How Capcom Localized Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies’ Two New Characters

Capcom USA have shared a fair bit of insight into the localization process behind Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies. In a blog post on Capcom Unity, they detail the localization process behind two of the game’s new characters—Athena Cykes and Simon Blackquill.

Here are a few quick insights, starting with Athena:

• Athena’s name continues the tradition of protagonists being named after a mythical creature or a powerful god.

• Athena’s last name is spelled “Cykes” with a “C” for two main reasons: 1) the more common spelling “Sykes” is too similar to Ema Skye’s last name and 2) the crescent shape of the letter C ties into her overall character design – from the crescent moon motif in the Mood Matrix icon and on her glove to the earring she likes to play with when she’s thinking.

And now, onto Simon:

• Simon’s name is not an overt pun because like all the other prosecutors before him, he has a name with a double-meaning that first and foremost describes him and is suited to his character overall.

• Simon’s last name is “Blackquill” partially because his character design features a samurai battle surcoat, or “jinbaori” （陣羽織）. Jinbaori usually featured the family crests of the high-ranking samurai or official who wore them. Since Simon’s coat features a black and white feather, his name became “black” (the color) + “quill” (the feather, not the writing instrument that can be made from a quill feather).

These bullet points are just the tip of the iceberg, especially with regard to Simon, who underwent quite the localization for the game’s English release, including the decision to have him give off a Victorian Era feel. Read more about it here.