Deciding when to call it quits and wrap up a series can be one of the most precarious lines to tread. End too early and fans are up in arms as they yearn for proper resolution, but carry on a series for too long and fans will grow tired and slowly lose interest. To avoid this potential pitfall, Phoenix Wright creator Shu Takumi had determined to have a concrete end-point for the series so that everything could be wrapped up in the cleanest fashion possible.
Looking at the series' progression, Takumi did not intend for the character of Phoenix Wright to continue on as the protagonist for Ace Attorney past the series' third title. This was meant to be the point at which his story would be wrapped up and passed along for a new character to take up. For a short while, this was very much the case as Apollo Justice took up the attorney mantle for the series' fourth main-line title.
Following the announcement of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney though, the series saw Mr. Wright return to his former glory. Speaking to Official Nintendo Magazine, Shu Takumi stated that prior to this,
"I felt that Phoenix's story had been told, and that the series should not continue... Knowing when to end a story is very important and I wanted to avoid dragging it out and having it become a shadow of its former self."
Despite this being a very real fear, it's also safe to say that Phoenix Wright has still yet to outwear his welcome among fans. Between a live-action movie and the recently-released fifth main-line Ace Attorney title - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Dual Destinies - which saw Wright reprise his role as the series' protagonist, Takumi clearly still sees potential in the objection-spewing attorney's future.
There's no telling where the series' future could lie though. With Shu Takumi no longer heading the series, it's entirely possible that Wright's familiar face could continue to make appearances in the protagonist role. Counter to this, it's also possible that one of his many contemporaries could one day get their time to shine ala Apollo Justice. Until then, fans outside of Japan will just have to occupy themselves with the release of Phoenix Wright's adventure with Professor Layton, fresh off of the release of his trilogy-ending Azran Legacy (check out our review).
If you could have any character in the series take up Phoenix Wright's mantle, who would it be? Are there any series' that you feel have outworn their welcome and are in need of a proper conclusion?
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Source: Official Nintendo Magazine