Feenris

Feenris is the het ship between Phoenix Wright and Iris from the Ace Attorney fandom.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations
In the game's final case, Phoenix visits a remote temple with Maya and Pearl Fey and encounters Iris, one of the temple's shine maidens. When the two first run into each other, Phoenix is shocked to see her, as she bears a close resemblance to Dahlia Hawthorne, a woman who dated Phoenix in college (and also tried to frame him for murder). Both get flustered and awkwardly part, and Maya teases Phoenix for (what she assumes is) his crush. Still curious about Iris's true identity, Phoenix meets her later that night and asks if they've ever met before. Iris leaves without answering Phoenix's question, but not before giving him her demon-warding hood for safety.

When Iris is arrested on suspicion of murder, Phoenix resolves to act as her defense, but temporarily hands the role to Miles Edgeworth while he's hospitalized. Phoenix wears Iris's demon-warding hood during his recuperation in order to make his fever drop quicker (and later insists that it actually worked). In the detention center, Iris admits that she hurt Phoenix in the past, and Edgeworth encourages her to be honest with the man she clearly still cares for. Phoenix learns that Dahlia and Iris are twins, and that both sisters are in fact connected to the Fey clan by blood.

At the case's conclusion, Iris reveals to Phoenix that she was actually the woman that he dated in college; she merely posed as her sister for eight months, and their relationship ended once Dahlia returned to try to kill/frame Phoenix. Phoenix was deeply devoted to Iris while they were dating (calling her "Dollie" and wearing a pink "P" sweater that Iris knit for him), and in turn Iris harbored genuine affection for "Feenie" despite initially only continuing the relationship to appease her sister. Iris asks Phoenix to forgive her, and he does, telling her that "Dollie" was always the person he thought she was – someone good, who truly loved him. When Phoenix visits Iris in the detention center during the game's epilogue, she thanks him for coming and says that she was happy that he "constantly had [his] eyes on [her]."

Fanon
Iris is significant for being Phoenix's only canonical ex-partner mentioned in the series. Phoenix's sappy and emotional "Feenie" personality emerged out of his relationship with Iris, and since this is the only time we (explicitly) see Phoenix in such a lovestruck state, fans often apply these qualities in other pairings involving Phoenix. The popular fanon reading of Phoenix as bisexual is also largely based in his relationship with Iris (as well as smaller moments of attraction to other female characters).

Many fans are particularly drawn to the parallels between Iris and Edgeworth. Even without any overt confirmation that Edgeworth is meant to be a sort of love interest for Phoenix, subtext implies that Edgeworth and Iris both care for the defense attorney in the same way. Edgeworth seems somewhat jealous – or, at the very least, curious – of the apparent romantic connection between Iris and Phoenix. After Iris reveals that she hurt Phoenix in the past, Edgeworth says: "It's not too late. You should go to him. ...Tell him the truth." Having recently hurt Phoenix himself through a cruel lie, it's possible that Edgeworth is subconsciously projecting his own desires onto Iris in this moment. Shortly before this exchange, when Iris asks Edgeworth what Phoenix "is" to him, Edgeworth responds with the weighty line, "...He is a very dear and indispensable friend." Later, when Edgeworth returns to the detention center, one dialogue option has Iris inquire if Edgeworth has a "deep, dark secret" in his heart. Edgeworth asks why she would think that, to which Iris replies: "As they say, it takes one to know one." One popular interpretation of this conversation is Iris recognizing that Edgeworth is in love with Phoenix – just like her.

The ship is primarily canon in the sense that Phoenix and Iris dated for several months prior to the events of the first game. It is unclear whether either character has any interest in pursuing a relationship past the third game's conclusion (apart from the epilogue scene that confirms that Phoenix regularly visits Iris in the detention center). A potential relationship between them is complicated by the fact that Iris is subsequently arrested for being an accomplice in the murder of Misty Fey, and by the fact that Phoenix gets disbarred two short months after their reunion. Additionally, the lies and deception that their relationship was based on in college possibly undermines the success of any future romantic involvement.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

Iris/Phoenix tag on AO3.

TUMBLR

Feenris posts on Tumblr.

YOUTUBE

What Your Favorite Ace Attorney Ship Says About You (mentioned)

Trivia

 * Iris's appearance in the Ace Attorney series is entirely confined to Trials and Tribulations.