| Hickfield |
Image Gallery | Sprite Gallery |
| "Hotti" |
| Hmm, yes... Well, it's the quality, not quantity that counts. Uh huh... |
"Director Hickfield", also known as "Director Hotti", is the self-proclaimed director of the Hotti Clinic and Hickfield Clinic. He is not the real Director Hotti/Hickfield, however, as his interactions with nurses imply that he is actually a patient at the hospital, and the nurses have authority over him. He has even freely admitted to not being the real director. Nevertheless, at one point, the normally astute Miles Edgeworth believed that this individual was indeed the real director.
A unique source of information
- Main article: Reunion, and Turnabout
| Phoenix Wright |
| (The nurse went off somewhere... Oh the inhumanity. Only person I can talk to... ...is this guy... ...Uuuugh...) |
The "doctor" is in...
The patient that would later pretend to be Director Hotti was present when Mimi Miney was transferred from the general hospital for plastic surgery due to her severe burns. "Hotti" stole the driving licence photo used by the plastic surgeons to reconstruct Mimi's face into that of her dead sister Ini Miney.
At some point during his stay at the Hotti Clinic, this same patient stole the Director's white lab coat and a stethoscope. As he wandered the reception area, he met Phoenix Wright. Wright had been given the address of the clinic by Lotta Hart and told that that was where "Ini" had been hospitalised, and so he had come to the clinic to search for information on Miney. The escaped patient introduced himself as Director Hotti and, taken in by his act, Wright was surprised at being able to meet with the director of the clinic himself, and asked for information on Miney. Their conversation was interrupted, however, by a nurse telling "Hotti" that he shouldn't be wandering about and that he should be in his room. Wright was surprised that a nurse could talk to her boss like that but soon figured out what was going on when the nurse demanded that "Hotti" return the director's lab coat. To Wright's dismay, the nurse then wandered off, leaving only "Hotti" to talk to.
Wright resignedly began to question the man, who it quickly became clear was somewhat of a pervert. He eventually admitted to not being the real director, although Wright was hardly shocked, claiming that "anyone with half a fly's brain" could have worked that out. "Hotti" told Wright about "Ini's" admission to the clinic and of her plastic surgery using the driving licence. He also provided two vital clues to "Ini's" true identity; her driver's license photo and a newspaper clipping on the crash in which the Miney sisters had been involved. Wright thanked this odd fountain of information, who then returned to his room. As Wright mused to himself that it was time for him to leave also, he was disturbed to find himself mimicking "Hotti's" manner of speech. Catching himself doing this, the lawyer decided it was definitely time to leave.
Return of the pervert
- Main article: Farewell, My Turnabout
| Hotti |
| And when I snuck up on her real secret-like, she would scream really loud. Hmm, yes. |
After Franziska von Karma was shot by Shelly de Killer, she was brought to the Hotti Clinic for treatment. Although she made a full recovery, she was unfortunately subjected to "Director Hotti", who found her "cute". At one point he sneaked up behind her, only for her to scream and whip the strange fake doctor. When Wright came to visit von Karma, Hotti appeared (much to Wright's dismay) and related the story to him. Shortly afterwards, Miles Edgeworth arrived to see his adoptive sister, but unlike Wright, he seemed unable to realize that "Director Hotti" was a fake. Von Karma then appeared and whipped "Hotti" until he passed out.
New name, same man
- Main article: Turnabout Corner
Eight years later, when Phoenix Wright was hit by a car, Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright visited him at the Hickfield Clinic. There they found Phoenix talking with a pink-haired man calling himself "Director Hickfield". "Hickfield" then approached the pair and began acting in a creepy manner towards Trucy before leaving.
Personality
| Phoenix Wright |
| (There is something very peculiar about this guy... Because I know it's not me...) |
Mugshot.
"Hickfield" likes "examining" pretty girls and claims his speciality to be in "young, silky-smooth hottie patients". He has made advances towards Franziska von Karma, Mimi Miney and even Trucy Wright, among others, and reacted very excitedly when shown a picture of Mia Fey. On the other hand, when shown a picture of Maya Fey, he claimed that she was "not the best" but that she'd be a "great candidate for surgery". The "Director" also declared that he was jealous of Wright when the latter stated to have been whipped by von Karma.
Aside from his interest in female patients, his other most noticeable quirk is his almost-constant scratching, which he not only does whilst idle, but also uses to punctuate his speech. His speech is also filled with pauses and "hmmm"s, which Wright temporarily found himself copying without realizing after prolonged interaction with the man. During his first meeting with Wright, "Hotti" had a habit of completing the lawyer's monologues or seemingly reading his mind as Wright examined the clinic.
"Hickfield" also likes to spread gossip about the attractive female patients in the clinic, although he claims to "become 'embarrassed'" when talking about them, to which Wright begged him not to elaborate further. Despite the "Director"'s unique personality, he proved valuable to Wright on one occasion due to his knowledge of female patients, and Wright admitted to himself that he "could learn about how to stay on a lead" from him, however obsessed "to the max" the "Director" was.
He apparently invented his unique hairstyle and claims that his tuft of hair shows off his "smartness". Although he has tried to persuade Wright to take up the same style, the latter politely declined.
Name
- In the Japanese version, he is "named" after the Hotta Clinic (the Japanese name for the Hotti Clinic). The name of the clinic may be a play on the word "bottakuri" (ぼったくり), meaning "overcharged" or "ripped off".
- "Hotti" is likely meant to be a play on "hottie", referencing the fake director's obsession with attractive female patients.
- "Hickfield" is derived from the Japanese counterpart "Hikita", borrowing "Hick" from the sound of "Hiki" (引) and borrowing "field" from the meaning of the kanji used to write "ta" (田).
- His French name is similar to the English counterpart's; "Sashoff" is a play on "ça chauffe" meaning "it's hot".
Development
- Hotti/Hickfield occasionally "knocks" on the fourth wall. He can "hear" Wright's inner monologue and is aware of the clinic's static background, since if the background hospital patient on crutches is examined, he points out that the patient hasn't moved since the last time Wright was there, and says "doesn't it make you wonder if any treatment is really going on in this place?"
- It is not entirely certain whether Hotti and Hickfield are the same character. Since they have the same sprites (with very minor differences) and personality, this seems to indicate that they are one and the same.
- During Turnabout Reclaimed, Apollo Justice visits the Hickfield Clinic in order to find out about a pill found in Orla Shipley's stomach. During his investigation, Justice states that he talked with "Dr. Hickfield himself" and found out about Azura Summers' heart condition. As this happens off-screen, it is unknown if he is referring to the real Dr. Hickfield or the usual imposter.
Cultural references
- At one point, while speaking about the picture of Ini Miney that he had stolen, "Hotti" refers to it as his "treasure" and "preciiious". This is likely meant to be a reference to J. R. R. Tolkien's character Gollum, who often refers to the One Ring in this way.