| Excelsius Winner |
Image Gallery | Sprite Gallery |
| Excelsius Winner |
| When you get to my level, you don't uncover the truth. You make it, little by little. |
Excelsius Winner was a prosecutor who served as Chief Prosecutor and Chairman of the Committee for Prosecutorial Excellence during his career. He is the father of prosecutor Eustace Winner. In 2019, he was found to have abused his power for the purpose of various criminal activities and disposing of those who defied him. His actions had far-reaching consequences, especially for the many people affected by the IS-7, DL-6, and SS-5 Incidents.
Black market auction[]
One of Excelsius Winner's black market auctions.
Excelsius held secret auctions of evidence from various past cases. He provided auction participants with masks with voice-changers attached in order to conceal their identities. Excelsius usually wore a wig, but took it off when conducting auctions so as not to be recognizable (although he still wore a mask like the other participants). However, taking off the wig would reveal a burn scar, which only a few people knew about. His dealings eventually attracted the attention of photojournalist Alf Aldown, who conducted a secret investigation on him.
Case manipulation[]
IS-7 Incident[]
- Main articles: IS-7 Incident & Turnabout Legacy
| Manfred von Karma |
| Chief Prosecutor... I am sorry. |
| Excelsius Winner |
| von Karma! It's not like you to make this kind of error... I never would have thought that Edgeworth would be the one to catch you. |
| Manfred von Karma |
| I... was careless. |
| Excelsius Winner |
| I'm sorry, but you will have to be penalized. I've covered for you in the past, but not this time. |
During Excelsius's time as Chief Prosecutor, Detective Ian Sideman reported to him about the IS-7 Incident, which occurred on December 24, 2000, in particular the disappearance of the victim's body. Excelsius neglected to tell this to the prosecutor in charge of the case, Manfred von Karma, who indicted Samson Tangaroa after believing that an autopsy report was going to be given to him. Von Karma eventually found out about the missing body, but it was too late to back out of the indictment. Excelsius coerced Hilda Hertz into forging an autopsy report, allowing von Karma to take a fabricated case to court against defense attorney Gregory Edgeworth.
Edgeworth was able to deduce that the body had gone missing, and that the autopsy report had been made up. Von Karma was able to use his influence on the police force to discredit the accusations, but Edgeworth managed to prove that the prosecutor had had Sideman coerce Tangaroa into confessing to being an accomplice to the murder. Von Karma still won the case, but Excelsius penalized him for his mistake. The rest of the blame fell on Sideman for the false confession. His involvement in the falsified autopsy report would go undiscovered for many years.
The penalty Excelsius gave von Karma was the only one he had ever received in his career and created a blight on his otherwise perfect record. Von Karma was enraged at this as he valued perfection above all else, and later murdered Edgeworth in retaliation, an event which had far-reaching consequences for Gregory's son, the entire Fey clan, and Phoenix Wright.
SS-5 Incident[]
- Main article: SS-5 Incident
The conspirators.
In 2007, a body double of President Di-Jun Wang of Zheng Fa approached Excelsius for assistance in covering up a planned assassination of his employer. The plan was to hire assassin Bodhidharma Kanis to kill the real president so that the body double could replace him. Excelsius bribed Fifi Laguarde, the owner of the Happy Family Home orphanage, into helping them, as the body double had learned that Wang was planning to go there in secret to meet his son, Shaun Fenn, at midnight on February 10. Excelsius stalked Amelie Fenn, Shaun's mother, but Amelie realized that she was being watched and returned home. Meanwhile, the assassin encountered the president at the appointed time and killed him.
Excelsius and Laguarde arrived to dispose of the body. They planned on killing Kanis as well, but a boy at the orphanage started a fire, distracting them long enough for the assassin to escape. Aldown then arrived at the scene. Believing that the president was being kidnapped, he called his girlfriend, Rosie Ringer, to tell her about it. While he was leaving a voicemail message, the body double struck him from behind with a brick, killing him. The three conspirators decided to run with the kidnapping ruse and staged a photo showing the body double apparently being threatened by an unknown assailant, played by Laguarde, outside the orphanage grounds. Aldown's body was moved inside the orphanage grounds, and his own photos were replaced by the staged one they had created.
In the days that followed, Laguarde ruthlessly interrogated the child who had set the fire, while the government of Zheng Fa paid the "kidnapper's" ransom to return the "president". Da-Long Lang, a police officer and close friend of the president, took responsibility for not preventing the "kidnapping" and was demoted. However, he continued to investigate Aldown's death and eventually arrested Fifi Laguarde as the only possible suspect. Excelsius took charge of the prosecution, manipulating evidence so that Wang's blood would be presented as Aldown's, and using the forged photo to claim that there was no connection between the kidnapping and the orphanage. This ensured Laguarde's acquittal, and Lang subsequently resigned in shame. Meanwhile, the boy ran away from the orphanage, and though Excelsius had his henchmen search for him, he was never found. Excelsius had the SS-5 Incident files sealed so that no one would be able to figure out the truth.
As chairman[]
The Committee for Prosecutorial Excellence.
Excelsius later left the post of Chief Prosecutor and became the Chairman of the Committee for Prosecutorial Excellence. He also arranged to have Laguarde assigned as the warden of the local prison, with Kanis being eventually caught and sent to that very prison. Kanis told Laguarde that he knew about the existence of the real president's son, and could thus prove that the "President Wang" who had been returned to Zheng Fa was a fake. Kanis used this knowledge to blackmail Laguarde into doing favors for him and the other prisoners, such as obtaining items from outside.
When the Bigg Building was built in 2018 at the former site of the Happy Family Home, the black market auctions took place in the Committee chamber of the Committee on the 50th floor. The floor right above it was rendered inaccessible by normal means and was used as a warehouse to store the goods. By this time, Rosie Ringer had become a member of the Committee, with the aim of seeking revenge for Aldown's death. She eventually found out about Excelsius's illegal activities.
Attempts to stymie Edgeworth[]
- Main articles: Turnabout Trigger, The Captive Turnabout, and Turnabout Legacy
On March 25, 2019, the body double became involved in a fake assassination incident that resulted in the death of one of his bodyguards. Thanks to the efforts of prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, another bodyguard, called Bronco Knight, was revealed to be the culprit and was arrested for the murder. Excelsius agreed to help cover up the incident for the body double by making it seem as if Knight had tried to really assassinate the president, instead of the plan actually being a scheme by the president and Knight to boost flagging approval ratings back in Zheng Fa. Knight was sent to Laguarde's prison.
Two days later, Laguarde reported to Excelsius about her suspicion that Knight was in league with Kanis, as well as telling him to dig up the real president's body, as it could be discovered due to construction in the area. Knight was found dead hours later, and Excelsius sent Committee member Verity Gavèlle and his own son Eustace to take over the ensuing investigation and prevent Miles Edgeworth from participating. Although Laguarde intended to frame Kanis for the murder, Gavèlle and Eustace went after Simeon Saint. However, Edgeworth returned as an assistant to Saint's hired defense attorney, Eddie Fender, and successfully had Laguarde indicted for the murder. Eustace gave the evidence for the case to his father for safekeeping, but Excelsius, intending on ensuring an acquittal for his former co-conspirator, threw the evidence away.
On April 2, an incident at Samson Tangaroa's old mansion brought the IS-7 Incident back to the forefront. Under Excelsius's orders, Gavèlle again tried to take over the investigation and replace Edgeworth with Eustace. However, the victim's body was discovered, proving that the autopsy report from the IS-7 Incident really had been faked all along, and Gavèlle allowed Edgeworth and Fender to investigate, since they had been Gregory Edgeworth's son and investigative partner, respectively. They eventually had Carmelo Gusto arrested as the culprit. Seeing Edgeworth as a threat, Excelsius scheduled a hearing at the Committee to have Edgeworth dismissed.
Ringer's murder[]
- Main article: A Turnabout Forsaken
| Excelsius Winner |
| Oh-ho-ho. Well, Miles, my boy, time to pay the piper. Ahh, I've always wanted to say that. |
The corpse of Rosie Ringer.
On the night of April 4, 2019, Excelsius held another auction. He had learned from an anonymous source that Ringer was planning on killing him, so he prepared a countermeasure ahead of time. He blackmailed Hertz's granddaughter, Florence Niedler, into serving as an accomplice. When Ringer won one of the items, she and Excelsius went to the warehouse to arrange payment. Ringer confronted Excelsius, saying that she recognized his burn, only for the latter to mortally strike her with his auction gavel.
Excelsius had Niedler take Ringer's place, and provided a wig for her so that she could blend in perfectly due to her similar physique. The body was stored in a costume trunk, which Niedler was instructed to buy. When the two returned for the trunk, they found that Ringer had climbed up to the viewing platform before succumbing to her wound, with an unconscious Kay Faraday on the warehouse floor. Excelsius discovered letters that had apparently been exchanged between Ringer and Faraday. He believed that Faraday and Ringer had collaborated to steal back Faraday's promise notebook (given to her as a child by her father but seized as evidence after his murder) and decided to pin the murder on her.
Both Faraday and Ringer were locked in the trunk until the next day. Excelsius lowered Ringer's body to the Committee chamber, where she would later be found, and planted one of the letters on her. He also planted incriminating evidence on Faraday and had Niedler take her outside, where she woke up with amnesia. Niedler "found" Faraday and took her to Miles Edgeworth, as his business card was on her.
Edgeworth decided to investigate the cause of Faraday's amnesia, leading him to the fake crime scene. Excelsius tried to arrest Faraday for Ringer's murder, but Edgeworth defied him to the point of giving up his prosecutor's badge and conducting his own investigation in secret with Faraday, eventually discovering the hidden warehouse. Excelsius had him arrested for conducting an illegal investigation and aiding and abetting a criminal suspect, pending his hearing, which was postponed for the next day.
Monster's footprints[]
- Main article: Turnabout for the Ages
With Edgeworth and Faraday taken care of, Excelsius went to the place where the flowerbeds had been on the orphanage grounds. He knew that the body had been buried under one of the three flowerbeds on the left side from the entrance, but he did not know which one. This area was being used as a temporary film lot, and had been designated for a construction project soon afterward, so Excelsius broke in and started digging using his mechanic's gloves and some tools from his house. When he was about to leave with the body, however, Shaun Fenn, who had been adopted by Gavèlle and had become an actor, entered the lot to practice by himself. Excelsius hid inside a costume and waited until Fenn left.
Downfall[]
- Main articles: A Turnabout Forsaken & Turnabout for the Ages
| Excelsius Winner |
| If you never even realized that much, there's no hope for you, I'm afraid. None at all. You're no son of mine. Even you must see that. |
The next day, Excelsius visited Edgeworth at the holding cell and ended up engaging in a battle of wits with him. Excelsius discovered that Edgeworth was immune to his intimidation tactics and was forced to admit that he was trying to frame Faraday. During his hearing, Edgeworth accused Excelsius of being the auction ringleader. As time went on, Excelsius lost the rhetorical vicegrip that he had on everyone: first Faraday, then Niedler, then lead investigator Franziska von Karma. Even Gavèlle turned on him, revealing that she had been trying to take Excelsius down the whole time she was in the Committee. Eventually, even Eustace figured out that Excelsius was the killer. Excelsius chased Eustace away by revealing that he had bribed the teachers at Eustace's school into giving him his top marks, but it was too late for him as Edgeworth proved his guilt. As a result, Excelsius screamed and launched an enormous blast of fire from his lighter, which was so hot that it steamed up the tears trapped in his goggles. He didn't realize until too late that his fake beard had caught fire and burned his wig completely, not only leaving him bald but also revealing the burn mark from his earlier confrontation with his victim.
Right before Laguarde's trial, Excelsius had his underlings kidnap Fenn and blackmailed Gavèlle into trying to get Laguarde acquitted. However, his subordinates accidentally abducted Eustace instead. Edgeworth found Eustace and helped him regain the courage to face his father in court. Edgeworth also soon deduced the true location of Fenn, who was promptly rescued by detective Dick Gumshoe. Thus, Excelsius lost his influence over Gavèlle.
Eustace desperately searching for the evidence his father had thrown away.
Eustace had gone to the dump to find the evidence that Excelsius had thrown away, only to find a single piece of newspaper containing one of Kanis's bells. However, the newspaper itself had a handprint made of motor oil that was matched with Excelsius's gloves, successfully proving that Excelsius had thrown away the evidence. Excelsius screamed Eustace's name after taking out his lighter and burning his beard and hair to a crisp. Eustace was still grateful for all that his father had done for him, even if Excelsius hated him. This event stripped Excelsius of his authority, allowing the secret SS-5 files to be unsealed. Edgeworth went on to solve the SS-5 Incident, and the last of Excelsius Winner's schemes was laid bare.
Personality[]
Mugshot.
Excelsius Winner was extremely selfish and controlling. He loved to use and abuse his power to destroy anyone who challenged or defied him. He used his influence to manipulate cases and cause people to "disappear", including his own wife and a rival detective. At least some of these "disappearances" involved being jailed indefinitely for made-up crimes. He also deceived Manfred von Karma by giving him falsified evidence, and then stripped him of his perfect record when he was caught using a forced confession. Exerting control over everyone else was almost a compulsive need for him, and he was easily angered when he lost control.
His corruption was matched only by his sheer arrogance. He took every opportunity to gloat and humiliate other people. For example, he greeted Franziska von Karma in front of everyone else during a murder investigation in a very embarrassing manner by talking about how she used to sit on his lap as a child. Excelsius would even treat his own son this way, constantly calling him an idiot, though Eustace seemed used to it. When revealed to be a murderous criminal, Excelsius told his son, in the cruelest manner possible, that he had only received all of the good grades and awards he was so proud of thanks to his personal connections and influence. While his co-conspirators faced severe emotional and psychological issues due to the monstrous nature of their crimes and the risks involved, Excelsius remained utterly assured of his infallibility and his ability to crush all opposition to his plans.
He had a tendency to play with his lighter, which flared up when he became nervous. When it accidentally set his fake beard on fire, he would use the tears trapped in his goggles to put it out. His goggles were often filled with tears, as he would often cry to make himself appear sensitive. Excelsius would also tend to tug on his beard when nervous.
Excelsius owned a motorcycle and red biker gloves with a skull motif and the word "DEATH" written on the fingertips.
Name[]
- Japanese - Bansai Ichiyanagi (一柳 万才):
- His given name "Bansai" (万才) literally means "ten thousand abilities," but is also similar phonetically and character-wise to "Banzai" (万歳), a traditional Japanese cheer or expression of celebration that literally means "ten thousand years (of long life)." Combined with his surname "Ichiryuu" (一流), which means "first class," his full name could be translated as "forever number one" (万歳一流)- a reference to his superior attitude.[1] Additionally, the first syllables from his given and family names (Ichiyanagi Bansai), if combined together, can be read as "Ichiban" (一番) which means "first" or "number one."
- English/French - Excelsius Winner / Excelsius Victor:
- His given name "Excelsius" is derived from the Latin word "excelsus", meaning "elevated" or "lofty", which alludes to the character's high rank and feelings of superiority, much like his last name. It also incorporates the term "celsius", the metric unit used to measure temperature, likely alluding to the flames generated by his lighter.
Unofficial[]
- English - Blaise Debeste:
- His name in the unofficial English fan translation patch is "Blaise Debeste." "Blaise" is presumably a play on "blaze," a word used to refer to a fiercely burning fire; this is likely a reference to his lighter, which blasts out a massive torrent of flame during his breakdown. "Debeste" is a play on "the best". "Blaise" may also be a play on "bless" or "praise" which, when combined with "Debeste," alludes to the meaning of his Japanese name. Additionally, if only the initial for his given is used alongside his full surname, his name can be shortened into "B. Debeste," which could be read as "be the best." Blaise is the name of a mathematician who was a child prodigy and wrote work as a teenager that was at such a level that Descartes believed it was written by his father. This could be seen as an ironic inversion of Blaise Debeste's relationship with his son, who is falsely touted as a prodigy due to Blaise's influence and manipulations. Finally, and perhaps unintentionally, "Blaise" is also the name of a saint who was a bishop in Sebastea (modern-day Sivas, Turkey); "Sebastian" means "someone from Sebastea," thereby linking the names of Blaise and Sebastian Debeste.
- Brazilian Portuguese - Brás Melior
Development[]
- Excelsius and his son Eustace are the only named prosecutors in the series to date to actually openly wear their prosecutor's badges (with the only other example being the prosecutor in charge of the UR-1 Incident trial, as seen in Athena Cykes's flashbacks). In fact, along with Excelsius's own prosecutor's badge pinned on his red jacket, there are many other prosecutor's badges arranged in the manner of military medals, which he acquired from other prosecutors who were deprived of their badges by the Committee for Prosecutorial Excellence. Along with his aviator-like biker goggles, this serves to give him a military-like appearance.
- In-game, when a character is speaking, the noise used as the text appears on the screen usually differs depending on the gender of the speaker; deeper if male and higher pitched if female. Oddly, the tone used for the unseen Chief Prosecutor during Manfred von Karma's flashback to receiving his penalty in Turnabout Goodbyes is the higher pitch, despite clearly being referred to by von Karma as "Mr. Chief Prosecutor" and it being made clear that Excelsius Winner was that individual in Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Gambit.
- Despite his age, Bansai refers to himself as "boku" in the original Japanese version, a first-person pronoun usually reserved for young men. Combined with his playful manner of speech, it has the effect of making him sound like he is trying to be childish and cute.
- To date, Excelsius is one of only two Ace Attorney characters to be alluded to prior to being given a name and face in a different game, with the other being Jove Justice. Coincidentally, both characters are fathers, but this was not initially known about Excelsius.
- When acting as the ringleader of the auctions, Excelsius wears a mask depicting Zurvan, the Time Lord, the nemesis of the fictional hero Global Hero Onyakopon; Simeon Saint wears a shirt depicting Onyakopon's face, hinting at their enmity with one another.
References[]
- ↑ Ash (2016-08-01). "Portraying Mitsurugi Reiji's Conflict and Various Parents & Children (2011)". Gyakuten Saiban Library. Retrieved 2022-11-17.