Eustace’s Name Change in Ace Attorney Investigations is a Real Winner

Ace Attorney 2: The Prosecutor’s Gambit will be released in English for the first time on September 6, 2024, 13 years after it was first made. But that doesn’t mean fans don’t know about it or have no way to play it. Ace Attorney 2 has a fan-favorite translated version; even the Ace Attorney Wiki uses fan-translated character names on its page in place of their official Japanese names. While these character names are being phased out as the official English names are announced, fans aren’t all for them.

One of the new names we know is that of Attorney Edgeworth’s recurring antagonist in Ace Attorney 2, who is referred to in fan translations as Sebastian Debeste. Debeste is a brilliant pun in the Ace Attorney series, and fits in well with the jokes in the original script. His Japanese name, Ichiyanagi, can also be read as “Ichiryuu,” or “first-rate,” which he often refers to himself as. In fan translations, this is interpreted as him referring to himself as “the best.”

What is his name now? In a screenshot from the official website, we know his name is officially “Eustace Winner”.

Image from the official website of Ace Attorney

Some fans were more accepting of the silly name than others, but many were not happy about the change. Eustace was such a popular character that he was even one of only two characters to investigate in Kazuya Nuri’s 20th anniversary illustrations for Ace Attorney in 2021. His popularity, combined with the clever appeal of the name fans gave him, made a lasting impression on players. There’s comfort in familiarity, and “Eustace” wasn’t a change many were hoping to see.

But to be honest, it’s a good name. “Eustace Winner” sounds like a pun on “useless complainer,” which is actually related to his full name. “Ichiyanagi Yumihiko” is “Suffering for a lifetime” or “bow without arrows”, a useless act. “Victor” is also the new nickname he gave himself, which is consistent with the words “best” and “first-class”.

In 2021, a similar shock was caused when the character Sherlock Holmes in Ace Attorney Gaiden was renamed “Herlock Sholmes.” But the name was historically significant, as it was the version of the great detective that the great thief Arsène Lupin faced off against, and its goofiness matched the character perfectly—fans ended up loving it after the initial shock wore off. It wouldn’t be surprising if the same outcome happened with Eustace, as he wouldn’t actually be keeping his fan-name in the official translation anyway. The goofy name matches his own initial goofiness, and it’s not out of place compared to other puns in Ace Attorney history. After all, one of the murder victims in the first Ace Attorney Investigation game was named “Deid Mann.”

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