Though the protagonists and general supporting cast of the Ace Attorney series is the secret to its endless charm, the many culprits that have been brought to justice serve to properly balance and flesh out the heroes. Each culprit brings with them their own charm and purpose, a role that only they can bring to life.
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However, some are considered the cream of the crop. These are people who range from achingly human to wholly amoral, with motives that range from revenge to political and personal power grabs. But whatever their history or reason, these culprits remain in the larger fan consciousness long after their respective cases have been completed.
Mimi Mini
Easily one of the most tragic culprits of the series, Mimi Mini was a nurse who, due to being grossly overworked, committed a grave medical error that cost the lives of several patients. But the consequences of that sleep deprivation stretched even further, as she fell asleep at the wheel while driving and crashed her car, killing her younger sister and gravely wounding herself.
While attempting to pin the blame on an innocent Maya was inexcusable, her desire for revenge against the doctor who mercilessly overworked her was more than understandable considering everything she lost.
Redd White
A self-absorbed and utterly corrupt businessman with a penchant for gaudy fashion and made-up words. He quickly showed his true, deadly colors by murdering Mia Fey in cold blood as she was investigating his various shady deals. The murder devastated both Phoenix, her protegee, and her sister Maya Fey, while stripping away an immensely talented attorney from the world.
Redd White's criminal activities and blackmail network were also suitably impressive, as he not only managed to sink his claws into the prosecutor's office but even had dirt on Mia's former mentor Marvin Grossberg. He also played a role in the DL-6 case by leaking the Fey clan's involvement in the investigation, which ruined their reputation.
"Calisto Yew" / "Shih-na"
A spy and defense attorney for the Cohdopian smuggling ring, this mysterious woman would go on to kill a sizable amount of people and traumatize even more to accomplish her goals. She infiltrated the Yatagarasu, a group of three law enforcement agents who secretly operated as thieves that exposed otherwise untouchable people, as Calisto Yew and brought them down single-handledly.
Years later, she had been posing as an Interpol agent named Shih-na and faked her loyalty to Shi-Long Lang to throw him off the smuggling ring's trail. She performed her jobs efficiently and ruthlessly, and her actions have had massive consequences both politically and personally for the characters involved, including Kay.
The Phantom
Though revealed to be a mere tool of a much larger syndicate, the atrocities that this mysterious figure has inflicted on the court system and other victims are immeasurable. One of the people responsible for bringing in the "dark ages of the law," The Phantom's actions have affected countless cases both in-game and in past canon, which has had massive global consequences.
Not only that but they pulled quite the deception, one that lasted an entire game and even fooled resident psychologist Simon Blackquill. By killing detective Bobby Fulbright and then masquerading as him, they were able to destroy all evidence pointing to their involvement with the crime syndicate.
Quercus Alba
A decorated general turned ambassador, Alba had garnered an incredible amount of power and political protection. Initially disguised as a gentle and feeble old man, he soon revealed his true self to be a proud and completely ruthless man who commanded a global smuggling syndicate.
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He brandished his diplomatic immunities like a finely honed blade, nearly avoiding every piece of otherwise conclusive evidence. It took the tireless efforts of Edgeworth, Franziska, Kay, Shi-Long Lang, Gumshoe, and even Oldbag (in probably the most surprising turn of events) to finally tear him down.
Kristoph Gavin
Apollo's mentor and a talented defense attorney, Kristoph was revealed to be a far more evil man than either the former or his brother Klavier could ever have thought. He committed two murders solely due to his own ego and perfectionism, attempted to murder a young girl, caused Phoenix's disbarment, and helped usher in the "dark ages of the law."
It took seven long years and the efforts of Phoenix, Apollo, and Klavier to finally bring down Kristoph and stop his reign of terror from continuing.
Mael Stronghart
Mael was the Lord Chief of Justice and the evolution of Damon Gant in both motivation and scope of impact. Like the latter, the former had dreams of a peaceful London but quickly became disillusioned and corrupted. He manipulated countless people within law enforcement, including one of the final culprits of the first Great Ace Attorney, and ordered the deaths of even more.
He climbed his way to one of the highest positions in the city and used his reach and power to continue to commit even more atrocities, under the guise of protecting London.
Manfred von Karma
A prosecutor who was infamous for his 40-year undefeated streak, he's obsessed with perfection and cast aside all else to achieve it. He used whatever means were necessary to maintain that flawless record, including falsifying evidence and testimony. He killed Edgeworth's father as revenge after the infamous DL-6, then took in Edgeworth and raised him in his image.
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His involvement in DL-6 affected not only Edgeworth but also the entire Fey clan, which resulted in its downfall as well as Mia and Maya's mother going into hiding. He caused untold suffering for decades and it took a herculean effort to finally take him down.
Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in
As the reigning queen of Khura'in, she had untold and unmatched power which she used capriciously. She set fire to the royal palace to fake the then queen Amara's death, and stole the throne, resulting in the death of Apollo's biological father. Apollo's adoptive father, Dhurke Sahdmadhi, was set up as Amara's "murderer" and forced to flee with both his sons.
When you faced her in court, you faced not only a feared prosecutor but a woman who reigned over an entire country and had the power to rewrite the law as she saw fit. Her battle was on a different scale from any other culprit.
Dahlia Hawthorne
Unlike most other examples on this list, Dahlia was born with nothing. With no status or power, she leveraged the one gift granted to her: her irresistible charm. She constantly manipulated others, ruined lives, and killed endlessly to gain power and riches. She even saw her own twin sister as nothing more than a nuisance to be used and abandoned as she pleased, and tried to kill then frame Phoenix for murder.
She escaped punishment the first time and continued her rampage until she was finally found guilty in a later case. Death wasn't even enough to stop her, as her plotting with Morgan Fey directly resulted in the events surrounding the last case of Trials and Tribulations. Before her very spirit was banished she claimed or nearly claimed the lives of several more people, and even the Judge stated that no one should ever channel her spirit again.
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