He remains in a less prominent role in the second trilogy starting with a supporting role in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (2007) as an older single father to Trucy Wright and mentor to Apollo Justice, before becoming a playable character again as a veteran attorney in subsequent games, mentoring Athena Cykes, rivaled by Simon Blackquill and Nahyuta Sahdmadhi, and reuniting with Maya and Pearl.

The nickname "Nick" (used by his partner, Maya Fey, and his best friend, Larry Butz) was chosen based on its believability and similarity to the sound of "Phoenix".

[29] Originally, the former protagonist would suffer drinking problems and be actually involved in gambling, but Takumi changed it after receiving advice that the concept would not be appropriate for all ages.

In the end, the game's art director, Takuro Fuse, wanted to make him look older by altering his classic look subtly and giving him a small tuft of his hair poking out in the front.

The corrupted nature of the setting would make Phoenix have problems trusting his clients to the point of feeling like a fish out of water.

[42] Throughout the game, Phoenix is hired to defend various people accused of murder, including his friend Larry Butz and Mia's younger sister Maya Fey.

[40] In the game's climax, Maya is kidnapped by a hitman, forcing Phoenix to make the true killer admit his guilt, which results in his first loss (however, this didn't affect his career negatively).

Throughout the course of the game, Phoenix receives a magic Magatama from Pearl that is able to reveal whether a person is hiding a secret in their heart, involving the use of Psyche Locks.

Phoenix's actions begin turning the wheels of revolution when he encounters a rebel group known as the Defiant Dragons and finds out that their leader, a once-renowned defense attorney named Dhurke Sahdmadhi, aims to restore the legal system to its proper state.

Phoenix Wright appears in a Japanese manga adaptation of the series, written by Kenji Kuroda, illustrated by Kazuo Maekawa, and published by Kodansha.

[47] A Japanese musical based on the series, Ace Attorney – Truth Resurrected, staged by the all-female troupe Takarazuka Revue, cast actor Tomu Ranju as Phoenix Wright, using the English name rather than the Japanese "Ryūichi Naruhodō", featuring Phoenix in a romantic relationship with Leona Clyde, an original character based on Lana Skye and Miles Edgeworth.

[52] The developers of the crossover fighting game Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars had wanted to include Phoenix along with Franziska von Karma as a character on the roster but had trouble designing additional moves besides his finger-pointing gesture.

in English), with the letters themselves used to attack the opponent, they found that localization would have changed the four-character phrase (in kanji) to a nine-letter word and would have unbalanced the game.

[53] Phoenix was also considered for inclusion as a playable fighter in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds,[54] appearing alongside Miles Edgeworth as a cameo in She-Hulk's arcade mode ending.

[59] Both Phoenix and his assistant Maya Fey also appear as a two-in-one solo unit in the crossover tactical role-playing game Project X Zone 2.

[65] GamesRadar also included him in a list of "[t]he 30 best Capcom characters of the last 30 years", remarking that he has no power and "isn't even that good of a lawyer when he starts out, but watching him grow is part of why we love him.

", have become well-known, and were parodied in episodes of anime such as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, No Game No Life and Maria Holic.

[69] Regarding the third title, Nintendo Life noted that Phoenix falls into a major tragedy during his college years for dating and loving a woman who was actually manipulating him to have him framed for murder.

[72] Inverse regarded Phoenix and Edgeworth as being one of the most famous duos in gaming as a result of their close relationship, despite the two never forming something intimate and the franchise avoiding romance between its main characters, to the point critics found it hilarious.

[74] NintendoLife said that despite the bad impressions Phoenix gives in Apollo Justice due to his poor fame and looks, he subverts people's expectations in the first trial, where the main character's mentor is revealed to be connected to him and has him sent to prison instead.

[75] GameSpot compared Phoenix with Kazuma Kiryu from Yakuza, as both characters appeared to have retired in this installments and replaced with a younger protagonist but both Capcom and Sega decided to keep using the veteran heroes, which might divide players' reaction depending on their tastes.

Commenting on how his friendly relationship with Edgeworth has been "popularly interpreted as bisexual" and potentially "queer-platonic or romantic" amongst portions of the fan community, the writer proceeded to dedicate the final paragraphs of their op-ed to calling for Capcom to make the relationship canon, stating that “Ace Attorney” fans certainly wouldn’t mind [and] Capcom doesn’t have to worry about losing sales by canonizing" it.

[78] However, the characterisation and design of the older Phoenix Wright seen in Apollo Justice has been criticized as "aloof and inscrutable", with "his character's development [criticised as being] lost along the wayside.

[82] Game Informer claimed that Spirit of Justice has the best storyline in the franchise due to the depth given by the two player characters making them relatable, with the original dynamic between Phoenix and Maya being surpassed by the new Apollo and his aid.

: Ace Attorney and the Japanese Criminal Courts", Emmalee A. Ellison from Marshall University notices Phoenix, Apollo and Athena stand out in the games thanks to their colorful designs.

[85] In regards to Phoenix's role in the live-action Ace Attorney film, Polygon praised the portrayal due to "the notable emotional whiplash that occurs in the movie whenever the protagonist believes he is going to fail and then the atmosphere changes.

Phoenix was also praised for his actions alongside his friend Larry, as if they "contort their faces and fling their bodies around in Chaplinesque fashion and relishing every movement as they wage all-out warfare on the very concept of subtlety".

In contrast, the Phoenix Wright explored in the anime comes across as a more intelligent man comparable to Sherlock Holmes or Conan Edogawa due to the fact that he single-handedly solves all trials, whereas the players are instead dedicated to supporting Maya or Edgeworth.

[91] Mega Mix commented on the character's appearance in the crossover fighting game Marvel vs. Capcom 3, as he keeps his original mannerism despite encountering famous comic superheroes like Spider-Man or Captain America.

[93] Although the crossover with Professor Layton was due to both main characters lacking the qualities to confront each other, GamesRadar still praised their team-up as it helped to create an innovative entry for their franchises.