Every great hero needs a great rival to test their mettle, and the Ace Attorney series has seen a lot of memorable and captivating rivals in its storied history. However, with each new game in the legal-tinged visual novel franchise bringing with it a slew of new so-called legendary prosecutors, the question must be asked: which of these antagonistic attorneys is the best of the best, the cream of the prosecutorial crop?
2021 marks 20 years since defense attorney Phoenix Wright first stepped into the courtroom. There is also the official localization of the long-awaited Great Ace Attorney duology on the horizon. As such, there’s no better time than now to settle the great debate once and for all.
13 The Payne Clan (And Prosecutor Flynch)
The first hurdle all players must face upon booting up a new Ace Attorney title for the first time, the Payne family (brothers Winston and Gaspen as well as their Japanese ancestor, Taketsuchi Auchi) share a ranking. Despite their quirks and superficial differences, they all have pretty much the same role and character: sniveling, overconfident wimps who serve as the tutorial boss for the starting case.
While not part of the Payne lineage, Prosecutor Flynch (of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney fame) is stuck here as well for the same reasons (an honorary Payne, if you will). This dubious quintet are at the bottom of the barrel in terms of Ace Attorney’s prosecutors.
12 Zacharias Barnham
Despite ostensibly being the “main” prosecutor of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Inquisitor Barnham just doesn’t get enough screen time to leave as much of an impression as the rest of the series’ memorable foes.
As the crusader in charge of presiding over witch trials in the storybook land of Labrynthia, Barnham tragically only manages to square off with the brainy duo in a mere two trials. He is then abruptly booted from the story until the very end. An utter waste of a cool character design and concept, he failed to set imaginations ablaze.
11 Nahyuta Sahdmadhi
Unfortunately, boring is the best way to describe the primary antagonist of the otherwise-excellent Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice. Nahyuta’s problem seems to result from the Khura’inese prosecutor being pulled in too many directions at once: he has to play triple-duty as foe to Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes.
He struggles to develop any concrete traits, other than his spirituality and connection to Apollo’s backstory. When he finally starts to get focus near the game’s end, there’s barely any time left for him to be truly interesting before the final curtain falls.
10 Grand Inquisitor Darklaw
The final antagonist of the Layton crossover, the sinister Darklaw only edges out Barnham in that her screentime-to-development ratio actually works in her favor.
Despite only appearing for the final stretch, Darklaw’s personal history unfolds in a satisfying manner that makes her the most memorable of the game’s rivals. In a way, it seems almost appropriate that Barnham’s superior is the one to upstage him and take all the glory!
9 Franziska von Karma
This whip-wielding prosecutor’s debut in Ace Attorney: Justice For All imbues her with only two personality traits: overusing the word “fool” and violently whipping all those who slight her. Over time (thanks to the Ace Attorney Investigations spinoffs), she would grow into a fun and endearing character in her own right, but Justice For All’s short length and so-so middle section does her no justice.
You’d think that being the daughter of malicious antagonist Manfred von Karma (and adoptive sister of Phoenix’s childhood-friend-turned-rival Miles Edgeworth) would spark some interesting drama between her and our heroes, but nope! They get the whip like everyone else.
8 Klavier Gavin
Making his debut as the titular rookie’s rival in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Klavier suffers from an unusual problem: he’s just too darn nice. While a more gentle, jovial opponent may seem like a nice change of pace from the venomous prosecutors of previous entries, it results in a lack of dramatic tension throughout Apollo Justice’s cases.
Klavier himself is fine as a character, but his subdued antagonism and willingness to help the defense as often as he attacks them is his undoing. It makes his debut game feel less exciting and challenging than the rest of the franchise.
7 Barok van Zieks
As the lead prosecutor of the as-of-yet unlocalized Great Ace Attorney duology (localization has always been a strong point of the series), Barok excels in many ways. He’s quirky, threatening, challenging, and interesting in equal measure.
There’s just one problem: his racist attitude. While the game tries to justify this baroque baddie’s bigotry with a tragic backstory, it has the potential to make unaware players very uncomfortable. Time will tell if the official localization will alter or tone down Barok’s barbs in any way, but as of writing it puts a huge damper on his otherwise refined character.
6 Manfred von Karma
Undoubtedly one of the most memorable parts of the original Ace Attorney, Manfred’s nigh-demonic presence in the courtroom has made him an enduring antagonist even two decades later. While he’s only appeared in two cases in the series thus far, the so-called “God of Prosecutors” certainly knows how to make the most of his limited screentime.
The only thing holding Von Karma The Elder back from the upper pantheon is his lack of real power. Despite his boasting, Manfred’s enormous ego lands him in numerous sticky situations that sort of deflate his menace until the gloves are off for the final confrontation.
5 The Masked Disciple
There’s little that can be said about Barok van Zieks’ enigmatic assistant without giving away some of The Great Ace Attorney 2’s best moments.
Fans can rest assured, however, that his courtroom clash with protagonist Ryūnosuke Naruhodō is a highlight of one of the all-time best cases in the series. Look forward to learning more about this fascinating, enigmatic prosecutor.
4 Queen Ga’ran Sigatar Khura’in
Imagine Manfred von Karma, but with the power to literally re-write the law before your very eyes. That’s Queen Ga’ran in a nutshell. She’s the despotic ruler of the Kingdom of Khura’in, the final opponent of Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice and one of the most menacing female villains to emerge from Capcom’s stable (right up there with Lady Dimitrescu).
She boasts a potent mix of royal charisma, political influence, and the power to negate any ground gained by the protagonists by further-fracturing the kingdom’s already-broken court system. Ga’ran is a fascinating antagonist whose dirty tricks push both the defense and the player to the limit.
3 Godot
The coffee-slinging legendary prosecutor who hasn’t lost a single case (but hasn’t won any, either). While his cool factor and expert witticisms alone would land him high on any list, what sets Godot apart is his role in Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations’ story.
Beneath his cynical mask lies a bitter, tragedy-stricken shell of a man.Watching that slowly come to the forefront is part of what makes Trials and Tribulations one of the strongest games in the franchise.
2 Simon Blackquill
“The Twisted Samurai” is as compelling as antagonists get. Armed with a sharp tongue and an even-sharper blade, convicted murderer Simon Blackquill proves to be just as deadly in the courtroom as he was outside of it. H challenges the defense with his relentless pressure and a psychological bag of tricks.
Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies’ finale cements him as an excellent opponent and ally alike. Accomplishing the Herculean task of carrying several weaker cases on his back, Blackquill never fails to bring his A-game.
1 Miles Edgeworth
A character so layered and interesting that he got his own spinoffs, Edgeworth transcends any one game to become the deuteragonist for the series as a whole.
His developing relationship with Phoenix makes every new appearance a treat, and despite his checkered past, Ace Attorney’s OG rival always helps others at any personal cost. So long as Phoenix continues to walk the path of truth and justice, Miles Edgeworth will be by his side every step of the way.
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