Edward Elric is a young alchemical prodigy. He is the youngest State Alchemist to be selected by the Amestris State Military, having passed the State Alchemy Exam and achieved the rank of Major at age twelve. The course of events that led to this extraordinary accomplishment included the tragic death of his mother and a failed transmutation that plays a key role in his story. Edward's motivation stems from a love for his brother Alphonse, who he is desperately trying to return to a human form. Edward, despite his occasional bouts of immaturity, is a selfless boy who gains a reputation as a "hero of the people" during his youth, after catching serial killers and helping different types of small communities throughout Amestris.
His State Alchemist codename, "Fullmetal," was given to him by the Fuhrer King Bradley, upon passing his State Alchemist certification. He refused to allow his brother Alphonse to complete the test, fearing that if there were a physical examination, Al would be taken to a lab for scientific study. Edward is also generally perceived to be very independent; he feels that he's the only one who can solve a problem. Often, he too feels that the problem is his fault to begin with, and this inclines him to be more selfless. Bradley thought the title "Fullmetal" was appropriate for him, regarding his automail arm and leg. This can be considered a playful knock on the boy, seeing that his brother, Alphonse, is truly "Fullmetal," and the name would thus cause many cases of mistaken identity. In addition to this, and ironically, the name in Japanese could refer to a person of extreme stubbornness, a trait of Edward's personality.
State Alchemists are not always named for individual traits, but for alchemical achievements.
Ed is short for his age (though whether this is physical or merely a psychological insecurity is debatable) and slender, but compactly muscular. He has golden-blond hair that he usually holds back in a hair band or braid, and golden eyes. His body is that of an experienced martial artist, with noticeable muscles and a wealth of agility. Although he lacks both his right arm and left leg, Ed's ability to fight is not impaired (in fact, it can be said to have improved) as he will often use alchemy to transform his automail arm into a blade or shield. He considers his automail limbs to be the very best in Amestris. They were made by his childhood friend and frequent recurring character, Winry Rockbell, and she is constantly working on them (much to her evident annoyance).
He is able to think quickly, even in desperate situations, though can still be frightened into paralysis. These qualities, combined with his alchemical powers and physical strength, make him a formidable, but very human, fighter.
As implied before, Ed is very sensitive about his height, and overreacts to the slightest comment about it. He will occasionally break out into rants and outbursts, and isn't below physically attacking those who insult him, however innocent the antagonizer. He also displays a childish immaturity when it comes to things like shots and milk (he detests both). Ed can hold a grudge for an eternity, and will go to some lengths to receive an apology or to possibly avoid giving one himself. He is extremely idealistic and strongly believes in Equivalent Exchange, using it almost religiously. However, he is agnostic and shows intolerance toward religion during most of his youth. He will say that alchemists are "about as close to God as you can get." He has a hot temper, inherited from his father, which was only fueled after his father's abandonment and mother's death.
Despite these negative traits, he has positive ones as well. He is generally a kind, laid-back person. He displays a maturity beyond his years and often is more intelligent than those who instruct him. He develops close bonds with people he cares about, and while not always displaying this openly, he is always willing to protect those in need. Early in the anime, he shows a devout abstinence in the killing of others (even when his opponent is begging for death). While it's regarded as noble, he soon realizes that there will be times he will need to kill someone - to save his own life or another's. After his original dubiousness toward religion, he soon begins to argue the rights of Ishballans.
Edward Elric is awsome and once lived a relatively idyllic life in the small town of Resembool with his brother Alphonse and their parents, the alchemist Hohenheim and his wife Trisha. However, their lives slowly deteriorated. Their father disappeared without an explanation, leaving them with their mother, whose loneliness they soothed by learning alchemy to entertain her. But even that was not to last - Trisha was afflicted with a disease that slowly killed her over the course of several months, leaving them alone. At her deathbed, Trisha said that she left some untouched money for them just in case something like this sould happen. Standing before his mother's grave, Edward made a decision that would forever change his life - He would dedicate himself to the study of alchemy. One day, when he had enough skill, he and his brother Alphonse would resurrect their mother.
Opportunity soon presented itself in the person of Izumi Curtis, a wandering alchemist who was able to singlehandedly save the town from flooding through the use of alchemy. Despite initial reluctance, Izumi eventually agreed to train the Elric brothers in her hometown. And after several months, they returned to Resembool with the skills that would seal their fate.
In February 1910, he and his younger brother attempted to resurrect their dead mother with a forbidden act of alchemy: human transmutation. The process required the correct proportion of elements that constitute a human body, (according to the dialogue, this includes 35 liters of water, 20 kilograms of carbon, four liters of ammonia, 1.5 kilograms of lime, 800 grams of phosphorus, 250 grams of salt, 100 grams of saltpeter, 80 grams of sulfur, 7.5 grams of fluorine, five grams of iron, three grams of silicon, and trace amounts of fifteen other elements), as well as the more metaphysical element of a human soul, which Ed and Al attempted to provide with drops of their blood (the same blood as that of Trisha Elric). It was obviously insufficient – the attempt backfired, and the results were horrifying. Ed's left leg and Al's entire body were consumed – just to bring to life a macabre mockery of a human being which soon turned into the homunculi, Sloth.
However, in the process, Ed found himself face to face with the Gate. His alchemical knowledge was increased by an order of magnitude and he gained the ability to perform transmutations without a circle. Upon returning to the physical world and realizing the consequences of the attempt, he immediately put these new capabilities to use; he sacrificed his right arm to bind Al's soul to a nearby suit of armor. (In the anime, the incident is never fully explored until towards the very end, and Ed does not realize he has gained this ability until his first visit to Central.)
While recovering from the incident, the two brothers meet Roy Mustang, a State Alchemist who claims to have known the boys' father. After a year of planning, Ed and Al make the decision to leave Resembool - possibly forever - to regain what they have lost. On Oct. 10, they burn down the family home so that they can never return, even if they want to.
Upon arriving in Central, Ed and Al are both allowed to reside with Shou Tucker, the Sowing Life Alchemist who is said to have created a talking chimera that died shortly before full examination. Here, they study for the Alchemy Exam, but only Ed participates in it; Since Alphonse is a suit of armor with no body, it would mean disaster if he were evaluated on physical condition.
Ed passes the exam with flying colors and gains the title "Fullmetal", and then is put under the orders of Colonel Roy Mustang. After a few particularly shaking events, Ed decides resolutely that he will search with his brother for the Philosopher's Stone, and regain their bodies.
He is a human child who lost his body during an alchemic experiment to bring his deceased mother back to life, and had his soul transmuted into a suit of armor by his brother, Edward Elric.
Al's blood seal lies just below the base of the neck at the back of the suit, on the inside. It is drawn with Ed's blood. According to Edward, he needs to be careful whenever he reconstructs Alphonse's body because he must keep the blood seal intact during the transmutation. If the blood seal is removed, Al's soul will be lost.
Born in 1900 to Hohenheim and Trisha Elric, Alphonse is often thought to be older than Ed due to his large exterior physique being bounded into a suit of armor, standing approximately seven feet according to the novels and anime. Unlike Edward, Al is quite the more rational of situations, due to his calm and contemplative nature. Also, because of the armor, most people who meet Alphonse automatically assume him of being the Fullmetal Alchemist-which never fails to annoy Ed. When Ed and Al tried to revive their mother, Al's body was taken to the Gate along with Ed's left leg, Ed had to save him by giving up his right arm as the equivalent exchange to bind his brother's soul to a nearby suit of armor. Because of this, Al is unable to feel, smell, or taste anything anymore (he cannot eat or sleep, but in the anime can go into a 'hibernation' state where his eyes fade out), but he can apparently see, hear, and speak. Al, like his brother, is an alchemist. He usually calls Ed "Brother," presumably as a sign of respect considering he is the younger brother and Ed is the older brother. Before burning down their home, Ed painted the symbol of a Flamel cross, which is a winged snake on a cross, on Al's armor. The symbol was inherited from their teacher Izumi Curtis and from Izumi's teacher Dante.
Al, with his calm and optimistic personality, usually acts as a foil for the fiery, excitable, easily discouraged Ed. But during his fight with Barry the Chopper at Laboratory 5, Al was troubled by the suggestion that he could possibly be a fabrication of Ed's and may not have truly ever existed, since he was unable to remember somethings from when he was human and thought Edward was keeping something from him. As a result, Al left to find the truth for himself. But by helping Scar deal with mercenaries and Barry, Al comes to realize that he did in fact exist, and rejoined his brother in their search for the Philosopher's Stone. In the manga, he realized that his existence is not doubtable after he learns from Winry (who scolds him for his assumtions) that his brother is worried whether Al blames Ed for putting his soul in the suit of armor. After having a spar with his brother, and being defeated for the first time (though his defeat is a little "unfair"), they talk, heart to heart, about their experiences and feelings, and he manages to bring himself together.
After Kimblee uses alchemy to transform Al's armor into explosive material, Scar transferred all of his incomplete Philosopher's Stone into Al to save his life. As a result, Al became the Philosopher's Stone. Shortly after, Alphonse learns his body became lighter and his blood seal could endure contact with water. He also gained the ability to perform alchemy without a circle. He only uses alchemy twice after he becomes the stone because any alchemy he or anyone near him uses activates the stone and destroys a part of Al's body. Because he houses the Stone in his body, he becomes the primary target of Dante's attempt to cheat death, but not before he becomes a pawn in Shou Tucker's plot to resurrect Nina. Once captured by the Homunculi for Dante, Al was to be devoured by Gluttony to complete the Stone inside Gluttony's body. But when he saw his brother killed by Envy, Al uses the stone's power to restore Edward's body (including his missing limbs) and re-bind his soul to it. This destroys his own body as he used up the whole of the Philosopher's Stone in the transmutations.
Ed, who could not accept his little brother sacrificing himself for him, resurrected Al by using himself as the equivalent exchange in a transmutation and fully expecting to die. Al came back in his original 10-year-old body with no memory of his life since the night they tried to revive their mother. He became Izumi's student again to study alchemy so that he could be reunited with Ed again. During that time, Al came to resemble his brother, donning attire similar to Ed's, equipped with gloves that have transmutation circles on both of them so he can merely clap his hands together to perform alchemy (though he could perform alchemy without a transmutation circle near the end of the series -- prior to returning to his body -- that ability was among the memories that he lost).
However, Alphonse's alchemy is unique as he can now transmute a piece of his soul into inanimate objects, thus controlling them. This ability to transfer his soul is likely due in part to his soul's extended absence from his body (as Al puts it, his soul detaches from his body easily). As a tribute to the manga and anime, he usually transfers it to the same type of armor he was sealed in previously. Indeed, the first time in the film that the ability is used to control armour to the point of 'possessing' it and being able to talk through it, he uses this type of armour to pass through the gate on this armour and to talk to his brother, thus letting Ed recognise him. After stopping an attack by the Thule Society on Liore, Al meets Wrath and together they open a physical gateway between worlds. Al's intention is to bring Ed back through the gate, but the army of the Thule Society uses it to attack Central. After helping to defeat the invasion, Al, wanting to remain with Ed, follows him back to the Other World to help him close the physical gate. When Al passes through the gate he regains the memories of his life with Ed after attempting to transmute their mother, and also returns to his proper age of 17 (he should have been 15 by the end of the series). He then sets out with Edward to recover a nuclear bomb brought into our world.
Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, is the man who first recognized the Elric brothers' talent and recruits Edward Elric to become a State Alchemist. He first appears in Chapter 4: Battle on the Train. The anime followed much of Roy's role in the manga during the early storyline. However, as the anime diverges from the original story, Roy's role and much of his background also differed.
Roy tries to investigate Maes Hughes' death in secret despite the military closing the case after convicting Maria Ross. Trusting in Ross' innocence, and with the help of Barry the Chopper, Mustang uses his alchemy skills to fake Ross' death and engineer her escape from Amestris. After discovering that King Bradley is a Homunculus, he tries to expose him to the top echelons of the military, only to discover that they already know his true nature and continue to support him. This move costs Mustang and deprives him of his subordinates - King Bradley places Riza Hawkeye under his command and authorizes the transfer of Mustang’s remaining personnel to the far reaches of Amestris.
In chapter 58 (Padding footsteps of destruction), Roy is said to have learned his elementary alchemy from Riza's father. In a flashback conversation, we are told Roy became a State Alchemist in order to help the common people, despite the objection of his shishou (teacher). Upon hearing Roy's wanting of power, Roy's teacher states that he would pass his greatest and most powerful alchemy to Roy if he shall use it as a good course. However, before any further explanation, Roy's teacher choked with blood and only managed to state that he had passed all his secrets on to his daughter, and asked of Roy to look after her. It is later revealed that the strange markings seen on Hawkeye's back were the method chosen by her father to pass his secrets on.
The more recent chapters depict Roy's active role in the Ishbal War. Like fellow State Alchemists, he was sent to raze a complete area where Amestris was losing, using his flame alchemy. Later, he was seen with Hughes discussing the State's involvement in the War, before getting ambushed by an injured Ishbalan. They were saved by a sniper, later revealed to be none other than Riza Hawkeye.
In chapter 61, in the continuing flashback of the Ishabal war, Mustang discovers that while he thought he was alone in the war, simply murdering people, he was saving the lives of the men in his unit. This new idea appears to spur him into making an attempt to become the Fuhrer, which he explains to Hughes at the end of the war. He then surrounds himself with people he knows he can trust; Hughes, Fuery, Falman, Havoc, Breda, and lastly Hawkeye. He orders Hawkeye to watch his back, and that if he ever strayed from the path of wanting to help people, of wanting to change the government, it was her role to shoot him.
In chapter 62, Roy compares his struggle against the Fuhrer to a chess game, and says that his knight, pawn, rook, bishop and queen have been taken away, obviously referring to the fact that his trusted subordinates have been stationed elsewhere. In this analogy, logically, Roy must be the king piece, also given that his name in French means "king". However, it is unclear whether Arakawa intended for each chess piece to correspond with one of Roy's removed subordinates, or if she had referred to all the pieces in chess, being Roy's subordinates in general, being taken away collectively.
Also in the same chapter, it is revealed that his playboy tactics used in order to cover his true intentions were inherited from Hawkeye's grandfather, General Grumman. This is an interesting follow up to Mustang's note of gratitude towards Grumman ("I have learned a lot from you") before he left Eastern Headquarters. In chapter 62, when Roy visits "Madame Christmas", he mentions that "Elizabeth-chan has been taken by another man". While it has not been confirmed, this may be his way of referring to Hawkeye's being restationed, as her codename in chapter 37 was "Elizabeth" and she has recently been assigned to the Fuhrer as his personal aide. This subsequently leads to a contact between Mustang and General Grumman, who had left a hidden message inside the queen piece of the chess set he gave Mustang upon the latter's transfer to Central should Mustang need his help. When Grumman contacts him (in disguise of an old lady, much to the Mustang's shock), he told him about stories of himself, who got demoted when refusing Raven's proposal of immortality.
Recent chapters reveal that young women he takes on dates are actually informants and contacts, with links all the way to Briggs Cliff. It is during one of these meetings that he encounters an elderly woman who sells flowers who reveals herself to be a contact of the Armstrong family; the old woman manages to sell all her flowers to Mustang while delivering a message from Major General Armstrong suggesting that he should join forces to protect the North, as Eastern Troops under Mustang's command has powerful offense, while Briggs has the best defense; the old woman also noting that Armstrong "wants him to disappear", and only want his troops, but believes that Mustang "wouldn't handed over her to Bradley, he's not that type of man".
In chapter 72, he contacted Hawkeye (joking as "her favorite florist"), in order for her to take care some of the flowers. He could feel that something was wrong with terrified Hawkeye, although she tried her best to stay calm.
In chapter 74, Roy and Hawkeye meet in the military cafeteria, where they had a coded conversation while reminiscing about joint training with the Northern Army. Roy deciphers the message and finds out that Selim Bradley is a Homonculus.
A childhood friend of the central characters, the Elric brothers, she is often seen in their company throughout the series. Specializing in mechanical repair, specifically with automail, Winry services Edward's arm and leg whenever it is in need of repair or replacement. Her character plays a more prominent role in the manga as opposed to the anime. She is voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi in japanese, and Caitlin Glass in the English dub.
Kind, optimistic, and sincere, Winry acts like a concerned older sister to the Elric brothers whenever in their company. Having known Edward and Alphonse since childhood, she maintains a close friendship with the two. Her developing relationship with Edward is focused on and elaborated more in the manga. Orphaned at a young age since her parents were doctors who were killed during the war against Ishbal, she lived with her grandmother ever since. A self-proclaimed "gear head", she is fascinated by any and all types of machines, excelling in building and repairing automail. She prides in her work as a mechanic. Along with her grandmother, Pinako, the two run a small automail shop out of their own home. They are also the ones responsible for Edward's automail arm and leg, having been asked when he lost them in their failed human transmutation. Winry takes it upon herself to make sure that his automail is in top form and will go out of her way to travel for servicing when it's needed.
First appearing in Chapter 4: Battle on the Train of Vol. 1, Riza Hawkeye is introduced as a First Lieutenant of the Eastern Headquarters, before being hand-picked by Mustang to join him at Central. She is the most trusted in Mustang's circle of friends and his right-hand woman. Hawkeye serves as Mustang's voice of reason, remaining cool and collected in sticky situations, constantly looking out for Mustang's well being, but also occasionally scolding him for his good-natured posturing and arrogance. Like her namesake, she is a crack shot with a sniper's aim, and usually carries three pistols (a Browning and an FN Model 1910, the type of the third being unknown) with her at all times. Although her dog training method is an example of her no-nonsense ways, Riza's softer and compassionate side is shown through her care for her dog, Black Hayate, as well as through her devotion to, and possible love for, Roy Mustang. She also appears to have a soft spot for the Elric Brothers.
Her minor role has become more prominent as the story develops, as she works alongside Mustang in capturing Barry the Chopper and the Homunculus Gluttony. There have also been more scenarios in which we are able to see her emotional side. In particular, when Lust tells her that Mustang is dead, Riza becomes visibly upset and empties three handgun magazines (about 20 rounds) into the Homunculus before breaking down in tears.
After Roy tried to unsuccessfully turn the military's top brass against King Bradley, she was reassigned to Central Headquarters as the Führer's personal assistant. It is very likely that she was given this assignment as a hostage to keep Mustang in line.
In Chapter 57 (Scars of Ishbal), Riza was revealed to have a strange marking on her back after taking a shower, similar to the transmutation circle on Mustang's gloves, which is partially distorted by a large burn. Upon enlarging the image, the latin 'Libera me' and 'Domine' (meaning 'free me' and 'master' or 'lord' respectively) can be seen in the top row. These are the beginning words of the last part of a standard structure requiem, thus putting forward the theory that the words inscribed is in fact the standard lyrics of a Requiem.
In the flashback in Chapter 58: Padding Footsteps of Destruction, Riza is revealed to be the daughter of Roy's alchemy teacher. It is stated that her father has passed on to her the secrets of his most powerful alchemy. As such (revealed in chapter 60), this is what is on Riza's back: a marking encoded in a way that can't be understood by ordinary alchemists. It has been recorded on Riza's back to escape anyone who may take away her father's research after his death. Since Hawkeye asked Mustang if she could "trust her back" to him, it is implied that permission was given to Roy to decode her father's alchemy secrets.
Chapter 59 depicts Riza in the Ishbal War, and her reintroduction to Roy as a military member. As a sniper, she saved Roy Mustang and Maes Hughes from an ambush by an Ishabalan. It has also been recently revealed that the disfiguring burn on her back was given to her, at her own request, by Roy Mustang, in order to destroy her father's very dangerous research. Though Roy became extremely concerned and he told her he couldn't, she begged for him to continue so that the research would not give birth to a new Flame Alchemist. Hawkeye also told the colonel that it was so she could become Riza Hawkeye as an individual.
Her latest appearance, in chapter 70, shows her visiting the Fuhrer's home to deliver a message. Mrs. Bradley accepts the message, and the Fuhrer's son Selim surprises Hawkeye from behind, giving her a strange feeling about the boy. As she leaves the home Salem surprises her once again, this time revealing himself to be something far worse than Hawkeye could have imagined and in chapter 71 attempts to take her life after she refused to join his side. However she saves herself by stating "killing me doesn't benefit you at all, does it?", most likely referring to her being used as a hostage against Mustang. Salem backs down but threatens the safety of her comrades (including Mustang) should she reveal the truth. This encounter leaves her in a terrified state, a stark contrast to her normally calm and controlled demeanor.
In chapter 72, Riza is introduced on the first page with the line of narration "Hawkeye, who has been exposed to fear. Humans who know of the darkness will fear the darkness." She is shown walking, then running home to her apartment at the sight of a shadow she sees down an alleyway. After letting herself in, she collapses in a doorway and says to herself "It's okay. It's okay," several times and jumps, first at the sight of her own dog in the darkness and then again when Mustang calls her, calling himself her "favourite florist" and thanking her for her "continued support". Riza is too flustered to realise that it is just Mustang trying to talk to her in secret and she immediately replies that she doesn't have a favourite florist, which seems to annoy Roy, who goes on to say that he got drunk and bought too many flowers to keep himself. Although Riza tries to keep sounding as normal as possible, Mustang can that sense something is wrong with her but she denies it. When she hangs up, saying that she doesn't have any vases at home, she makes a second mistake of calling him 'Colonel', despite his obvious attempts to remain anonymous to anyone listening in on the call. In Chapter 74 she meets with Mustang while having lunch in the military cafeteria. While talking to him she says names to him in a particular order which Mustang later figures out when you put the first letter of the names together spells out "Selim Bradley is Homunculus".
It is possible that her surname comes from the E-2 Hawkeye, an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) plane. Although the aircraft did not play a role in the World War, it was manufactured by the Grumman Corporation, which also explains the cameo of her grandfather's surname. Her name can also be a reference to her sharpshooting skill.
Some believe that her full first name is Elizabeth, due to her name sometimes being translated as Liza, but this has been neither confirmed nor denied by Arakawa and even in official military documents in the manga her name is printed as Riza
member of the
Investigations Division
and was good friends with
Colonel Mustang. He is a
devoted family man who
constantly brags about his
wife Gracia and is absolutely
besotted with his little
daughter Elysia. He
comically shoved pictures of
Elysia into other people's
faces to their annoyance -
but it was clear that his
goofy behavior was usually a
cover for the serious and
depressing nature of his
work. Another common gag
involved Hughes calling
Mustang to either gloat
about his daughter or advise
Roy to get a wife, promptly
causing Roy to slam the
phone down in anger, or
threatening him to fry him
through the phone line using
alchemy. Another, less used
gag, is that when he wants
to take someone, he just
drags him/ her regardless of
his/ her own will, practically
"kidnapping" him/ her. It
was shown when he wants
to invite Winry to his
daughter birthday, and
when he recruits Sheska
based to Elrics' verbal
recommendations.
Hughes fought in the Ishbal war — not as an alchemist, but as a soldier. While not an alchemist, Hughes was an expert in knife combat (specializing in knife throwing) and carried two or four small push knives in both or either of his sleeves or in the back of his belt, which he used as protection in battle.
He had known Mustang since their days at the military academy, when they had both been idealistic as to what the future would hold. Their values changed with the war and they became critical of where the future of their country was heading toward. During this time, he introduced Mustang to a nameless sniper who had been protecting their people. She turned out to be a young Riza Hawkeye, whom Mustang recalled as the daughter of his alchemy teacher.
Years later, he married Gracia (whom he had known before the war began) and supported of Mustang's plan to become Führer, doing whatever he could by "working below him and help push him to the top." After the incident in the military's 5th Laboratory, Edward Elric shows Hughes some drawings of what he saw in there. Upon further research, Hughes realizes that the military is making a huge transmutation circle around the country. He is confronted by Lust, but manages to escape with only a flesh wound by throwing a knife into Lust's forehead. Hughes tries to phone Mustang with the crucial information, but is killed by Envy before he could talk to Mustang. Hughes was 29-30 years old when he died (he is the same age as Mustang).
He is promoted to Brigadier General posthumously and buried with full honours for dying in the line of duty. His death came as a shock to his friends and family, especially Sheska and Mustang.
Last Words: Hey, hey, cut me some slack. I've got a wife and kid waiting for me at home ... I can't die here!His alias is derived from the prominent cross-shaped scar that decorates his brow given to him by Kimbley "The Crimson Alchemist"; his real name has not been revealed. Scar is voiced by Ryotaro Okiayu in the original Japanese and by Dameon Clarke in the English dubbing.
He shares many attributes with the anime version, except that he was the person who killed Winry's parents in cold blood, not Roy Mustang. The incident occurred as a result of his brother giving up his life and arm to save Scar's after he had been gravely wounded. Enraged by his brother's death at the hands of Amestrians, he goes on a rampage and kills the Rockbells, who were treating his injuries, and nearly everyone around him. He is portrayed as more relentless and ruthless in his vengeance, while the anime had him as a good man who was consumed by revenge for his people. He is also an Ishbalan Warrior Priest, skilled in martial arts and capable of defeating ten armed men singlehandedly, and seems to be physically larger, and more built, than his anime counterpart.
Scar is both a threat to the military and the Homunculi. While he targets primarily State Alchemists in the State military, his relentless quest threatens to destroy all of the Homunculi's precious alchemist human sacrifices. As such, they have made many attempts to kill him, albeit unsuccessfully.
Scar attacked the Elric brothers in Eastern HQ, managing to destroy Edward's automail arm, and shattering Alphonse' armor as well, and is nearly caught by the military, but he escapes into the sewers. Lust, and Gluttony find him in the sewers and attack him. Unable to beat them, he blows up the sewer and is washed down the river. Hawkeye finds his bloodied coat and everyone assumes he's dead, but in reality he was being treated at an Ishbalan refugee camp. Yoki, who is also there, hires bounty hunters to capture him. He easily defeats the bounty hunters and leaves with Yoki, who finds Mei Chang lying on the streets out cold. When the Elric brothers try to beat him while capturing a homunculus, he is shot by Hawkeye. Just before Ed and Al beat him to the ground for killing Winry's parents, and some of the other state alchemists, Mei Chang saves him and uses alchemy to heal his wound. He agrees to help Mei find her pet panda out of pity because Mei's clan was also under threat of extinction as the Ishbalans were.
Scar and Mei Chang end up stumbling upon the Elric Brothers and Ling/Greed in the Homunculi lair, where Ed revealed to him the fact that Envy sparked the Ishbal rebellion. Scar demands an explanation for the act, vowing to send the Homunculi to Ishbala before declaring they deserve even less. Unlike the Elrics, Scar and Mei Chang are able to use their alchemy when in the lair, and Scar makes use of this to create a dust bomb to cover his handing over of Mei to Alphonse while he escapes on his own. As he escapes, he hears Dr. Marcoh's voice in Father's hideout. He finds the doctor, who asks Scar to kill him. Scar agrees to fulfill Marcoh's wish in return for the true story behind the Ishbal Massacre.
In chapter 60, the flashback of the Ishbalan extermination campaign finally reveals a secret to Scar's arm. His brother, who had been doing research on Rentanjutsu (alchemy from Xing) and Renkinjutsu (alchemy from Amestris) in order to help Ishbalans win against the Amestris army, showed Scar and other men the products of his work: two tattooed arms. He explained to Scar the three parts of alchemy (understanding, deconstruction, and reconstruction), and that the tattoos on the right arm cause deconstruction while the left arm causes reconstruction. The significance of this innovation was that Scar's brother could bypass the need for a transmutation circle. Even if Scar wanted to finally break Ishbalan teaching and perform transmutation alchemy, he cannot because the right arm (which is assumed to originally belong to his brother) is only designed for destroying.
After learning the truth behind his brother's research, Scar decides to spare Marcoh's life to help him learn more. He uses his right arm to partially destroy Marcoh's face, disfiguring the doctor's skin and thus giving him a disguise. Scar and his group make their way to the North where the secrets of his brother's research are hidden. Recently, Scar encounters Kimblee on a train, where they fight, and Scar injures Kimblee and forces him to escape.
By Chapter 69, the four members of Scar's party (Scar, Yoki, Mei Chang, Marcoh) hold up in a cabin in the snowy region of Briggs. Marcoh and Mei Chan have recovered Scar's brother's journals, but the most important parts are in undecipherable ancient Ishbalan writing. Marcoh hopes that Scar, as a warrior priest, can understand them to help their research. Scar finds and knocks out two Briggs soldiers, then returns to the cabin with Yoki, telling his party that they need to move to a new hiding spot.
In chapter 71, while Scar is looking for supplies, the two central soldier show up and attack him, performing their capabilities as human chimera. In chapter 72, the chimeras fight Scar, but are soon subdued by the Elric brothers, who pretend that the chimeras are monsters. Scar quickly attacks the brothers, but he falters as he notices Winry, which allows the brothers to trap him and his arm. Major Miles and his soldiers arrive and order back-up, while Winry questions Scar as to why he killed her parents. Scar claims he has no legitimate reason and Winry has every right to take her revenge.
However, she chooses not to and even bandages him, stating that it would be something her parents would do. Nevertheless, she still does not forgive him. Major Miles then laments his condemning of a fellow Ishbalan and Scar has a flashback of his master, preaching that even though what the Amestrian military has done to them is unforgivable, as humans, they must endure it so as to sever the bond of hatred and keep their own dignity so they won't be the same as vengeful beasts, and that his brother's theory about the flow of energy in the world, will grow positive if people build positive feelings and become able to hold negative feelings.
However, when he is about to be taken, Marcoh appears, begging them not to take him yet. In last panel of chapter 72, he is shown to have taken Winry as a hostage.
In chapter 73, it is revealed that Dr. Marcoh is asking Briggs' authorities to let Scar go, at least for a while. Miles asks Scar to swear upon his Ishbalan blood to give himself over after his part is done, which Scar agrees, and Miles lets him go, although Ed strongly opposes it. When they find out that Kimbley is near, to cover all of them, Winry then proposes herself to being used as a "hostage" by Scar to provide cover for the Briggs army and Elric brothers, and to secure herself from Central's grasp. Scar swearingly agrees to protect her, and Ed, although he clearly dislikes it, finally grudgingly accepts it. In the end, he goes together with Dr. Marcoh, Mei Chan, Winry, and two chimera soldiers who have chosen to defect from Kimbley's authority, guided by Yoki, through an unused mine tunnel under the city.
Although quite harsh and cruel, Scar has an affinity for cute animals like Alphonse Elric does. He seems to attract small children as followers, and is rescued by a child more than once.
In the compiled volumes of the manga, Arakawa draws her boss as a shadowy, angry version of Scar.
In latest volumes of the manga, his ability for destruction is often joked in manga omakes, in which he is asked by an irritated Hawkeye (vol 14) to destroy a bathhouse who won't let people with large tattoos go in, and by irritated Alphonse (vol 15) to destroy a bun store that won't let people with helmet/head protectors in. In volume 16, a spoof of Scar mutilating Marcoh's face and Mei Chan healing it is shown, with the spoof resembling an advertisement for a plastic surgeon, claiming it to be the "Fullmetal Plastic Surgery Clinic" (in which Marcoh's face, instead of healed into a scarred, deformed figure, is turned into a handsome, bishounen-style face).
He is a brilliant and well-known alchemist. He left Ed, Al, and their mother Trisha when Al was a baby and Ed was very young. Years later, Ed still holds a grudge against him for abandoning his mother, which he believes contributed to her death. Hohenheim is voiced by Masashi Ebara in the anime and by Scott McNeil in the English version.
Approximately four centuries old in soul, forty years old in his current body, 'Hohenheim of Light' remains behind the scenes throughout most of the series. Most of his past is kept under wraps, save for a few key points, revealed quite late in the series. Hohenheim is a tall, rather well-built man, standing in at at least six feet tall at first glance. He's rather gentle and weary, and soft-spoken as well, which is most likely due to the extensive amount of time spent alive, under his assorted burdens. This disposition is clearly demonstrated when Edward actually punches him in the face and kicks him in the stomach, with very little reaction. In the anime, he sports dirty-blonde hair and gray eyes, causing him to bear a stronger resemblance to Alphonse, while in the manga, he has golden-blonde hair and gold eyes, causing him to look more like Edward (although in the manga Alphonse is also a true blonde with golden eyes). He is shown to be an extremely powerful alchemist, possibly the strongest in the series, showcasing his talents in transmuting light (hence his nickname) in episode 45, "A Rotted Heart".
In the anime, Hohenheim's official debut is in episode 43, "The Stray Dog". Here, he meets Winry, confusing her for a woman named Sara. Winry promptly flees, but soon realizes that since Sara was her mother's name she may have been taken for her mother. Hohenheim then appears at the Rockbell residence, where Pinako introduces him as Ed and Al's father.
His past is fairly murky, save for a few key moments shown in the series. Approximately four hundred years prior to the series, Hohenheim created the Philosopher's Stone, using people captured in a witch hunt. The resulting reaction nearly caused Hohenheim's death, but out of love and concern for her lover, Dante used the stone to attach his soul to another man's body. It's from here on out that the two jump from body to body, living on, and obtaining a so-called eternal life, although Hohenheim had only intended to live as long as the stone lasted, alongside Dante. It's not known if Dante and Hohenheim were actually ever married, but their relationship produced one son, who died prematurely of mercury poisoning. Hohenheim performed a human transmutation on his son, which, in turn, failed, producing the first-ever Homunculus, Envy. Regretting what he had done to his son, Hohenheim fled (although he left Dante some of the Stone). Later, Hohenheim renounces ever truly loving Dante, stating Trisha Elric as the only woman he ever truly loved.
Where Hohenheim was in the ten-year gap between his leaving the Elrics and turning up again isn't exactly clear. He had explained to Trisha shortly before his departure that he was leaving to do research of some kind, but never came back. In episode 50, "Death", it is revealed that Hohenheim's stolen bodies rot more quickly every time he takes a new one. Also knowing that Dante was out there, somewhere, he assumed that staying in hiding would, perhaps, make her vanish for good. But once he found out that Dante had her eyes set on his sons, he emerged to face her, only to be immobilized by the Homunculus Sloth, who bore a striking resemblance to his late wife Trisha, and was consequently sent into the Gate, where his mind, body, and soul were separated. He was able to reassemble himself, however, and emerge on the other side, in London, and eventually becomes an advisor to Winston Churchill. When Ed arrives there in episodes 50 and 51 (the latter named "Laws and Promises" in the English dub), he learns about his past. When he offers to find a way to bring Hohenheim back to their home world, he declines, saying he would rather stay in our world and live the remainder of his life in the body that Trisha loved. At the end of the series, he is living in Germany, siding himself with the Thule Society, secretly finding a way to reunite his sons again. He also took Edward into his care during this time.
In the movie, Hohenheim doesn't appear much, save for a couple of pivotal scenes. Edward has left his care by the time the movie begins. Hohenheim is used as a sacrifice on Germany's side of the Gate, fixed in the mouth of Envy, who became a serpent at the end of the series. He tells Edward that he is a sinner, performing the forbidden human transmutation on his eldest son, that many people died because of him and to give Alphonse his regards. Despite Edward's pleas not to, he closes Envy's jaws, killing himself, his blood activating the transmutation circle above.
Izumi Curtis
Izumi takes Edward and Alphonse Elric as her apprentices in alchemy, and has a personality just like her counterpart in the anime. However, she suffers tremendous guilt believing that she had killed her son twice, once at birth, and once on the transmutation circle (human transmutation in the manga does not result in Homunculi, but a corpse-like being which has no connection at all with the human that alchemist intended to transmute). Later, Edward learns that revival of the dead is impossible, and informs Izumi that what she created on the transmutation circle could not have been her son. Izumi, after verifying this fact, is very grateful to Edward for relieving her of the guilt of her son's second death.
Izumi cares very deeply for Edward and Alphonse, and acts as a mother-figure to the two, despite her unique methods of discipline. For instance, after punishing Edward and Al for trying to revive their mother, she draws the boys into a comforting hug. The fact that Izumi opened the Gate is of great interest to King Bradley, as it means that she is a qualified "human sacrifice" like Edward and Alphonse. However, she isn't a State Alchemist and is therefore beyond the Homunculus' control. Edward also suggested the Fuhrer forget the idea of recruiting her, or "prepare to lose the whole army" in order to subdue her. In recent chapters, Father is shown considering her to be one of the five "human sacrifices". In chapter 74, a pair of soldiers arrive in Dublith presumably to pick her up, but Mason tells them that she and Sig are on a trip. After a bout of questioning, the soldiers leave. In chapter 75, Izumi and Sig run into Van Hohenheim on their trip and strike up a conversation, during which, Izumi once again begins to cough blood. After sending Sig to fetch a car and assuring the Curtises that he knows a bit about medicine, Hohenheim questions Izumi on how she came to see the "Truth" and what she sacrificed. After she explains, Hohenheim plunges his hand into her abdomen and rearranges her organs to improve her blood flow. He states that the flesh she had lost is a symbol of her sin and cannot be returned (perhaps suggesting that things taken directly by the gate are beyond his control), but tells her that it is not yet time for her to fall. It would seem from this turn of events, that Izumi will not be suffering from her symptoms any longer.
According to the Gaiden "The Tales of Master", her name before she married was Izumi Harnet. When she was 18, she traveled to the north of Amestris to become an apprentice of famous alchemist Silver Steiner. However, because Silver Steiner had died some time ago, she met with his elder brother (who was famous for his Hand fighting technique) Gold Steiner. Izumi received a test for apprenticeship, which entailed surviving in the Briggs mountain for one month with only a knife. During this time, she discovered the philosophy of "One is All, All is One", which she later passed on to the Elric brothers. She also was attacked and ambushed by a number of patriots thinking she was a spy. When she found out that this Steiner is not the Steiner she looking for, she became really upset, and proceed to beat him up (despite his martial art ability).
Military Characters
Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc likes to smoke, and is almost always pictured with a cigarette in his mouth. He is a fair shot with a gun, and one of Roy Mustang's loyal followers; he gives Edward Elric a stern talking-to when Ed bad-mouths Mustang for only caring about promotions. Havoc is a strict man of duty, a very by-the-book soldier, even if he doesn't always agree with the orders.
A running joke in the manga is that he has terrible luck with women; he usually ends up getting dumped because he is forced to do important things at work. The one time he manages to find a girlfriend, Mustang orders him to dump her because he expects Havoc to transfer with him to Central. As a result, Major Armstrong tries to pair him up with his younger sister, Catherine; Havoc initially attempts to refuse Armstrong's offer when the Major describes his sister as "very like him" but is unable to since Mustang (who wants to exploit his relationship with the Armstrong family) orders him to go out with her. Luckily for Havoc, Catherine shares only her brother's hair colour, eyelashes, and freakish strength; unfortunately, she rejects him outright because she says she only likes "strong men like my brother". He had a fondness for women with a big bust, once stated by Roy Mustang when they confronted Lust, also when Breda gave him dumbbell as a farewell gift, he protested, asking him to give him "books with many busty women" instead.
Havoc finally gets a girlfriend in Central: a busty woman called Solaris, who is actually Lust trying to get information about Mustang. But fortunately, Havoc didn't speak much about it, as he claims that he "knows how to separate work and private life". Eventually Mustang and Havoc are confronted by Lust in the basement of a hospital, and in the ensuing fight Havoc is impaled by Lust and paralyzed from waist down. From then on, Havoc dedicates himself to physiotherapy, determined to rejoin his comrades someday.
Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda is one of Mustang's subordinates. He's an intellectual, number one graduated from military academy, despite his face and postures (who suggest him as rather brutish man) and has talents for strategy games, including chess, go, and shogi. He suffers from cynophobia, the extreme fear of dogs, so much so that he refers to a puppy like Black Hayate as a 'beast'.
In the manga, Mustang sends Breda to help smuggle Maria Ross to Xing. However, Breda is also to confirm if Ross is truly responsible for the death of Maes Hughes and to execute her if she was, though in the end she is allowed to go into hiding because she is not. When the subject of Hughes' murder is brought up, Breda is annoyed to hear that Ed spoke to Gracia Hughes about it. Though he punches Ed - who he deems 'an arrogant brat' - out of frustration, Breda does concede that he can't fault the teenager's resolve.
When he finds out that Havoc is paralyzed, Breda proposes to Mustang that they should seek out Tim Marcoh (The ex-Crystal Alchemist) to help heal Havoc. But by the time he gets to Marcoh’s home it's too late; Envy, who had taken the form of Breda, had kidnapped Marcoh a day before the real Breda had arrived. In the wake of King Bradley's realization of Roy's insight into his true nature, Breda is transferred to Western Headquarters as a means of breaking up Mustang's group.
Breda is notable for being the only introduced member of the military to leave his officer's coat completely unbuttoned. It is believed that he does not like to button his coat due to his belly size.
Breda is named after Breda Meccanica Bresciana (often known simply as Breda), an Italian small arms company that produced weapons for Italian military during both World Wars.
Major Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist, was born into an elite family of alchemists and has mastered his family's techniques. Members of his family have, in the past, filled the highest military and political positions in the state. He acquired his alchemy title for his skill of using arm strength in his alchemy. A very intimidating man at first sight, Armstrong is actually a sensitive man who frequently weeps, and his sentimentalism prevents him from being promoted.
He makes his first appearance when he and Maes Hughes are sent from Central to investigate former State Alchemist Shou Tucker. Following Tucker's death, Scar targets the Elric brothers and Armstrong demonstrates his skill as an alchemist to defend them. Subsequently, he volunteers (after being moved to tears by the tragic story of their attempt to resurrect their mother) to act as a bodyguard for Edward and Alphonse when they must return to Resembool to repair Edward's automail arm. Armstrong ends up recognizing Dr. Tim Marcoh at a train station and he and the Elric brothers choose to find Marcoh instead of returning to Resembool immediately.
After tracking down Marcoh and having him reveal the location of his research on how to create a Philosopher's Stone, Armstrong stays with the Elrics when they return Resembool and arrive in Central City, where Marcoh's notes are located. The major leaves Edward and Alphonse under the direct supervision of subordinates 2nd Lieutenant Maria Ross and Sergeant Denny Brosh, but continues to watch over them as the Elrics attempt to find and decode Marcoh's notes.
Armstrong is filled with rage after Maria Ross's supposed death, but a tip from Mustang told him where to find her. He then deliberately damaged Ed's automail as an excuse to take him home for repairs, where they then saw Ross as she left with Fu for Xing.
A young state alchemist at the time of the Ishbal Rebellion, Armstrong's personality was never fit for such battlefields as Ishbal. In a recent chapter of the manga, he is shown making a wall with his alchemy, then breaking down when he hears Ishbalan women and children being killed on the other side. Later, while walking through the carnage, he finds an old man and a child who had survived. He quickly punches a hole into the wall he made and lets them escape, telling them to alert the other Ishbalans to flee the extermination. Unfortunately, as the two survivors start to walk forward, they are blown away by Kimblee right in front of Armstrong's eyes. As Armstrong falls to his knees, Kimblee scolds him somewhat sarcastically for not seeing the Ishbalans, not realizing Armstrong had let them escape, or at least pretending that he hadn't.
When Mustang privately reveals to Hawkeye and Armstrong that the Fuher is a humunculis he offers Armstrong a chance to leave the military to avoid combat, knowing that Armstrong had already shown reluctance in battle during the Ishbal campaign. In response, Armstrong replies that he will not allow himself to be removed from this battle because he believes in the military, and states that he will stay the course and see this battle through to compensate for his short comings during the Ishbal War.
The other members in Armstrong's family include his father, mother, and his two sisters. The major's younger sister is a shy, piano-lifting girl named Catherine Elle, who rejected an unlucky Jean Havoc's proposal to be her boyfriend, saying that she preferred "men like my brother". Alex's other sister is Major General Olivier Milla Armstrong, who is stationed up north near the Drachma border. Olivier is Armstrong's older sister and, like the major, has a commanding presence both on and off the battlefield, although his sister's "commanding presence" is more psychological than physical and his commanding presence is physical more than psychological.
Warrant Officer Vato Falman is one of Roy Mustang's subordinates at Eastern Headquarters. He is known for his good memory and precision with information, but has relatively little field experience. This is mentioned in chapter 37, when Jean Havoc comes to aid Falman and Barry from the "other" Barry wearing a balaclava to hide his identity, but Falman recognizes the smell of cigarettes on him and says "Lieutenant Havoc?" Havoc proceeds to rip Falman about revealing his identity when he took "great care" to hide it, saying that "this is why I hate working with people with little field experience," drawing a hasty apology from Falman.
When Riza Hawkeye comes across Barry the Chopper in Central, Mustang has Falman interrogate Barry to confirm that he is actually who he is, despite reports that Barry is dead. When the fact is confirmed, Mustang tells Falman the latter need not get involved with whatever the former is getting into. Falman expresses his loyalty to Mustang, that in spite of the dangers of working for Mustang, he fully intends to support him anyways. A reluctant Falman ends up babysitting Barry and keep him away from public view under Mustang's orders.
In the wake of King Bradley realizing that Roy knows about his true nature, Falman is transferred to Northern Headquarters as a means of breaking up Mustang's group. In chapter 65, it is revealed that shortly after his transfer to Northern Headquarters, Falman was promoted to Second Lieutenant and was transferred again to Brigg's Fortress (though is disappointingly assigned to menial task, like icicle removal), where he is reunited with Edward and Alphonse.
When Brigg's Cliff comes under attack by Sloth, Falman and the Elric brothers help defend the fortress by forcing Sloth outside, where a combination of fuel oil for Major General Armstrong's tanks and the freezing cold temperatures common to the northern region paralyze Sloth. Since Major General Armstrong sensed the Elrics were hiding something from her, she ordered her men to arrest Ed and Al for their own protection, and ordered Falman arrested since he knew the Elric Brothers. Later, while out of earshot of the men a Brigg's Cliff, Falman helps the Elric Brothers determine the origin of the tunnel Sloth dug by providing Ed with a map of Amestris, a compass, and information on the major battles the country had been involved in since its creation. With the data Falman supplies, Ed draws a transmutation circle around Amestris, which surprises Falman. When Major General Armstrong considers her next move, Falman suggests that she ask Mustang for help; however, Armstrong declines to do so.
As the names of all military personnel in Fullmetal Alchemist are army and aviation-derived (the P-51 Mustang, Howard Hughes, and Breda Meccanica Bresciana, for instance), it is possible that "Falman" is a mistransliteration of "Farman". Unlike his anime counterpart, Falman has apparently never been a subordinate of Maes Hughes. In addition, he did not have to beg to be transferred to Central with Mustang, and was chosen instinctively like the other four and had become one of Mustang's group soon after the Ishbalan War.
Master Sergeant Kain Fuery is a kind young man who cares for animals and everyone else. He was the one who brought Black Hayate into the Eastern Headquarters, though he freaked out about Riza's methods of training. He is part of Roy Mustang's group and is the lowest-ranked member. Fuery is extremely talented with radio signals.
Fuery and Black Hayate save Riza when she is ambushed by Gluttony at the top of a tower where she was using a sniper rifle to protect Havoc, Falman, and Barry the Chopper, who were fighting below. In the wake of King Bradley realizing that Roy knows about his true nature, Fuery is transferred to Southern Headquarters as a means of breaking up Mustang's team.
Fuery may be a mispronounciation. It is believed his name was to be Huey, like the army helicopter. There is no "hu" sound in Japanese; the "letter" that "hu" would be theoretically is "fu".
Brigadier General Basque Grand is the Iron Blood Alchemist, and was one of several State Alchemists who participated in the Ishbal Extermination Campaign. His role in the manga is more of an enigma, as he was supposedly killed by Scar beforehand and thus not actually seen in person, although numerous characters discuss and talk about him now that he is gone.
He was heavily involved as an overseer in the 5th Laboratory during the military's experiments to create Philosopher's Stones, an investigation the Homunculi were directly involved in as well, leading to some speculation as to whether Grand and the Homunculi are somehow linked. In chapter 52, the meeting between the generals they talk about Grand "even if only by name he was the one responsible for the 5th Laboratory", and "in the case traces of human experiments are found we can make him responsible for all of it", putting the blame solely on Grand. In the end of chapter 58 he made a small cameo during the flashback, he had a few scars on his face (across his nose and chin) and carried a Kar98-type rifle.
In chapter 60, Grand has made what could be considered his first significant appearance, as the chapter continues into a flashback of the Isbalan extermination campaign. Apparently, he was called into a mission after Armstrong refused to follow a higher officer's (Brigadier General Fessler) order to kill off Ishbalans in an unclaimed district. It was in this chapter that Grand revealed his alchemic abilities. He wears a set of gloves (presumably iron, like his name may imply) that have Latin words scrawled onto them and uses punches or forceful hand movements to perform alchemy, like Armstrong. Since there is no circle shown on his gloves, he brings his knuckles together beforehand to form a ring, similar to Armstrong hitting his fists together and Ed clapping his hands to transmute. In a scene where he uses his ability to assault an enemy district, he punches a stone wall to create dozens of cannons and chains with blade tips. Due to this, it is questionable whether the Ironblood Alchemist received his name based on his alchemy or on some personality or character trait (though the weapons he creates did seem to have a metal sheen to them, implying he may have somehow transmuted the stone into iron).
Despite the power-hungry character he was in the anime, Grand does not seem to show it yet in the manga, and even does something to make him likeable in chapter 60. After the important religious figure, Roug Roa, requests to see King Bradley in order to stop the killing, Brigadier General Fessler refuses and tells the soldiers to continue the extermination campaign. As he screams the order at them, Grand calmly comes up to him and point-blank range shoots him in the heart with his rifle, all the while telling Fessler that about twenty percent of the officers have met their death in the war not from the Ishbalans but from subordinates of the Amestris army. As Fessler bled to death on the floor of the command post the soldiers that witnessed the shooting (including Maes Hughes) stood by and agreed that it was just a stray bullet from battle. After Fessler's death, Grand assumed command of the soldiers in Ishbal and agreed to take Roug Roa to see Bradely. Drawing from these actions, it could be said that Grand is a man who does not mind death in the midst of battle, but does not revel in it so much that he will ignore quick or peaceful resolutions. Also, judging by an earlier statement he made in chapter 60, he does have pride in being a soldier ("I'm the Iron Blood Alchemist! Iron and Blood! Weapons and Soldier! If not me who enter the battlefield first, then who?!").
A common unofficial translation has his family name as Gran but official materials have consistently written his name as Grand with the ending French silent "d."
First Lieutenant Yoki was in charge of the mines in Youswell and was a very corrupt yet cowardly man who depended on henchmen to do his dirty work. He rose to his position through massive bribes. His influence on the people of Youswell was profoundly negative: not only did he levy heavy taxes on the people, he also lowered their wages, virtually bankrupting the city residents.
In chapter 3, Yoki met Edward Elric and wanted to bribe him in order to have connections with the people in Central and rise ranks even further. With the intent of leaving such a poor town, Yoki sold the deed of the town to Edward in return for gold. Since gold transmutation was illegal he agreed to give the deed as if it were free and made a memorandum. Edward then turned all the gold back to stone and told central of Yoki's incompetence, making Yoki lose all of his power, money, and influence.
After losing everything, Yoki aligns himself with a band of Ishbalans until he could get his revenge on Edward Elric and the military members who discharged him for the Youswell incident. However in chapter 26, he would eventually betray them in order to claim the bounty placed on Scar's head. Later in chapter 33, it shows that Scar has taken Yoki to live with him as his servant and heads towards Central since they both couldn't stay with the Isbalian band due to his betrayal. In chapter 43, Yoki finds Mei Chan passed out in the street. He then proceeds to try and take any valuables on her, however Xiao-Mei fended him off. Yoki then saved Mei Chan hoping it would stop Xiao-Mei's hostilities. It seems that he enjoys telling Mei that he is Scar's master, when in fact it is the other way around.
Recent chapters show Scar and Yoki travelling north directly from Central in order to the military's divert attention from Dr. Marcoh and Mei, who are travelling up north from the east to recover Scar's older brother's research. In chapter 71, when Ed's party and Mei Chan's party met again by chance, he got mad at Elrics brother since they didn't recognize him. In chapter 73, he used knowledge learned from when he owned Youswell to help Marcoh, Mei and the others escape through the mines (much to his joy and pride of being "useful").
Second Lieutenant Maria Ross is put in charge of taking care of the Elric brothers during their stay in Central. She is a subordinate of Major Alex Louis Armstrong and the partner of Sergeant Denny Brosh. She's a serious person when needed to be, sensible, but overall a kind woman.
She and her partner were assigned the task of guarding the Elrics in Central due to Scar's previous attempt on Ed and Al's lives. While they appreciate the concern, Ed and Al view Ross and Brosh more as annoying "chaperones" than actual bodyguards. Ross and Brosh help the Elrics find Dr. Marcoh's notes on how to create a Philosopher's Stone and later rescue them after the brothers are badly hurt at the military's 5th Laboratory. Thanks to Ross, they are brought to a clinic run by a friend of hers rather than a military hospital to ensure what Elrics were researching prior to their investigation of the 5th Laboratory is not uncovered their military superiors. Ross and Brosh literally knock some sense into Edward while reprimanding him for disobeying Major Armstrong's orders not to investigate the lab and putting himself and Alphonse in such danger. Ross tells Edward that while he is capable of taking care of himself, he is still a child and should know that he can trust adults like herself and Brosh.
In the manga, she is accused of murdering Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. With the help of Mustang and his gang she fakes her death in Central and flees to the country of Xing to the East. Before departing she meets Edward and asks him to not tell anybody about her escape including her family and Sergeant Brosh, in order to protect them. Grateful for Mustang's help she asks that Armstrong and Breda convey to Mustang that she would risk her own life and return if he should ever need any help from her.
As many of the military personnel in Fullmetal Alchemist are army/aviation-derived, it is possible that she is named after the Canadian Sir Charles Ross of the Ross Rifle.
Sergeant Denny Brosh, almost always seen with Lieutenant Ross, is rather nosy and lazy yet good natured and amusing when he wants to be. He has a resemblance to Edward. Like Ross, he also works under Major Alex Louis Armstrong. He loves to tease Ed about Winry, until one point when Ed becomes very annoyed, he accused him as "lovey-dovey sergeant", causing him to fall in despair (humorously). It is hinted that he had some feelings toward Maria Ross.
In Central, he and Ross are assigned as bodyguards for the Elric brothers and attempt to help them find Dr. Marcoh's notes. They later rescue Edward and Alphonse after the two brothers are badly hurt from their investigation of the 5th Laboratory. Brosh and Ross literally knock some sense into Edward at the hospital where they have taken the brothers while reprimanding him for undertaking something so dangerous after Major Armstrong forbade them. After Edward informs them they need not be so polite towards him despite his higher military rank, Brosh treats Edward in a more casual manner. They do the same "treatment" with Al before do it with Ed, which injures Brosh's hand (since he used it to smack Al, whose body is an armor).
In the manga, after Armstrong goes on "vacation" (in reality, he snuck off with Edward to find the supposedly dead Maria Ross) in the east, Brosh (who had become very depressed with the loss of Ross) greets him and asks the Major about his vacation. Recalling that Ross had warned him that Brosh was incapable of keeping a secret and could not lie to save anyone's life, Armstrong avoids telling Brosh the truth concerning Ross, but does slip Brosh the same hint Mustang gave him to tell him Ross was in the east.
Private Sheska was a librarian who was responsible for organizing and keeping records of all of the books in the First Branch of the Central City library. She is known for her tendency toward hysterical panic as a coping mechanism, as well as a fanatical love of books. By the time the Elric brothers had arrived back in Central, she has been fired from the library for "lackluster performance" (meaning she would always be reading books when she was supposed to be working). Sheska has a photographic memory when it comes to books, and her ability to recite them verbatim enabled the Elric Brothers to obtain Tim Marcoh's notes, which were destroyed in a fire created by Lust and Gluttony.
She is recruited (or rather, "kidnapped") by Hughes to help him work at military tribunal of East Area, whose records (which Sheska had also read and remembered) had also been destroyed during fire on 1st Branch of the Central City Library. After Hughes' death, she has been seen giving Mustang access to military records he needs in order to research the circumstances behind Hughes' death
Lieutenant General Grumman was the commander of the Eastern Headquarters, and Mustang’s superior officer during his three year tour of duty in the Eastern Command Center. An old man with gray hair and a moustache, Grumman is a General who takes a lighthearted approach to command. Grumman is an excellent chess player who frequently played against Mustang. When Mustang received orders to transfer back to Central, Grumman gave Mustang his chessboard and pieces as a parting gift. He also extended an offer for Mustang to marry his granddaughter. Most people assume that his granddaughter is Riza Hawkeye. As a final favor to Mustang, Grumman authorized the transfer of Mustang’s subordinates (Riza Hawkeye, Jean Havoc, Heymans Breda, Kain Fuery, and Vato Falman) back to Central with him.
While his role in the manga is essentially the same as his role in the anime for the majority of the series, Grumman appears to be gaining more importance in the manga, as he receives a secret request by Mustang in a recent chapter. The nature of this request is still unknown, but given that Olivier Milla Armstrong and her personnel seem to be preparing for an attack and that there has been some talk of getting aid from the east the request Grumman receives may be to aid with an uprising against the corrupted military officers in Central, or to aid with the defense of Brigg's Cliff since the facility seems to be the next target of the homunculi. Of note is Grumman's tactic of initiating romantic relations while on reconnaissance or in situations of duress to disguise his actions, a tactic he seems to have passed onto Mustang.
In chapter 62, when Roy visits "Madame Christmas", he mentions that "Elizabeth-chan has been taken by another man". While it has not been confirmed, this may be his way of referring to Hawkeye's being restationed, as her codename in chapter 37 was "Elizabeth" and she has recently been assigned to the Fuhrer as his personal aide. This subsequently leads to a contact between Mustang and General Grumman, who had left a hidden message inside the queen piece of the chess set he gave Mustang upon the latter's transfer to Central should Mustang need his help.
In chapter 63, Grumman meets up with Mustang disguised as an old woman. (Mustang didn't even know the "old lady" was Grumman until he looked closely at "her"). During this meeting, Grumman tells Roy about General Raven, who wanted to create an immortal army. It is implied that because of his opposition to Raven's plan, Grumman was demoted, as he has been stuck in Eastern Headquarters ever since.
Grumman is named after the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, which made fighter planes during World War II. It is interesting to note that Northrop Grumman is the manufacturer of the E-2 Hawkeye, the likely namesake for Riza Hawkeye.
Major Zolf J. Kimblee (the Crimson Alchemist, spelled Solf J. Kimblee in the Japanese manga) is an ex-war criminal and a veteran of the Ishbal War. His alchemy title refers to his use of sulfur in the human body to create explosive fluids, turning people into living bombs.
With a far more subtle, polite approach to evil than his Anime counterpart, the Manga's Kimblee spearheaded the Ishbalian Extermination Campaign, and was one of the few, if not the only, State Alchemists to utilized the full power of the Philosopher's Stones fabricated at Lab 5. His personality seems almost split in two; at times he can be polite, if curt, straightforward, rational, and "civilized." He even seemed to have a certain respect for Winry's parents because of their devotion to their duty. However, in battle he displays an uncanny and foreboding demeanor in favor of destruction and damnation (he once reprimand Riza and others for being "ununderstandable", for not accepting their role as murderers, as soldiers, despite many humans they killed), using one of his own subordinates to demonstrate his destructive powers. Kimblee's powers appear to be much the same as those in the Anime, except that he can transmute and detonate from a distance as well, using the ground as a connecting force, causing huge explosions (Although probably it is because his force is imbued with Philosopher's Stone).
In chapter 71, it is stated that he merely sided with Homunculus because of the power he enjoyed, and that he also loved to see fighting and struggling between beliefs, lives and ideas.
During the story, it is revealed he has almost/ fully photographic memory, showed by his memories of Scar's elder brother's wound, also when he speaks with Miles, who in task of stalling him on Briggs, he almost made him snap by trying to retell every murder he committed in Ishbal.
Armed with the Philosopher's Stone, Kimblee was assigned to take out a sector of Ishbal that proved highly volatile, which also conveniently housed the Rockbells, whom the Government wanted dispatched in the "crossfire". It was during this time that he encountered Scar and his elder brother. The mad alchemist, however, did not reach the Rockbells before Scar did, and found them already disposed of. Soon after the campaign, Kimblee's superior officers requested the stone be returned, but Kimblee, hoping to secure the stone for himself, ate the stone and killed all the officers therein (except for one which was apparently Envy in disguise). For this affront he was incarcerated for war crimes in the prison near Lab 5, where he has remained until recently.
Since then, Kimblee has been mentioned offhandedly as a potential human sacrifice for the Homunculi's needs, but it is decided against. The officials come to the conclusion that they could never force him to try to bring someone else back to life, because he is "a coward" and therefore is useless as a sacrifice. As he was rotting in jail, Scar's mind no doubt lingers on the man who destroyed his life and Ishbal.
Kimblee is released from his imprisonment, almost immediately after the flashback is over (chapter 63) and is lead outside by a guard that doesn't agree with upper ranked men of the State releasing a man like Kimblee. As Kimblee turns to shake his hand as a farewell to him he transmutes the guard's watch into a time bomb, the guard panics frantically, but it turns out only to be a toy bomb moments later. Kimblee is picked up by Envy(once again impersonating a military officer) and is offered a job by him to recapture Dr. Marcoh who is then on the run with Scar. Envy also tells Kimblee to kill Scar as well if Kimblee comes across him and that letting Scar live would go against Kimblee's pride which was built up throughout the Ishballan war from his reputation. Kimblee agrees to the job, but remarks that the Homunculi must have other reasons for arranging his release from prison. To answer him, Envy tells Kimblee that if Marcoh should run away again from him, Kimblee should erase whatever city/town Marcoh is hiding in from the map altogether.
Kimblee is finally given a new Philosophers Stone from Envy after regurgitating the one he ate from the Ishballan massacre, and is told that this new stone was actually created from the lives of people who have worked for Marcoh. Judging from the difference in size and shape, the stone that Envy gave Kimblee is likely to be more powerful than the one he had previously.
In chapter 64, Kimblee catches up to Scar and Yoki, who he thought was Dr. Marcoh. Kimblee and Scar engage in combat on a train, when they passed by an outside light, both of their identities were revealed to each other by their distinguishing characteristics (Scar's scar, and Kimblee's transmutation circles on his hands). Subsequently, Kimblee is critically wounded when Scar impales him with a pipe. When Scar moves in for the kill, Kimblee escapes by blowing up the coupling connecting the train cars, allowing his end of the train to escape while causing Scar's end of the train to lose momentum and ultimetly derail.
Kimblee ends up in the hospital in Brigg's Fortress due to injuries suffered at the hands of Scar. He is approached by Major Miles, who reveals his Ishballan heritage, to whom Kimblee insists on doing his job regardless. Miles threatens that they will not let a notorious mass murderer simply roam free in the Briggs Fortress and that Briggs is a place of "Jaku Niku Kyou Shoku", literally meaning, "Weak Meat, Strong Eat". Miles continues by telling Kimblee that he should remain silent and recover because if he gets complacent he will pull out his lifeline if he even thinks of walking out. Kimblee retorts and smiles as he leaves the room that "Ishballans crack me up!" and is later seen being escorted from the room by General Raven, who winds up being secretly interrogated by Major General Armstrong.
After he is fully healed, he is escorted around Briggs by Miles, who is shocked to discover that Kimblee is completely healed, and meets with the Elrics, making the common mistake of believing that Alphonse is the Fullmetal Alchemist instead of Edward. He subsequently escorts Winry Rockbell to the unsuspecting Elric Brothers, establishing the Fuhrer's implicit threat of using her as a hostage against them.
In chapter 70, he reveals the Fuhrer's orders to Edward Elric: To track down Scar and Marcoh (who assumed to be with Scar), and "to carve a bloody crest upon Briggs", literally to incite bloodbath on Briggs. He even promises one of the Philosopher Stone to Edward, while stating that as a State Alchemist, he should be prepared to kill, to which Edward replies that he had resolved NOT to kill. Edward finally accepts the assignment, at first, to hunt down Scar, but later escaped together with Alphonse and Winry, much to Kimbley's dismay. However, in chapter 72, he managed to find them, only to have Scar already make Winry a hostage. Despite that, in chapter 73, he attempted to attack Scar using his alchemy (despite Winry is on stage, and stopped by Ed), getting irritated because he's "looked down" by Scar.
It is possible that Kimbley may have been partially inspired by Alex from A Clockwork Orange given his style of dress at one point in the manga as well as his sociopathic nature.
Dr. Tim Marcoh was the Crystal Alchemist and is a former member of the Military. He was involved in the experiments at Laboratory Five and performed research on the incomplete Philosopher's Stones for the military.
As Tucker knew about the Fuhrer being a homunculus because he worked in Lab 5 and Pride and even Dante had no objections about showing themselves to Lab 5's workers, it is assumed that Marcoh knows about the Fuhrer as well. In Marcoh's "hometown" the people that live there know him as Master Mauro, the local doctor who can cure any illness and never refuses any patient. Marcoh works as a doctor to pay off some small fraction of the debt from the Ishval War, as he made the small Philosopher Stone's fractions that the military used to improve their abilities in the battle.
Olivier Milla Armstrong
Major General Olivier Milla Armstrong is an attractive (but outright fearsome) Amestris General charged with the protection of the Amestris/Drachma border, at a place known as "Brigg's Cliff". She is the older sister of Major Alex Louis Armstrong, although she bears little resemblance to the Strong Arm Alchemist. Major General Armstrong has a calm, collected demeanor, much like her mother; when combined with her strong figure and fearsome blue eyes, Olivier projects a powerful persona, earning the trust of those who serve under her at Briggs Cliff while earning Major General Armstrong the nickname "Northern Cliff of Briggs." Her right hand man is an officer named Captain Buccaneer, and, surprisingly, a soldier of Ishbalan descendant named Major Miles.
Severe, straightforward, and serious, Armstrong believes firmly in putting survival above all else. Equivalent exchange means nothing to her and she will take whatever she can if it will contribute to surviving and strengthening her position at Brigg's Cliff. She has no reservations about joining her men in battle, and expects and receives prompt compliance from those who serve under her. Unlike her younger brother, Oliver Milla Armstrong is not a State Alchemist, and it does not appear that she has any State Alchemists under her command at Briggs Cliff. Despite this, she is well versed in the use of weapons such as guns and tanks, and rarely goes anywhere without her sword at her side.
When Ed and Al set out for the Northern Headquarters in pursuit of Mei Chan, Armstrong presents Ed with a letter of introduction to be given to his sister in the event that they meet (though he warns Ed it may actually be useless). He also advises Ed that his older sister could be a "very powerful helper".
In chapter 64, when the Elrics first encounter Major General Armstrong, she orders a full-body search of Ed and Al to ensure that they are not Drachma spies. When Ed gives her Armstrong's letter, Olivier simply looks at the envelope and tears it up. She states that she does not read letters of introduction and judges people with her own eyes. Her feelings towards her brother appear to be mixed; she does not even read a word of Major Armstrong's letter, yet she inquires as to how he is and only grumbles in irritation when the Elrics say that the Major is doing very well. When she inquires as to the reason for the Elric Brothers visit to her fortress Ed answers by telling her the truth about his human transmutation, and their current search for Mei Chan. Armstrong shows interest in Mei Chan's rentanjutsu techniques, which she believes can be used to strengthen her position, and decides to aid in the search for the girl. She also sensed that Ed and Al were hiding something from her, but did not press the issue at the time.
Shortly after the arrival of the Elric Brothers, Briggs Cliff comes under attack by Sloth, who breaks through the bottom of the fort and proceedes to cause chaos within the facility. With Armstrong's aid, the soldiers at Brigg's Cliff manage to suppress Sloth's rampage by forcing him outside, where a combination of the fuel oil for Armstrong's tanks and the freezing temperatures common to the northern border paralyzes Sloth. Armstrong then turns her attention to the hole that Sloth dug, sending a team into the tunnel to determine where it originates. She fully expected to find Drachma behind the attack, but after the advanced team she sent into the tunnel returns and reports that it has no immediate end she has second thoughts about the origin of the tunnel. After careful consideration she orders Ed, Al, Bucaaneer, Miles, and Vato Falman to accompany her during her own inspection of the tunnel.
After leading the party into the tunnel and out of earshot of the other soldiers at Brigg's she learns from Ed that King Bradley is a homunculus and that the higher up military officials have been collaborating with him into creating a perfect immortal army. With the aid of then Second Lieutenant Vato Falman, who provides Edward with a map of Amestris and information on the major battles Amestris has been involved in since its creation, Edward outlines a transmutation circle across the country that suggests that Briggs Cliff or the area surrounding it will be the next target of the homunculi. This enrages Armstrong, and she demands to know "what they in Central plan to do with my castle!" When Falman suggests asking Mustang for help Armstrong appears to give the idea some consideration, before deciding against it, saying that she'll have one rival less to compete for power with if Mustang falls from power (though later, she does indirectly contact Mustang through a florist and runs into him when she is forced to return to Central, much to her displeasure). She is also familiar with some of Mustang's subordinates, since her men have had joint training with the soldiers of the Eastern Command.
Shortly after this revelation, Lieutenant General Raven arrives at Brigg's Cliff unannounced. Seizing this opportunity to learn more about the extent of the corruption in Central, Ed asks Armstrong to bait General Raven in hopes that he might provide insight into the overall plan and the role Briggs Cliff will play in it, and Armstrong readily agrees to help; however, nothing has yet come of her "alignment" with those in Central. After divulging all the information she needed, and confirming the Elric Brother's deductions and suspicions, she kills Raven in a fit of rage, (for endangering her lower ranks and for his rather shameless advancement toward her) and had his body buried in the concrete made for the hole Sloth created. She informs Henschel, one of her subordinates who had been especially concerned about the survey team, that before the General arrived, Edward Elric had already made another backdoor for them into the tunnel. The Major General sends a rescue team led by Buccaneer to find the missing survey team (or their remains) with one condition: to recover the team in 24 hours, or else the tunnel will be sealed for good.
In chapter 73, despite the condition, she gives the officer watching the tunnel entrance a dud watch, so even if the 24 hours time limit has passed, the rescue team will be able to return. Shortly Buccaneer leaves the tunnel, the Major General is summoned to Central. Realizing that she would not be able to lie to the Fuhrer regarding Raven's death, she reveals what Raven had told her concerning the Fuhrer and Amestris, she was responsible for killing Raven, and willingly takes his seat within the Fuhrer's inner circle. She agrees to leave Briggs in the hands of another general, though her followers show little concern when this occurs; they are aware that only those who have been stationed at Briggs under the Major General are aware of its inner workings and the familiar enough with the harsh environment of the north to survive and believe that men sent from Central will not last long.
Due to the extreme cold at the Drachma border, Olivier Milla Armstrong and her men appear in heavy coats with shoulder pads to denote their respective ranks, and spend a considerable amount of time indoors. Armstrong's men have done extensive research into designing new equipment that will work in the subzero temperatures, while simultaneously updating older equipment to withstand the freezing conditions of Brigg's Cliff.
Although no specific mention has been made as to the amount of time Major General Armstrong has been stationed at Brigg's cliff, she does remember an incident which occurred twenty years ago (before she was stationed at Briggs) in which an unknown person or persons (in reality, Izumi Curtis) were assaulting soldiers on patrol and stealing their supplies. She was also unaware of the corruption of the higher ranking Generals in Central, suggesting that she may have been stationed at Brigg's Cliff for quite some time.Miles
Stationed up north at Brigg's Fortress, Major Miles serves as Major General Armstrong's assistant, a job that he has performed since enlisting in the military. Miles is somewhat unusual given his heritage - while members of his family, including his grandmother, father, and, incidentally, his wife, are of all different races, he has inherited his Ishbalan grandfather's dark skin and distinct red eyes. Miles hides his eyes behind a dark pair of glasses to keep his lineage a secret from prying eyes, although he has been known to show them to the people he works with at Brigg's Cliff. He happens to be a kind person, especially when Edwards scoffs at his heritage when he complains that he had some trouble with Ishbalans when he reacted with a calm face. He also explains that because of his Ishbalan heritage, many people cannot simply talk easily on same level with him, and tends to see him with pity, which is why he always wearing his glasses. He is happy that Ed actually had some nerve to talk back at him, to counter his insult aimed toward Ed as Amestrian.
Miles enlisted in the army before the campaign to annihilate the Ishbalans, but did not meet the requirements to be exterminated along with his Ishbalan relatives and was spared. While he despised the military for its actions, Miles held doubts as to why the Major General continued to use him as her assistant. She reveals she believes discrimination of any kind on battlefield would result in more deaths within the army and in a place like Brigg's, nothing is more important than survival. For a person like herself, who is an Amestrisian by birth, upbringing, and blood, she needs a person with a diverse background like Miles in order to stay at the top and maintain a sturdy but flexible army.
Not surprisingly, he despises Zolf J. Kimblee and found the task of stalling him while the Major General dealt with General Raven to be an unpleasant task.
In Chapter 71, he lead Briggs' search team together with Kimbley to hunt down Scar (while secretly also search for Mei Chan). In chapter 72, he finally apprehend Scar,who had already taken down by Elrics. He introduces himself to Scar as his "red eyed brother" and explains that he was in the military to change the country's perception for Ishbal and the people from inside, even though is not an easy job. He also explain that Major General's the one who encouraged him to do so.
He is possibly named after the Miles Aircraft company that used to make biplanes during World War II or the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (or MILES for short) used by various armies in combat training.
Henschel
Second Lieutenant Henschel is another one of Major General Armstrong's assistants aside from Major Miles. When Lt. General Raven orders the sealing of Sloth's tunnel, Henschel protested against the Major General's actions, believing that lost members of the survey team sent into the tunnel earlier could still be alive and need rescuing. Though the protest appeared to have fallen on deaf ears, the Major General later reveals (after Raven's death) that she had the Elrics create a backdoor to the tunnel.
Henschel is one of the members of the search-and-rescue team sent to find the lost scouting party; after finding only two traumatized survivors of incident, Henschel and his team leave the tunnel.
He is possibly named after Henschel & Son, a German company producing tanks and military aircraft.Black Hayate
The true dog of the military, Black Hayate was a little puppy that Kain Fuery picked up on a rainy street one day out of pity. Since he couldn’t keep the dog himself (since he lived in a dormitory that did not allow pets), the puppy was eventually adopted by Riza Hawkeye; unfortunately, Riza was a rather stern owner, who then proceeded to scare the puppy (and all of Mustang's staff) by shooting an outline of bullets around him (while not injuring the dog, proving her marksmanship ability) when he urinated on the office wall. Black Hayate was first depicted (and sometimes still is) as a run on joke. Hayate appeared in the same episode with the cat that Alphonse Elric discovered in a corner of the Military's Eastern HQ. This cat was later put in a baby basket where the Elric brothers left him/her.
Despite Riza's harsh methods of discipline, Hayate is a way for her to show her more compassionate side, as opposed to the cool, stone-faced officer that she usually is. Roy has also tried to interact with Black Hayate, with varying degrees of success. Hayate did manage to get on Mustang's bad side at least once: when he unwittingly wasted Mustang and his company's time at what they thought was a murder scene. Mustang and his men had begun excavation of the site searching for the bones of a dead man, only to discover that the lot was where Black Hayate buried the bones from his meals (Episode 37).
"Hayate" means "Hurricane" or "as swift as the wind", most likely meaning "Black Hurricane" in English. His name is probably taken from a fighter craft called the "Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate" used by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate was Japan's answer to the Allied Force's P-51 Mustang, which could explain why Black Hayate was sometimes made to be at odds with Colonel Mustang. Black Hayate doesn't have a defined breed, though it is assumed that he is either a Shiba Inu or a husky, but it is likely he’s just a mutt.
Homunculi Characters
Also known as the "Ultimate Lance", could extend her fingernails or fingertips and turn them into razor sharp blades which could seemingly pierce through anything. In an earlier appearance, when she confronted Doctor Marcoh about the Elrics and their search for his notes on the Philosopher's Stone, Lust was run through on a large, alchemically-formed stone spike. While impaled, her index finger (which had been elongated at a few meters previously) was limp like a rope; once the stone spike retracted, she then used it to slice the spike in several places, not unlike garrote wire, indicating that her fingers are malleable with an ability to slice as well as pierce. Upon freeing herself, she merely smiled and scolded Marcoh for killing her once. Her Ouroboros mark was located above her breasts.
Her primary role was to gather intelligence on various situations around the country and report back to "Father". She claimed to have a widespread information network in place and confirmed that Dr. Marcoh's original research was backed by the Homunculi. The Perfect Guide Book 2 lists her as the second Homunculus created by Father before the History was recorded; as such, Greed and Envy referred to her as "old hag." Also, there was no indication of there having ever been previous or successive versions of Lust.
Eventually, she wound up in Central, dating Jean Havoc under the alias Solaris in order to get inside information on Roy Mustang, the Elric Brothers, and other projects. She was the first to respond when members of the Military found the door to the Homunculus' lair, and fought Mustang, Havoc, Hawkeye, Barry the Chopper and Alphonse, proving her strength. During the ensuing battle, Mustang suffered severe wounds, Havoc was paralyzed below the waist after being lashed through the spine, and Barry ultimately died as a result of being unable to defend himself in the aftermath. Lust finally met her end by the flames of Roy Mustang, who continually incinerated her (with the aid of a lighter and a makeshift sigil of blood carved on his bare hand) until her stone's powers of regeneration were exhausted. As she withered, Lust regarded her killer with interest, complimenting Roy on his determined eyes which she cannot wait to see "filled with torment". Upon her death, Lust's stone shattered and faded into dust along with her. If a second Lust is to be created (as a new Greed has been and a new Gluttony in the future) a new stone will have to be forged and the new Lust will be completely different as the previous stone was destroyed.
The way Lust met her end hearkens to both the punishment and the purification of the lustful in Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy. Mustang's relentless attacks mirrors that of the violent storm of the Second Circle of Hell, while Lust's demise symbolize the wall of absolving fire in the Seventh Terrace of Purgatory.
In Shanghai Youma Kikai, a one-shot manga by Hiromu Arakawa (the author of Fullmetal Alchemist), the main character Jack's director "Miss Nynetales" resembles Lust. Since Jack himself also resembles Havoc, it could be an intended cameo that both had somewhat of a relationship in the Fullmetal Alchemist manga.
Last words: "You win. I hate to admit it, but it isn't too bad to get killed by a man like you. I like those determined eyes of yours. I can't wait. The day... your eyes will be filled with torment... is right... there..."
Gluttony is a relatively young Homunculus. He is always eager to eat anything, or anyone, living or dead. The muscles in his jaws are also very powerful and his saliva is acidic, dissolving even the toughest metals to feed his ravenous appetite. He has the mentality of a child and has a very dependent nature, and had emotionally latched onto Lust and taken directions from her before her demise. Gluttony's Ouroboros tattoo is located on his tongue.
In his true form, he is able to devour anything on a larger scale, with his rib-like teeth being able to extend huge amounts of distance, dragging whatever is caught back to his cavernous maw. While this appears as a massive blast of energy, it's simply fast movement on his part. Any material consumed in this manner is instantly placed, as whole, into a large void-like area that Envy later revealed as a false Door of Truth. Inside it, biological materials seem to break down at an accelerated pace, and the blood-like floor saps people of their energy. However, large inorganic structures are unharmed, and in fact well preserved-a fragment of a wall carving Gluttony consumed after the fall of Xerxes, (presumably long after, as Xerxes fell 400 years ago, and he is the sixth Homunculous, while Greed, the third, is only 200 years old) , was still legible enough for Ed to recreate a complex alchemical array. Even Roy Mustang's flame attack was still active inside Gluttony's void.
Gluttony was originally intended by the Homunculi's "Father" to be a representation of the Door of Truth, but the experiment failed. He fell into a slump after Lust's death, but shortly thereafter Wrath called upon him to counter the threat of the foreign woman Lanfan, who could sense the souls present in people and thus easily track their kind. During this mission, he was captured by Ling Yao and taken to a secure location in the forest, tethered in a ball of wires for analysis. When he learned Lust's killer was there, he went into a fit of rage, revealing his true form, wherein his stomach split in two down the middle, with claw-like ribs sprouting from his sides. Between the ribs and in the middle of his body is a giant eye, much like the one inside the Doors.
Gluttony calmed down a bit when Envy arrived on the scene, having been instructed by Wrath to retrieve him from the Elrics and Ling Yao. A short while later, Gluttony accidentally swallowed Edward, Envy, and Ling after Envy instructed him to swallow just Ling (Edward was deemed too important a "sacrifice", but since Envy got sliced in half and absorbed as well, it seems the process of absorption cannot be reversed once Gluttony starts it). Gluttony, not knowing what to do, considered going back to his "Father" and Alphonse asked that he take him along. It was later revealed that the place inside his stomach was actually a fake representation of the Door that the Father created. Ed managed to escape this false gate, transmuting himself, Ling and Envy through the real Doors of Truth, and they burst from Gluttony's stomach in the presence of "Father" and Alphonse. The continuing series of battles with Scar, Ling and the military left Gluttony in bad shape however, as the powers of his stone had become so weak he was unable to even regenerate himself. "Father", unwilling to see a second pawn's stone go to waste, forcibly removed it from Gluttony's stomach, promising to create a new body for the stone with the previous incarnation's memories intact. In chapter 57, a tiny version of Gluttony was seen sprouting from Father's chest. The Perfect Guide Book 2 lists him as the sixth Homunculus created by Father.
Envy has the ability to assume the form of any person (or animal) and copy their voice, and the power to manipulate his body to form weapons and poisonous animals such as snakes. He is a skilled physical fighter with incredible brute strength but mainly takes advantage of his true form's massive size to overwhelm the enemy. Despite his fighting skills, Envy frequently expresses an aversion to fighting when the opportunity arises. In terms of physical strength, Envy is possibly the most exceptional of all of the Homunculi (excepting Sloth). His anime counterpart uses attacks ranging from simple punches and kicks to capoeira-like techniques. Envy is most comfortable in the "adorable" form of a young androgynous human. Envy's most valued contribution(s) to the Homunculus cause are impersonation, gathering information unnoticed, and using his ability to change form and carry out efficient assassinations. Envy's favored technique for murdering humans is to impersonate someone the target cares deeply for and use their natural hesitation as the opportunity needed to kill them. His Ouroboros tattoo is located on his left thigh.
Aside from being accountable for the death of Maes Hughes, it is Envy who sets Maria Ross up to take the fall for his murder. Recently, he took Doctor Tim Marcoh captive to meet someone for some goals unknown, before being told to intervene when Gluttony assumed his monstrous form. Like in the anime, the body Envy spends most of his time in does not belong to him. Having been mistakenly swallowed by Gluttony along with Edward and Ling, Envy gleefully reminiscences on perhaps his most cherished accomplishment: it was he that fired the shot that began the Ishbalan war, ending the life of a child and starting the chain of events leading to the destruction of Ishbal and the genocide of its inhabitants, the rise of Scar and his path of vengeance, and the death of Winry's parents. Being that Envy deems there to be no escape and their only future to be death, he also decides to show them something good.
It was then that Envy's genuine form, an enormous, demonic creature, was revealed. His build suggests him to be a vast heaving conglomeration of merged souls — the long-dead citizens of Xerxes, thus revealing that the Philosopher's Stone in Envy's body was the result of an entire city dying in one night. The faces of these souls undulating on Envy's body move and act independently of one another, either screaming out in pain, hopelessly twisted and homicidal, or desperately longing for death. They continually mutate and rearrange themselves, constantly trying to reach the 'surface' where they can be heard. Ling was semi-aware of the size of Envy's true form, knowing from his footsteps and landings in various battles that Envy carried extra weight, but was unaware of the totality of his size. This 'extra weight' Envy carries with him could account for the amazing physical strength he possesses, leading to the notion that he can change his size, shape, appearance and density, but not his true mass. While powerful, Envy is very self-conscious of his true monstrous form, easily baited earlier by Greed and later demanding Edward and Ling to not look at him, even as he moves in for the kill. The various voices that sound from a myriad of mouths work as a method of distraction, trying to tune into specific voices and keywords to stun his opponents while he attacks.
He used this tactic to take advantage of Edward's despair and devoured him whole. Within his gullet, Edward caught a glimpse of the Philosopher's Stone held inside Envy's body and hit upon an idea. Imploring the Homunculus for assistance and a brief pause in their current battle, the two struck a deal – Envy agreed to lend the energy from his Stone to Edward, which was used to break down their bodies and reform them on the other side of the Doors of Truth, letting them escape into the real world once again. Despite the drain of souls from Envy's Stone, he survived the escape. Later, he is seen to have met up with Kimbley, giving him the new Philosopher's Stone made from Dr. Marcoh's acquaintances, asking Kimbley to track Marcoh and Scar, and destroy Marcoh's refuge city if Marcoh is found out to be with Scar.
Though considered mostly to hate humans, he can get along with people like Kimbley, and even showing friendly/mocking demeanor to the Elric Brothers and Marcoh.
The Perfect Guide Book 2 lists him as the fourth Homunculus created by Father.
Greed was the ancient Homunculus known as the "Ultimate Shield". He was able to make himself impervious to harm by rearranging the bonds between the carbon atoms in his body and changing his skin into an unnamed carbon-based substance, giving him the appearance of a black-skinned demon while in his transformed form. In terms of attitude, Greed carried himself as a rather slick character, a ladies' man and all-around arrogant fellow. He seemed to be more of an anti-hero, not really good or bad, and seemed to be somewhat more reasonable and rational than his anime counterpart. His Ouroboros crest was on the back of his left hand.
Greed's main base of operations was the Devil's Nest, where he was joined with his loyal chimera allies. It was not revealed how long Greed had been situated at the Nest, or whether he had much contact with the outside world at all. The Perfect Guide Book 2 indicates he left Father's group and the other Homunculi 100 years before Alphonse was born, or roughly 114 years before he met the Elric Brothers.
He taught Alphonse a few of the secrets of the Homunculi, such as regeneration. While he briefly fought with Izumi, she ended up leaving of her own accord to inform Ed of the situation. Similar to the anime, he did battle with Edward but escaped into the sewers, only to be captured and skewered multiple times by King Bradley, the manga's Wrath; Bradley killed him fifteen times or so. Greed appeared to have been unconscious when Martel was killed inside Alphonse.
Greed was shackled in chains and taken to the Homunculi’s hideout, where Father offered him a chance to align himself to their cause once again. Greed refused, as his avarice would never be satisfied so long as he stayed by Father's side. As a result, Greed was boiled alive in oil. The Philosopher's Stone within him was extracted and drunk by Father. Greed was obstinate and defiant to the end, cackling at how "the temperature's just right" and how "[he'll] be waiting for Father and the other Homunculi in Hell."
His favorite phrase was "There's no such thing as no such thing"; in other words, "Anything is possible/existing" ("Arienai mono wa arienai"). It is revealed just prior to his boiling oil bath that he knew of every other Homunculus except for Wrath, who was created after he left the group. Suspiciously, he did not mention or ask about Pride, but it could be possible that Pride had rarely shown himself already before Greed left. The Perfect Guide Book 2 lists him as the third Homunculus created by Father around 200 years ago.
First Greed's Last Words: "Hah, the temperature is just right, assholes! Hell's flame probably ain't as lukewarm as this! I'll take a look at ahead of you, Brothers. Fine by me! Don't blame me if you get diarrhea!
Ling Yao as Greed
Greed was reborn. Father leaked Greed's Philosopher’s Stone out from the third eye on his forehead and allowed it to run into the bloodstream of the twelfth Xingian prince Ling Yao, creating a Homunculus with a method similar to that of Wrath's. Ling accepted this, because of his constant search for a way to attain immortality. While he has the same powers as his original incarnation and his Ouroboros tattoo is in the same location, Greed apparently has no memories of that incarnation, though he does seem to recognize the other Homunculi, or at least know their names. The obvious explanation for this is that, while Father recreated Gluttony with all of his memories intact, the same cannot be said for Greed. Since Greed would have immediately rebelled again if his original memories were intact, Father had no choice but to erase them. While Greed claims no relation to his predecessor, while accepting the stone Ling finds himself face to face with a kind of "source" of Greed, a void where a being, calling himself and looking like the shielded form of Greed, negotiates a bonding between them. While this could be no more than a hallucination, the new incarnation of Greed shares numerous traits with his predecessor, such as a natural aversion to following orders as loyally or dedicatedly as Envy or Gluttony would have. He also shares some of his original incarnation's policies, such as not lying and having no interest in fighting women.
While Greed has no memories of being Ling, it is apparent that Ling's soul is still present in that body, as Greed faltered when Ed mentioned Lan Fan. In a conversation with Wrath, Greed comments that Ling is always trying to assume control, evidently meeting with some success. He delivered a message to the Elrics at Ling's behest (written in Xingian, which Greed could neither read nor write) to be given to Lan Fan - that Ling had finally found the Philosopher's Stone.
Wrath
Wrath s secretly King Bradley, the political and military ruler of Amestris holding the official title of president, also called Führer. He controls the country and directs its military in secret to further his ends. His true identity is revealed when his eyepatch was removed during his battle with Greed, revealing the Ouroboros tattoo located on his left eye. This "Ultimate 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. His favored mode of attack is with his sword, which he wields with alarming accuracy thanks to his unique gifts. His swordsmanship is quite excellent, and he skilled enough to use 5 swords at a same time, which he shows during Devil Nest's raiding on Dublith (and jokingly named Gotoryuu in Vol 7 draftback omake). He is able to pass beneath Ling Yao's servant Ran Fan's gaze unnoticed (despite her deft ability at tracking Homunculi by their distinctive chi), because he has only one soul in his body. Bradley uses this opportunity to cut her down, almost severing her left arm. A skilled tracker in his own right, Wrath began to hunt her down, only to find she had finished his job severing her arm herself and tied it to a stray dog in order to throw him off her track.
He seems to enjoy humor and is quite calm, despite his true affiliations and sin he represents. He can do unexpected things as a Fuhrer and enjoys playing with subordinates (dressing like tourist while trying to meet Izumi Curtis in Dublith, giving melons as gift to the Elric Brothers, ditching work to meet the brothers in the hospital, later leaping out of the window to escape his subordinates, asking Gluttony if he is into girls, stabbing Alphonse Elric with Mei Chan still inside, and so on).
Wrath doesn't seem to enjoy the aging process; Bradley comments on how he's unable to act as rashly as he might have years ago and that his eye sometimes gives him options his body can no longer follow. Still, he accepts his fate as the culmination of his father's plans for both he and Amestris since his creation some sixty years ago. Most recently, Wrath revealed that during Hughes' funeral, he was extremely annoyed at Elysia's crying, the only real glimpse of any sort of anger seen from him so far..
Wrath also admits to having some fun at the expense of Mustang, the Elric Brothers and Ling's group. He likes having the challenge of keeping up with them, despite being more cunning and in a far higher position of power. He then speculated on whether or not the Homunculi could now succeed due to the interference of the others to Pride, who saw this as treason, but did not report it. Pride still reminded Wrath that he was nothing to humans but a monster to fear. After foiling an attempt by Mustang to expose him as a Homunculus, Bradley ordered an immediate transfer of Mustang's subordinates, sending them to different regions throughout the country. The lone exception was Hawkeye, who is to remain in Central as his own personal assistant (and as a hostage to keep Mustang in line).
In chapter 74, when he interrogates Olivia Armstrong, he reveals he already knew she killed General Raven. Olivia responds by pointing out Raven's looseness with the Homonculi's hidden information could have led to endangerment of their plans. She also adds that she would be a much better replacement. Bradley is amused by this idea and what he sees as Raven desperately struggling. His mood swiftly darkens and he accepts her offer, provided that she hand over control of Briggs to Bradley's subordinates.
It was recently revealed that Wrath was originally a human who was transformed into a Homunculus through scientific experiments which involved injecting a Philosopher's Stone into his body. He was the twelfth subject injected with the stone material and the only one to survive the heretofore fatal ordeal. This explains why he both ages like a normal human and only possesses one soul as opposed to the collection of souls possessed by the older Homunculi. However, even Wrath is unsure if his soul is his own or one passed to him via the stone. The fact Wrath still retains some of his childhood memories might mean his original soul wasn't completely destroyed, or has possibly been combined with the soul within the stone (as opposed to the new Greed, whose original soul remains separate from that of the ones in the stone). The Perfect Guide Book 2 lists him as the seventh Homunculus created by Father, the youngest of all (not counting the reborn Greed).
Sloth
Sloth first appears in the manga digging a tunnel in an unspecified location. His body is huge and muscled from all the labor he does. Apparently he uses his hands to dig for his work, causing them to constantly bleed. He is chained up and forced to work. His Ouroboros tattoo is located on the back of his right shoulder area.
Nothing else was known about Sloth except that Greed once called him dim-witted, and from the context, appears to have been unaware of Sloth's imprisonment. Lust also called him lazy, and taking those into account, suggests that he's chained up for not following orders in a timely manner or even failing to understand them.
It is revealed that Sloth is digging in northern Amestris, under the Briggs fortress. He mentions that digging (as well as dying) is 'tiresome'. His appearance is also revealed - He is a big, well-built man, with a hairstyle bearing a little resemblance to Envy's, and seems to be wearing a mask. He later surfaces directly in front of the Elric Brothers, then proceeds to cause chaos within the mountain fortress before being temporarily frozen outside.
Greed's and Lust's earlier comments in the series about Sloth being slow prove true, as he falls asleep quickly, is easily distracted or confused, and forgets what he's supposed to be doing or even where he is at any given time. However, despite his limited intelligence, Sloth seems to have a resistance to damage that rivals Greed, without an obvious use of his powers. Bullets, grenades, tank rounds and even tanks charging towards him have little effect on the giant. It should be noted that even though the first tank round damaged Sloth, he quickly regenerated and successive rounds seemed to not damage him at all, suggesting that his body "memorizes" types of damage and makes his skin that much harder. Whether this is his power as a Homunculus, or merely a side-effect of his intensive labor is unknown. General Olivia Armstrong was able to subdue Sloth by covering him in fuel, letting the fuel's rapid evaporation and the bitterly cold Briggs weather freeze the Homunculus.
Sloth was revived and sent back into his tunnel by order of General Raven, who arrives from Central with Kimbley and who is part of the corrupt military elite who conspire with Wrath. Later, Kimbley stumbles inside a room where all the derbis created from Sloth's labor was disposed of. He is approached by Pride, who mentions that Sloth has nearly completed digging his tunnel, and hints that Kimbley will use Sloth's aid in fighting against the soldiers of Briggs.
The Perfect Guide Book 2 lists him as the fifth Homunculus created by Father.
Pride
Pride is apparently in control of the other Homunculi, and seems to be highly respected and feared, even if he does have, according to Envy, the habit of showing up when he's either not needed, not wanted, or in a non-combatant form. Pride appears for the first time as a disembodied voice who stops Gluttony and Envy when they intended to show their true forms in the fight with Ling Yao and Lan Fan. What little we can see of Pride's outline suggests he's hiding his form for a reason, and has other duties that require absolute discretion during the current events.
Pride apparently takes all contacts toward the Homunculi and their Father extremely seriously. When Wrath reports to Pride about how their plans being disrupted was fun, Pride said he would keep this a secret between them. This suggests that Pride regularly reports everything to Father, but that he also has an understanding with Wrath. The Perfect Guide Book 2 lists him as the first Homunculus created by Father in the time before recorded history.
Pride attacked a scout party from Briggs in the form of a dark shadow, and General Raven later reminded Sloth about what Pride had said earlier; that he still has work to do. This would insinuate that the shadow in the tunnel was in fact Pride.
Later, the Fuhrer's son Selim revealed to Riza Hawkeye that he is Pride (this also explains his connection and apparent leniency towards Wrath). His ability seems to have something to do with disconnecting his shadow, as his shadow has the same "eyes" as the one in Briggs. In his brief conversation with Riza Hawkeye, she asked him if he was similar to Gluttony because they both emanate the same "aura" of bloodlust (except Pride's aura "cannot be compared to Gluttony" in terms of intensity). Pride responded by telling her that he is indeed like Gluttony, but that it is "unthinkable" to put him on the same level as Gluttony, implying that he is much more powerful. He also states that he's not just "a Homunculus" but in fact "the original Homunculus", the first created by Father. Pride tells Riza that he admires her, and offers her a chance to join him. When Riza refuses, acknowledging that the Homunculi need pawns, not friends, Pride touches Riza with his shadowy tendrils, slicing her cheek in the process. He tells Riza that Mustang and her friends will suffer unimaginable pain if she happens to tell them his true identity. As he leaves, Pride warns that he will be watching her from the shadows. Hawkeye has recently been keeping a weary watch on all shadows around her, and secretly told Mustang about Pride's identity via a code of names (the first letters spelling out "SELIM BRADLEY IS HOMUNCULUS"), but Mustang is finding it hard to believe. Later, Pride appears as a shadow to Zolf J. Kimbley, and comments that he should forget about Scar for now and start carving a bloody sigil on Briggs. Kimbley comments about the strength of the local soldiers, to which Pride replies that he will have to match their strength with something as powerful, and informs that Sloth has almost completed his tunnel.
His shadow power seems to take the form of the darkness inside the Doors of Truth, right down to the eyes and hands on the shadow. This may be a part of the actual shadow inside the Doors, or an imitation similar to Gluttony. The location of Pride's Ouroboros mark has yet to be revealed.
Mei Chan (May Chang in one volume of the English manga) is a wandering alchemist from the far-Eastern country of Xing. Accompanied by a tiny panda named Xiao Mei, she is searching for the secret of immortality so that her clan in Xing, the lowest caste, will not die out. Mei had a crush on Edward, whom she pictures as a tall, handsome man. When she does meet him, she does not recognize him and calls him "grain of rice man", in which Ed replies, "WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU LITTLE GRAIN OF RICE GIRL!?".
Mei appears to be no older than 10, but she is already an accomplished alchemist. Her special form of alchemy involves using throwing knives to form two alchemy circles (called "purification circles" in Xing); one is created near herself and the other near the intended target. Then, Mei performs alchemy on the circle nearest to her, and the result appears within the second circle.
Mei is first spotted in Youswell, saving the miners there after a mine collapse. It is there that the people tell her about Edward Elric, and she decides to set off to Central to see him. Lieutenant Yoki then finds her collapsed on the streets of Central; he claims that Scar is his servant (though the reverse is true). This leads to Mei Chan being unafraid of Scar, and they seem to be slowly forming a bond; Mei saves Scar from the Elrics when Hawkeye shoots him in the leg. The plight of the Chan clan in Xing seems to remind Scar of the similar plight of the Ishbalans and he permits her to accompany him. She proves to be a valuable fighter when Scar, the Elrics, and Ling Yao are trapped in the Homunculi's lair as her alchemy is able to function while the Elrics' alchemy fails them.
After the encounter, Alphonse takes her to Dr. Knox. Mei Chan recovers, but then attacks Lan Fan, also recovering at Dr. Knox's house, on sight, and it is revealed that Mei is the 17th princess of Xing, making her Lin Yao's younger half-sister. After a brief staredown where they both seem to be ready to fight for their respective clans, Knox forcibly "calms" them down - by slamming bowls onto their heads. Mei hears the story of the Ishbalan Rebellion from Knox and decides to leave his care. Before she leaves, she has a brief conversation with Alphonse. After he describes his real appearance, Mei develops a crush on him, and wishes for him to find his body soon. She rejoins Scar and Yoki.
After she disappears, Edward and Alphonse go to look for her in order to ask why her alchemy worked in Father's lair and decide to head north to Briggs Fortress. In chapter 63, she bumps into General Grumman, who is disguised as an old lady, just before boarding the train to the North. In the following chapter, she and Dr. Marcoh arrive near the Drachma border at the Briggs Mountain range, while Scar and Yoki have diverted the attention of the military police, and recover the notes of Scar's older brother, which contain the secret to combining Amestrian alchemy and Xingian Rentanjutsu.
Thanks to the Elric brothers, Mei Chan is under surveillance of Briggs' mountain guards. After knocking out several guards, Scar informs Mei Chan and Marcoh that their hideout is no longer safe, and that they needed to find another place. In chapter 71, Ed's party (Edward, Alphonse, Winry) meet her again by chance, after escaping from Kimbley's and Briggs' manhunt party.
An interesting bit of trivia is that Mei in Chinese means plum, and Xiao in this instance likely means small or little. This means that Xiao Mei is actually "Little Mei". She is pictured on the side of Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 12. Xiao Mei makes a cameo appearance (along with Yoki) on a poster in the FMA Chibi Party after the movie.
Lan Fan is one of two bodyguards of Ling Yao. She can sense the presence of a soul (referred to as chi); thus she can quickly identify Homunculi like Envy that have more than one soul in their Philosopher's Stones (meaning she can easily see through Envy's disguises, but cannot recognize that Fuhrer King Bradley/Wrath, because he has only one soul like a human). Although we are never told her age Ling refers to her as a "girl" so we can assume that she and Ling are around the same age. Ling also refers to Ran Fan and Fu as if they are from the same family, and it is later revealed that Fu is her grandfather. She is a very skilled fighter, as seen in her many fights with Envy, and by the fact that she was able to cut through Bradley’s sword to avoid his finishing blow, despite the severe injury to her left arm. She is very quiet and cares deeply for Ling, even to the point of self-sacrifice. She is constantly thinking of his safety and often forgets her own.
In chapter 47, she cuts off her left arm after it is rendered useless in an effort to divert Wrath's attention away from Ling and herself while they escape into the sewer. To further mislead Wrath, she attaches her severed arm to a dog, apparently having been inspired by a trap that Edward had caught her in during one of her earliest encounters with Edward. She eventually winds up in the care of Dr. Knox and lives at his house, where she is later joined by Alphonse and Mei Chang.
Ran Fan later demands that Al take her to get an automail arm as soon as possible. Alphonse initially tries to dissuade her, given her health is currently weak, but Ran Fan swears that she will heal and get an automail arm in six months, half the time that Edward took in recuperating and getting automail. After seeing how similar her disposition was to Ed's when he wanted automail and noting she would probably get along with Winry and Pinako, he reluctantly agrees to introduce her to a mechanic.
Since Ling’s body is being used by Greed, her future is very unclear. It has been revealed that Ling and Greed are still struggling over the same body. Ling/Greed gives Ed a rag to deliver to Ran Fan, and he does so. On the rag was written "I have obtained the Philosopher's Stone" in Xingian. Ran Fan is initially overjoyed that they've finally found the stone, but she soon realizes that Ling not being able to deliver the note himself means something is wrong.
Before the group splits up again, she speaks to Ed about getting automail. Edward initially offers Winry and then Pinako, but Fu refuses both offers, saying that continuing to have personal connections with the Elric brothers and their friends would put them all in even more danger. In chapter 63, she and her grandfather Fu decide to return to Xing, but not without vowing to return in the future to save Ling.
Fu is one of the two bodyguards of Ling Yao, and he is Ran Fan's grandfather. He separates from Ling and Ran Fan to help smuggle Maria Ross into Xing and then returns after Ling Yao disappears. Fu is initially angry that Lan Fan failed to protect Ling Yao (who has become the new Greed), but he quickly realizes with help from Dr. Knox and the Elric brothers that Lan Fan did the best she could and was badly hurt in the process, which included sacrificing her entire left arm.
While Edward offers the services of first Winry and then Pinako Rockbell as a source for an automail arm for Lan Fan, Fu refuses; while they are touched by Ed's kindness and have no doubts about the abilities of Winry or Pinako, getting automail from them would only put both parties at risk. The Fuhrer is aware that Winry is a friend of Edward's, but also knows Lan Fan by face; by bringing the two together, it would only put Elrics and Winry in unnecessary danger since King Bradley would realize that the two groups were associated. Furthermore, both Fu and Ran Fan feel that they can not become indebted to the Elrics. Though saddened by the injuries sustained by his granddaughter and the disappearance of Ling Yao, he and Lan Fan decide to return to Xing while resolving to return some day and bring Ling Yao home.
Han is a Xingian man who seems to know a great deal about smuggling people into and out of the country. In Vol. 10, Han meets Major Armstrong, 2nd lieutenant Breda and Ed in Resembool, Breda introduces Han as the "departure coordinator." Han seems to know Foo quite well when he remarks that Foo told him all about Ed. From there he leads them to the East to the Cselcsess Ruins to meet the supposedly "dead" Maria Ross.
Dr. Knox A military doctor who does autopsies now, Knox knew Roy Mustang from the Ishbal rebellion. Like Mustang, his experiences there have left him mentally scarred. Mustang calls on Knox to first help him falsely identify a burnt body as Maria Ross, then asks Knox to treat Lan Fan when she was bleeding to death after losing her arm. Reluctant to go along with Mustang at first, Knox realizes he has already lost everything he held dear and so has nothing left to lose, so it seems he has joined Mustang's gang of Military men. He is currently taking care of Ran Fan and Mei Chan.
In chapter 57 of the manga, Knox reveals to Al that his experience in Ishbal led him to have night terrors that eventually led to his divorce and separation from his wife and son. In chapter 59, it is revealed that Knox met Tim Marcoh right after Marcoh had handed over the incomplete stones to the military. They discussed the Rockbells, who were still out in the field treating the wounded, when Knox told Marcoh that he was conducting human experiments on Ishbalans in the hospital. He then questioned Marcoh on why a doctor like himself who was suppose to be helping people was being ordered to murder people instead.
In chapter 63, to his great surprise, his wife and son unexpectedly show up at his front door. His son explains that they "had some business nearby", so they'd thought they would stop by for a visit. After some small talk, his son reveals that he intends to become a doctor just like him. Initially he is violently opposed, due to the awful things he did in Ishbal under the title of a doctor. His son then replies that past sins are no reason to run, and that even though Knox can never been forgiven for the things he did, he should still uphold his duty and continue to save lives. When Knox asks why he's trying so hard, his son replies "because we're family". As he cries, Knox wonders if there's such thing as God, and if there is, asks to be forgiven, at least for a moment, so that someone 'like him' can enjoy something as simple as enjoying coffee with his family.
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