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"Justice" redirects here. For the family itself, see Justice (family). You may also 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 who has operated in the United States and Khura'in. He started off working for Gavin Law Offices, but after his first trial, he was taken under the wing of Phoenix Wright at the Wright Anything Agency. Along with co-counsel Trucy Wright, prosecutor Klavier Gavin, and mentor Phoenix, Justice participated in a test trial for the Jurist System in 2026, which was an effort to reintegrate the jury into court proceedings. In 2028, Justice was an instrumental figure in the final days of the conflict between Queen Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in and the Defiant Dragons. Afterward, he established his own firm in Khura'in to help rebuild the country's legal system.

His bracelet, inherited from his long-lost mother, helps him to focus on the nervous habits of other people. When Justice feels his bracelet getting tighter while talking to someone, he knows that they are hiding something from him. In order to use this ability, both his eyes must be focused on the target.

Early life[]

Main articles: Turnabout Succession, The Cosmic Turnabout, & Turnabout Revolution
Baby Apollo

As a baby just before his father's death.

Apollo Justice was born to the stage magician Thalassa Gramarye and the musician Jove Justice. Some time after he was born, Jove brought Apollo with him on a trip to Khura'in, where he performed for the queen at the time, Amara Sigatar Khura'in. However, an arsonist set the queen's residence ablaze, resulting in Jove's death as he tried to save his son. Due to the uproar over the queen's death, Apollo was lost in the chaos, leaving Thalassa unable to reunite with her son, although Apollo was given one of her bracelets before the incident. Believing him to have also died, Thalassa later returned home, remarried and gave birth to a girl.

Drukpollynayu2

As a child with Dhurke and Nahyuta Sahdmadhi.

Apollo grew up not knowing about his mother or his half-sister. Instead, he was found and raised by Dhurke Sahdmadhi, husband of the reportedly now deceased Queen Amara, alongside Dhurke's own son, Nahyuta. However, Dhurke was falsely accused by Amara's sister and the new queen of Khura'in, Ga'ran, of being the arsonist. Although Dhurke, a skilled defense attorney, managed to prove his innocence in court, Ga'ran subsequently accused him of falsifying evidence and he was forced to flee to the mountains, taking Nahyuta and Apollo with him. Dhurke went on to form the "Defiant Dragons" rebel group to oppose Ga'ran and repeal her Defense Culpability Act.

Drukpollynayu

Hugging Dhurke after being rescued.

One day, Apollo and Nahyuta were playing by a riverside and happened to get swept up in the rapids. Luckily for the two boys, Dhurke rescued them at the last moment and assured the pair that he would look out for their safety no matter what.

With his plans for a revolution to free the kingdom from Queen Ga'ran's corrupt clutches, Dhurke came to the conclusion that it was too dangerous for Apollo to stay in Khura'in and so, when Apollo was nine, Dhurke sent him back to his native country, America. Although Dhurke promised that he would return for him someday, as the years passed, Apollo lost hope that he would indeed return, and thus decided to forget his old life in Khura'in.

Gs5-4j

Comforting Terran in middle school.

In middle school,[3] Apollo came to idolize the well-known defense attorney Phoenix Wright. Ever since reading the case file on the trial of Lana Skye and seeing that key evidence had been found in a car tailpipe, Apollo would come to check the tailpipes of cars hoping to find evidence himself, seemingly aspiring to someday become a lawyer just like Wright. At some other point during middle school, Apollo found a classmate named Clay Terran crying alone after learning that his mother had died. Knowing the pain of having no mother himself, Apollo encouraged Terran to yell, "Clay Terran is fine!" in an effort to make him feel better.

Apollo and Terran soon became close friends, and both shared and talked about their dreams, with the latter wanting to become an astronaut. It was through this friendship that Apollo came to visit the Cosmos Space Center and meet Solomon Starbuck, whom he came to deeply respect. The two boys 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 so-called "dark age of the law".

Law career[]

Gavin Law Offices[]

Main article: Turnabout Trump
Apollo TS end

At the beginning of his career.

As an adult, Apollo passed the bar exam, obtaining an ID of 29003, and came to work for Kristoph Gavin's law firm, Gavin Law Offices, where he was able to watch Gavin conduct cross-examinations on many occasions prior to his own debut as defense team leader. The defendant for Apollo's first trial was none other than Phoenix Wright, with Gavin initially acting as the rookie defense attorney's co-counsel. While cross-examining Olga Orly, he felt a sensation that he had never noticed before, and discovered that he was able to focus on the witness's tells. The trial would only get stranger when Wright began to accuse Gavin of being the real killer. Wright helped Apollo to figure out the truth about the case, securing a not guilty verdict and resulting in Gavin's arrest.

Apollo and daichi

With Clay Terran.

After the trial, Wright told Apollo that he had faked a key piece of evidence. Horrified that someone he respected so much would openly admit to forgery, Apollo punched Wright and then left, intending never to see him again. Gavin Law Offices was consequently dissolved, and Apollo was left without employment. Although Wright invited Apollo to work for the Wright & Co. Law Offices, the latter refused. At the time, Clay Terran was preparing for his screening exams to become an astronaut at the Cosmos Space Center, and he encouraged Apollo 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.
Bracelet

Apollo's bracelet, passed down from Thalassa.

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

At first, Phoenix assigned Apollo to three minor, unrelated, and seemingly pointless cases, but Apollo 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. Apollo gathered evidence with the help of Trucy and Detective Ema Skye, and encountered his former mentor's brother, Prosecutor Klavier Gavin, for the first time. The two faced off in court, with Trucy helping Apollo develop the power that he had discovered previously, assisted by his bracelet. Apollo eventually implicated the defendant's fiancée as the real killer. In the end, Klavier surprisingly helped Apollo to prove her guilt, leaving the latter wondering whether he had really earned his victory.

As well as being a prosecutor, Klavier also had his own band, and he invited Apollo and Trucy to one of his concerts at a discounted price. However, during the concert, a bodyguard was fatally shot, and Apollo 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, Apollo was able to show that Crescend had set up the crime in such a 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, Apollo convinced his client to testify as to his involvement in the smuggling, thereby proving Crescend's motive and securing his arrest.

The Jurist System[]

Main article: Turnabout Succession

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

Ending - Vera's Sketch

In a sketch by Vera Misham.

Eventually, Kristoph Gavin was summoned from his prison in Solitary Cell 13 and was accused by Apollo of setting up the murder seven years prior. As Apollo 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 Apollo was rendered speechless. Apollo vowed that he would learn what law was for himself and fight to change it if he had to.

The new recruit & the Twisted Samurai[]

Main article: The Monstrous Turnabout
Apollo Justice - Feathers scene

Stumbling upon the Kyubi crime scene.

The following April, Apollo 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 Phoenix had recruited during a trip to 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, Apollo and Cykes were able to prove Damian Tenma's innocence by revealing the true culprit.

Supporting roles[]

Main articles: Turnabout Reclaimed & Turnabout Academy

Phoenix, having been exonerated, regained his attorney's badge and took on his first case two months after the Nine-Tails Vale case. While Cykes accompanied him to the crime scene at Shipshape Aquarium, Apollo was left behind to look after the office. During the course of the investigation, Phoenix found a suspicious pill and gave it to Apollo to research. Apollo dutifully went to the Hickfield Clinic to investigate and found out that the pill was a powerful sleeping drug, which the aquarium's vet, Dr. Herman Crab, had bought a large quantity of. This information would later prove important to solving the case and finding both defendants innocent.

In October, the three lawyers went to attend a presentation and mock trial at Themis Legal Academy. Although only Phoenix had a seat reserved for him, he gave it to Apollo 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 Constance Courte and the circumstances of the murder seemed to match the exact details of the mock trial. Juniper Woods, an old friend of Cykes who had organized the mock trial with Courte, was subsequently arrested for the murder, and Cykes took up her defense. Apollo and a visiting Klavier brought her up to speed on the mock trial by re-enacting it with her. Apollo aided Cykes as her investigative partner and co-counsel, and the pair ultimately overcame Prosecutor Blackquill and the real killer to win 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?
Message from Polly 2

Unconscious with a false message written using his hand.

In December, the Cosmos Space Center was bombed while attempting to launch the HAT-2 rocket, and Clay Terran, one of the intended passengers, was found stabbed to death. Apollo took up the defense of the other passenger, Solomon Starbuck, who was Terran's mentor. Apollo and Cykes could not investigate much due to the heavy police presence, but they did see the murder weapon. To Apollo'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. It was later discovered it was because she used a knife exactly like the murder weapon in self-defense against the phantom and she lived in the Cosmos Space Center.

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

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

Apollo Justice Anime

"Sorry, but I'll be taking a leave of absence. [...] I can only say that this is something I must settle on my own..."

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

Apollo 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's mother and Aura's research partner, had been murdered during the UR-1 Incident. While the two were talking about the Hope probe, Phoenix and Trucy found their way into the robotic lab as well. Apollo refused to give any clear opinion about the case to them, only saying that he did not know if Athena was the culprit yet.

Aura later took hostages at the Space Center and demanded that the police hand Athena over to her, as she believed her to be behind both the UR-1 Incident and Clay Terran's murder. With Trucy as one of her hostages, Phoenix instead gave her a counter-proposal: a retrial of the UR-1 Incident. Aura agreed to this and let him 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 Athena for the murder. Phoenix managed to win the "trial", thereby proving that someone else had killed Metis.

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

Apollo, who was finally rid of his doubt, was asked to join Phoenix and eventually Athena back at the defense's bench, which he did after shedding his bandages and jacket. Via a bracelet read on Fulbright, it was revealed that the evidence that had supposedly pointed to Athena had been forged. Eventually, it was discovered that "Fulbright" was an impostor, as the real detective had died a year earlier. The three lawyers of the Wright Anything Agency worked together and managed to finally 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. Apollo was later present at the HAT-3 rocket launch, where he encouraged Solomon Starbuck as the astronaut finally returned to space.

Confronting the familiar[]

Main article: The Magical Turnabout
We need more pieces to finish this puzzle.
Bad Pearl This article is under construction. While it is not short, it still needs expansion as outlined in the manual of style. The article most likely needs expansion near the end of the tagged section or sections.

The following April, Apollo and Athena went to the Penrose Theater to watch Trucy's magic show "Trucy in Gramarye-Land", which would be her television debut. During the show, however, her co-performer, a magician named Mr. Reus, turned up dead, and Trucy was accused of involuntary manslaughter, as the victim appeared to have been killed by one of her magic tricks. With Phoenix abroad in the Kingdom of Khura'in, Apollo took on Trucy's defense. During their investigation, Apollo and Athena encountered Detective Skye, who had finally achieved her dream of becoming a forensic investigator. Apollo was shocked to learn that the case would be prosecuted by Nahyuta Sahdmadhi, whom he had not seen in fifteen years, and that the charge had been changed to premeditated murder.

Screenshot 2016-06-29-11-43-15-1

As Trucy Wright's (unwilling) magic show assistant.

After exposing the real culprit, Apollo confronted Nahyuta, saying that the prosecutor had changed since the last time he saw him. Although Trucy, Ema Skye, and Athena questioned how they knew each other, Apollo did not answer, merely musing to himself that he would have to tell them eventually. With her name cleared, Trucy went back to her magic act, with Apollo acting as her (unwilling) assistant.

Dispute with Wright[]

Main article: Turnabout Revolution
We need more pieces to finish this puzzle.
Bad Pearl This article is under construction. While it is not short, it still needs expansion as outlined in the manual of style. The article most likely needs expansion near the end of the tagged section or sections.
Apollodruk2

Exploring the cave with Dhurke.

A couple of days after Athena took on a case by herself and triumphed, Apollo and Trucy were graced by a strange visitor to the Wright Anything Agency: Dhurke Sahdmadhi, Apollo's adoptive father. Dhurke gave Apollo a picture of his birth father, Jove Justice, as well as some sushi. Apollo gave Dhurke the cold shoulder, resisting his attempts to bond with him, but agreed to help him find the Founder's Orb. Dhurke took them to Kurain Village to meet Archie Buff, who was studying Kurain and Khura'inese artifacts. However, by the time they arrived, Buff had died and Ema Skye was investigating the scene. Dhurke and Apollo would go on to investigate a cave in the nearby mountains and find the Orb. The journey drew the two closer together, but before they could celebrate, they were approached by Phoenix, who seemed to disagree with Apollo's view on the artifact's identity and claimed that it rightfully belonged to Paul Atishon. This led into a civil trial with two of the Wright Anything Agency lawyers on opposite sides of the court.

Burningtheevidence

Preparing to "burn" the Founder's Orb.

During the trial, Apollo proved that the artifact they had found in the caves was the Founder's Orb by melting the wax inside to reveal a small statue of the Holy Mother, Founder of Khura'in. During the recess, Athena overheard Phoenix and Atishon discussing an "agreement", with it transpiring that Maya Fey, Phoenix's old assistant and close friend, had been kidnapped by Atishon, thereby explaining why he was desperately trying to win the trial. Apollo was subsequently able to prove that a transaction between the Defiant Dragons and Buff for the Founder's Orb was legal, as Atishon had murdered Buff. With this, the trial was ruled in favor of Apollo, Athena, and Dhurke, who were able to keep possession of the Orb.

Return to Khura'in[]

We need more pieces to finish this puzzle.
Bad Pearl This article is under construction. While it is not short, it still needs expansion as outlined in the manual of style. The article most likely needs expansion near the end of the tagged section or sections.

After the trial, Apollo, Dhurke, Athena, Phoenix, and Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth worked out that Maya Fey was being held in the Kingdom of Khura'in, and so the group travelled to Apollo's childhood home. While there, Minister of Justice Inga Karkhuul Khura'in was found dead and Dhurke was accused of being the culprit. Apollo took on the case, with Athena assisting him while Phoenix and Edgeworth conducted a parallel investigation.

As they approached the court for the trial, Phoenix told Athena to stay behind and out of the trial proper, as he did not want her to get hurt. For the second time in Apollo's career, Phoenix stood with him as his co-counsel.

Apollobreak

Breaking down after learning of Dhurke's death.

It was revealed during the trial that Queen Amara had survived the assassination attempt made on her life. However, far more shockingly, Apollo realized that the only thing that would make the case make logical sense was if Dhurke had been channeled by Amara. This meant that Dhurke was already dead, and had been so for days, having been shot three times by Justice Minister Inga several days prior to the trial. It was during this moment that Apollo fell into deep despair, wondering what or who he was fighting for. However, with motivation from Maya, Nahyuta, and the spirit of Dhurke, Apollo successfully accused Queen Ga'ran of the murder of Justice Minister Inga, as well as being the culprit behind the fire that killed Jove Justice twenty-three years prior.

After the trial, Apollo decided to temporarily stay in Khura'in, re-open Dhurke's law office, and help the kingdom get back on its feet. However, being the only defense attorney in the country, he soon found himself inundated with clients.

Personality[]

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

Mugshot in 2028.

Apollo 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. Apollo 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 Apollo 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, Apollo has been able to stand up to him effectively, and provided much-needed support to Athena when it was her turn to head the defense's bench. Despite the way he is often treated, Apollo is a valuable friend and ally to his co-workers.

Ultimately, Apollo 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 Clay Terran's death, Apollo developed a cold demeanor and withdrew from those close to him, overwhelmed by his anger and suspicion of Athena, 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".

Apollo seems to have something of a love-hate relationship with Klavier Gavin. Apollo considers Gavin to be "cool" and is jealous of him, something that he does not want to admit to others.[4] He acts "prickly" whenever Gavin is brought up, something that his co-workers have picked up on. They have assumed that Apollo is jealous of Gavin's perceived good looks, although Apollo has denied this to be the case. [5] Apollo claims not to see Gavin as his "rival",[6] and ultimately appreciates Klavier's help.

When talking about newspapers, Apollo 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. While preparing a case overnight, he used to have instant noodles, crackers, and manga on his desk; he claimed that the latter is for research, because they were "super realistic and informative". He shares Phoenix Wright's fear of heights and disinclination to drive, preferring biking instead. He also dislikes loud music and is unable to swim.

Apollo's unusual hairstyle has inadvertently frightened many of the defendants and witnesses he had met, such as Jinxie Tenma mistaking him for a horned demon.

Relationship with the Sahdmadhi family[]

See also: Sahdmadhi (family)

Though Dhurke raised Apollo and is often referred to as the latter's "foster father" (which would nominally make Nahyuta Apollo's "foster brother"), the precise nature of their relationship has never been made clear. Dhurke's position as an enemy of the state may have precluded any official parental or guardianship status, assuming that the relevant laws in Khura'in even have any similar concept at all. Notably, though Dhurke calls Apollo his son, Apollo has never addressed Dhurke as his father, nor have he and Nahyuta ever addressed each other as brothers. Since Dhurke's visit and the trial against Ga'ran, Apollo has referred to all three of them as a "family", meaning he still appreciates their shared bond to some extent,[7] but the nature of how he considers them is left vague beyond that.

Name[]

  • Japanese - Housuke Odoroki (王泥喜 法介):
    • "Odoroki" (王泥喜) comes from the word for "a surprise".
    • The kanji that make up "Hōsuke" (法介) can be broken down into "" (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 full Japanese name can roughly mean "a surprising man of law".
  • English - Apollo Justice:
    • 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 Apollo shielded her from the explosion. Woods compares Apollo to the sun -- strong, bright and warm. Later, when she testifies about Apollo looking for her cough medicine, Phoenix Wright thinks to himself that she seems to be making Apollo out to be some sort of ancient god, before stopping himself, realizing what he just said. Apollo's namesake was also the Roman god of music, fitting with the fact that both of Justice's parents were musicians at some point in their careers. The name may also be a nod to Phoenix Wright's first name originating from mythology.
    • The surname "Justice" is a reference to his job. He likes to make puns with his last name.
  • Spanish/Italian - Pollo ~ (nickname):
    • In both Spanish and Italian, Apollo's nickname of "Pollo" means "chicken" (albeit with different pronunciation), which might be a reference to his hairstyle being like that of a chicken's comb.

Unofficial[]

  • Brazilian Portuguese - Apolo Justo // Popó (by Trucy; equivalent of Polly) // Herr Testa (by Klavier; equivalent of Herr Forehead): [8]
    • Simple adaptation of the western name
    • "Apolo" is an simple adaptation of the western name.
    • "Justo" is a common surname, derived from the Latin Iustus, which literally means "fair". Just like a common last name, it highlights the simplicity of the character, who shows himself as someone humble without much to waste.
    • "Popó", a simple adaptation.
      • It's also the sound that chickens make, which might be a reference to his hairstyle being like that of a chicken's comb.
    • "Herr Testa", direct translation of the nickname.

Development[]

Base design[]

  • Apollo 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.[9] Nuri also intentionally borrowed some elements of Phoenix's face for Apollo's face.[10]
  • Apollo 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,[11] and almost always refers to a person by their surname followed by the honorific さん san, with only five exceptions. In Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies, he uses "I'm fine!" ("大丈夫です!" Daijōbu desu!) as a catchphrase.
  • The bracelet was originally an ordinary wristwatch that was placed on his arm to improve his "Objection!" pose. At some point, however, it became a bracelet, and people started asking if it was something important, so Shu Takumi came up with the bracelet mechanic.[12]
  • One of the candidates for Apollo's name was Ikinari, meaning "suddenly".[12]
  • In the English localization of Turnabout Trump, Winston Payne makes a comment about Apollo's "demonic-looking horns", to which Apollo thinks, "So I used a little hair gel! Relax, people!" However, no mention of hair gel occurs in the corresponding Japanese text, and in fact the "horns" are evidently natural, considering his appearance as a baby in Turnabout Revolution, in which the "horns" are the only hair he has on his head. Trucy has similar, albeit much smaller, "horns" on her hair, hinting at their shared parentage.[13]
  • The main clothing color themes of Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, and Athena Cykes (blue, red, and yellow, respectively) are the three primary colors.

Dual Destinies development[]

Apollo's role in Dual Destinies was always intended to mark a drastic change in his character that would make players wonder "what's caused this change in Apollo?" from the very beginning of development. The decision to have him appear at the beginning of the game with a more stoic attitude, wearing a jacket, and having something covering his eyes, was also decided upon very early on. However, the actual cause behind this change and his reasons for the jacket and "eye-patch" underwent several drastically different iterations across development.[14]

  • Originally the jacket came from Apollo's father in Egypt. This was intended to tie into a storyline regarding Apollo's father and something called "Egypt power". Interestingly, the jacket at this stage of development also had the same design on it as is on Apollo's bracelet.
  • An "immoral female prosecutor" was going to seduce Apollo and turn him towards the dark side of the law. Although the idea for the "immoral female prosecutor" was scrapped, this role was ultimately given to Aura Blackquill in the final game, with the seduction side of it drastically subdued.
  • At one point the jacket came from some sort of organization that Apollo had joined, and bore the organization's symbol.

In Apollo's "Stylin' Street Clothes" DLC outfit for Dual Destinies, 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.

  • If the player chooses this outfit in the Extras menu and then plays any section of the game where Apollo's arms are bandaged, he will still be wearing his usual suit. This is likely because his "bandaged arms" form is a separate model, and the DLC costumes only affect the standard character models.

Other media[]

Klav and Justice Lucky Star

Apollo Justice and Klavier Gavin in Lucky Star.

Apollowelovegolf

Jack's Apollo Justice costume in We Love Golf!

  • Apollo Justice appears as an unlockable costume for the character Jack in the Capcom game We Love Golf! on the Wii, which is unlocked by winning all gold trophies in tournament mode. An unlockable Pearl Fey costume for the character Annie also exists in the game.
P&D Apollo Justice

Puzzle & Dragons Apollo Justice card art.

Notes[]

Apollophone

Apollo Justice's phone.

References[]

  1. Ash. "Sketch Artists". Gyakuten Saiban Library. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  2. "Nintendo-Difference".
  3. Apollo would have been in middle school during most of the events of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, entering high school during the events of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations.
  4. Apollo:Who would have imagined me here, at a Gavinner's concert...
    Apollo:...watching Prosecutor Gavin "rock". To be honest...
    Apollo: ...he was pretty cool. And I am pretty envious. Not that I would ever admit that to Trucy.
    Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. Capcom. Episode: Turnabout Serenade (in English). 2007.
  5. Athena: Oh, these are from Prosecutor Gavin.
    Apollo:Rose, huh? How like him: pretentious.
    Athena: They might be pretentious, but you know what? He makes it work!
    Apollo: Hmph.
    Athena: Apollo, I've noticed this for a while now, but...
    Athena: ...you get awfully prickly when it comes to Prosecutor Gavin...
    Apollo: Y-You think so?
    Athena: I mean, don't hate him just because he's beautiful.
    Apollo: T-That's not it at all!
    Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice. Capcom. Episode: The Magical Turnabout (in English). 2016.
  6. Athena: Hey Apollo, look! There's your rival!
    Apollo: Prosecutor Gavin? We've had some clashes in the courtroom, but I wouldn't say we're rivals--
    Athena: Not him! I mean that speaker over there!
    Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies. Capcom. Episode: Turnabout Academy (in English). 2013.
  7. Apollo: It's the kind of hope that perseveres through the most desperate of times... ...it's what binds [Nahyuta], me, and Dhurke together... as a family.
    Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice. Capcom. Episode: Turnabout Revolution (in English). 2016.
  8. "Nomes - Jacutem Sabão". Advogados de Primeira. Retrieved on 2022-03-21.
  9. Ash. "Capcom Legends interview with Nuri (art director DGS)". Court Records Forums. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
  10. Ash (2016-09-05). "4 Isn't A Change From The Old To The New, But A Fusion Between The Old And The New (2007)". Gyakuten Saiban Library. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  11. Ash. "Takumi Special Interview". Court Records Forums. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
  12. 12.0 12.1 Ash (2022-06-10). "Producer Matsukawa and Director Takumi Shū talk about Gyakuten Saiban 4!! (2006)". Gyakuten Saiban Library. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  13. Ash (2021-07-15). "A Long Interview With the Developers: The Core Truth of the Gyakuten Saiban series (2007)". Gyakuten Saiban Library. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
  14. (2015). The Art of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies. UDON. ISBN 978-1927925447.
  15. Kellen Haney. "TAKE THAT! Apollo Justice is coming to the Nintendo 3DS eShop this November!". Capcom News. Retrieved on 2017-08-13.
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