Phoenix Wright Smash Bros. Concept

Overview:
Once a rookie defense attorney fending off scheming prosecutors, Phoenix Wright has paved a path of justice and proved the innocence of many of his clients through decisive courtroom battles and investigations. He's renowned for his famous turnabouts, and of course, his iconic cry of "Objection!".

Smash Bros. Summary:
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Phoenix takes the role of a wildcard zoner with powerful, albeit hard to land, physical attacks. Considering his lack of combat experience, many of Phoenix's attacks are incidental, like Villager and Isabelle's. His unique trait is collecting evidence, which strengthens his "arguments" and augments his abilities. Without evidence, Phoenix starts sluggish and weak, but this can change once he accumulates it, increasing his runspeed, airspeed, and giving a slight % increase on all of his attacks. For best results, Phoenix needs to space away his opponents, gather evidence, and hit them with a turnabout! Phoenix himself has already appeared in fighting game crossovers, such as Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Project X Zone 2. Mild touches from these games may appear in his kit.

SPECIALS
Neutral Special: Court Record
Phoenix kneels onto the ground and investigates, finding a random piece of evidence out of seven different types. Once a piece of evidence is found, Phoenix will add it to his Court Record. Up to three pieces of evidence can be stored in the Court Record at a time, each with a fifteen second time limit. The more evidence Phoenix has on him, the stronger he is! However, pressing the button after finding evidence will have Phoenix chuck the last piece of evidence he found, each being a useful projectile, and holding the button will have him search for more. When "presenting" the evidence, Phoenix will shout "Take that!', with the speech bubble simultaneously appearing. Each evidence type has a unique effect:
• Autopsy Report: Scatters paper in an area. Deals light %.
• Camera: Flashes and stuns opponents. Deals light %.
• Cell Phone: Hones in on opponents. Deals light %.
• Steel Samurai Ball: High knockback. Deals no %.
• Thinker Statue: High arc; spikes opponents. Deals medium %.
• Knife: High velocity projectile, travels straight and pierces opponents. Deals high %.
• Gun: Immediate beam of damage which varies based on the distance of the opponent from Phoenix (alike the Staff item). Deals variable %.
Evidence is key in the Ace Attorney franchise, so it's only fit that Phoenix's Neutral Special revolves around it.

Side Special: Cross-Examination
A witness stand will appear a distance in front of Phoenix. If the witness stand springs up underneath an opponent, they will be caught within it, and Phoenix will send them flying by shouting "Hold it!", with the speech bubble appearing next to Phoenix. Think of it like a cross between Palutena's Explosive Flame and Incineroar's Alolan Whip; a ranged command grab with a distance that can be modulated. This references cross-examination, a key courtroom gameplay mechanic in the franchise.

Up Special: Bridge to the Turnabout
Phoenix conjures up a stepladder (or is it a ladder?) and climbs up it, jumping off of the top. The move also functions like Pac-Man's Fire Hydrant, in that, when grounded, it can be knocked over with enough % dealt to it globally. Once it topples to a side, it can deal heavy damage. This references a recurring joke throughout the series with characters taking sides on whether the object is a stepladder or a ladder.

Down Special: Assistant Consultation
Phoenix will summon one of three of his adorable teenaged companions: Maya Fey, Ema Skye, and Trucy Wright. Maya is a spirit medium who is Phoenix's longtime friend and assistant. Ema is another assistant who has a penchant for forensic science, and Trucy is Wright's adopted daughter and a skilled magician. Summoning them is simple: a GUI will appear next to Phoenix, and one of the assistant's profiles will be selected by moving the cursor to them, alike Hero's Command Input. Each assistant will be able to assist Phoenix in their own way.
• Maya: Rushes forward with "spiritual energy" (think Zelda's dash attack), capturing opponents and moving them a distance.
• Ema: Blasts the chemilumiescent Luminol on opponents, dealing damage over time in an area.
• Trucy: Summons her puppet companion Mr. Hat and sends opponents nearby directly upward.
If a character fails to hit anyone, they will warp away with a sad look on their face. This special references the many assistants in the Ace Attorney franchise, and the "Consultation" mechanic originating from the newer games.

Final Smash: Revisualization/Thought Route
Phoenix turns his thinking around! Phoenix goes deep in thought and a red beam soars past him, capturing opponents. Once it does, they're taken to a blue "speed line" background, with a view of Phoenix's forehead. The beam goes through various portraits and profiles, before a giant black block of text, reading something like "[Character] is guility" appears, and then they're launched away. This references the Revisualization/Thought Route mechanic in the games, which is something of a coup de grace tactic.

NORMALS
Jab: Document Smack
Phoenix smacks a document three times with increasing intensity. References the animation from the games.

Forward Tilt: Attorney's Badge
Phoenix takes his badge off his lapel and presents it. The badge has decent strength, but is incredibly tiny! References the Attorney's Badge, an always-possessed piece of "evidence" in the games that can elicit humorous dialogue if presented.

Down Tilt: Evidence Search
Phoenix pats the ground, as if searching for vital evidence. Self-explanatory reference.

Up Tilt: Thinking
Phoenix hoists his arm up high, and scratches his chin, catching opponents. References the animation from the games.

Dash Attack: Opening Statement
Phoenix walks forward while smacking a paper, reminiscent of his jab. It's like what TV lawyers do, pace around the courtroom and read off a paper.

Forward Smash: Objection!
Phoenix steps back, and thrusts his finger with all of his might. The attack is strong, but the tip of his finger is even stronger, to the point where it might be one of the strongest Smash Attacks in the game, especially with evidence. The iconic "Objection!" speech bubble also appears.

Down Smash: Desk Slam
Phoenix summons a courtroom desk underneath him and slams it while looking determined. References the animation from the games.

Up Smash: Shocking Realization
Phoenix suddenly realizes something so horrible that he jerks his head up in terror and smashes opponents above. References the animation from the games.

Neutral Aerial: Paper Scatter
Phoenix scatters papers in a radius around him.

Forward Aerial: Point!
Phoenix looks downward and points ahead of him in an angle. Like his Forward Smash, but with less power.

Down Aerial: Cold Symptom
Phoenix viciously sneezes and spikes opponents below him, granting him a slight vertical boost as well. This references Phoenix's younger appearance, where he was often plagued by illness, in particular, colds.

Up Aerial: Metal Detector
Phoenix will clumsily swing a metal detector overhead and come down with it. This references Detective Gumshoe's gadgets, which Phoenix has utilized several times.

Ledge Get-Up Attack: Slap
Phoenix will slap the top of the stage in front of him and climb back up.

Get-Up Attack: Floor Slam
Like his Down Smash, Phoenix will slam the floor as if it were a courtroom desk and regather his bearings.

GRAB/PUMMEL/THROWS
Grab: Maya's Magatama
Phoenix will use his friend Maya's family artifact, the Magatama, to grab opponents. When grabbing an opponent, they will be bound in chains and a Psyche-Lock, representations of a person's bound secrets. This references the Psyche-Lock gimmick, a reoccurring gameplay element of the games.

Pummel: Press
Phoenix will yell at his opponent, shouting such cheesy things such as "Let it out!", "Your secrets are mine", or "Break your lock!". The opponent's Psyche-Lock will rattle as he does so.

Forward Throw: Point of Truth
Like his Forward Smash, Phoenix will step back and point at the opponent, breaking their Psyche-Lock.

Up Throw: Thrust of Truth
Phoenix will throw his fist in the air, sending the opponent in that direction and breaking their Psyche-Lock.

Down Throw: Slam of Truth
Phoenix will send his fist downwards and slam the opponent into the ground, breaking their Psyche-Lock.

Back Throw: Turnabout of Truth
Phoenix will turn around and point backwards, sending the opponent that way and breaking their lock.

ANIMATIONS
Up Taunt: Badge Present
Similar to his Forward Tilt, but to the screen. Phoenix will present his Attorney's Bade and state "have a look at this" excitedly.

Side Taunt: Coffee Drink
Darker than a moonless night, hotter and more bitter than hell itself, Phoenix will take a sip of some coffee, while looking smug. Reminiscent of an animation and Prosecutor Godot's coffee drinking habits.

Down Taunt: Assistant Pose
Phoenix will point to the screen while one of his assistants also pose.
•Maya will raise her fists while looking determined.
•Ema will adjust her glasses while smirking.
•Trucy will take her hat off and smile.

Idle #1
Phoenix brings his hand to his chin and glance around the stage with his eyes.
Idle #2
Phoenix acts sheepish for a second and rubs the back of his hair.
Idle #3
Phoenix plants his knuckles on his hips and confidently smile.

Stage Entrance
Phoenix will open some courtroom doors and walk into the stage, stating "the defense is ready!".

Victory Info
All of Phoenix's animations will feature an assistant in the background while confetti falls overhead. Alike the conclusion to the trials of Ace Attorney games, there will be a big bold "NOT GUILTY" also in the background.

Victory #1
Phoenix scratches the back of his head while looking sheepish, and state "that was quite a turnabout!". Ema will scribble down some notes while smiling.

Victory #2
Phoenix, while looking the background dramatically, says "the only time a lawyer can cry...is when it's all over." During this, he also turns around to the camera. Maya looks tired of Phoenix's melodrama.

Victory #3
Phoenix exhales, and then smiles, stating that "that the worst of times are when lawyers have to force their biggest of smiles". Trucy looks determined in the background.

Victory Theme
An excerpt of Objection! 2004, ending on a high note. This tends to be Phoenix's motif in later games, so it's fitting.

Other Info
While falling, Phoenix will look horrified. This references his fear of heights.

AESTHETICS
Alternates:
Phoenix's alternate would feature several costumes and palettes based off of other attorneys in the franchise. In addition, the colors and appearance of Maya/Trucy/Ema will also change to reflect the changes! There are many characters in the Ace Attorney franchise, so it's fitting to represent so many with each palette.
• Default: Trilogy look. Blue suit, red tie, black hair.
	- Maya: Default Trilogy look. Purple robe.
	- Ema: Default Trilogy look. White lab coat.
	- Trucy: Apollo Justice young look. Pink suit/hat.
• 2nd Palette: Trilogy look. Reminiscent of Miles Edgeworth, rival prosecutor. Wine red suit, white tie, black undershirt, wine red pants, gray hair.
	- Maya: Trilogy look. Reminiscent of Kay Faraday, Edgeworth's partner in the Investigation games. Pink robe.
	- Ema: Trilogy look. Reminiscent of Detective Gumshoe, a detective throughout the franchise. Green lab coat.
	- Trucy: Apollo Justice young look. Reminiscent of Franziska von Karma, rival prosecutor. Black suit/hat.
• 3rd Palette: Trilogy look. Reminiscent of Godot, rival prosecutor. Tan suit, teal sleeves, teal undershirt, black pants, white hair, tanned skin.
	- Maya: Trilogy look. Reminiscent of Mia Fey, Phoenix's mentor and Maya's sister. Black robe.
	- Ema: Trilogy look. Reminiscent of Pearl Fey, Maya's cousin. Pink lab coat.
	- Trucy: Apollo Justice young look. Reminiscent of Maggey Byrde, a brief co-counsel of Phoenix. White suit/hat.
• 4th Palette: Young Phoenix. Pink shirt with "P" in a heart on it, red scarf, white mask, jeans, shorter hair.
	- Maya: Trilogy look. Reminiscent of Susato Mikotoba, the assistant from the Dai Gyakuten Saiban spinoffs. Light pink robe.
	- Ema: Trilogy look. Reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes, a character from the Dai Gyakuten Saiban spinoffs. Brownish lab coat.
	- Trucy: Apollo Justice young look. Reminiscent of Iris Watson, a character from the Dai Gyakuten Saiban spinoffs. Blackish-brownish suit/hat.
• 5th Palette: Older (Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice) Phoenix. Blue suit, light blue undershirt, pendant in pocket, hair curl.
	- Maya: Older (Spirit of Justice) look. Purple robe.
	- Ema: Older (Apollo Justice and Spirit of Justice) look. White lab coat.
	- Trucy: Older (Apollo Justice, Dual Destinies, and Spirit of Justice) look. Blue suit/hat.
• 6th Palette: Older Phoenix. Reminiscent of Apollo Justice, fellow defense attorney. Red suit, white sleeves, white undershirt, cyan tie, red pants, brown hair.
	- Maya: Older look. Reminiscent of Kristoph Gavin, Apollo's mentor. Light blue robe.
	- Ema: Older look. Reminiscent of Klavier Gavin, rival prosecutor. Red lab coat.
	- Trucy: Older look. Reminiscent of Zak Gramarye, a magician of Trope Gramarye. Pink suit/hat.
• 7th Palette: Older Phoenix. Reminiscent of Athena Cykes, fellow defense attorney. Yellow suit, white undershirt, cyan tie, black pants, ginger hair.
	- Maya: Older look. Reminiscent of Simon Blackquill, a rival prosecutor. Black robe.
	- Ema: Older look. Reminiscent of Bobby Fulbright, a detective. Pale tan lab coat.
	- Trucy: Older look. Reminiscent of Rayfa Padma Khura'in, a princess of Khura'in. White/pink suit/hat.
• 8th Palette: "Hobo" Phoenix (Apollo Justice). Cyan hat, gray hoodie, black pants, sandals.
	- Maya: Older look. Reminiscent of Lynne, a character from Shu Takumi's other game, Ghost Trick. Yellow robe.
	- Ema: Older look. Reminiscent of Detective Jowde, a character from Shu Takumi's other game, Ghost Trick. Pink lab coat.
	- Trucy: Older look. Reminiscent of Detective Cabanela, a character from Shu Takumi's other game, Ghost Trick. White suit/hat.