Poker Player

Welcome to the Poker Player portion of Checkmate. This section talks about Phoenix Wright after he retired from being a defense lawyer; or rather, was forced to give up his attorney's badge. It is tragic, I know. It's been seven long years and Phoenix has changed a lot, but will he ever get his peace of mind from the event that took away his badge?

Despite the game having a new protagonist, the cases and the storyline as a whole still takes a major focus on Phoenix Wright. We love him too much to completely change main characters.

After he unknowingly got himself caught in a serious court scandal, Phoenix's personality and attitude changed considerably. There were many changes that happened in the following seven years: he had his attorney's badge taken away from him, he became a pianist at a bar (but was really a poker player in an underground room), he adopted a daughter and his Wright & Co. Office became the Wright & Co. Talent Agency.

The younger Phoenix, still alive in the heart of the new protagonist Apollo Justice, was nervous at times, full of determination and optimism. This "new" Phoenix was laid back, and didn't seem to worry about a thing in the world. For some people, they found the new Phoenix too different, as if he was a different person, but let's think about it: he had seven years to cope with the fact that he was fired/banned from his job. Of course, there is not doubt that at first the shock must have been terrible for him. He was inspired to be a defense attorney when he was young, and worked earnestly until he finally became one, then suddenly, it was all gone, just like that. However, Phoenix is never alone. He had Maya, Pearl, Mia's spirit and tons of friends he met through different cases to help him get through the rough time.

They say fatherhood changes a man too. Adopting little Trucy into his home brought some sunshine into his life. She's such a cheerful little girl, who, despite losing her real father, was facing the world with optimism and a bright smile. Phoenix may have decided to take a leaf out of her book and go forward in the world with the same attitude, becoming more relaxed and carefree about the things around him. It's even visual; his clothes are no longer movement restricting formal suits, but comfortable worn-in sweaters and sweatpants.

There are many parts of the "old" Phoenix, many remnants that still exist. For one, Phoenix was never the type to try to exact revenge. Well, sort of. Phoenix still believes in upholding the law, and that the courtroom is a place to find the truth -- that part has not changed. That is why he spent seven years collecting evidence to try to put the real culprit of the scandal that made him lose his badge, behind bars. He still believes that the law will punish the right criminal in the end.

And let's face it: Phoenix is still sharp with his lawyer skills. If anything, he has become even better, helping out young rookie Apollo in his cases, and acting like a sort of mentor to the kid. Although he likes to be a bit mysterious with the information he knows about cases rather than spoon feed it to Apollo, he's still keen on solving cases and you can tell that the lawyer inside Phoenix will never disappear.

Phoenix

Personality
Phoenix, after witnessing so much as a lawyer and having been conned out of his defense attorney badge, definitely took on a new perspective towards things.

Career

A Magical Case
The case that Phoenix took on that turned out to be his last when someone else's jealousy of Phoenix went too far.

Piano & Poker
With his defense attorney badge taken away, what's Phoenix up to now? Well, he may have left the courtroom, but the courtroom ain't letting him leave so easily.

Artistic License
Apollo Justice's final case, utilizing Phoenix's evidence he spent seven years collecting to clear his name and to put the real culprit behind bars.

Relationships

Daughter
Phoenix's meeting with the super adorable child, Trucy, turned his life around -- and his office as well!

Employee
Since his office is now used for anything, young rookie attorney Apollo Justice becomes Phoenix's "employee" as he works in the Wright Anything Offices.