Every Ace Attorney Culprit Ranked

Have you ever cornered the culprit in an Ace Attorney case and said to yourself “God, I HATE them?“. Well, if you have, they probably fall into two categories – the culprits who are so memorable and hateable that they become iconic … and the ones that are just outright annoying.

I’m going to rank all fifty-two culprits (including some of the minor “secondary” culprits) based on how much I liked their characters. I’m looking for a mixture of motivation, murder plan and general awesomeness.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Kill Me. Kill Me Now.

These three can hardly call themselves “Culprits” – more like “Offensive Ne’er-do-wells”.

52 – Lance Amano (Turnabout Kidnapped)

I disagree with people when they say “Turnabout Kidnapped” is the worst Ace Attorney case of all time, as I think it has some positives going for it. Lance Amano, however, is a hate train I can get behind.

He’s a whiny, idiotic boy whose kidnapping plan is shallow and ill-advised. When I face an Ace Attorney culprit I want to either be intimidated or feel compelled to take them down – this guy is timid and not worth my time.

51 – Joan Garrideb (The Adventure of the Clouded Kokoro)

Joan Garrideb fails in both major culprit departments – she’s a poor character AND her “murder plan” is forgettable because it’s non-existant.

She abuses her husband, complains all the time, and the murder itself is a contrived accident. If Lance Amano didn’t exist she would be the worst Ace Attorney culprit bar none.

50 – Richard Wellington (The Lost Turnabout)

“The Lost Turnabout” is a mess of an opening case. It does a lot of backtracking to justify its purpose as a tutorial – and one of the biggest tarnishes on the case is its villain.

Richard Wellington is one of those smarmy posh know-it-alls who is usually fun to hate … but my hate of him is far more sinister. He’s a pompous idiot who annoys me with every word spoken.

Forgettable

They came. They saw. They tried and failed to conquer.

49 – Daryan Crescend (Turnabout Serenade)

How cool would it be to have a culprit be a corrupt Interpol agent? Not cool at all, apparently.

Daryan Crescend is such a waste of a promising character. He’s outed as the culprit far too early, and his relationship with his bandmates like Klavier are so undercooked it hurts.

48 – Alita Tiala (Turnabout Corner)

“Apollo Justice” only has three culprits and two of them are pathetic. I’m glad Kirstoph is as good as he is, otherwise this would’ve been the most laughable run of villains in any game ever.

“Turnabout Corner” is a boring case, and Alita Tiala is a nothing culprit. She manipulates her mafioso-to-be husband and acts in sort of self defence but not really. Her writing is a mess.

47 – Beh’leeb Inmee (The Rite of Turnabout)

In cases that have more than one culprit, there’s always one that outshines the other. Nowhere is the gulf in quality more apparent than “The Rite of Turnabout”.

Tahrust Inmee is a fascinating killer (more on him later …), but his wife Beh’leeb is forgettable. She kills a guy and that guy ends up being a secondary victim – in other words, Beh’leeb’s crime is never at the forefront of our minds at any point in the case.

46 – Cammy Meele (Turnabout Airlines)

Mommy Meele I mean Cammy Meele is as cookie-cutter as you can get for an Ace Attorney culprit.

She acts nonchalant and guiltless for 90% of the run-time before her airhead personality takes a sharp turn.

45 – Geiru Toneido (Turnabout Storyteller)

Look. I’m just gonna come out and say it. I’m not as big of a clussy lover as most Ace Attorney fans seem to be, and quite frankly I found the whole Geiru Toneido adoration saga to be quite weird. Y’all would simp for pink hair dye and two balloons.

What makes her cult hero status even more undeserved is how bland she is as a culprit. She uses noodles to kill a man. Cool.

Petty Criminals

Throw them in the slammer.

44 – Jacques Portsman (Turnabout Visitor)

Jacques Portsman was the first culprit in the Investigations style of gameplay, so his character suffers from being the punching bag of a mundane tutorial.

A sporty prosecutor is a fun culprit on paper, so I wish we got to see more of him before his quick comeuppance.

43 – Frank Sahwit (The First Turnabout)

The other tutorial culprit – except Frank Sahwit was the first culprit ever, so that’s gonna earn some brownie points for esteem alone.

Him throwing his toupee at Phoenix is easily the best part of his time on the stand, as otherwise he’s just your average, slightly dim killer.

42 – Pees’lubn Andistan’dhin (The Foreign Turnabout)

… I guess if we’re keeping the “groundbreaking culprit” trend going, Pees’lubn Andistan’dhin is the first culprit in a new country? Bit of a stretch but I suppose congratulations are in order.

He has a silly pun name, he looks Jesus-y and he shreds like a pro. Great quirks on paper, but otherwise he doesn’t do much of note.

41 – Ted Tonate (Turnabout Countdown)

A lot of first case culprits are landing near the bottom of this list. That’s unfortunately what happens when you see a story’s villain for thirty minutes and then never again.

I like how a bomb diffuser is the culprit in a case about an explosion. I sorta like his odd mannerisms, but they get old fast. That’s about all the praise I can give Ted Tonate.

40 – Florent L’Belle (The Monstrous Turnabout)

One of the things holding Florent L’Belle back is that he’s the only culprit beyond a first / tutorial case to be spoiled as the guilty party in the opening cutscene. I still don’t understand for the life of me why the Dual Destinies producers did that.

As for L’Belle himself, he’s a pompous douche who looks down on everyone. Some culprits you love to hate, but this was a dude who made my eyes rolls.

39 – Nikolina Pavlova (The Adventure of the Unspeakable Speckled Band)

Nikolina Pavlova is an odd culprit in that she’s the offending party in an Investigation-only case. In others words, outside of the Investigations games, she’s the only culprit who doesn’t get cornered in court.

She’s one of those tragic accidental culprits … but I don’t really care? The victim is way more tragic than she ever is, and her timid personality is far from memorable.

38 – Redd White (Turnabout Sisters)

No shade to Frank Sahwit, but Redd White felt like the first “real” culprit in the series. He’s a media mogul who blackmails and extorts to get what he wants – in other words, there are real stakes for defeating this untouchable guy in a court of law.

He’s a very hateable guy, but culprits have evolved a lot in the years since the first game. He’s loathesome but a bit pathetic, and that’s not necessarily a fun combo to take down.

37 – Dee Vasquez (Turnabout Samurai)

Most culprits in the first game are menacing on paper but lacking in execution, and Dee Vasquez is no exception.

She uses her power and influence as a movie producer to hide the truth. She’s the first real “tragic” culprit in the series as the victim’s death is largely an accident, but even so she gets eclipsed by the culprits in the following cases.

36 – Quercus Alba (Turnabout Ablaze)

There was a point in “Turnabout Ablaze” where Quercus Alba would’ve ranked ten places higher. He’s an intimidating final culprit, but his confrontation just goes on and on and on and on …

His intimidating demeanour gets thrown out the window the moment he starts blabbering on about “extraterritorial rights”. It’s because of this one phrase that he’s gone down in the fandom as a joke.

35 – Acro (Turnabout Big Top)

Acro might be the only borderline “good” thing about “Turnabout Big Top”, other than the fact it ends.

He enacts his revenge on the wrong person, which is quite tragic in itself, but his backstory with his brother is what moved me most. But yeah … he killed the wrong target, so he’s not a very good culprit from an objective metric.

34 – The Phantom (The Cosmic Turnabout / Turnabout For Tomorrow)

I reeeaaaalllly want to love The Phantom, as it’s a concept I could’ve backed if written differently, but as it stands I just can’t. He’s the biggest let-down in the series.

He’s the culmination of the whole “Dark Age of the Law” plot – the central bogeyman to all of the shady stuff happening in this game’s universe – but we never get a real sense of his power. He’s a skillful assassin, it seems, but they build this guy up as a Thanos-level threat when he simply isn’t.

It Was Worth A Punt

I respect these culprits for giving it an honest try.

33 – Raiten Menimemo (The Adventure of the Blossoming Attorney)

Huge respect to Raiten Menimemo for offing Jezaille Brett. If there’s any Ace Attorney victim who deserved it, it was her.

He’s an interesting first case culprit who takes matters into his own hands. He’d be cooler if he wasn’t immediately humiliated by Susato and Rei.

32 – Paul Atishon (Turnabout Revolution)

Paul Atishon absolutely sells that politician sleeze.

His appearance is brief, only acting as the antagonist for the first trial in “Turnabout Revolution”, but he uses his sliminess to maximum effect.

31 – Aristotle Means (Turnabout Academy)

When I first played “Turnabout Academy” I thought Aristotle Means was one of the greatest Ace Attorney culprits. He’s an evil teacher with a freaky design, and his breakdown is lots of fun.

Having replayed the case, however, I find him to be a bit one-note with his “The Ends Justify The Means” schtick. He’s still an intimidating force, but he leans too much into the caricature.

30 – Courtney Sithe (The Return of the Great Departed Soul)

I almost forgot to add Courtney Sithe to this list. That’s how inconsequential she is as a secondary culprit.

… As a character, however, she’s more interesting than most. She had a direct hand in the Professor case’s cover-up, and her desperation to keep secrets hidden is what led to her downfall.

29 – Fifi Laguarde (The Captive Turnabout)

The culprits from the first Investigations game all ranked pretty low, but Fifi Laguarde is the first culprit from “Investigations 2” to make an appearance. Something about these Investigation-only culprits worked much better the second time around.

“The Captive Turnabout” scratched that “Shawshank Redemption” itch, especially with its evil warden.

28 – Morgan Fey (Reunion, and Turnabout)

Morgan Fey is a tricky culprit to rank, as we don’t see the full extent of her evil plan until “Bridge to the Turnabout”. In “Reunion, and Turnabout”, however, she’s just an accomplice.

She’s clearly evil and vindictive, and her plan is quite cunning. Respect for the long game.

27 – Pierce Nichody (Turnabout Time Traveler)

An evil, semi-robotic butler.

“Turnabout Time Traveler” has some fun character beats (mostly involving Ellen and Sorin), but Pierce Nichody has a nice moment of realisation at the end. Sometimes, revenge doesn’t pay off.

26 – Yanni Yogi (Turnabout Goodbyes)

Even though Yanni Yogi is a secondary culprit – a bracket of killer that has ranked lower down thus far – I think he stands on his own as a fascinating character.

He pretends to be senile and aloof, and uses this cover to enact some revenge. I would rank him higher, but he’s bossed around by von Karma and undone by a parrot.

25 – Jezaille Brett (The Adventure of the Great Departure)

The first culprit of the first Great Ace Attorney game was more memorable than I was expecting.

She’s a stereotypically evil and racist British noblewoman, but she serves her purpose well. She acts as a great funnel for all our tutorial frustrations.

24 – Tahrust Inmee (The Rite of Turnabout)

I’ll never forget the twist in “The Rite of Turnabout”. I don’t think many Ace Attorney final twists have ever left me so stunned.

Tahrust Inmee is a culprit of necessity, choosing to sacrifice himself in place of his guilty wife.

23 – Calisto Yew (Turnabout Reminiscence)

There aren’t many good things about the first Investigations game, but Calisto Yew is a rare highlight.

She appears in both of the last cases, but it’s her villainous role in “Turnabout Reminiscence” that stands out to me. She’s conniving, she’s vile, and – most importantly – she gets away with her crime.

22 – Bronco Knight (Turnabout Trigger)

“Turnabout Trigger” is such a fantastic opening case. It immediately sets “Investigations 2” apart as a more developed and worthy sequel, and its culprit is an instant step up.

Bronco Knight is the “president’s” “bodyguard”, and he’s one of the coolest culprits in the series. Everything from his dialogue to the sprites ooze brevado.

Smooth Criminals

They killed and looked cool while doing it.

21 – Roger Retinz (The Magical Turnabout)

After finishing “Apollo Justice” I went away wishing for more magician / Troupe Gramarye shenanigans, and we got exactly that in “The Magical Turnabout”.

Roger Retinz (or “Mr. Reus”) is out for revenge on the Gramaryes, and he siphons that hatred into Trucy. He’s got such a charisma and presence which made his courtroom segments a load of fun.

20 – Mimi Miney (Reunion, and Turnabout)

“Reunion, and Turnabout” has one of my least favourite mystery tropes – an identical twin twist. And yet for some reason it works here.

I think what makes this work is that the murder was only going to happen because of the twin circumstances. Mimi Miney is a classic tragic figure whose revenge is almost justified and her plan is pretty clever.

19 – Seishiro Jigoku (Twisted Karma and His Last Bow / The Resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo)

We’d seen prosecutors, police chiefs and even politicians turn out to be culprits, but Seishiro Jigoku was the first judge – and he was one of your personal friends, no less.

His villainy comes as quite the betrayal, but it’s clear he still answers to a higher, more evil power.

18 – Ashley Graydon (The Adventure of the Unspeakable Story)

As final culprits go, Ashley Graydon is a bit underwhelming. “The Adventure of the Unspeakable Story” is the last case of the first “Great Ace Attorney” but not the last case of the duology, so I find it better to treat Graydon as a normal culprit rather than a show-stopper.

And he’s a great “normal” culprit. He’s pompous and brash but in a way more entertaining way than Redd White or Florent L’Belle, for example, and his schemes go beyond petty thievery to a full-blown governmental conspiracy.

17 – Ga’ran Sigatar Khura’in (Turnabout Revolution)

Is Ga’ran a one-note caricature of a final boss? Absolutely, but she’s damn entertaining.

As queen of Khura’in, she can pass verdicts and change laws on the fly. Apollo faces his toughest challenge yet – which makes his gambit of denying Ga’ran’s claim to the throne very satisfying.

16 – Marlon Rimes (Turnabout Reclaimed)

“Turnabout Reclaimed” is such an unexpected joy of a bonus case. Not only is its story charming and fun, but its culprit was way better than anyone could’ve anticipated.

Marlon Rimes is easily one of the most tragic culprits in the series on account of his crime being a total accident. Add to that an insane body transformation and some hilarious rapping testimonies and you get a culprit for the ages.

15 – Furio Tigre (Recipe for Turnabout)

As “intelligent” culprits go, Furio Tigre is one of the worst. He’s dumber than a bag of rocks and he gets outsmarted really easily.

As a villain, however, he’s extremely memorable. His mannerisms and design are impeccable, and it was hilarious to see everyone – including the Judge – cower away in fear.

14 – Excelsius Winner (A Turnabout Forsaken)

The Ace Attorney series has had some pitiful fathers, but the big daddy of bad parenting has to be Excelsius Winner.

He’s such a vile man and a horrible father to Eustace. As a leading figure in the prosecutor world, he leverages his power to do unspeakable, corrupt things.

13 – Dahlia Hawthorne (Turnabout Memories / Turnabout Beginnings)

Ace Attorney villains up to this point had either been outwardly evil or secretly the culprit, but Dahlia Hawthorne was something in between – sickly sweet on the surface with something sinister bubbling underneath.

She’s a force of pure evil in both “Turnabout Memories” and “Turnabout Beginnings”, and her manipulations almost worked if it wasn’t for Mia Fey.

Crime Does Pay

I can turn a blind eye to their crimes – they’re such amazing culprits that I think they should get away with murder.

12 – Carmelo Gusto (Turnabout Legacy)

Excluding Excelsius Winner, the other worst father figure in Ace Attorney is probably Carmelo Gusto. He’s in the case just before Excelsius’s – clearly fatherhood is a prevalent theme of “Investigations 2”!

Gusto is a dessert connoisseur, and his statute of limitations argument is far more entertaining than Quercus Alba’s “Extraterritorial Rights!” malarky. In a case with badasses like Gregory Edgeworth, von Karma and Detective Badd, Gusto still stands out as a force to be reckoned with.

11 – Magnus McGilded (The Adventure of the Runaway Room)

Magnus McGilded was the first client Ryunosuke had to defend in Britain, and little did he know he’d be defending a guilty man.

His switch from innocent philanthropist to evil maniac is actually quite scary, and his court meddling made him the only culprit to get away with his crime … for a couple of hours, at least.

10 – Luke Atmey (The Stolen Turnabout)

“The Stolen Turnabout” introduced us to some fantastic new characters. Ron DeLite and his partner Desirée were a lovely albiet odd duo. Godot makes a solid impression as the new prosecutor. But the star of the show is clearly the madman behind the crime, Luke Atmey.

His double jeopardy plan is nuts. His outfit and sprites are nuts. He’s nuts. If nothing else, Atmey is the epitome of a charismatic culprit who you can’t help but love.

9 – William Shamspeare (Memoirs of the Clouded Kokoro)

“Memoirs of the Clouded Kokoro” would’ve been a very bang-average case if it wasn’t for William Shamspeare in all his glory.

He prances about with Shakespearian melodrama, monologuing like the rent is due, and he steals every scene he’s in. I’ll never forget when you first meet him and think he’s dead, only for him to revive and launch into a soliloquy … and then collapse in a heap. I laughed my butt off for days.

8 – Mael Stronghart (Twisted Karma and His Last Bow / The Resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo)

In the moment, Mael Stronghart’s demise isn’t as impactful as it was for some other culprits. He’s obvious as the culprit and he gets what’s coming to him. Simple as that.

I think what made Stronghart place so highly in this ranking is his longevity. He’s the obvious villain for both of the “Great Ace Attorney” games, so to finally topple this powerful political titan was immensely satisfying.

Curiously, I think Stronghart is the only culprit in the series who didn’t kill anyone (that we know of). He always got an underling to kill for him. Maybe that’s what’s stopping him from breaching my top five.

7 – Simeon Saint (Turnabout for the Ages)

Simeon Saint is the ultimate spoiler culprit (sorry to any who haven’t played “Investigations 2” yet … but then again, why are you still reading this far into a culprit ranking?).

You never see the reveal coming, and his turn from doofus to criminal mastermind is chilling. More so than any other Ace Attorney game, this final culprit’s crime ties into every other case so well.

6 – Manfred von Karma (Turnabout Goodbyes)

The first Ace Attorney game coasts between caricature culprits, each one more powerful than the last, until it culminates in the ultimate court showdown against a rotten prosecutor – and Edgeworth’s mentor, no less.

Von Karma has such a wonderful gravitas about him. He oozes evil with each smirk and condescending remark, and his breakdown – soundtracked by “Cornered” – is one of the greatest highs a first-time Ace Attorney player can experience.

5 – Kristoph Gavin (Turnabout Trump / Turnabout Succession)

I was a little lukewarm about Kristoph Gavin at first, but the more I think about it the more I realise he embodies what some culprits like The Phantom never could – this guy is the bogeyman. No two ways about it.

I love the twist that your defence counsel is the culprit in “Turnabout Trump”, and his aura and mythos is expanded further in “Turnabout Succession”. This is one of those culprits with no redeeming qualities, and I love how manipulative and cunning he can be.

4 – Enoch Drebber (The Return of the Great Departed Soul)

I adore “The Return of the Great Departed Soul”. It has everything I want from a non-finale Ace Attorney case – including a masterful culprit who you can’t help but sympathise with.

Everything from Enoch Drebber’s plan to his motivation to his robotic movements (and even his theme) is perfect. He’s out for revenge and he does it in one of the smartest ways we’ve seen.

3 – Damon Gant (Rise from the Ashes)

“Rise from the Ashes” was tacked on as the new final case to the first game, and as a result von Karma was no longer the final culprit. You’d think it would be impossible to top an evil prosecutor … but an evil Chief of Police does just the trick.

Damon Gant has such an immense presence in every of his scenes, and his manipulation of Lana is downright dastardly. He’s menacing, he’s intense, and it takes the combined efforts of Phoenix and Edgeworth to bring him down.

They Killed It

The best culprits in all of Ace Attorney. Maybe Phoenix should’ve let them off the hook …

2 – Matt Engarde (Farewell, My Turnabout)

Matt Engarde topped my defendant ranking recently, so it’s no surprise he also came damn close to topping this one.

You’re lulled into a false sense of security over the first couple of Ace Attorney games that your client has to be innocent, then Engarde comes along to flip Phoenix’s morals on their head. He puts Phoenix through his biggest conflict in the series – and our reward is that glorious Engarde breakdown.

As a quick aside, I was tempted to include Shelly de Killer (the actual culprit of “Farewell, My Turnabout”) in this list, but decided against it. You never corner him in court – so he and Engarde are kinda combined into one slot.

1 – Godot (Bridge to the Turnabout)

“Bridge to the Turnabout” is my favourite case in the series. Bar none. And a lot of my fond memories have to do with its culprit, Godot. We’d seen an evil prosecutor before with von Karma, but Godot brought something new to the table – the sympathetic scheme of an anti-villain.

His crime stemmed from his love of Mia Fey, but he let his bloodlust towards Dahlia get in the way. He’s a macho man with some fatal flaws, and he finally cried when it was all over.

Aaaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: