How to Play: The player to deal the first hand can be decided by any method. The"Dealer Button" is placed in front of the dealer. After each completed hand the "Dealer Button" is moved clockwise to the next player who becomes the dealer. The dealer will give two cards face down to each player. These are called "pocket cards". Do not let any other player see your cards.
A round of betting will take place. (See explanation of betting below)
The dealer will turn over three (3) community cards, Face up, on the center of the table.. These are called the "flop". Thus each player with his own pocket cards and the flop, already has the equivalent of a five card poker hand.
A second round of betting will take place.
The dealer will turn over a fourth community card on the table. This card is called the "turn; also referred to as "fourth street"
A third round of betting will take place.
The dealer will turn over a fifth community card on the table. This card is called the "river". It is the river of dreams.
A fourth and final round of betting will take place.
The Showdown- Each player may use the best 5 of the community and pocket cards to make a hand. The players, who have not previously folded their cards, show their hands. The best hand wins all of the chips that have been bet. If the community cards are the best hand the remaining players split the pot.
How To Bet: Betting is always done in clockwise order. The first person to act is the one sitting on the left-hand side of the player who deals the cards. This person has three choices: he can bet, fold (turn in his cards and drop out of the hand) or check (pass the opportunity to bet to the next player). All bets are put into the middle of the table and make up what is called the "pot".
After the initial bet, if there is one, the rest of the players in turn have three choices. They can fold, call (match the bet of the previous player) or raise a bet (call and make an incremental bet). A round of betting is finished when all remaining players have acted at least once and have contributed the same amount to the pot. The cumulative number of raises for each round of betting shall not exceed three.
Unless otherwise stated before the game, you are permitted to check or call a bet the first time through and raise the next time the action comes to you.
The amount of the bets and raises is predetermined prior to the start of the game. During the first two rounds each bet and raise must be in the amount of the maximum bet. The minimum bet should be one half the amount of the maximum bet; for example 2 chips and 4 chips.
To insure there is always money in the pot, each hand starts with "blinds". Prior to seeing their cards, the first player to the left of the dealer will bet 50% of the minimum bet and the second player will bet an amount equal to the minimum bet. These are known as the "Small Blind" and the "Big Blind", respectively. The betting will then continue from the third player. This is only done once, prior to the first round of betting.
As an option you may play a No- Limit game. There are designated blinds and or antes as well as a designated opening bet. After that, any player may bet any amount of money he has on the table. In fact, a player may call for a bet in the amount of all chips in front of him. This is called "all in". A player is never obliged to drop out of contention because he does not have a sufficient number of chips to match a bet. The excess amount of the bet is either returned to the player or used in a side pot with other players who matched the entire amount of the bet.
Poker Hands from Highest to Lowest:
Royal Flush (a ten, jack, queen, king and ace all of the same suit)
Straight Flush (five consecutive cards of the same suit)
Four of a Kind
Full House (three of a kind and one pair)
Flush (five cards of the same suit)
Straight (five consecutive cards- Aces may be used before a two or after a king)
Three of a kind
Two Pairs
One Pair
High Card (Ace over King, Queen over Jack, etc.)

Yes, they exist, the people that play poker with playmoney only. It’s just for entertainment and nothing bad can happen, but this also leads to an environment where the players don’t respect your raises and are just calling everything. Unless you play the 2-3 highest stakes/tables.
So it’s your turn to adapt and exploit the fish. For beginners it’s great to learn about the structure and „how it works“, but it has nothing to do with real cash games. Every 2/4 cent real money table plays more serious poker than the 90% of the WSOP Playtika players. I will explain where you find the 10%. That beeing said it’s a fun experience to get into the game but if you ever plan on playing for real cash and are a beginner, avoid this.
I am at 18 Billion chips now and would like to share some tipps and tricks on how to build a bankroll and „where“ and „how“ to play the WSOP „cashgames“.
1.) Learn to fold. Seriously. I got a pre-flop fold percentage of ~48 % and yes, that is super tight for WSOP App games. Whenever I check the profiles I usually find 10 % (lol) to 35% pre-flop fold statistics so the „Game“ for most players is less poker mathematics but watching flop action. Keep that in mind and expolit this.
2.) Hence my next advice, be patient. Act like are a glitch on the table that calls or raises accidentally. Wait for good hands . But don’t play like a robot that only plays KK and AA on the button. Calling with TJ or 89 as suited connectors out of position is not a bad idea because sometimes even the other players register that you are only in action with strong hands. Someone that folded 30 turns and only played his blinds and even folded SB here and there is suspicious when raising. Not every table has 9 clueless donks.
3.) Raise once in a while. Only calling Leads to the usual flop action where 7 of 10 players are still in the pot and you will be wrecked in the river so often. Forcing the loose players to pot size bets makes some of them hesitate and fold their 59 preflop that might catch the 9 and 9 on the Turn and River.
4.) Players that hit the flop even with the lowest pair won’t fold, and thats were you get your playmoney profit long term. Most of them refuse to surrender and even call pot size bets on the turn and river even if they are beat.
5.) The WSOP Playtika App always suggest you play the maximum possible buyin tables and ignores bankroll management. That is your responsibility.
I usually only play with 10-15% of my Bankroll, but I play with Auto Rebuy (that only will be an issue because playmoney has variance, too, and your well played all in flush might eventually lose on the river) and Auto Top Off. That means I always play with the maximum buyin/BB on that table to get paid when I hit the nuts and face another player that fuels a big pot.
It’s the worst feeling to win less because you could not maximize the pot bets.
6.) You remember the 10 % I mentioned that „somehow“ play more serious Poker? They exist, but you only find them in the last third of the High Stakes tables.
The Playmoney WSOP tables are structured like this with Stakes and Buy In Ranges:

• 5K/10K - 50K/1.25M
  
• 10K/20K - 500K/2.5M
  
• 25K/50K - 1.25M/6.25M
  
• 50K/100k - 2.5M/12.5M
  
• 100K/200K - 5M/25M
  
• 300K/600K - 15M/75M
  
• 600K/1.2M - 30M/150M
  
• 1.25M/2.5M - 62.5M/312.5M
  
• 3M/6M - 150M/750M
  
• 6M/12M - 300M/1.5B
  
• 12.5M/25M - 600M/3B
  
• 30M/60M - 1.5B/7.5B
  

Once you play at the 6M+ stakes tables you will face a different type of players: Many have levels of 200 and 300 and more which means they grinded fast and/or well. They play this game at least more than „casually“ and more focused and act slightly tighter. The pre flop percentage usually is above 40% so there are less limpers and calling stations. Be careful if you find 50% pre flop folders and <5% post flop raisers. They will have strong hands once they start betting and raising.
The most „serious“ playmoney poker gamers are in the last 2 tables, because the 3B table is an equivalent of ~ 90 Euro/Dollars and you won’t find casuals here that throw away real money. Players of the highest playmoney limits actually follow fundamental poker strategy and respect your behavior and raises. You will find players there with way better reads and you won’t find casual limpers that play for the action.
So the good news is, you CAN have a somewhat serious full ring poker action at the WSOP playmoney community. The bad news is you have to grind through the donk festivals of the first 8-9 limits and tables. It’s frustrating sometimes but be patient, fold often and make the calling stations pay with your sets.
Some additional thoughts: - ignore the Momentum - ignore the Slot Machine - a big friendlist is nice for many free chips here and there - ignore the obnoxious Piggy Bank
That’s it. Any other WSOP playmoney poker entertainment folks here?

I get that we’ve all seen part 3, but I’m doing this for all stands, so I’m starting at the beginning.
Star Platinum: He punch
Magicians Red: “I make fire and fire accessories.”
Hermit Purple: Hit the item, it shows you what you want.
Hierophant Green: Makes ropes and shoots rocks.
Silver Chariot: Sword boi
The Fool: Turns Sand into things.
The World: He punch (and stop time)
Tower of Gray: A very angry fly.
Dark Blue Moon: The Stand equivalent of a shark.
Strength: B O A T
Ebony Devil: When you are harmed, it will hurt them.
Yellow Temperance: Disguise goo.
Hanged Man: Stabby boi who only exists in reflections.
Emperor: gun
Empress: Artificial tumor
Wheel of Fortune: Top 10 Easy Car Upgrades That YOU Can Do!
Justice: Pain Cloud
Lovers: When the user is harmed, the target is too.
Sun: Sun
Death 13: Grim Reaper, but it only harms you in your dreams.
Judgement: Turns dirt into things.
High Priestess: Turns into things.
Geb: A sentient puddle.
Knuhm: Disguise kit.
Thoth: A book that doesn’t do a good job telling the future.
Anubis: Possesive sword that grows.
Bastet: Magnet Outlet, no touch
Sethan: If it touches you, you get young.
Osiris: If you lose, you become a poker chip.
Horus: Produces Ice
Atum: Osiris, but it knows your intentions.
Tenore Sax: Makes some funky illusions.
Cream: Whatever it touches, goes to Brazil.
Holy’s Stand: Good Question.
The Passion (Johnathan’s stand): Hermit Purple 2: now it reads emotions.
BONUS: Kars’ Ultimate Lifeform: Turn into anything, as long as it’s alive.

Last updated 2:00 EST, 27 July
^{RIP my inbox}
All new posts asking about information already provided here will be removed and redirected here to reduce redundancy.

Release

As of 5:15 EST, the update has released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

• 3.4GB on PS4
• 3.2GB on Xbox One
• 2.9GB on Steam
• 2.6GB on Social Club.

On the note of releases... Some countries will not be able to access certain content from this update due to gambling laws. Thankfully though, players from these countries will still be allowed to download the update in general.

Money for Diamond Casino

For ways to make money to afford the new DLC content, along with methods to make an empty lobby to do CEO/MC work, check the Mega Guide.
Tips

• You only need $50,000 to register as a VIP! If you have at least that much, you can register as a VIP for 4 hours and get access to VIP missions (which can be done in an invite only session), giving you a lucrative way to save up.
• If you own both a crate warehouse and vehicle warehouse, you could use them together to make more money overtime than you could by using either exclusively. Use your sourcing/exports between crate pickups and sales, and you'll be getting the best of both worlds, gaining from the postive money-making aspects of both.

Content and Prices

Content that has initially released with the update.

Southern San Andreas Super Autos

• Weeny Issi Sport - $897,000
• Vapid Caracara 4x4 - $875,000

Legendary Motorsport

• Annis S80RR: $2.6million
• Enus Paragon R: $905,000
• Obey 8F Drafter: $718,000
• Truffade Thrax: $2.3million

Penthouses

• Cash Pad: $1.5million
• Party Penthouse: $3.78million
• High Roller: $6.5million
• "Design Your Own": $1.5million

Penthouse Customizations

• Colour options: $215,000 or $258,500
• Pattern options: $92,000 - $210,000

Penthouse Addons

• Lounge Area: $400,000
• Media Room: $500,000
• Spa: $800,000
• Bar and Party Hub: $700,000
• Private Dealer: $1.1million
• Office: $200,000
• Extra Bedroom: $200,000
• Garage: $800,000

Gambling

As this is a Casino-centric update, there's plenty of ways to gamble away your hard-grinded money.
The gambling in this game centers around a new form of currency, called Chips. These chips are pretty much like real-world gambling chips, with a one-to-one dollar value, except you keep your chips when you leave the casino. Chips are an actual currency in GTA Online, as they can be used to purchase exclusive items from a shop inside the casino, along with being used to bet with when playing the Gambling Games, listed below

• Slot Machines: There's plenty of options to choose from, but they all perform the same way. Spend some chips, and let the RNG decide whether or not you earn anything from it.
• Blackjack: Casino style blackjack with up to four simultaneous players, all of which play against the dealer. Anyone who beats the dealer individually wins, anyone who the dealer beats individually loses, and if the dealer gets Blackjack (an Ace and 10/face-card), everyone immediately loses. Assuming your initial hand isn't a Blackjack, you have the option of doubling-down, which doubles your initial bet with the caveat of only being able to hit once.
• Poker: Three-card poker. You make your bets, check your hand, and similar to Blackjack, each player wins if their hand is better than the dealer's, and the dealer beats whoever has a worse hand than him. While there is no option to double-down, how much you win does depend on how good of a hand you have. The better your hand, the more you win. Also, while you can fold your hand, you lose your initial bet anyway.
• Horse Racing: Pretty much standard horse racing bettering. You choose a horse, you put your money down, and if you bet correctly, you get double the amount you bet in return. Otherwise, you just lose the amount you bet.

To gain more chips, there is a counter inside the casino where you can buy them, however you are limited in how many you can buy per day (real-world 24 hours). As standard, you can buy a maximum of 20,000 chips per day, but if you own a penthouse of any tier, you can buy up to 50,000 chips per day. Chips can also be traded in for money, but there does not appear to be a limit on this. No matter how many chips you win from gambling, it appears that you can trade them all in at once for the equivalent dollar value.
Lastly, there is the Wheel. It's a roulette wheel that you can only spin once per day, which costs $500 per spin. There are twenty reward slots, and since some rewards are in multiple slots, they have greater chances of being selected. The biggest note about this wheel however is that there is one slot in which you can win a free car! What makes this so significant is that since the car takes a 1/20 slot on the wheel, that means you still have a 5% chance of winning a free high-value vehicle! Compared to most online games, that's pretty much the most generous RNG you can get.

Business and Missions

coming soon

FAQ

Are there any differences between the penthouses
For once, yes! Well, technically... they're the same basic property layout, but each option gives you different addon options.

• The Cash Pad: The basic Penthouse with no property addons available . You cannot purchase a garage, extra bedroom, lounge, etc. with the Cash Pad. You can, however, purchase penthouse customizations (colour and wall patterns).
• The Party Penthouse: Gives you certain of the addon options: the main Penthouse, the Extra Bedroom, the Lounge Area, the Spa, and the Bar and Party Hub. You are locked to these options, no more, no less.
• The High Roller: Gives you all of the property addons as standard, and the most expensive penthouse customization options... this means that you cannot choose your own colour and wall patterns with this version.
• The "Design Your Own": ...What should be the standard option. It gives you the basic penthouse and allows you to choose which addons and customizations you want, with an extra cost for each one, of course. Just get this one. You can also renovate this option later, allowing you to purchase more addons and change your customizations later.

What do the Penthouse Addons do?

• Lounge Area: Allows you to purchase the other Penthouse Addons (except for the Extra Bedroom and Garage, which are the only items addons that can be purchased without a Lounge).
• Media Room: You know the cinemas around Los Santos? The ones that play a few 5 minute animated films on repeat? That, but in a Penthouse.
• Spa: Gives you access to a hot tub and a Personal Stylist. The Stylist's services are the same as the ones spread around Los Santos (hair, contacts, and make up), but they're all free.
• Bar and Party Hub: Allows you to consume drinks that instantly intoxicate your character, along with access to special arcade games that aren't available anywhere else in the game.
• Private Dealer: Allows you to play gambling games in your penthouse.
• Office: Adds a standard computer, a Gun Locker, and a money vault (don't get excited, it's just aesthetic).
• Extra Bedroom: Bedrooms in owned properties in GTA Online are used as spawn points, so why can you pay to have an extra one? Because you can now allow a friend of yours to claim it! The Extra Bedroom allows a friend of yours to use your penthouse as a spawn apparently, though the exact implementation of this is not completely clear.
• Garage: Access to the Penthouse's garage bay.

How do I get the armored car?

• To recieve the Enus Paragon R (Armoured), you have to complete the Diamond Casino's mission series, which you must own a penthouse to access. Once of the missions are complete, you'll be given the vehicle for free! But remember, it's uninsured and you only get it once, so immediately go into passive mode and take it to the nearest Los Santos Customs to insure it, or else you could lose the vehicle permanently.

Passive Mode

Good news, passive mode has been fixed!

• Passive Mode can now no longer be active when using a weaponized vehicle
• A Passive Mode cooldown of 2 minutes is now in place for players who have just killed another player
• Players now must wait 5 minutes before they can activate Passive Mode again after disabling it
• Players now must wait 30 seconds before they can disable Passive Mode after activating it

These changes make is so that grievers can no longer abuse passive mode, or at least no where near as easily. If you start to get the upper-hand on a griefer and destroy whatever death-machine they're using to troll you, or if you confront them in a death-machine of your own, they can't abuse Passive Mode to try to get the upper-hand on you!

Solo Session

Check the Mega Guide for ways to push yourself into a public Online session with no one else in it. Keep in mind that some missions and abilities are unavailable if there's no one else with you though!

Bugs and Glitches

• Apparently on PS4 and Xbox One, you must have full size of GTA V available to download the update, so if you have less than ~60GB free, you may have trouble downloading the update. This does not mean that the entire game is re-downloaded, it just means that the update may not download if you don't have that much space available.

Credits

Special Thanks: u/Rebored_Warrior - Sent me the official patch notes link!

• u/LordMcze - Information on countries that restrict players from gambling functions.

A widely-renowned alien historian, famous for his scathing criticism of humanity, sits with a man to discuss the countless crimes of Earth. [Remastered, rewritten story]
Part 2
​
He’s late, of course. Although, why exactly would I expect anything else from a human? I humour this man with my presence, and he doesn’t have the decency to turn up at a respectable time.
Doctor Xot sat, idly toying with his drink, fixated on the view outside of the huge domed structure that encircled the entire restaurant.
Admittedly, the man had good taste. The Eye of Asara was an infamously hard establishment to book for, usually reserved for only the richest of the elite. It was surprising enough that a human had influence to even book seats here - especially in this corner of the galaxy. The Eye, as it was commonly referred to, was situated on the very highest level of Asara’s luxury orbital retreat, and the views it provided of the gas giant itself were nothing short of breathtaking. It hung in the sky like an immense jewel – emerald green, impossibly large, with the raging storms of its surface slowly fading to nothing in a great crescent, indistinguishable from the darkness of space itself.
Xot watched a tiny moon move slowly across the planet, creeping towards its huge shadow like an insect scurrying for shelter. It was with a sudden pang of anxiety that the Doctor realised that the 'tiny' moon was likely significantly larger than his own homeworld. Shaking himself from his trance, he chirped in frustration, reaching for his datapad to reread the message he had received from this person a few days prior. After swiping for a few moments, he found it.

// MESSAGE 01349412XAAB To Dr. Khitt Xot, Professor of History for the Imperial Gheraani Institute of Xenological Studies - Greetings. I hope this message finds you well. I have been following your writings on the galactic extranet for over a year at this point, with quiet interest. I find your personal perspective on humanity grossly inaccurate, and it was to my surprise that I discovered, through one of your recent interviews, that you have never actually met with a human in a private setting. I would like to rectify that. I happen to be passing through the Asara system next week, and would be immensely grateful if you would join me for a one-to-one conversation during that time. If you truly believe that your past publications and academic work are accurate, then surely, this offer is a perfect opportunity for you to demonstrate your position. To a Terran, in person. Yours sincerely, Waylon Rhyne // 

He scrutinized the message, chewing the words carefully.
In the days before leaving for Asara, he had delighted at the thought of telling a human, an actual Terran, how foolish their collective sense of moral superiority was. How insufferably naïve they were as a cultural entity. How truly undeserved their respect on the galactic stage was. How humanity had demonstrated itself to be nothing but a violent, narrow-minded, and arrogant race, time after time.
But now? Xot found himself uncharacteristically nervous at the prospect of this confrontation – certainly, he had the principally correct view, as well the evidence to support it... but humans had demonstrated themselves to be a race of unflinching violence when countered, many times over.
Perhaps security would have been wise, thought the professor.
As the station crept into Asara’s huge shadow, his table darkened, and he shook his fur gently, strengthening his resolve.
No. I’ve dedicated my professional life to representing the countless numbers opposed to the tyranny of humanity, and I will not submit to the intimidation of this man. Oh no.
So engrossed in thought was the professor, that he failed to notice the darkness of the table was, in fact, not due to the planet at all. It was the shadow of a large figure that had been standing beside him for no less than full 30 seconds.
Waylon Rhyne had arrived.
“Professor Xot. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Rumbled Waylon.
Xot's train of thought ended abruptly, and his sharp black eyes immediately darted upwards to the towering figure. The man extended a hand towards Xot, which he knew to be a common human greeting.
“Mr. Rhyne.” Xot said coolly, extending one of his four arms, returning the handshake gently. “You’re late.”
Waylon bared his teeth as he responded. “I know, I know. My apologies. My legs aren't what they used to be, and it seems that the damned elevators only go up to the 378th level.” he said, raising his two massive arms in guilty admission.
Xot understood as well as all other beings that had to interact with them that smiling was a gesture of happiness in humans, much as it was in his own species - but it didn’t stop a shiver from going down his spine. Human teeth were huge, as hard as steel, and sharp enough to tear through skin and flesh alike – and the fact that they all loved to show them at every conceivable opportunity was one of the more common reasons that many races found humans intimidating.
“Mhm.” Xot responded, not caring to listen to the man's excuses. “I must say, when I received your message, this was... not the sort of location I expected that we would meet. How exactly did you reserve a place at such short notice, if I may be so bold as to ask?”
“Hmm? Oh. The owner of this fine establishment owes me a favour. Or fifteen.” Said Waylon dismissively, taking off his coat and wrapping it around the opposing chair. He sat with a heavy groan, and for the first time, Xot properly looked at the human that had dared ask for an audience with him.
What struck him most was the sheer age of the man. He had been expecting someone significantly younger, but it was clear to even him that this man was well past his physical prime. All of the cues were there – the shock of white hair, the deep-set wrinkles that highlighted his face, the cane that lay across his lap. If he had to guess, he would place the man at around 70 standard years of age. This did little to set Xot’s nerves at ease, however – frail as Waylon might’ve been in comparison to a younger human, he towered over him, and was still undoubtedly strong enough to tear the Gheraani academic in half.
Waylon gestured to an Otegan waiter near their table, and gave him a gesture that Xot couldn’t quite place. The waiter nodded, and quickly hurried off – presumably, to pour one of Waylon’s fourteen remaining favours. They sat in silence for a moment, with only the gentle hum of the station's sophisticated nightlife filling the air.
“So.” Xot ventured.
“So.”
“You have contentions with my work.”
“That I do, professor.” Said Waylon, smiling again. “I may be biased towards humanity, and I’m certainly not an accomplished academic, as you are, but I feel that your own view on humanity is…” He stopped, unsure of what word to use.
“Misplaced.” He finished after a small pause.
Xot gave no reply, simply taking a sip of his drink carefully, continuing to stare at the man in front of him. After a time, Waylon continued.
“How many people do you have subscribed to your monthly article in the Galaxia's Publication?” Waylon asked.
“Roughly 5.2 million.” Xot replied. With a great degree of satisfaction, he watched Waylon's eyes widen slightly at the figure.
“5 million people. 5 million people, all reading your academic journals detailing, amongst many other things, the crimes that humanity has, apparently, committed against a vast number of people.”
“That is correct, yes.” Said Xot curtly, all too clearly hearing the incredulity in Walyon's tone. He carefully watched him, trying to read his expression. Was it… confusion? Frustration, perhaps? It was hard to tell.
Waylon sighed. “Well, then.” He said. “Tell me about the crimes of humanity, as you see them."
And now, thought Xot gleefully, we begin.
“Very well.” Xot said. “Humanity joined the Unified Galactic Council 115 of your years ago – approximately a century, in standardised years. Since your induction into the greater galactic community, the economic stability, and indeed, entire existence of several great galactic powers have been jeopardised, if not entirely wiped out, and this level of rampant instability can almost single-handedly be traced back to Earth. In only a few short decades after your induction, your race co-opted technology that was not yours, given to you by weaker states that used you singularly to further their own goals, and with that stolen technological prowess, saw fit to hold yourself as moral arbiters of the civilised galaxy, hell-bent on applying your own standards to the rest of the galactic population. Wars were started in the name of humanity’s great... stellar crusade. Worlds burned. Countless numbers died as a result of human interference. The battles started by humanity and its allies have been the catalyst for some of the bloodiest conflicts in over a millennium of relative galactic peace. Not only have these crimes gone unaddressed – if not praised by some powers – it makes humanity itself supremely hypocritical, given the instability, violence, and absolute barbarism of its own bloody history. Earth to this day remains divided, power split between multiple governments, marred and entrenched in its own microscopic conflicts. And, perhaps above all of this, ‘as I see it’, is that humans are responsible for the ruination of my own people. For me, humanity's unchecked behaviour is somewhat personal, and is the driving force behind my professional journey to map and document the history surrounding that period as accurately as I can. Once, the Imperium commanded a great deal of both respect and authority. Not a century since your unwarranted meddling, and it has been reduced to a husk of its former self, bound and crippled by Council restrictions that have seen my people turned slave towards and its hell-bent path towards proliferate unification. Had humanity not been inducted, the lives of a hundred million children might have been saved, and their ten billion ancestors would be alive today to experience this wondrous galaxy.”
As the professor had continued his explanation, Waylon’s eyes became progressively wider, his expression changing from one of calm expectation to that of complete disbelief. He sat quiet for a long time, his deep brown eyes staring unwaveringly into Xot's black ones.
The Otegan waiter returned and wordlessly placed a blue, smoking drink on the table, before bowing and returning to serve the other guests – all the while, Waylon did not move. Eventually, Waylon decided to speak again.
“’Crippled by restrictions that have seen my people turn slave?’ “He whispered. “You have the audacity to use that word to describe what happened to your people after the conflict?”
“That 'conflict' ended our role as a greater galactic power. It killed millions.”
“Yes, it killed millions. And it liberated billions.”
"'Liberated.'" snorted Xot dismissively. “Please, Mr. Rhyne. I have studied Earth’s history extensively for my own xeno-anthropological works. Let us not pretend that humans have not utilised the labour of lower classes when convenient to them too, no? I am well aware of your centuries-long transatlantic slave trade. I am well aware of the late-stage capitalist pursuits of the 22nd century, which was enslavement in all but name. I am well aware of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which to this day remains a monument to the supremacy of your ancient Egyptian people in their time, all those eons ago. No, let us not pretend that you're in any position to, as a human might say, throw the first stone, Mr. Rhyne.”
“How is the ancient pre-industrial history of Earth comparable to an interstellar compact of systems built and sustained by an uncountable number of slaves?” asked Waylon
“It isn't.” Said Xot simply.
"It isn- what? Said Waylon, momentarily disoriented at the apparent agreement.
"You're right", explained the professor, pouncing on the opportunity. "It isn't the same. At all. I was merely being hyperbolic. But, now that you've brought it up, I might as well elaborate.”
“Please.”
“Historic human concepts as to what precisely constitutes 'slavery' are completely different to what other species might consider to be such. In some systems, concepts of 'slavery' were actually more akin to something like a caste structure. Something your race is all too familiar with, I might add. On some worlds, mere socioeconomic disparity would be enough to consider a group trapped in effective indentured servitude. On others still, a slave would murder their brethren without a second thought to have a chance at the comparative luxury that the average human slave might have lived in. The point is, my Terran friend, that your standards behind the definition of the word are yours and yours alone. So yes, assuredly, it isn't the same - because human slaves and Gheerani vassals weren't the same. The way that your so-called 'Coalition' rushed into action betrayed the utter non-understanding of this simple fact, which I myself have personally demonstrated through a massive amount of studies over the past 60 years. My entire professional career is dedicated to detailing the actual history of inter-species vassalism and the catastrophic implications that the war had for those vassals, let alone the greater stability of galactic civilisations comprised of trillions of individuals.
“A slave is a slave is a slave, doctor. In any form. In any capacity. No matter how eloquent the justification. A contextual boot is still a boot. Oppression is not subject to your bureaucratic interpretation of morality - or at least, it shouldn't be. I won't pretend that our hands are clean in this, but surely you see that’s beside the point. The times in which humanity was structured in such a manner are the darkest periods of our history. They are a stain on our name, and our entire race utterly denounces them.”
Xot sighed, unimpressed with the response.
“And that, Waylon,” he said, “might just be why there is only one Great Pyramid in Giza.”
Waylon laughed. A harsh, biting bark that made Xot’s fur bristle unintentionally. He cursed internally at having been so easily startled, and quickly flattened it down. Waylon's laugh faded, and he turned to stare out of the great glass dome of The Eye, gently shaking his head as he did.
The sky had now truly darkened, the gargantuan planet above shading them from sunlight and allowing the sky to fill with an awe-inspiring number of stars. With their discussion now illuminated be the gentle yellow glow of the restaurant's lights, the two fell into long silence for the second time.
This time, Xot was the one to break it.
“Tell me, Rhyne,” he probed, “because truly, I am curious. Do you really believe that Earth was in any position to initiate hostilities with Gheraan? Less than 20 years on the galactic stage, with one of the bloodiest and most fractured histories ever recorded, actively trying to threaten wide-spread stability for no reason but to satiate your race’s desire for moral absolutism?”
“Moral satiation was not a factor in the actions of Earth, doctor.” Responded Waylon darkly. “Many a reason did humanity have for encouraging disassociation with Gheraan’s regime at the time.”
“Oh?” said Xot, feigning polite surprise. “Name one. Specifically.”
“Gheraan’s treatment of the Nediv, just one of your several sla- ‘vassal’ races. A population of almost a billion Nediv lived and died on Gheraan in a generations-long cycle of systemic subjugation, relegated exclusively to being forced to work the extremely hazardous jobs that kept your wondrous Imperium afloat.” Retorted Waylon, without hesitation. “Denied pay. Denied legal rights. Denied housing. Denied food to the point of mass famine. Denied self-determination. Forced to work whatever position seen fit, with either imprisonment or death as a reward for not complying. But don’t worry, doctor, I’m sure as they lay starving and tortured, they found comfort in the idea that, well, technically*,* it wasn’t outright slavery, because no-one owned them as they might a table.”
Waylon’s tone had remained light throughout, but Xot had watched the subtle changes in his face as he spoke, betraying far more powerful emotions than the human was presenting.
An opportunity, noted the professor mentally. But not one without danger.
“Ah, yes,” said Xot with a small smirk, “the Nediv. That most noble of races. You do know why the Nediv actually found their way to settling on Gheraan, don’t you?”
Waylon said nothing.
Xot continued. “Of course you do. Because some 350 years ago, the Nediv managed to successfully turn their homeworld into an irradiated asteroid field due to a prolonged nuclear civil war. And tell me, when the few survivors of that cataclysm boarded their last colony ships and travelled across the galaxy, begging for asylum, what exactly happened?”
Again, Waylon remained silent.
“Yes, that’s right!” said the professor with sarcastic gusto. “They were soundly denied by every single world that they visited. Except. For. One. Gheraa-”
“- and this is where your justification lies, is it?” snapped Waylon suddenly. “That they should actually thank you for being the ones to grant them new lands, despite the fact that it was done not out of any sense of goodwill or desire to help, but as a way to expand the horizons of the Gheraani Imperial machine by treating the entire race as a resource to expend?”
“Without Gheraani intervention, they would have died out within a single generation.” Xot countered. “Withered to nothing and drowned in a vast sea of their own failure. What, you think that we should have divided our own homeworld in two, giving half over to them? Dedicated Gheraani resources, Gheraani food, Gheraan’s water, soil, and air to them, purely because they managed to obliterate themselves in a bloody, atomic war? I think not. We made our terms clear; If you are to stay, you are to contribute to our affairs as repayment for allowing your existence within our borders. That is the agreement that the population’s forefathers made, and it is one that we upheld – forcibly, if required. You can upturn your nose at my people’s actions, Rhyne, but the simple reality of the matter is that without those actions, they wouldn’t exist at all.”
“Better to die standing than t-“ began Waylon.
“- than to live on your knees, yes, you’re a veritable poet, sir, bravo*.*” Shot Xot witheringly. “Humanity’s many elegant platitudes concerning strength of will and remaining steadfast may stroke your species’ over-inflated ego, but I doubt they would mean very much to a race struggling against its own death throes. Tell me it’s better to die free than live maltreated when at the brink of your own destruction, and then perhaps I’ll concede your words have weight. But until then? Save your breath. If the Nediv were unshackled willingly, they would have evaporated. Too weak to survive whole against an uncaring, unrelenting galaxy. They served a purpose that befit their stature as a failed race. And a century after they were released from our arrangement, look at where they are now. Both everywhere and nowhere. Existing as single townships on farmworlds, or as perhaps the owner of just another business on an endless city-world.”
They had both been getting steadily louder as the argument continued, and as Xot finished his tirade and a quiet fell again, both became acutely aware that half of the restaurant were now staring at them in awe.
“Let me surmise, Xot.” Said Waylon, controlling his volume carefully. “You think that there is a principled argument for… vassalism, to use your own term?”
“I do.” Replied the professor, choosing not to launch another offensive.
“And you think that the socioeconomic position of the Nediv, to name a single example, befit their ability as a collective?”
“Research and data concerning both the average physical constitution of the Nediv, as well as their intellectual prowess, has always indicated that, correct.”
“You view humanity’s attempts to disassociate with the Imperial regime at that time to be a result of how you were treating your vassals societally, and ultimately the catalyst for wide-spread warfare.”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.” Said Waylon, an increasingly puzzled expression painting his features. “I see. I’ve just one more question.”
“Go on.”
“For what other reasons did humanity act the way it did?”
The table was hit with an immediate stillness. Though Xot did not understand the implication of the inquiry, every nerve in his body was telling him that he had just been asked a very dangerous question.
“I… there were none.” Said Xot slowly, carefully. “There are no examples of any Imperial behaviour that would have warranted such an escalating response from humanity, and by extension, the rest of galactic society. My decades of fervent searching would have shown as much.”
Waylon stared at Xot, his features absolutely unmoving, revealing nothing.
“I see.” Repeated the human.
Xot found the mystery around Waylon’s implications deeply irritating. He shifted in his seat, now comfortably agitated by the man’s behaviour.
He was about to speak when Waylon cut him off.
“My father was ten years old when we made first contact." He said quietly, turning to look at the stars and away from Xot. "That would have been… Christ, a hundred and five years ago, now.” He chuckled softly at realising the number, and turned back to meet the professor’s gaze again. “Of course, you know who we made first contact with, don’t you?”
If Xot were human, he would have rolled his eyes.
In truth, the professor himself had been very young when humanity was discovered. He was a year old when humans made first contact, 21 at the dawn of the war, and only 36 years of age when it had ended.
“The Vaesk.” Said Xot with audible disinterest.
“The Vaesk. For five full years, we remained in contact with only the Vaesk, as per Council protocol, to be educated on galactic lore. To train our ambassadors, to learn what languages we could, to develop our infrastructure as necessary for our induction into the greater galactic community. Imagine, then, the shock that my father – that Earth – received, when we learned that one of the largest and most influential galactic superpowers– the Gheraani Empire, was a state maintained by the unpaid, forced labour of another race. Slaves. A concept so utterly abhorrent to our species, so barbaric, that it had been abandoned for almost a thousand years. I still remember how my late father spoke of that moment. First contact was, and still is, the single greatest moment in all of human history. Think, doctor. Just imagine, the countless billions of children who’ve looked up at the stars from a million different worlds, each and every one wishing, hoping, that one day, they themselves might walk amongst them. A whole universe of wonder and adventure. Something that was greater, better than themselves. Imagine, then, the moment that he, a child of ten years, realised that instead we would be entering an age where slavery persisted. The look in his eyes as he described what it felt like… I’ll never forget it.”
Waylon paused, his voice tinged with sadness. Xot could tell more was coming, so he said nothing.
“Of course, the Vaesk had been born into this galactic reality so long ago that they were first confused as to why we took contention with this. Why we were being ‘problematic’ by refusing to send ambassadors, refusing to allow trade or exports to reach your systems, refusing any and all association with you. But, eventually, they began to, ah… resonate with our ideas, shall we say. The idea that freedom is a right of all sentient life, and to infringe on that freedom is…wrong. Utterly, without exception. So, in time, the Vaesk sided with us. Then, so did the Gipfeli. Then the Caairan. Even the Bosc. The louder our message became, the faster it spread. Until, eventually, we had spearheaded a coalition of systems that rivalled the strength of the combined Gheraa-.”
“A coalition that plunged 30 systems into WAR!” Xot hissed.
How could this fool be so blind? So emotionally entangled in the petty wants of a relative few, over the stability of worlds that consisted of tens of billions of people?
Waylon was unphased by the outburst.
“- of the combined Gheraani bloc, who were prepared to voice our collective concerns about the Imperium’s behaviour.” He continued. “And so, we made our requests clear. The release of all vassal races, over a ten-year period. Compensation for their treatment, ideally. The denunciation of the practise of Imperial Vassalism, and the reorganisation of worlds that depended on it. We even offered raw material and technology that would have allowed Gheraan to replace their labour sectors with robotic, industrialised alternatives, with no expectation of repayment. Ultimately, if the requests weren’t met, then we wouldn’t be able to conduct business with the Imperium in good faith. The Coalition would refuse to trade with Gheraan in all areas, and Imperial citizens wouldn’t be allowed access to any Coalition territory, which was then a sizeable chunk of charted space. Gheraan itself would face massive economic consequences through lack of trade and travel.”
“A ridiculous offer that only served to heighte-“ Xot began.
“My father was an Admiral, you know.” He joined the United Terran Space Force at 18, and by the time the wars were closing, had command of an entire UTSF fleet.” Said Waylon, not caring to hear Xot’s response. “Seems impossible, I know, but the war was a period of huge flux, and I’ve found that the impossible manifests more than you’d expect in times like that.”
Xot stopped dead in his tracks, his mind racing. He had spent the better part of 60 years becoming the foremost Gheraani expert on the war, and not once had he heard of an Admiral Rhyne.
Just who is this man?
“There was no Admiral Rhyne of the UTSF.” Said Xot, half dismissively, half with tenuous curiosity as to where this was going.
“I took my mother’s surname.” Explained Waylon. “They thought it was best that I not be associated with a commander after the war was over. My father was Titus Thoran.”
Now, it was Xot’s turn to sit in silence. Stunned, paralyzed silence. Dimly aware of Waylon closely examining his reaction, sipping his drink as he did, the utterly dumbfounded professor sat, processing what he had just been told.
“The General Thoran?” he asked quietly.
“The General Thoran.” Responded Waylon.
“The Titus Thoran that became the youngest UTSF Admiral in history, and oversaw the destruction of all 10 of the Great Houses of Nyas? Gheraan’s sister world? Crippling their government, causing it to fall into chaos?”
“The very same.” The old man’s voice was flat, emotionless. If he felt anything about this atrocity, Xot was surely unable to tell.
Xot paused. “I don’t believe you.” He said flatly, folding all four of his arms together and leaning back into his chair.
Waylon said nothing. Instead, he pulled out his own datapad from a pocket, and within seconds presented Xot with a picture of what was unmistakably himself as a young adult, standing next to an elderly and equally unmistakable Admiral Thoran, his entire chest adorned with military medals and honours.
Xot stared, astonished. After a long moment, he gave out a low pitched, stuttered whining – the equivalent of laughter. For quite some time, he sat, his arms resting on the table, whining and grunting, amused beyond words. All the while, Waylon sat, his weathered eyes watching the cackling Gheraani. Eventually, Xot composed himself.
“Gods above, Mr. Thoran,” he said, still laughing as he emphasised the surname - “I must thank you for making my job that much easier by being so very cognisant of the atrocities that the Coalition committed! Your own father was responsible for a maelstrom of chaos on Nyas that began with him beheading their government via the orbital bombardment of over 50 statesmen and stateswomen.”
Waylon seemed unfazed by this accusation. “My father left their society in chaos by removing approximately three hundred million Nediv, Vodani, and Kotharan slaves from Nyas,” he said, “immediately after the leaders of Nyas were executed for their crimes.” His tone was borderline conversational, and his expression remained as unreadable as ever.
“Crimes?” Spluttered Xot, incredulous. “Crimes? The vassals of Nyas were menial labourers! They worked in kitchens, they worked as repairmen, house servants! There were cities dedicated to housing them! THIS is the fundamental issue with humanity that I have spent my career trying to make so clear to the galactic population, Rhyne – your overbearing vanity. Can you not, for a second, comprehend the idea that a species might do something differently to the way humans have historically acted? Again, humanity might have treated their slaves as objects to be bought and sold, but the Imperium never viewed their vassals as expendable. We SAVED them, you fool. They were tools, an unfortunate tool that was strategically utilised so that an unimaginably greater number of individuals may life a better life. So blind were you to the idea that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, that you simply heard the word ‘slave’ and decided that in that single syllable, you were supplied agency enough that it justified you razing entire civilisations to DUST!”
The professor’s temper had risen dramatically as he spoke, and the last word was shouted with venom. Still, Waylon remained completely calm, still with that odd look that Xot was unable to place. What was that emotion? Sadness? Anger? He was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the old man’s eyes drilling into him. He felt naked, like the man could see past his body and into soul.
This fool, he thought. This utter fool. How uneducated this man must be – the son of one of the greatest generals of the Coalition, no less – taking this inelegant bastardisation of history as nothing but absolute truth? It beggars belief that…
That the son of one of the war’s greatest generals…
One of the war’s most decorated, travelled generals…
Would
Believe
This.
Suddenly, it dawned on Xot. A terrible realisation.
This man knows something I don’t. At least, he thinks that he knows something that I don’t.
This is why Waylon was so subdued. So quiet. This was that strange look. It wasn’t frustration. It was pity. Waylon hadn’t come to discuss the actions of humanity as he saw them, he had come to provide Xot with a truth. Waylon knew this, and he felt pity for what he was about to show the professor. Xot eyed the human with a new level of caution – part of the professor still wished that it was just his physical safety that he had to fear for.
“What game are you playing, here, Rhyne?” he asked, cautiously.
The old man smiled sadly.
“Menial labourers and repairmen, eh?” he said.
Waylon reached into his coat and produced a small coin-shaped object, barely the size of a poker chip. He placed it on the table gently and slid it across to Xot. “You’re familiar with these?” He asked the professor.
Xot picked it up and examined it closely. There was no question that the item was genuine.
“I- yes, of course. Early Terran datachips. Sixty-four qubit quantum encryption, physically un-rewritable and unerasable once ascribed data. Used to hold extremely sensitive information. Military grade.”
“That was one of my father’s most valuable possessions,” Waylon explained. “We have thousands of items in our estate – trophies, you understand. Relics from battles won, battles lost, memorabilia from the war that he dedicated himself to. That little chip was the one item he treasured above all else. He had a stasis vault built, deep under the estate, singularly to house it.”
Xot flattened his fur anxiously, staring at the chip, then Waylon, and then the chip again.
“What does it contain?”
“Menial labourers and repairmen.” Said Waylon simply, taking the chip and inserting it into his datapad. Immediately, a video filled the screen.
​
Part 2
/DunsparceWrites
https://www.s-word-stories.com/

There you are. Staring puzzled at your screen. It looks like you’ve come past my first barrier. What drove you to click this? Curiosity? Disbelief? Maybe you’re just one of those people that shoves all in on a sub-par hand in poker. Watching those chips fly with 7-4 just to see the flames, or the fury if you somehow pull it off. Whatever your reason for being here you should know I’m deadly serious. You should know that by continuing to scan down this page you’re putting yourself in danger, you’re putting your family in danger, your neighbourhood, maybe the whole world. I’m going to do my best to scare you off, to keep you from the worst of it, but I want people to know what happened in my small town.
Are you ready to begin? First I’d like to define two terms. Philosophy professor Nick Bostrom defines “information hazards” as information which, by knowing it or knowing about, can cause or facilitate direct harm to yourself or others. The simplest example might be the dissemination of the bomb-making instructions, information which, when utilised, can bring others to great harm by its mere transmission from one person to another. But there are more strange and powerful things than these, where once the words enter your mind not a single nail or screw need be affixed for them to have explosive consequences. The mere act of knowing is more destructive than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The second notion I would like to make you aware of is “innoculation”. We all know a little about this from getting shots and vaccines as children. A little dose of something can help protect from its bigger badder equivalent. I will now try to scare you off once more. Please heed this little needle.
Few people have heard of “Roko’s Basilisk” and, given the ramifications from some who have entertained the concept, this may be for the best. To give you a rough summary, this thought experiment supposes that the already rapid development of artificial intelligence will eventually result in the production of a super-intelligent AI with computational complexity and capacity far beyond what we can currently imagine. At a certain point this being of unfathomable computational power will logically come to be an intrinsic and guiding force in our society as it far outstrips petty humans and our primitive programming. Given the ability to direct a society in such a fashion, and able to simulate all human consciousness that has ever existed with a click of its binary fingers, it will logically view all those conscience humans that were aware of its possible development but did nothing to assist it as a kind of moral hazard. Why, if you were aware such a thing was possible, would you not actively work to create such a superior form of life to guide our own? For that the reward of your reconstructed consciousness may be eternal torture akin to Hell. And now, by merely knowing about the Basilisk, you risk incurring its wrath for not bringing it into to existence.
Steps have now been taken to innoculate you against the hazard. If the thought of the information you just learned bringing an eternity of unimaginable torment has just unnerved you then hopefully that will be enough to get you to click away to safety. Go ahead. Stream a nice sitcom with bright colours and flawed but lovable characters. Watch a gif of a raccoon eating candy floss. You know you want to. I’m begging you. I really am.
To tell this story in its totality I will have to begin with the Hardimans. When I saw their cute little semi-detached house taped off with a police cordon it sent a shiver up my spine. They had always kept to themselves but I would frequently see the father, gin-blossomed and warm, on his way to work in the morning and we’d make neighbourly small talk. It was only when I looked more closely at the tape and noticed it did not have the symbol of any police or civil defence force but rather bore the words “City Office of Cogito Hazards-DO NOT CROSS OR COMMUNICATE WITH RESIDENTS INSIDE” that I felt a strange wave of unease in my stomach. I had never heard of the office or the concept and the thought the family was holed up in there, disallowed from communicating with the outside world at all, made me sick with worry.
The situation developed as questions to my wife and conversations with neighbours and, at one point, a local policeman, proved fruitless. Here are there the yellow cordons blossomed like daffodils. The traffic out of the housing estate in the morning thinned, until soon enough I was gliding to work in no time at all. I had even been a little thankful for that then, in a kind of darkly humorous way. Once I spotted the yellow tape across the wrought iron fence of the gated community I passed on my morning commute the articles in local news popped up.
Bottom of page 9 in our little town chronicle. It seemed so ignoble and unimportant but now I understand the reason for their discretion. “Outbreak of Strange Flu Forces Quarantine of Several Homes and Communities”. Little information was provided except that the head of the City Office of Cogito Hazards, a newly formed task force of sorts, assured that it was little to worry about and that people ought to go on living their lives as normal. Eat in restaurants, meet your friends and leave us to our work. Work, live, love and don’t ask questions. Allergic to any interruptions to my comfortable domesticity I did as I was told, even as local social media buzzed with terror and conspiracy.
Of that whole period of time I can’t tell you much. We existed in an almost normality for a while. The reputable sources did not blare frightened warning and those that seemed most on edge were the same that concocted criminal conspiracies out of every local happening , believing curtain twitching to be highest investigative effort. I was distracted in any case, working for a promotion in the little law office I had defaulted into after a college career obsessed with the classics. As it turned out one was better off chasing ambulances than Odysseus. My boss smiled at me whenever I got into work 20 minutes early, sailing smoothly past the town and its cobwebs of bright yellow tape.
The promotion came eventually, as much from effort and impression as from the fact that at least 2 of my colleagues were uncertain of a return to work, cooped up in their houses as they were. I rushed home on empty streets to tell my wife the wonderful news but when I got inside she was nowhere to be found. I spent some time, heart-hammering and skin perspiring, shouting around the house for her and blowing up her phone with frantic calls. That must have been why it took so long for the City Office of Cogito Hazards to get through to me and tell me she was gone. I ate celebratory streak alone in the living room with that hideous little lamp on and cried into a number of glasses of wine.
World media was barren of any mention and the scraped through enough national headlines to tell you in intimate detail about the travails of beef prices and artisan cobblers in the Western province at length but found no story of cordons and quarantines. Some of the local papers were at least braving more explicit warnings now but they always ran the risk that some, foolish like you, would only take it as enticement. I think that’s why the schools were the next to shut and the adolescent holding facility erected. When you say “do not think of a pink elephant” to most people they won’t be able to get the pastel creature out of their head. If you say it to an impulsive and defiant teenager they will model their whole identity on pink elephants; wallpaper their rooms in pink elephants and fill notebooks will elegant drawings of their trunks.
And so life went on, slipping back into an odd mixture of terror and mortality. I received periodic updates from the mysterious City Office that left me none the wiser but assured me my wife was safe and cared for and would be returning home to me at some undetermined point in the future. One day they advised me to return home and meet a pair of their officers immediately. I strolled into my bosses’ office with a little trepidation as we were now the only two left in the building and I didn’t want to leave him in the lurch. He sat at his desk, furiously scribbling or doodling or somesuch on a piece of paper. He didn’t even look up or mutter when he asked him several times if it was okay if I went home. Eventually I just walked out to the car, never to see the man again. When I arrived the two men in uniform wearing dark sunglasses and silent earbuds stood at my doorway to greet me.
It was not what I imagined or hoped for. I had been looking forward to some news about my wife, some indication that things would soon move back to some imitation of normality. Instead I got another in an unceasing tide of strange change. I was informed my home was being “hazard-proofed” and I would be compensated for the removal of any items of value I watched in silence as two men played a low, humming drone on their little black earbuds and went to work. Notebooks, printer paper, old cds, phones, computers; all of it thrust unceremoniously into rustling black rubbish bags. All of it hauled away in a van without any identifying markers. I did not even have the television to cover the noise of my soft sobs as I sat in the bare living room that night.
Is it starting to unnerve you now? Are you wise enough to not fall for the distraction and placation that kept me plodding through life as though all was largely normal? I certainly hope so. I have given you every opportunity to avoid my fate and protect yourself and everyone you love. I have fought the compulsion that itches beneath my skin at every turn and thrown up my own verbose cordon for you. Will you simply continue to scan downwards like a man slipping with a grin beneath those words: “DO NOT CROSS OR COMMUNICATE WITH RESIDENTS INSIDE”?
Treading up the carpeted stairs one night I felt glum and frustrated. I was not going outside much then as there wasn’t much to see. From time to time I would take a walk but the yellow tape and empty streets became too much for me. Occasionally one of those unassuming vans would trundle by and I would swear I heard someone scream in the back. Finding the little old phone in a junk drawer that the officials had neglected was a god send. The thing was janky and died at random but it allowed me some glimpse of entertainment in the house besides stewing in the fever of my own confusion and fear. If it can be called entertainment to scan the world and national headlines and be told that life goes on as normal outside your ruined world. I was absorbed in some such piece, on a transnational climate accord gone bad, and so did not at first notice the flakes of wallpaper falling on my head.
Upwards, my eyes scanned, and found the offending patch of wall at last. The wallpaper, a calming lilac affair my wife had picked out, was peeling away. No...not peeling...but peeled. This wasn’t some chance act of time or wear but the last gasp of communication from my missing love. My darling. They didn’t realise just how lo-fi you were. I had to stand on the stair banister and steady myself with my hands against the wall to read what you’d scratched there clearly, flakes of pink nail polish flecked around your words. How I wish now my balance had wavered and I had fallen. How I wish I had taken a great blow to the head and been rendered unconscious. Death too, might have been preferable to reading that damned phrase.
Softly now, leave me. Navigate away. Just glide that little cursor or tap that little button and leave me to be in my feverish pit. Seal yourself up in unknowing like a warm cocoon and live there the rest of your days if you can. I am truly pleading with your from the bottom of my heart. Do not let this thing into your life. There is no forgetting it. You have one last chance. I beg you not to read the first word of each paragraph.

Achtung, baby! Today we play it my way!

And play it my way we shall! That’s right, I’m cutting Klavier Gavin, the Glimmerous fop himself! Not counting Ga’ran, I believe this will be the first true main character of the rankdown to be cut, and most certainly the first main prosecutor. He will be going down in a blaze of glory more than worthy of the Rockstar of the Courtroom himself, so let’s light it up and get right down into the nitty gritty of this cut!
So, what exactly is it that’s led me to this path, to be cutting a main character so early, and a main prosecutor at that! Well let me tell you, this decision was not an easy one to make. Over Klavier’s career he seems to have gained something of a negative reputation among the representatives of the rankdown, so I think it’s time we set the record straight on Klavier, once and for all. That’s right, I don’t in fact hate Klavier, nor do I want to see him go out right now, but the sad reality is that this was going to happen real soon either one way or another, so I decided to swallow my pride, and accept the cold hard reality that Cody Hackins will be getting a higher spot in the Rankdown than Klavier Gavin.
Klavier Gavin is neither detrimental to the overall game of Apollo Justice, nor is he a boring character with no depth. Throughout this cut I will be attempting to prove these two points thoroughly, while also providing analysis of Klavier as a character on his own merits, as well as his relationships with other characters throughout the story. That’s right, this is both a defense write-up and a traditional cut, crazy I know! Of course I won’t be neglecting any faults Klavier has as a character, but quite frankly I don’t think he has that many in the first place. But without further ado let’s get into the specifics!

“So, who have you come to see? Prosecutor Gavin, scourge of the courtroom…”

Klavier as a prosecutor functions quite differently from pretty much every other rival in the series, in that his role in the story is about as far from an antagonistic force as you can get. Every other rival, although some one turn eventually, tended to be against you for a majority of their screen time. This creates tense courtroom battles as you slowly make progress against a seemingly unstoppable force, clawing your way up as the underdog of every battle, desperately defending those which need you there to save them. It’s exciting stuff really, and I can definitely see why a sudden shift in dynamic with the prosecutor would be off-putting, but I honestly feel like this in no way takes away from the game, but in fact actually enhances the themes of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney.
So what exactly are the themes of Apollo Justice? Well there’s quite a few of them that can be felt throughout the game. This includes the ever changing nature of the law, or the meaninglessness of revenge, but the one that Klavier most enhances is the idea that the problems come from the system, and not the people. Throughout the Ace Attorney series we constantly see the dire state that the law system is in, and the way it corrupts and twists those within it. We see it corrupt prosecutors into trying to win every single case despite potentially putting away innocent men and women. We see those in places of power in the police manipulate evidence and even go so far as to kill those that work under them in order to put the guilty away. And of course, we even see it corrupt and twist defense attorneys, and nowhere is that better shown than Klavier’s very own brother, Kristoph Gavin.
Across the series, we constantly take down these corrupted officials, but nothing really ever changes. There is no final boss, no CEO of corrupt law, who we can just take down and suddenly all of the problems in the system are magically fixed. There’s always someone else, another person that’s corrupted, another one to take down and try to remedy this broken situation. But taking down those people is just treating the symptom of the issue, not the cause, not the system itself that’s affecting the lives of everyone involved. Kristoph, the very representation of this darkness dragging everyone else down deeper into the depths of the system itself, contrasts his brother brilliantly. Klavier represents the people in this system, affected by the nature of it, but still carrying on trying to make sure the will of justice is carried out.
When we first see Klavier in court, it honestly doesn’t feel like anything new. Sure, he has a cool design, and a cool theme, with some wacky animations, but that’s really nothing Godot didn’t have as well. He pushes against us whenever we attempt to make progress on proving Wocky innocent, not with the same ferocity as other prosecutors before him, but he certainly puts up a reasonable effort. However, once it seems like it’s all over within the first segment of the trial, something changes. Trucy pulls a fast one on the court and pretends that she’s being held hostage by an attacker, the judge and Apollo both instantly buy it and reasonably freak out, but Klavier sees right through her act. This is when any other prosecutor would call BS on her, but Klavier lets the defense have their recess, even Apollo notices how strange it is, maybe he’s up to something? But no, throughout the trial, and even the next day, we see him not put up much resistance. He’ll refute an argument if he thinks it’s dumb or incomplete, or correct us on something sure, but he doesn’t actually fight back. Why is this?
Klavier is different from all of the other prosecutors before him, in that he doesn’t care about winning, in fact he probably cares about winning significantly less than even Apollo does. He just wants the truth, that’s all he cares about in court. Once the killer is revealed in court, as long as Klavier is convinced that Apollo is on the right track, he’s not gonna do anything to stop you, and in fact during the final trial of Turnabout Corner, he’s actively helpful, after all you are nothing more than a rookie defense attorney, ja? Now at first this may seem like a clearly detrimental thing to the way the game plays out, after all just a few paragraphs ago I described how great the courtroom battles of the trilogy were, but this isn’t the only great feeling that can be gained from the courtroom.
Think back to Turnabout Samurai, throughout the entire case you’ve been fighting against Edgeworth once again, trying to stop him from getting a guilty verdict passed on your client, but then at the end, something happens. Suddenly Edgeworth realizes that you’ve been right all along, and sees that the end of the trial is just around the corner, so he stops fighting. He makes an objection and finds a reason for the culprit to stay and testify once again, leaving you room to win. This is the feeling Apollo Justice’s courtroom battles recreate, the feeling of two bros against the world, fighting the corrupt system itself, and finding those swept up in the madness of this world.

There's a darkness in this world, Trucy-doll. Waiting, hungry. Compared to it, these gangs' turf wars are like kid games. When you're up against real evil... Well, it don't matter if you're weak or strong. It'll take you all the same.

-Guy Eldoon
This right here is what Apollo Justice is about, the swallowing whole of innocents by the darkness of humanity and the underbelly of society. If Klavier were just another poor soul affected by this system and corrupted by it, it wouldn’t mean anything. We’ve seen that before, numerous times. But instead of that, here we have Klavier, someone in the position of proving the guilt of people, and trying his damnedest to stay unaffected by it and find the truth. The problem isn’t the people, no the problem is the system affecting them, and Klavier knows this better than anyone, and he’s gonna do everything in his power to fix it. It’s really great stuff that the game manages to get across just by having him try something new as a prosecutor, but it’s not just the story that accounts for this, the game does as well.
In Trials and Tribulations we get a prosecutor who doesn’t really fight back, one who mostly sits back and lets you make points against his case, for completely different reasons than Klavier, but the result isn’t dissimilar. But as u/Sciencepenguin pointed out in one of their own write-ups on Klavier, the game is built for this, by having the culprits typically take the role of your main opposition. Luke, Furio, and Dahlia are all quick thinking foes who constantly hold the courtroom itself in the palm of their hand, Godot simply nudges you or the judge off course to assist the killers, except of course Dahlia, for obvious reasons. However, if you’re paying attention you can see that Apollo Justice attempts something similar, yet very different, and in fact more representative of these themes we keep coming back to.
As I’ve said, the enemy in Apollo Justice isn’t any one person, it’s the situation itself, and this is true of the cases as well. These cases are consistently more complex and multilayered than most any equivalent case in the trilogy, with the exception of Rise from the Ashes, which hardly really counts. From a four person murder setup with poker chips playing a pivotal role, to four different intersecting incidents in one single case, to a case that spans seven entire years which has murder weapons setup just as much in advance. The catharsis of beating the snot out of someone with your words isn’t really present in Apollo Justice, instead the game opts for the satisfaction of solving the crime, putting the pieces together, and finally setting the record straight on these incredibly complex mysteries. And what better kind of prosecutor to be in that kind of story than one who’s right by your side, to call you out on any BS, and help you on your way to solving this impenetrable mystery and ridding the world of this impenetrable darkness.

“...Or Klavier, lead vocalist for the Gavinners?”

Okay guys can we just be honest with ourselves, Klavier is pretty dang cool. He bangs the wall, yells “Achtung baby!” and then his coolness levels are so high that he rewrites reality to blast music in the courtroom to which he then shreds to with an imaginary guitar. Throughout the trials we consistently see him carry himself with this absolute swagger to him, from the way he talks to witnesses, the way he attempts to direct the trial, or just him dicking around because he feels like it. You can tell he takes his job seriously from the way he constantly assists you in reaching the truth, but he knows that he’s good enough that he can still have fun in the trial, after all it’s not all about trying to win, and who cares what’s common in the system? The system is broken so why not try to inject a bit of human emotion into it, that’s what the jurists are for after all.
So yeah, Klavier is a pretty fun prosecutor to be around even if you have issues with the way he affects the game, or with a topic we’ll be touching on in the next session, his supposed lack of character development. Take away these two things and you get yourself a great personality who livens up any courtroom battle they take part in. Not only does this personality and way he carries himself set him apart from really any other rival in the series, it also does wonders to establish him as a likeable figure in the game, as he’s not supposed to be just another hateable rival. He’s not even really meant to be hated at all, and nowhere is this clearer than him literally giving you backstage passes to his own concert after nothing but a singular trial against you. However, it’s at this trial that we finally see the other side of Klavier, as no one is perfect and no one can be Prosecutor Gavin, scourge of the courtroom at all times.
Throughout the beginning of this case we basically see just about everything go wrong for Klavier. His motorcycle stops working, he has to break open his own guitar case, during the show not only does his prized guitar burst into flames on stage, but his bandmate MISSES a CUE, the audacity of them. Oh also someone dies that kinda sucks. So yeah things are just really not going well for Klavier, and this is the first time we really see another side of him. He’s extremely emotional and has quite the short temper with basically anyone he interacts with throughout the investigation. He’s an utter perfectionist outside of the courtroom who refuses to budge on his bandmate’s mistake, nor brush off problems like he does within the court. From this, we can truly begin to understand who Klavier is.
Klavier is a flawed person, just like anyone else. He’s rash and often emotional about things going wrong, and a perfectionist to boot. He values those around him and yet he gets annoyed when those that he works with don’t put in the same level of effort as he does, and won’t hesitate to call them out on this. He’s exactly what you’d expect a prosecutor to be, somewhat self-centered and with a bit of a nasty personality added on top of that. Although, of course the subversion in this situation comes from that this is only how he acts outside of the courtroom, within the sacred walls he’s completely respectful and constantly keeps a level head, even when his own bandmate is being pinned as the killer. So what exactly does this tell us about Klavier as a person? Well despite his flaws and his attitude, he still understands just how important the courtroom proceedings are, and is willing to put aside everything else in order to make sure they run smoothly. He keeps his personal biases out of it until the very end, and this right here is where we can truly understand who Klavier is.
Klavier is nothing special, just another rockstar who has a big head and a huge following. But Prosecutor Gavin, this is where Klavier puts away his attitude and swallows his pride, it’s where he knows he can make a real difference. Of course, I may be filling in the gaps a little on my own, there’s really no way to know exactly what it is that drives Klavier, other than an unwavering desire for the truth. But I think this is for the best, Klavier has no reason to just explain at us exactly why he’s doing what he does, and this two-sided personality creates a more real character, leaving us to wonder exactly what drives him. It’s well done exploration of his character, and an effective way of endearing him to us. Klavier and Prosecutor Gavin, two sides of the same coin yet distinct in their approaches, but that distinction wasn’t always there. No, at one point these two entities were one and the same, in a person that we can see the full extent of just seven years earlier, at the trial that changed everything.

Origins of a Rockstar

Zak Gramarye’s trial in Turnabout Succession is one big subversion, but it’s one the game lets you know is coming. The entire trial gives off the feeling of nothing more than another case to add onto Phoenix’s ever growing pile, from the witnesses to the circumstances, to even the prosecutor. Valant appears to be nothing more than a first witness killer with not so hard to see through lies, and Gumshoe’s just being plain old Gumshoe. It really feels like nothing new, and even Phoenix doesn’t seem too concerned with things, he’s seen it all before. But of course, we know this isn’t the case. We know that Valant is still roaming free and is returning to activity, we know that this is when Phoenix loses his badge, and we know that that diary page we just received is the root of everything.
Klavier simply adds to this feeling, as here we get to see him how he was when he made his debut. Remember how I described Klavier as kind of arrogant and nothing really special when he’s in his rocker persona, well at this point in time that was his only persona. He didn’t yet understand what it meant to be a prosecutor, nor how important it was to treat the courts with respect. Right now he was nothing more than a rookie prosecutor, and an arrogant one at that. Throughout the trilogy we come across a new legend of the courtroom every year, and we take them down a peg every year, and young Klavier is doing absolutely nothing to set himself apart from every other prosecutor we’ve faced up to this point.
It’s at this point that I’d like to discuss the difference between character development and character progression, as understanding this difference is key to realizing why the criticisms of Klavier’s character are often unfounded. The progression of a character is the way they change throughout a story, how their demeanor and actions change based on what happens around them, and is often confused with development by many. Progression is not required when writing a well-rounded character. Character Development is the expanding on a personality of a character, to the point where we can understand a character fully, and know why they’re doing what they do, and hopefully understand them a layer deeper than their surface actions. This is what’s required for a fully rounded character, and it’s something Klavier has in spades.
Throughout the game we constantly get further insight into Klavier as a person, from the way he works in court, to the reasons he acts the way he does when helping us. Then we get further expansion on his personality, and get to understand how he acts when put in other situations such as at one of his concerts or during his research into one of his numerous cases. And of course, the time in which we learn the most about who Klavier is is during this past case, where we get to see him at his rawest, a rookie prosecutor trying to win a case, and we realize that in the beginning he was nothing more than another soul who was following the system, the same system that led every other prosecutor down the wrong path.
During this trial Klavier, for the one singular time in the game, feels like an actual threat to us. Of course it’s not a huge threat, as the experienced Phoenix, and the experienced player is able to push against every counterpoint that Klavier throws at us pretty easily, but it’s resistance nonetheless. Had Phoenix had time to prepare, Klavier would probably have nothing on him, but throughout the trial Klavier is the one who constantly holds the most cards, and thus is able to stay one step ahead. Despite our experience, we’re still somewhat the underdog due to our lack of evidence, which really helps sell the trilogy vibe they were going for. Of course, this back and forth ends abruptly and tragically, a Klavier finally baits Phoenix into presenting the evidence he knew that he had.
Were this an isolated trial, or the first time we see Klavier, it would seem like he was nothing more than a cocky jerk who wanted to bait his opponent into ruining their own life. However, through all the times we see Klavier before this, and through his words in the final trial, we can come to understand exactly why he did what he did. It wasn’t to win the trial, nor was it to see Phoenix disbarred, it was to reach the truth. We know that this is what fueled Klavier throughout the game, and we can see that he wholeheartedly believed Phoenix was trying to obscure the truth of the incident. A misguided, cocky, rookie prosecutor trying to reach the truth, that’s all Klavier was. A perfect subversion of everything we expect from a trilogy prosecutor, but exactly in line with what we’d expect from both Prosecutor Gavin, and the Klavier, lead guitarist of the Gavinners.
This is where Klavier’s development truly lies, not from seeing him change as a person as he reflects on the cases and his actions, but rather from understanding better who he is. We slowly come to realize more and more of the truth throughout the game as we get a clearer picture of the true form of Klavier Gavin, and this right here is the breaking point. This trial is what makes it all click, it shows us both of his sides as one, singular person, and we get to understand which one is the real Klavier, and the answer is both of them. Klavier is a multifaceted character who gets amazing development throughout the story from both his role in it, as well as the interactions he has with others. The most notable of these being his “rivalry” with the protagonist of the game, Herr Forehead.

A Mirror Worthy of that Forehead

Klavier and Apollo have one of the most unique dynamics of any rivals in Ace Attorney, in that they’re hardly really rivals at all. Most prosecutors in this series will have some sort of ulterior motive when going up against you, whether it be related to your personally or not, they have something else at stake through the course of every trial. Klavier just really doesn’t have anything like this, in fact his motivation during trials is pretty much the exact same as yours. He’s there to reach the one, singular, unmoving truth of the situation, and he’s probably even more committed to it than you are at the start. This creates an interesting dynamic because Apollo and Klavier really just don’t have any reason to dislike each other, and for the most part that holds true.
Franziska had a grudge against you for besting edgeworth, Godot wanted revenge for Mia’s death, and Edgeworth started off hating the lawyers who would protect who he saw as criminals. The most Klavier and Apollo have is just Apollo being kind of annoyed at Klavier being more popular and cooler than he is. It’s a dynamic we don’t really see again or before, with the protagonist being the one with the grudge, as silly as that grudge may be. This lack of real conflict between them lets their relationship be more relaxed in nature, which can be seen even from the beginning of their second case together, with the invitation to Klavier’s show. This close relationship is what lets us understand Klavier so well, and allows him to develop in our minds, as we’re able to see so many more sides of him than Godot or Franziska ever got. And of course, the relationship itself is top notch.
Apollo and Klavier have some pretty fantastic chemistry as characters, and it’s really fun to watch them go at it in court, as Klavier holding the superior position most of the time leads to some really great comedy at Apollo’s expense. Additionally, Apollo, being the sarcastic straight man that he is, is able to contrast beautifully with Klavier’s over the top cool guy persona, and his commentary on Klavier’s rocker outbursts are pretty fun as well. There’s really not much to analyze about their dynamic beyond that though, it’s fun and that’s about it, there really doesn’t need to be anything else more. But of course, that’s not all there is to their relationship as characters in a narrative, as Klavier serves as an absolutely brilliant mirror character for Apollo.
Throughout this write-up I’ve described Klavier’s transition from a hot blooded, fairly average prosecutor who’s stumbling and making mistakes on his way to reaching the truth, all the way to a stylish and professional prosecutor who’s able to consistently guide trials to the truth of the situation. Of course, this character arc is done off screen, or at least that’s what it appears like at first, but if you look closer to the specifics of this arc, it’s easy to realize where we can truly see this transformation. And that, of course, would be in Apollo himself.
As the story progresses we see Apollo’s transition from a hot blooded, fairly average defense attorney who’s stumbling and making mistakes on his way to reaching the truth, all the way to a confident and highly competent attorney able to find the true criminal and topple the regime of a small country. This should sound familiar, aside from that last bit. Klavier serves as a mirror to view Apollo in, he’s the final result of the arc that Apollo begins going through in his game, and serves as a mentor to guide what he probably sees as a younger version of himself to the correct outcome. Of course, he’s not the only one to guide Apollo, Phoenix is also there for that, but in Apollo’s debut game Phoenix is a bit concerned with other matters, so it’s really just left up to Klavier.
In Turnabout Trump it’s implied that Kristoph will be something akin to Apollo’s Mia throughout the game, but of course, this couldn’t be any further from the truth. Instead this role seems to fall upon Phoenix, but as I just said, he’s a bit preoccupied. So that would mean that the one Apollo leans on in times of need, the one to guide him down the correct path, and the one to show off the final version of himself, the person whom he will become and then surpass, that’s all Klavier baby. Having the mentor character of the game be the prosecutor is pretty genius, since it stops them from swooping in and saving the day in an unsatisfying conclusion, which we see Mia do several times. The most Klavier can do is stall for time or give hints to Apollo, since at the end of the day he’s still the opposition, and needs to make sure he sticks to his job. This not only consolidates down two roles in the story to one character, but also greatly improves one of those roles through the use of this consolidation. What an absolutely rockin’ idea.

A World of Herrs and Fräuleins

Klavier’s relationship with Apollo is by far his most interesting, but that doesn’t mean he lacks any other meaningful relationships with the rest of the cast, just that there’s not much to dissect there, or at least not a lot that I can find. Out of the main cast his other most notable dynamic would probably be with Ema, who he has a pretty fun back and forth with. He’s technically her boss which she absolutely hates, giving him somewhat insulting nicknames and begrudgingly accepting his orders, but he doesn’t seem to have too much of a problem with her. Overall it’s a pretty solid comedic relationship that doesn’t really have much depth to it but doesn’t really need to either. It does serve to somewhat humanize Ema, but a lot more of that comes from Apollo than Klavier. And to Klavier, well it’s really just another fräulein whom he is able to tease a bit during his job.
Speaking of just another fräulein, we have Trucy Wright, who Klavier himself doesn’t have much of a dynamic with, nor seemingly many thoughts on her. He seems to somewhat respect her as an intellectual throughout the trials, especially whenever she’s entire steps ahead of Apollo, but not really more than that is shown. Trucy, however, does have clear thoughts on Klavier, after all he is a rockstar, and she is a teenage girl, so it’s not really surprising that she seems to have a bit of a thing for him. Although, Trucy being Trucy, she doesn’t really let it show much outside of some offhand statements, or nicknaming him as a prince when she first meets Klavier in Turnabout Corner.
Of course, it’s not just the main cast that Klavier has a relationship with, as during the third case of the game we get to know one of his bandmates, and one critical to the case at that, that being Daryan Crescend. Daryan’s relationship with Klavier is really my only actual complaint with Klavier as a character, as there’s not much here when there really should be. We see Klavier being annoyed at Daryan missing the cue, which is natural to his rocker persona, and of course we prove that Klavier is indeed correct. There’s a few more interactions between them throughout the case but they never really amount to much. At the end of the day I’m not really sure what either of them thinks of the other, which isn’t great when it comes to two seemingly close friends who are both pivotal to the case.
Daryan’s send-off at the end isn’t particularly notable either, as Klavier kind of lacks a reaction. As we begin to finger Daryan as the culprit, Klavier puts up pretty much his usual amount of opposition, and doesn’t seem too terribly broken up about it either. It’s possible that this was done in order to further cement him as more mature in the courtroom, and able to recognize the need for the truth to come out, but it kind of ends up just making this relationship come off as hollow. Having him more melancholic about it would allow him to seem like he genuinely cared, while not compromising that ever present desire to reach the truth that’s so ingrained in Klavier as a character.
The complaint with Daryan isn’t an isolated incident though, as it’s a common belief that Klavier’s interactions with Kristoph don’t amount to anything much, and it’s a major reason why many hold the belief that nothing is really done with him as a character. However, this complaint is just plainly not true, and comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of the characters. Kristoph is hardly a character in his own right, he’s a representation of an idea, he’s the physical embodiment of everything wrong with the court system. He manipulates evidence for his own gain, he makes those who oppose him or pose a risk to his secrets disappear, he’s petty and is willing to go to great lengths for personal gain, and more than anything he is absolutely unchanging.
There is no greater relationship to be had with Kristoph, he is a darkness who seeps into you, one that can slowly drag you down if you’re not careful, the same way he dragged down so many before. Klavier is someone who was so close to being dragged down by this darkness, we see it affecting him throughout the past trial, his arrogance and faith in this broken system show that, but we also see the good in him. We see that he was fighting for the right reasons at the end of the day, and we see him go to great lengths to fight the very ones that he believes are damaging this system. By the time we see him in the modern day, he has been fighting a long time to rid himself of this darkness, and perhaps it’s even the reason why he adopted this persona in the courts, to oppose the cool and calculated demeanor of his brother.
This fight to rid themselves of the system, of Kristoph, is present in a number of characters in the game, and is the main conflict of the final case. Every character has some stake in the fight to rid themselves of this darkness, and to forge a new, better law system out of the broken pieces of the old one. Both Apollo and Klavier were trained under this darkness, but through their encounters with Wright and each other were able to free themselves from it. This is what we see happen to Klavier during Turnabout Succession, he’s not confronting his brother, he’s confronting himself, the person he could have been, and the actions that he himself took. As we begin to accuse Kristoph of the crime, Klavier fights back, more desperate than ever, trying to justify this darkness to himself, to pretend it was never there. This conflict is tearing him apart in front of our very eyes.

Klavier: Evidence! Evidence that shows this man, Kristoph Gavin, requested that forgery seven years ago!
Kristoph: Klavier...?
Klavier: Just... prove it! Clear up these doubts now, or I swear, I'm off this case!

He wants desperately, more than anything, for us to prove that this is indeed the truth, that his doubts are wrong, and that the darkness that he feels consuming him is real. After seven years of this past incident affecting him, he’s pretty much come to understand the entire truth by now, but he just cannot accept it on his own. After all, it’s his own brother behind it, and his own hands that caused it. The darkness won’t let go yet, and it won’t allow him to pursue the truth that he’s come to realize. This is where Apollo finally returns the favor and allows Kristoph to grow, and put this darkness behind him, revealing the truth for everyone to see. Kristoph, of course, fights back just as much as you’d expect him to, but this one action, this unwavering devotion, this refusal to let the system affect him, is finally enough to break the camel’s back and let Klavier free from the chains of his past, and he does not disappoint.

Klavier: Frankly, I'm relieved. This has been bothering me for seven whole years. And I'm tired of the whole youthful angst scene. ...Now's our chance. Let's clean out the family closet, eh, Kristoph?
Kristoph: Klavier... You're spinning out of control. Calm yourself before you say something you'll regret.
Klavier: Spinning out of whose control? Mine? ...Or yours?

It’s by now that Klavier has come to accept the reality that he’s pretty much known to be the truth, the same way Phoenix came to accept that Dahlia wasn’t the person he thought she was, Klavier has come to accept this for his very own brother. He rejoins your side and ultimately drops the bombshell of the jurist system on Kristoph, sending him into an absolute rage. Kristoph is left as nothing but a broken husk, a symbol of an outdated and dead legal system, while Klavier is able to finally put this behind him, and move on to the future, and hopefully a system that will allow the truth to be unveiled by simpler and more reliable means. Kristoph may not be needed anymore, but those that fight for the truth, and fight for the change that every system will eventually need, will always be needed in the world, and Klavier is no exception.

Conclusion

Klavier isn’t perfect, but many of the problems people hold with him are simply unfounded, and those that are true are hardly criticisms within the greater context of Apollo Justice. This is a game about themes more than anything else, and that even extends to the characters within it. Klavier is incredibly well developed not only as a person, but as an idea, a representation of the way that we can move on from our past, and change ourselves and those around us for the better. He shows us that fighting for what we believe in isn’t a fruitless effort, as long as you’re willing to not only accept the truth, but the methods to reach it as well. He’s an excellent multifaceted character, but ultimately he and I both got swallowed up in the darkness of this rankdown. I only hope that I’ve done something to change this darkness for the better, and allowed those of us ranking to put Klavier behind us, for better, or for worse.
Achtung baby, u/NateTheGreat3602 out!