Rise From the Ashes With Miles Edgeworth

It’s Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent! What better to talk about than Ace Attorney, right?

Okay, so maybe Ace Attorney isn’t the first thing you associate with Lent. Bear with me for a minute. What is Lent, other than the 40 days leading up to Easter? It isn’t just about not eating meat on Fridays and giving up something. It’s about recognizing your flaws and striving to improve yourself as a person.

Just like Miles Edgeworth did.

When you meet Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth in the first game, he’s not exactly a good person. You might even say he’s an awful person. As the “Demon Attorney” (yes, he’s so bad he has a scarier nickname than the convicted murderer prosecutor from Dual Destinies), he doesn’t care if he has to lie and cheat his way to victory, as long as he gets a guilty verdict for the defendant.

In the third game, a flashback shows a younger Edgeworth who’s even worse.

Miles Edgeworth has almost certainly sent innocent people to the gallows.

Then… things change. Something happens in that first Ace Attorney game that forces him to face his past and the truth about what he’s become. He recognizes his flaws.

“Rise from the Ashes,” the bonus fifth case added for the DS release of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, beats down Edgeworth even further with the corruption in the Prosecutor’s Office. (I’d even argue that he’s the one “rising from the ashes,” since there’s a stronger focus on his internal struggles than on Phoenix taking a case again.) He can’t ignore what he did as the Demon Attorney. This sets the stage for certain events in the second game, as well as the question of what it really means to be a prosecutor.

(If Investigations 2 is ever localized, we’ll get to see even more of his journey toward truth.)

Edgeworth’s character arc is one of the most enjoyable in the series. His character development progresses until he goes from being your enemy to one of your most valuable allies. Best of all, he doesn’t just magically change overnight. Even once he’s begun to question himself, he’s still a little cold, a little arrogant… he’s still trying to find the right path. He recognizes his flaws and fights to overcome them.

And that’s what Lent is all about.

So, this Lenten season, don’t just think about making sacrifices and giving things up. Think about improving yourself.

Think about Miles Edgeworth.