History TearJerker / ApolloJusticeAceAttorney

* The bad ending of ''Apollo Justice''. It's extremely easy to avoid, given how you get it, but it's also extremely easy just to see. And one of the achievements in the Apollo Trilogy requires that you get said ending. [[YouBastard Have fun with that.]]

* The bad ending of ''Apollo Justice''. It's extremely easy to avoid, given how you get it, but it's also extremely easy just to see.

** Yes, his brother is a murderer. Twice over. And he also tried to kill an agoraphobic preteen girl by taking advantage of her trust in him.

* The last scene of Apollo Justice, where Klavier, having realized what his brother's done and the part he himself played, looks up towards the ceiling, clearly on the verge of tears, and takes that final step to convict Kristoph of murder once and for all. When you consider that just a few months ago, Klavier also helped convict his friend and band member, the entire game really was just a KickTheDog experience for the poor guy, especially since he's certainly the friendliest and least corrupt prosecutor in the series.
** It's clear that while he had no doubt that the evidence was forged, he never understood why his brother knew, and once he puts the pieces together, he understands something else: not only did Kristoph frame Phoenix, but, had Kristoph remained the original defense attorney, he had absolutely no interest in taking his brother on in court, even after promising Klavier that he'd face him in court for a fair fight to the truth. It becomes a HeadsIWinTailsYouLose situation for Klavier, as if it ''had'' been his brother he'd faced that day, his brother would have won with a forgery. ''Ow.''

** Becomes even more of a case of HarsherInHindsight with the reveals about his backstory in later games. And while the games never really delve into how Apollo was feeling during and after 4-1, there are little hints that the case hurt him far more deeply than he's willing to admit. He confesses in ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'' that he nearly quit being a lawyer after that trial, refers to it only as "a disaster," and never mentions Kristoph Gavin's name again. Considering how in ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice Spirit of Justice]]'', he explains that his way of coping with abandonment was to try and forget about [[spoiler: his foster family in Khurain]], it's probable that he's doing the same thing to cope with Kristoph's betrayal.

Take moments specific to [[TearJerker/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney the Phoenix arc]], ''[[TearJerker/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth Investigations]]'', or ''[[TearJerker/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'' to those pages, please.

** Really, the whole idea of Phoenix losing his badge is completely heartbreaking. After all he did, all the people he saved and all the trouble he went through, he lost it all and had to see how many of his old friends left him and went on with their lives, even becoming very successful, while he rotted in a shady job that, to top it all off, was a reminder of his last case (playing cards) and had to exercise as a piano player with no talent, all to raise a little girl he never asked for and that, in all fairness, helped the guy who caused his disbarment escape.]] It kind of makes you feel all the effort you put in the previous games feel in vain.

* Speaking of the end of Apollo Justice, the final reveal that Trucy is an even greater master of the poker face than Phoenix himself, as Phoenix explains that he's the only one who knows how she truly feels at the same time as the player gets a shot of her crying. Realizing how hard the return and death of her real father must have hit her.]]

* It's sort of a Fridge Sadness one, but Apollo's life before becoming an attorney was probably this -- his father died when he was very young, and his mother apparently abandoned him when she returned to Troupe Gramarye, meaning he had no family at all for all but the first few months of his life. His half-sister Trucy [[TheWoobie went through a lot herself]], but at least she had parents for a while and ended up with Nick in the end; we have ''no idea'' who raised Apollo! The closest thing he had to a father figure was ''Kristoph Gavin'', and the poor guy has to see his entire perception of his ''own freaking mentor'' shatter to pieces right in front of his eyes during the game.]]

* The part where you [[spoiler:play as Phoenix in his last trial, and the game forces you to present evidence that [[ForegoneConclusion you know will get him disbarred]] because [[DramaticIrony he doesn't know it's a forgery]]. [[ButThouMust Even if you try to lose the case in any other way or NOT to present the forged evidence, the whole thing won't stop until you've done so.]]]] In fact, anything concerning [[spoiler: Phoenix losing his badge]] is saddening, but special mention has to go to one of the best tragicomic lines in the game, which you get when you examine a doll doing the classic objecting pose and [[spoiler: Phoenix bellows his old CatchPhrase one more time, before saying 'it's been seven years! I need to stop torturing myself with these things! I know, I'll just pretend it's saying something else. 'Why yes sir, the post office is right over that way.'']] It's difficult to know whether that should be met with laughter or tears.
** You ''know'' that [[spoiler:Phoenix just made a very big mistake]] when Klavier does his wall slam and there's a noticably longer-than-usual delay before he says his next line, as if the game's letting it sink in that [[spoiler:Phoenix is about to lose his career]].
** Really, the whole idea of [[spoiler: Phoenix losing his badge is completely heartbreaking. After all he did, all the people he saved and all the trouble he went through, he lost it all and had to see how many of his old friends left him and went on with their lives, even becoming very successful, while he rotted in a shady job that, to top it all off, was a reminder of his last case (playing cards) and had to exercise as a piano player with no talent, all to raise a little girl he never asked for and that, in all fairness, helped the guy who caused his disbarment escape.]] It kind of makes you feel all the effort you put in the previous games feel in vain.

--> [[spoiler:"The verdict was postponed...for eternity."]]
* The last scene of Apollo Justice, where [[spoiler:Klavier, having realized what his brother's done and the part he himself played, looks up towards the ceiling, clearly on the verge of tears, and takes that final step to convict Kristoph of murder once and for all.]] When you consider that just a few months ago, [[spoiler:Klavier also helped convict his friend and band member]], the entire game really was just a KickTheDog experience for the poor guy, especially since he's certainly the friendliest and least corrupt prosecutor in the series.
** It's clear that while he had no doubt that the evidence was forged, he never understood why his brother knew, and once he puts the pieces together, he understands something else: [[spoiler:not only did Kristoph frame Phoenix, but, had Kristoph remained the original defense attorney, he had absolutely no interest in taking his brother on in court, even after promising Klavier that he'd face him in court for a fair fight to the truth. It becomes a HeadsIWinTailsYouLose situation for Klavier, as if it ''had'' been his brother he'd faced that day, his brother would have won with a forgery. ''Ow.'']]
* Speaking of the end of Apollo Justice, the final reveal that Trucy [[spoiler:is an even greater master of the poker face than Phoenix himself, as Phoenix explains that he's the only one who knows how she truly feels at the same time as the player gets a shot of her crying. Realizing how hard the return and death of her real father must have hit her.]]
** Earlier, there's the moment where [[spoiler:Apollo realizes that Shadi Smith, the murder victim of the first case, was Trucy's father. While Apollo wonders how to break the news to her at this time, Trucy tells him it's fine and to say what he has to. He wonders if she knew the entire time.]]
* Turnabout Serenade could also have a moment of this, when you first see Machi in the Detention Center. Just think how far away he was from home... and possibly unable to tell what was going on, due to being blind and couldn't speak English. [[spoiler:Of course, it turns out he wasn't blind and could speak basic English, but the thought of that loneliness if he was...]]

* At the end, when Phoenix is talking to [[spoiler:Lamiroir]] about Apollo and Trucy, [[spoiler:he promises her to take care of them, because they're important to him. That's one thing about him that has never changed.]] He goes on to add [[spoiler:that he must especially look after Trucy, because he's the only one who knows what she feels inside -- and then it cuts to an image of Trucy with tears on her cheeks. Poor Trucy!]]
* Pretty much all of the investigation [[spoiler: in the past during 4-4 was pretty depressing]] but the one moment that really hit hard was [[spoiler: when Phoenix was about to leave the Mishams, young Vera comments on the deeply sad look in his eyes. Phoenix doesn't even deny it.]]
** Equally heartbreaking is Phoenix attempting to find a way to draw Vera out of her shell and the fact that Psyche-Locks guarded her good-luck charm. It's clear how easy she was to manipulate and how much she needed a friend, which makes [[spoiler:the game's ending a case of floodgates opening]]. WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic kicks in if you compare Phoenix and Vera's situations: [[spoiler:both are trapped inside themselves and unable to leave the past, and both possess extraordinary skillsets that are being wasted (Vera's on forging, Phoenix's disbarment). It's not until the end of the game that both are truly set free and able to believe in the goodness of others again.]]
* It's sort of a Fridge Sadness one, but Apollo's life before becoming an attorney was probably this -- [[spoiler:his father died when he was very young, and his mother apparently abandoned him when she returned to Troupe Gramarye, meaning he had no family at all for all but the first few months of his life. His half-sister Trucy [[TheWoobie went through a lot herself]], but at least she had parents for a while and ended up with Nick in the end; we have ''no idea'' who raised Apollo! The closest thing he had to a father figure was ''Kristoph Gavin'', and the poor guy has to see his entire perception of his ''own freaking mentor'' shatter to pieces right in front of his eyes during the game.]]
** Not helped by the events as of the beginning of 4-2. After a long time practicing his legal skills and Chords of Steel, Apollo is finally given the chance to defend his first case, accompanied by his boss and teacher. [[spoiler:The trial ends with him accusing his boss of murder and being tricked into using illegal evidence by his client and role model, and now he's jobless]]. For the first part of 4-2, we see him basically doing odd jobs to pay the bills, and when someone finally hires him to be a defense attorney again, [[spoiler:it's because she thinks he'll screw it up]]. There's a line between being the ButtMonkey and [[spoiler:your life falling apart in front of you]].

** [[spoiler:''Dual Destinies'' does show that Maya, Pearl, and Edgeworth kept in touch with Phoenix throughout that time. Which is a very happy TearJerker, since we find out at least some of his friends stuck with him the whole time.]]