Birth of a Theme (The Inherited Turnabout)
Though the full impact of its theme is only brought home in the final episode, it actually becomes a clear part of the story long before that. While the theme is a secret in episodes 1 and 2, it gains a clear presence in episode 3, 'The Inherited Turnabout.' I will examine that episode first, as it is chronologically the first to take place.
The Inherited Turnabout revolves around Gregory Edgeworth's final case, a case which Miles "inherits" as the title suggests. Using the clues his father gathered in the past, Miles finally solves the case in the present 18 years later. But a lot more things from this past case are inherited in the president day than just one case. This case sets all the events of this game, and arguably the whole series, in motion.
First, the obvious connections: This is the case ultimately leading to the trial where Gregory Edgeworth revealed Manfred von Karma's shady practises to the court and earning him his first penalty - after which Von Karma murdered Gregory Edgeworth and put his son Miles on the prosecutor's path. For a game revolving around Edgeworth's doubts about his role as a prosecutor, including the case that caused him to switch to this path was a brilliant decision. Miles' switch to the prosecutor's path is what pushes Phoenix to become a lawyer, so you could say the whole series has its origins in this case.
But the case isn't just a neat starting point for the series, it also has many important connections within the context of AAI2's own story and heavily involves the theme of parenthood, not just for Miles Edgeworth. There are a few parental figures aside from Gregory that are isolated to this case, so let's briefly addres them: First there is the defendant, Jeff Masters, who took in Katherine Hall as an adopted daughter. She, in turn, loves him enough to set a potentially fatal trap for the murderer who committed the crime Masters was accused of. Manfred von Karma also plays an important role. His bond with Franziska isn't really relevant to the case, but it is important to the story that we see a clash between the two people who raised Miles.
The parental figures that really tie into the game's own overarching story are Dane Gustavia and Isaac Dover, two chefs who compete in the contest. They both have a son - both of which later become a critical part of the story, or to be more precise, already are a critical part of the story - you just find that out much later. Gustavia's son is Simon Keyes and Dover's son is Horace Knightley.
The two chefs cooperate in the dessert baking contest, as Dover is really a sculptor and Gustavia has a weak sense of design, but Dover betrays Gustavia at the last moment. Not only does he let Gustavia help him with the finale in advance before refusing to help, he also forces his son Horace to restrain Simon, preventing him from helping his aguesiac father by tasting the desserts. Gustavia, in turn, murders Dover. He proceeds to abandon his own son, completely indifferent to his fate - although his breakdown might be implying that he actually hates himself because of what he's done.
Though his memories of the event are muddled, Simon begrudges Knightley for his role in the murder that led to his father abandoning him and orchestrates Horace's murder in the second case by convincing Patricia Roland that he is one of Sirhan Dogen's men, something he knew she was extremely paranoid about for reasons revealed in later cases.
Simon's vengeful plans reach their final stage in the fourth and fifth cases of Investigations 2. In the fourth case, The Forgotten Turnabout, Simon kidnaps Kay. He then plants her at a location where another murder is about to occur by his design - and ensures that the murderer, Blaise Debeste, tries to frame Kay by planting letters indicating she and the victim Jill Crane were working together. Though this cooperation turns out to be false, it's interesting what Kay's supposed motive for cooperating with Jill was - namely, to retrieve the Promise Notebook she and her father made.
The Promise Notebook ends up being an important part of the care later on, as it gives Kay the final push to regaining her lost memories. The notebook as well as the Yatagarasu's Badge are two pieces of evidence relating to Kay's father, Byrne, so it can be said that the case starts with her losing that bond - and then regaining it at the end thanks to Edgeworth and Courtney.
To get to that point, however, Edgeworth first gives up his Prosecutor's Badge in one of the series' most shocking moments. He realizes that, as it is now, his badge and role as a prosecutor is only holding him back from following the truth as his father did, and from saving Kay. This is a critical moment in the story, as Edgeworth does not recover his badge until the very end of the game.
But while Kay's bond with her father is recovered, it's quite the opposite for Sebastian. His father, Blaise, has committed the murder and Sebastian ends up realizing it before everyone else (because he knows Blaise's beard is fake). His conscience makes him question whether or not he should bring it up, but his father rebuffs him quite harshly and reveals that Sebastian only ever had any success because everyone along the way - from his schoolteachers to his employers - are in Blaise's pocket. He closes this shocking relevation by stating in no uncertain terms that Sebastian isn't worthy of being called his son.
Before we move onto how these important steps lead to what ultimately transpires in the finale, let's take a quick step back and also examine how the minor characters tie into the theme. Two important witnesses in the case are Bonnie Young and Karin Jenson, the former of which does the victim's autopsy, which the latter then manipulates. It comes out that Karin helped out the Conductor, Blaise, by replacing the victim's seat at the auction after her murder. She was coerced into becoming an accomplice because if she didn't, her grandmother Bonnie would be charged with forging the autopsy of the IS-7 incident, something Blaise also forced her to do in the past. It's interesting how much the grandmother and granddaughter were forced to help Blaise cover up his dirty deeds.
A less striking example would be Lotta. It's revealed that she's Nicole's mentor, so you could argue she has a "parental" bond with Nicole. It's not an especially meaningful example, though.
With those minor examples out of the way, let's move to the grand finale.
First, the obvious connections: This is the case ultimately leading to the trial where Gregory Edgeworth revealed Manfred von Karma's shady practises to the court and earning him his first penalty - after which Von Karma murdered Gregory Edgeworth and put his son Miles on the prosecutor's path. For a game revolving around Edgeworth's doubts about his role as a prosecutor, including the case that caused him to switch to this path was a brilliant decision. Miles' switch to the prosecutor's path is what pushes Phoenix to become a lawyer, so you could say the whole series has its origins in this case.
But the case isn't just a neat starting point for the series, it also has many important connections within the context of AAI2's own story and heavily involves the theme of parenthood, not just for Miles Edgeworth. There are a few parental figures aside from Gregory that are isolated to this case, so let's briefly addres them: First there is the defendant, Jeff Masters, who took in Katherine Hall as an adopted daughter. She, in turn, loves him enough to set a potentially fatal trap for the murderer who committed the crime Masters was accused of. Manfred von Karma also plays an important role. His bond with Franziska isn't really relevant to the case, but it is important to the story that we see a clash between the two people who raised Miles.
The parental figures that really tie into the game's own overarching story are Dane Gustavia and Isaac Dover, two chefs who compete in the contest. They both have a son - both of which later become a critical part of the story, or to be more precise, already are a critical part of the story - you just find that out much later. Gustavia's son is Simon Keyes and Dover's son is Horace Knightley.
Dover and Gustavia with their sons. Source: Ace Attorney Wiki
The two chefs cooperate in the dessert baking contest, as Dover is really a sculptor and Gustavia has a weak sense of design, but Dover betrays Gustavia at the last moment. Not only does he let Gustavia help him with the finale in advance before refusing to help, he also forces his son Horace to restrain Simon, preventing him from helping his aguesiac father by tasting the desserts. Gustavia, in turn, murders Dover. He proceeds to abandon his own son, completely indifferent to his fate - although his breakdown might be implying that he actually hates himself because of what he's done.
Dane Gustavia cuts himself down. Source: http://aceattorney.wikia.com/wiki/Yutaka_Kazami_-_Sprite_Gallery
Though his memories of the event are muddled, Simon begrudges Knightley for his role in the murder that led to his father abandoning him and orchestrates Horace's murder in the second case by convincing Patricia Roland that he is one of Sirhan Dogen's men, something he knew she was extremely paranoid about for reasons revealed in later cases.
Severed Bonds (The Forgotten Turnabout)
Source: ZSlyer on YouTube
To get to that point, however, Edgeworth first gives up his Prosecutor's Badge in one of the series' most shocking moments. He realizes that, as it is now, his badge and role as a prosecutor is only holding him back from following the truth as his father did, and from saving Kay. This is a critical moment in the story, as Edgeworth does not recover his badge until the very end of the game.
But while Kay's bond with her father is recovered, it's quite the opposite for Sebastian. His father, Blaise, has committed the murder and Sebastian ends up realizing it before everyone else (because he knows Blaise's beard is fake). His conscience makes him question whether or not he should bring it up, but his father rebuffs him quite harshly and reveals that Sebastian only ever had any success because everyone along the way - from his schoolteachers to his employers - are in Blaise's pocket. He closes this shocking relevation by stating in no uncertain terms that Sebastian isn't worthy of being called his son.
Source: ZSlyer on YouTube
Before we move onto how these important steps lead to what ultimately transpires in the finale, let's take a quick step back and also examine how the minor characters tie into the theme. Two important witnesses in the case are Bonnie Young and Karin Jenson, the former of which does the victim's autopsy, which the latter then manipulates. It comes out that Karin helped out the Conductor, Blaise, by replacing the victim's seat at the auction after her murder. She was coerced into becoming an accomplice because if she didn't, her grandmother Bonnie would be charged with forging the autopsy of the IS-7 incident, something Blaise also forced her to do in the past. It's interesting how much the grandmother and granddaughter were forced to help Blaise cover up his dirty deeds.
A less striking example would be Lotta. It's revealed that she's Nicole's mentor, so you could argue she has a "parental" bond with Nicole. It's not an especially meaningful example, though.
With those minor examples out of the way, let's move to the grand finale.
All Connected (The Grand Turnabout)
The aptly named Grand Turnabout finally reveals just how deep the theme of parental bonds runs through Ace Attorney Investigations 2. At the very start of the case, we find that the president of Zheng-Fa (or rather, his body double) has been murdered. Soon after the investigation starts, the game introduces John Marsh to us - he is Judge Courtney's adopted son. In the case's opening act her bond with John is used against her by the world's worst father and general scumbag, Blaise DeBeste. This causes her to genuinely lose her cool for the first time in the game.
Source: ZSlyer on YouTube
But the bombshell that Judge Courtney has a son is just the first of many twists this case has to offer. As it turns out, Blaise's henchmen failed to capture John and took Sebastian hostage instead, while the mastermind ran off with John. The event is very traumatic for Sebastian, who was already distraught because of what his father said in the prior case. When Edgeworth and Kay finally save him, the game's most difficult Logic Chess session begins, as it is as much an interrogation as it is a therapy session for the broken Sebastian. It's one of my favorite scenes in the game because it shows how far Edgeworth has come as a prosecutor and as person.
Source: ZSlyer on YouTube
With his father, the person who he respected most, dismissing him and committing crimes left and right, Sebastian loses faith in himself and everything he has ever known. At this moment, Edgeworth - a man who has lost his own father - steps in to help Sebastian find his way, almost like a surrogate father.
Source: ZSlyer on YouTube
Edgeworth's kind words and guidance pay off later in the case, when Sebastian returns to prosecute the case against Patricia Roland with some of the evidence Blaise tried to get rid of.
Source: ZSlyer on YouTube
Even Franziska shows how much she's grown since her debut, empathizing with Sebastian's situation and freely giving the prosecutor's bench back to him with words of support. It's obvious she feels a connection with Sebastian because of the expectations her own father set for her.
Source: ZSlyer on YouTube
To further emphasize Sebastian's own development, his old theme song gets replaced with a much more serious and dramatic sounding theme. Detective Gumshoe saves John, allowing Sebastian and Edgeworth to take down Blaise together. Blaise does his best to put down Sebastian even more, but thanks to Edgeworth's support, his words fall flat.
Source: ZSlyer on YouTube
Sebastian surpasses Blaise, who I hesitate to call his father at this point, and thanks to him both Blaise and Patricia lose their cases. In spite of how often he called his son as such, Blaise is revealed as the real idiot between the two, having his men kidnap the wrong child and losing his case as a result. Patricia goes so far as to call him 'useless,' a term he himself liked to describe Sebastian with.
Though the trial ends on a high note, the case is far from over. Shi-Long Lang steps in and formally accuses Judge Courtney of murdering President Huang, and the mastermind is still on the loose. As the case progresses, Shi-Long Lang finally reveals why his family lost their credibility as law enforcers in Zheng-Fa: The president was kidnapped for ransom and a journalist photographing the event was murdered. Not just that, the event happened at an orphanage that used to be where the Grand Tower is built now. From that point onward, his father's bond with the president was gone. Just like Edgeworth, Lang inherited an unresolved case from his father.
Through investigation, Edgeworth uncovers a truly shocking fact: There was no kidnapping at the orphanage. President Huang was murdered by the assassin Dogen, and subsequently replaced by his body double - and Patricia Roland, Blaise Debeste and the body double himself were the people who made it happen. And it gets worse: The reason president Huang had even come to this orphanage unprotected was to meet his son, the existence of whom he was keeping a secret. It's finally revealed that John Marsh is President Huang's son, but the president was assassinated before ever meeting him. Dai-Long Lang, Shi-Long's father, knew that the president had been replaced but kept that secret locked up to prevent the country from descending into even worse chaos. He took it to his grave but thanks to his son Lang, the secret comes out at last.
It is at this time that Judge Courtney reveals she had intended to speak with President Huang to finally tell him about his son, and she brought the Lion Lilies - representing the bond between parent and child - to explain this to him.
Source: ZSlyer on YouTube
To make the situation at the orphanage even more confusing, the treacherous trio had hoped to kill the assassin Dogen to ensure there were no witnesses. But Dogen was guided to safety by Simon, who was staying at the orphanage at that time. This leads to the relevation that Sirhan Dogen saved Horace Knighley and Simon Keyes after the IS-7 Incident.
Simon and Horace, stuck in a car and freezing. Source: ZSlyer
Not only does this relevation complete the puzzle, revealing Simon as the mastermind, but it also unveils another connection. Simon became Dogen's acolyte and idolized him enough to save him after the presidential assassination. He continued corresponding with him even during his stay in Patricia Roland's prison. It's not a stretch to say they had a twisted kind of father-son relationship as well.
But though he probably saw Sirhan Dogen as more of a father than Dane Gustavia, he can't rid himself of the connection between him and his biological father. During the final confrontation, he tries to make the point that he feels nothing for his father and is nothing like him. It's very clear that Simon is a tragic figure in a way, still hoping years after his abandonment that his father would return and blaming himself for it.
Source: ZSlyer
He claims that he doesn't care anymore, and that he has no connection with his father whatsoever. That claim falls apart when Edgeworth points out that he committed a murder and threw off the time of death by keeping the body in cold storage, exactly as his father did.
Source: ZSlyer
Not only that, but Raymond brings up that Simon doesn't like sweets - most likely a result of losing his father, who he always tasted sweet desserts for.
Source: ZSlyer
In the end, the decisive proof against Simon ends up being the pollen of the Lion Lilies. Because Simon had killed the body double by crushing him under the weight of his hot air balloon, the pollen from the flowers that Courtney had given him ended up sticking to the bottom of the balloon's basket. The Bouquet of Lion Lilies is, quite fittingly, the final piece of evidence.
Local mastermind defeated by pollen. Source: ZSlyer
Using the power of John and Courtney's bond, Edgeworth and his friends prove beyond a doubt that Simon killed the President's body double. The case doesn't end there - what follows is an incredibly powerful scene where the theme is emphasized once more. Shelly de Killer, who had been observing the case from the shadows, finally steps in to kill Simon Keyes because he asked him to kill 'President Huang', not revealing that the target was actually a body double. However, Sirhan Dogen steps in to save Simon, once again indebting the latter to the former.
Source: ZSlyer
Dogen and Simon prepare to leave for prison, but John Marsh stops them. He confronts Dogen with the fact that he murdered his father, President Huang - so Dogen presents him with a simple choice. He gives him his knife and tells him, in no uncertain terms, to end his life, to take revenge for his father. Simon himself even seems to approve of the idea, having lived his life planning and executing vengeful plots.
Source: ZSlyer
Wisest words ever said by a kid wearing cow horns. Source: ZSlyer
In spite of the fact that they may have different jobs and titles, Edgeworth chooses to save people and pursue the truth as his father did. Ray is truly impressed with how much Edgeworth has grown, and how much he has become like his father.
Source: ZSlyer
Source: ZSlyer
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And that brings Ace Attorney Investigations 2, and its strong themes of the bond between parents and children, to its conclusion. I noticed that the game focused strongly on the theme of parents and their children on my first playthrough, but I didn't realize just how universally present it is. I hope I helped you see the Ace Attorney series and Ace Attorney Investigations 2 in a different light!
Family is a major overarching theme in Ace Attorney, and I've actually considered writing an article about siblings in Ace Attorney as well. There are obvious examples like Maya and Mia, as well as Apollo and Trucy, but just like the theme of parenthood it might just be even more prevalent than you think.
Feel free to share your thoughts about this article in the comments, or by reaching out to me. Thank you for taking the time to read this article, which I have sporadically worked on over a period of many months. Let's meet again soon to discuss more art and design!
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