the teachers. As the mock trial started to draw to a conclusion, police officers interrupted the proceedings and alerted everyone to a murder that had occurred on the school grounds. The victim was Courte, and the circumstances of the murder seemed to match the exact details of the mock trial. Juniper Woods, an old friend of Cykes's who had organized the mock trial with Courte, was subsequently arrested for the murder, and Cykes took up her defense. Justice and Klavier brought her up to speed on the mock trial by re-enacting it. Justice aided Cykes in her investigation and at the defense's bench, and in the end, they overcame Blackquill and the real killer and won the trial.

Clay Terran's death

 * Main articles: The Cosmic Turnabout, Turnabout Countdown, & Turnabout for Tomorrow

"Apollo Justice"

- The truth, huh? That's a noble cause. But what if the truth you seek and the truth I seek turn out to be different?

In December, the Cosmos Space Center was bombed while attempting to launch the HAT-2 rocket, and Terran, one of the intended passengers, was found stabbed to death. Justice took up the defense of the other passenger, Solomon Starbuck, who was Terran's mentor. Justice and Cykes could not investigate much due to the heavy police presence, but they did see the murder weapon. To Justice's surprise, his bracelet reacted when Cykes saw the murder weapon and denied having seen it before. It would continue to react whenever they talked about the case.

Wracked with guilt at the thought that he considered his friend and co-worker suspicious, Justice chose to wear a bandage over his eye so he would not be able to sense any of Cykes's tells. During the trial, Justice cross-examined Fulbright to get as much info as possible, and he noticed that Blackquill seemed particularly determined to convict Starbuck. Justice managed to make significant progress, but suddenly, a time bomb was activated, interrupting the trial as Courtroom No. 4 was evacuated. Justice was injured as he attempted to protect Woods from falling debris.

Woods was arrested for the bombing and put on trial the next day. Justice, who now sported bandaged arms and Terran's tattered Space Center jacket, intended to take the defense's bench, but due to his injuries, Wright and Cykes took over. During the trial, Woods told Justice that she had lost her cough medicine in the courtroom bombing, and the two went back to Courtroom No. 4 to look for it. Eventually, Woods was called back to testify. Justice continued to search alone, when suddenly he was attacked from behind and knocked unconscious. He was hospitalized while Wright won the trial (and in the process revealed that the true culprit had been the one who had attacked Justice) and took over Starbuck's case.

Justice eventually discharged himself from the clinic and announced that he was taking a leave of absence, saying that he planned to catch Clay Terran's killer in his own way. Wright eventually cleared Starbuck of all charges using decisive evidence submitted by Fulbright, only for the evidence to indict Cykes instead. This seemed to confirm Justice's suspicions even further, and he investigated the Space Center to find out more about Cykes's connections to the place. He found security footage of Cykes as the only person leaving the Space Museum, which was the only reasonable path through which the killer could have escaped.

Justice eventually learned about the UR-1 Incident and met Simon Blackquill's sister Aura at the robotics lab. It turned out that Metis Cykes, Athena Cykes's mother and Aura's research partner, had been murdered during that incident. While the two were talking about the Hope probe, Wright and Trucy found their way into the robotic lab as well. Justice refused to give any clear opinion on the case, only saying that he did not know if Cykes was the culprit yet.

Aura later took hostages at the Space Center, including Trucy, demanding that the police hand Cykes over to her. Wright gave her a counter-proposal, a retrial of the UR-1 Incident. Aura agreed to this and let Wright choose a courtroom, though she was in control of the rest of the details, including having Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth take the prosecutor's bench, and indicting Cykes for the murder. Wright managed to win the "trial", proving that someone else had killed Metis.

Before the "trial" ended, however, Justice took the opportunity to take the stand and indict Cykes for Terran's murder. He gave his arguments for his suspicions, then eventually admitted that he just wanted to make sure that he could really trust Cykes, and implored Wright to prove that some other possibility existed so the doubt in his mind could be cleared. Wright was able to do just that, showing the real route that the killer, an international spy known as the phantom, had used. The phantom had manipulated the evacuation during the bombing to create an escape route for himself. Wright then accused the one who had been in charge of the evacuation, Bobby Fulbright, of being the phantom.

Justice, who was finally rid of his doubt, was asked to join Wright and eventually Cykes back at the defense's bench, which he did after shedding his bandages and jacket. Through a bracelet read on Fulbright, it was revealed that the evidence that had supposedly pointed to Cykes had been forged. Eventually, it was discovered that "Fulbright" was not even the real Fulbright, as the detective had died a year earlier. The three lawyers of the Wright Anything Agency worked together to bring the phantom to justice after a long battle. After the case's resolution, the three attorneys agreed to do their best to help put the so-called "dark age of the law" behind them. Justice was later present at the HAT-3 rocket launch, where he encouraged Solomon Starbuck as the astronaut finally returned to space.

Personality
"Apollo Justice"

- No matter what the truth is that's waiting ahead, I won't be afraid!

Justice is largely characterized by his seriousness and desire to build his self-confidence. He deals with the bizarre situations that are thrown at him by being somewhat sarcastic and critical toward others, including some of his clients. This often puts him at odds with people like Klavier and the Wrights, who often tease him and make him wonder if he is being taken seriously. He frequently makes puns out of his own name and practices shouting for hours at night, calling it his "Chords of Steel", which sometimes makes his voice raspy. While mostly to "improve" his voice in court, these exercises also function to both psyche himself up and make himself feel better. Justice often uses the phrase "I'm fine!" as a way of psyching or cheering himself up, with his friend Clay Terran also developing this habit.

When Justice started out, he was unsure of himself and easily flustered, and suffered somewhat from stage fright in court. However, he has matured greatly with experience, and has gotten much calmer and more self-assured. Despite still being caught off-guard by Simon Blackquill's swordplay metaphors and slashing motions, Justice has been able to stand up to him effectively, and provided much-needed support to Cykes when it was her turn to head the defense's bench. Despite the way he is often treated, Justice is a valuable friend and ally to his co-workers.

Ultimately, Justice is determined about his job, and cares deeply about his friends and clients. For example, he cried in relief after finding out that Trucy was safe following her "abduction", as well as when Vera Misham survived her atroquinine poisoning. After Terran's death, Justice developed a cold demeanor and withdrew from those close to him, overwhelmed by his anger and suspicion of Cykes, which she sensed when he announced his leave of absence. However, he still wanted to believe in her and make sure that he could trust her. When discussing the change, Trucy mentioned that it was unlike him to be so "cool and mysterious".

Rivalry with Klavier
Justice has a strange dynamic with his rival Klavier Gavin, in that the prosecutor does not seem to see Justice as a rival at all. He often calls Justice "Herr Forehead" in reference to an objection made by Justice about where a murder victim had been shot, as well as to the defense lawyer's own rather large and exposed forehead. However, Klavier is generally rather friendly towards Justice outside of the courtroom, even talking openly to him about cases on which they are both currently working. Justice, on the other hand, often shows jealousy and a sense that Klavier is "stealing the show", while also showing a certain level of disdain toward Klavier's brand of loud rock music. Overall, however, they have a friendly relationship, with Justice expressing genuine remorse over the disbanding of the Gavinners that was due, in part, to his own actions.

Miscellaneous
When talking about newspapers, Justice has admitted that he only reads the funnies. He claims to be good with astrology and hula hoops, and used to watch a certain science-fiction show, which he was reminded of when Trucy used the phrase "bigger on the inside than on the outside" to describe her top hat. He also shares Wright's fear of heights and disinclination to drive, preferring biking instead. Justice's unusual hairstyle has inadvertently frightened many of the defendants and witnesses whom he had met, such as Jinxie Tenma, who mistook him for a demon. However, unlike Wright, who claims his hair is "natural," Justice openly admits to using hair gel.

Bracelet
The bracelet Justice has helps him to focus on the nervous habits of other people. When Justice feels his bracelet getting tighter during a cross-examination, he knows to focus on the witness. Justice inherited the bracelet from his mother.

Name

 * His Japanese surname, "Odoroki" (王泥喜), comes from the word for "a surprise".
 * The kanji that make up "Housuke" (法介) can be broken down into "hou" (法) meaning "law", and "suke" (介), which is a common suffix for male Japanese names. This makes the meaning of his first name literally "boy of law" or "law boy".
 * His Japanese full name can roughly mean "A surprising man of law".
 * The name "Apollo" comes from Apollo, the god of, amongst other things, light, the sun and truth in Greek and Roman mythology. This is referenced in Turnabout Countdown, when Juniper Woods describes the moment that Justice shielded her from the explosion. Woods compares Justice to the sun -- strong, bright and warm. Later, when she testifies about Justice looking for her cough medicine, Phoenix Wright thinks to himself that she seems to be making Justice out to be some sort of ancient god, before stopping himself, realizing what he just said. The name may also be a nod to Phoenix Wright's first name originating from mythology.
 * Additionally, the given name may be a reference to NASA's Apollo program, which Trucy mentions in Turnabout Corner when suggesting that Justice's crest should be the Lunar Lander. This, likely unintentionally, also links with his time spent at the Cosmos Space Center as a child.
 * The surname "Justice" is a reference to his job. He likes to make puns with his last name.
 * In both Spanish and Italian, Justice's nickname "Pollo" means "chicken", which might be a reference to his hairstyle being like that of a chicken's comb.

Development

 * Apollo Justice was the first protagonist designed by Kazuya Nuri. He tried to strike a balance between looking cool and being easy to get attached to by playing with the character's expressions.
 * Apollo Justice has several defining qualities to distinguish his personality from Phoenix Wright's while still being an otherwise relatively blank slate. He is described in official websites as hot-blooded, a quality embodied in his "Chords of Steel" routine and his crimson red suit. He also has some distinctive elements in his speech in Japanese versions of the games in which he appears. For example, he uses the personal pronoun 俺/おれ ore, and almost always refers to a person by their surname followed by the honorific さん san, with only two exceptions. In Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies, he uses "I'm fine!" ("大丈夫です！" Daijōbu desu!) as a catchphrase.
 * The main clothing color themes of Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, and Athena Cykes (blue, red, and yellow, respectively) are the three primary colors.
 * In Justice's "Stylin' Street Clothes" DLC outfit, his backpack has a little keychain that bears a resemblance to Trucy's Mr. Hat puppet and a button similar to those belonging to Ema Skye.

References to popular culture

 * During Turnabout Serenade, Trucy states that her hat is "like a little universe! Bigger on the inside than on the outside!" At this, Justice muses that this reminds him of a sci-fi show he used to watch. This is a reference to the long-running British sci-fi show Doctor Who, in which the main character travels the universe in his spacecraft/time machine, one of the most notable features of which is that its interior is much larger than its exterior.

Other media

 * In episode 19 of the anime Lucky Star, Hiyori produces two drawings to show Yutaka and Minami. These are of chibi versions of Klavier Gavin and Apollo Justice, complete with "Objection!" written beside the picture of Justice. The episode premiered in Japan on August 12, 2007, four months after the release of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney in Japan. The scene can be viewed here.
 * Apollo Justice appears as a character costume in the Capcom game We Love Golf on the Wii, along with Pearl Fey.