| “ | I believe the youth of this country are our very future. Too long have they been looked down on and given the cold shoulder! So, to them I say! Ask not what you can do for your country! Ask what you can do for me! | „ |
| ~ Paul Atishon. |
Paul Atishon-Wimperson, also simply known as Paul Atishon, is a supporting antagonist in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice. He is a politician who ran for a position of assemblyman of Kurain Village, riding off the success of his grandfather, Abe Atishon, who was a prominent politician in congress.
He was the plaintiff in a civil law suit against Dhurke Sahdmadhi, over the rightful ownership of the relic known as "The Founder's Orb"/"The Crystal of Ami Fey". As it turns out, he was secretly in league with the Khura’inese Justice Minister Inga Karkhuul Khura'in, for whom he was tasked to hand the Founder’s Orb to. He was also the murderer of Archie Buff, a fact that was exposed during the civil trial by Apollo Justice. Due to this, he was arrested by the authorities for his crimes.
Biography[]
When the Founder’s Orb ended up in the United States, Paul was contacted by Justice Minister Inga Karkhuul Khura'in, who was his benefactor, to secure the artifact, and in exchange, Inga would help him win the Kurain village election. With Maya held hostage by the Justice Minister, Atishon blackmailed Phoenix into being his lawyer to obtain the founder’s orb. Atishon claimed that the Founder's Orb was athe Crystal of Ami Fey, a family heirloom stolen the previous year, leading to a civil trial to determine the ownership of the orb, with Phoenix representing Atishon and Apollo Justice representing the Defiant Dragons.
Breakdown[]
After Apollo proves that he is the murderer of Archie Buff, Atishon enters a state of denial, refusing to believe that the trial is real and declaring that it must all be a bad dream. He imagines celebrating his election victory on live television, only for a news headline to reveal he has been arrested for murder and his victory has been rescinded. The scene returns to the courtroom, his henchmen abandon him, and he suddenly falls into a black void, screaming for his grandfather. The scene returns to reality, with Atishon standing in a comical "fall" pose and his placard shattering to pieces before the screen fades to black, after which the sound of him collapsing is heard. The Judge quickly calls for Atishon to be take to the first aid station, and he is arrested offscreen for Archie Buff's murder.
Personality[]
Paul embodies all of the characteristics of a "model politician", with a self-assured ego. He avoids answering questions, instead side-stepping them to push his political agendas or answering with a one word "no" or "yes", before walking away. He is incredibly self-centered and vain, and he looks down upon others, even referring to them as "peasants". He only heard what he wanted to hear - his campaigning often results in the upset of the locals. However, when they shout complaints and anger his way, he simply warps it into something complimentary and appreciative. In order to make sure his election goes his way he was willing to resort to buying votes, as well as blackmail, coercion, and murder.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- "Paul Atishon" is a play on "politician". His surname "Wimperson" is a play on "whimpers on", reflecting his cowardly nature.
- When he has been proven as Archie Buff's murderer, one of the things that Paul says in desperation is "I am not a crook", the infamous words spoken by former President of the United States Richard Nixon while denying his involvement in the Watergate Scandal.
- Due to the topically relevant nature of Paul Atishon's character when the game was released in America in September 2016, many western fans have nicknamed Paul as "Donald Trump", particularly noting a masquerade of similarities that exist between the two, including but not limited to both of their hair styles being a point of a common ridicule. It also happened to be topical to Japan at the time as well, due to various political scandals that broke around that time.
- His grandfather's full first name, Abraham, comes from former President of the United States Abraham Lincoln. His more common name, Abe, is probably also a reference to former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzō Abe.
