Death of the Person I Knew (Prologue)
Hello! Welcome to the prologue essay of my (likely three part) essay series on Farewell, My Turnabout and Justice for All. About a month ago, I posted this poll and I realized that I can’t complete my analysis of Farewell without first answering this question: “In Justice for All, did Phoenix and Franziska, deep down, believe that Edgeworth was dead or alive?”
My assertion is that both Phoenix and Franziska, deep down and despite any lies they told themselves, believed that Edgeworth was alive. Justice for All is a game about two people mourning the expectations and ideas that they had of the same man, which are proven wrong upon his return when he confronts them with the truth. And the explanation that Phoenix and Franziska thought Edgeworth was alive not only makes more sense given the canon but also fits the themes and storyline of Justice for All and especially Farewell better.
Part 1: Before Edgeworth’s Return
Franziska’s statements about Edgeworth prior to his return are quite straightforward:
von Karma: You wouldn't understand, Mr. Phoenix Wright. I have to see "him" again, one more time. Phoenix: "Him"? von Karma: I'm sure you know to whom I refer... Miles Edgeworth!! (Turnabout Big Top, PW:JFA)
von Karma: I don't believe it. He's still alive. I'm sure of it... Somewhere in this world, he's still alive. "Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death?" Of course he did! You ruined his reputation as a prosecutor! You effectively killed the prosecutor in him. Just like your victory muddied the honorable name Von Karma! I'm going to find him... And then, I'm going to teach him his rightful place with my own two hands! (Turnabout Big Top, PW:JFA)
Franziska clearly states that she believes Edgeworth is alive and wants to see him again. She also believes that Edgeworth meant to refer to his career as a prosecutor dying in his Note. Part of her desire to defeat Phoenix in court is because she wants to bait Edgeworth to return and set him back on the prosecutor’s path, following the “Von Karma creed.” If Franziska thinks Edgeworth is actually dead, then her statements make no sense unless she is in denial (which is something I will address in part three of this essay).
Phoenix’s behavior, on the other hand, is much stranger. It’s actually the main mystery that Justice for All poses, which is why most of this essay will be dedicated to explaining his behavior. Unlike Franziska, Phoenix’s wording is pretty ambiguous before Edgeworth’s return. He even says in Reunion and Turnabout, “He clutched onto his foolish pride too fiercely... and died for it.” So, what’s going on here? If Phoenix actually believes that Edgeworth is alive, then why is he acting like Edgeworth is dead?
Phoenix’s behavior only makes sense after taking into context this quote he says at the end of Farewell:
Phoenix: (You really let me down…) When you disappeared, I felt… betrayed. The reason I decided to become a lawyer to begin with… Was because I believed in the things you said to me, all those years ago… And you… You betrayed your own words. That’s why… one year ago, I made up my mind. I decided that the Miles Edgeworth I knew had died… …At least, that’s what I told myself (Farewell, My Turnabout, PW:JFA)
Phoenix admits that he engaged in self-deception for an entire year. Phoenix, deep down, believes that Edgeworth was alive, but denies that reality by declaring that Edgeworth is dead to him. Phoenix acts like he’s grieving because he is grieving the version of Edgeworth he had in his head. And as a result, Phoenix is an unreliable narrator in Justice for All when it comes to Edgeworth. His statements about Edgeworth being “gone,” or “vanished,” or “dead” need to be considered in this context.
But if it’s not grief over actual death, then why is Phoenix so viscerally angry? Phoenix admits it himself that he felt betrayed, something that affects him very strongly. In Recipe for Turnabout, after finding out that Furio Tigre betrayed Viola, Phoenix becomes impassioned to take Tigre down, going so far as to think, “(There are two things I consider inexcusable. Poisoning, and betrayal!)”. So I can absolutely believe that Phoenix’s anger is not from grief, but from the combination of betrayal and abandonment.
Then, what betrayal is Phoenix so angry about? Phoenix believes that Edgeworth’s act of running away meant that he was choosing to abandon the ideals and values he imparted on Phoenix during the class trial. Meaning all the effort Phoenix went through, becoming a lawyer and defending Edgeworth in Turnabout Goodbyes, was for nothing. All of Phoenix’s belief in the version of Edgeworth that saved him in the class trial, the belief he carried for 15 years even when Edgeworth became the “demon prosecutor,” was for nothing. This betrayal that Phoenix feels runs deeper than just abandonment, and it’s not just Edgeworth betraying him either; it’s Phoenix’s own worldview, his own belief betraying him.
However, the realization that the real Edgeworth couldn’t live up to his expectations doesn’t lead Phoenix to accept the reality of Edgeworth being a complicated person who wasn’t healed enough to fully embrace the principles he once upheld during the class trial. Instead, Phoenix clings to a different belief, the idea that Edgeworth never changed from being the “demon prosecutor” at all. Why does Phoenix do this? Because he doesn’t want to confront the fact that his worldview, his belief, failed him. Phoenix thought that if he believed in and trusted Edgeworth enough during Goodbyes, then he could save him. But then Edgeworth left and abandoned his role as a prosecutor; Phoenix’s belief seemingly failed, and he couldn’t bring himself to accept that. If Phoenix could rewrite reality and convince himself that Edgeworth was beyond saving all along, then it couldn’t have been Phoenix’s worldview that was wrong. It must have been solely Edgeworth’s fault. Phoenix would rather bury his belief in the Edgeworth “he knew” than throw out the flawed mindset he operates under. This is the context that clarifies Phoenix’s line in Reunion. When Phoenix refers to Edgeworth as “dead”, he is referring to the Edgeworth he believed in being dead to him. And Phoenix is blaming this loss of belief on Edgeworth for “clutching onto his foolish pride too fiercely”.
That’s why, before Edgeworth’s return, Phoenix’s main reaction and coping mechanism is avoidance and denial, not anger. Phoenix repeatedly tells Maya to stop bringing up Edgeworth because Phoenix wants to keep burying the failure of his worldview. He doesn’t want to be confronted with reality and have his lie crash down on him.
Part 2: After Edgeworth’s Return
Let’s take a look at Phoenix’s reaction to Edgeworth’s return:
Phoenix: I thought you, the Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, had gone and died! Pearl: Mr. Nick! Phoenix: I... I never wanted to see you again! Edgeworth: I think that's enough of a "warm welcome" for someone you haven't seen in a year… (Farewell, My Turnabout, PW:JFA)
At first glance, it seems like Phoenix is admitting that he thought Edgeworth was dead. However, looking more closely, Phoenix specifically refers to “the Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth.” If Phoenix didn’t take Edgeworth’s Note to be a suicide note, then what did he think it meant? Phoenix thought the note was Edgeworth choosing to resign from being a prosecutor (“killing” the prosecutor inside him) because he only cared about winning (which will be clear in the next set of quotes). Phoenix is expressing his surprise that Edgeworth would come anywhere near prosecutorial work again after that. As for Phoenix’s second line, he isn’t just saying that he doesn’t want to see Edgeworth right now. “Wanted” is in past tense, implying that Phoenix was thinking this before Edgeworth showed up, which only makes sense if Phoenix thought Edgeworth was alive.
Edgeworth: A lot of things may have happened, however Manfred von Karma was still my mentor. And a "perfect win record" is proof of a Von Karma. Phoenix: ...One year ago, you could not establish guilt in a few cases... Are those losses the reason you suddenly disappeared from the Prosecutor's Office? Did you leave because you had lost your "perfect win record"...? Edgeworth: … Phoenix: To think your motivation for prosecuting trials was so selfish... It'd been better for everyone if you never came back from the dead, Edgeworth! Edgeworth: ... I see. Then let me ask you something. Why do YOU stand in the courtroom? What is your reason? (Farewell, My Turnabout, PW:JFA)
This infamous line, “It’d been better for everyone if you never came back from the dead,” should not be taken out of context. Phoenix isn’t saying, “It would’ve been better if you stayed dead so I wouldn’t have mourned you for nothing.” He’s saying, “It would’ve been better if the prosecutor in you stayed dead if you really were corrupt all along.” Phoenix turns to anger after Edgeworth’s return because he can no longer deny the reality that Edgeworth is alive. Phoenix has to fall back on the lie that Edgeworth failed him by never changing from being the “demon prosecutor.” And if Edgeworth is still the demon prosecutor, of course Phoenix thinks it would be better for everyone (himself, Maya, his defendant, and the courts) if Edgeworth doesn’t interfere.
Similarly, Franziska’s reaction to Edgeworth’s reappearance in Farewell is this:
von Karma: ... ... ... Y... You... How dare you show your face to me without a shred of shame upon it!? You've soiled the Von Karma name, dragged it through the mud... You even ran away with your tail between your legs like the ill-bred dog you are! (Farewell, My Turnabout, PW:JFA)
Franziska isn’t expressing that she’s mad because Edgeworth led her to grieve for nothing. What she means is, “You soiled the Von Karma name by losing your win record, and you even rightfully ran away because of it. How dare you show up now, unashamed?” Edgeworth running away because he couldn’t stand the failure of losing his win record is something Franziska could still reconcile with the teachings of perfection. Edgeworth’s lack of shame is an acceptance of his imperfections and an outright rejection of the ideology Franziska still clings to. Franziska is angry that Edgeworth seemingly no longer adheres to that ideology, seeing it as yet another instance of him leaving her behind.
Additionally, neither Phoenix nor Franziska ever accuse Edgeworth of making them think he was dead or of faking his death. At the end of Farewell, Phoenix is probably the most honest about his feelings in the trilogy ever. He admits to feeling betrayed by Edgeworth’s disappearance and to deciding that Edgeworth was dead to him. But Phoenix never mentions feeling betrayed because Edgeworth faked his death. Similarly, the airport scene is where Franziska is most vulnerable about her feelings. She says she’s always hated Edgeworth for abandoning her, but doesn’t say anything about hating him for faking his death.
Any mystery the game tries to create for the players surrounding Edgeworth’s “death” is certainly over the moment he shows up again. The game has no issue explicitly referring to suicide either. If Justice for All intended to tell the story of two people grieving an actual death, then there is no reason to be so vague about it after Edgeworth’s return.
Part 3: Trust, Finding the Truth, and Farewell, My Turnabout
Now that I’ve explained Phoenix’s and Franziska’s behavior, it’s time to answer the larger question: does what Phoenix and Franziska believe about Edgeworth’s fate matter to the themes of Farewell, My Turnabout? I’d argue that both of them believing Edgeworth was actually alive serves their character arcs and the themes of Farewell a lot better.
The themes of Farewell are stated very clearly by Edgeworth himself, “Working together is the definition of teamwork. It's the power to find the truth.” Trusting others and the value of finding the truth; that is precisely what Phoenix and Franziska need to learn. (Although the part about trust is not as relevant to this essay, so I won’t touch on it much here).
Phoenix’s reaction to Edgeworth’s Note I detailed in Part 1 is not an isolated incident; it’s actually indicative of one of Phoenix’s core flaws: he’d rather cling onto an idea he has of a person or situation than accept the truth. Narratively, this flaw needs a solution, which is exactly what Edgeworth provides. Throughout Farewell, Edgeworth is constantly forcing Phoenix to confront difficult truths:
1. The fact that Edgeworth has changed from being the ‘demon prosecutor’.
Edgeworth: Thanks to you, when you sealed off my path to a perfect win record... I began to realize the error of my ways. I realized that things such as a perfect record were meaningless. Phoenix: I don't believe you. Are you saying that is why you left the Prosecutor's Office? But then, why? Why are you here now? (Farewell, My Turnabout, PW:JFA)
2. The fact that Matt Engarde is guilty.
Edgeworth: Wright. Listen, you need to know something. Juan Corrida was killed by Shelly de Killer. And the client who ordered the job… is Matt Engarde… Your own client. Phoenix: Please, stop! …I can’t listen to you. I can’t believe that. (Farewell, My Turnabout, PW:JFA)
3. And the fact that Phoenix is approaching his moral dilemma with his old mindset, which is making him unable to find a solution.
Edgeworth: We aren’t some sort of heroes. We’re only human, you and I. You want to “save someone”? That’s something easier said than done, wouldn’t you say? Edgeworth: You are a defense lawyer. You can't run away from that. You can only fight. That's all you can do. (Farewell, My Turnabout, PW:JFA)
(By the way, Edgeworth isn't telling Phoenix "you shouldn't save people". He's saying, "It's not that easy to save people. You can't expect to be a 'hero' and save them alone.”)
By telling himself that Edgeworth is dead because he was the “demon prosecutor” all along, Phoenix tries to convince himself that it was Edgeworth who failed him, not his beliefs. By denying that Matt Engarde was guilty and resisting Edgeworth’s help at first, Phoenix tries to ride through the trial on his belief alone. But by confronting Phoenix with the fact that he’s alive and changed, the fact that Engarde is guilty, and the fact that Phoenix cannot “save someone” alone, Edgeworth breaks every lie Phoenix told himself. Edgeworth forces Phoenix to confront just how flawed his worldview actually is and the fact that his beliefs alone cannot solve every problem.
Phoenix’s growth in Farewell is not only directly tied to his reaction to Edgeworth’s Note, but is made less impactful if Phoenix truly thought Edgeworth was dead. In that case, there would be no denial of the truth, because Phoenix would be genuinely misled. Phoenix’s reaction to Edgeworth’s Note would have been less tied to Phoenix’s flaw of denying the truth. Therefore, Edgeworth’s role in confronting Phoenix with the value of finding the truth would have less narrative significance for Phoenix’s character arc.
Franziska believing that Edgeworth was dead and being in denial up until seeing him again would not fit the themes of Farewell either. In that case, Franziska’s denial of reality (the very flaw Phoenix had to overcome) would have been proven correct. She would have stumbled upon the truth by engaging in self-deception, which contradicts the theme of seeking and confronting the truth.
Furthermore, if we follow the thread that Phoenix and Franziska thought Edgeworth truly died, then we would have to deal with some implications that don’t mesh with the tone or themes of Ace Attorney. For example, a Phoenix that stops believing in Edgeworth because he thinks Edgeworth died by suicide. Or a Phoenix and Franziska that are angry at Edgeworth for dying by suicide. Those implications don’t seem like they were intended because they are too dark. While Ace Attorney does deal with a lot of serious topics, it is fundamentally a positive and idealistic game.
Part 4: Counter Arguments
Before I close out this essay, I want to briefly address some counterarguments that I don’t believe I have touched on yet.
If Phoenix and Franziska truly thought that Edgeworth was alive, then why is there so much mystery surrounding his fate before his return? Why does the game seem to make the player worry about Edgeworth/think he’s dead?
Well, that’s probably because the game wants to mislead the player. Edgeworth’s fate is only ambiguous to the player and to characters like Maya, who were left in the dark about the situation. Unfortunately, I think this is where the storytelling of Justice for All fumbles a bit. Despite telling the story of two people grieving over the versions they had of someone who isn’t dead, it seems like the game doesn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to up the drama and make the players worry about Edgeworth’s fate.
However, the question of “Is Edgeworth dead or alive?” is not the main mystery of JFA. The actual main mystery of the game is, “Why is Phoenix acting like that?” and to a lesser extent, “Why is Franziska acting like that?” Finding out that Edgeworth is “dead” doesn’t hit very hard because neither Phoenix nor Franziska actually believe it, and the player is likely not meant to believe it either, only to question the fact. Additionally, the reveal, or “twist,” that Edgeworth is alive is not very emotionally impactful because it doesn’t answer the main questions of Justice for All nor help resolve Phoenix’s or Franziska’s character arcs. The emotionally impactful twists that actually accomplish that are:
The second day of the trial where Phoenix realizes that he trusts Edgeworth.
The end of Farewell where Phoenix reveals that he felt betrayed and that he was engaging in self-deception about Edgeworth’s death.
The airport scene where Franziska reveals the full extent of her “revenge” on Edgeworth.
What about all the hints that the games drop about Edgeworth being suicidal?
There is further ambiguity added to the question of Edgeworth’s fate through the parallels drawn between Edgeworth and Adrian in Farewell. Edgeworth himself even references his own wording, “choose death,” as a euphemism for suicide. However, this only brings ambiguity to whether Edgeworth was suicidal or not and whether he ever had that intent when writing the note (which, in my opinion, is entirely up to interpretation). It doesn’t influence whether Phoenix or Franziska thought he had actually died by suicide.
Conclusion
And there we have it, Phoenix and Franziska believing that Miles Edgeworth was actually alive is not only supported by canon, but also crucial to the themes of Farewell, My Turnabout.
I want to thank my friend Kimochiru (@dandyfelines) for beta reading this essay and helping me clarify a lot of my ideas <3
I also want to include a link to this post by @/96percentdone that also argues the same point. While I didn’t directly reference it while writing my own essay, theirs was the post that originally convinced me and I think it’s worth a read!
