So, you just finished the original Ace Attorney trilogy. You’re feeling that post-game glow, thinking you’ve seen everything Phoenix Wright has to offer, and then you see it. Episode 5. Rise from the Ashes.
It’s the "bonus" case that’s actually longer than the rest of the first game combined. Seriously. If you’re playing the modern Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy on Switch or PC, it just feels like part of the furniture, but this case has a weird, messy history that still impacts how we look at the series today.
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Honestly? It’s kind of a beast.
The DS Tech Demo That Became a Legend
Back in 2005, Capcom was porting the original Game Boy Advance (GBA) titles to the Nintendo DS. They needed a hook to get Japanese fans to buy a game they already owned. Enter "Rise from the Ashes" (or Soukai, Soshite Sayonara in Japanese).
Since it was built specifically for the DS, Shu Takumi and his team went wild with the hardware. Suddenly, you weren’t just clicking through text. You were:
- Rotating 3D jars like some kind of forensic scientist.
- Blowing into the microphone to scatter fingerprint powder.
- Spraying Luminol on everything to find bloodstains.
It felt high-tech at the time. Nowadays, it’s mostly a test of your patience—especially that one jar puzzle. You know the one. The "Blue Badger" jar that requires pixel-perfect positioning or the game just refuses to let you move on.
Why the Story is a Continuity Nightmare (Sorta)
If you play the games in order, Rise from the Ashes is a massive tonal shift. You go from the emotional high of defeating Manfred von Karma in Case 4 straight into this gritty, 10-hour political conspiracy involving the Chief of Police.
It introduces Ema Skye, a "scientific investigator" who is basically a science-obsessed clone of Maya Fey. Because Maya has left for her medium training, Ema fills the sidekick role.
The weirdest part? None of the characters in the second game (Justice for All) ever mention the events of this case. Not once. No one talks about Lana Skye, the Chief Prosecutor who was basically Phoenix’s most high-stakes client. No one mentions Damon Gant, the man who basically controlled the entire legal system.
This is because "Rise from the Ashes" was written after the original trilogy was already finished. It’s a retroactive insert. It fits into the timeline (taking place in February 2017), but it creates this strange bubble where Phoenix performs his greatest legal miracle, and then everyone just gets collective amnesia for the sequel.
Damon Gant: The Best Villain You Love to Hate
We have to talk about the man in the swimming suit. Damon Gant is arguably one of the most terrifying villains in the franchise.
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Unlike von Karma, who was just a cartoonish jerk from second one, Gant is... friendly? He’s cheerful. He claps. He calls Edgeworth "Worthy." He has that haunting, ten-second-long stare where he just looks at you while the music cuts out.
It’s deeply unsettling.
His motive is what makes the case work. He wasn't just "evil." He was a man who believed the law was broken and decided he was the only one powerful enough to fix it by breaking it himself. It’s the first time the series really touches on the "Dark Age of the Law," a theme that wouldn't become the main focus until Dual Destinies years later.
The SL-9 Incident Breakdown
The whole case revolves around a past event called the SL-9 Incident. It’s a tangle of names and dates, but here is the gist:
- The Crime: Serial killer Joe Darke was being interrogated. He fled and allegedly killed prosecutor Neil Marshall.
- The Cover-up: Damon Gant (then Chief of Detectives) and Lana Skye (then a detective) "found" evidence that Ema Skye might have accidentally caused the death.
- The Blackmail: Gant used this "evidence" to control Lana for two years, forcing her to become Chief Prosecutor and do his bidding.
It's dark. It's way heavier than "The First Turnabout" where a guy just threw a statue at someone.
Is It Actually Too Long?
The short answer: Yeah, probably.
A typical Ace Attorney case takes maybe 4 to 6 hours. "Rise from the Ashes" regularly clocks in at 10 or 12. It’s a three-day trial, and by Day 3, you are genuinely exhausted.
The investigation segments can be a slog. You spend a lot of time wandering around the Police Department and the Prosecutor’s Office, talking to Officer Meekins (who might have the most annoying sound effect in gaming history) and Jake Marshall, the cactus-loving cowboy detective.
But the payoff is massive. When you finally nail Gant on a technicality involving the Evidence Law book? It’s one of the most satisfying "Objection!" moments in the entire 20-year history of the series.
What You Should Actually Do Next
If you’re currently stuck on this case or deciding whether to skip it, don't. It’s canon. Ema Skye becomes a massive character in the later games (like Apollo Justice and Spirit of Justice), and her backstory starts here.
Your Action Plan:
- Don't use a guide for the logic, but use one for the "check" spots. The game is notoriously picky about where you spray Luminol or how you examine the 3D items. If you've been stuck in a room for 20 minutes, just look up the "pixel hunt" spot.
- Pay attention to Edgeworth’s trauma. This case explains why he leaves the country at the start of the next game. Without it, his departure feels a bit abrupt.
- Finish it before moving to Justice for All. Even though JfA doesn't reference it, the emotional weight of Phoenix winning this case alone (without Maya) is important for his character growth.
"Rise from the Ashes" isn't perfect. It's bloated, the puzzles are finicky, and it feels like a weird side-quest. But it's also the most complex, mature writing the original team ever produced. It’s the bridge between the simple GBA roots and the high-drama future of the franchise.
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Just be ready to stare at that jar for a long, long time.