Ace Attorney Season 2 aired in 2018, and ever since then fans have been waiting for news regarding Ace Attorney season 3.
Ace Attorney, otherwise known as Gyakuten Saiban: Sono “Shinjitsu”, is an anime series revolving around mystery, solving cases, and the legal system. Its not only based on light novels but is also an adaptation of a video game. The first game was released in 2001 called, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. After that, it received various spin-offs and remasters.
The anime adaptation was first announced in 2015 during Tokyo Game Show. The first season finally premiered in April 2016, and A-1 Pictures was responsible for the animation.
Ace Attorney TV series got so famous, that in a few years, it was renewed for season 2, which then premiered in October 2018. It’s been more than five years, and there is no news regarding a third season.
Here’s everything we know regarding Ace Attorney season 3 so far.
Will There Be Ace Attorney Season 3?
Unfortunately, there is no news regarding Ace Attorney season 3 from Capcom or any other Studio. At the time of writing, it is very unlikely for us to receive season 3 of the anime.
The first season of the anime aired on April 2, 2016, produced by A-1 Pictures. The second season was produced by CloverWorks animation studio and it came out in October 2018, with 24 episodes.
Even though the second season received more favorable reviews as compared to the first one, there is no official statement regarding season 3. It seems the production company has been tight-lipped about the future of the show, even though fans have been asking them on social media and other platforms.
For now, the show has not been canceled or renewed for season 3 by the creators. As both previous seasons had different production houses, we are not sure if CloverWorks will pick up the anime for another season or not.
Is Ace Attorney Season 3 Possible?
As of right now, it is unlikely that Ace Attorney will return for season 3. It’s been so many years since season 2, that we are not sure if the show will ever return for another season.
If we talk about the studio, CloverWorks is currently working on various projects like Spy x Family, Darling in the Franxx, Boochi the Rock!, and many more. It has revealed its current projects and Ace Attorney is not among them.
There are a lot of factors that affect the status of an anime and decide whether the show will be renewed or not. Some of them are viewer rating, source material, popularity, and sales.
There are plenty of anime that are awaiting renewal like Yona of the Dawn, Psychic Princess, and Black Bullet.
Ace Attorney Season 3 Source Material
The Ace Attorney anime series is written by Atsuhiro Tomioka, who has also written Pokemon Generations. Tomioka said goodbye to the series in episode 23 of season 2.
Since then, there is no news regarding approval for season 3 of the anime, or who the new writer is. As discussed above, the anime is based on games, and light novel series. In other words, Ace Attorney was used as a tool of marketing for the games, to boost sales of the game.
Both season 1 and season 2 have already covered the entire game series, the Phoenix Wright trilogy. The first season adapted the first two games of the trilogy, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All. The second season adapted Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations.
It is only possible for the anime series to have season 3 if Capcom releases a new video game. The anime will be made to promote that video game, leading to season 3. So, you can say the chances for season 3 of Ace Attorney are 50/50.
Apart from the main game trilogy, there are various spin-offs and other game series that can be adapted into season 3. But it might not be a continuation of the first two seasons, but rather a spinoff anime or a reboot.
Considering all that, there is plenty of content to be covered in season 3 of Ace Attorney if the show is greenlit. God Eater is another popular anime based on a video game franchise.
Ace Attorney Season 3 Release Date
Sadly, there is no official announcement regarding the release date of Ace Attorney season 3. The show is neither canceled nor renewed, so there is still a chance for season 3.
The main game series has already been covered in seasons 1 and 2. The fourth game of the series has a different protagonist, and Phoenix Wright has a supporting character. There are spin-off games as well, which are focused on Phoenix Wright’s ancestors.
Considering the source material. if we do get a season 3, it will not be a continuation of the first two seasons, but rather a different story altogether.
Then there is the problem of the anime writer as well. He has already left the franchise after season 2. Moreover, Takeshi Yamazaki, the manager of the Game, has already left CAPCOM. So, there is no possibility of the new game also.
The second season was animated by CloverWorks. The studio has plans for plenty of anime, but Ace Attorney season 3 is not one of them.
Ace Attorney Manga Status
There is a manga adaptation of Ace Attorney also. It is known as Gyakuten Saiban: Sono “Shinjitsu,” Igiari! The manga is written by Naoyuki Kageyama. It started in March 2016 and continued publishing until July 2017.
Today, there are 3 volumes of the manga in total, and it did not continue after that. However, in the case of Ace Attorney, manga is not a problem, because it’s not the primary source material for the anime.
The games have been acting as the source material for both the manga and the anime.
Ace Attorney Popularity and Ratings
Ace Attorney is a popular anime that is liked by fans across the world. On MyAnimeList, the anime has a score of 6.49 with a popularity ranking of #1532.
However, just like most anime adaptations, fans are more inclined toward the games, than the anime. According to fans and critics, each game should have gotten its own anime season adaptation, rather than cramping two games in a 24-episode season 1.
Because of the rushed storyline, so much dialogue is cut down, and because of this the anime has lost its charm, and it has done serious damage to the character development.
Some fans are of the view that game adaptations are complex, and Ace Attorney has done a great job at it. The pacing of the anime was the main issue. It started off nicely, but from episode 4 onwards, the story got rushed because the first season had to cover 2 games.
On IMDB, the show has garnered a rating of 6.4 and again fans recommend watching season 2 of the anime, rather than the first one. The second season only adapted a single game so it’s not rushed at all.
But overall, Ace Attorney is a good game adaptation and is very enjoyable. The story plays out exactly like the game, and even if you haven’t played the game, you are surely going to enjoy the anime.
Final Words
As of 2023, there is no news regarding Ace Attorney season 3. The second season of the anime aired in 2018, and ever since then, there has been no official announcement from the CloverWorks studio regarding the renewal of the series.
The good thing is that the anime has not been canceled either, so there is still a chance that it will return, but the possibility of that is very bleak. The game franchise has been absolutely amazing, with a huge fanbase, so there is still hope for a reboot or a side story.
Till then stay tuned as I will keep you updated here regarding any changes in the schedule or status of the show.
