Diego Armando, or simply Godot, known as Sōryū Kaminogi in original Japanese language versions, is a fictional character in the Ace Attorney series. He is a prosecutor, appearing only in the third game in the series, . He has tanned skin, white hair, and an electronic visor. He drinks a large quantity of coffee, often drinking up to 17 cups per trial, per his words.
Design
Godot is voiced by Hideki Kamiya in the Japanese version of Trials and Tribulations, and by James C. Wilson in the English version. In an interview with Japanese Entertainment website Nihongogo, Ace Attorney art director Tatsuro Iwamoto revealed Godot's visual appearance was based on Roy Batty played by Rutger Hauer in the movie Blade Runner. Godot is said to be based on the eponymous character from Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot. In his Godot design, he wears a white tie with a striped vest over a forest green shirt, along with black sleeve garters. He also wears black slacks and black shoes as well. Most noticeable of his attire is an electronic visor adorned over his eyes, with a silver shell and three red lenses going across it. He has tanned skin, white hair, and light facial hair. As Diego, he wears similar clothing; the differences being that his tie is black and his shirt is red, chromatic opposites of his clothes as Godot. Additionally, he lacks the visor and has dark hair. In both incarnations, he enjoys coffee and drinks it from a mug during a trial.
Appearances
Godot appears in the second episode of Trials and Tribulations as the prosecuting attorney, swearing revenge against protagonist Phoenix Wright and purposely mispronouncing his last name as "Trite" instead of "Wright". He is defeated twice in this episode, and again in the third episode. In the fourth episode, a defense attorney by the name of Diego Armando accompanies defense attorney Mia Fey as she defends a person accused of murder. He has brown hair and drinks copious amounts of coffee. Mia and Armando developed a short-lived romance together. He is eventually revealed to be Godot, and that he was put into a coma by Dahlia Hawthorne, who poisoned him. The poison damaged his nervous system, and when he awoke from his coma five years later, he was nearly blind, his hair pure white, and Mia Fey was deceased. He donned the visor that he wears as a result, shortening his name to Godot, and becoming a prosecuting attorney in order to get revenge on Phoenix for failing to protect her, as well as protect Mia's younger sister, Maya Fey. In the fifth episode, his identity is revealed as Armando, and it is revealed that he killed the children's book author Elise Deauxnim, the name Mia and Maya's mother, Misty Fey, adopts, in order to save Maya from Dahlia, who was channeled into Misty's body at the time. After the trial, Godot gave Maya the tip he gave Mia, "The only time a lawyer can cry is when it's all over," and shares one last cup of coffee with Wright and they both state it was the best coffee they have ever had. In addition, Godot pronounces Wright's name correctly for the first time. Wright becomes upset that he was unable to save Godot, but Mia, being channeled by Pearl Fey, assures him that he saved Godot in a way that had nothing to do with life or death. Godot appears beside Mia and Misty Fey in the after-credits picture in a drawing by Larry Butz. Godot appears as a card in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Heroes and Heralds Mode, along with an alternate costume for Phoenix Wright based on his outfit. Godot also appears in the second season of the Ace Attorneyanime series, voiced by Hiroaki Hirata in Japanese and Brandon Potter in English, which adapts the events of Trials and Tribulations.
Reception
Godot's appearance in Trials and Tribulations has been met with highly positive reception, stated by Game Informer that some believe him to be the "best prosecutor in the series." A coffee mug based on Godot's was made by Capcom for sale. GameZone editor Marissa Meli called Godot "one of the more memorable characters in the series" and compared his visor to that of character Geordi La Forge. GameDaily listed him as the 21st best Capcom character, stating that he is one of Phoenix's "most feared opponents," citing his "high level of confidence" and his "electronic Cyclops-ish visor." NGamer UK editor Matthew Castle praised Godot as "brilliant," stating that his "quiet coffee sipping approach and woozy jazz theme" was a "breath of fresh air" compared to the prosecutor from the previous game, Franziska von Karma. Nintendo World Report's Michael Cole also felt that Godot was superior to Franziska. He felt that he wasn't as good as Phoenix Wright or Miles Edgeworth, but his "rugged, confident attitude and biting retorts" were superior to Franziska's "shallow ramblings." 1UP.com editor Jenn Frank described Godot as a "philosophical, coffee-house hipster, with facial hair like a Backstreet Boy." Fellow 1UP.com editor Ryan Scott described him as a "sharply dressed, coffee-guzzling pop philosopher with an ax to grind," adding that he is "easily the best character in the entire series." GameSpot editor Aaron Thomas felt that he was one of the only good new characters from Trials and Tribulations.
