"That certainly killed the sad atmosphere."
Part 1
- Phoenix completely freaking out right after first seeing Twilight. Seeing the reactions of an almost completely regular guy, with no knowledge whatsoever about the place or what inhabits it, is priceless; and said guy being Nick completes it.
- The reactions to Phoenix's badge don't get any better in Equestria. And then he's given the Equestrian Attorney Badge...Phoenix: *looks at Equestrian attorney badge* A... heart... (I feel my masculinity going… going… gone.)
- Shortly before Phoenix leaves the detention center:Rainbow: You look a little strange, but you're OK in my book.
Phoenix: (I look a little strange? Coming from the Roy G Biv pony with wings. You look strange even by Ponyville standards!) - Fluttershy opening up to Phoenix upon learning his name, fully convinced he's an actual phoenix who's almost ready to be reborn, and Twilight encouraging him to play along so she won't clam up again.
- "Amazing how a kids show got so popular outside its targeted demographic". You have no idea Phoenix...
- Phoenix getting more and more agitated with ponies commenting on his hair.Phoenix: (If someone makes fun of my hair one more time...!)
Part 2
- After Phoenix gets on Twilight's nerves with his whining before the trial:
- Phoenix's Imagine Spot of Edgeworth in Equestria.Edgeworth: (happily enjoying the company of three ponies as an 8-bit version of the FIM theme plays) This is just like that one episode of Steel Samurai where he meets the Pink Princess! WHEEEEE!!!
Phoenix: (Doctor, I'd like the part of my brain responsible for that image lobotomized, please...) - Dash mocks Phoenix about the magatama, thinking it's a toy.Rainbow Dash: You say "good luck charm", I say "toy".
Phoenix: *Grumbles* (Don't forget who's defending you, Skittles!) - The sudden appearance of the Judge from the Ace Attorney games. Made even better with this line:Judge: Aren't these ponies just remarkable, Mr. Wright? They have shown me nothing but a good time!
Phoenix: All they've done for me is make fun of my hair... - Phoenix's outburst regarding the cloud as decisive evidence, complete with Pursuit ~ Cornered playing in the background, only to get greeted by crickets and then informed that yes, Rainbow totally can move clouds around and make them shoot lightning at will.
- Those who haven't watched Friendship is Magic would've likely had the same reaction and wondering what's with the crickets at the same time as Phoenix, making it even better.
- Phoenix mocking the idea of a Cutie Mark, then immediately wondering what his own would be.Phoenix: ([...] Maybe a hand pointing an index finger filled with righteous justice! That would be amazing!)
- Hilarious in Hindsight: In part 5, a non-canon animation has Twilight turning him into a unicorn, and sadly it wasn't his trademark finger-point, but his badge.
- Phoenix confirms to Apple Bloom that his work is kind of like arguing.Apple Bloom: I knew it! I knew it! There IS a cutie mark for arguin'!
- After Phoenix explains to Apple Bloom what a lawyer is, she decides that the next Cutie Mark Crusade will be…Apple Bloom: CUTIE MARK CRUSADER LAWYERS!!
Phoenix: (The future of criminal justice is looking pretty bleak right now...) - When Phoenix spots the first contradiction in the prosecution's case:Judge: Miss Trixie, this is a big oversight! Why is there a ten-minute gap as to when the child saw the lightning bolt?
Trixie: I'M THINKING! BE QUIET!
Judge: Oh... o-okay... - After Apple Bloom is excused:Apple Bloom: OBJECTION! HOLD IT! *checks for Cutie Mark* Aw, nothing...
- Trixie says that she has some new evidence and pulls out an envelope. Rainbow Dash recognizes the envelope and begs her not to show it, making everyone think it is decisive evidence that will get Rainbow guilty instantly. Trixie opens the envelope and... it turns out to be embarrassing photos of Rainbow Dash.
- Not to mention the fact that the viewers never get to see exactly what the photos are.
- Rainbow's reaction face is priceless (it's from the Mysterious Mare Do Well schooling her at the construction site).
Rainbow Dash: My life is ruined! - Try not laughing at this dialogue.Rainbow Dash: FLUTTERSHY!Fluttershy: Hi Rainbow Dash.
- Nick's complete annoyance at him having to do the prosecution's and judge's questions and requests to Fluttershy. His annoyed monotone and expression are what makes it.
- During Fluttershy's cross examination:Phoenix: Feeding chickens... at night...?
Fluttershy: Midnight snack! I couldn't send them to bed without one, what if they starved to death while they were sleeping?
Judge: Oh my! I never realized the importance of midnight snacking!
Twilight: That's our naive Fluttershy...
Phoenix: (And that's my clueless Judge...)Fluttershy: I yelled so loud, at the top of my lungs, like this... *deep breath* Rainbow Dash, what's wrong!?
Phoenix: Yeah... I haven't the faintest idea how she didn't hear that...Phoenix: It's very clear this witness is afraid of lightning! (And... everything for that matter.)
Part 3 - Twilight
- Even Twilight thinks she wouldn't be caught dead wearing the Equestrian Attorney Badge when Celestia gives it to her.
- Twilight's embarrassment at discussing the weird ponies and humans in other countries, i.e. the franchise's previous generations.
- The conveniently titled How to Become a Lawyer in 24 Hours book, written completely in painful Purple Prose and Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe.
- "Smite thy prosecuting knave and make the whelp feel thy wrath of the glorious voice of justice"... did Luna write this thing?
- On regards of investigation, it says "Scour the land high and low for evidence pertaining the guilty culprit with aid of thy loyal assistant at thy side." Cliffnote: "Preferably a female adolescent." note
- Even funnier when you realize that Twilight accidentally fulfilled that requirement through Apple Bloom.
- After the above line, Spike asks Twilight to stop reading the book because it somehow physically hurts him.
- Twilight's reaction to Apple Bloom pestering her to come along on her investigation.Apple Bloom: Pleaaaase.
Twilight: No means no!
Apple Bloom: Plleeeeeeeaaaaaase.
Twilight: I said-
Apple Bloom: PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE!
Twilight: (Argh! It's like talking to a wall! A very loud and shrill wall!) - Whenever Cruise Control is in Large Ham mode, particularly his loud confirmation that he does think Twilight is crazy after bringing up the psyche-locks that nopony else can see.
- Or his derpface when he's not yelling at himself.
- When they first meet him, Apple Bloom says he seems like a character out of one of her storybooks.
Cruise: Y-you really think I can have a book written about me?
Apple Bloom: Yeah, for sure!
Twilight: (What kind of book is that? "Psychiatric Help 101"?) - The Judge notices that Dr. Whooves has been staring at him for some time, but is afraid to talk to him for fear that it might cause some sort of paradoxnote .
- Twilight imagines Rarity when the Judge brings up "Material World."
- Trixie's Oh, Crap! moment when Twilight points out she's wearing purple, the color that she claimed was unlucky while taunting Twilight.
- Twilight constantly getting Derpy's name wrong. Not because she can't remember it right, but because Derpy keeps changing what her name is, constantly switching between Derpy Hooves, Ditzy Doo and Bright Eyes. The character name in the dialog box even changes to fit whatever name Twilight's using. It finally settles on question marks.
- Apple Bloom gets it right by calling her "Ms. Mailmare." Even after noticing that it worked, Twilight fails to follow suit-earning her another verbal barrage.
- Derpy's delivery to Twilight is... a muffin. It's even accompanied with a special "item get" jingle from Super Metroid.
- Even Twilight and Apple Bloom get into the eternal ladders vs. stepladders debate.
- And Apple Bloom's response to being corrected is word-for-word the same as Maya's from the first Ace Attorney.
- Lenora actually pauses to see if Twilight obnoxiously flashes a badge at her like attorneys always do.Twilight: (I was going to do that...)
- Twilight's encounter with Pinkie, especially with Twilight's snark.Twilight: Pinkie, can you start making some sense please? (On the other hoof, look who you're asking, Twilight...)
[...]
Twilight: (Whatever goes on that head of hers, keep me out of it.) - When Phoenix explains Twilight about the Magatama, she responds with a serious "I see..." in Part 3 - Phoenix. Here she does the same, but then we get to hear this:Twilight: (This. Is. AMAZING! Here he said there was no magic in his world. This thing's power can really help me in collected surveys!)
- Twilight refers to Psyche-Locks as "Psycholocks" just like Edgeworth did when he was filling in for Phoenix in Case 3-5 (Bridge to the Turnabout).
Part 3 - Phoenix
- The intro, which shows Phoenix on the day before his first trial.Phoenix: MY NAME IS PHOENIX WRIGHT AND I'M FINE! MY NAME IS PHOENIX WRIGHT AND I'M FINE! MY NAME IS PHOENIX WRIGHT AND I'M FINE!
- Phoenix's law school friends must've given him a copy of Chords of Steel.
- Rainbow Dash and Applejack death-glaring Phoenix for saying he's always "Wright".
- When Phoenix asks Rainbow about those... pictures. Bonus points for her reaction sounding like something directed at a certain Periphery Demographic.Rainbow: IT'S A HOBBY, ALRIGHT!? I BET YOU HAVE SKELETONS IN YOUR CLOSET TOO, MR. 20-SOMETHING WHO PLAYS WITH TOYS!
- The guard ponies tearfully begging Phoenix to take Pinkie Pie away.
- Pinkie explaining to Phoenix how to make cupcakes. Motor Mouth mode.
- Pinkie Pie's blank stare at Phoenix's crappy jokes, followed by her cracking up at how girly his Equestria Attorney Badge is.Phoenix: (I really feel like sobbing to myself in a dark corner right now...)
- The return of Ace Attorney's ladders vs. stepladders gag with Phoenix and Pinkie, which somehow manages to deviate into a freaking Cupcakes (Sergeant Sprinkles) reference.
- Just a little after this Pinkie and Phoenix find a list with contestant names on it. One of the names is Leroy Wingkons.
- Pinkie digging Phoenix and herself deeper and deeper with Sonata with her comments. She even manages to make Phoenix snap!Phoenix: P-Pinkie! Is your brain the size of chewed bubble gum!?
- Pinkie's speculation into Sonata's Cutie Mark.Pinkie: It must mean her special talent is poking ponies' eyes out with that horn!
Phoenix: (We are so dead...)- Turns out that Sonata herself found this Actually Pretty Funny as revealed in Part 5, but considering how she is at this time...
- Sonata demonstrates her talent on Phoenix and Pinkie. For Phoenix she gives an in depth analysis of what he's thinking based on his various body cues. For Pinkie all she can say is that she's thinking about ladders.
- Again, Pinkie digging herself and Phoenix deeper with Sonata by further incriminating themselves.Pinkie: Ooh! A story! I love stories! I'll tell you the one where me and a guy in a blue suit broke into somepony's room and rummaged through their personal belongings! It's a classic!Sonata: ...Phoenix: (Pinkie, for the love of God, SHUT UP!)
- Pinkie's Wob Niar theory, and all the times it gets brought up again.
- Phoenix meeting Derpy.Phoenix: (I can't stop looking into those entrancing eyes... Can she see all around her? Maybe she can see through the very fabric of time and space!)
- The meeting is especially funny if you watched the Twilight video first. Pinkie is actually genre savvy enough to keep Phoenix from making the same mistake Twilight did. So Phoenix just calls her "Blonde Haired Pony" which said pony loves, though this leads into another hair joke at Phoenix's expense.
- Derpy's poem. One could just hear the cheering bronies.
- Even better: the actress actually did record herself saying "bitch" and put up her own video of it, which was promptly favorited by the series creator.
- Pinkie suggesting Phoenix to go naked to court instead of worrying about his ripped suit, and his ensuing reaction.
- Rarity taking note of Phoenix's hair causing him to say to tell to just make fun of it and get it out of her system, even giving her some ammunition. Then Rarity subverts the gag by loving the way it's done.
- Rarity's retelling of her experience at the post office
, which has a single pen…- And note that one of her faces during it is actually Fluttershy's "YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE ME!" expression.
- Basically, Phoenix's reaction to her rant summarizes everything:
- Pinkie Pie reading the script to discover where to go next, much to Phoenix's confusion.
- Phoenix mistaking Applejack for Lotta Hart.Phoenix: Nononono! Not you!
- Pinkie's nutrition vs sweets dream.Phoenix: (Freud would have a field day with Pinkie Pie.)
- Pinkie Pie saying Phoenix represents the element of Hair Gel.Phoenix: (No comment...)
- Phoenix commenting on Big Mac's massive vocabulary.Phoenix: (A scolding? From him? What did he do, "Eeyup" her into submission?)
- Though the episode unfortunately went up shortly after "Ponyville Confidential" showed us just how scary a pissed off Big Mac can be.
- Applejack calling Trixie an attention horse.
- Phoenix meeting Owlolysius and getting stuck in the same cycle Spike went through.
- Spike telling Phoenix what a total nerd Twilight is... just as she walks into the room.
Part 4
- Gilda in general. The entire episode is full of these thanks to her.
- Rainbow takes Phoenix's "stay silent" request way too literally. When Gilda shows up, she starts Wild Taking like crazy.
- What's the prosecution's explanation for what was Gilda doing in the forest that night?Trixie: We already know what Gilda was doing there. She was observing the crime.
*Cue Phoenix and the Judge glaring at Trixie* - Gilda and Trixie team up for a good round of trash-talking on Phoenix.Phoenix: (Oh great, it's like Trixie in stereo.)
- When Phoenix finds yet another contradiction in Gilda's testimonyPhoenix: (Finally! I'm winning the battle! Trixie's third-person has nothing on my first-person!)
Trixie: *Smug smirk*
Phoenix: (Or not...) - The Judge's reaction to the perfume.Judge: It smells like a rotting skunk basted in expired milk!
- When Gilda admits she works for the Griffon Express.Phoenix: [The Griffon Express] sounds pretty unreliable, at least when you're concerned...
Gilda: *ROAR*
Phoenix: *Strategic table hiding*
Judge: Mr. Wright, show some backbone!
[...]
Phoenix: ... Howdy!
Trixie: Back, Mr. Wrong?
Phoenix: Ehh... Sorry, my shoes were untied...
Trixie: Your shoes are slip-ons...
Phoenix: Ehh... This witness was caught red-handed stealing! - At one point, Phoenix, Trixie and Gilda all start to exchange smack-talk between one another.Judge: A three-way tussle between the defense, prosecution and witness! My! How exciting! Er- I mean... ORDER!
- Gilda does not take well being called "slow", and seeing everyone in court ganging up on her (including the judge!) is hilarious:Gilda: Dash was going too fast. I got careless trying to keep up with her and I dropped it.
Phoenix: In other words, you were too slow?
Gilda: Hey! Shut up! I'm not slow!
Twilight: You clearly were if you couldn't keep up...
Gilda: I said, stop calling me slow!
Trixie: Stop taunting the slowpoke and get back on topic!
Gilda: I'M NOT A SLOWPOKE!
Judge: I agree with the prosecution. The fact that the witness is as slow as ketchup coming out of a glass bottle isn't a concern to the court.
Gilda: ARGHHHH!!! - Her constant terrible attitude makes Phoenix start to long for one of Franziska's whipping sessions.
- After Gilda curses on the stand, Twilight Death Glares Phoenix instead.Phoenix: Don't look at me! She said it!
- Slowly, tension rises between Trixie and Gilda, since the latter just keeps digging her own grave the more she is cross-examined. The animosity rises to the point they exchange insults. After a while, Trixie just can't stand Gilda anymore, and gives up, abandoning her own witness:Gilda: Yeah, just like blue boy says; it was lying right there next to the pegasus. I didn't touch it! Take that, Trixie!
Trixie: That's it... You're on your own...
[...]
Phoenix: What's your explanation for this!? Let's hear it, Gilda! It's impossible for you to have seen the stick next to the body!
Gilda: I-uh... I-uh... Trixie! Help!
Trixie: Oh, what's that? You need help from the "stupid pony"? Too bad! You dug your own grave! - Just after she apologized and told the truth about her role into setting up Rainbow Dash as the murderer, Gilda asks a little favor from the judge...:Gilda: There is one more thing I really gotta say, Your Honor... If I'm allowed?
Judge: *Teary-eyed* Yes, witness. You may...
Gilda: Thank you...
[Beat]
Gilda: YOU BETTER NOT BE IN MY LINE OF SIGHT WHEN I GET OUT, BLUE BOY! CAUSE I'LL TEAR YOU INTO SMITHEREENS! THEN TEAR YOUR SMITHEREENS INTO SMITHEREENS FOR DOING THIS TO ME! YOU GOT THAT?!
Phoenix: (That certainly killed the sad atmosphere...) - Meta example: "To be concluded... in Part 5/4"
Part 5
- This:Phoenix: How did you react to [Ace Swift's] death?
Sonata: I cried.
(Record Scratch)
Phoenix: You... cried?
Twilight: Yes! It's a complex secretomotor phenomenon characterized by the shedding of tears from the lacrimal apparatus without any irritation of the ocular structures...
Phoenix: I KNOW WHAT CRYING IS! I just can't see her crying! - Sonata calls out Phoenix on using an "irrelevant" detail in his favor.Sonata: Defense attorneys fabricate the most interesting little fairy tales to protect criminals.
Phoenix: (You know, something's wrong when a talking unicorn accuses you of telling fairy tales...) - Twilight takes an analogy Sonata made and turns it into a dorky tangent on her knowledge of quantum physics, leaving everyone silent.Twilight: Um... Heehee!... Sorry...
- The little "Teleportation 101" animation, which has Twilight turning Phoenix into a unicorn, to which he only reacts mildly annoyed before just accepting it.
- After Sonata's blackmailing has been exposed by Trixie, Phoenix loses composure as the Judge is utterly annoyed by the fact that the two attorneys knew about this yet didn't bring it up to the table. Phoenix's answer as to why is even more hilarious since he was, well, being blackmailed.
- Twilight forcefully takes over Phoenix's place for a short time to point out a contradiction, then she goes full Squee mode.Twilight: Oh my gosh! Did anypony see that!? That felt so exhilarating! This is so exciting! I found a flaw in her testimony! Do you all think I sounded professional enough!? Oh, I'm going to tell the princess about this-!
Phoenix: Twilight! Relax! - Right before the judge hands down the final verdict...OBJECTION!!!
Judge: Oh-ho-ho! That really IS fun to say! Now I understand why you attorneys enjoy cutting off my verdict! The tension! The suspense! The dram...
Everyone: JUST GIVE THE VERDICT!!! - Sonata's explanation as to why she knew Twilight was from Canterlot.Sonata: I just noticed the slightly smug way you carry youself. A lot of Canterlot citizens adopt that saunter.
Twilight: Wow! It's amazing how you can-... *beat* Wait... Smug!?- It's even funnier when you consider that Sonata is from Canterlot and that she says this after her Heel–Face Turn, meaning she had no malicious intent while saying it.
- While looking for Trixie, Phoenix runs into first Lyra (who tells him he has beautiful hands) and then an orange version of Rainbow Dash who speaks in a Brooklyn accent. Sound familiar?
- Phoenix runs into Pinkie again, late to the trial, again.Phoenix: (I think Pinkie would find a way to be late for her own funeral.)
- Phoenix tells Trixie that she shouldn't make fun of others' names because they might be... "Copy-Wright-Ed."
- Phoenix finally meets Princess Celestia, the powerful sovereign of Equestria; and what's his first reaction?Phoenix: (Woah! This is the first thing on Equestria that meets me on eye level!)
- Phoenix gets a congratulatory speech from Celestia, followed by her telling him to say hello to Maya, Pearl, and Edgeworth. Phoenix, flustered, tries to ask her how she knows all this. Cue immediate five psyche-locks and Celestia flying off.
- Half of the mane six try to get Phoenix to give his payment to them, with varying levels of failure.
- Rainbow says he should give it to his faithful client, who never doubted him for a second.Phoenix: "Every attorney must suck horse apples if you're supposed to be the best one"...
Rainbow: O-oh, did I say that? It was a... Just a joke! Yeah! - Rarity laboriously hints that Phoenix should give his payment to her, capped with a smile squeak.Rarity: Really now, I'm sure *ahem* Mr. Wright *ahem* will give that *ahem* GENEROUS *ahem* sum of riches to somepony who *ahem* GENOROUSLY *ahem* fixed his suit. *ahem* *Squee!*
Phoenix: (Really subtle Rarity...) - Then there's Applejack.Applejack: Hey, I know! Remember how I didn't knock ya upside the head?
Phoenix: ...
Applejack: ... Well, can't blame a gal for tryin'!
- Rainbow says he should give it to his faithful client, who never doubted him for a second.
- Back on Earth, Phoenix is confronted by Maya, Pearl and Edgeworth. Cue some gems:
- Pearl is on the verge of slapping Phoenix, thinking he had been looking other women and thinking he has a "sugar mama."
- Edgeworth constantly denies having been worried about him.
- Maya finds the envelope containing Rainbow's... pictures... he has on him. Phoenix begs Maya to not open it, but she pushes onwards. Cue reactions:Maya: Is that rainbow horse... Doing what I think it is?
Phoenix: Actually, Maya... She's not a horse. She's a... pony...
Edgeworth: Do you have any shame!?
Phoenix: They aren't mine!
Pearl: I think I would rather have it be from a sugar mama at this point.
Maya: Nick... Do you want to talk about this? It's alright, everyone has skeletons in their closet.
Edgeworth: This seems less a skeleton and more so a... disturbing fetish...
Phoenix: *Grumble* If anyone needs me, I'll be in the bathtub... with a toaster...
Other
- A "Meet the Voice Actors" podcast where a bundle of people involved (along with people from Turnabout Storm: The Other Side) answer some questions and generally goof around reaches a high note when they are asked to conduct a spontaneous debate in character.
- The Hilarious Outtakes video is full of these, but one clip that stands out has Phoenix's voice actor suddenly breaking into a Ridley impression, complete with Phoenix's sprite turning into the Ridley sprite from Metroid: Zero Mission.
- He also reads one of Twilight's lines (where she explains what tears are), and you can tell he's confused at Phoenix speaking like Spock until he realises he's reading the wrong line.
