Synopsis:
The rules of alchemy state that to gain something, one must lose something of equal value. Alchemy is the process of taking apart and reconstructing an object into a different entity, with the rules of alchemy to govern this procedure. However, there exists an object that can bring any alchemist above these rules, the object known as the Philosopher’s Stone. The young Edward Elric is a particularly talented alchemist who through an accident years back lost his younger brother Alphonse and one of his legs. Sacrificing one of his arms as well, he used alchemy to bind his brother’s soul to a suit of armor. This lead to the beginning of their journey to restore their bodies, in search for the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.
Story:
Edward and Alphonse Elric are two alchemist brothers searching for the legendary catalyst called the Philosopher’s Stone, a powerful object which would allow them to recover their bodies (which were lost in an attempt to bring their mother back to life through alchemy). Born in the village of Resembool from the country of Amestris , the two brothers lived there with their mother. Their father,Van Hohenheim, left home for unknown reasons and years later, their mother Trisha Elric died of a terminal illness, leaving the Elric brothers alone. After their mother’s death, Edward became determined to bring her back through the use of alchemy, an advanced science in which objects can be created from raw materials. They researched Human Transmutation, a forbidden art in which one attempts to create or modify a human being. However, this attempt failed, ultimately resulting in the loss of Edward’s left leg and Alphonse’s entire body. In a desperate effort to save his brother, Edward sacrificed his right arm to affix Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor. Some days later, an alchemist namedRoy Mustang visited the Elric brothers, and told Edward to become a member of the State Military of the country to find a way to recover their bodies. After that, Edward’s left leg and right arm were replaced with automail, a type of advanced prosthetic limb, created for him by his close family friends Winry Rockbell and her grandmother Pinako.
Edward then became a State Alchemist , an alchemist employed by the State Military of Amestris, which infamously annihilated most of the Ishbalan race (Ishbal) in the past decade. Becoming a State Alchemist enables Edward to use the extensive resources available to State Alchemists. The brothers set off in search of the Philosopher’s Stone as a means to restore their bodies. Throughout their journey, they meet many antagonists, including those who are willing to do anything to obtain the Philosopher’s Stone; Scar, one of the few surviving Ishbalans, who seeks vengeance on the State Alchemists for the destruction of his race; and thehomunculi, a group of human-like creatures who carry pieces of the Philosopher’s Stone inside themselves, and from it derive the ability to survive almost any harm.
As the story progresses, Edward and Alphonse discover the vast expansion of Amestris was the result of the homunculi, who created and secretly control the State Military. The homunculi and much of the high-ranking military officers are commanded from behind the curtains by the creator of the homunculi, a man simply known as “Father”, who gained immortality through a Philosopher’s Stone, which he created by tricking Hohenheim centuries before the series’ timeline. He plans to use Amestris as a gigantic transmutation circle in order to transmute the entire country for reasons unknown to the Elrics. When Edward and Alphonse discover Father’s plans, they, along with other members of the State Military, set out to defeat him.
As the forces collide, one by one, the remaining homunculi are defeated and Central city’s troops are enlightened about the truth of the situation. Father tries to transmutate Amestris to gain god-like powers but fails due Hohenheim’s actions. A weakened Father is defeated by Edward with his original arm, Al having sacrificed himself to bring it back. After Father is trapped within the Truth, Ed sacrifices his ability to use alchemy to bring Alphonse back in his original body. The Elrics return to Resembool, but two years later, they separate in order to repay the people who helped in their journey.
Characters:
Edward Elric – Romi Paku and Vic Mignogna voice him in the Japanese and English versions, respectively.Edward Elric , the “Fullmetal Alchemist,” is the youngest State Alchemist in history. He and his younger brother, Alphonse Elric, scour the world in search of the Philosopher’s Stone , in the hopes of restoring their bodies. Edward lost his left leg in a failed attempt to revive his mother Trisha Elric using Alchemy, and lost his right arm in exchange for attaching Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor. Edward now employs the use of metal prosthetics, known as automail , as replacement limbs. Edward harbors a sharp sensitivity to his short height; a recurring gag in both anime series and the manga is for Edward to overly react to people that call him short.
Alphonse Elric – Rie Kugimiya voices him in the Japanese series, Aaron Dismuke in the first English series , and Maxey Whitehead in the second English series.Alphonse Elric , is the younger brother of Edward Elric. Together, he and Ed scour the country in search of the Philosopher’s Stone in the hopes of restoring their bodies. Unlike Edward, who lost one of his legs in the failed attempt to revive the brothers’ mother, Al lost his entire body. At the last moment, and at the cost of one of his arms, Ed sealed Al’s soul in giant suit of armor, making Al almost invulnerable.
Father – He is voiced by Iemasa Kayumi in Japanese and by Kent Williams in English.Father is the creator of all homunculi using flawed aspects of his personality, serving as the main antagonist in the series.He was originally known as “Dwarf in the Flask” or “Homunculus” , a shadow-like creature created eight centuries ago in Xerxes under the commission of its king to obtain the knowledge of cheating death.Confined within a flask where it can thrive, Homunculus formed an attachment to the young slave boy whose blood had been used in his creation, naming the lad Van Hohenheim and enabling him to raise up the social hierarchy. However, playing on King Xerxes’ desire, Homunculus tricked the king into creating a country-wide transmutation circle. Once activated, Homunculus ensured that he and the unaware Hohenheim were in the center, absorbing the souls of the population from Xerxes between them. During the process, Homunculus used Hohenheim to create a husk body to serve as his mobile vessel before parting ways.
Solf J.Kimblee – Kimblee is voiced by Yuji Ueda in the first Japanese series, and by Eric Vale in the English adaptation.His voice in the second anime series is provided by Hiroyuki Yoshino.Solf J. Kimblee — the “Red Lotus Alchemist” or “Crimson Alchemist” — is a psychopath who delights in, what he considers, “artful destruction.” He earned fame during the Ishbalan Civil War for his ruthless commitment to the Ishbalan Extermination, killing thousands of people without remorse through his unique brand of explosive alchemy. Using transmutation circles tattooed into the palms of his hands, Kimblee can make a bomb out of anything he comes into contact with after clapping his hands. Because of his effectiveness in wiping out the Ishbalans, Kimblee was given an imperfect Philosopher’s Stone in order to increase his alchemical abilities. With it, he killed Scar’s family, and gave the Ishbalan warrior his characteristic ‘X’-shaped scar. After the war ended, Kimblee, wishing to keep the Stone for himself, killed the superior officers who had given it to him, and was thus sentenced to prison for his crimes.
Dante – She is voiced by Kazuko Sugiyama in the Japanese series, and by Cindee Mayfield in the English series. As Lyra, she is voiced by Yumi Kakazu in the Japanese series, and by Monica Rial in the English series.Dante is the main antagonist of the first anime adaptation. She is the former lover of Hohenheim, and has used Philosopher’s Stones to transfer her soul to new bodies for around four hundred years. She leads the homunculi, either creating them herself, or finding them after they are created, and uses them to create conflicts in the hope of having a desperate alchemist create a new stone for her. She first appears as an elderly woman, who is the former alchemy teacher of Izumi Curtis. She fakes her death at the hands of Greed, and later reveals herself to have transferred her soul to the body of her student Lyra , a young girl who had wished to become a State Alchemist.She is eventually killed by Gluttony, whom she reduced to a feral state to further her own purposes.
Homunculi – Serve as the main antagonists in Fullmetal Alchemist. They are a group of artificially created humans who seek to fulfill their leader’s goals of creating a Philosopher’s Stone. Each homunculus is named after one of the seven deadly sins, and can be identified by their bearing of the mark of the Ouroboros somewhere on their body. They also possess a heightened regenerative ability, rendering them nigh indestructible, though not invincible. Aside from this, the concept of the homunculi varies drastically between the manga and first anime series.
In the manga, the homunculi were created by or are at the discretion of Father, being a manifestation of one of his traits: his greed, his lust, and so on.Father would later reveal that he ultimately created the homunculi only for the sole purpose to purify himself of his personal flaws.Each homunculus has a Philosopher’s Stone somewhere in his or her body which fuels their regenerative ability, and were created at the same time as their respective Philosopher’s Stone. While the first six were originally created from Father’s own being, both Wrath and the second Greed are humans who accepted a Philosopher’s Stone. The only way to kill a homunculus is by expending all of the power in their Philosopher’s Stone, leaving them unable to revive themselves once they have been killed.
Lust – Yūko Satō voices her in Japanese, and Laura Baileyin English. Kikuko Inoue voices her in Japanese in the new series.Lust , the “Ultimate Spear,” appears as the first homunculus in the series as a shapely woman who primarily works in the shadows, acts as envoy for her leader in both iterations, and encourages alchemists down her desired path. She can extend her fingers to great lengths, which are capable of cutting through virtually any substance. In the manga, after leading an effort to capture Barry the Chopper, her plans backfire when Roy Mustang infiltrates the homunculi’s secret lair. Mustang repeatedly blasts Lust with flames, ultimately killing her after depleting the power of her Philosopher’s Stone.
Gluttony – Yasuhiro Takato voices him in the first Japanese series, and Chris Cason is his English voice actor. His voice in the second Japanese series is provided by Tetsu Shiratori.Gluttony , the second homunculus introduced in the series, typically appears in the company of Lust. He is a large, simple-minded homunculus whose thoughts rarely stray far from eating. He has powerful jaws and acidic saliva, and can and will eat almost anything. He particularly likes eating people, and the only way he can find enjoyment in a battle is if he can eat his opponent afterwards.
Envy – In the first Japanese series, Envy is voiced by Mayumi Yamaguchi, and by Wendy Powell in the English adaptation. His voice in the second series is provided by Minami Takayama.Envy is the third homunculus to appear in the series. Envy is depicted as a genderless being who can assume any appearance he wishes. When not in disguise, Envy prefers the form of an androgynous young teenager. Because of his ability, Envy usually acts as infiltrator for the other homunculi, often assuming another’s identity in order to gain sensitive intelligence. Envy enjoys violence between humans, having shot an Ishbalan child, sparking the resulting civil war.
Greed – He is voiced by Junichi Suwabe in Japanese, and Chris Patton in English.For the new series, his voice is provided by Yuichi Nakamura in Japanese; in English, Patton reprises his role for the first Greed, while the second Greed is portrayed by Troy Baker. Greed is rogue homunculus who craves money, women, and other worldly possessions above all else. Because of this, he betrays the homunculi in both anime series and the manga, as working for them would deprive him of his greedy desires. He has the ability to rearrange the carbon atoms in his body to create a shield he calls the Ultimate Shield, which is as hard as a diamond and coats his body. Greed is introduced when he sends some of his chimera subordinates to capture Alphonse Elric so he can obtain the secret of immortality from him and Edward. The State Military soon raids their location to rescue Al, and Greed’s fate, from that point further, differs between adaptations.
Sloth – Yoshino Takamori is her seiyu, and Lydia Mackay her English voice actress.Sloth differs greatly in the first anime and in the manga. In the manga, Sloth is a large, muscular, dim-witted man who believes everything to be pointless and tiresome. Despite his lazy nature, he is very strong physically, and is the fastest of the homunculi.He is tasked with digging a gigantic transmutation circle beneath Amestris to be used in turning the country into a Philosopher’s Stone. Though he is briefly impeded in this job when he runs into the Elric brothers at Briggs’ Fortress, he is allowed to continue his work. After finishing the circle, Sloth serves as Father’s bodyguard and fights off Mustang and Olivier’s troops when they invade Central. He is eventually killed through the combined efforts of the Armstrong siblings and Izumi and Sig Curtis. He is voiced by Fumihiko Tachiki in Japanese and Patrick Seitz in English.
Wrath – The first anime Wrath is voiced by Nana Mizuki in the Japanese series, and by Luci Christian in the English dub.Wrath differs greatly in the first anime and in the manga. In the manga and second anime, Wrath is the true identity of King Bradley, and his Ouroboros tattoo is on his left eye, usually disguised by his eye patch.
The first anime shows the origins of Wrath in Izumi Curtis’s attempt to revive her infant child. Her effort failed, and the infant’s body was taken beyond the Gate of Truth. There, the child, Wrath, grew up. When Edward Elric later lost his arm and leg while trying to revive his mother, Wrath took both for himself, which allowed him to use alchemy and escape to Amestris.Because of his ability to perform alchemy, Wrath can assimilate any sort of material or object into his body. Since the remains of his former body were used in his creation, Wrath lacks the weaknesses of the other homunculi, though both the Gate of Truth and the cries of a child have similar psychological effects on him. After joining the homunculi, Wrath develops a mother-son relationship with Sloth. When he unknowingly helps to kill her (having absorbed the remains of her original body) he becomes distraught, realizing the truth behind Dante and Envy, as the former takes Ed’s limbs from him to keep him quiet when he attempted to revive Sloth himself. He is later given automail replacements by Winry Rockbell.He appears again in Conqueror of Shamballa, in which he battles against Gluttony so that Alphonse Elric can use them both as sacrifices to open the Gate of Truth. Al does so, and is able to reunite with Ed, while Wrath is able to reunite with the spirit of Izumi.
Pride – In the first anime, Makoto Tsumura voices Selim in the Japanese version, and Zarah Littlein the English dub. His voice in the second series is provided by Yuko Sanpei in Japanese, and by Brittney Karbowski in English.Pride differs greatly in the first anime and in the manga. In the manga, his identity is a mystery until during the later half of the series. Pride was created in Father’s original image, and thus appears as a dark blob with many eyes. He can destroy or manipulate anything that this shadow comes into contact with, and can gain the traits of whomever he eats (such as Gluttony’s appetite and sense of smell). Taking on a host body in Selim Bradley, the adoptive son of King Bradley, Pride can only exist within a given area: the area surrounding his body and the underground transmutation circle running throughout Amestris. He needs a light source in order to be able to use his shadow, and his shadow can similarly be “killed” if the light becomes too bright or he is surrounded by darkness. He is very dedicated to the homunculi’s cause, and does not allow anyone to get in his way. He does, however, have some attachment to his adoptive human mother. Edward destroys Pride’s body in battle, reducing him to his true form: a minuscule, fetus-like creature. After the battle with Father ends, the now powerless Pride is brought to his adoptive mother and raised all over again. Two years later, Selim is shown to have grown into a much more compassionate young child.
King Bradley – Bradley is voiced by Hidekatsu Shibata in the Japanese versions, and by Ed Blaylock in English dubs.King Bradley is the head of the State Military and King of Amestris, having the title of Führer. Though initially portrayed as a kindly ruler, he is later revealed to be a homunculus. Though his identity as a homunculus differs between the manga and first anime series, his weapon of choice is the sword, which he wields with great proficiency. His deadly swordsmanship is further augmented by the “Ultimate Eye” a clairvoyant eye that bears the Ouroboros seal, which is usually covered by an eyepatch. The eye gives him the foresight to see all possible outcomes of a given situation, allowing him to predict the moves of any opponent before they happen, along with being able to see things the normal human eye can not, such as air currents. In both storylines, because homunculi cannot reproduce, Bradley is given a family to keep up appearances: his son, Selim Bradley, and a wife he personally chose.
Other characters:
Alchemists – Fullmetal Alchemist presents alchemists as people who have learned how to manipulate matter. Through the use of transmutation circles, they can reform one object into another that shares a similar molecular make-up to its original form. In Amestris , alchemists can become certified by the State Military, earning a unique title, rank ofmajor, and funding for personal research.In the manga and second anime series, the people of Xing have a technique similar to alchemy, called alkahestry, that focuses on healing wounds.
Alex Louis Armstrong – Kenji Utsumi voices him in the Japanese series, and Christopher R. Sabat in the English adaptation.Alex Louis Armstrong , the “Strong Arm Alchemist,” is a large and comically emotional State Alchemist who will burst into tears or joyous praise, given the right situation, and embraces others in an effort to console them. Because he is an extremely strong character, this usually causes great personal injury to others. Armstrong is very proud of his strength and of his muscular physique, frequently taking off his shirt so that he can flex for the benefit of others. As a final element of his comedic properties, he has the tendency to “sparkle”; when first appearing in a scene or taking off his shirt, pink stars radiate from his body. Despite his humorous tendencies, Armstrong can be very serious when the situation calls for it. He is not fond of violence and will try to end conflicts peacefully, and will break down and cry if an innocent person is killed.
Armstrong comes from a wealthy family of aristocrats who have earned renown in most professions. He has mastered many of his family’s talents for himself, and when displaying such a talent, he brags and remarks it to have been “passed down the Armstrong line for generations.” His alchemical skills also represent a remnant of his family’s history; by using a unique kind of cestus, Armstrong can reshape any solid object that he punches. Armstrong is a valuable ally of Roy Mustang and the Elric brothers, even if they are not always happy to be in his emotional company. He takes his honor as a soldier and as a leader seriously, and always looks out for his peers’ and subordinates’ best interests.
Izumi Curtis – She is voiced by Shoko Tsuda in Japanese and Christine Auten in the English dub.Izumi Curtis , born Izumi Harnet, the teacher of Ed and Alphonse Elric, agreed to train the brothers to hone their alchemical abilities after their mother died. She expands their training with a regimen of philosophy, martial arts, and living off the land. Her methods are derived from her own alchemy training: in the manga and second anime, she was forced to survive in the northern region surrounding Briggs Fortress for a month (although it turns out she succeeded by stealing supplies from the northern fortress), whereas in the first anime she was taught by Dante. She thinks of the Elrics as her own sons, and although she severs her student-teacher ties with them after learning of their attempts with human transmutation (and similarly Ed’s joining the State Military), she continues to do all she can to help them.She can be quite violent when punishing or sparring with the Elric brothers, so they tend to be deathly afraid of her.Her claim “I’m a housewife!” while confronting Greed became one of Arakawa’s favorite scenes.
Izumi and her husband Sig Curtis were expecting a child years before the start of the series; however, their son was stillborn. Izumi tried and failed to revive the child through human transmutation (an act that created Wrath in the first anime). The failed attempt took some of her internal organs, resulting in her inability to ever again be pregnant, and to periodically cough up blood. Izumi could thereafter perform alchemy without a transmutation circle after seeing the “truth.”
In the manga, Izumi attracts the attention of the State Military for having survived the failed human transmutation. As she and her husband travel around Amestris in order to avoid the military, they eventually meet Ed and Al’s father Van Hohenheim. He rearranges her insides to ease the blood flow, and persuades her to help collaborate in bringing down the State Military.
Throughout the first anime, she tries to get close to Wrath in order to repent for the creation of him. She dies between the end of the first anime and Conqueror of Shamballa, but, during the movie, her spirit reunites with Wrath in the afterlife.
Roy Mustang – Toru Okawa and Travis Willingham voice Mustang in the Japanese and English versions, respectively. In the second anime series, he is voiced by Shinichiro Miki.State Alchemist Roy Mustang , the “Flame Alchemist,” holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the State Military at the start of the series, and was promoted to Brigadier General by the end of the first anime series. He aims towards becoming the next Führer of Amestris, heavily relying on the support of his loyal subordinates to propel him along that path.Mustang would find this path interrupted by the murder of his best friend and confidant, Maes Hughes, afterwards, beginning an almost behind-the-scenes investigation into finding the true culprit.
Van Hohenheim – He is voiced by Masashi Ebara in Japanese, and by Scott McNeil in the English dub.In the second series he is voiced by Unshou Ishizuka in Japanese and John Swaseyin the English dub.Van Hohenheim is the father of Ed and Alphonse Elric with a keen knowledge of alchemy processes. He left them and his wife Trisha several years before the start of the series. It is later revealed that many years ago Hohenheim’s body became the Philosopher’s Stone during a transmutation made by Father, and thus cannot die.
Originally a slave from the Kingdom of Xerxes under the name of “Slave Number 23”, Hohenheim was used for experiments by his superiors, using his blood to create a shadow-like creature known as Homunculus. In thanks to his birth, Homunculus gave the slave the name Van Hohenheim and taught him how read, write and perform alchemy. As years went on, Hohenheim’s status improved and was soon close to the king. When Homunculus taught King Xerxes how to obtain immortality, he instead gave it to Hohenheim and himself sacrificing the citizens from Xerxes. Possesing half of the Xerxes’s citizens inside him, Hohenheim escaped in horror, and tried communicating with them. After discovering that Homunculus (now known as “Father”) was going to sacrifice the inhabitants from Amestris, Hohenheim left his family to travel around the country to leave shards from his Philosopher’s Stone. When confronting Father, Hohenheim’s plans succeed as he uses the shards to annulate Father’s attempt to transmutate the people from Amestris. However, after Father’s defeat, Hohenheim dies in front of Trisha’s grave, happy that he was able to meet her and have his sons.
In the first anime (where he is referred to as Hohenheim of Light, Hohenheim has used the power of a Philosopher’s Stone for hundreds of years to switch from body to body, prolonging his life. He was originally Dante’s lover, and left her years before the series’ start. Meeting Trisha, Hohenheim decided to remain in his current body until his death ocurred. However, as his body started deteriorating, he left his family. After learning of Dante’s actions, Hohenheim confronts her. Dante then transports him to a parallel world using the Gate of Alchemy. Working for Winston Churchill, Hohenheim is captured in Conqueror in Shamballa by the Thule Society who want to force to open the portal to Amestris. Hohenheim ultimately sacrifices to do it for Edward’s sake, and is killed by Envy, a homunculus that was based on his deceased son.
Tim Marcoh – Kouji Totani voices him in the Japanese series, while Brice Armstrongvoices him in the English dub. Masayuki Omoro voices him in the second anime, while Jerry Russell voices him in the English dub.Tim Marcoh , formerly the “Crystal Alchemist,” was the leading researcher in the military’s Philosopher’s Stone creation project. After sacrificing a number of innocent Ishbalans during the Ishbal Civil War in order to create new stones, he fled the military with some imperfect stone samples. He settled down in a small country town where he uses his stones to heal the sick under the identity of “Doctor Mauro.” He is later found by the Elric brothers, and he directs them to some of the research he left behind in Central to help them in their search for the Philosopher’s Stone.
Marcoh is then captured by the homunculi, and is kept locked up deep below Central. While there, he is found by Scar. Seeing Scar as a means to an end, he tells Scar of his involvement in the Ishbalan War in the hopes of being killed in vengeance. Scar instead disfigures Marcoh’s face beyond recognition as a disguise, kidnaps him, and forces him to help in bringing down the homunculi. After Father’s defeat, Marcoh offers to restore Mustang’s eyesight in return of allowing the surviving Ishbalans to return to their homeland with him placed there as a doctor.
In the first anime, he is soon afterwards taken into military custody, only to be killed by the homunculus Gluttony.
Russell & Fletcher Tringham – Russell is voiced by Kosuke Okano in the Japanese series, and Justin Cook in the English adaptation. Fletcher is voiced by Minako Arakawa in Japanese, and by Avery Williams in the English adaptation.Russell Tringham and his younger brother Fletcher are the sons of the famed alchemist Nash Tringham. Their characters are adapted by the first anime from the light novel The Land of Sand, not the manga. They seek to complete their father’s research with a substance known as “red water,” a toxic liquid with alchemical properties. To help them in this endeavor, they impersonate the Elric brothers to gain access to resources and locations reserved for State Alchemists. While Fletcher is reluctant to do this, Russell insists that nobody will mind. They are almost executed towards the end of the first anime when they are mistaken for the real Elric brothers, who are wanted for treason, and, after being saved, they try to help Ed find out about the homunculi. Although Edward and Russell fight near constantly, Fletcher and Alphonse are able to get along. The two Tringham brothers tend to utilize alchemy involving plants.
Shou Tucker – Tucker is voiced by Makoto Nagai and Chuck Huber in the Japanese and English versions, respectively.Shou Tucker , the “Sewing-Life Alchemist,” is famed for creating a chimera that could talk, but refused to eat and died shortly after its creation. After meeting Tucker, the Elric brothers discover that the talking chimera was actually his wife fused with another animal as they discover it after Tucker fused his daughter, Nina, with his pet dog, Alexander, in order to maintain his position as State Alchemist. Tucker, while held under house arrest for his actions, is killed by Scar soon afterwards.
State Military – The State Military is Amestris’ primary mode of offense and defense. Throughout the history of the country, it has existed to put down uprisings and annex surrounding hostile countries into its borders. It is led by King Bradley, and uses a ranking system common of most real-world militaries. In the manga, the State Military is basically just the puppet force called upon to further the homunculi’s plans. Many of the soldiers’ names are taken from the makers of fighter aircraft and airplanes.
Frank Archer – He is voiced by Show Hayami in the Japanese series, and by Troy Baker in the English dub.Frank Archer is a character exclusive to the first anime, introduced as Maes Hughes’ replacement. He is cool, calm, and collected, with a love for violence and war. He dreams of becoming a hero on the battlefield, viewing it as a way to rise up the ranks of the military. To this end, he does whatever is necessary to please his superiors, and always ensures that his actions earn him some publicity. As the series progresses, Archer develops an interest in the military’s various projects, such as the homunculi, chimeras, and the Philosopher’s Stone. Archer loses the left half of his body when the Philosopher’s Stone is created in Liore, and receives automail modification in order to regain his mobility. After the operations left him mentally unstable, Archer rages through Central, carrying out King Bradley’s ordered executions. Riza Hawkeye shoots Archer down while he tries to kill Roy Mustang.
Olivier Milla Armstrong – Her Japanese voice actress is Yōko Sōmi.Her English voice actress is Stephanie Young.Olivier Milla Armstrong is the older sister of Alex Louis Armstrong. She is charged with leading Briggs’ Fortress, and protecting the country from the neighboring country of Drachma. Unlike her brother, who is cheerful and kindly to all around him, Olivier distrusts everyone when she first meets them, and has no patience for formalities or idle conversation. She is also, similarly, a firm believer in survival of the fittest. This has earned Olivier a reputation within the military, and in Drachma, as one who should not be crossed, though her subordinates hold her in high regard. Because she readily joins them in hostile situations and disregards the orders of superiors if she disagrees, her subordinates will answer only to her. She always carries a sword at her side, and is proficient enough to be able to defeat her brother with it.
Heymans Breda – Tomoyuki Shimura voices him in Japanese, and Josh Berry in English. In Brotherhood, he is voiced by Biichi Satou in Japanese, and Jeremy Inman in English.Heymans Breda is one of Roy Mustang’s most trusted subordinates. He was recruited by Mustang for his high level of intelligence, indicated by his talent with chess and other strategy games. Despite his intelligence, he still has an irrational fear of dogs. Breda is usually tasked by Mustang with jobs that require he travel abroad. He is transferred to Western Headquarters when Mustang’s group is broken up by the homunculi. In the manga, he eventually defects from the military so that he can help Mustang overthrow King Bradley.
Denny Brosh & Maria Ross – Masao Harada voices Brosh in Japanese, and Jim Foronda in English. Mitsuki Saiga voices Ross in Japanese, and Meredith McCoy in English with Kaori Nazuka voicing her in the second series.Denny Brosh and Maria Ross are introduced when they are assigned to protect Edward Elric. While Brosh is rather nosy and lazy, and has an enormous infatuation with Ross, Ross is serious with her job, to the point that she develops a maternal affection for Edward when she is protecting him. In the manga, Ross is framed by the homunculi for the death of Maes Hughes. Roy Mustang stages a prison break and then fakes her death, giving her a chance to flee to Xing. Before leaving, she asks that her family and Brosh not be told that she is alive so as to keep the secret from getting out.To repay Mustang for saving her life, Ross later returns to Amestris and helps him wage an assault on Central. In the first anime, Brosh and Ross later appear in the rebellion against King Bradley, saving various characters from execution.
Sheska – Naomi Wakabayashi voices her in the first anime, and Gwendolyn Lau in the English dub. Her voice in the second series is provided by Chika Fujimura.Sheska was a librarian at the First Branch of the Central City library. Because she spent all day reading the many documents stored there, instead of doing her job, she was fired. She has a photographic memory and can remember and reproduce anything she has ever read, with word-for-word accuracy. Because of this, after the library burns down, the Elric brothers seek her out to see if she can remember any research papers by Tim Marcoh. She transcribes the entirety of his research for them, earning enough pay to last her a year for her troubles. When Maes Hughes learns of how she helped the Elrics, he hires her to help recreate the criminal records that were destroyed in the fire.In the first anime, after Hughes’ death, Sheska helps Winry Rockbell discover the identity of Sloth.
Vato Falman – He is voiced by Takehiro Murozono in Japanese, and by Kyle Hebert in English. In the new series, he is voiced by Kenji Hamada.Vato Falman is one of Roy Mustang’s most trusted subordinates. He was recruited by Mustang for his innate ability to remember almost every detail, allowing him to act as a sort of recording device that does not leave any physical evidence. Because his intellect is his area of expertise, he does not have much experience in the field, causing him to make rookie mistakes when in a combat situation. He is overly formal, causing some of his comrades to wish he would lighten up. Falman does not play a large role in the first anime, only being another of Mustang’s subordinates. In the manga, Falman is transferred to Northern Headquarters when Mustang’s group is broken up by the homunculi. He is subsequently transferred again, this time to Briggs’ Fortress where he is given what amounts to janitorial duties. There, he reunites with the Elric brothers, and helps them and Briggs’ forces plan against the Homunculi.
Kain Fury – His seiyu is Tetsu Shiratori, and his English voice actor is Kevin M. Connolly.In the new series, he is voiced by Tetsuya Kakihara.Kain Fury is one of Roy Mustang’s most trusted subordinates. He is overly kind in nature, both to people and to animals. He was recruited by Mustang for his technological expertise. As such, he primarily helps Mustang with communications, both in creating secure lines and tapping into others. He is transferred to Southern Headquarters when Mustang’s group is broken up by the homunculi. In the manga, he eventually defects from the military so that he can help Mustang overthrow King Bradley.
Jean Havoc – Yasunori Matsumoto is his Japanese voice actor, and Mike McFarland his English voice actor. In the new series, his voice is provided by Yuji Ueda.Jean Havoc is one of Roy Mustang’s most trusted subordinates. He is usually seen smoking a cigarette, something that Arakawa developed prior to the series’ start to help Mustang to create fire to fight homunculus Lust.He was recruited by Mustang for his loyalty and general sincerity, as well as his above average shooting skills. Because working for Mustang requires moving frequently and a complete dedication of time, Havoc has very little free time, and cannot maintain a relationship with a woman for very long.Havoc does not play a large role in the first anime, only being another of Mustang’s subordinates. In the manga, he unknowingly dates Lust, who tries to extract information about Mustang from him. She is unsuccessful, and eventually reveals her true identity to him. In the course of the attempt to kill her, Havoc is severely injured when Lust stabs him through the spinal cord, leaving the lower half of his body completely paralyzed. Havoc is then encouraged to find another way to help their cause and later provides his support by supplying Mustang with whatever supplies they may need from his family’s store. In the second anime, he is healed by Marcoh’s Philosopher’s Stone.
Riza Hawkeye – She is voiced by Michiko Neya in Japanese and by Colleen Clinkenbeard in English. In the second anime series, she is voiced by Fumiko Orikasa.Riza Hawkeye is Roy Mustang’s most trusted and dearest subordinate. She often carries out many of the tasks he is too lazy to do, acts as his personal assistant, and protects him from danger. She also doubles as his voice of reason, keeping cool in heated situations, and scolding him when he allows his emotions to get in the way. Riza and Roy seem to share a close relationship as she identifies him as her most precious person. Riza specializes in firearms, particularly sniper rifles, and can hit nearly any target with lethal accuracy. In the series, she adopts a dog named Black Hayate that she raises with stern discipline; when Hayate urinates indoors, she fires a number of warning rounds at the wall around the dog to reinforce that doing so is against established protocol.
While Riza does not extend far past the role of Mustang’s subordinate in the first anime, she takes on a more central role in the manga. In the form of a tattoo on her back, Riza bears the final notes to her father’s work on Flame Alchemy, and his legacy as an alchemist and Mustang’s teacher. After seeing what Mustang was capable of during the Ishbal War, Riza begs Roy to burn the tattoo, fearing the damage another flame alchemist could cause. Riza is reassigned as King Bradley’s personal assistant to be used as a hostage when Mustang learns the homunculi control the State. When she discovers that King Bradley’s adopted son, Selim, is a homunculus as well, she sends her discovery to Mustang in code as soon as she can. She eventually defects from the military to help Mustang overthrow King Bradley.
Maes Hughes – In the Japanese series he is voiced by Keiji Fujiwara, and in the English dub by Sonny Strait.Maes Hughes is an old friend of Roy Mustang’s. He works in the military’s intelligence division, but spends much of his time using the military phone lines to brag to Mustang about his family. After his daughter, Elicia, is born, he fawns about how cute and talented she is and bombards others with pictures of her when he sees them. Despite his over-the-top comical tendencies, Hughes is a valuable ally to Mustang’s goal of becoming Führer, supplying whatever classified intelligence that may be beneficial. He has also been shown to be a capable fighter, skilled with throwing knives. His general understanding of others’ emotions and desire to help them similarly gains the affection of the Elric brothers and their friend Winry Rockbell, as he always offers advice or hospitality to them when they need it. During one of his attempts to help the Elrics, Hughes learns of the homunculi’s control over the country. However, he is shot and killed by Envy, disguised as Hughes’ wife, Gracia. This leads Mustang to further investigate the truth for himself, in hopes of finding the one responsible for Hughes’ death. His death as described by Arakawa was the moment where “everyone who read it cried” and so she had to apologize to readers and her assistant for such an event.
Yoki – Kazuki Yao voices him in Japanese, and Barry Yandell in English.Yoki is, when first introduced, a corrupt member of the military who imposes heavy taxes on the town of Youswell, bankrupting its citizens. When the Elric brothers arrive in town, they trick Yoki into giving up ownership of the town and promptly report his actions to the military. He is stripped of his rank and lives as a homeless person on the outskirts of Central, where he meets the fugitive Scar. In the first anime, Yoki alerts the military to Scar’s location to regain his position and, in the subsequent raid to apprehend Scar, is killed by Lust. In the manga, Yoki is forced to work for Scar under the threat of death. Though he tries to convince those they encounter that Scar is his servant, Yoki does as Scar commands and calls him “master.” Since he has started following Scar around the country, Yoki has assumed a role as comic relief, often having pain inflicted upon him when he tries to seem superior to others.
Chimera – A chimera is an alchemical fusion between two or more beings. While the vast majority of chimera seen in Fullmetal Alchemist are a cross between two animals, some are humans that have been crossed with an animal. These experiments, performed in secret by the State Military to dispose of injured soldiers or those that have taken part in secret missions, endow the human with abilities reminiscent of the animal.
Greed’s Chimeras – A group of chimeras work for the homunculus Greed during the series. Bido was crossed with a lizard, allowing him to sneak around and climb surfaces with ease. Because of this, he is tasked primarily with intelligence gathering and relies on others to defend him.In the first anime, he is killed during the military’s attempt to capture Greed. In the manga, he encounters Lin Yao, the new Greed, who, having no recollections of Bido, kills him.Dolcetto was crossed with a dog, giving him an enhanced sense of smell and an unwavering loyalty to Greed. Roa was crossed with a bull, giving him greater strength and allowing him to transform into a humanoid bull. He and Dolcetto are killed by the homunculi while trying to defend Greed. Martel was crossed with a snake, and thus can stretch and contort her body to great effect. She uses this ability during her introduction to infiltrate Alphonse Elric’s hollow armor body and control it from the inside. She remains in Al’s body for much of her role in the series, the most prominent reason being that she is safe while in there. In the manga and second anime, Martel is killed during King Bradley’s attempt to capture Greed, while being inside Alphonse. In the first anime, Martel survives this raid and accompanies Al in his various endeavors. She is ultimately killed by Bradley in much the same way as in the manga, though not before informing Al that Bradley is a homunculus.
Kimblee’s Chimeras – A total of four chimeras are introduced in the manga and the second anime series as Solf J. Kimblee’s bodyguards. However, they decide to defect from Kimblee and join the Elrics to stop Father. Zanpano and Jelso are tasked with capturing Scar, and can transform into a humanoid porcupine who has the ability to fire spines from his back and a humanoid frog-like creature who has the ability to fire sticky globs of mucus, respectively. Darius and Heinkel, who are first instructed by Kimblee to help him fight and apprehend Edward Elric, can transform into a humanoid gorilla and lion, respectively.
Ishbal – The Ishbalans are a religious people, characterized by their brown skin and red eyes. The majority of their population were slaughtered by the State Military during the Ishbalan Civil War. The few survivors live as criminals and refugees in various slums across the country, usually leaping at the opportunity to fight against Amestrians. In the manga, with the help of Ishbalan refugees, the corrected transmutation circle was activated by Scar and helped return powers to the Alchemists. Mustang and his team worked to rebuild Ishbal in the end. In the first anime, the reformed Amestris give the Ishbalan people their land back after King Bradley’s death.
Scar – Scar , also known as the “Scarred Man”, is a major supporting character in the series. A devout Ishbalan, Scar is one of the survivors of the Ishbalan Extermination Campaign. Depicted in the manga as an Ishbalan warrior priest, Scar was a capable fighter who desperately tried to save whomever he could from the State Military onslaught. However, Kimblee’s enhanced alchemical attacks were too much. Scar’s brother, who had been researching Amestrian Alchemy and Xingese Alkahestry in an attempt to gain power against the State, gives Scar his right arm in order to save his life.
Xing – Xing, a country far away from Amestris, is introduced in the manga and the second anime series. Its people are Asian in appearance, and are split into fifty clans under the rule of a single emperor. The emperor has fathered a prince or princess for each of the fifty families. In the current storyline, the emperor is in failing health, and his children, whose families are not in good standing, seek to earn his trust in his final days. Two of his children, Prince Lin Yao and Princess May Chang, go to Amestris in separate attempts to find the fabled Philosopher’s Stone and gain immortality, hoping that doing so will convince the emperor to make them his successor.
Fu – He is voiced by Katsunosuke Hori in Japanese and Kenny Green in English.Fu is one of Lin Yao’s bodyguards. He is an older man and the grandfather of Lin’s other bodyguard, Lan Fan. Though committed to his duties and stern in nature, he cries for his granddaughter after learning that she sacrificed her arm for their prince. He leaves his prince’s side for an extended period of time when helping Maria Ross escape to Xing, and again when taking Lan Fan to get automail surgery.Despite this, Fu remains deeply loyal to his prince and is determined to bring back to Xing, Lin and the immortality he has gained.He is killed by Bradley while trying to protect Lin from the homunculus.
Lan Fan – Her Japanese voice actress is Nana Mizuki and her English voice actress is Trina Nishimura.Lan Fan is one of Lin Yao’s bodyguards. She is the granddaughter of Lin’s other bodyguard, Fu, and is implied by Lin to be younger than Lin is. She is a skilled fighter despite her age, and can keep up with or defend against seasoned warriors. She is fiercely protective of her prince, and instantly attacks anyone who speaks poorly of him. This makes for a weakness in battle; by insulting Lin in some way, her opponent can break her usually perfect battle form and leave her open to attack. While protecting Lin, Lan Fan is severely injured by King Bradley, having to amputate her arm in order to escape. After regaining consciousness, she and her grandfather leave Lin so that she can get automail surgery to replace her arm. The moment her surgery is complete and she has recovered to the point of being able to move (though not to the point of having complete control of her new arm), she rushes to Lin’s side to start protecting him once again.
Lin Yao – He is voiced by Mamoru Miyano in the Japanese version and Todd Haberkorn in English.Lin Yao is the twelfth prince of Xing, and represents the Yao Clan. He meets Edward Elric soon after arriving in Amestris, whom he aggravates by being both younger and taller than him. He also tends to leave Edward with pricey dinner bills before quietly slipping away. Despite his laid-back, goofy, and undignified personality, Lin is a skilled swordsman who keeps a cool head in hostile situations. His major ambition is to replace his father as Xing’s new emperor, and as such operates under the belief that power can not be obtained without the people’s support. He is very close to his bodyguards, Lan Fan and Fu, often showing greater concern for their safety than finding immortality and becoming emperor. Throughout the series, Lin’s ongoing search for immortality in Amestris results in numerous encounters with the homunculi, whom he can sense like other Xingese characters. He eventually becomes a homunculus himself so as to become immortal, relinquishing his body to Greed without any resistance.However, they eventually come to an agreement to the point where Lin can take control when he feels it is necessary. During the final battle, Greed is separated from Lin’s body and following his defeat, Lin returns to Xing and becomes the new emperor, uniting all the nation’s segregated clans under his rule.
May Chang – Her Japanese seiyu is Mai Goto and her English voice actress is Monica Rial.May Chang is the seventeenth princess of Xing who represents the Chang clan. Unlike Lin Yao, she comes to Amestris without any bodyguards, only having her small pet panda, Xiao Mei that had gotten a disease to keep her from growing, keeping her small, to keep her company. May is particularly skilled in alkahestry , a technique developed in Xing chiefly for medical purposes, but very similar to alchemy; by using throwing knives to create two transmutation circles, one at her intended target and one near herself, she can manipulate matter at a distance. She is somewhat imaginative in nature; when first hearing of Edward Elric’s alchemical skills, she pictures him as a tall, handsome young man.When this is proven to be false upon actually meeting him, she proclaims that he intentionally misled her, and later falls in love with Alphonse Elric, also picturing his real form as a handsome man.Soon after arriving in Amestris on her search for immortality, May teams up with Scar, assisting him on his travels. For a time, she also unknowingly fights the Elric brothers before eventually teaming up with them as well to fight the homunculi in hope of finding the way obtain immortality. After Father’s defeat, she returns to Xing alongside Lin and Lan Fan.
Barry the Chopper – Kentaro Ito voices him in the Japanese series, and Jerry Jewell in the English adaptation. Hideyuki Umezu voices him in the new series.Barry the Chopper , a serial killer, earned infamy in Central for his butchering of many innocent people. In the first anime series, his spree is brought to an end by the Elric brothers. In the manga and the second anime, he is captured sometime before the start of the series. Though reported to have been executed, Barry’s soul is actually removed from his body and bound to a suit of armor in one of the military’s experiments. He is then called Number 66. He is subsequently assigned to guarding the 5th Laboratory, where he encounters the Elric brothers once again. When the 5th Laboratory is destroyed Barry flees and is then convinced to work with Roy Mustang. Arakawa remarks she enjoys drawing Barry and although she originally thought he would die in 5th Laboratory’s explosion, she wanted to expand his character more. While helping with drawing out the homunculi, Barry comes across his old human body, with the soul of an animal having been bound to it. Barry tracks it to the 3rd Laboratory and, to fulfill his dreams of butchering himself, he tries to kill his body, though his armor is destroyed by Lust before he can do so. While Barry is able to survive this, his original body destroys what is left of him by scratching through the seal that is connecting his soul to his armor.In the first anime, he becomes a mercenary and is ultimately killed by Scar.
Trisha Elric – Her seiyu is Yoshino Takamori, and her English voice actress is Lydia Mackay.Trisha Elric was the mother of Edward and Alphonse Elric. She was a kindly woman who was loved by all in her family. Even her husband,Hohenheim, wished to always be with her. He left her and their two sons behind to find a way to escape his immortality and achieve this goal. Trisha tried to last until his return, though she ultimately died of an illness. Ed and Al tried to revive her with human transmutation, and, in the failed attempt, lost their bodies as the malformed entity died within moments of being created. Hohenheim would later plant the suggestion that the creature was not a failed attempt to revive Trisha, but something else. In the first anime series, the failed creation becomes the homunculus Sloth.
Rosé – Her voice actress in Japanese is Houko Kuwashima in the first series, andSatsuki Yukino in the second. Colleen Clinkenbeard voices her in the English series.Rosé is a young woman introduced at the very start of the series. She is a devout believer in her town’s local faith, believing that serving the church will bring back her dead boyfriend. The Elric brothers’ arrival in town opens Rosé’s eyes to the church’s corruption and forces her to realize her boyfriend is not coming back.In the manga, she helps to rebuild the town, eventually reuniting with Alphonse Elric.In the first anime, she instead becomes the mute “Holy Mother” of the townspeople, giving them a symbol of guidance as they rise up against the State Military. Rosé loses her voice after being captured by a soldier of the military; it is strongly implied that she has been assaulted and raped by the soldiers, as she now has a baby. She is later captured by Dante, whose purpose is Rosé’s body, but is later freed by Edward.
Winry Rockbell – She is voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi and Caitlin Glass in the Japanese and English versions, respectively.In the second series, she is voiced by Megumi Takamoto in Japanese, and Glass reprises her in the English version.Winry Rockbell , a childhood friend of Edward and Alphonse Elric, lives in Resembool with her grandmother, Pinako Rockbell, who raised her after the death of her parents during the Ishbal War. In the manga series, her parents were killed by Scar in a blind rage, while in the first anime, they were executed by a younger Roy Mustang under Military order. Winry is a practicing and gifted automail mechanic, following in her grandmother’s footsteps, continually designing and maintaining Edward Elric’s automail prosthetics. In the manga, Winry is often used as an unwitting hostage by the homunculi to ensure the Elrics’ subservience to the State.
