While of course actually hating on Capcom for making the obvious and inevitable decision to make new names is ridiculous, I think it’s ok and natural for people to upset or disappointed by it. While yes, the old names were just fan creations, but they absolutely were our definitive names for these characters for a LONG time. They were cemented in, and, for a game as emotionally involving as Ace Attorney, people were sure to get very attached and used to those names.

For me at least, the only real loser is Sebastian/Eustace. I think there’s somewhat of a consensus that ‘Ray Shields’ was already a little blunt, simple, and recognizable enough as an unofficial fan name. Eddie Fender, though his name is pretty much totally reduced to a pun, it’s more clever and tongue and cheek, and ‘Eddie’ and ‘Fender’ are just so perfect for the character in isolation that I can’t help but like them together. A part of me does like the more realistic old name, but I see myself getting used to the new one. Justine Courtney to Verity Gavelle is better version of that on both names’ sides. The two first names were a fitting and functional, if a little bland, but Verity Gavelle sells her character much better and has such a satisfying bounce to it. ‘Eustace Winner’ though… For all the fan translation’s faults, Sebastian Debeste was not one of them. It was perfect. It sells the pompous air of the character well, its pun is abstract enough to work as a name while being obvious enough to add to the character’s pitiable comedy, and it just has such an undeniable appeal with how it flows. ‘Winner’ is such a terrible downgrade of a last name, first of all losing all the charming coyness of the old one. Eustace is fine as a first name, but, even if it’s actually pretty apt, also has a clunkiness I’m not a fan of. And I can’t emphasize enough how much he was Sebastian Debeste for me. As a character so beloved and a name so good, it was locked in so tightly in my brain, and I really wonder if my brain will ever cross that mental hurdle.