His surname is a pun, allowing for wordplay (such as "Right, Wright?" and "Phoenix Wrong"). Early brainstorming suggestions for Phoenix's name included "Cole" and "Wilton", but "Phoenix" was chosen as a name that would "stand out". The nickname "Nick" (used by his partner, Maya Fey) was chosen based on its believability and similarity to the sound of "Phoenix". Characteristics and backstory At the time of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix is a rookie defense attorney who usually accepts murder cases, attempting to exonerate his clients when there is seemingly incontrovertible evidence and testimony against them. Described as "goofy and single-minded", he often encounters unusual situations. Rather than simply arguing his case, Phoenix uses detective skills to gather relevant evidence and investigate the crime scene. When he was in grade school, he was accused of stealing Miles Edgeworth's lunch money, and since he was in a small school, there was a class trial. During the trial, Edgeworth and Larry Butz stood up for Wright, saying the teacher and students had no evidence of Wright's guilt. The class trial was dismissed and the three students became best friends until Edgeworth moved away following his father's murder. Fifteen years later, Larry would reveal that he was the one who stole Edgeworth's money that day, paying it back in full. While Wright is surprised, Edgeworth gives the appearance that he knew Larry stole his money all along. While a college student at Ivy University, Phoenix is accused of murder and successfully defended by a defense attorney named Mia Fey, who finds the true culprit to be Phoenix's apparent girlfriend and Mia's first cousin, Dahlia Hawthorne. After passing the bar exam, Phoenix becomes a defense attorney himself under Mia's law firm, Fey & Co. Following Mia's murder, Phoenix takes over the law firm, naming it Wright and Co., and also takes Mia's sister, a spirit medium named Maya, under his wing. Maya becomes Phoenix's assistant and legal aide, assisting him by setting him up with clients, and by searching for information and clues during cases. As the years pass, Phoenix takes on several cases to prove the innocence of those wrongly accused of murder, developing a name and reputation for himself. He also helps out Maya with the well-being of her younger cousin, Pearl, after her mother was arrested. However, in one case, he inadvertently presents forged evidence to the court, not knowing it was