#Apollo’s backstory works it’s just that it’s not planned in advance

[goodluckdetective]

Hello I am thinking about Apollo Justice and how his 3 backstory elements as presented are a mess but when properly laid out with some thought, they work together just fine.

Apollo is thought to be an orphan in a foreign country where they have no way of finding or contacting any living family. His now foster father raises him as his own with his own son, and they’re a pretty solid family group despite the “being on the run” part. Apollo is raised up to age 9 in Khura'in and for all we know, he’s pretty happy there. However as things get dangerous, Dhurke decides Apollo being there is too dangerous and an in an attempt to keep him safe for what Dhurke assumes will be a year max, sends him to the states.

The games never clarify where Apollo is sent to and honestly, I think it’s probably a distant relative on Jove’s side, though the system or a boarding school is a possibility. Regardless, now Apollo is 9 and in a country that is entirely different to his own. Different culture, different weather, different everything. So is it any wonder that he takes an interest in the Turnabout Terror who is the closest reminder he has of Dhurke and his stories of being a defense attorney? Yeah, Dhurke might have abandoned him, but here’s a guy on screen who reminds Apollo of the way he used to view Dhurke: I can get why a 13 year old kid might follow Phoenix closely with that background. It may have been his closest reminder of home even when home hurt to think about. When Phoenix is disbarred Apollo is horrified and upon the dark age of law rushing in, decides to become a defense attorney.

Anyway, Apollo becomes friends with Clay who like him, knows what it’s like to not have a mom around (which might remind Apollo of the brother he lost when Dhurke left him here). They both have pretty focused career goals at a young age and hit it off.

Years pass and Apollo grows more bitter about his time in Khura'in which he tries to actively forget. Maybe that’s why he interns with Kristoph Gavin of all people, a cool, calm and collected attorney who has none of the bombastic persona that Phoenix does (and someone else Apollo refuses to think about). And when Apollo learns the persona was fake and that Phoenix tricked him to tear it down, who can blame him for decking him? Apollo was lied to by a defense attorney before (about going home, this is only temporary, he’ll be in touch). Who can blame him for being furious for falling for it a second time?

(When Clay dies, and Apollo doubts Athena it is because he’s trusted three defense attorney’s before, three who he thought had his back. One of them managed to redeem himself, but he’s not getting played this time. Kristoph Gavin was a bad person but he taught Apollo one important thing: evidence is evidence. Prove it or shut up. Because he’s not going to trust again without it).

It works together narratively! It just requires foresight going in so you can connect the themes from one point to another.