The Lost Turnabout
- While the case was fairly simple to win (as a Training Stage should be), it doesn't change the fact that a good man was murdered, and that his girlfriend was being accused of said murder.
- Not even for doing his job. He was killed all because he didn't take five minutes to change out of his uniform. When all he wanted to do was enjoy his 30th birthday with his girlfriend.
- Maggey Byrde's life has pretty much been filled with sadness and accidents. And she believes it was her fault her boyfriend died because she thinks her legendary bad luck rubbed off on him. It is pretty awful to blame yourself for the death of a loved one.
Reunion, and Turnabout
- Mimi Miney's story. She caused the death of 14 patients? Yes, but if her version of the story is correct, her mixing up the meds was only a result of Grey overworking her to the point of exhaustion, which becomes much more believable when you take into account Grey's anal personality and obsession with perfection in his practice. She later fell asleep while driving due to being investigated about the malpractice incident? It was an accident that she couldn't help from being just so tired from her job. She said she took her purse and got out of the car as fast as she could? True, though with the panic she might have mistakenly grabbed Ini's. Really, it's quite possible that a mistake while getting out of the fiery car led to the doctors making a terrible mistake, and giving her Ini's face instead. And finally, did she take the place of her sister? Yes, she did. But she had no other choice, her previous life was destroyed by the malpractice incident and death of her sister. And it's not like she liked doing it, either. After being exposed, she breaks up in tears when talking about how much she hates the occult and living as Ini in general. With good reason, too. Spending a whole year doing something you hate, without being able to complain because you're "supposed" to love it, all while enduring grief that you couldn't tell anyone about? Yeah, no wonder she was miserable.
- When Maya is arrested for the murder of Dr. Grey, she's convinced that she is the one who killed him, and emphatically tells Phoenix that he can't take her case, because she's a murderer and he'll lose. Phoenix emphatically tells her to stop it, making it clear that he will not abandon her. That's when she breaks down into tears.Maya: ...Maya: ...Help me...Maya: Nick, help me... I'm scared...
- Since Mia's death, Maya has been the only person who hasn't been able to see or talk to Mia because she was always the one channeling her spirit. Now that Pearl is able to channel Mia, Maya can finally see her beloved big sister again. It's heartbreaking and heartwarming all in the same moment, and Maya certainly sheds some Tears of Joy when she gets to hug Mia again.
- Mia and Maya both looked up to and loved their aunt Morgan, so finding out she tried to get Maya convicted for murder, just to replace her with Pearl as the future Master of Kurain, leaves them very disheartened.
Turnabout Big Top
- Though it's a rather infamous case, the end of Turnabout Big Top where Acro quietly sheds tears during his Motive Rant is still capable of making players do the same.
- For context, most culprits in the game will engage in a comically over-the-top Villainous Breakdown once they're exposed. Acro just sits there and lets tears stream from his eyes as he says that he's nothing more than a murderer.
- The story as a whole:
- Russell Berry, beloved ringmaster, dies. Before this, his wife died, he was a single father to Regina, adopted Acro and Bat, treated the whole circus like his family, and was an all-around good man. Then he died accidentally, and he wasn't even the intended victim. The characters you will meet and some of the stuff you will see will remind you non-stop about what a great man he was.
- Acro and his brother were abandoned by their parents, he lost his brother because of an accident, was paralyzed because of that same accident, and killed his father figure in another stupid accident. No wonder he broke down...
- Max Galactica got framed for murder and had to endure the trials. And beforehand, he was already unpopular between the majority of the crews when all he wanted was for the others to also bask in the glory he received when winning the Grand Prix by his own efforts, so he was being framed by the people he was trying to improve.
- Moe had to endure verbal and physical abuse during the trials because of his childish behavior and his jokes are not very popular. He also was forced by Phoenix tell the truth about Acro.
- Regina lost her friend because of an accident she unwittingly caused, and also lost a beloved pet friend because of it, shot point blank by her father to keep him from hurting anyone else. Lied to by her father to protect her from painful truths about death (or maybe she also wanted to believe that Bat was now a star because she needed a way to cope.) Is secretly hated by Acro despite (and partially due to) her irreverence about his condition, which he has a slim to none chance of waking up from, let alone ever being anywhere near the same man he once was. Unknowingly contributed to the death of her father, when an accident causes Acro's attempt at revenge to target him insead.
- Moe the Clown, in a very surprisingly mature moment for a man like him, shows Regina the whole truth about Russell Berry and Bat and the truth about death by taking her to court. This breaks her down initially, but as shown in Investigations 2, she uses this to comfort Simon Keyes due to the death of his friend.Spoilers
- From an animal rights' perspective, the lion's fate is also heartbreaking. He didn't bite Bat on purpose; he merely sneezed while Bat's head was in his mouth, due to the pepper that Regina put in the scarf. By the time anyone realized the truth, he'd already been euthanized.
Farewell, My Turnabout
- Again, the story of the case. Maya's kidnapping, the near conviction of the innocent Adrian Andrews, trying to prove the guilty-as-hell Engarde innocent, the gallery's reactions, the multiple close calls on Maya's situation, the Sadistic Choice where there is little hope for Taking a Third Option, and the Bad Ending. One of the best cases, but definitively one of the most heartbreaking of them.
- In the middle of this stressful case, you're on the verge of rescuing Maya only to discover that you're too late and the villain has made his getaway. All that's left is a message from Maya, bravely telling you to forget about her safety and get the scumbag convicted. And as you're reading it, Maya's face appears on the screen in a visual voiceover, and then the slow version of her theme starts up
. - Accusing the Witness takes a decidedly non-comedic turn in this case, where you are forced to accuse Adrian Andrews, who by this point is The Woobie, just to buy time. If that's not bad enough, you know full well that you're buying time to defend a bastard so magnificent that he produced a glass of cognac from Hammerspace just to swirl it in your face as he taunts you, the player. The game also forces you to press the button yourself, a la the end of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, to increase your complicity that much more.
- What really makes accusing Adrian hurt so much is after de Killer claims that she's his client, and the Judge is about to declare Engarde Not Guilty, she panics and starts insisting everyone that she didn't do it, even looking at Phoenix for help.
- Worse yet, the gallery viciously boos at you for daring to defend someone who is by now obviously guilty. Phoenix is already in deep shit, and the crowd ganging up on him just makes it worse, ignorance of Maya's kidnapping aside.
- If Phoenix holds his head down on the defense bench, you know someone's heart just got strangled. In this case, the case comes to an end on the first day before Phoenix could get a complete acquittal. Phoenix sits there, even when the judge has left the court, believing Maya to be murdered.
- Adrian Andrews' and Celeste Inpax's tragic past is one big tearjerker: after being discarded like a napkin by Matt, Celeste fell in love with Juan... and Matt, asshole that he is, told him all about his former relationship with Celeste so he'd abandon her over his never-ending feud with Matt, driving her to suicide. The shock was so great that Adrian tried to kill herself as well. You've got to wonder what it's like to be the manager of the nasty bully that led to your mentor's suicide.
- The Bad Ending in its entirety. If Phoenix fails to pick the one evidence (the videotape) and witness (Shelly de Killer), the judge finds Matt Engarde Not Guilty. Although Maya is no longer a hostage, Phoenix never sees her again, Adrian Andrews is found guilty for the crime that you implicated her for, knowing she didn't do it and this guilt eats Phoenix alive so much that he quits being a lawyer.
- Hell, even long before discovering that Matt Engarde is the culprit all along, pushing and coercing Adrian, who initially appears to be the true culprit, into breaking point in the first trial doesn't feel as satisfying as many other witnesses in other cases, due to the entire scenario plays out as bullying an emotionally fragile and mentally vulnerable woman to breaking point.
- This case is not only full of tears, but nerves too. Just playing through the first trial, knowing you have to finish it in a day, and then failing to do so, we get to see Wright's head-in-hands sprite for the first time, and it's just soul-crushing, because you know just how freaked out and worried he is for Maya, and the first time he gets called by De Killer and finds out she's kidnapped, he freaks out, almost passes out, and is willing to pay any sum to get her back.
- In the middle of this stressful case, you're on the verge of rescuing Maya only to discover that you're too late and the villain has made his getaway. All that's left is a message from Maya, bravely telling you to forget about her safety and get the scumbag convicted. And as you're reading it, Maya's face appears on the screen in a visual voiceover, and then the slow version of her theme starts up
- At the end of Justice for All, when Franziska breaks down in tears after Edgeworth returns her whip.
- Hell, Franziska in general. Her beauty mark is under her eye, which in Japan is meant to imply her as a tragic character, someone who has a lot of deep internal sadness, as the beauty mark represents a tear. When you realize Franziska is an extremely lonely person who also just lost her father recently, the man who also manipulated and groomed her for her whole childhood into being obsessed with perfection, and being hit with realizing that he's a cold-blooded murderer (of your adoptive brother's father to boot,) it gets quite depressing.
- Simply this line from Edgeworth, where the entire screen has gone black and all you can see is his sprite and the text box: "And if you don't...you cannot change the ending of this story." It doesn't seem like he's talking to Phoenix, but rather you, the player. It's your decision now. You're the one who has to save Maya's life and get Matt Engarde convicted. YOU must change the outcome of this story if you want a happy ending. It really makes the how dire the situation is sink in.
- As for Edgeworth himself, he helps Phoenix stall for as long as he can, even though he knows that Engarde is guilty and suspicion will fall on an innocent woman as a result. He demonstrates his newfound commitment to the truth (not just to a guilty verdict) by flat-out telling a crying, suicidal woman that he'll push her over the edge if he has to, so long as he finds out what really happened — but when the assassin is seconds from taking Maya's life if the trial stalls any further, even Edgeworth breaks down. He rests his case and then stands there looking agonized, knowing he's dropped it all on Phoenix but also knowing he can't make the heavy decision for him.
- Pearl's crying animation. That was all the inspiration Phoenix needed to do his thing.
- When you are investigating Corrida's Hotel Room with a bug sweeper, you have the option to check an alarm clock. When you do that, this line of dialogue occurs;Pearl: What's wrong? Why do you look so troubled?Phoenix: I just can't imagine the listening device being inside this alarm clock. It just, um, sort of reminded me of something that happened a long time ago...Pearl: Oh...
- If you have played through Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, you know that Nick is referring to the Turnabout Sisters case where he lost his friend and mentor, Mia. You can imagine his feelings as he is now on the verge of losing Maya as well. He must also be weighed down by the fact that he's failed to protect Maya in Mia's stead. He experiences all this while having to put on a false façade of having things under control to cheer Pearl up. Just imagine how hard it must be for Phoenix in that situation.
- As if the Sadistic Choice near the end of the case wasn't difficult enough, immediately after making your choice, Phoenix's thoughts make you feel even worse: "Maya... I'm sorry..." This thought has that effect no matter what you pick. If you choose "Guilty", Phoenix is apologizing for being unable to save Maya and putting the law first. If you choose "Not Guilty", he's apologizing for being unwilling to stay faithful to justice and convict Engarde, even though Maya told him to, at the cost of her own life. Either way, Phoenix is truly devastated by his decision, which makes Franziska's timely arrival all the sweeter.
