#and it's an immediate turnoff for me regarding character analysis sorry

[zukoromantic]

I don't actually think phoenix thought miles edgeworth was dead post aa1

- gumshoe must have been way too suspicious (and not crying enough)

- no funeral, nothing, no details, way too secretive

- he literally says that miles was dead "to him" and that he "never wanted to see him again"

- this just makes a lot more sense for his arc i am begging you, aa2 is NOT about phoenix being a poor little guy who is unrightfully betrayed by his friend, aa2 is about phoenix coming to terms with the reality of things and that not everything is always black and white

He WANTED to it to be black and white. He thought miles left me, he's dead to me. But it's NOT. He's in DENIAL, that's the point, that's the whole point. Miles managed to get by on his own. He managed to be okay. Without phoenix

Phoenix had his major i can save him attitude in aa1 and he NEEDED this reality check. He was kind of obsessed with edgeworth (wether romantically or not is entirely irrelevant) and he Literally said he's the only one who can save him. And while he was actually RIGHT, that wasn't the point. The point was that it's not that simple and while he changed miles' life, miles was able to continue living it on his own and phoenix needed to realize that

Yeah the way miles left fucking sucked, but i think they kinda needed that. Phoenix depends a lot on other people, he literally falls into a depression after maya leaves post aa1. Plus, his miles thing was sort of.... Done? Or at least on halt. This was the Reason he became a lawyer and now there was neither a goal (miles) nor someone to walk the path with (maya). This kind of dependancy is Not good. So miles leaving, while it was extremely harsh, way absolutely necessary

And i think erasing the psyche behind this in favor of a dramatic fake death is... Kinda sad

Phoenix was so MAD at miles, That was the point. He was heartbroken because he was left, because he felt betrayed and not because he lost someone. This is a big difference and you can see this SO CLEARLY in the game

Sure, phoenix has a right to be mad at miles, to an extend. But this wasn't about him having a right to be mad, this was about phoenix feeling entitled to miles' personal life and personal development. If you say he thought he was dead, then you erase the whole aspect of Phoenix letting himself be lead too much by his emotions and not thinking rationally enough. WHICH IS THE WHOLE POINT OF HIS ARC IN AA2.

Sure. Grief is also a theme in this game. And i'm not saying phoenix ISN'T grieving miles. And i know that it also parallels the cases in the way of grieving people being consumed by anger. But it's different with phoenix because he's mad AT edgeworth. So it only makes sense for this to be combined with the theme of phoenix Being Wrong because he's Extremely Emotional

If he ends up just being mad bc he fakes his death, what's wrong about that? Of course he's also entitled to being mad at miles for leaving like this, but like i said - it's not black and white (like it would be in a fake death scenario). Miles had his reasons for what he did, he wanted distance and even though the way he left wasn't nice, the idea was truly his right (not saying that miles is not to blame here. I'm just saying they do the weirdest shit but it just always Works)

It also parallels franziska feeling left behind by miles, but that's a different story

Basically yesh i think it's implied that he didn't really think miles was dead and also it would make so much more sense for their relationship and devlopment as phoenix learning to see things with more nuance is literally an essential part of the second game and his entire character arc