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Ace Attorneycharacters are no strangers to tragic pasts and impossible obstacles, but hardly any of them rival the story of Apollo Justice. While each of his games functions as standalone titles, looking at them as a whole reveals Apollo’s overarching journey of starting from nothing to leading a legal revolution.
Apollo Justice may initially seem like an enigma, given that much of his backstory is a secret for most of the trilogy. But make no mistake; Apollo’s story is one of betrayal and the determination it took to overcome it and surpass the legendary defense attorney Phoenix Wright.
Spoilers for Apollo Justice Ace Attorney Trilogy ahead!
What Is Apollo Justice’s Backstory?
While Apollo was born in the United States, he wasraised in the Kingdom of Khura’inafter he was separated from his parents during a horrific accident.
Apollo’s father, Jove Justice, was a traveling musician who took Apollo to Khura’in to see his performance for Queen Amara. Tragedy struck when a fire broke out during the concert, andboth Jove and the Queen perishedamid the chaos.
Apollo barely escaped and was later found by Amara’s husband, a renowned defense attorney named Dhurke Sahdmadhi, whoraised him alongside his biological son, Nahyuta.
Things took another dark turn, however, when the new Queen, Amara’s sister, Ga’ran,falsely accused Dhurke of setting the firethat killed Amara and Jove.
Despite his innocence, the attorney went into hiding and founded the rebel group Defiant Dragons to overthrow the tyrannical monarchy.
Fearing for Apollo’s safety,Dhurke sent him back to the United States, promising to get him once things settled down.
For the rest of his childhood, Apollo spent most of his time at the Cosmos Space Center with his best friend, Clay Terran, who aspired to be an astronaut.
Apollo, however, decided to follow in Dhurke’s footsteps and attend law school. Eventually,he became a defense lawyerand got a job at Gavin Law Offices.
How Did Apollo Meet Phoenix Wright?
Apollo’s first client isnone other than Phoenix Wright, who had been arrested for murder. Apollo is shocked to learn thatPhoenix was disbarred years agoand cannot represent himself.
The trial becomes even more bizarre whenWright accuses Apollo’s boss,Kristoph Gavin, of being the real killer. After an intense battle of wits, Apollo proves Gavin’s guilt, and Phoenix is found not guilty.
Impressed by his work,Phoenix takes Apollo on as an apprentice. For the next year, Justice works alongside Wright’s daughter, Trucy, to solve a series of strange mysteries. Most notably, the young lawyer plays a large role in getting Phoenix reinstated as an attorney.
Is Apollo Related To Trucy Wright?
While they never find out in-game,Apollo and Trucy are half-siblings.
After Jove Justice died in the fire, Apollo’s mom, a magician named Thalassa Gramarye, assumed her son was also dead. She eventually married a member of her troupe, Shadi Enigmar, and had Trucy, whom Phoenix would later adopt when Thalassa goes missing.
The only clue Apollo and Trucy have to their relationship istheir shared ‘perceive’ ability, a sixth sense passed down by the Gramarye family that makes them excel at reading body language and noticing nervous habits.
With Trucy and Phoenix’s help, Apollo hones this power and uses it several times in court.
Apollo and Trucy eventually reunite with their mother when investigating a murder, though neither of them recognize her.
Why Does Apollo Quit Working For Phoenix?
Tension builds at the Wright Anything Agency when Apollo’s childhood friend, Clay Terran, is stabbed at the Cosmos Space Center shortly before his first journey into Outer Space. To make matters worse,Phoenix and Apollo disagree on who the killer is.
While Justice and his co-counsel, Athena Cykes, investigate the crime scene,he perceives that Athena lies several timesabout having never seen the murder weapon before.
Wracked with grief and betrayal,Apollo leaves the Wright Anything Agencyto pursue the truth on his own terms.
Shortly after, Athena is arrested when her fingerprints are found on a lighter discovered at the crime scene. Believing in her innocence,Phoenix defends her in court and goes toe-to-toe with Apollo, who takes the stand to testify against her.
Apollo’s doubt is cleared when Phoenix proves the evidence against Athena is forged. The true culprit is a spy known only as The Phantom, who killed Clay to sabotage the rocket launch.
While she doesn’t remember it clearly, Athena recognized the murder weapon from when she stabbed the same spy as a child in self-defense after he killed her mother.
To atone for his mistake,Apollo joins Wright at the defense’s deskand fights to prove Athena’s innocence. After a heated battle, The Phantom is arrested, and Apollo is rehired at the Wright Anything Agency.
Why Did Apollo Join The Khura’inese Revolution?
Apollo faces one final challenge on his journey to become a full-fledged attorney whenDhurke finally comes to the United Statesafter years of no contact.
Dhurke asks Apollo tohelp him find the Founder’s Orb, a relic that bestows spiritual powers upon anyone who solves its puzzle. According to Dhurke, the orb will help him win the war against Queen Ga’ran.
Despite his initial hesitation,Apollo agrees and travels to Kurain Villagewith Dhurke to search for the relic. After exploring the maze-like caves of Mt. Mitama, they finally find it.
Things take another turn when a greedy politician, Paul Atishon, claims he is the rightful owner of the orb. When the matter is taken to court, Apollo is stunned to seePhoenix is the opposing counsel.
Thanks to Justice’s deductive powers, he figures out thatAtishon is holding Maya Fey hostage, forcing Phoenix to represent him in exchange for her release.Apolloexposes the politician in courtand wins the trial.
When court is adjourned, Apollo learns thatMaya is being held captive in Khura’inby Queen Ga’ran’s husband, Justice Minister Inga, who hired Paul Atishon to retrieve the Founder’s Orb.
Apollo, Dhurke, Phoenix, Athena, and Edgeworth travel to Khura’in to bargain for Maya’s release. Upon arrival,Justice joins Dhurke’s revolution, leading to many shocking revelations about his past.
It turns out thatQueen Ga’ran started the fire that killed Apollo’s dadin an attempt to murder her sister, Queen Amara, and take her throne.
It’s also revealed that Amara had survived the fire and was being held captive by Ga’ran.
Not only that, but Apollo also learns thatDhurke was shot several days ago by Justice Minister Inga, and the person he has been traveling with is actually Maya Fey, channeling Dhurke’s spirit.
Pushing through his unbearable grief, Apollo devices a plan to dethrone Ga’ran. According to Khura’inese law, one must be able to channel spirits to be queen. Apollo deduces that the royal family wants the Founder’s Orb to obtain spiritual powers, meaning Ga’ran is not a spirit medium.
Apollo exposes the queen’s lie to the entire nation, and she is finally overthrown. Once things settle down, Apollo decides tocontinue Dhurke’s legacy by staying in Khura’in.He opens the Justice Law Offices, finally surpassing his mentor, Phoenix Wright.
