A male defense attorney, 24 years old. He is characterized by his spiky hair swept back and zigzag-shaped eyebrows, with a blue suit as his trademark. He usually wears a blue suit with a pink tie and a t-shirt underneath. Due to his childhood experiences and innate sense of justice, he cannot ignore someone in trouble. Unless it is something important, he tends to keep his criticisms to himself rather than actively calling people out, even when those around him are acting foolish. This is evident in how he treats Larry Butz; while Edgeworth relentlessly berates Larry and calls him names, Phoenix doesn't show overt disgust. Given that he occasionally drops harsh remarks from the listener's perspective, it might be that he suppresses his feelings rather than simply having a good personality. He is laid-back enough to let Maya or Pearl, who are much younger, call him "Nick" or "Mr. Nick" without complaint. As an only child, he seems to get lonely easily, though he doesn't show it. He is warm-hearted and soft-hearted, crying quite easily. He was a crybaby until college, but improved as he got older. Still, he finds himself crying involuntarily when he gets sentimental or hears something cruel. He mentioned crying after watching the first movie Mia ever cried at, and he kept the poster for that movie in the office long after her death. In "Turnabout Big Top," he felt like an outcast and cried when only Maya got to hear a child's worries. His hidden inner thoughts are quite cynical and pessimistic. These cynical thoughts often slip out, flustering those around him, and he shows this side without filter to people he's close to, like Maya. For example, in 1-5, his inner reaction to Ema Skye's confidence as a high school scientific investigator is close to a dismissive "Yeah, right," and in 2-3, he sarcastically reminds a defendant who doesn't grasp the situation of the reality, monologuing, "That felt good." His smiling, overt mockery of the true culprit while claiming innocence at the end of 2-4 is the ultimate highlight.