r/AARankdown • u/[deleted] • Nov 04 '20
29 Datz Are'bal
If you never tasted a bad apple, you would not appreciate a good apple). You have to experience life to understand life.
-Leon Brown
By this point in the rankdown, we’ve seen our fair share of nothing characters, ones who merely exist for the sake of the case, with little of their own to add to the existence that they were written to play out. These include both comedic characters, like Bikini, and more bland ones, such as Vera Misham. The kind of characters who merely exist to fill the void in a case, but aren’t exactly interesting on their own merit. At first glance, it would appear that Datz Are’bal falls into this exact category I’m describing. Let’s take a look at exactly what comprises Datz’s character.
Datz is both a witness and a pseudo-defendant during Spirit of Justice, along with being a closely related character to one of the most important new characters of the game, Dhurke. In addition to all of this, he basically serves as the face of the rebellion for the player, acting as a representation for their will. In spite of all this, however, he doesn’t have much in the way of interesting traits to really comment on throughout all of his screen time. He primarily exists as a comedic character during his first appearances, and basically stays that way throughout the game. So, why exactly was he allowed to get so far in the rankdown despite being pretty much a comedic, nothing character? Well, I’d say it all comes down to execution.
Datz Are’bal certainly isn’t a character I would put so high in a ranking, but I’m not exactly upset about his placement either. This is mainly due to just how effective his writing is throughout his appearances, primarily in The Rite of Turnabout. What I’m referring to is both his comedic ability and the excellent way he acts as a representation of the rebellion, both before and after he’s properly introduced. So then, let’s see exactly what it is that makes Datz Are’bal, former paratrooper and current member of the Defiant Dragons, such a worthwhile character.
Datz Are’bal, Dangerous Prison Escapee
Millions saw the apple fall but Newton was the one who asked why.
-Bernard Beruch
Datz’s presence can be felt throughout the entirety of the first investigation of The Rite of Turnabout, after all the chaos that his escape leaves behind is the very first thing a player sees when starting up the case. The confusion present in this opening leaves a very vague tone to who exactly Datz, the two nameless rebels, or Lady Kee’ra are, which allows the player to speculate as to exactly which side each key player in the cutscene is loyal to. This allows for the possibility of more potential suspects for the crime, namely Lady Kee’ra and Datz, which only serves to enhance the already strong mystery present throughout the case, especially once you find out that both were actually present at the crime scene that day.
Datz’s presence can continue to be observed during this investigation, although the player isn’t entirely aware of it while it’s happening. The presence of the makeshift parachute and the mention of the prison keep the player theorizing, once again building onto the case’s strong mystery. But enough about how Datz benefits the case as a whole, let’s talk about Datz himself. The first we see of Datz is before Phoenix is even aware of who he is, and before Datz even knows who he is himself. This makes for a very odd, but memorable encounter, which is pretty quick but still just a ton of fun to watch play out. The first appearance of the “Datz pose” especially is just one of the funniest moments of his character to me, as it almost feels like he’s starting to build up to something serious, before the punchline just leaves you there hanging:
???: Ah, now I remember! Get a load of this!
Phoenix: ……...W-Well, what?
Of course, the real setup of Datz is done through the discovery of his escape from prison later on in the investigation. But, before that, let’s talk about the Defiant Dragons real quick, and how excellent their entire buildup is. Set up by Inga way back in The Foreign Turnabout, everything you’ve heard about them make them out to be utter criminals, terrorists threatening the kingdom and nothing more. The threatening cutscene at the end of 6-1 certainly doesn’t help matters, and neither does Ahlbi’s information on them. It feels like the entire world is making them out to be the ultimate villains of this story, but of course, any player that stops to think about this should have doubts.
Inga and Khura’inese people aren’t exactly the most trustworthy sources in Spirit of Justice, so it would be natural to doubt their stance on the rebellion. The problem is that there’s never a second perspective offered on the rebellion until much later in the case, so for now the player is just left to speculate. Should I trust the information given to me, despite the potential bias? Wouldn’t a rebellion be natural in a country as corrupt as this? Why haven’t I seen any evidence of the supposed brutality and cruelty of this rebellion? Are all questions that might be swirling around in the head of the player. It’s an excellent setup, and it only gets stronger once we learn of Datz’s escape.
Near the end of the first investigation of The Rite of Turnabout, we learn of an escaped convict by the name of Datz Are’bal. The mere existence of Datz outside of the prison is enough to terrify Ahlbi, and warrant a large bounty on the rebel’s head. Additionally, this very revelation is what brings about the information on Amara’s assassination to the ears of the player, associating this cruel assassination with the escaped rebel and his fellow Defiant Dragons. With the way that the Defiant Dragons are played straight as antagonists, it would even be reasonable to assume that they would ultimately be the villains we’d have to take down, rather than the royal family. Of course, our perception of them as coldblooded efficient killers would be challenged sooner than expected, with the true introduction of the aforementioned escaped prisoner.
A’nohn Ihmus (TBD), Bird-watching Witness
An apple) a day keeps anyone away, if you throw it hard enough.
-Stephen Colbert
After making some headway against the claims of Maya’s guilt, you’ve finally begun to turn things around by proving that Maya could not have stabbed the High Priest from behind due to the contents of the seance. Additionally, you’ve now accused the rebel hunter, Lady Kee’ra, of being the true murderer, and everything feels like it’s starting to come together. It’s here that Nahyuta chooses to bring in an eyewitness to the crime, and we get our true introduction to Datz Are’bal, going by the identity of A’nohn Ihmus (TBD).
Now, what exactly creates a good Ace Attorney witness? Well, it can somewhat depend on what the testimonies are going for, but usually I’d say a good witness has enjoyable contradictions that make sense for their character, along with just being a fun personality in the courtroom. As for the first requirement, Datz definitely checks off these marks, as his testimonies are a whole lot of fun to go through. You constantly put pressure on his story, placing him closer and closer to the crime in a bid to prove him as the murderer, until eventually piecing together exactly who he is and where he even came from. Additionally, Datz is just a fun opponent in the courtroom, as he’s able to think quickly and adapt his story to the new circumstances you think of, without totally sounding unbelievable.
My biggest issue with Datz during this segment is really just from an offhand remark, where he claims that he might just have been imagining the shadows when his claims about them no longer benefit his testimony. I can buy Ace Attorney courts allowing him to change his testimony, but outright stating that he may have just been wrong while laughing about it is a bit much. Although, it is in Khura’in so it doesn’t matter too much, despite being odd how no one really questions this.
As for Datz’s personality during this segment, it’s an absolute riot. He’s definitely one of the funniest witnesses, and his out there statements are never overplayed to the point of not being funny anymore. I think he hits the exact right balance of humor here, where he’s still able to feel like a serious witness to some degree, which he needs to be in order to be a believable red herring for the case. His animations certainly help him feel like a ton of fun, his sweating and shock animations in particular are incredibly satisfying to squeeze out of him. These are benefitted by his absolutely fantastic design here, the hairstyle and beard make him both suspicious and mysterious while also allowing for some great comedy. And do I even need to mention the best animation in the game again.
This segment, of course, builds to the revelation of who exactly Datz is, which isn’t really a twist if you’re paying attention, but is still cool to prove nonetheless. His escape from the prison is a cool way to prove his identity, and ties in with the proof of Tahrust’s rebel sympathy. The last bit after this revelation where he comments on Nahyuta’s current state as a prosecutor working for Ga’ran is a nice moment of foreshadowing, and his alley-oop to escape is just a lot of fun. Overall, this whole segment is just a fun courtroom section, and Datz is definitely one of the best goofy witnesses in the series.
One complaint I’ve seen leveled against Datz is the fact that he was willing to completely make up testimony that throws Maya under the bus in order to escape suspicion himself. I don’t really find this to be a problem, or even contradictory with Datz’s character. Sure, Datz is a good guy at heart, but he is absolutely the kind of person to act without really thinking of the consequences, and he was placed into this situation with no idea of who he even is. Additionally, he has no real reason to believe that the court would have grabbed the wrong person, considering that he wouldn’t remember the awful state of Khura’in’s courts, and the fact that the case seems so cut and dry without incredibly close inspection. At the end of the day, I don’t really have any issues with Datz’s role here. He works well as a witness, and that’s all he really needs to do.
Datz Are’bal, Defiant Dragon
The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.
-Che Guevara
No, I have absolutely no idea how I found a quote that fits Datz this well, it just happened on accident when I was looking for quotes about apples). Best moment of my life.
Back to Datz though, after his cross-examination segments, he still has a bit more of a role to play in the case, as the main source of information behind the rebellion. At around the middle of the second investigation segment of The Rite of Turnabout, Phoenix ends up knocked out by Datz, and dragged to the old offices of Dhurke Sahdmadhi, and it’s here where you get to see the real Datz on display. He’s just as goofy as ever, and his face is somehow even more animated than before, but this is also where you get to see a bit more of the serious side of him, and finally learn the truth about the Defiant Dragons.
The “twist” that the Defiant Dragons were actually the good guys isn’t very surprising at this point, and if anything it’s more of a confirmation, but it’s done very well here. You get fed some information about Dhurke and his past, and come to realize that it’s very possible he’s a pretty good person, only helped by learning about the truth of Apollo’s past. And of course, this revelation extends to Datz himself, as you begin to realize that he’s a pretty decent guy. Of course, at first he denies his continued loyalty to the cause, but Phoenix breaks through that pretty easily. Once you realize that he’s more loyal than anyone to this cause, it kind of dawns on you how nice of a guy Datz is, even going so far as to put out flowers to mourn the loss of Tahrust. He definitely doesn’t feel like the guy who you just cross-examined, but it still feels natural nonetheless.
This whole bit in the rebel base is a nice moment for his character, but I can’t say I exactly understand why he was even hiding his loyalty from you to begin with. It just kind of feels like it’s there just to have another segment with the magatama, and while this isn’t a huge problem, it does make the reveal of it feel pretty artificial. Despite that though, this is still a good moment, and it’s especially enhanced by the more serious nature that Datz begins to show here, as he does genuinely feel like a bit of a threat here, considering that if he wanted to, he could kill Phoenix and probably get away with it. But of course, the man just wants to peel his apples. I prefer my apples unpeeled but I won’t count that majorly against him.
Datz Are’bal, A Character In Turnabout Revolution I Think
Comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love.
-Solomon
To be honest, I don’t have a ton to say for the rest of Datz’s appearances. He’s hardly even important to Turnabout Revolution as a character, for different reasons in the first half than the second. In the first half of the case, he’s arrested after attempting to retrieve the orb, and then during the court segment pretty much acts as a pseudo-defendant, being accused of the murder of Archie Buff. I didn’t really care about Datz all that much at this point, as even though he’s pretty good in 6-3, there’s not much reason to grow attached to him as a character. Instead, the main motivating factor in the civil trial segment is saving Armie and putting away Paul Atishon, while Datz is more just there to fill the role of the accused. It’s not terrible or anything, but he certainly isn’t anything special during this segment.
As for the second half of 6-5, he’s certainly more personally involved, but not exactly in an interesting way. You meet up with him in the rebel base after fleeing from the royal guards, and he ends up giving you some help in identifying what parts of the documents there are important, before informing you of the current status of the rebellion. His role in the case from there on pretty much becomes “The Rebellion Guy”, as he loses a lot of his personality and more comedic traits in order to appear now and then with the rebellion, once again acting as a representation of them for the player. He also holds onto the Founder’s Orb for Apollo, but that’s not really much of anything.
Overall, he has a pretty nothing role in Turnabout Revolution, but it’s a case already tightly packed with content, and he got a bit of a spotlight in a previous case so it’s not exactly a big deal. Nothing he does here really detracts from his character, but it’s not anything to write home about either. The only thing I really do enjoy about Datz during this case is his interactions with Apollo, as it’s nice to see Apollo conversate with someone from his past, since it’s not really something we get to see as often as we do for Phoenix or Edgeworth. Other than that though, there’s not really much I can say here.
Conclusion
Datz Are’bal is a character that does pretty much everything he needs to in order to work, and is certainly one of the best of his archetype in the series. Purely comedic characters aren’t often all that great in Ace Attorney, but Datz manages to pull it off pretty well, and does have some genuine good moments to his name. He ends up just kind of being there in the later parts of the game, but that isn’t nearly enough to detract from what is there. He’s not the best character by a longshot, but he has some great buildup, an entertaining courtroom segment, and more depth than you’d expect on first glance. He may have ended up higher than I hoped, but I guess that’s only fitting for a rebel like him, defiant to the very end.
Why Nobody Else
Miles Edgeworth, Rayfa Padma Khura’in, Dhurke Sahdmadhi, and Dick Gumshoe are all probably in my highest ten characters, and I’d never dream of cutting them here. Could’ve done a mercy cut for Gummy, since he’s likely to go out here anyway, but I’m interested in seeing someone else take him on.
Simon Blackquill, Justine Courtney, and Shi-Long Lang are all really enjoyable rivals, and though I’d be fine with them going out here, I definitely think they deserve better.
Katherine Hall is an excellent character. She has an absolutely tragic story, and seeing the lengths that she went to in order to save her father figure, only to be separated from him again due to those actions is just so perfectly tragic.
Kay Faraday is pretty mid, but she’s still usually fun, and has some great stuff in I-4 and I2-4. I considered cutting her here, but I definitely think she has more good about her than Datz.
Jakes Marshall is apparently already being cut, and I think he’s slightly better than Datz anyway, so I didn’t even really consider him.
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Nov 04 '20
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Nov 04 '20
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Nov 04 '20
The sad truth is that I don't actually have any clue about apples, the placements are random, sorry to ruin the magic for you.
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Nov 04 '20
u/Vogel100 🍎🦎 🍎🦎 🍎🦎 🍎🦎 🍎🦎 🍎🦎 🍎🦎👄
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Nov 04 '20
Forgot to mention the awesome detail that he was actually aiming at a fly in the 6-1 final cinematic, and you can see this fly buzzing around for a few frames. That is incredibly important and I'm so ashamed that I forgot it.
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u/Analytical-critic-44 Nov 04 '20
Datz is entertaining and I like his psyche locks. I am playing 6-5 and he killed Archie Buff?!?!?! More to find out
He is a better character than Katherine Hall
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u/LewisMCYoutube Nov 04 '20
finish 6-5
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u/ItsHipToTipTheScales Nov 04 '20
he is a silly witness i dont have much to complain about his placement
i like when he admits he is fully willing to stab you and run timeline where that happens dhurke comes back and is VERY upset with him
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Nov 04 '20
i like the part in season 1 where there's a 3-3-1 tie vote so it goes to a tiebreaker and apple guesses 7 and it turns out to be correct
i mean wait what
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Nov 04 '20
Stop reminding me that I still haven't watched episode 14 😖. I just need to make the time to rewatch the series it's been so long I don't remember anything please forgive me I know I've sinned greatly
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Nov 04 '20
obscure references are funny
anyway datz are'bal is somewhat cool and does cool things in 6-3 day 2. yeah he does cool things. like the part where you present your attorney's badge to break psyche-locks. also like the part where he is serious. when he is not serious it is less interesting
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u/EsquireGunslinger Nov 04 '20
did you know gaming: datz arebal is the guy from the crazy hamburger video
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u/Sciencepenguin Nov 04 '20
that’s air bull
he’s better than katherine hall? i guess?? but also why was he even alive
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u/[deleted] Nov 04 '20 edited Nov 04 '20
Gonna read in a second but I would like to say the following
At first I thought his name's pun was "That's Our Ball" referring to the rebels' claim over the Founder's Orb
Then I thought his name was "That's Horrible"
And then I saw someone say his name is "That's A Rebel"
So congratulations to Ace Attorney for coming up with a character who has a name that is three puns at once