Did anybody actually look at this dude with his theme playing and not think he was the main villain. Dude literally screams Damon Gant ancestor. He even claps like him.
I thought the theme just made him intimidating, but I thought he was a serious guy at work. It wasn't until case 3 from the second game that I began to suspect he was evil in the background by telling people to not testify and such
@@darkrl591 I personally adore their first meeting; Stronghart suggests Ryunosuke take a real murder case as an "experiment" to see if he's good enough, and when Ryunosuke turns him down bc it's amoral to play with people's lives, it turns out it was a test and Ryu passed. Takumi (and the other AA writers!) are wonderful at making well-rounded 3d interesting characters no matter their role in the story. It's also funny to me that getting a victory /there/ was what Stronghart used to determine Ryu's readiness, considering McGuilded was stealing HIS secrets... it's some funny irony.
@@lucds25 Kind of, Hart Vortex is very picky with the time he got between meetings and this comment is a reference of that (the 14 minutes and 38 seconds is a reference of the length of the video btw)
What a wholesome man, just immediatly spreading his arms wide open to welcome you. It's so nice to see that with him and his just-as-nice, Japanese equivalent, Ace Attorney has finally strayed away from the whole "Person with lots of Authority but Evil"-thing. Good to see those two nice men being supportive of the main protagonists, knowing with complete certainty that nothing bad ever happened, and that nothing bad will ever happen because of those judicial sweethearts^^.
The colossal, imposing Lord Chief Justice of the British Empire, with a fiercely calculating mind and the iron-clad ambition to eliminate all traces of crime from London's streets at any cost... ...and a haircut like Larry Butz
@@arhr2713 although Stronghart (I call him that just so the people who play the official translation understand who I’m talking about) has been in both games, so there is less suspicion on him.
*DGS 2 SPOILERS* Honestly my favourite part of his breakdown. He's desperately clinging to the power he's meticulously worked for for decades, the one that he no longer has.
The best breakdown out of ALL of Ace Attorney, you can’t argue this fact. Without joking, what the fuck can top the damn unicorn gavel breaking, the literal fall of a mighty man who lands on the guilty flames of justice, then falls again and lands down on the floor, as a mark of full defeat, only to have the scales of Justice break and fall down (not guilty first), then the guilty scale crashing and burning behind that fallen man.
"When I encountered the gentlemen Mael Stronghart, I've already began to realize what kind man he was resourceful, calculated, and ruthless. Prosecutor Stronghart had many aspects of my superior and Brother. He is to be a warning of who not to cross. Meself knew that full well, his ambition isn't one that can be suppressed I know from experience. Now myself walking into his party to celebrate the inheriting of his families estate made meself tink what would a fella like him be capable of! -McGilded's Diary 1878 February 15th
Gant's great granduncle. I doubt that Chief Justice Vortex is married, no ring on finger and no allusions to ever having a significant other even while being arrested.
They’re both very similar characters. Vortex manipulated the English legal system for his needs, while Gant manipulated the Japanifornian prosecutor’s office and legal system. Both used one main person to get what they wanted. Vortex was much more diabolical though. They also look very similar.
I only meant that it's unlikely Gant and Vortex have a direct relation. Vortex might've had a brother or sister who was Gant's great-something grandfather/grandmother, but I don't think Gant was a blood heir to Vortex himself. They are similar, but the lack of allusion to Hart having either a marriage or children makes it unlikely to me that Hart is Gant's grandfather or something of the like.
both Gant and Vortex also congratulated the protags for exposing them Vortex also has traits of Matt Engarde since he ordered people who worked for him to be killed when they weren't useful anymore
I really like how the creators never shy away from making it REALLY obvious what’s going to happen with a character by how they’re presented. BUT THAS WHAT THEY *WANT* ME TO THINK RIGHT? I’m always caught in the mind loop of “ARE they a murderous villain? Or just REALLY socially inept Enough to come across jerkish?” XD
I always took it as "this guy is evil, and instead of hand wringing for the entire game going, is this guy evil or not, we are just gonna imply he is the final boss and let him stew in the background" I am glad the game does not waste much time establishing this guy as evil, i feel in different hands he would be a "twist villan"
You probably have finished both the games by now but just in case SPOILERS: You can definitely FEEL the intimidation in the last case when he is the actual Judge...
@@giogio4222 The moment you see him in the Judge's seat, my thought was "Oh f*ck." A phrase I have not said with dread and fear in a long time. You know what was going to go down would not be pretty.
when I think of it, I remember my time at the Austrian Federal Railways when I was at the office of a manager and while he is a really nice and professional type, him calling me ‚master‘ as he hinted me as he has other things to do was somewhat… telling me something. A boss of a big company doesn‘t need to make a big fuss about authority or something. You just know who is the boss there. I still got respect for these people.
I have to say when I saw on the website that they changed his name from Vortex to Stronghart I was disappointed, but when I saw that his first name is now Mael I fell in love with it. (Now paraphrasing from the wiki) Aside from the maelstrom heart pun alluding to how twisted he is, which seems to be the main point of naming him Hart Vortex, Mael is a Celtic name meaning 'Chief' (As in his title). Aside from that 'Stronghart' can also be a reference to how powerful he is. So yes, while 'Hart Vortex' flows better, I think 'Mael Stronghart' fits his narrative better thematically
I may be a bit controversial here, but I love the updated name Mael Stronghart. Hart as a first name didn't seem to ...suit him in my eyes. Mael just sounds so....aggressively Latin(?) and paired with "Stronghart"....it was so powerful and sexy(?) to me. >_<
SPOILERS The genius of Stronghart to me was how the big twist surrounding him wasn’t something like: “WHAT? IT WAS STRONGHART THE WHOLE TIME??” It’s obvious the dude is evil from square one. The draw here instead is discovering just how involved in this inspid plot he was. The game makes it very clear how he operates, so when he deviates from his established norm by, say, being responsible for Genshin’s near-escape, successfully ordering Watson of all people to falsify evidence, and being the one responsible for the blackmailing Klint into killing his own inner circle, it hits much harder. The twist isn’t just some cheap reveal, it’s a long, drawn-out curtain pull of just how entangled in corruption this terrifying man is.
Not directly. It’s actually a nice twist that the main villain of the game never directly killed anyone. It was a nice divergence from other evil masterminds like AAI2’s main villain, who manipulated people from the shadows like Stronghart, but that villain was dumb enough to get his own hands dirty at the end which leads to his downfall. Stronghart never does this, he just indirectly killed nearly 20 people through the Professor and Reaper.
@@doyoucare4105 to count exactly, he’s involved in the deaths of 21 people 15 of the reaper’s killings(mcgilded was killed by graydon not the reaper) 3 of the professors victims Both victims of the assassin exchange(Wilson and gregson) And then there’s genshin asogi who he was also involved in. That’s not even including the amount of other lives his actions ruined like drebber’s. I think he overtakes Blaise debeste for the being the most sadistic and cruel main antagonist Edit: phrasing adjustments
@@tahamohammad8842 Oh no doubt he’s indirectly culpable for a lot of stuff. My point was more so that he never actually directly kills anyone. He doesn’t kill any of the Professor victims, Reaper victims, assassin exchange victims, or Genshin Asogi. He had a heavy hand in causing all of the aforementioned deaths but he was never the one actually doing the killing, and that was my point.
C'mon,vortex isn't a bad guy,sure he is suspicious,sassy,intimidating,a little son of a bitch,pretty suspicious,doesn't have humor sense,looks like damon gant,he doesn't caré a shit about megundal,and overall he is freaking suspicious....do i mention i don't trust vortex either?
I don't think it was. Men, at least those who haven't fallen into effeminacy, want themselves to be as big, bad, and intimidating as possible. Look how popular stoicism and Marcus Aurelius is to men. He was professional, authoritative, and wanted to be presented as well as possible to his superiors and the people of Britain by being as strong as possible so that people may have confidence in him. People want strong leaders. So I'd think he's a good guy if you understand men, career presentation, and politics.
@@neo-didact9285he quite literally blackmailed a man and caused events that lead to the deaths of several people and ruined several families. Hell, tons of peoples lives were ruined throughout the game due to his actions
That moment you realize if it wasn't for Hart Vrotex, Pheonix's ancestor would never have become a defense attorney, Asougi wouldn't have gone on to establish the von karma family line in europe as prosecutors, and the modern Ace Attorney series as we know it never would have existed. And I thought Dane Gustavia and Ga'ran set off a domino for the Original Trikogy and Apollo trilogy respectively was impressive....
There was no guarantee that naruhodo being a defense attorney will affect pheonix nor that the von karmas are directly connected to the asougi line purely based on a sword. Pheonix became an attorney to help Edgeworth who wanted to become lawyer because his father was one and that has no relation to dgs
@@hamstersandwich9917 Relating to the Von Karmas, it's actually stated that desciples? relatives? of the Asougi family take on the Von Karma (Karuma) family name, to honour the sword.
Funny that you mention it, because it's also because of Hart Vortex, that the |REDACTED| case happened and set the plot for the Dai Gyakuten Saiban series...
@@megamike15 Yeah but ... Spoilers: It's like Stronghart knew that Barok wouldn't have enough evidence to defeat McGilded and his evidence tampering, so Stronghart wanted McGilded to fall to the Reaper of the Bailey curse instead. All according to plan: and now a corrupt criminal is dead. Yay for Stronghart either way tbh.
@@megamike15 No, I don't think so at all. Because it's far easier for him to just ... Manipulate Jigoku instead. He has blackmail on Jigoku. He doesn't need another student.
@@GoatedKingAubreyDrizzyDrake spoiler haha wouldn't it be funny if the more obvious relation to gant is if he started clapping incredibly fast in his breakdown? how crazy would that be.
@@abucketoftears Me too. Even though his new name is, admittedly, cool, I will continue to use his original name. Mainly because it rolls off the tongue better. At least for me, anyway.
DGS2 Spoilers I like that no matter how terrible Vortex's actions are, he truly believed that what he had done was for the greater good. And, you can make an argument that he is right. If the truth of the professor incident had gotten out, it would have caused a huge controversy, and the alliance between Britain and Japan would be ruined. Furthermore, it was said that the curse surrounding van Zieks significantly reduced the crime rates in London. What Vortex had done was basically the classic ethical dilemma: sacrificing a few people and making everyone else live better lives. Another thing, if taking down Sithe sets Britain back 10 years, imagine what happens if Vortex is taken down. Along with exposing the professor incident, it feels like Narouhodou straight up destroyed the British government and legal system as a result of case 2-5.
Vortex may have been a terrible person, but the fact he genuinely cared about his country and wanted it to be crimeless so that people can live in peace is admirable, which is another thing I love about him.
I don’t think there’s any real confirmation on his goals Stronghart claims “I did it for the greater good” but it could VERY well have just been an excuse to gain favor with the gallery. It’s the same as Damon Gant where you WANT to believe he used to be good, but one can argue both sides.
@@gewinnersieger Okay with Gant he one hundred percent did not do his crimes for the greater good, I never understood people making that argument, he didn’t kill Neil Marshall so that he could get Joe dark arrested, he killed him so he could take control of the prosecutors office. It explicitly says that doesn’t it?
@@herrforesight-Satanisking true. I should probably be more specific: I want to believe that Gant USED to be good, but then power (Chief of Police position) got to his head and he did bad things for it, similar to Stronghart.
If i had a nickel for every time there was a ace attorney culprit based on clocks, i'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that happened twice
Ah yes, Hart Vortex, Chief Justice of the British Empire. One of my all time favorite DGS characters. Same can go for this marvelous theme as one of my all time favorite DGS themes. SPOILER BELOW Or, in DGS 2's terms, one of my all time favorite DGS villains.
He was "Lord Chief Justice of the British Empire, introductor of Forensics in modern policing". This magnificent and perfect display of evil, malice, and corruption still deserves to be named by his former full title. Former because he was fired by the queen herself. What a chad. Had so much power only the queen of England could kick his butt.
Everyone thinks this guy is gonna be evil xD Pro tip guys. don't spoil his plot lines, in the comments. use spoiler tags for everything that you shouldn't know from meeting him.
SPOILERS Not gonna lie, I kinda wish Stronghart had an 'Overruled!' speech bubble similar to Justine Courtney's in AAI2. Still, though, him being judge in GAA2-5 was pretty damn epic.
SPOILERS FOR 2-5!!!!! I always had a feeling he was Damon Gant’s ancestor, but when he started doing that fast clapping towards the end of the trial it pretty much confirmed it for me.
(spoiler tag) this dude is literally gant, same hairstyle, beard, hair color, claps, evil authority figure, intimidating, kills people in the name of "justice"
The strictly ordered time signature and tempo also serve to emphasize Stronghart's will that everything function perfectly without deviation, as compared to other themes which feature greater flourish or improvisation
This theme gives me Dahlia Hawthorne vibes. Which is a very weird thing to say but it's close enough to be right that you can almost imagine this person being good
This guy is the most evil ace attorney villain you will encounter in the hole serous more then 20 Corpses are on his List of killed people that he orchestrated
@@felixleidig8307 The highest confirmed amount for an Ace Attorney villain thus far - the assassins (De Killer and Sirhen Dogen) and the Khurain royal family (Inga and Queen Garan through defense culpability act), may have a lot more dead bodies
0:25 I believe in this part with the strings going down reminds me of the Reapers theme, except it's a bit slower. In hindsight, this makes so much sense.
@@TheMemeExpert42069 or even worse,they could use all his powers (gant being the chief police and vortex the chief of justice)to get rid of all the ace attorney cast...and then one backstab the other
i dont think Mael gets enough credit for actually mentoring Ryuunoske. In game 1, he's clearly trying to nurture this new law student by putting him on the defense of some interesting people and seeming to be pleased with Ryu's accomplishments. If he hadn't thrown Ryu into the deep end, several innocent people would be executed and Ryu wouldn't be the lawyer he becomes. Mael gave him the cases he needed and gave the defendants the person they needed. Sholmes taught him deduction and kept an eye on him throughout. I waited for them to acknowledge this. They didn't. I was upset. Only flaw, really.
To be honest... Spoiler I didn't expect him to be the final boss, because it was so obvious that I thought "It's too obvious he's not the final boss, he's just intimidating". So he ends up being a surprise for me
I thought im being final boss would be sure but thing is i didnt thought he was behind more then 20 People orchestrated killed the fuck ... most evi lperson in all of acetorney
TGAA2 SPOILER I enjoy that the game was super obvious in imposing that Stronghart is very suspicious, but also shows you how intimidating he is with the power he holds. The reveal that he's the judge by 2-5 still gives me goosebumps. Like, how did that final boss reveal feel a lot scarier than a bunch of other final bosses out there?
DGS2-5 and AA1-5 spoilers Was kinda hoping that he wouldn't be like gant. The twist was kinda easy to see coming, especially if you played the rereleased rise from the ashes. The case still ended up being amazing tho.
I’m pretty sure it wasn’t meant to be a “twist”. The point was probably that he’s so suspicious and evil-looking but you couldn’t lay a finger on him for 6 cases straight because he’s so powerful
@@megamike15 Unfortunately, that one was also pretty clear from the moment we learned his full name. "Judge Hell" doesn't exactly give off the best vibes lol
@@megamike15 True, but just leaving it as the Japanese word for hell was still pretty hard to miss ...Though to be fair, this is the same series where "Detective Badd" turns out to be a great guy through and through, so a scary-sounding name isn't always a dead giveaway!
@@pandegaarkanrauf8413 Err... you need to edit your comment and add the spoiler tag to it. And you need to also add a space big enough where your spoiler cannot be seen unless you click on "Read more".
@@linusovery-smith4246 I mean you're pretty spoiled already. Though I'm guessing you're unaware of his particular case or something? In which case, there is still plenty to learn.
Did anybody actually look at this dude with his theme playing and not think he was the main villain. Dude literally screams Damon Gant ancestor. He even claps like him.
I honestly thought he was sketchy but didn’t expect him to be a villain.
I thought the theme just made him intimidating, but I thought he was a serious guy at work. It wasn't until case 3 from the second game that I began to suspect he was evil in the background by telling people to not testify and such
ive literally been calling him White Gant the entirety of both games
you gotta give him props tho, he was very lenient towards ryunosuke. Even tho I knew he was the big bad I still had my doubts throughout the duology.
@@darkrl591 I personally adore their first meeting; Stronghart suggests Ryunosuke take a real murder case as an "experiment" to see if he's good enough, and when Ryunosuke turns him down bc it's amoral to play with people's lives, it turns out it was a test and Ryu passed. Takumi (and the other AA writers!) are wonderful at making well-rounded 3d interesting characters no matter their role in the story.
It's also funny to me that getting a victory /there/ was what Stronghart used to determine Ryu's readiness, considering McGuilded was stealing HIS secrets... it's some funny irony.
This is the type of music that plays when you get called to the principal's office.
love this comment
Except you know your principal is a horrible person...
Or the gallows...
A year old yet amazing
“I’m already ...eleven hours and sixteen minutes late. ...My colleagues may be starting to fidget.”
I just found out that one of Kazuya Nuri's favourite characters is Gant, and suddenly a lot of things start to make sense.
Pretty sure that Gant was a big influence
Stronghart might as well be Gant’s ancestor, even if nothing explicitly confirms it.
@@drybowserman1670 that clapping in his breakdown definitely confirms it for me.
The instant I saw stronghart in case 3 I thought “yep. There’s some gant influence.”
Can't blame him, Gant was great.
+C42 you best make this quick. you have exactly 14 minutes and 38 seconds before my next meeting
That comment is pure gold
@@lucds25 Kind of, Hart Vortex is very picky with the time he got between meetings and this comment is a reference of that (the 14 minutes and 38 seconds is a reference of the length of the video btw)
What a wholesome man, just immediatly spreading his arms wide open to welcome you. It's so nice to see that with him and his just-as-nice, Japanese equivalent, Ace Attorney has finally strayed away from the whole "Person with lots of Authority but Evil"-thing. Good to see those two nice men being supportive of the main protagonists, knowing with complete certainty that nothing bad ever happened, and that nothing bad will ever happen because of those judicial sweethearts^^.
**Laughs in Exchange**
Yeah definitely trustworthy and nice fellas!
Heh... heheh... yeah, nice man...
hahaaaa, i sure hope this isnt a game about how power structures ruin everything
*proceeds to have highest body count of any ace attorney killer*
The colossal, imposing Lord Chief Justice of the British Empire, with a fiercely calculating mind and the iron-clad ambition to eliminate all traces of crime from London's streets at any cost...
...and a haircut like Larry Butz
It looks more like Gant's haircut, witch fits way better
@@eh2587 he literally looks like the ancestor of gant to me. Like, they both have that scary look, although they act nice towards the player.
@@arhr2713 although Stronghart (I call him that just so the people who play the official translation understand who I’m talking about) has been in both games, so there is less suspicion on him.
@@marcusvergara6193 all I'll say is I love your pfp of kira stuffing his mouth
@@arhr2713 thank you!
*Killer queen has already touched this comment*
BOOOM
It's not fair that we never got any voice clips for him, do you agree?
I would certainly have loved to hear him yelling "OVERRULED!" or something.
@@yabukiman4273 "ADJOURNED!"
I expected him to yell something like "TIMES UP!" at some point, man talk about a missed opportunity.
Everybody shoulda had a few lines tbh
If Jezaille can tell me to shut up, everyone should get to say something.
ADJOURNED! ADJOURNED! ADJOURNED! ADJOURNED! ADJOURNED!
*DGS 2 SPOILERS*
Honestly my favourite part of his breakdown. He's desperately clinging to the power he's meticulously worked for for decades, the one that he no longer has.
THIS TRIAL ENDS NOW
The best breakdown out of ALL of Ace Attorney, you can’t argue this fact. Without joking, what the fuck can top the damn unicorn gavel breaking, the literal fall of a mighty man who lands on the guilty flames of justice, then falls again and lands down on the floor, as a mark of full defeat, only to have the scales of Justice break and fall down (not guilty first), then the guilty scale crashing and burning behind that fallen man.
that scene where the scales go beyond guilty and exploded was epic
And the best part is that we see him on the witness stand, defeated and covered in ashes
I have exactly 14 minutes and 38 seconds until the end of this theme
Wrong.
Wrong.
Wrong.
Wrong.
Wrong.
"When I encountered the gentlemen Mael Stronghart, I've already began to realize what kind man he was resourceful, calculated, and ruthless. Prosecutor Stronghart had many aspects of my superior and Brother. He is to be a warning of who not to cross. Meself knew that full well, his ambition isn't one that can be suppressed I know from experience. Now myself walking into his party to celebrate the inheriting of his families estate made meself tink what would a fella like him be capable of!
-McGilded's Diary 1878 February 15th
Gant's ancestor
Gant's great granduncle. I doubt that Chief Justice Vortex is married, no ring on finger and no allusions to ever having a significant other even while being arrested.
They’re both very similar characters. Vortex manipulated the English legal system for his needs, while Gant manipulated the Japanifornian prosecutor’s office and legal system. Both used one main person to get what they wanted. Vortex was much more diabolical though. They also look very similar.
I only meant that it's unlikely Gant and Vortex have a direct relation. Vortex might've had a brother or sister who was Gant's great-something grandfather/grandmother, but I don't think Gant was a blood heir to Vortex himself.
They are similar, but the lack of allusion to Hart having either a marriage or children makes it unlikely to me that Hart is Gant's grandfather or something of the like.
you all also forgetting about clapping breakdown
both Gant and Vortex also congratulated the protags for exposing them
Vortex also has traits of Matt Engarde since he ordered people who worked for him to be killed when they weren't useful anymore
I really like how the creators never shy away from making it REALLY obvious what’s going to happen with a character by how they’re presented.
BUT THAS WHAT THEY *WANT* ME TO THINK RIGHT?
I’m always caught in the mind loop of “ARE they a murderous villain? Or just REALLY socially inept Enough to come across jerkish?” XD
My girlfriend and I were so taken in. “He’s DEFINITELY evil, right?…Right? Is it too obvious? Hmm…”
I always took it as "this guy is evil, and instead of hand wringing for the entire game going, is this guy evil or not, we are just gonna imply he is the final boss and let him stew in the background" I am glad the game does not waste much time establishing this guy as evil, i feel in different hands he would be a "twist villan"
You looke evil as frick dawg
i thought (final villain name here) was generally pretty kind to me... sure, super straight expression all the time, but he generally acted courteous
masterful manipulation of the AA formula, narrative tropes, and our expectations as AA fans. couldn't have said it better myself
I thought it was weird how little you see of him in the first game, he had a pretty minor role as things considered.
Then you get to the 2nd game.
Ah yes.
*INTERNATIONAL ASSASIN EXCHANGE AND HIGHEST COURT KILLER MASTERMIND*
Basically Zelgius from Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn
_A strange, stuffy aura seems to be filling the courtroom..._
Wrong game.
..or is it?
_You can feel the sense of déjà vu coming from you when you did RFtA as Hart appeared._
They truly managed to make him seem powerful. Everything about him, from his theme to his room is intimidating
You probably have finished both the games by now but just in case SPOILERS:
You can definitely FEEL the intimidation in the last case when he is the actual Judge...
@@giogio4222 bro that was so unexpected, too!
@@giogio4222 The moment you see him in the Judge's seat, my thought was "Oh f*ck." A phrase I have not said with dread and fear in a long time. You know what was going to go down would not be pretty.
The only way that it could be better is if the beats in the music synced with the clock tocking in the background of his office.
when I think of it, I remember my time at the Austrian Federal Railways when I was at the office of a manager and while he is a really nice and professional type, him calling me ‚master‘ as he hinted me as he has other things to do was somewhat… telling me something.
A boss of a big company doesn‘t need to make a big fuss about authority or something. You just know who is the boss there. I still got respect for these people.
I have to say when I saw on the website that they changed his name from Vortex to Stronghart I was disappointed, but when I saw that his first name is now Mael I fell in love with it.
(Now paraphrasing from the wiki)
Aside from the maelstrom heart pun alluding to how twisted he is, which seems to be the main point of naming him Hart Vortex, Mael is a Celtic name meaning 'Chief' (As in his title). Aside from that 'Stronghart' can also be a reference to how powerful he is.
So yes, while 'Hart Vortex' flows better, I think 'Mael Stronghart' fits his narrative better thematically
Also "Vortex" is technically still in his name. Why? "Mael-strong" can be a pun for "Maelstorm". Mael-Storm hart. Vortex Heart.
@@jorntumrongwit9056 Exactly
The Maelstrom at the center of everything, the Stronghart to commit terrible things in the name of justice...
The localizers did their homework alright, Chronicles is an absolute treat
I may be a bit controversial here, but I love the updated name Mael Stronghart. Hart as a first name didn't seem to ...suit him in my eyes. Mael just sounds so....aggressively Latin(?) and paired with "Stronghart"....it was so powerful and sexy(?) to me. >_<
SPOILERS
The genius of Stronghart to me was how the big twist surrounding him wasn’t something like:
“WHAT? IT WAS STRONGHART THE WHOLE TIME??”
It’s obvious the dude is evil from square one. The draw here instead is discovering just how involved in this inspid plot he was.
The game makes it very clear how he operates, so when he deviates from his established norm by, say, being responsible for Genshin’s near-escape, successfully ordering Watson of all people to falsify evidence, and being the one responsible for the blackmailing Klint into killing his own inner circle, it hits much harder.
The twist isn’t just some cheap reveal, it’s a long, drawn-out curtain pull of just how entangled in corruption this terrifying man is.
And to make things worse, he never even killed ONE person...
Not directly. It’s actually a nice twist that the main villain of the game never directly killed anyone. It was a nice divergence from other evil masterminds like AAI2’s main villain, who manipulated people from the shadows like Stronghart, but that villain was dumb enough to get his own hands dirty at the end which leads to his downfall. Stronghart never does this, he just indirectly killed nearly 20 people through the Professor and Reaper.
@@doyoucare4105 to count exactly, he’s involved in the deaths of 21 people
15 of the reaper’s killings(mcgilded was killed by graydon not the reaper)
3 of the professors victims
Both victims of the assassin exchange(Wilson and gregson)
And then there’s genshin asogi who he was also involved in.
That’s not even including the amount of other lives his actions ruined like drebber’s.
I think he overtakes Blaise debeste for the being the most sadistic and cruel main antagonist
Edit: phrasing adjustments
@@tahamohammad8842 Oh no doubt he’s indirectly culpable for a lot of stuff. My point was more so that he never actually directly kills anyone. He doesn’t kill any of the Professor victims, Reaper victims, assassin exchange victims, or Genshin Asogi. He had a heavy hand in causing all of the aforementioned deaths but he was never the one actually doing the killing, and that was my point.
And he admits it all, and is applauded by his peers in the gallery. "The ends justify the means."
I have only played the first game, but come on. He even has a shadOW ON HIS FACE. Who would have a shadow on his face? A freaking big villain lmao.
C'mon,vortex isn't a bad guy,sure he is suspicious,sassy,intimidating,a little son of a bitch,pretty suspicious,doesn't have humor sense,looks like damon gant,he doesn't caré a shit about megundal,and overall he is freaking suspicious....do i mention i don't trust vortex either?
@@thepresidentjulius3820 hahahahha the moment I met him, I knew he was going to be the bad guy of the series 😂. And that name... Come on lmao
@@ivanvperez i think he is von karma + damon gant,i just know he have some relation to asougi,but we have to wait until the translation is done
@@thepresidentjulius3820 Well, I don't give a shit about Megundal/McGilded as well.
he also looks way to much like gant.
people saying it was obvious completely missed the point .... it was never intended to be a twist .
exactly the real twist is the Reveal of the Real Nature of Sholmes and Wilson ...
Yeah, the twist wasnt that it was him all along, it was the fact that he was willing to go as far as he did
@@HyLion yes
I don't think it was. Men, at least those who haven't fallen into effeminacy, want themselves to be as big, bad, and intimidating as possible. Look how popular stoicism and Marcus Aurelius is to men. He was professional, authoritative, and wanted to be presented as well as possible to his superiors and the people of Britain by being as strong as possible so that people may have confidence in him. People want strong leaders. So I'd think he's a good guy if you understand men, career presentation, and politics.
@@neo-didact9285he quite literally blackmailed a man and caused events that lead to the deaths of several people and ruined several families. Hell, tons of peoples lives were ruined throughout the game due to his actions
That moment you realize if it wasn't for Hart Vrotex, Pheonix's ancestor would never have become a defense attorney, Asougi wouldn't have gone on to establish the von karma family line in europe as prosecutors, and the modern Ace Attorney series as we know it never would have existed.
And I thought Dane Gustavia and Ga'ran set off a domino for the Original Trikogy and Apollo trilogy respectively was impressive....
There was no guarantee that naruhodo being a defense attorney will affect pheonix nor that the von karmas are directly connected to the asougi line purely based on a sword. Pheonix became an attorney to help Edgeworth who wanted to become lawyer because his father was one and that has no relation to dgs
@@hamstersandwich9917 Relating to the Von Karmas, it's actually stated that desciples? relatives? of the Asougi family take on the Von Karma (Karuma) family name, to honour the sword.
@@hihey229 that makes much more sense than asougi becoming von karma for some reason
Phoenix was in arts college before going to law school.
Funny that you mention it, because it's also because of Hart Vortex, that the |REDACTED| case happened and set the plot for the Dai Gyakuten Saiban series...
"The culprit could be anyone!"
The culprit's theme song:
This is simply a theme that fits. A mighty justice who has a very profound dedication to time. It is like the march of time progressing...
This plays when I'm in the principal's office.
Does that office contains clocks?
do you see a man with fish and chips?
is there a lot of books in there?
I see…you are 30 minutes and….10 seconds late. -Your Principal’s
M O M
does he tell you to make it quick and that he has 5 minutes and 37 seconds left?
I MEAN, COME ON?!
HE HAS EVERY SINGLE VILLAIN TROPE EVER IMAGINED!
Stronghart has a heart… of EVIL!
first guy he sets you up with was also evil.
it's like shu takumi is laughing at you.
@@megamike15
Yeah but ... Spoilers:
It's like Stronghart knew that Barok wouldn't have enough evidence to defeat McGilded and his evidence tampering, so Stronghart wanted McGilded to fall to the Reaper of the Bailey curse instead. All according to plan: and now a corrupt criminal is dead. Yay for Stronghart either way tbh.
@@l.n.3372 not really
spoilers
i think stronghart's intention was for you to lose so he could get another student as his assassin.
@@megamike15
No, I don't think so at all. Because it's far easier for him to just ...
Manipulate Jigoku instead. He has blackmail on Jigoku. He doesn't need another student.
tick tock goes the clock
This is called “Ticking Judiciary” now.
That is a much better name for someone that looks like Gant.
Spoiler
It would be really funny if during his breakdown the scales of justice made a full circle clockwise like a, well, clock
@@GoatedKingAubreyDrizzyDrake spoiler
haha wouldn't it be funny if the more obvious relation to gant is if he started clapping incredibly fast in his breakdown? how crazy would that be.
@@art-cs6us spoiler
*scales of justice start clapping*
Definitely misread that as "Tickling Judiciary"...
Guys, I’ve seen his breakdown and he does clap incredibly fast (unless that was a joke).
It's Mael Stronghart now.
Pun: Maelstrom + Heart
Still a cool name.
Yeah it's good but honestly I still prefer Hart Vortex.
@@abucketoftears Me too. Even though his new name is, admittedly, cool, I will continue to use his original name. Mainly because it rolls off the tongue better. At least for me, anyway.
@@TheMemeExpert42069 for me it's because Hart Vortex sounds more intimidating lol and it sounds so him
@@abucketoftears Agreed. It's definitely more intimidating and fits him more than his new name.
Also, Maelstrom is similar name for Vortex.
Spoiler
You can hear the professor’s theme in this song. This sound track is genius
Oh my god...you’re right....
ccbib Wait where? I can’t hear it.
ANDY CHEN It’s right after the opening. It’s got a very similar tone to it.
It’s super hard to hear for me but I think I can hear some similar tones in that violin XD
Which professor?
I was sure he was a villain in the first game, I try to accuse him everytime I had the chance in the last chapter. XD
Same here bud
SPOILERS
Don't worry we get them in the second Game.
*Spoilers*
I like that his first breakdown is similar to Gant's.
Then his second is unique and beautiful.
Please use spoiler tags
@@Cubicflow Alright then
@@silverflight01 :thumbs_up: all is well
Not to mention when he starts evil-ly laughing
I mean it's not official or anything but their design are also very similar . If anything it's probably implied that Stronghart is an ancestor of Gant
You can actually listen to Gregson's theme here.
0:37 to 0:48
holy crud I didn’t realize that
that’s a really good detail they added, good job for noticing it
Stronghart.
EVIL personified. The TRUE Reaper of the Bailey.
and the Professor Shadow Mastermind and before we forgot he has the Most people out of all ace attorney villains that he is behind Murders
I just met him and I'm not looking for spoilers. But I gotta say...
I have this feeling this malicious-looking fellow might just be a bad guy.
So.......did you finish the game? What did you think?
@@Keith-zr2ct boohoo nigga u truly made us evade the spoiler
Exact. Same. Thought.
@hart vortex gaming He deleted his comment. What did he spoil lol (Don't worry, I've played the game)
@hart vortex gaming Well what an asshole lol
DGS2 Spoilers
I like that no matter how terrible Vortex's actions are, he truly believed that what he had done was for the greater good. And, you can make an argument that he is right. If the truth of the professor incident had gotten out, it would have caused a huge controversy, and the alliance between Britain and Japan would be ruined. Furthermore, it was said that the curse surrounding van Zieks significantly reduced the crime rates in London. What Vortex had done was basically the classic ethical dilemma: sacrificing a few people and making everyone else live better lives.
Another thing, if taking down Sithe sets Britain back 10 years, imagine what happens if Vortex is taken down. Along with exposing the professor incident, it feels like Narouhodou straight up destroyed the British government and legal system as a result of case 2-5.
Vortex may have been a terrible person, but the fact he genuinely cared about his country and wanted it to be crimeless so that people can live in peace is admirable, which is another thing I love about him.
But he didn't do anything. lol
I don’t think there’s any real confirmation on his goals
Stronghart claims “I did it for the greater good” but it could VERY well have just been an excuse to gain favor with the gallery.
It’s the same as Damon Gant where you WANT to believe he used to be good, but one can argue both sides.
@@gewinnersieger Okay with Gant he one hundred percent did not do his crimes for the greater good, I never understood people making that argument, he didn’t kill Neil Marshall so that he could get Joe dark arrested, he killed him so he could take control of the prosecutors office. It explicitly says that doesn’t it?
@@herrforesight-Satanisking true.
I should probably be more specific: I want to believe that Gant USED to be good, but then power (Chief of Police position) got to his head and he did bad things for it, similar to Stronghart.
This theme always gives me chills.
honestly no one can take away from him how cool he looked when spreading his arms and having the birds fly behind him
His T pose game was strong, just not strong enough.
This world is imperfect
so i'm gonna set you up with this nice irishman who obviously did not do it.
This is the most subtle, yet hilarious reference I've seen in a long time. Seriously I felt the exact same way.
If only I could wipe away the impurities..
@@MinusWorldInterviews And make it as beautiful as me!
If i had a nickel for every time there was a ace attorney culprit based on clocks, i'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that happened twice
This guy is hot af wtf is wrong with older gentlemen...first there’s gant, and then lang, and then him. Damn.
... I mean, it's true, but you shouldn't say it.
@@qExAi5 i wonder how hot they are when they were young, like drools are coming out
dgs is whole daddy feast. sherlock, mikotoba, jigoku, vortex, genshin, klimt, barok...
@@DraceEmpressa ji-jigoku ? Seriously ???
@@SA-vl9dr my friend, who was into bara, certainly says he's her type in looks . i myself is more into klimt's type
I appear to be 27 hours, 41 minutes and 21 seconds late for my meeting. I shall be off.
that's a lot
Um sir that meeting has already ended hours ago
@@faresalsayed9005 months and months ago
Damon Gant lookalike wants to reshape the whole legal system by any means possible, what could possibly go wrong?
Ah yes, Hart Vortex, Chief Justice of the British Empire. One of my all time favorite DGS characters. Same can go for this marvelous theme as one of my all time favorite DGS themes.
SPOILER BELOW
Or, in DGS 2's terms, one of my all time favorite DGS villains.
@@arrogen2831 No competition comes close
Stronghart is corruption personified. No heart is blacker than his.
Definitley the Most Manipulative ace attorney villain over 20 Corpses are on his Bodylist
He was "Lord Chief Justice of the British Empire, introductor of Forensics in modern policing". This magnificent and perfect display of evil, malice, and corruption still deserves to be named by his former full title.
Former because he was fired by the queen herself. What a chad. Had so much power only the queen of England could kick his butt.
I like this guy so much XD
Everyone thinks this guy is gonna be evil xD Pro tip guys. don't spoil his plot lines, in the comments. use spoiler tags for everything that you shouldn't know from meeting him.
You chose to speak the truth
spoiler:
*Scales of justice start clapping*
this man is now on fire.
SPOILERS
Not gonna lie, I kinda wish Stronghart had an 'Overruled!' speech bubble similar to Justine Courtney's in AAI2.
Still, though, him being judge in GAA2-5 was pretty damn epic.
SPOILERS FOR 2-5!!!!!
I always had a feeling he was Damon Gant’s ancestor, but when he started doing that fast clapping towards the end of the trial it pretty much confirmed it for me.
(spoiler tag)
this dude is literally gant, same hairstyle, beard, hair color, claps, evil authority figure, intimidating, kills people in the name of "justice"
The strictly ordered time signature and tempo also serve to emphasize Stronghart's will that everything function perfectly without deviation, as compared to other themes which feature greater flourish or improvisation
Wow by hearing it again i realised this theme hides ... a lot
This guy is evil for making you wait for him for hours
I wanted them to refrence Gant’s clapping so damn badly and they did it. Shit brought the biggest smile to my face
Mael Stronghart. truly a wonderful man. the name of him in English :D
Spoilers for both games
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This is literally the most evil sounding theme ever which makes sense considering what he did and I love it
This theme gives me Dahlia Hawthorne vibes. Which is a very weird thing to say but it's close enough to be right that you can almost imagine this person being good
This dude is more like a von karma + Damon gant +dahlia hawthorne + kristoph gavin + hobo phoenix,all that make vortex
This guy is the most evil ace attorney villain you will encounter in the hole serous more then 20 Corpses are on his List of killed people that he orchestrated
@@felixleidig8307
The highest confirmed amount for an Ace Attorney villain thus far - the assassins (De Killer and Sirhen Dogen) and the Khurain royal family (Inga and Queen Garan through defense culpability act), may have a lot more dead bodies
@@keatzthememelord5920 They highest count is the reaper
The theme playing when a detective is frantically searching for a book in a huge personal library
I can't be the only one who hears Zacharias Barnham's theme in this, but slowed down.
Collector Togami well the Maler of DGS also did PLvsAA
I think it’s because of the trumpets and other brass instruments. This is a genius soundtrack
No, the melody is exactly the same at the start.
0:25 I believe in this part with the strings going down reminds me of the Reapers theme, except it's a bit slower. In hindsight, this makes so much sense.
Imagine if Vortex and Gant met.
SPOILER
Imagine if this guy met all other villains
@hart vortex gaming sorry,let me fix it
Vortex would use him and then get rid of him probably
@@PWLfr Not unless Gant uses him first and then possibly murders or frames him
@@TheMemeExpert42069 or even worse,they could use all his powers (gant being the chief police and vortex the chief of justice)to get rid of all the ace attorney cast...and then one backstab the other
i dont think Mael gets enough credit for actually mentoring Ryuunoske. In game 1, he's clearly trying to nurture this new law student by putting him on the defense of some interesting people and seeming to be pleased with Ryu's accomplishments. If he hadn't thrown Ryu into the deep end, several innocent people would be executed and Ryu wouldn't be the lawyer he becomes. Mael gave him the cases he needed and gave the defendants the person they needed. Sholmes taught him deduction and kept an eye on him throughout.
I waited for them to acknowledge this. They didn't. I was upset. Only flaw, really.
Kazuma and Sholmes mentored Ryunosuke.
Stronghart gave Runo the right cases. (except A-4, R-2, and A-5 which runo took on of his own accord)
If you listen closely, you can hear a pocketwatch getting rewounded. Pretty cool detail
one of The most intimidating character in ace attorney
To be honest...
Spoiler
I didn't expect him to be the final boss, because it was so obvious that I thought "It's too obvious he's not the final boss, he's just intimidating". So he ends up being a surprise for me
I thought im being final boss would be sure but thing is i didnt thought he was behind more then 20 People orchestrated killed the fuck ... most evi lperson in all of acetorney
Such a daddy...so illegal how hot he is ❤
Damon Gant's grandaddy
It seems I will have to be 14 minutes and 38 seconds late to my meeting. I simply must hear this fine piece until its conclusion.
Anyone else thought that his face looks similar to Baroks and they would be related?
TESTIFY! TESTIFY! TESTIFY! TESTIFY!
And now we can't really call him Vortex anymore
Will his name changes too?
@@lenarratorsocietyofsuperio2731 Yes, according to AA wiki, it got changed to Mael Stronghart
@@2K4Studio still Vortex for me, it's a good name but...
Nowaynowaynowaynowaynowaynowaynowaynoway
@@catalyst539 Nice Reference to the only ace attorney game that has not be localized
It's amazing how, despite everything, he never managed to take another person's life into his own hands.
That’s what makes him such a terrifying villain. He caused so much death and sadness without lifting a finger
He is a true EVIL GENIUS
This guy is just British Damon Gant.
“Hart vortex” is a helluva name.
First thing I though upon seeing him was “I bet $100 he’s the main villain behind everything”.
Before: I only have 4 minutes and 27 seconds to my next meeting.
Now: Swimming anyone?
SPOILERS
HO HO HO! NARUHODO, MY BOY! BEEN SWIMMING LATELY?
Wait, wrong guy.
Mael Stronghart is 6'5 or 196cm tall
TGAA2 SPOILER
I enjoy that the game was super obvious in imposing that Stronghart is very suspicious, but also shows you how intimidating he is with the power he holds. The reveal that he's the judge by 2-5 still gives me goosebumps. Like, how did that final boss reveal feel a lot scarier than a bunch of other final bosses out there?
spoilers for the 2nd game
i'm suprised he just up and drops the watch gimmick when he takes over as judge.
Golden unicorn > pocket watch
he does it once. but only once.
The only villain who got a credit scene in a game while being outside of prison.
Also the only villain who got completely exposed but still almost got away.
He is a true EVIL GENIUS
When the game's plot twist is that the guy is exactly who he seems to be.
*Clapping intensifies*
For Western release, it is renamed Mael Strongheart.
DGS2-5 and AA1-5 spoilers
Was kinda hoping that he wouldn't be like gant. The twist was kinda easy to see coming, especially if you played the rereleased rise from the ashes. The case still ended up being amazing tho.
I’m pretty sure it wasn’t meant to be a “twist”. The point was probably that he’s so suspicious and evil-looking but you couldn’t lay a finger on him for 6 cases straight because he’s so powerful
if anything atrongheart isnt the twist.
jigoku is.
@@megamike15 Unfortunately, that one was also pretty clear from the moment we learned his full name. "Judge Hell" doesn't exactly give off the best vibes lol
@@GourmetSubZee which might be why he was renamed in the english version.
@@megamike15 True, but just leaving it as the Japanese word for hell was still pretty hard to miss
...Though to be fair, this is the same series where "Detective Badd" turns out to be a great guy through and through, so a scary-sounding name isn't always a dead giveaway!
spoilers
hart vortex's assassination
target and victim:
tobias gregson
john watson
klimt van zieks
genshin asougi
chalan musgrave
former chief justice
You might want to spoiler tag this.
ok sorry
spoiler alert
@@pandegaarkanrauf8413 Err... you need to edit your comment and add the spoiler tag to it. And you need to also add a space big enough where your spoiler cannot be seen unless you click on "Read more".
spoiler alert:
Well, now we now long parrent of Damon Gant
You could say I got spoiled about him being a killer
But let's be honest, we all knew that from the start
Well he's a killer in the same way that Matt Engarde was. Someone who never gets their hands dirty.
@@Teknanam k cool but maybe cut back on the details cuz all I know is that he's a culprit
@@linusovery-smith4246
I mean you're pretty spoiled already. Though I'm guessing you're unaware of his particular case or something? In which case, there is still plenty to learn.
well he is the worst killer out of all since he didnt commited crimes himself but he basicly planned more then 20 Killings
His machinations lay undetected for years.
FOR HE IS A MASTER OF DECEPTION
This guy Dude ,,, this theme .... this guy ... oh gosh THIS GUY
Spoilers for GAA2
Poor guy never got to have his scientific symposium or whatever.
Spoilers for every ace attorney game
This man is every final case villain at the same time
he is? How on earth is he like the phantom
@@chippedgoat I mean isn't he?
@@fabianpacukiewicz not exactly in my opinion
@@chippedgoat
hides in the shadows, setting metaphorical bombs off one by one
@@catalyst539 yeah thats a gud point
I love how everyone adopted this characters localised name, unlike sherlock lol(or, um, rather herlock)
Dude is built like a villain
Hey, my theme!
Spouler alert, I guess..
Yeah, I see it from a light years away, as far back as 1st game's chapter 3, this guy's gonna be the mastermind for sure
why are there so many doves here?
Is this guy the ancestor of Damon Gant?
Never confirmed but highly likely as they have the same breakdown clap scene and they look the same. Not to mention they're both cheif justice
Totally not the bad guy
hes so cool looking
It took me far too long to understand the pun of Mael Stronghart (the game had to tell me, "time to see inside this maelstrom heart!")