Ace Attorney fans were pleased to hear that the most recent installment in the series, Ace Attorney 5, was going to star the iconic series protagonist, Phoenix Wright. Phoenix was reduced to hobo status in Ace Attorney 4, in which he was stripped of his legal license, forcing him to act as a mentor to the series’ new protagonist, Apollo Justice. However, the end of Ace Attorney 4 saw Phoenix re-instated and so we will see him taking a stand once again in Ace Attorney 5. But what happened to Apollo?

According to Kotaku, he has apparently become a pirate. New artwork for Ace Attorney 5 has shown up in a recent issue of Famitsu, revealing Apollo Justice to be a prominent character in the game. Unfortunately, he seems a bit worse for wear. First of all, he is missing an eye!

A bandage is wrapped around his head, covering his right eye and extending behind him into iconic badass anime headband tails. His arms are also completely bandaged up all the way to his fingertips, though he is still wearing his iconic bracelet from Ace Attorney 4. Finally, he is now wearing a blue overcoat with a ludicrously huge collar in the physics-defying way that only anime characters can: draped over his shoulders, blowing in the wind, and yet somehow still staying on his body.

What could have possibly happened to Apollo to warrant all of these bandages? Kotaku jests that Apollo appears to be some sort of pirate lawyer, but considering that Phoenix Wright has cross examined a ghost, a parrot, and a radio in the past, that doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility.

Ace Attorney 5 is scheduled to release for the 3DS in Japanese territories sometime later this year. Though an American release has been confirmed, an official American release date has not yet been given.

What do you think of Apollo's new look? Let us know in the comments!

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