#mayaworth

Miles Edgeworth and Maya Fey are two very different people who first met under bad circumstances. This is a reasonable first impression of these characters, although my perspective was a bit different (considering that I played the trilogy in reverse-order, as detailed at the end of this post). 

FIRST GAME

They first met in court, Edgeworth prosecuting Maya for the murder of her older sister. At first, Maya really didn’t like Edgeworth. All of that changed by the 4th case in the first game. Edgeworth was on trial for the murder of Robert Hammond. I will be breaking this one down in a lot of detail, because I think the context is really important in this case, more so than the other examples I’ll be giving.

Maya had observed that he wasn’t all bad. She actually played a huge role in Phoenix taking that case. She was rather insistent that Edgeworth let them defend him. She pushed Phoenix to keep trying. She actually did quite a lot of the talking, at least at first. She even praised Gumshoe for his dedication to Edgeworth. What eventually got Edgeworth to reconsider, after rejecting their help repeatedly, was a photo of Misty Fey; Maya’s mother. Her mother was indirectly involved in an incident where Edgeworth’s father was killed. The D-L6 incident, as it was named. That incident that was at the center of the whole case, as it would turn out. The same incident that took Edgeworth’s father away from him had also taken Maya’s mother away from her.

During the investigation into the murder of Edgeworth’s father, Maya’s mother, a spirit medium, was called upon. Gregory Edgeworth pointed blame at a particular person, who ended up being proven innocent. Maya’s mother’s credibility as a medium was lost after that, and she ended up leaving her home and her two children behind. Edgeworth and Maya both have this incident to blame for the loss of their only parents. Edgeworth’s sole guardian was his father, and Maya’s was her mother. Edgeworth was made aware of the fact that Misty Fey was Maya’s mother. I feel like this would be something that could bring them together.

Later in the case, when Lotta’s testimony was about to get Edgeworth found guilty, Maya started screaming at her about it; about how suspicious it sounded, calling her credibility into question, despite being warned that the defense could be held in contempt of court. She managed to goad Lotta into saying something that changed her testimony and she also managed to get Phoenix off the hook, taking the heat herself. Maya was held in contempt of court and arrested.

Maya’s sacrifice in that moment ultimately lead to new information being discovered and the investigation and trial being prolonged. Edgeworth was noted by Gumshoe to be extremely grateful for this. Gumshoe also states that Edgeworth’s lip was trembling as he watched Maya being arrested, and informs Phoenix that Edgeworth payed the entirety of her bail himself.

Later on, Edgeworth details his father’s murder, as it begins to become clear that it relates to the current case. He states that this recurring nightmare he’s had for the past 15 years, wherein he killed his own father, is the truth of what happened during that incident. His memory of the actual incident is foggy, but he feels sure of it now. Maya insists repeatedly that it was just a dream and that he couldn’t have done it. Phoenix says he's not sure there's anything else they can do about this, if Edgeworth is confessing. Maya insists that there is and drags Phoenix to the law office of Marvin Grossberg. When Phoenix was willing to (reluctantly) give up on Edgeworth, Maya wasn’t.

Robert Hammond, the victim in the current case, worked for Grossberg. Not only that, but he was the defense attorney that defended the man accused of Gregory Edgeworth’s murder. Maya intended to find out more about the DL-6 incident from Grossberg, since they have no other sources. She breaks down crying in front of Grossberg before explaining the situation to him. She repeatedly insisted that Edgeworth’s dream really was just a dream. Grossberg explained that the circumstances indicate that Edgeworth probably really was the killer. Maya insists that she doesn't believe him. No matter what the evidence pointed to, Maya wasn’t willing to turn her back on Edgeworth.

Maya repeatedly pushes Phoenix on when it seems he’s about to give up. Granted, there are a few times where Maya seems unsure herself, and Phoenix is the one who does the pushing.

During the investigation, Phoenix and Maya encounter the shady prosecutor, Manfred Von Karma, stealing evidence from the DL-6 incident from the evidence room. Phoenix gloats about a piece of evidence that he has that’s going to help him win, and Von Karma takes that too, threatening them with a taser. Phoenix backs off, but Maya jumps him. The two are tased and Von Karma makes off with the evidence. Except for one piece. Maya stole from him what turned out to be the most important piece of evidence in the whole case. She saved Edgeworth. I feel like that’s a point that could bring them even closer together.

At the end of the trial, she gently scolds Edgeworth for his inability to express his gratitude and offers him quick help and advice. He opened up to her enough to try to take her advice and to apologize for his inability to say “thank you” to her standards. She tells him that he has a lot to learn, but seems genuinely proud of him for making an effort.

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That all was just from the first game, but there’s more in other games! The first game is where most of my info comes from, though. It should also be noted that the first game is where Edgeworth’s interest in the Steel Samurai TV show is first hinted at, which is an interest he has in common with Maya. This is something they could possibly bond over. They are the two characters in the series who are the most interested in the Steel Samurai by far.

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SECOND GAME

In the second game, in the last case, Maya is kidnapped and held hostage. The hostage taker demands that Phoenix get a not guilty verdict for his client, who turned out to be at least somewhat guilty. Once Edgeworth eventually caught on to the fact that Maya might be in danger, he immediately started cooperating with Phoenix to prolong the trial. He didn’t even take time to try to confirm with Phoenix what was going on first. This is while Phoenix had been being a huge jerk to him for most of the case. I would like to point out that cooperating with the defense to rig the trial would most definitely count as some form of misconduct. If it was discovered, there could be very serious consequences for the both of them. Edgeworth, being very serious about his job, wouldn’t do something like that on a whim.

This could easily be explained by stating that Edgeworth probably would have acted the same way regardless of who it was being held hostage, and that’s probably true. It doesn’t change the fact that it happened, though, and that it could have an impact on the dynamic of their relationship. At that point, it would be true that they had each risked a lot to help the other in difficult circumstances. I feel like that should mean something to them, even if only in a platonic way.

He eventually got an explanation from Phoenix about what was happening with Maya. Edgeworth immediately stated that he would arrange for a search party. Phoenix insisted that he didn’t need Edgeworth’s “pity” and stated that getting the “not guilty” verdict was the only way to save her. Edgeworth responded by insisting that he’s going to leave to make the preparations for Maya’s search party. He wasn’t willing to take “no” for an answer, though this could be explained as Edgeworth not wanting to let a guilty man go free. 

The only real interaction between the two of them in this game comes at the end of the case, once Phoenix’s client is dealt with and Maya is free. Her and Edgeworth exchange words. Edgeworth awkwardly tells Maya that he’s glad she’s alright. She proudly tells him that he’s making “real progress”, in reference to the last conversation they’d had, at the end of the first game, where she’d told him that he has a lot to learn. 

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I feel like, by this point, there would be enough basis to center the ship around. They have limited interactions in the third game, but I’ll get a bit into it. It’s been the longest since I’ve played that one, so I’m gonna keep it short. 

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THIRD GAME

Maya was deeply involved in the last case of the third game. This case also included Edgeworth returning once more from an absence. This time, he headed over in response to a phone call from Larry, who told him that Phoenix had fallen off of a burning bridge and into a raging river. When Edgeworth arrived, Phoenix had been rescued and managed to survive with nothing more than a cold. Phoenix’s illness had rendered him unable to do his job, so he convinced Edgeworth to pose as a defense attorney in his stead. This isn’t really relevant to the topic, but I just found it amusing. 

Maya was relevant, because she was trapped on the other side of that now destroyed bridge while there was a killer on the loose. The killer had murdered a children’s book author by the name of Elise Deauxnim, who Larry was mentoring under. This case takes many twists and turns, but we eventually learn that Elise Deauxnim was actually Misty Fey, Maya’s mother. She was killed in front of her, if I recall correctly. 

At the end of this case, Maya seems relatively cheerful, despite all that happened. Edgeworth comes forward to offer Phoenix an explanation, as he thinks he knows how she feels. He remarks that Maya is “a much wiser person than she appears”, and that she must know that “now is exactly the time when she needs to be as strong as she can”. He says that last part with a smile. 

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Edgeworth isn’t seen again until the 5th game, and Maya isn’t seen again until the 6th. They share a small bit of interactions in the 6th game. I will note those here. 

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SIXTH GAME

The first time those two are associated in any way is when Edgeworth is noted to be investigating something in Kurain Village at the same time Apollo and Dhurke are there. That “something” turns out to be a situation where Maya is being held hostage (because the two things she’s best at (besides channeling) are being accused of murder and being held hostage). Edgeworth is there at Phoenix’s request, sure, but something has to be said for the fact that, so many times where Maya’s been in danger, Edgeworth has happened to be one of the people to save her. Arguments of this nature could perhaps be better made to support Maya/Phoenix as a ship, but I personally see those two as more sibling-like in their relationship; that’s just my personal preference, I suppose. 

They head off to meet the hostage-taker and find Maya in an unconscious state. She’s rushed to the hospital. When all is said and done, Apollo and Athena go off to investigate a murder. When Phoenix says that he wants to visit Maya in the hospital, Edgeworth volunteers to go with him. 

Even after all this time, I have not finished the DLC case. Not for lack of interest, but because I got distracted by several games until I lost my momentum. I plan to finish it before SUPER long, but I will just conclude this section with a couple of interactions regarding them from that case, as I’ve seen so far. ( 1, 2). 

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CONCLUSION

With all that, there is nothing really conclusive. When I look at these happenings, it makes me think of those two as highly compatible. They’ve been through so much hardship, much of it together. They can relate to each other in a lot of ways, while also being different enough to each be able to give the other new perspectives. They have so much in common, even going as far as their trivial interest in the Steel Samurai. At the same time, they’re different enough to keep things interesting between them. 

I know that both of them are commonly shipped with Phoenix (among others), but I just don’t see either of them having that kind of relationship with Phoenix. 

Phoenix is obviously a very devoted friend to Edgeworth, completely uprooting his life and becoming a lawyer in order to reunite with him (although we learn in the third game that it was a little more complicated than that). Edgeworth doesn’t seem to like Phoenix as much as Phoenix likes him. That isn’t to say that Edgeworth doesn’t like him at all, but just that there’s not really a good balance in that “relationship”. 

Maya clearly has great respect toward Phoenix, but he often talks down to her and underestimates her. Not in a malicious way, but in a way that reminds me of an older brother talking to his little sister. He picks on her in that sort of way. That isn’t to say that couples can’t behave that way, but I’ve grown quite fond of the idea of Phoenix becoming a new older sibling type of figure for Maya, after Mia’s death.