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With the launch of theAce Attorney Investigations Collection, more players than ever before are checking out this gem of a subseries, starring that cravat-clad prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth. It’s particularly notable since Investigations 2 had remained unlocalized (in an official capacity, at least) since 2011, thus marking the first time the sequel has made it off Japanese shores.
The throughline of Investigations 1’s plot is the smuggling ring. A series of seemingly unconnected cases wind up being linked to a gigantic international scheme that concerns counterfeit money and illegal exports. At the heart of it is the unassuming Central European nation of Cohdopia, whose politics and extraterritorial laws are enough to make even the most hardened attorney’s head spin. We’ve pulled together all you need to know to pin the culprit with confidence!
Fair warning: there aremultiple spoilers ahead for the endgame of Ace Attorney Investigations 1. Obviously, ours is the condensed version (and, some might argue, better off for it) but be careful all the same.
The History Of Cohdopia
While Cohdopia is (obviously) a fictional nation,geographically it’s described in-game as being roughly equivalent to West Germany or the Czech Republic.
Its full name, the Principality of Cohdopia, lasted until roughly the 2010s in the Ace Attorney universe – though attempts to draw parallels to our own timeline are pretty futile, since this is a world where VHS tapes continue to see use, and the invention of smartphones just doesn’t appear to have crossed anyone’s minds yet.
Famous for its natural beauty, which was reflected in the flower adorning its flag, the Principality wouldsadly strike political troubles in the mid-2010s.
A period of civil unrest (about which we learn little during the story, but it’s implied to be related to disputes over mining rights)resulted in the nation being split asunder. The Western half was dubbed Allebahst, while the Eastern region became Babahl.
In addition, aCohdopian Embassy, split into Allebahstian and Babahlese halves,was constructed in America – which included theTheatrum Neutralis.
This was regarded as ‘no-man’s land’, and, for the purposes of diplomatic affairs, was considered to be American soil. The Theatrum would bethe scene of murders and an arson attackthat would lead to the smuggling ring’s unravelling.
Allebahst
Allebahst’s flag retained the flower from Cohdopia’s, and it soon becameknown for having “the strictest immigration policy in the world.”
Very few people were permitted to enter or leave the nation without express written consent, an arrangement which suitedAmbassador Quercus Alba, the kingpin of the smuggling ring, just fine.
After Cohdopia split,Allebahst inherited the former country’s Imperial building, along with its valuables, which positioned it in a stronger economic standing than Babahl. As a consequence, while Allebahst adopted isolationist policies, Babahl wasforced to rely on the tourist trade.
Quercus Alba himself was a former war general, and in his younger years was heralded as a hero for serving courageously.
As he aged, power and greed became his motivators, however; andhe banded together with Manny Coachen, the secretary of the Babahlese half of the Embassy, to produce counterfeit bills and operate his worldwide smuggling ring thatcrashed the economy of Zheng Fa(basically analogous to China).
Babahl
Babahl’s flag, meanwhile,bore a butterfly– a symbol of new hope and youthful exuberance, which was epitomized in the optimism of its Ambassador, Colias Palaeno. He made it a personal commitment to drum up a thriving tourism empire, albeit with mixed results.
The treaty that governed the two countries' division stated thatBabahl had exclusive access to mines rich in whitcrystal oil, a material highly desirable for its utility in creating ink.
This Babahlese ink was of tremendous interest to the smuggling ring, as it was nigh-undetectable and borderline indistinguishable from regular ink; and socopious quantities were snuck out of the country under Manny Coachen’s direction, and used to stamp Alba’s counterfeit bills.
Also of note is thatBabahl inherited one of two ‘Primidux Statues’from the Cohdopian Imperial building; but there was a catch. While Allebahst’s was the genuine article,Babahl’s was fake, and was employed by the smugglers to conceal the printing plates necessary to crank out the forged money.
These statues would become a central focus ofthe trial that would determine Cohdopia’s future in 2019.
The Reunification Of Cohdopia
It’s here thatTurnabout Ablaze, the final chapter of Ace Attorney Investigations, comes into play. Miles Edgeworth and his protégé Kay Faraday are hot on the trail ofthe ‘Yatagarasu’, a so-called ‘truth thief’ that apparently was associated with the smuggling ring at one stage or another.
It ultimately transpires that the ‘Yatagarasu’ was not a single person, buta coalition between three individuals: Byrne Faraday, Detective Tyrell Badd, and Calisto Yew.
The partnership was dissolved when Yew turned out to be an impostor, and she murdered Byrne to protect the smuggling ring from being uncovered.
Edgeworth and Kay attend ‘The Kingdom of Allebahst versus The Republic of Babahl Goodwill Jubilee’ (quite the mouthful) at the Cohdopian Embassy, becauseInterpol intel points towards both the Yatagarasu and the kingpin of the smuggling ring being present.
Behind the scenes, Manny Coachen, who now has designs onBabahl usurping Allebahst as the main Cohdopian representative, plots to have the two Primidux Statues swapped, so his nation can lay claim to the real one. Upon discovering his accomplice’s betrayal,Alba murders Coachen and has the Babahlese half of the building burnedto cover his tracks.
Despite Edgeworth soon uncovering enough evidence to finger Alba not only as Coachen’s murderer, but also as the mastermind behind the smuggling,Alba enjoys extraterritorial protection that is tough to circumvent. Even if indicted, he would be tried in an Allebahstian court – all of which Alba controls with an iron fist.
In the end, Edgeworth is able to prove that while Coachen’s body was found in the embassy,the actual killing took place in the Theatrum Neutralis, i.e. American territory. This nullifies Alba’s immunity, and after a grueling battle of wits, he goes down for his crimes and is stripped of his rank.
The reunification of Cohdopiawould shortly follow, with Allebahst and Babahl settling their differences and coming to an agreement that reinstated the Principality on the world stage.
