Manosouta

SPOILER WARNING! this article may contain major plot or ending details

Manosouta
GENERAL
Ace Attorney
Character	Simeon Saint
Character	Bronco Knight
Canonical?	Fanon
Status of Relationship	Childhood Friends; Former Best Friends
IN FANDOM
Type (?)	Slash
Also Known As	KnightKeyes, SaintKnight, KnightSaint, Simeonco, BronSime, SimeBron, Bromeon
Tropes	• Childhood Friends • Don't You Dare Pity Me! • Devoted to You • Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder • You Are Not Alone • Opposites Attract • Beleaguered Childhood Friend • Cannot Spit It Out • The Only One I Trust •Inconvenient Attraction

Manosouta is the slash ship between Bronco Knight and Simeon Saint from the Ace Attorney fandom.

Canon

Early Life

Bronco and Simeon are childhood best friends. They met one another when they were little and became friends at school. They were close enough that the two of them and their fathers shared a photo together. Their dads, Carmelo Gusto and Paul Halique collaborated during a dessert making contest until Halique betrayed Gusto, who used Simeon to taste his sweets, forcing Bronco to tie up Simeon and leave him in a freezing car. Bronco ties Simeon up while crying and begging for forgiveness over and over, locking not only Simeon in the car but also himself. The car door soon froze over, leaving both of them unable to escape. They stayed trapped in the freezing car for hours, and would have eventually died, had it not been for the arrival of Bodhidharma Kanis. Kanis saved the pair and took them to the Happy Family Home orphanage, as the trauma caused by their near death experience left them unable to recall much before their rescue, unaware of what had happened to their fathers. It was presumably during their time at the orphanage that the two obtained their new names, Simeon Saint and Bronco Knight. Simeon eventually ran away from the orphanage, but the two still kept in touch and played chess through correspondence.

Post IS-7 Incident

At some point, Simeon remembered the day that he had been tied up and locked in the car, but his memory was still muddled, coming to believe that Halique was his own father while Gusto was Bronco's. Also believing that Gusto was the one who had betrayed Halique, as well as being the one who had killed "his" father. As such he began to foster a deep hatred towards Bronco and had the desire to take revenge on him, even while the two kept in touch. Thinking that if Bronco hadn't stopped him and tied him up, "his" father wouldn't have been killed. However, Bronco was unaware of Simeon's hatred of him and continued to think of him as a friend.

Turnabout Trigger

Di-Jun Wang's approval ratings were abysmally low, so Bronco, eager to prove his usefulness, went to the president with a plan for a staged assassination attempt, which Simeon had given him. Bronco trusting Simeon and seeing this as a chance to replace Bastian Rook, had decided to follow through with the plan, Simeon on the other hand, saw this as a chance to get rid of one of the conspirators and allow him to get revenge on Bronco.

The Captive Turnabout

Simeon is arrested as a suspect for Bronco's murder to which Miles takes over the case to defend him. When Simeon is asked whether he knew of Bronco and his arrest, he states they "were friends" and he had come "to visit him" to which he was informed by a call from the cops. Bronco was the one to inform the police to contact Simeon and that "he needed a favor". This "favor" alluding to the chess set which Simeon picked up from Bronco's house and handed it in. When Simeon is informed that the chess set was found "next to Mr. Knight" he replies, "He always had to have a chessboard somewhere nearby. I'm not surprised he had it with him when he...When he..." Showing the two knew each other quite well and Bronco trusted Simeon enough to lend him his house keys or Simeon had his own copy of his house keys. Kay asks Simeon if the two were "very close" to which he responds "Yeah. We were best friends." he also says he was shocked to find out Bronco had killed someone though that is most likely an act to appear innocent infront of Miles but could hold some truth to it. Kay later on states that Simeon's counting on them to help him and about how "upset he was", "Nobody's in more pain than him over Mr. Knight's death!". When speaking with Simeon towards the end he mentions that "hate never helps" and he "would have stopped him" if "he'd just told me" which could be taken as him self projecting what he wishes could have happened between the two of them. Miles presents the chessboard Simeon had brought to prove that "Knight trusted him". He goes on to state that Bronco hid the chisel inside to which he would later use to escape, thus believing in Simeon and trusting he wouldn't check inside.

Turnabout for the Ages

Miles comes to realize who the mastermind is through the connection Bronco has with Simeon. Simeon believed Bronco was a "traitor" and that he "helped his father" murder his and due to this "deserved to die". When he is confronted for his crimes and he finds out his father wasn't who he thought he was and that he had made a mistake he starts to question himself and if killing Bronco was the right decision. “He deserved to die! ...Didn't he?" realizing it may have all been for naught. Simeon recalls the time he visited Bronco in prison, informing him of the circus performance he was partaking in, to which Bronco is looking forward to. He also asks Simeon to "come back soon" so they could finish their chess game. Simeon mentions placing something in the chessboard that he should check out later and Bronco thanks him to which Simeon bids him his final goodbye's before leaving. Afterwards he starts to panic. Asking "Then what was all this...for...?" which could be seen as Simeon regretting his actions in that moment when it comes to Bronco's fate.

Quotes

The Captive Turnabout

Simeon – "Bronco really loved chess...He was always making me play."

Edgeworth – "But you'd just seen him earlier that same day. Why take the risk?"

Simeon – "I've known him since we were kids. When both of us were all alone..."

Simeon – "He doesn't have any family, you see. Just like me."

Simeon – "I knew he'd be feeling lonely... that he'd want somebody to talk to. So I... I had to go see him."

Edgeworth – "Thank you for sharing such personal details with us. By the sound of it, you had little reason to kill Knight."

Edgeworth – "If anything, you're the one most affected by his passing."

Kay – "Remember how upset he was? He was devastated!"

Kay – "Nobody's in more pain than him over Mr. Knight's death!"

Simeon – "If he kept something like that from me... then he never really trusted me, did he?"

Kay – "That's not true, Simeon... Of course he trusted you."

Edgeworth – "No. He believed in you."

Edgeworth – "He knew he could count on you to bring it. And that you would never be so untrusting as to look inside."

Simeon – "I have to! For Bronco! I have to show him I can become the best animal trainer out there!"

Turnabout for The Ages

Kay – "Mr Knight was your only friend."

Simeon – "He pinned me down and tied me up. He was crying the whole time, whining on and on..."

Simeon – "I'm sorry. But my dad says I have to do this. And if I don't do what he says he'll... He's so scary!"

Simeon – "But no. He locked me in that car with him, and the two of us nearly died."

Simeon – "He deserved to die! ...Didn't he?"

Bronco – "No way. So I get to see your circus thing even though I'm in jail?"

Bronco – "Heh. Was looking forward to the next move in our little chess game, so the show is just the icing on top."

Simeon – ".........Yeah. I think you'll enjoy it."

Bronco – "I will. And hey, come back soon, okay? I'll be mulling over my next move in the meantime!"

Simeon – "Oh, speaking of which -- I put a little something in your chess set. But you can take a look at it later."

Bronco – ""A little something"? No idea what that might be, but thanks."

Simeon – ".........If you hadn't detained me eighteen years ago..."

Simeon – "...it wouldn't have had to... end like this."

Simeon – ".........Goodbye, Bronco. And farewell."

Simeon – "I did all that... and now you're telling me that it was my father who killed Bronco's?"

Simeon – "Then what was all this...for...!?"

Ace Attorney Investigations: Prosecutor's Path (fan translation)

Turnabout for The Ages

Bronco – "Now, can you see the path to checkmate? I can't wait to see the look on your face..."

Bronco – "You weren't expecting to lose at chess against me, right?"

Fanon

Manosouta is by far one of the most popular ships for both of them. The ship is not that popular across the fandom due to how the game they appear in did not get an official English translation until 2024, so many have not yet played it. Many fans like the ship due to their dynamic and bond as well as the angst and doomed narrative they share. Many also like it because of the implied feelings on Knight's side. A popular theory is of Knight possibly being aware of the chisel Simeon had placed in the chessboard. This would imply Knight had allowed himself to die either trusting Simeon or didn't want to tattle on him and died in his place. This theory is further backed up by the dialogue, Simeon visits Knight again despite already sending the chessboard just to check up on him. During this visit he tells Knight that he had "put a little something" that Knight should "look at it later" in the chessboard. It raises questions as to "why would he visit him again if his task is complete" and "why would he tell Knight about the chessboard since he could snitch on him later on", giving Knight ample time to check the contents of the chessboard. "If you hadn't detained me eighteen years ago..it wouldn't have had to...end like this." which could be seen as Simeon's cry for help at that moment, wishing Bronco to of heard him to at least have stopped him from further going on with his plan. It could also be seen as an admission of guilt to what his plan will entail later on. A popular au often depicted in fanfics and artwork is of "if knight survived" where they delve into what their relationship could have been had they communicated. Another which combines the previous au is of the two "working together" as many fans think of the possibility of the two being a great team.

Fandom

FAN FICTION

Horace Knightley/Simon Keyes tag on AO3

TUMBLR

Manosouta tag on Tumblr