achtung herr forehead fraulein

Guten Tag.

I wasn't without my suspicions as to who would lose the vote, but I really would've been fine with either.
Ace Attorney is a series that contains a whole bunch of characters. Some of them are bad, but some are good, and some make me laugh or do incredibly cool things with the amount of screentime they have. I don't think being a "main character" should benefit anyone by itself, if that character has massive flaws and if the minor characters that remain aren't absolutely terrible.

So. Klavier Gavin. Who is he? What is his character? What is his role? And why does none of it work?

**Setting the Stage**

In 4-1, Turnabout Trump, something strange happens. When you're accusing the obvious culprit of wrongdoing, the blame suddenly shifts towards your mentor, at the will of your client. You successfully prove using forged evidence that Kristoph Gavin is guilty. Now you're without a boss, and have to crash at Phoenix's messy magic den.

A few months later, Apollo takes on a new series of pointless errands that eventually connect to an actual case. He meets his client, and learns that the one prosecuting the case will be the brother of the guy you just put away for murder. Oooooooo. He's also a rockstar, and a "glimmerous fop".

**Turnabout Introduction**

Klavier Gavin takes to the prosecutor's bench. The first thing that happens is that the Judge asks if he has gotten past his demons of seven years ago. Wow, could you be setting him up for future character stuff any more unsubtly? Anyway.

He does some normal prosecutor stuff. He calls a witness to the stand (He calls the defendant, an unusual move, but that's really more related to the quirks and character of that defendant). He submits evidence to the court, and makes counterarguments to any of the defense's claims. They have an argument about where in the head the victim was shot, and this, not anything related to the way he looks, is what causes Klavier to call Apollo Herr Forehead. Which, what? That doesn't make any sense. But whatever. He acts as a prosecutor.

It's... okay? That's probably the way to describe it.

The first trial day ends with no clear answers, thanks to panty man.

**SO WHAT I'M STILL A ROCK STAR**

I guess I can list a positive now: Klavier being a musician is a fun gimmick. His "let me play air guitar" animation is fluid, and it's an inherently humorous juxtaposition of two careers that seem like they're meant for two very different types of people. He also has the song "Guilty Love" play at some points. While this is a pretty cool song, it sticks out to me for something cool it does: introduce the concept of a "prosecutor theme".

Now look, don't get your panties in a bunch you Sticklers, I know that both Edgeworth and Franziska had climactic return songs in AA2, and Godot had his lo-fi beats to relax and drink coffee to. But Klavier was the first to have a song that was basically a prosecutor equivalent to the objection theme. A hype track to make you feel like they've scored a massive point in the trial. It's a concept that continues in the future, and it's one I quite like.

Honestly, my favorite appearance of his in AJ is probably the part of 4-3 before there's any murder. He's just a somewhat arrogant and egotistical rockstar arguing with his crew and also they all have side jobs as legal professionals for some reason. It's fun.

**The Rest Of That Introductory Case**

The trial ends, and an investigation occurs. You find out some new info and also that the culprit is probably Alita if you didn't know that already.

Tiala is called to the stand. She pretends to be reluctant while implicating Wocky. Apollo Justice does some contradiction thing to link her to the victim using sandals. She tries to argue against it, but Klavier shuts that down by presenting footprints. It... seems Klavier has realized she's the true killer and is trying to go after her?

When Edgeworth did his big shocking "help you catch the culprit" in 1-3, it was at the very end of the case, which was the last case he prosecuted (in the original game, at least). When Blackquill and Nahyuta start to be "good guys" kind of and help you catch the culprit, it's after their role as prosecutor has basically ended already. In comparison, Klavier is almost... friendly. Klavier is the only prosecutor who fully cooperates with you within the first half of his screentime.

This is a huge problem.

**THE ace attorney game with no stakes**

Stakes. The mere word sends a shiver down any online AA fan's spine. But worry not, I do not intend to have the same discussion again about Shu Takumi and Takeshi Yamazaki. It will be a slightly different conversation.
Stakes are what is at risk when the hero is putting their efforts into some quest. In some cases, it's a personal issue. Taking down the man who killed Athena's mom, or the person who's been manipulating you throughout all of AAI2. Other times, it's larger scale. Struggling against the absurdly uber-powerful CEO Redd White, or dipping your toes into the risks of a vast international conspiracy in DGS. Regardless of the nature, the idea is the same: players are going to feel more motivated and excited about doing something if there's a consequence for failing to do it. This is the reason we play as the Defense Attorney at all; in the legal system of AA, they're always on the verge of slipping up and losing, and, in the trilogy, at least, you almost always feel like you're just barely holding on. Your client's life is riding on you, and that client is usually someone you like at least a little. Final cases usually add something more: your childhood friend will be plagued by guilt and traumatized forever if you can't prove him innocent, your assistant has been kidnapped, an entire building has been taken hostage by a mad scientist lesbian. Standard stuff.

For a first case, the stakes are pretty high in 4-1. You're taking down your mentor, and if you fail to defend your client, he'll go to prison at best, and he's Phoenix fucking Wright. This smug defense attorney is gonna get away with murder if you don't do anything. It's tense.

This is the last time there is absolutely anything substantial at stake in AJ.

For one thing, your motive to succeed is weak. The defendants of AJ are all deliberately either unlikable or suspicious. No offense, but I won't exactly be crying if I fail to save Wocky Kitaki from prison. There's also the specific things that keep the reasons you have confusing: why exactly should I care about pinning this crime on Kristoph? He's already in fucking solitary.

But more importantly, stakes require opposition. And let me ask you something: who exactly in Apollo Justice is determined to see you fail? Who will take advantage of any mistake you make to crush you, putting on the pressure for you to epic own with facts and logic? It's not the Judge or courtroom. This isn't some lawyer-hostile country. It isn't some greater scope villain trying to mess with you; the only mastermindy schemes are by Phoenix, who's setting you up to succeed.

Aside from the killer? It's nobody. Not even the prosecutor.

And the killer doesn't really work as opposition, here. Let me illustrate this point by doing something absolutely disgusting: speaking positively in a comparison about Godot.

Godot is a bad charac-I mean prosecutor. He makes some basic mistakes, does very little for most of the time, and his only counterargument ever seems to be "but trite wears youre evidens". The amount of opposition you face from him is negligible. And it does make sense: the guy isn't even an actual prosecutor. He's out of his element. I do honestly still think this is a problem, but it's a problem with Godot as a character and how much focus he gets in the majority of the game. In terms of T&T as a whole, I actually think it's mostly fine. *Because the game is built around that.*

Luke Atmey is a mad lad who messes with the investigation by being a detective, and is clever enough to come up with reasonable counterarguments to whatever you claim all in a wording that is incredibly confusing. The only other notable 3-2 character is your client, who spends half the case claiming to be guilty. In 3-3, Furio is a larger-than-life intimidating personality, and every other character in the case is either a collaborator with him or has been misled and tricked by him. The whole case is a confusing uphill battle that starts with multiple witnesses to your client supposedly doing the deed. And Dahlia is fucking Dahlia, a manipulative psychopath who death can't stop and who is basically the culprit even when she isn't the culprit. In all of these cases, a prosecutor isn't even really necessary. The killer and witnesses present enough of a threat on their own.

But let's look at Apollo Justice. Who exactly is causing you any trouble? Fucking Alita Tiala? She's a culprit that infamously lacks presence, and everyone else in the case is just a bunch of goofy characters with goofy misunderstandings whose testimony reveals aren't even that important to the case. (Wow, thank god I know what Stickler was doing at the time of the crime.) I think they were trying to do this sort of thing with Daryan, by going "oooo he can't be taken down with normal means" but his confrontation where you think he's the killer is a single testimony and I've already complained about everything involving Daryan. And Kristoph isn't a threat because he's already going to die, and the current murder is one he didn't even intend to happen at this point. The Judge is non-hostile. The prosecutor gives you a hand when you're in trouble. The witnesses are trivial. Phoenix Wright is doing big brain strategies behind the scenes to make the finale literally impossible to lose. In Apollo Justice, you never feel like you're fucking doing anything. And Klavier is a big part of why. His period where he opposes you is "the first half of 4-2" and from then on, the periods where he argues against you don't even matter, because you already know that when you show the likely killer and things get tough, he'll have your back.

tl;dr klavier almost seems to enjoy being nice

**Brother Dearest, Bandmate Dearest**

"i thought about it more and klavier make me mad cause even with his lack of a dick head he still could've been pretty great like 4-2 he could have a grudge for us sending his brother to jail, 4-3 he could get shaken up over having to send his bandmate to jail and also maybe his "band infighting" plotline wouldn't get dropped, and 4-4 he could just. be sad he has to prosecture his brother but nope he is just :funnyhexagon: :guitar: achtung!!"
- Navid Hippy Tippy

"klavier keeps being given reasons to be interesting but then he goes NO, I DON'T WANT THAT like the pumkin in the pumkin video"
- Me

I talked a bit about the way Klavier is set up earlier. Let's talk about the payoff.

They establish that he's a guitarist. They sure succeed to deliver on that front. They establish that he's spent time in Germany. Same deal. They establish that he has bandmates, and later establish that Daryan Crescend is one of them. This fact doesn't matter at all. Klavier doesn't show any real hesitance or emotion about his comrade being accused of murder. He just prosecutes like normal and goes "nice playing with you dude" when the breakdown happens.

They establish that he is Kristoph's brother. Here is where the problems really arise.

> How could I pass up a chance to see the true strength... ...of the little boy who bested my brother?
This is it. This is the only time Klavier references Kristoph in Turnabout Corner, his introductory case.
He doesn't reference him once in Serenade.

> Ah, figures my bro's more famous in this part of town.
This is from the flashback case. This is the only time Klavier references Kristoph in Turnabout Succession before he's literally called up onto the stand.

I understand the reasoning for this. Your brother is someone who went to jail for murder. I get why you wouldn't want to constantly mention this. But for fuck's sake, when the game would literally not change at all if the two characters were completely unrelated, that's a problem. They try to use their relationship for character moments near the end of 4-4, but with zero setup, it doesn't work. I have no fucking idea how Klavier feels about Kristoph, really. Does he just not care about him and acknowledge that he's a terrible person and a murderer? If so, why the fuck is he freaking out in 4-4? Why does he beg Apollo to CLEAR UP THESE DOUBTS OR I'M OFF THE CASE MAN. Your brother was already convicted of killing someone, which he has confessed to. Why are you having an astonished reaction now to the idea that your brother could kill someone? Does Klavier have some lingering feelings for his brother, and can't bring himself to hate him? Okay. How? Was Kristoph at some point not obviously evil? We only see him seven years in the past, and look at that! He's exactly the same. (Side note: Sebastian and Blaise are a similar case; a character becoming disillusioned with a close family member they respected even though they've always been obviously evil. The difference is 1. Murder is a new thing here to discover, and 2. A father-son relationship is way less equitable than a sibling one, and Sebastian is not supposed to be the brightest.)

Klavier's relationship with Kristoph is the closest thing he has to character depth in AJ. And it doesn't exist.