I feel like Blackquill and Gumshoe should take the podium. As for the third place: I don't know.

I tend to rate characters based on how annoying they are, so I will be starting with that. [Spoilers for all games from modern timeline]

Simon and Debeste (most of the time) were so annoying that I wouldn't want to see them go that far, even after that amazing final case of AAI 2. We get to see how Simon was the mastermind behind all cases and even us - the player - got fooled (much like with Foolbright). After the>! reason behind Sebastian's attitude is revealed!< it's easy to start to like him as much as it was easy to hate his father before. This ending was all well executed and engaging, which I believe is what caused them to get that far into this contest.

Ema is pretty annoying in AJ and SoJ, a bit more than Gumshoe in both AAI's (he is the best pal in the original trilogy), but overall, she is a lovable character. Her appearance in brilliant DLC for PW:AA was very good. AJ:AA kinda "violated" her character, as it did with many things.

I'm positive that she deserves this 3rd place them most of the remaining characters. Also, she is the only fan girl that Miles Edgeworth tolerated .

Concerning Apollo: I don't like Apollo. I just really don't like him. I dislike AJ:AA for many reasons, and it strongly influences my attitude towards him. His story gets better in SoJ, his family mystery and Lamiroir connection are a good plot device and relationships with Dhurke and Nahyuta are pretty interesting. Still, he doesn't meet my expectations for a main protagonist after the original trilogy and AAI, and distaste remains.