#psyche-locks

"Black Psyche-Locks represent a secret that an individual keeps subconsciously, without even being aware of it."

I think Sissel would have at least some during the game, considering he's forgotten his entire past.

I wonder what he was asked?

Legends Arceus x Ace Attorney AU

Ah yes, my favorite discussion point in the Ace Attorney fanbase: those infuriating little locks that seal away story progression in sometimes annoyingly obscure ways. However, I don’t see the regular ones discussed to nearly the same degree as the black ones. This is understandable, as those have only ever been seen twice in the entire series, and so feel quite mysterious, especially when discussing one character in particular:

Kristoph Gavin. Notable for his black Psyche-locks having never been broken, along with his seemingly absurd reasons for murder.

I have seen a number of fans directly compare his Psyche-locks to those belonging to Athena Cykes, and therefore Kristoph’s are seen by a good part of the fanbase as the result of some unknown trauma in addition to his paranoid  tendencies. While this could certainly and reasonably be the case (Capcom why did you skip out on backstory in Apollo Justice I will never understand), I want to also remind everyone that the definition of what a black Psyche-lock represents is as follows (according to the Ace Attorney wiki):

“Black Psyche-Locks represent a secret that an individual keeps subconsciously, without even being aware of it. Forceful attempts to remove them by presenting evidence can cause permanent emotional and spiritual damage.”

Therefore, there is some more room to work with “what causes the formation of black Psyche-locks” than only trauma. As I read it, this definition means that whatever the cause, it is so great that it would make an indelible mark on the character’s very soul, or existence.

...so what does this mean for our dear bastard of a defense attorney?

I have two theories. First, that it is nothing more than the manifestation of his extreme paranoid tendencies, and need to keep himself within the status of “defense attorney”. As he shows throughout Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice, he has extremely self-centered views about himself, the law, and the courts, valuing little else (even his own brother and mentee) other than his prestige within the system. Yes, his mantra may be “Evidence is Everything”, but he is not above manipulating the rules to his  advantage, finding loopholes, and seeking exploits that he can get away with, much like a stubborn child. The Psyche-locks are then solely a representation of that way of thinking - that unconscious need to be seen favorably, as a kind, helpful mentor and attorney. This is also why the quickest way to anger him is to shake the court’s trust in him or his methods.

My second theory is more of a stretch than the first, but it has the potential to depict Kristoph in an even more sinister light. Note that his black Psyche-locks only appear upon him being questioned as to why he killed Zak Gramarye. This can be taken to more of an extreme than him only desperately clinging to his identity as a defense attorney. He is shown to be particularly ruthless, and is excellent at covering up his own crimes (ironic, considering how much he harps on the truth so much) when he is the one in control. Perhaps it is a bit of a stretch to say this (again, Capcom, WHY CAN’T YOU GIVE US MORE JUICY BACKSTORY), but wouldn’t these traits fit that of the average serial killer? It’s not quite as substantiated as my first theory, though he does have more than one potential victim throughout the course of the game (if one goes by the bad ending in Turnabout Succession). I do think it should possibly considered that Zak Gramarye was NOT his first victim in his life, though, as under this theory I take the black Psyche-locks to mean that he’s so far gone he doesn’t remember or need a reason to kill. Their presence has the potential to mean that he is so warped as an individual that killing is as natural to him as his occupation as a defense attorney. Unfortunately, this theory does have several holes in it, as there is little evidence in-game that other than his two (attempted) victims, he has attempted or succeeded in murdering anyone else. In other words... this is more fanon than anything else.

okay these aren't really spoilers but i really wanted to share them with you my ace attorney mutuals

so while playing dual destinies i came across athena's black psyche-locks, and pearls has an explanation for them:

and...

so. regular psyche-locks hide secrets a person is keeping on purpose. black ones, however, are deep-buried secrets, unconscious ones. it makes sense that athena has them, as she hid the memories of what happened to her to protect herself.

then... what in fresh hell was up with kristoph's psyche locks?? was he trying to protect himself from trauma like thena?? did he have secrets so dark they turned the locks black?? what the fuck??

oh this gives me so many fic ideas. ohh the fic ideas. it's all coming together baby

(if you have any headcanons be sure to drop them in the tags besties xx)

I want you to get a magatama, find a mirror, hold the magatama and say "I am alright, there's nothing wrong"

Come back with the results, please. If you truly are fine, then there should be no locks shown at all

Fine, I’ll do it, you’ll see, I’m alright. There’s nothing wrong with me.

……