MoM Application
Jun. 27th, 2017 07:45 am〈 PLAYER INFO 〉
NAME: Jansen
AGE: 29
JOURNAL:![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jacket
IM / EMAIL: symbologic at gmail
PLURK:
RETURNING: Yes
〈 CHARACTER INFO 〉
CHARACTER NAME: Klavier Gavin
CHARACTER AGE: 24
SERIES: Ace Attorney
CHRONOLOGY:
Just after the events of Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice
CLASS: Hero
HOUSING:
An apartment in Heropa
BACKGROUND: Since a lot of the plot elements introduced in AA4 are never explored in subsequent games, much of Klavier Gavin’s background is unknown. What we do know, however, is this:
First of all, despite all the German he throws around, he’s not actually German. He’s basically the German equivalent of a weaboo. Instead, Klavier was most likely born and raised in California.
He studied law at the prestigious Themis Academy in LA. Professor Constance Courte became a mentor to Klavier and instilled in him a strong commitment for finding the truth once he became a prosecutor.
In his mid teens, he studied abroad in Germany for two years and passed the bar exam by the time he was 17 years old.
While studying to become a lawyer, Klavier started a band, the Gavinners, on the side. The band went platinum shortly before his debut as a prosecutor.
Based on this info, it’s probably safe to say that Klavier has been regarded as both a musical and law prodigy for much of his life. His best friend and fellow guitarist Daryan Crescend explained that he’s capable of coming up with lyrics and music for new songs on the spot. As for his courtroom skills, Themis Academy apparently considers him on par with the famed Phoenix Wright since the winner of the mock trial in Dual Destinies is slated to receive private lessons from either Klavier or Phoenix, depending on their field of study.
The only family we know of is his older brother Kristoph. They are eight years apart, which probably means Kristoph was too old to be a considered a friend by Klavier. At the same time, he was also too young to be considered a true parental figure.
Both of them are lawyers and musicians, which makes it possible that Klavier was introduced to his two main passions through his older brother.
It can be inferred that, at least when he was younger, Klavier trusted Kristoph and wanted his older brother to acknowledge him as an equal. In fact, his debut trial is supposed to be against Kristoph himself until his older brother is replaced by Phoenix Wright. Under the guise of helping his little brother out, Kristoph shows Klavier all of his prior research on the case and tells him that Wright possesses forged evidence and can't be trusted. Although Klavier wonders how Kristoph knows so much, he never outwardly questions his older brother about it. Indeed, on the eve of his debut, Klavier seems calm and at ease around Kristoph and simply accepts the “tip”. Ultimately, Klavier presses Phoenix into presenting the forged evidence, not realizing that it was actually planted by Kristoph in order to get Wright disbarred. The plan works, and Phoenix’s livelihood and reputation are destroyed.
This incident belies the highly dysfunctional relationship that most likely existed between Klavier and Kristoph. Actually, Kristoph originally commissioned the forged evidence to use against Klavier in order to cheat him out of his first victory while garnering fame for himself. Meanwhile, all Klavier ever wanted was to be seen as an equal by his older brother, as witnessed by his desire to stand opposite of Kristoph in the courtroom, taking on a fair trial together as both lawyers and brothers.
It's stated in the game that, over the next seven years, Klavier harbored gnawing suspicions regarding Kristoph’s prior knowledge of the forgery. Meanwhile, Kristoph grew increasingly paranoid over being outed as the person who commissioned the forged evidence in the first place.
We can infer that their relationship only deteriorated as they grew older. By the time we see them interact again in the game’s final case, Klavier is extremely uncomfortable around Kristoph, dropping his usual rockstar persona in favor of aggressively engaging the defense and frequently lapsing into bouts of silence. Kristoph, meanwhile, constantly belittles Klavier by talking over him, apologizing to the court for Klavier’s emotions like he’s a small child who doesn’t know any better, and repeatedly telling Klavier that he can’t trust his own judgment or rationally parse through his doubts.
The whole mess is gas-lighting at its finest. Such tactics are clearly Kristoph’s way of keeping Klavier under his control so he won’t venture too far down into the rabbit hole and realize the extent of Kristoph’s deceit. This behavior also probably serves as a sort of power play for Kristoph, where he portrays himself as the more competent, rational and intelligent brother whenever they’re together.
These interactions are probably just a glimpse into the decay of their relationship over the 7 years following Klavier’s debut as a lawyer. Most likely, Kristoph withheld praise from Klavier for much of his life, and the acknowledgment Klavier wanted from Kristoph became a dangling carrot that he always kept out of reach for selfish, petty reasons.
Between being caught under the thumb of a highly critical brother he wanted to believe in, his own persistent suspicions about the forgery, and the resulting cognitive dissonance as someone who values truth above all else, it’s no surprise that Klavier distanced himself from everything by taking a 7-year hiatus from full-time prosecution. Instead, he poured a disproportionate amount of time and energy touring for his wildly successful rock band that was originally supposed to be a hobby.
However, everything changes when Kristoph is convicted of murder. Klavier suddenly cancels several shows in order to meet Apollo Justice, Kristoph’s former protégée and the man responsible for Kristoph’s incarceration.
Most people would assume that Klavier is out for revenge or harbors some kind of grudge, but instead he’s actually very friendly and helps Apollo gain access to a restricted crime scene before he even introduces himself.
During their first murder trial together, Klavier smiles and states that he wanted to see “the little boy who bested [his] brother.” Although many people interpret the use of “little boy” as evidence of Klavier’s disdain for Apollo for putting his brother in jail, its juxtaposition with “besting” Kristoph seems more indicative of curiosity mixed with a healthy dose of skepticism. After all, Kristoph is in jail for a crime he fully admits to committing, so it doesn’t make sense to resent Apollo for doing his job. At the same time, the people who got Kristoph to confess are 1) Kristoph’s rookie apprentice who’d never taken a case before, and 2) the infamous Phoenix Wright.
Was Apollo Justice a brilliant lawyer, so committed to truth that he was willing to put his boss in jail and give up his own job if it meant getting the right verdict? Or was he a naïve greenhorn who’d been used as an unwitting pawn by Wright during his debut? Given Klavier’s doubts surrounding his own debut and Wright’s disbarment, which category Apollo fell under was probably the thing Klavier wanted to ascertain first and foremost.
Initially, Klavier is disappointed by what he finds, particularly when Apollo mirrors a known tactic of Wright’s by getting hung up on small contradictions that Klavier considers irrelevant. However, he soon discovers that Apollo has his own unique talents and tenacity for finding the truth. Klavier, who figures out the true killer’s identity well before Apollo, begins acting less like the adversary Apollo expected and more as a guide who nudges Apollo in the right direction by dropping hints during their investigations and playing devil’s advocate in the courtroom.
A couple of months after their first case together, Klavier sends Apollo and his assistant Trucy discounted tickets to a Gavinners concert, along with exclusive VIP passes so they can see him backstage. The concert features a collaboration between Klavier and world-renowned singer Lamiroir who is visiting from overseas. Unfortunately, a set of lost keys, a spontaneously-combusting guitar and a missed cue culminate in the murder of Lamiroir’s manager. A blind pianist is charged with the murder, and though Klavier tells Apollo that the unlikely defendant is most certainly the result of political pressure to wrap up the case as soon as possible, he still prosecutes to the best of his ability.
When Klavier’s best friend and fellow guitarist Daryan is named as a suspect by Lamiroir, he removes Daryan, who had previously been serving as a detective, from the case. He also personally registers him as a witness so he can testify on the stand despite promising Daryan that it wouldn't be necessary. By doing these things, he acknowledges the possibility that Daryan is guilty, even if Klavier himself isn't convinced he's the murderer. Consequently, Klavier's actions put their friendship under a lot of strain.
Although Klavier is willing to explore Apollo's argument that Daryan is the killer, he becomes more and more disappointed with him for relying solely on witness testimony and failing to address a key contradiction that Klavier himself points out numerous times in two days. "Don't destroy what little respect I have for you," Klavier says once Apollo later tries to gloss over a separate, larger contradiction in his story, which is arguably the harshest thing he says to him during the entire game.
When Apollo finally addresses these contradictions, however, Klavier quickly takes his side. The prosecutor once again works in tandem with Apollo to clear the defendant’s wrongful murder chargers and indict Daryan for the crime instead. In fact, he even subtly cuts in before the Judge can formally decide that Daryan played no part in the victim's death, informing Apollo that his case isn't strong enough to get him indicted. This gives Apollo the chance he needs to prove his argument once and for all.
It is during the game’s final case that Klavier must finally confront Kristoph about what happened 7 years ago. What initially appears to be a clear-cut murder case turns out to be the deadly result of fail-safes originally planted by Kristoph 7 years ago with the goal of eliminating any ties between himself and the forgery. Initially, Klavier is highly reluctant for Kristoph to take the stand, but Apollo’s conviction gives him the courage to summon his older brother to the courtroom.
Although Klavier realizes that Kristoph’s involvement is well within the realm of possibility, he’s not ready to believe it. During the proceedings, he stays hyper-aware of Kristoph’s watchful gaze and doggedly looks for holes in Apollo’s arguments. However, when Klavier catches his brother bluffing through a line of questioning, he immediately calls him out on it and begins wrenching himself out of Kristoph's control. From there, he begins to assist Apollo in uncovering the truth, and he must finally confront and accept the full extent of Kristoph’s deceit.
Even though Klavier and Apollo don’t have enough proof to convict Kristoph of these crimes, the introduction of a jury system interjects common sense into the proceedings, and Apollo’s client is declared innocent.
Despite these awful truths, Klavier is relieved to finally have his questions answered, his suspicions validated and his actions finally aligned with his personal values. Even if the reality is an ugly one, Klavier can at least move forward with a clearer head, a better understanding of his toxic relationship with Kristoph, and a stronger resolve to fight for truth within an evolving legal system filled with contradictions.
Having at least resolved the cognitive dissonance that plagued him for 7 years, Klavier decides to focus solely on his true passion: law. To start this new chapter in his life, he ends the previous one by breaking up the Gavinners. In other words, music goes back to being the hobby he’d intended it to be when he first became a lawyer. Although the transition is marred with the hurt and betrayal from Daryan and Kristoph, his arc ends on an optimistic note when Klavier says he finds his trials with Apollo to be more exciting than the stage, and that he hopes to work with him again in the future.
PERSONALITY:
Although Klavier is the spitting image of Kristoph, these surface traits are where the similarities end. Unlike Kristoph (a cool, dispassionate defense attorney that exudes quiet professionalism), Klavier is a flashy, dazzling prosecutor who doesn’t conform to the existing courtroom culture. He sports piercings and an un-tucked dress shirt that gives flirty glimpses of his chest and stomach, and he is known for his long-lasting love affairs with each of his treasured guitars. He also has a tendency to air guitar in court and throw around random German to emphasize his point, and Apollo himself notes that music is mysteriously playing from out of nowhere when Klavier introduces himself in court.
Daryan tells Apollo not to be fooled by the flashy rocker shtick, however, going as far as to describe him as a "stick in the mud". It can therefore be inferred that Klavier doesn't lead a hedonistic life of booze, drugs and parties normally associated with rockstars, and is in fact a bit of a goody two-shoes. This is apparent by the way he voluntarily removes Daryan from the third case once someone raises the possibility that he's the murderer, even though Klavier himself is not convinced of Daryan's guilt at that point. It would have been easy for someone in Klavier's shoes to give his best bro a pass (and Daryan's outrage suggests that Klavier had the choice to do so), but he instead tells Daryan to lay low and stay out of the investigation until the trial is over.
Klavier's conviction to honesty and integrity likely stems from his main philosophy, which he explains to Apollo in this third case: “We encounter many incidents in our lives, all of us. Not all of them simple. That is why I try to at least remain simple inside. And I keep a simple goal: to discover the truth.”
Unlike most prosecutors in the series, Klavier is less concerned with a win record and is more interested in testing the defense’s logic for holes or contradictions in order to reach the correct verdict.
Given his collaborative nature and his tendency to work with Apollo despite technically being on opposing sides, it can be argued that Klavier views his trials not as a battle aimed solely at dominating his opponent, but instead an intricate dance between the prosecution and the defense, matching wits and picking apart one another’s arguments until they reach a consensus.
Compared to the original Ace Attorney trilogy, this is a highly unorthodox attitude among defense attorneys and prosecutors. Apollo himself notes that although Klavier technically “lost” their first trial together, he doesn’t feel like he “won” against him either. Consequently, the fact Klavier “loses” so gracefully against Apollo can most likely be attributed to his non-traditional definition of victory in the courtroom.
According to Klavier, corroborating evidence for a case is much like composing music, where both intuition and logic play a vital role. In additional to being analytical, Klavier is shown to be an empathetic individual who can easily put himself in the shoes of victims, witnesses and criminals in order to explain their behavior or establish motives. An example of this is when he easily explains away Apollo's objections regarding a bullet's entry point by constructing a highly plausible scenario based solely on what he would have had done if he'd been the witness or the victim.
It can be assumed that the human element of law is of far more interest to him than the systems that dictate how the legal world should be governed. This would explain his underwhelmed reaction to the stuffy courtroom atmosphere as a teenager, his later support of introducing a jurist system into future proceedings, and his disbelief at Kristoph’s assertion that “the law is absolute”. Unlike his older brother, Klavier firmly believes the justice system must adapt to an ever-changing society in order to avoid becoming outdated and obsolete.
His passion and zeal for justice are reflected in his total dedication to his work whenever he assumes the role of prosecutor. When visiting his office, Apollo notes that Klavier is simultaneously juggling three cases, which suggests both an incredible ability to multi-task and an eagerness to lend his assistance wherever it may be needed. Klavier also had a choice of whether to reveal key information that would incriminate Daryan and Kristoph, and he chose transparency at a personal cost to his relationships.
At the same time, his love for music follows Klavier into the legal sphere, as witnessed by his tendency to air guitar in court, the collection of guitars he keeps in his office, and the fact he pours over evidence spread across speakers instead of a table. He also brings tremendous showmanship and a flair for the dramatic into the courtoom by using poetry and metaphors to illustrate his point and addressing the gallery in a manner similar to a rockstar getting his audience hyped for a concert. At heart, Klavier is a performer who delivers his arguments with a dazzling smile, masking any pain from personal betrayals in the courtroom behind a well-practiced façade fit for the stage.
Klavier’s attitude toward his music is similarly unorthodox. He is far more concerned with the actual performance than he is with album sales or public reception. In other words, a sold-out concert doesn’t mean as much to Klavier if one of his guitarists makes a mistake on stage, even if it’s something that the average person probably wouldn’t notice unless they were looking for it. In fact, he angrily tears into Daryan after one of their performances because of a missed cue and ropes Apollo into backing him up despite the fact they’re in the middle of a murder investigation. Apollo is actually pretty surprised because this attitude is very different from the laid-back demeanor Klavier typically displays in court.
This might give the impression that Klavier takes his hobby way more seriously than his job as a prosecutor, and therefore has his priorities backwards. However, it can be argued that he’s every bit as much of a perfectionist in the courtroom as he is on stage. The main difference is that his idea of success hinges on whether he is acting as Prosecutor Gavin or Klavier, lead singer of The Gavinners. As a musician, the audience’s verdict means nothing if the performance is messy. As a prosecutor, however, delving into messy contradictions and picking apart flawed arguments is necessary in order to reach the correct verdict.
Consequently, it’s probably more accurate to say that Klavier has little tolerance for “amateur hour” in a room full of professionals, regardless of whether it’s the courtroom or on stage. His harsh critique of Daryan’s mistake most likely comes from his high regard for Daryan’s talent and skill, which he praises during court. In other words, he simply expects better from a musician of Daryan’s caliber. Likewise, Klavier’s unflattering nickname for Apollo is initially born from disappointment when he thinks Apollo is emulating Phoenix Wright by objecting to dumb minutiae in an underhanded attempt to belittle a witness. While it may appear that Klavier is just an overly critical person, it's worth noting that he freely compliments both Daryan and Apollo when he feels it's deserved.
When viewed through this lens, his treatment of Detective Skye in the third case makes a lot more sense too. By taking claims of the defendants’ blindness at face value, Skye allowed the court’s initial assumptions to be based on lies. Klavier was alerted to this mistake at the last minute, but later claims he didn’t have a chance to inform Skye before she took the stand. Although he apologies, he doesn’t sound the least bit sorry and laughs at her expense even though Skye is technically on the prosecution’s side. While on the surface this may seem like Klavier loves jerking people around in court for his own amusement, it’s also worth noting that he only draws attention to this mistake once Apollo’s main defense hinges on the false assumption that the defendant is blind.
From this incident, it can be said that Klavier won’t reach “botched-performance” levels of angry in the courtroom as long as they ultimately reach the correct verdict. At the same time, he refuses to coddle a professional for their mistakes or otherwise bend over backwards to save them from making an ass of themselves if he feels they’ve dug their own grave. This attitude apparently applies to everyone equally, regardless of whether they’re aligned with the defense or the prosecution.
One other thing that breaks Klavier’s calm exterior is unexplained incidences involving his personal belongings. We see this in the event leading up to the third case, where Klavier goes on about his dead motorcycle, missing keyring and destroyed guitar. Not only that, but he later comments on how well-informed Apollo and Trucy are about his problems, as if he doesn’t fully realize just how much he’s been venting about them all evening, threatening to fire staff over it, and even throwing baseless accusations at Apollo. At first glance, this might come across as typical self-absorbed diva behavior, but it’s worth noting that Klavier doesn’t get this upset again until his final confrontation with Kristoph. Furthermore, he recognizes how irrational and inappropriate his behavior is, as seen by his apology to Apollo the next morning.
Why, exactly, Klavier has this tendency is never explained, but it may be related to anxiety stemming from his dysfunctional relationship with an increasingly paranoid Kristoph, who not only gaslights Klavier into doubting his grasp on reality (as seen during their interactions in the fifth case), but also keeps extraordinarily close tabs on anyone involved with the case by spying on them (at least two other people mention the creepy feeling that they were always being watched during those seven years).
Regardless of the cause, however, it’s clear that if something of Klavier’s disappears, breaks or is otherwise tampered with, he will go nuts if there’s no clear cause behind it. Not only that, but he will be quick to assign blame to whoever he can (staff members, colleagues, etc.) in a desperate attempt to make sense of it.
In summary, Klavier is an artistic, analytical man who approaches law and music with a dazzling combination of intuition, logic and showmanship. He is a perfectionist whose definition of perfect hinges on whether he’s performing in a courtroom or a concert hall. To that end, he holds his colleagues to very high standards. At the same time, Klavier is often warm, friendly and collaborative toward musicians and defense attorneys alike. As someone who values the human element of law, he considers the pursuit of justice to be his true calling in life, with music serving as his primary emotional outlet.
POWER:
In MoM, Klavier's abilities fall under two umbrellas, Music and Item Personalization.
I. MUSIC
A. Musical Therapy. This ability has several facets, namely physical, mental and emotional.
- Physical. When Klavier plays The Guitar Serenade, he can heal another person's physical injuries. Because Klavier is coming from a canonpoint where he mainly associates negative feelings with that song, however, its healing power will initially be limited to simple surface wounds. The more Klavier uses this ability, the more powerful it will become, eventually being capable of stabilizing mortal wounds and speeding up the recovery of broken bones and internal injuries.
- Mental. Similarly, when Klavier plays Guilty Love, his song can serve as a mental "amplifier" that motivates people to do whatever project or task they may be working on while also giving surrounding imPorts' powers a temporary boost in strength.
- Emotional. Lastly, Klavier's general playing has the potential to allow listeners to realize or acknowledge a certain truth about themselves. Unlike the two other facets listed above, this is a passive power that cannot be willfully controlled. When activated, however, the lyrics or melody of Klavier's songs may deeply resonate with the listener in a way that brings this truth to the surface, to the point where they might even think he's singing about their situation specifically.
The listener's truth doesn't necessarily have to be something that was unknown to the character beforehand. For example, the listener's truth can include things like previously ignored or otherwise unacknowledged feelings about someone or something, past events, forgotten memories, or some personal strength or weakness.
In any case, listeners may also feel inclined to confide in Klavier about their "truth" the same way someone might talk to a bartender about their problems or share a story with a friend. Characters are not forced into it, however, and are capable of ignoring the urge to share their truth with Klavier if, for example, they actively believe he's an untrustworthy, dishonest or otherwise bad person.
B. Musical Precognition. This is a passive ability that triggers at random, which compels him to write lyrics that essentially include details of a future violent crime. The details of these "predictions" do not include things like the names of victims or perpetrators, but they may give hints surrounding motives, methods and general location.
When this ability is activated, Klavier goes into a temporary hypomanic state that 1) eliminates his need for sleep and food for a few hours and 2) gives him a surge of confidence and euphoria. He is focused entirely on his writing, and doesn't fully realize anything strange is happening until the lyrics are complete and he goes back to normal.
C. Air Guitar. Like it says on the tin, Klavier can make music out of thin air. When he does this, he feels as if he's holding either an acoustic or electric guitar. His Musical Therapy abilities can be used in conjunction with his Air Guitar.
II. ITEM PERSONALIZATION
A. Style Customization. Klavier can change colors, patterns and typography on any given item. He cannot alter an item's shape, size or quality. This means he can't do things like change a plastic phone cover into gold, or add drawer space to a dresser.
B. Logo Branding. The ability to willfully imprint, engrave or paint his Gavinners logo onto any item he touches. The mark is permanent and cannot be removed without using mundane means (painting over it, hammering it out, etc.)
〈 CHARACTER SAMPLES 〉
COMMUNITY POST (VOICE) SAMPLE:
LOGS POST (PROSE) SAMPLE:
TDM Thread
FINAL NOTES:
NAME: Jansen
AGE: 29
JOURNAL:
jacketIM / EMAIL: symbologic at gmail
PLURK:
RETURNING: Yes
〈 CHARACTER INFO 〉
CHARACTER NAME: Klavier Gavin
CHARACTER AGE: 24
SERIES: Ace Attorney
CHRONOLOGY:
Just after the events of Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice
CLASS: Hero
HOUSING:
An apartment in Heropa
BACKGROUND: Since a lot of the plot elements introduced in AA4 are never explored in subsequent games, much of Klavier Gavin’s background is unknown. What we do know, however, is this:
First of all, despite all the German he throws around, he’s not actually German. He’s basically the German equivalent of a weaboo. Instead, Klavier was most likely born and raised in California.
He studied law at the prestigious Themis Academy in LA. Professor Constance Courte became a mentor to Klavier and instilled in him a strong commitment for finding the truth once he became a prosecutor.
In his mid teens, he studied abroad in Germany for two years and passed the bar exam by the time he was 17 years old.
While studying to become a lawyer, Klavier started a band, the Gavinners, on the side. The band went platinum shortly before his debut as a prosecutor.
Based on this info, it’s probably safe to say that Klavier has been regarded as both a musical and law prodigy for much of his life. His best friend and fellow guitarist Daryan Crescend explained that he’s capable of coming up with lyrics and music for new songs on the spot. As for his courtroom skills, Themis Academy apparently considers him on par with the famed Phoenix Wright since the winner of the mock trial in Dual Destinies is slated to receive private lessons from either Klavier or Phoenix, depending on their field of study.
The only family we know of is his older brother Kristoph. They are eight years apart, which probably means Kristoph was too old to be a considered a friend by Klavier. At the same time, he was also too young to be considered a true parental figure.
Both of them are lawyers and musicians, which makes it possible that Klavier was introduced to his two main passions through his older brother.
It can be inferred that, at least when he was younger, Klavier trusted Kristoph and wanted his older brother to acknowledge him as an equal. In fact, his debut trial is supposed to be against Kristoph himself until his older brother is replaced by Phoenix Wright. Under the guise of helping his little brother out, Kristoph shows Klavier all of his prior research on the case and tells him that Wright possesses forged evidence and can't be trusted. Although Klavier wonders how Kristoph knows so much, he never outwardly questions his older brother about it. Indeed, on the eve of his debut, Klavier seems calm and at ease around Kristoph and simply accepts the “tip”. Ultimately, Klavier presses Phoenix into presenting the forged evidence, not realizing that it was actually planted by Kristoph in order to get Wright disbarred. The plan works, and Phoenix’s livelihood and reputation are destroyed.
This incident belies the highly dysfunctional relationship that most likely existed between Klavier and Kristoph. Actually, Kristoph originally commissioned the forged evidence to use against Klavier in order to cheat him out of his first victory while garnering fame for himself. Meanwhile, all Klavier ever wanted was to be seen as an equal by his older brother, as witnessed by his desire to stand opposite of Kristoph in the courtroom, taking on a fair trial together as both lawyers and brothers.
It's stated in the game that, over the next seven years, Klavier harbored gnawing suspicions regarding Kristoph’s prior knowledge of the forgery. Meanwhile, Kristoph grew increasingly paranoid over being outed as the person who commissioned the forged evidence in the first place.
We can infer that their relationship only deteriorated as they grew older. By the time we see them interact again in the game’s final case, Klavier is extremely uncomfortable around Kristoph, dropping his usual rockstar persona in favor of aggressively engaging the defense and frequently lapsing into bouts of silence. Kristoph, meanwhile, constantly belittles Klavier by talking over him, apologizing to the court for Klavier’s emotions like he’s a small child who doesn’t know any better, and repeatedly telling Klavier that he can’t trust his own judgment or rationally parse through his doubts.
The whole mess is gas-lighting at its finest. Such tactics are clearly Kristoph’s way of keeping Klavier under his control so he won’t venture too far down into the rabbit hole and realize the extent of Kristoph’s deceit. This behavior also probably serves as a sort of power play for Kristoph, where he portrays himself as the more competent, rational and intelligent brother whenever they’re together.
These interactions are probably just a glimpse into the decay of their relationship over the 7 years following Klavier’s debut as a lawyer. Most likely, Kristoph withheld praise from Klavier for much of his life, and the acknowledgment Klavier wanted from Kristoph became a dangling carrot that he always kept out of reach for selfish, petty reasons.
Between being caught under the thumb of a highly critical brother he wanted to believe in, his own persistent suspicions about the forgery, and the resulting cognitive dissonance as someone who values truth above all else, it’s no surprise that Klavier distanced himself from everything by taking a 7-year hiatus from full-time prosecution. Instead, he poured a disproportionate amount of time and energy touring for his wildly successful rock band that was originally supposed to be a hobby.
However, everything changes when Kristoph is convicted of murder. Klavier suddenly cancels several shows in order to meet Apollo Justice, Kristoph’s former protégée and the man responsible for Kristoph’s incarceration.
Most people would assume that Klavier is out for revenge or harbors some kind of grudge, but instead he’s actually very friendly and helps Apollo gain access to a restricted crime scene before he even introduces himself.
During their first murder trial together, Klavier smiles and states that he wanted to see “the little boy who bested [his] brother.” Although many people interpret the use of “little boy” as evidence of Klavier’s disdain for Apollo for putting his brother in jail, its juxtaposition with “besting” Kristoph seems more indicative of curiosity mixed with a healthy dose of skepticism. After all, Kristoph is in jail for a crime he fully admits to committing, so it doesn’t make sense to resent Apollo for doing his job. At the same time, the people who got Kristoph to confess are 1) Kristoph’s rookie apprentice who’d never taken a case before, and 2) the infamous Phoenix Wright.
Was Apollo Justice a brilliant lawyer, so committed to truth that he was willing to put his boss in jail and give up his own job if it meant getting the right verdict? Or was he a naïve greenhorn who’d been used as an unwitting pawn by Wright during his debut? Given Klavier’s doubts surrounding his own debut and Wright’s disbarment, which category Apollo fell under was probably the thing Klavier wanted to ascertain first and foremost.
Initially, Klavier is disappointed by what he finds, particularly when Apollo mirrors a known tactic of Wright’s by getting hung up on small contradictions that Klavier considers irrelevant. However, he soon discovers that Apollo has his own unique talents and tenacity for finding the truth. Klavier, who figures out the true killer’s identity well before Apollo, begins acting less like the adversary Apollo expected and more as a guide who nudges Apollo in the right direction by dropping hints during their investigations and playing devil’s advocate in the courtroom.
A couple of months after their first case together, Klavier sends Apollo and his assistant Trucy discounted tickets to a Gavinners concert, along with exclusive VIP passes so they can see him backstage. The concert features a collaboration between Klavier and world-renowned singer Lamiroir who is visiting from overseas. Unfortunately, a set of lost keys, a spontaneously-combusting guitar and a missed cue culminate in the murder of Lamiroir’s manager. A blind pianist is charged with the murder, and though Klavier tells Apollo that the unlikely defendant is most certainly the result of political pressure to wrap up the case as soon as possible, he still prosecutes to the best of his ability.
When Klavier’s best friend and fellow guitarist Daryan is named as a suspect by Lamiroir, he removes Daryan, who had previously been serving as a detective, from the case. He also personally registers him as a witness so he can testify on the stand despite promising Daryan that it wouldn't be necessary. By doing these things, he acknowledges the possibility that Daryan is guilty, even if Klavier himself isn't convinced he's the murderer. Consequently, Klavier's actions put their friendship under a lot of strain.
Although Klavier is willing to explore Apollo's argument that Daryan is the killer, he becomes more and more disappointed with him for relying solely on witness testimony and failing to address a key contradiction that Klavier himself points out numerous times in two days. "Don't destroy what little respect I have for you," Klavier says once Apollo later tries to gloss over a separate, larger contradiction in his story, which is arguably the harshest thing he says to him during the entire game.
When Apollo finally addresses these contradictions, however, Klavier quickly takes his side. The prosecutor once again works in tandem with Apollo to clear the defendant’s wrongful murder chargers and indict Daryan for the crime instead. In fact, he even subtly cuts in before the Judge can formally decide that Daryan played no part in the victim's death, informing Apollo that his case isn't strong enough to get him indicted. This gives Apollo the chance he needs to prove his argument once and for all.
It is during the game’s final case that Klavier must finally confront Kristoph about what happened 7 years ago. What initially appears to be a clear-cut murder case turns out to be the deadly result of fail-safes originally planted by Kristoph 7 years ago with the goal of eliminating any ties between himself and the forgery. Initially, Klavier is highly reluctant for Kristoph to take the stand, but Apollo’s conviction gives him the courage to summon his older brother to the courtroom.
Although Klavier realizes that Kristoph’s involvement is well within the realm of possibility, he’s not ready to believe it. During the proceedings, he stays hyper-aware of Kristoph’s watchful gaze and doggedly looks for holes in Apollo’s arguments. However, when Klavier catches his brother bluffing through a line of questioning, he immediately calls him out on it and begins wrenching himself out of Kristoph's control. From there, he begins to assist Apollo in uncovering the truth, and he must finally confront and accept the full extent of Kristoph’s deceit.
Even though Klavier and Apollo don’t have enough proof to convict Kristoph of these crimes, the introduction of a jury system interjects common sense into the proceedings, and Apollo’s client is declared innocent.
Despite these awful truths, Klavier is relieved to finally have his questions answered, his suspicions validated and his actions finally aligned with his personal values. Even if the reality is an ugly one, Klavier can at least move forward with a clearer head, a better understanding of his toxic relationship with Kristoph, and a stronger resolve to fight for truth within an evolving legal system filled with contradictions.
Having at least resolved the cognitive dissonance that plagued him for 7 years, Klavier decides to focus solely on his true passion: law. To start this new chapter in his life, he ends the previous one by breaking up the Gavinners. In other words, music goes back to being the hobby he’d intended it to be when he first became a lawyer. Although the transition is marred with the hurt and betrayal from Daryan and Kristoph, his arc ends on an optimistic note when Klavier says he finds his trials with Apollo to be more exciting than the stage, and that he hopes to work with him again in the future.
PERSONALITY:
Although Klavier is the spitting image of Kristoph, these surface traits are where the similarities end. Unlike Kristoph (a cool, dispassionate defense attorney that exudes quiet professionalism), Klavier is a flashy, dazzling prosecutor who doesn’t conform to the existing courtroom culture. He sports piercings and an un-tucked dress shirt that gives flirty glimpses of his chest and stomach, and he is known for his long-lasting love affairs with each of his treasured guitars. He also has a tendency to air guitar in court and throw around random German to emphasize his point, and Apollo himself notes that music is mysteriously playing from out of nowhere when Klavier introduces himself in court.
Daryan tells Apollo not to be fooled by the flashy rocker shtick, however, going as far as to describe him as a "stick in the mud". It can therefore be inferred that Klavier doesn't lead a hedonistic life of booze, drugs and parties normally associated with rockstars, and is in fact a bit of a goody two-shoes. This is apparent by the way he voluntarily removes Daryan from the third case once someone raises the possibility that he's the murderer, even though Klavier himself is not convinced of Daryan's guilt at that point. It would have been easy for someone in Klavier's shoes to give his best bro a pass (and Daryan's outrage suggests that Klavier had the choice to do so), but he instead tells Daryan to lay low and stay out of the investigation until the trial is over.
Klavier's conviction to honesty and integrity likely stems from his main philosophy, which he explains to Apollo in this third case: “We encounter many incidents in our lives, all of us. Not all of them simple. That is why I try to at least remain simple inside. And I keep a simple goal: to discover the truth.”
Unlike most prosecutors in the series, Klavier is less concerned with a win record and is more interested in testing the defense’s logic for holes or contradictions in order to reach the correct verdict.
Given his collaborative nature and his tendency to work with Apollo despite technically being on opposing sides, it can be argued that Klavier views his trials not as a battle aimed solely at dominating his opponent, but instead an intricate dance between the prosecution and the defense, matching wits and picking apart one another’s arguments until they reach a consensus.
Compared to the original Ace Attorney trilogy, this is a highly unorthodox attitude among defense attorneys and prosecutors. Apollo himself notes that although Klavier technically “lost” their first trial together, he doesn’t feel like he “won” against him either. Consequently, the fact Klavier “loses” so gracefully against Apollo can most likely be attributed to his non-traditional definition of victory in the courtroom.
According to Klavier, corroborating evidence for a case is much like composing music, where both intuition and logic play a vital role. In additional to being analytical, Klavier is shown to be an empathetic individual who can easily put himself in the shoes of victims, witnesses and criminals in order to explain their behavior or establish motives. An example of this is when he easily explains away Apollo's objections regarding a bullet's entry point by constructing a highly plausible scenario based solely on what he would have had done if he'd been the witness or the victim.
It can be assumed that the human element of law is of far more interest to him than the systems that dictate how the legal world should be governed. This would explain his underwhelmed reaction to the stuffy courtroom atmosphere as a teenager, his later support of introducing a jurist system into future proceedings, and his disbelief at Kristoph’s assertion that “the law is absolute”. Unlike his older brother, Klavier firmly believes the justice system must adapt to an ever-changing society in order to avoid becoming outdated and obsolete.
His passion and zeal for justice are reflected in his total dedication to his work whenever he assumes the role of prosecutor. When visiting his office, Apollo notes that Klavier is simultaneously juggling three cases, which suggests both an incredible ability to multi-task and an eagerness to lend his assistance wherever it may be needed. Klavier also had a choice of whether to reveal key information that would incriminate Daryan and Kristoph, and he chose transparency at a personal cost to his relationships.
At the same time, his love for music follows Klavier into the legal sphere, as witnessed by his tendency to air guitar in court, the collection of guitars he keeps in his office, and the fact he pours over evidence spread across speakers instead of a table. He also brings tremendous showmanship and a flair for the dramatic into the courtoom by using poetry and metaphors to illustrate his point and addressing the gallery in a manner similar to a rockstar getting his audience hyped for a concert. At heart, Klavier is a performer who delivers his arguments with a dazzling smile, masking any pain from personal betrayals in the courtroom behind a well-practiced façade fit for the stage.
Klavier’s attitude toward his music is similarly unorthodox. He is far more concerned with the actual performance than he is with album sales or public reception. In other words, a sold-out concert doesn’t mean as much to Klavier if one of his guitarists makes a mistake on stage, even if it’s something that the average person probably wouldn’t notice unless they were looking for it. In fact, he angrily tears into Daryan after one of their performances because of a missed cue and ropes Apollo into backing him up despite the fact they’re in the middle of a murder investigation. Apollo is actually pretty surprised because this attitude is very different from the laid-back demeanor Klavier typically displays in court.
This might give the impression that Klavier takes his hobby way more seriously than his job as a prosecutor, and therefore has his priorities backwards. However, it can be argued that he’s every bit as much of a perfectionist in the courtroom as he is on stage. The main difference is that his idea of success hinges on whether he is acting as Prosecutor Gavin or Klavier, lead singer of The Gavinners. As a musician, the audience’s verdict means nothing if the performance is messy. As a prosecutor, however, delving into messy contradictions and picking apart flawed arguments is necessary in order to reach the correct verdict.
Consequently, it’s probably more accurate to say that Klavier has little tolerance for “amateur hour” in a room full of professionals, regardless of whether it’s the courtroom or on stage. His harsh critique of Daryan’s mistake most likely comes from his high regard for Daryan’s talent and skill, which he praises during court. In other words, he simply expects better from a musician of Daryan’s caliber. Likewise, Klavier’s unflattering nickname for Apollo is initially born from disappointment when he thinks Apollo is emulating Phoenix Wright by objecting to dumb minutiae in an underhanded attempt to belittle a witness. While it may appear that Klavier is just an overly critical person, it's worth noting that he freely compliments both Daryan and Apollo when he feels it's deserved.
When viewed through this lens, his treatment of Detective Skye in the third case makes a lot more sense too. By taking claims of the defendants’ blindness at face value, Skye allowed the court’s initial assumptions to be based on lies. Klavier was alerted to this mistake at the last minute, but later claims he didn’t have a chance to inform Skye before she took the stand. Although he apologies, he doesn’t sound the least bit sorry and laughs at her expense even though Skye is technically on the prosecution’s side. While on the surface this may seem like Klavier loves jerking people around in court for his own amusement, it’s also worth noting that he only draws attention to this mistake once Apollo’s main defense hinges on the false assumption that the defendant is blind.
From this incident, it can be said that Klavier won’t reach “botched-performance” levels of angry in the courtroom as long as they ultimately reach the correct verdict. At the same time, he refuses to coddle a professional for their mistakes or otherwise bend over backwards to save them from making an ass of themselves if he feels they’ve dug their own grave. This attitude apparently applies to everyone equally, regardless of whether they’re aligned with the defense or the prosecution.
One other thing that breaks Klavier’s calm exterior is unexplained incidences involving his personal belongings. We see this in the event leading up to the third case, where Klavier goes on about his dead motorcycle, missing keyring and destroyed guitar. Not only that, but he later comments on how well-informed Apollo and Trucy are about his problems, as if he doesn’t fully realize just how much he’s been venting about them all evening, threatening to fire staff over it, and even throwing baseless accusations at Apollo. At first glance, this might come across as typical self-absorbed diva behavior, but it’s worth noting that Klavier doesn’t get this upset again until his final confrontation with Kristoph. Furthermore, he recognizes how irrational and inappropriate his behavior is, as seen by his apology to Apollo the next morning.
Why, exactly, Klavier has this tendency is never explained, but it may be related to anxiety stemming from his dysfunctional relationship with an increasingly paranoid Kristoph, who not only gaslights Klavier into doubting his grasp on reality (as seen during their interactions in the fifth case), but also keeps extraordinarily close tabs on anyone involved with the case by spying on them (at least two other people mention the creepy feeling that they were always being watched during those seven years).
Regardless of the cause, however, it’s clear that if something of Klavier’s disappears, breaks or is otherwise tampered with, he will go nuts if there’s no clear cause behind it. Not only that, but he will be quick to assign blame to whoever he can (staff members, colleagues, etc.) in a desperate attempt to make sense of it.
In summary, Klavier is an artistic, analytical man who approaches law and music with a dazzling combination of intuition, logic and showmanship. He is a perfectionist whose definition of perfect hinges on whether he’s performing in a courtroom or a concert hall. To that end, he holds his colleagues to very high standards. At the same time, Klavier is often warm, friendly and collaborative toward musicians and defense attorneys alike. As someone who values the human element of law, he considers the pursuit of justice to be his true calling in life, with music serving as his primary emotional outlet.
POWER:
In MoM, Klavier's abilities fall under two umbrellas, Music and Item Personalization.
I. MUSIC
A. Musical Therapy. This ability has several facets, namely physical, mental and emotional.
- Physical. When Klavier plays The Guitar Serenade, he can heal another person's physical injuries. Because Klavier is coming from a canonpoint where he mainly associates negative feelings with that song, however, its healing power will initially be limited to simple surface wounds. The more Klavier uses this ability, the more powerful it will become, eventually being capable of stabilizing mortal wounds and speeding up the recovery of broken bones and internal injuries.
- Mental. Similarly, when Klavier plays Guilty Love, his song can serve as a mental "amplifier" that motivates people to do whatever project or task they may be working on while also giving surrounding imPorts' powers a temporary boost in strength.
- Emotional. Lastly, Klavier's general playing has the potential to allow listeners to realize or acknowledge a certain truth about themselves. Unlike the two other facets listed above, this is a passive power that cannot be willfully controlled. When activated, however, the lyrics or melody of Klavier's songs may deeply resonate with the listener in a way that brings this truth to the surface, to the point where they might even think he's singing about their situation specifically.
The listener's truth doesn't necessarily have to be something that was unknown to the character beforehand. For example, the listener's truth can include things like previously ignored or otherwise unacknowledged feelings about someone or something, past events, forgotten memories, or some personal strength or weakness.
In any case, listeners may also feel inclined to confide in Klavier about their "truth" the same way someone might talk to a bartender about their problems or share a story with a friend. Characters are not forced into it, however, and are capable of ignoring the urge to share their truth with Klavier if, for example, they actively believe he's an untrustworthy, dishonest or otherwise bad person.
B. Musical Precognition. This is a passive ability that triggers at random, which compels him to write lyrics that essentially include details of a future violent crime. The details of these "predictions" do not include things like the names of victims or perpetrators, but they may give hints surrounding motives, methods and general location.
When this ability is activated, Klavier goes into a temporary hypomanic state that 1) eliminates his need for sleep and food for a few hours and 2) gives him a surge of confidence and euphoria. He is focused entirely on his writing, and doesn't fully realize anything strange is happening until the lyrics are complete and he goes back to normal.
C. Air Guitar. Like it says on the tin, Klavier can make music out of thin air. When he does this, he feels as if he's holding either an acoustic or electric guitar. His Musical Therapy abilities can be used in conjunction with his Air Guitar.
II. ITEM PERSONALIZATION
A. Style Customization. Klavier can change colors, patterns and typography on any given item. He cannot alter an item's shape, size or quality. This means he can't do things like change a plastic phone cover into gold, or add drawer space to a dresser.
B. Logo Branding. The ability to willfully imprint, engrave or paint his Gavinners logo onto any item he touches. The mark is permanent and cannot be removed without using mundane means (painting over it, hammering it out, etc.)
〈 CHARACTER SAMPLES 〉
COMMUNITY POST (VOICE) SAMPLE:
LOGS POST (PROSE) SAMPLE:
TDM Thread
FINAL NOTES:
