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The Foreign Turnabout
Image Gallery Transcript
For the demo version of this episode, see The Foreign Turnabout (demo).

Phoenix Wright
I don't know what happened in the past, but it looks like everyone in this country considers lawyers to be liars. So I can understand if you don't believe me. But... I still believe in you, and your innocence. So all I have to do is keep believing, and find the truth. That's all there is to it.

Episode 1: The Foreign Turnabout is the first episode of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice. Phoenix Wright heads to the Kingdom of Khura'in to check up on his old friend, Maya Fey. While sightseeing, his tour guide, Ahlbi Ur'gaid, is arrested on suspicion of stealing the precious Founder's Orb and murdering a guard named Paht Rohl. When he checks up on the subsequent trial, however, he finds that the boy has no lawyer, and he would be condemned solely on the basis of a vision of the victim's last experiences in the living world. The veteran attorney leaps into action, hurtling headlong into a very different courtroom experience from what he has been used to.

Due to the episode doubling as an introduction to Khura'in, The Foreign Turnabout has a few distinctive features compared to the introductory episodes of other games in the Ace Attorney series. It the only such episode to have an in-game scene between the intro cutscene and the trial portion, dedicated to Wright's first experiences with the country. Wright is also alone for the entire trial, making it the only instance in which a partner is not available at any point in an episode. That said, the episode particularly draws some parallels to The First Turnabout. The intro cutscene first shows the blood spatter, then the weapon, then the body, and then the killer looming over the body. Pees'lubn Andistan'dhin's dialogue parallels Frank Sahwit's prologue message as well, letting the accused take the fall for their actions. Also like The First Turnabout, The Foreign Turnabout has only one act with no save prompt at any point, though it is still a much longer episode, comparable to other introductory episodes.

Prologue[]

Phoenix Wright
On the western edge of the Far East lies a peaceful country of spirit mediums and mystery -- the Kingdom of Khura'in. But now, the flames of revolution are threatening to consume it whole. But things like "revolt" and "revolution" were the furthest things from my mind when I first arrived in this land.

The crime[]

Here in Khura'in, death is not the end. Even after death, the soul lives on in the Twilight Realm, and priestesses can commune with the spirits of the dead. Fear not death. In the name of the Holy Mother, fear only the impurities of your soul.

In the darkness, a man struck another man dead. As the killer stood over the body, he resolved to frame a child for his crime.

April 23[]

"Welcome to Khura'in"[]

Ahlbiandphoenix

Ur'gaid meeting Wright.

4:26 PM

After a long plane trip, Phoenix Wright arrived in the Kingdom of Khura'in. While he was taking photos in the bazaar, he was greeted by Ahlbi Ur'gaid, a nine-year-old tour guide and monk-in-training at Tehm'pul Temple. Although Wright had come to see Maya Fey and celebrate the end of her ascetic training with her, he had arrived early out of concern for her. He planned to spend this time sightseeing while Fey continued to train in the mountains.

The temple[]

4:45 PM

Ur'gaid then took Wright to Tehm'pul Temple. After a brief history lesson, Ur'gaid explained that the main "attraction" of sorts was the Dance of Devotion rite, which took place once in the morning and once in the afternoon. While they were discussing the temple and Fey, bells rang out, signaling the start of the Dance of Devotion. Ur'gaid rushed Wright to the temple to watch "Her Benevolence" perform the dance, but not before giving Wright a lyrics card with an English translation of the Song of Ceremony, sung during the rite. However, during the dance, police officers suddenly barged in and arrested Ur'gaid on the charge of treason. Ur'gaid was taken into custody just as the dance came to a close.

April 24[]

"A Foreign Court"[]

10:10 AM
Phoenixwalksin

Wright arriving at Ur'gaid's trial.

Out of concern for the boy, Wright headed to the High Court of Khura'in to watch his trial. At the accused lobby, the bailiff refused entry, but Wright managed to distract him by mentioning he was a lawyer and enter the courtroom proper. He was shocked to hear the judge declare Ur'gaid guilty so quickly based off of something called a "Divination Séance" performed by Rayfa Padma Khura'in, the royal priestess who had performed the Dance of Devotion the previous day. Wright was further surprised to find that Ur'gaid's attorney was missing.

As the judge was about to pass his sentence, Wright took to the defense's bench and demanded to see Ur'gaid's attorney. The judge explained that the court saw no need for defense attorneys due to the Divination Séances. In response, Wright insisted that he represent Ur'gaid, though Ur'gaid oddly protested. Though the judge wanted to kick him out, the chief prosecutor, Gaspen Payne, said that he would like to give Wright a chance and proceed in the manner of his previous country. It was then that he revealed that Wright was a practicing lawyer in his home country, which threw the entire court in an uproar. The judge was reluctant to let the trial go on, as he had scheduled to attend a class together with his wife. Rayfa agreed to Payne's proposal, saying it could prove to be amusing, as it had been at least twenty years since a defense attorney had been present in the courtroom, leaving His Magistry no choice but to continue. Wright then noticed that the gallery was very hostile toward him and wondered why.

"Opening Statements"[]

Treasure room

Tehm'pul Temple's treasure room.

Dead Rohl

Crime scene photo.

Payne opened with Ur'gaid's charges of larceny and murder. He explained that the Founder's Orb, a national treasure of Khura'in in which the Holy Mother's soul, or mitamah, was said to be contained, was stolen from the treasure room of Tehm'pul Temple. In the treasure room, the police had found the dead body of an armed temple security guard named Paht Rohl, who was assigned to guard the Founder's Orb, and the now-empty treasure box that had housed the orb. Payne presented a photo of the crime scene and Rohl's autopsy report, which stated that he was killed due to cerebral contusion from a head injury between 12 and 1 PM the previous day. It was further explained that no one outside the royal family was allowed to so much as look at the treasure itself, which only left the treasure room for a New Year's rite. The only photos of it in existence came from an eight-year-old newspaper article from when it had first been found. Payne added that this was only one of a string of thefts of historic artifacts from the temple. He claimed that Ur'gaid worked as a tour guide to help with his family's finances, but had turned to theft for more income.

Wright, wanting to learn more about the crime itself, asked about the murder weapon. Payne responded that the treasure box had a large bloodstain on it, making it the murder weapon. He claimed that Ur'gaid went to the treasure room to steal the treasure at the top of the altar stairs, but ran into Rohl. In order to get away with the theft, he killed Rohl and fled after forcing the box open and emptying it of its contents.

The judge moved to declare his verdict, but Wright protested that he wished to cross-examine the accused. To Wright's dismay, the judge had trouble remembering what a cross-examination was, as nothing of the sort had been performed in over 20 years. Reluctantly, he allowed Wright to proceed, but first he called his wife to apologize for missing the class. Ur'gaid took the stand, where he stated his name and occupation for the record once more. Wright tried to assure him that everything would be fine as long as he told the truth. But to Wright's astonishment, even Ur'gaid turned hostile toward him, saying that he would not have offered Wright a tour had he known that he was a lawyer.

Treasure box newspaper

The photos of the treasure box in the newspaper.

Wright nonetheless got Ur'gaid to testify, though the boy lied and claimed that he had never gone near the treasure box "with the green butterfly motif". Wright called Ur'gaid out on this inconsistency, explaining that the newspaper photos of the treasure box were in black and white. Ur'gaid admitted that he had seen the treasure box before but insisted that he had not been in the treasure room at the time of the murder. Payne countered this by presenting a notice scroll that had been found near the victim's body, which bore Ur'gaid's fingerprints.

"Divination Séance"[]

Divination Séance (TFT)

The image shown in the Divination Séance.

Wright looked to the Divination Séance as his only chance at gaining a foothold, and requested a chance to see it for himself. Rayfa obliged and performed the Dance of Devotion, causing a pool at the center of the courtroom to show images of the victim's last moments, along with words depicting his other sensations at the time. In the scene that played out, Rohl saw Ur'gaid with his arms up, seemingly about to strike him over the head, though the hands were not visible.

The judge warned Wright that if he persisted in Ur'gaid's defense, he would suffer the consequences of the Defense Culpability Act if Ur'gaid was found guilty. This ordinance stated that those who defended a guilty criminal would suffer the same punishment as the criminal. Many defense attorneys had already been executed or imprisoned as a result of this law. Payne revealed that this had been part of his plan for revenge against Wright for humiliating him and his brother in court. Wright insisted that he would defend Ur'gaid, recalling his own creed to defend those who had no one to defend them, even if it meant risking his own life.

Rayfa interpreted the vision in what was called her "Insights". She claimed that Ur'gaid had murdered Rohl after the morning Dance of Devotion took place, and that the victim had felt pain as he blacked out. Wright pointed out that the victim had heard the Song of Ceremony, to which Rayfa simply responded that Rohl had heard a practice run of the ceremony through the temple's loudspeakers.

Despite this setback, Wright had gotten the hang of the process of finding mistakes in the Insights. He corrected Rayfa, saying that the vision showed Rohl feeling pain after his vision had gone black. Payne countered that the vision going black was actually due to a blackout at the temple, but this only exposed another contradiction. Rohl had heard the Song of Ceremony even after his vision had gone black, after the loudspeakers should have failed. Wright concluded that the crime had actually occurred on the steps that were within earshot of the practice session.

Rohlwithgun

Rohl holding Ur'gaid at gunpoint.

Rayfa then demanded to know why Ur'gaid had his arms raised in the vision. Wright thought back to Ur'gaid's arrest, and answered that Ur'gaid could have raised his hands after being threatened at gunpoint as he did when he was arrested. Rohl must have threatened Ur'gaid with his pistol for some reason. Everyone was shocked at Wright for proposing another plausible interpretation of the vision. Payne and Rayfa demanded that Wright be punished for questioning the Insights, but the judge declined, saying that Wright had opened up legitimate questions that had to be answered. The judge had Rayfa removed as she began throwing a tantrum at Wright for humiliating her.

"Insightful Truths"[]

Wright was relieved that the trial would now proceed using arguments. However, Payne argued that the fact that Rohl had threatened Ur'gaid with a gun made him more suspicious, not less. At this, Wright again looked to Ur'gaid to give testimony, pleading with the boy to trust him because that was the only way that either of them would escape this nightmare. Fortunately for both of them, Ur'gaid had been inspired by Wright's resolve to help him despite the DC Act, contradicting what he had heard about lawyers up to that point. He agreed to tell the truth, revealing that he had sneaked into the treasure room on multiple occasions to behold the treasure box for its beauty, despite being told by Rohl not to do so. On the day of the incident, he had attempted to sneak another peek but encountered Rohl on the stairway closer to the main hall where the choir was practicing. To his shock, Rohl had covered his own face with a scarf and threatened him at gunpoint, asking, "Did you steal it?" Just then, the lights had gone out and Ur'gaid had fled under cover of darkness.

Payne claimed that this testimony was damning enough to prove Ur'gaid's guilt, but Wright suggested that a third party might have killed Rohl from behind. Ur'gaid wasn't able to see if another culprit was in the hallway, but claimed that his dog Shah'do detected the presence of another person. Payne insisted that Ur'gaid was lying, revealing that he had another witness who would provide conclusive testimony against Ur'gaid.

"Cross-Examining Andistan'dhin"[]

Payne's star witness, Pees'lubn Andistan'dhin, was the head monk of Tehm'pul Temple. Among his many duties, he played a string instrument similar to a guitar, called a dahmalan. He would give dahmalan lessons, one of which happened to be the class the judge had missed due to the unexpectedly lengthened trial. He also held the key to the treasure box, which he called the "Magatama Key".

Rayfa dance photo

The photo of the Dance of Devotion.

Andistan'dhin testified that he had returned to his chamber after the morning Dance of Devotion. From there, he had heard footsteps, and had determined that Ur'gaid had gone into the treasure room. Wright wondered if the murder could have taken place before the Dance of Devotion, but Payne submitted a photo taken by a tourist, which showed that Rohl had been alive at the time. In addition to this, Andistan'dhin revealed that he was the one who had restored the power to the temple, as the circuit breaker was close to his chamber.

Tehm'pul Temple map

A map of Tehm'pul Temple.

Wright asked how Andistan'dhin had deduced what he did from the footsteps. He answered that he had simply looked out of his window; a hallway window at the entrance to the treasure room was visible from there, and he claimed that he had seen Ur'gaid entering the treasure room. At this, Wright presented the notice scroll, which contained instructions to close all of the hallway shutters during the Dance of Devotion. Wright suggested that Andistan'dhin had been near the breaker, accusing Andistan'dhin of being the third party on the scene who had struck Rohl from behind and stolen the treasure. Andistan'dhin grew angry at this, pulling up a pair of loudspeakers and revealing a harsher personality similar to a rock star, unlike the hippie persona he displayed earlier.

"The True Face of Andistan'dhin"[]

Declaring his rage at Wright for calling his faith and integrity into question, he psyched the crowd into an uproar by playing on their hatred for lawyers, and proceeded to testify once more. He admitted that he had been at the music storeroom to place his dahmalan for safekeeping after the ritual, and witnessed the exchange between Ur'gaid and Rohl, at which point the blackout occurred. Payne also pointed out that the blackout was an accident and had not been planned. Wright theorized that Andistan'dhin had used the breaker to cause the blackout so that he could sneak up behind Rohl. He further proposed that Rohl must have been holding onto the treasure box, which was known to glow in the dark, allowing Andistan'dhin to see his target. He then came to the shocking conclusion that Rohl had stolen the treasure box, which partially explained his strange behavior of masking his identity and threatening Ur'gaid.

"The Treasure Box's Secret"[]

Aa6case1

Andistan'dhin fatally bludgeoning Rohl with his dahmalan.

To prove his line of thinking, Wright requested for permission to examine the treasure box, though he closed and locked it in the process. Wright then attempted to open the box with Andistan'dhin's Magatama Key, but found that inserting the key into the hole on the lock didn't work. Andistan'dhin commented that the thief must have broken the lock while forcing the box open. Inspecting the box further, Wright found the bloody outline of a hand, which matched the shape of Rohl's blood-covered hand in the photo of the crime scene, proving that Rohl had been holding the box when he was killed. This also meant that box could not have been the murder weapon. Examining the photo that Payne had shown earlier, Wright noted that the dahmalan that Andistan'dhin was using in the photo was different from the one he was holding in court. Wright proposed that the one in the photo had been used to bludgeon Rohl to death.

Unfortunately for Wright, Andistan'dhin revealed that he had burned the other dahmalan, with Payne adding that, since Wright proved that Rohl was the thief, Andistan'dhin no longer had any motive for murder. Rethinking the assumptions made up to that point, Wright proposed that the treasure box was already empty at the time. Rohl, having escorted the box before for the New Year's rite, realized the difference in weight and suspected Ur'gaid of stealing the Orb, which explained why he asked Ur'gaid if he had stolen it. As the head monk, Andistan'dhin was in charge of guarding the Founder's Orb; he had killed Rohl to prevent news of the lost Orb from spreading and portraying him as incompetent.

"The Final Cross-Examination"[]

Phoenix and the box

Wright solving the riddle of how to open the treasure box.

At this, Andistan'dhin made his final stand, testifying to his diligence in guarding the Orb, and insisting that Ur'gaid must have forced the box open. Wright denied this assertion but could not explain why Andistan'dhin's key did not work, or how the box could actually be opened. Andistan'dhin insisted that the Key was the only way to open the box, but referred to it as the "Mitamah Key". To explain the significance of this slip of the tongue, Wright presented the translated lyrics to the Song of Ceremony, specifically the line reading, "When the butterfly embraces the mitamah / The favor of the orb is bestowed." Proposing that this line explained how to open the treasure box, Wright flipped the key vertically to resemble a mitamah, then found a butterfly pattern on the box in which the key could be placed. Doing so unlocked the box in front of the entire gallery, much to their surprise.

The conclusion was now clear: The treasure box had not been forced open, because the allegedly broken lock was just a decoy. Andistan'dhin was the only one capable of opening the box since he held the only Key to it, which meant that he was the only one who could have stolen the Founder's Orb. In addition, the fact that the box had been found open with no signs of forced entry placed him at the scene of the crime. Unable to refute Wright's case, Pees'lubn Andistan'dhin proceeded to play a full-blast solo on his dahmalan, before using it to smash his loudspeakers and break his instrument on the stand, causing it to knock him on the head and stun him. Angrily, Andistan'dhin blamed Rohl for stealing the treasure box and threatening to blow his cover.

Wright's victory came as a shock to the entire courtroom, which had not seen an acquittal since the implementation of the Defense Culpability Act. Gaspen Payne was horrified that his perfect record had been ruined, as his crown and toupee fell off to reveal his completely bald head. The judge admitted his shock, but acknowledged that Wright had proven the truth, and declared Ur'gaid not guilty.

"Post-Trial Wrap-Up"[]

1:36 PM

Even after the trial, the gallery was in an uproar, having witnessed a defense attorney's victory first-hand. Ur'gaid thanked Wright for his efforts, but was unable to explain why the country held lawyers in such disdain. Wright hoped that this trial would demonstrate that lawyers were needed in court even with the Divination Séances. At this, Ur'gaid warned him to be careful about saying this out loud because he was starting to sound like a group of rebel insurgents called the Defiant Dragons.

Their conversation was interrupted by Inga Karkhuul Khura'in, the Justice Minister. Inga explained that after his subordinates investigated Rohl and Andistan'dhin, they confirmed that Rohl had been stealing from the temple. In addition, he claimed that the insurgents had stolen the Founder's Orb by forcing Andistan'dhin to open the treasure box. Inga coldly complimented Wright on his "not guilty" verdict but warned him against meddling in Khura'in's affairs any further. As Inga left, Wright reminded Ur'gaid of the tours he had promised to take Wright on, hoping that Maya Fey was doing all right.

Meanwhile, news of Wright's victory had reached the rebel hideout. Discussing the matter with his associate, Dhurke said, "The winds of change have begun to stir."

Development[]

  • The Foreign Turnabout was the first episode that was worked on, but various details about the world and plot had already been established at that point, allowing the writers to sprinkle in and hint at some of them.[1]
  • The animated Dance of Devotion scene leading to Ahlbi Ur'gaid's arrest is based on a 3D model animation prototype. The animation also had to match the length of the "Dance of Devotion" track.[1]
  • The opening scene was designed to be understandable to people who had not seen the anime prologue, but the beginning of the episode contains small references to the prologue. When Wright exits the plane, he takes a phone call and smiles.[1] Later, while talking to Ur'gaid, he mentions that he managed to contact Maya Fey. He then mentions to himself that he was going to visit her anyway, but came early because he "was worried about her, too."
  • Wright taking photographs of the Warbaa'd is a reference to a short story that Takeshi Yamazaki wrote for Nintendo Dream, published in its July 2016 issue.[1]
  • Puhray Zeh'lot makes a small cameo appearance in this case before his formal introduction in The Rite of Turnabout. During the introduction of the case proper, the scene where he (or rather, his corpse) is kneeling down in the prayer position at the Plaza of Devotion is one of the images that appear on the rotating treasure box.
  • To date, this episode has the youngest defendant in the entire series, with Ur'gaid being only 9 years old.
  • At one point, Andistan'dhin asks Wright whether or not his musical tastes are more suited to Orchestra or Jazz Soul. This is a direct reference to two of the official Ace Attorney arrangement soundtracks.

Cultural references[]

  • During the Divination Séance, the gallery cheers Rayfa on, saying, "Long may you live and prosper!", to which Phoenix Wright responds to himself, "Hey! I want to live long and prosper too!" The phrase "live long and prosper" is the catchphrase of the Star Trek character Spock. Coincidentally, the release date of Spirit of Justice, September 8, 2016, is exactly fifty years after Star Trek first aired.
  • When being questioned by Wright, Andistan'dhin at one point asks, "Whatchoo talkin' bout, Phoenix?" This refers to the catchphrase of the character Arnold Jackson of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes: "Whatchoo talkin' bout, Willis?"
  • When Andistan'dhin and Payne reveal how the teachings of the Holy Mother spoke to them, Wright thinks to himself "Ladies and gentlemen, I present: Brother Dumb and Brother Dumber..." This is a reference to the movie Dumb and Dumber.
  • When Andistan'dhin reveals his "rock star" persona, Wright thinks "And now for something completely different", a reference to the same quote from a 1971 British comedy based on Monty Python's Flying Circus.
  • While Andistan'dhin is on the witness stand Wright thinks to himself that he doesn't know a lot about music followed by "...but I've got chills, and they're multiplying..." Those words are a reference to the lyrics of the song "You're the One That I Want" from the musical film Grease.
  • At one point Andistan'dhin declares, "I ain't gonna take it! No, I ain't gonna take it!" referencing the song We're Not Gonna Take It by American band Twisted Sister.
  • When Ur'gaid asks Wright to give him the time he's been forced to waste back, Wright remarks to himself that he's a "lawyer, not a time lord". This is a reference to the Time Lord alien race from the British sci-fi show Doctor Who.
    • The gallery's frequent chanting of "EXTERMINATE! ANNIHILATE!" also appears to be reminiscent of the series's longtime antagonists, the Daleks.
    • This is also another Star Trek reference, specifically to Dr. McCoy's periodic objection of "I'm a doctor, not a [whatever happens to be relevant]!" (bricklayer, miracle-worker, etc.) when asked to do something he deems outside his expertise.
  • When it is revealed that the Khura'in judge is unaware of what a cross examination is, Wright via inner monologue retorts ("A judge who doesn't know what a "cross examination" is... what fresh hell is this?"); "What fresh hell is this" is a famous quote used by early 20th century American wit and poet Dorothy Parker.
  • At one point, the judge incorrectly addresses Wright as "Mister Light". Wright then corrects him, stating that his last name is "Wright". This could be a reference to Mega Man, another Capcom franchise: one of the main characters is named "Dr. Light" in English localizations, but is known as "Dr. Right" in Japan.
  • During the "What I Saw, Baby" cross examination, Andistan'dhin sings, "Give Pees'lubn a chance..." This is likely a reference to the song Give Peace a Chance by John Lennon.
  • When Wright points out that Andistan'dhin called the Magatama key the Mitamah key, Andistan'dhin says, "You're riding the crazy train to nowhere, lawyer-man!" This could be a reference to the song Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne.
  • Andistan'dhin taunts Wright by telling him to "run, run, as fast as [he] can". This is reference to the rhyming taunt in the folktale of The Gingerbread Man, "run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!".

Errors[]

  • After Ur'gaid explains when he met Rohl at the stairs, Wright's inner monologue incorrectly uses Ur'gaid's name tag.
  • After Payne suggests Ur'gaid committed a theft, causing Rohl to point his gun, he says, "Allow me spell out this "truth"" instead of "Allow me to spell out this "truth"".
  • When Shah'do appears, Payne says, "Don't tell me this a surprise witness" instead of "Don't tell me this is a surprise witness". This is not present in the Android/iOS releases.

References[]

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