Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)/Characters/Two

This is a short summary page for characters from the Fullmetal Alchemist manga series and its anime adaptation Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Note: For the page about the characters from the first anime, see Fullmetal Alchemist Anime.

This page is for characters in the Amestris military. -

Roy Mustang
Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: Colonel Specialty: Flame Alchemy/Military Tactics]

A colonel in the military stationed in East City. Known as the Flame Alchemist he seeks to become the Fuhrer so he can fix the country, and spread his ideals to the people.

"Voiced by: Tohru Ookawa (JP - 2003 Anime), Shinichiro Miki (JP - 2009 Anime), Travis Willingham (EN)"

- "Ed: And don't go worrying the Lieutenant."
 * The Atoner: His main motive for becoming Fuhrer is to ensure that nothing like Ishval ever happens again. According to Riza,
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: By far the most Badass member of his unit,.
 * Badass: Probably the most powerful of all the State Alchemists. Incinerated with no effort, and he actually had to be injured twice  to preserve the drama.
 * Badass Bookworm: On the same vein with Ed.
 * Badass Finger Snap: His main attack.
 * Badass in A Nice Suit: Less obviously than Kimblee, but he always wears either a uniform with a dress shirt underneath or a suit. The only exception is when he's in hospital.
 * Badass Longcoat
 * Colonel Badass
 * : Temporarily.
 * Battle Couple/Back to Back Badasses: With Riza.
 * Beard of Sorrow: While.
 * Berserk Button/Corner of Woe: Being reminded that he's useless when wet sets one of these states off. Which one it is depends on who's doing the reminding.
 * And unless you want to literally die in a fire, don't threaten or hurt his subordinates. Especially not Riza. It's also not a good idea to hit on her (Barry the Chopper) or accuse her of enjoying killing (Kimblee)...on the whole, it's just not wise to mess with his Living Emotional Crutch in any way.
 * Also, absolutely, never ever, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, do not admit that . Because you will get your ass handed to you charcoaled.
 * Blessed With Suck: Mustang uses ignition gloves with a transmutation circle embroidered into them to produce the flames he is known for. After he  he can use alchemy  . Which... actually takes longer because
 * It's not like he'll ever have to use that. The circle's already on his glove. He can just proceed as is normal, provided that nobody has destroyed the seals on his gloves.
 * Byronic Hero
 * The Chains of Commanding: They weigh him down. A lot.
 * The Chessmaster: Sometimes successfully (the ), sometimes not so much ("Scar feeding cats, King Bradley  ")
 * Chess Motif: Refers to his five closest subordinates using the names of chess pieces; he himself is the king.
 * Code Name: Flame Alchemist
 * "And be sure to remember the pain."
 * Determinator/I Can Still Fight:
 * Everyone Can See It: When Edward "Oblivious to Love" Elric picks up on how much two people care about each other, it's pretty obvious.
 * Determinator/I Can Still Fight:
 * Everyone Can See It: When Edward "Oblivious to Love" Elric picks up on how much two people care about each other, it's pretty obvious.
 * Everyone Can See It: When Edward "Oblivious to Love" Elric picks up on how much two people care about each other, it's pretty obvious.

"Roy: Don't you dare die! Stay with me, !"
 * Eye Scream: Inflicts this on.
 * A Father to His Men: Part of the reason Team Mustang is recognized in the fandom as True Companions.
 * The Fettered: He refuses to back down even after his plan is foiled by, and his goal involves  . He won't sacrifice a life if he can help it, including enemies' lives,
 * Genre Savvy: Tells Hughes not to talk about his loved ones in Ishval because "those characters always get shot in the next battle." He's referring to novels.
 * Get Out of Jail Free Card: Subverted hard when it is revealed
 * Good Looking Privates
 * Good Scars Evil Scars: He has a scar on the back of his hand from when he had to
 * Presumably he also gained one on his right side from the same battle, although it's never confirmed because we never see him with his shirt open again.
 * Green Eyed Monster: Implied once in the manga. When he first sees Barry the Chopper put his hands on Riza (who clearly doesn't like it), Roy responds by pulling on his ignition gloves and telling her to stand aside because "there's going to be a fire tonight." It's noteworthy that the font of his speech bubbles changes for this scene, and he's shown to be literally growling.
 * Guile Hero
 * Oh, the irony! So much!
 * Handsome Lech: Subverted, as the women he is seen with . Still, one of the novels implies that he thoroughly enjoys the company of the fairer sex even outside his information system. It's not as if he can be blamed, either, with working long hours in an environment that's 10% female at best.
 * Heroic BSOD: He has a brief one in the Brotherhood anime when Bradley The poor guy's face turns gray.
 * Hero Killer: Inverted. He's the only character whose mere presence is enough to constitute a deadly threat to the Homunculi, making him a Hero Killer Killer.
 * Hero With Bad Publicity: Especially after.
 * How Dare You Die On Me: He says something like this to, and then later says it almost word-for-word to . It's even closer to an exact quote in the Brotherhood anime.
 * How Dare You Die On Me: He says something like this to, and then later says it almost word-for-word to . It's even closer to an exact quote in the Brotherhood anime.

""I almost passed out a few times.""
 * Hurting Hero
 * I Am a Monster: Invokes this trope to explain why he's somehow eager to fight Homunculi: he only feels completely human when fighting true monsters.
 * If I Do Not Return: Played with in one scene, when he says this to Riza and she refuses to leave if he doesn't come back. To his amusement, he can only get her to agree as long as he promises to return.
 * Improbable Aiming Skills: With a snap of his fingers, he makes 's eyeballs explode, leaving the rest of the face relatively intact.
 * Intergenerational Friendship: With Grumman. They play chess on their time off.
 * Internal Reformist: Of the "working the system" variety.
 * Jerkass Facade: Master of it. So much that he deserves to be the page's picture.
 * Large Ham: When distracting some officers over the radio in episode 18.
 * Living Emotional Crutch: For Riza.
 * Manly Tears: Once. Almost twice, although the second time he covered it with a lot of shouting.
 * Meaningful Name: Roy is old French for "King", creating an interesting parallel to Bradley, whose first name actually is "King".
 * The P-51 Mustang was considered the best fighter plane in WWII.
 * Carried further back, as the Colonel, like the fighter plane, was most likely named for the "wild, untameable horse" who bucks the master's (in this case, Bradley's) commands.
 * Perhaps just a coincidence, but "Mustang" is also a slang term in the US military for commissioned officers who began their careers as enlisted soldiers.
 * The Men First: Insists on  being treated before him despite his own intense injuries.
 * Mr. Fanservice: So very, very much. About the only way his Fan Service factor could be increased would be if he got as many shirtless scenes as Ed.
 * No Badass to His Valet: Yes, he's the powerful Flame Alchemist and even some of his allies are afraid of him. But his "precious subordinate" Riza has no qualms about sassing or even bullying him if the need arises, and he wouldn't dream of retaliating; the only time he's ever seen acting even remotely annoyed with her, it's because she almost died.
 * No Holds Barred Beatdown: Delivers this to
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: Though more like obfuscating perversion.
 * One Man Army: With his flame alchemy he can wipe out entire cities with a snap. Think what he can do to soldiers in formation.
 * Overranked Soldier: In the eyes of several of his contemporaries. Until Edward Elric, Roy was the youngest State Alchemist in the country's history, which made him a Major in the military at the ripe old age of twenty. The result is that by the time he turned thirty, he had already become a Colonel Badass. Many of the other, older commanding officers resent and/or dislike Roy for a number of reasons, this being one of them.
 * He's then a  before the age of 40.
 * Person of Mass Destruction: Destroys city blocks by snapping his fingers.
 * Pieta Plagiarism: With.
 * Playing With Fire: His alchemy.
 * Post Dramatic Stress Disorder: After defeating.
 * Red Oni Blue Oni: The blue to Edward's red. (One of two)
 * : In the epilogue.
 * Sand in My Eyes: "It's raining."
 * Smart People Play Chess
 * Something They Would Never Say: His completely out of place remark about the chicks in the East to Armstrong.
 * Supporting Leader: He's not the hero but he is the heros' superior and directing the resistance against the Big Bad. This is why he can be seen as a Big Good.
 * Stuff Blowing Up: Again, part and parcel of being the Flame Alchemist.
 * Superpower Lottery: See Badass above.
 * Tall Dark and Handsome: Wow.
 * Amusingly enough, Arakawa mentions in the third guidebook that she never intended him to be this way, despite the widespread fandom reaction. She states that he really isn't all that tall and although he's not bad looking, he isn't ravishingly handsome either. Most fandom estimates using Ed (the only canonical height ever given) as a baseline put him around or just under six feet.
 * Took a Level In Badass: Not that he actually needed to take one, but,
 * Tricked Out Gloves: They help him with his alchemy.
 * Troubled but Cute
 * Urban Legend Love Life: As a part of his facade.
 * Unresolved Sexual Tension: With Riza.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: With Ed. They drive each other nuts, but it becomes pretty apparent that they also always have each other's backs.
 * It's alluded to this being because they're so alike at heart, but very different outwardly.
 * Weaksauce Weakness: Repeatedly said to be totally ineffective if under rain or if wet. Not entirely accurate; he just can't use his alchemy if his gloves get wet, as they're made of a special ignition cloth to create the necessary spark. However, if he has another source of fire available, pray for deliverance.
 * You Can Barely Stand: His final confrontation with.
 * Unresolved Sexual Tension: With Riza.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: With Ed. They drive each other nuts, but it becomes pretty apparent that they also always have each other's backs.
 * It's alluded to this being because they're so alike at heart, but very different outwardly.
 * Weaksauce Weakness: Repeatedly said to be totally ineffective if under rain or if wet. Not entirely accurate; he just can't use his alchemy if his gloves get wet, as they're made of a special ignition cloth to create the necessary spark. However, if he has another source of fire available, pray for deliverance.
 * You Can Barely Stand: His final confrontation with.


 * You Killed My Best Friend: What he asks of several people suspected of killing, though when he skips straight to the incinerating.

Riza Hawkeye
Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: 1st Lieutenant Specialty: Marksmanship]

Roy's oldest friend, trusted second-in-command, and devoted bodyguard, Lt. Hawkeye's calm, collected demeanor and remarkable sharpshooting skills earn her the respect and fear of her fellow officers.

"Voiced by: Michiko Neya (JP - 2003 Anime) Fumiko Orikasa (JP - 2009 Anime), Colleen Clinkenbeard (EN)"

- "Breda: Anything for you, Riza, even if it means desertion."
 * Action Girl
 * Awesome McCoolname: With a name like Riza Hawkeye, how can you not be in the military?
 * The Atoner: For the same reason as Roy.
 * Badass Normal: No alchemy but her guns still leave their mark.
 * Battle Couple/Back to Back Badasses: With Roy.
 * Berserk Button: Only pressed if she thinks Roy is in danger or dead.
 * Berserker Tears: After she is led to believe that.
 * Bodyguard Crush: To Roy, of course.
 * Bodyguarding a Badass: It's a hard job but someone's got to do it.
 * Break the Cutie: Short version of her backstory.
 * Chess Motif: She is the queen in Mustang's chess-themed unit. The queen is the most powerful piece, the one who stands closest to the king, and the one who can do the most damage. (It's also noted that Mustang, when playing chess, will never sacrifice his queen if he can help it.)
 * The Chick: She's Mustang's only female subordinate, and there are several indications that she is loved and highly regarded by her five male counterparts. Played with in that she is probably the most Badass and competent member of the group outside of Mustang himself.

"Riza: Don't go where I can't follow!"
 * Clark Kenting: When she helps the Elrics in their fight against Scar, she wears glasses and lets her hair down to avoid being recognized. It doesn't work.
 * Granted, it does take Ed and Al a moment to recognize her, and she didn't plan on letting anyone else see her face long enough to be able to put two and two together., on the other hand, instantly sees through it.
 * Code Name: Elizabeth. Only shown being used once in a work setting (when she's watching over Falman and Barry the Chopper), but referenced in the manga after
 * Cold Sniper: Subverted. The Stoic, yes, but while not overly affectionate, she's far from cold. Mustang refers to her as being "sweeter than she seems" and having "a gentle heart."
 * The Conscience: To Roy. Part of her explicitly-stated job description is to make sure he achieves his goals only through upright means - and to shoot him in the back if he goes down the Moral Event Horizon.
 * Corner of Woe: Kimblee put her in one in the flashback to Ishval (and pressed Roy's Berserk Button at the same time) by suggesting that she actually really enjoys killing.
 * Death By Despair/Despair Event Horizon: She almost succumbs to this
 * Death By Origin Story:.
 * : Spiced up with some
 * Establishing Character Moment: The side story in which Fuery finds a puppy out in the rain in East City. Riza tells him he has to find the dog an owner by the end of the day or else put him back. When Fuery is unable to find anyone to take the pup, Riza adopts him herself. The story shows that she's strict, fair, and has a bit of a Hidden Heart of Gold.
 * Doubly so because the side-story was released long before she had become more than a fleeting side-character in the main story. It's also worth nothing that she never directly said that she'd put the dog back out in the rain, it's just what everyone assumed because of her strict nature.
 * Friend to All Children
 * Good Looking Privates
 * The Gunslinger: When she's not using a rifle she switches to this. Also goes Guns Akimbo in the first opening for Brotherhood, not to mention whenever emptying shot after shot after useless shot into a homunculus.
 * Heroic BSOD/Despair Event Horizon: After her brief Roaring Rampage of Revenge against Lust for, she completely breaks down and loses her will to live.
 * Hostage Situation/I Have Your Lieutenant: Twice, both times used against Roy, once played straight and once subverted.
 * Hypercompetent Sidekick: While she is an extremely capable adjutant and keeps the Five Man Band running like clockwork, she mostly has this reputation because many people think Roy is very lazy. (He's actually perfectly competent, but it's part of his Obfuscating Stupidity.)
 * I Gave My Word: "I am proud of my pigheadedness, sir."
 * Improbable Aiming Skills: Hawkeye. While she is definitely a very good shot and almost certainly the best in canon, she's not perfect, is shown practicing hard, and stays within the bounds of reality with her skill. Still, this trope applies due to her name.
 * Living Emotional Crutch: For Roy.
 * Mad Scientists Beautiful Daughter: Though much more Badass than the usual sort.
 * Meaningful Name: See Improbable Aiming Skills. Also, Hawkeye gets additional meaning when.
 * Meganekko: When she does the above-mentioned Clark Kenting.
 * Missing Mom: She was raised by her widowed father; she tells Roy in a flashback that her mother died when she was very young.
 * Morality Pet: To Roy at times. Almost borders on being a Morality Chain.
 * Meganekko: When she does the above-mentioned Clark Kenting.
 * Missing Mom: She was raised by her widowed father; she tells Roy in a flashback that her mother died when she was very young.
 * Morality Pet: To Roy at times. Almost borders on being a Morality Chain.

""I thought you hated water. It makes your abilities useless."
 * Number Two: Mustang's second in command, both officially and otherwise.
 * Parental Neglect: Berthold's treatment of her could also be seen as abusive; she does mention to Roy in a flashback that her father was "a terrifying man."
 * Pet the Dog: Being Black Hayate's owner. She also shows a good deal of kindness toward Winry and the Elric brothers, as well as to the men of her unit. Oh, yeah, and she's kind of fond of her boss.
 * Precious Puppies: Black Hayate
 * Puss in Boots: With her marksmanship, respect from the rest, and general competenance would be a threat to anyone who didn't have her undying loyalty.
 * The Reliable One
 * Servile Snarker:

"What do you make of this, Lieutenant?" "It seems to be a case of incorrect information, sir.""


 * Shipper On Deck: For, although she doesn't encourage it so much as she says it flat out to him, so it leans more towards Everyone Can See It.
 * Shrinking Violet: It appears she was like this in her teens, and during the war flashback, to an extent.
 * Spell My Name With an S: Riza, Liza, Lisa...you name it. It wasn't until the Perfect Guidebook 2 came out that it was confirmed as Riza, and people still seem to be confused.
 * The Stoic
 * Not So Stoic: "YOU BIIIIIIIITCH!!"
 * Subordinate Excuse: With Roy. There's a rule against fraternization, as revealed in the third art book.
 * Sugar and Ice Personality
 * Unresolved Sexual Tension: With Roy. And it's used to her advantage. Epically.
 * : Confirmed by the third art book.
 * Violently Protective Girlfriend: The whole reason she's in the military, as she explains to young Winry in a flashback, is because "there is someone [Roy] I need to protect," and she has no qualms about delivering a royal asskicking to do it. She's not technically his girlfriend, but...
 * You Are Worth Hell: She vows to follow Roy wherever he leads, even "into hell itself if you so desire."

Fuhrer King Bradley
Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: Fuhrer Specialty: Swordsmanship/Military Tactics]

The ruler of Amestris. Fuhrer is his military title, and he is also the President of the Nation. King is just his name, though, it isn't a title. He came to rule Amestris after leading his nation out of a bloody civil war and setting up a military dictatorship.

"Voiced by: Hidekatsu Shibata (JP), Hidenobu Kiuchi (JP - young), Ed Blaylock (EN), Christopher Bevins (EN - young)"

-
 * Awesome McCoolname: King Bradley. Add his titles and he becomes President Fuhrer King Bradley.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: Justified by the fact that
 * Asskicking Equals Authority: Also justified by the whole "military dictatorship" thing. A non-Badass could never have become Fuhrer.
 * Badass: One of the biggest in the series, if not the biggest.
 * Badass Grandpa: Good fucking lord.  Ladies and gentlemen, this is the man all badasses should look up to.
 * The guy took down a TANK. What a badass.
 * Probably best shown late in the manga/Brotherhood. The Briggs men have won, while Bradley . The collective Oh Crap on the faces of everybody who heard the radio says it all.
 * Four Star Badass: In the backstory, and still as Commander-in-Chief of the Amestrian military.
 * Bait the Dog: Even when there are a lot of hints to his sinister reputation, his seemingly quirky personality (i.e. giving people melons, dressing as a Hawaiian Shirted Tourist, etc.) makes him seem like a nice guy at first.
 * Blood Knight:
 * Deep Cover Agent:
 * Dirty Old Man: An omake in one of the manga volumes has him proudly proclaiming to like women with "junk in the trunk!", and having a face off with Mustang over the importance of which female anatomy is better.
 * Dual Wielding: He often dual-wields and has been seen carrying up to four spare swords.
 * Cutlass Between the Teeth:.
 * Drama Preserving Handicap: Bradley can still kick serious ass despite being out of his prime by a good degree.
 * None of the other characters could actually beat him. In order for  to even be on equal footing, Bradley had to be half dead.
 * If you think disabling his will mean he's no longer a threat, think again.
 * Eyepatch of Power
 * Eyes Always Shut: Part of his kooky, more comical image, but it disappears quickly when he's being completely serious.
 * Fragile Speedster:
 * General Ripper: There's a scene in the flashback to the Ishval war in which an Ishvalan leader offered his life in exchange for ending the Amestrian genocide. Bradley mocks him for thinking he can set his life equal to those of everyone in his country, and orders that the genocide resume.
 * Four Star Badass: Not a particularly good kind.
 * Glass Cannon: Comparatively, since
 * Grandpa, What Massive Hotness You Have
 * Historical Hero Upgrade:
 * Hollywood Atheist: He's not real sensitive about religion, ranting about how the Ishvalan genocide should have shown Scar that "there is no God in this world!"
 * Implacable Man: Trying to stop him is a very good way to get killed. At one point, he's outnumbered 5 to 1, and the group of five warriors feel they have no chance to win.
 * Implausible Fencing Powers: Although it does help
 * And a grenade.
 * Kick the Dog: Ouch.
 * Meaningful Name: More than justified by his Backstory.
 * Morality Pet:
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: First appears as a rather outlandish old kook who acts very loosely and informal, especially toward the Elric brothers. But he's also arguably most sharp-minded character and can come off as very cold-blooded.
 * : A spoiler in the Manga and 2003 anime, but not even hidden in Brotherhood.
 * Older Than They Look: He's sixty years old, but looks twenty years younger.
 * Unless you count
 * One Man Army:.
 * Our Presidents Are Different: A mix of Action President and, though he at first appears to be President Personable.
 * Person of Mass Destruction: One Man Army variant. He can't blow you up the way most State Alchemists can, but that won't stop him from slaughtering all of you individually.
 * Pet the Dog:
 * Putting On the Reich
 * Shadow Archetype: To no less than three characters:
 * The Stoic
 * That Makes Me Feel Angry: Pretty much the only non-violent way for him to express.
 * : A fairly minor version.
 * Tranquil Fury: He looks so damn calm when annihilating his opponent.
 * Weak but Skilled:
 * One Man Army:.
 * Our Presidents Are Different: A mix of Action President and, though he at first appears to be President Personable.
 * Person of Mass Destruction: One Man Army variant. He can't blow you up the way most State Alchemists can, but that won't stop him from slaughtering all of you individually.
 * Pet the Dog:
 * Putting On the Reich
 * Shadow Archetype: To no less than three characters:
 * The Stoic
 * That Makes Me Feel Angry: Pretty much the only non-violent way for him to express.
 * : A fairly minor version.
 * Tranquil Fury: He looks so damn calm when annihilating his opponent.
 * Weak but Skilled:
 * Tranquil Fury: He looks so damn calm when annihilating his opponent.
 * Weak but Skilled:
 * Weak but Skilled:
 * Weak but Skilled:
 * Weak but Skilled:
 * Weak but Skilled:
 * Weak but Skilled:
 * Weak but Skilled:

Olivier Mira Armstrong
Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: Major General Specialty: Swordsmanship/Military Tactics]

Major General Armstrong is Alex Armstrong's sister. She guards the northern frontier with Drachma in the Briggs base.

"Voiced by: Yoko Soumi (JP), Stephanie Young (EN)"

-
 * Action Girl: One of the most action-packed ladies in the whole series.
 * Aloof Big Sister/Cool Big Sis: She acts like she can't stand him, and apparently beat him up a lot when they were kids, but her little brother Alex nevertheless seems to adore her. And when the chips are down, the siblings stand together.
 * A Mother to Her Men: Shoves Raven into wet cement for letting her men die in Sloth's tunnel.
 * Her Mama Bear status to her men even
 * Anti Hero: Type III/IV, with shades of Type V.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: She offers to personally fight new recruits (such as Miles) one-on-one. They're all too scared of her asskicking to take her up on it.
 * Her Establishing Character Moment consists of becoming the only person apart from Ed's teacher to be able to scare him instead of pissing him off when calling him short.
 * Badass
 * Badass Long Hair: The Northern Wall has gorgeous long flowing blonde hair.
 * Badass Normal: When pitted against her younger brother, she wipes the floor with him despite not having any alchemic or superhuman powers herself.
 * Four Star Badass
 * Bishie Sparkle: Apparently the Bishie Sparkle has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations.
 * Black Sheep: Sort of.
 * Boobs of Steel: Word of God says that the only thing she and Alex have in common is that their chests are both too big to button their uniforms properly.
 * The Brigadier
 * Charles Atlas Superpower: The Super Strength has been passed down the Armstrong family line for generations!!
 * The Chessmaster: Like Roy, she's a lot sneakier than she looks.
 * The Chick: As with Hawkeye, played with - yes, she's the only female in the entire Briggs fortress (or at least, the only one shown), and yes, her men adore her. She's also the biggest Badass in the entire outfit, if not the entire military.
 * The medic treating Ed's frostbites is also female, but she might not technically be a soldier.
 * Christmas Cake : Implied.
 * Combat Pragmatist: Despite her skill with a sword, her first response against is to  And when that failed,  she opts to
 * Cool Sword: Her Cool Sword has been passed down the Armstrong family line for... well, you know the drill.
 * Even Jerks Have Standards: She is ambitious and wants to be Fuhrer just as much as Mustang does, but she's not willing to go to the extremes that the corrupt higher-ups are willing to go. She makes this clear when she
 * Even the Girls Want Her: For many female fans of the series.
 * Her English actress certainly approves of her.
 * Everythings Better With Princesses: In the manga, the men of Briggs sometimes refer to her as "the Princess." It's a sign of their respect and adoration, not sarcasm, although it may also be a nod to the fact that the Armstrongs used to be part of the nobility of the country.
 * Fake Defector
 * Fragile Speedster/Lightning Bruiser: For a person she's very fast and very strong, and can even take blows from her brother. Against Sloth however, she's more of a fragile speedster, dodging his attacks with ease, but ending up in a lot of trouble if he so much as touches her.
 * Frenemy: With Roy Mustang. They drive each other nuts, but also (mostly) respect each other.
 * General Ripper: Having Drachma as your neighbor helps a lot.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure: Quickly decides to let Ed and Al help her troops after they save her soldiers from death from falling debris.
 * Good Is Not Nice: Since being nice won't do much for a soldier.
 * Good Looking Privates
 * No Guy Wants an Amazon: She's highly revered by her soldiers, but nobody, nobody calls her pretty.
 * It's more because it's weird to hit on a mother figure.
 * Gun and Sword
 * Ham to Ham Combat: With her brother.
 * Hot Blooded
 * Hot Chick With a Sword
 * But DON'T try to ever call her pretty or feminine to her face.
 * It Runs in The Family: The Fringe, The Sparkles, The Immense Strength, and The Hamminess Has Been Passed Down The Armstrong Line For Generations
 * Iron Lady: Strong, agggressive, harsh; when she says 'jump' her subordinates ask 'how high'?
 * It Amused Me:
 * Jerkass
 * Hidden Heart of Gold: Has high standards about soldier morale and responsibility, and doesn't mind sacrificing herself if she thinks it would be worth it.
 * Lady of War
 * Large Ham: Despite the apparent differences with her brother Alex, deep down, she still has the hereditary hammish qualities passed down the Armstrong line for generations.
 * Machiavelli Was Wrong: Played with. Her troops are scared of her but its a more "reverent fear" than a "You Have Failed Me fear".
 * Made of Iron: There is no reason why Olivier should even be standing, let alone fighting after taking that first hit from Sloth.
 * Mama Bear: In her own very twisted way.
 * Master Swordsman
 * Military Brat
 * Peek a Bangs
 * Pin Pulling Teeth: Does this when fighting Sloth.
 * Power Hair: Averted; instead of being a having short hair, the manga's most exemplary Iron Lady has long, flowing blonde locks.
 * Red Oni Blue Oni: The blue to Alex's red.
 * Sibling Team: Against Sloth she and Alex make a damn effective combo.
 * Sibling Yin Yang: The slim, collected, wily Social Darwinist Lady of War contrasts quite a bit with her Boisterous Bruiser Large Ham brother.
 * Spell My Name With an S: To a hilarious extent. It could be either Olivia, Olivie or Olivier, Mira, Mila or Milla, and the nine possible combinations of the two. (The third guidebook and Brotherhood have confirmed Olivier Mira as the official spelling.)
 * Social Darwinist: The official Briggs policy. She even considers herself expendable if she can't fulfill her own expectation.
 * Tall, Blonde And Bishoujo
 * Tomboyish Name: Her first name, Olivier, is the French version of Oliver. If there wasn't an "r," it'd be the completely obsolete French for Olivia.
 * Ugly Guys Hot Daughter: Luckily for her, since two of her sisters are real eyesores, averting the trope.
 * But another of her sisters (Catherine) plays it straight as an arrow, as Havoc found out in one of the (manga) omake which was adapted into an episode of the first anime.
 * Winter Royal Lady: Of a sort. It's always winter in Briggs, and in addition to the 'Princess' nickname mentioned above, Buccaneer in the manga occasionally refers to her as "our Queen."
 * Also comes with a small trace of She Is the King, as they address her militarily as "sir."

Maes Hughes
Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: Lieutenant Colonel Specialty: Knives/Intelligence]

A rather quirky officer working in the records department and best friends with Roy Mustang. Assists both Mustang and the Elric brothers in their respective missions. Contrary to his appearance, he is not a man to trifle with.

"Voiced by: Keiji Fujiwara (JP), Sonny Strait (EN)"

- "Hughes: Oh! Is it over?
 * Badass Normal: Able to defeat both with his knives; too bad they're.
 * Crouching Moron Hidden Badass: So, who expected the comically Overprotective Dad and Comic Relief character to  with paper cutters?
 * Doting Parent: Trope Codifier
 * Fatal Family Photo: Roy advises him not to show pictures of his then-girlfriend around the battlefield in Ishval, as this usually leads to tragedy.
 * Genre Savvy: To some extent. When Mustang and company first confront Scar in Central, Hughes disappears. After the conflict ends, he reappears, and when Armstrong asks where he went, he replies that he was hiding so that someone would be alive afterward to report what happened.
 * From the English dub of Brotherhood:
 * Genre Savvy: To some extent. When Mustang and company first confront Scar in Central, Hughes disappears. After the conflict ends, he reappears, and when Armstrong asks where he went, he replies that he was hiding so that someone would be alive afterward to report what happened.
 * From the English dub of Brotherhood:

Armstrong: Lt. Col. Hughes where have you been this whole time?

Hughes: I thought it best to lay low.

Mustang: (annoyed) You didn't think of maybe backing us up a little!?

Hughes: Of course not! A person like me shouldn't get dragged into a freak-show with you pack of pseudo-humans! It's bad for my health!"

"Hughes: I heard there's a hot blonde girl in your room servicing you.
 * Good Is Not Nice: With the way he acts you'd forget that he participated in the Ishvalan Genocide.
 * Hair Antennae: Just a little.
 * Hot Dad
 * Innocent Innuendo:
 * Innocent Innuendo:

Ed: It's just my mechanic!

Hughes: Oh! Seduced your mechanic, did you?"


 * Knife Nut: A heroic example!
 * Lieutenant Colonel Badass
 * Megane
 * Obfuscating Stupidity or Bunny Ears Lawyer: Whichever he is, it's up to you!
 * Overprotective Dad: The posterboy. His daughter (who is barely out of her toddler years mind you) is being fought over by boys just as young, and he pulls out a gun.
 * Perma Stubble
 * Scary Shiny Glasses: When confronting the three-year-old boys who are fighting over who will get to play with his daughter.
 * Shipper On Deck: For Edward and Winry, to great effect. Also non-specifically for Mustang, whom he tells to "Get yourself a wife!" (The fandom tends to interpret him as being a Mustang/Hawkeye shipper, but this is never stated outright.)
 * Sickeningly Sweethearts: Towards his wife and his daughter.
 * Sickeningly Sweethearts: Towards his wife and his daughter.

Alex Louis Armstrong
Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: Major Specialty: Boxing/Combat Alchemy]

The Strongarm Alchemist, and a close ally of both Roy Mustang and the Elric brothers. He's a big lovable guy of many artistic talents, and is prone to, well, overacting on a regular basis.

"Voiced by: Kenji Utsumi (JP), Christopher Sabat (EN)"

- ""...Did he have to strip?""
 * Adult Child: When in Large Ham/Manly Tears mode.
 * Adorkable
 * Ambiguously Gay: Though his sexuality hasn't been mentioned in any way he certainly looks like some Manly Gay characters.
 * The Atoner
 * Author Appeal: Arakawa refers to him in a Gaiden as "the easiest one to draw." Since she has a liking for muscular men, it's likely that he's more the one she enjoys drawing the most.
 * It would also explain why his shirt tends to vanish without any particular reason.

"" Destruction and creation are TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN!""
 * Badass Adorable: The childish sincerity of this big teddy-bear really makes you wanna give him a big hug. Unless you're Ed, in which case you're getting glomped and begging him to "Stop rubbing your chest on me!"
 * Badass Moustache
 * Bald of Awesome: If you discount that one fringe, then yeah.
 * Idiot Hair: That one fringe.
 * Beware the Nice Ones: Do not mess with the man's friends or family.
 * Bicep Polishing Gesture
 * The Big Guy: For Mustang's group. He's head and shoulders above everyone else in the military.
 * Bishie Sparkle: Subverted (and possibly Played for Laughs) in that he's not a Bishonen. He certainly is pretty, but not a pretty boy.
 * Boisterous Bruiser
 * Bruiser With a Soft Center
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer: This is not a man who showcases his awesome physique at every opportunity to get people to underestimate him. This is a man who showcases his awesome physique at every opportunity because he really is that kind of guy. That doesn't mean he's not one of the most dangerous people you will ever face if you deserve it.
 * Catch Phrase/Running Gag /Mad Libs Catchphrase: This (insert noun or adjective) has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations!
 * Crouching Moron Hidden Badass: It's very clear when Armstrong goes from being "wacky, shirtless Ham Alex" to "badass, shirtless Ham Alex."
 * The only difference between the two is the presence of someone or something that needs a righteous beatdown.
 * Cuddle Bug: The Major loves to hug people so much that he would give Chewbacca a run for his money.
 * Destructive Saviour: Picture shown on said page.


 * Dishing Out Dirt: Seems to specialise in manipulating the earth's crust.
 * Emotional Bruiser
 * Genius Bruiser: A state alchemist is a genius by definition, and his alchemy happens to be more physical than most. You can even tell through his alchemy how much of a genius he is: all alchemical creations have slight cracks/lines on them that reveal their crafted nature. Major Armstrong's creations are ALWAYS blemish-free and expertly crafted, seeming sculpted rather than created. The man could sculpt Michelangelo's David with his fists of he wanted to.
 * Gentle Giant
 * Ham to Ham Combat: Whenever he and his sister are in a room together it becomes an escalating war of Feed Me lines. His battle with Isaac McDougal is another example.
 * Heroic Build: And FLAUNTING IT!!
 * Heroic BSOD: During the Ishval war.
 * Hot Blooded
 * Incoming Ham: "Stand BACK and prepare for a display of ARMSTRONG ALCHEMY!!"
 * "Impressive! You managed to dodge my alchemy so easily!"
 * It Runs in The Family: The Fringe, the Sparkles, the Immense Strength, and The Hamminess Has Been Passed down the Armstrong Line for Generations
 * Large Ham: So. Much.
 * Lightning Bruiser: Scar is surprised that someone so large can move so fast and be so coordinated. It's what made him the first State Alchemist to walk away from a fight with Scar only a little worse for wear.
 * Let's not forget he outsped  at one point.
 * Love You and Everybody: He's extremely affectionate and friendly, and loves to hug people regardless of whether they want him to or not.
 * Made of Iron: He should be dead many times over considering the amount of punishment his body takes, especially against Sloth.
 * Majorly Awesome
 * Manly Tears: All the time.
 * Military Brat
 * My Greatest Failure: He got discharged after breaking down during the Ishvalan War. After that, he's sworn to himself to never back down from another fight.
 * Nice Guy
 * Officer and A Gentleman
 * Pec Flex: Will pose without any provocation.
 * Person of Mass Destruction: Par for the course with State Alchemists. Armstrong can essentially rearrange the ground under your feet.
 * Pieta Plagiarism: In Ishval.
 * Plucky Comic Relief
 * Power Fist: His hands in battle are encased in metal gauntlets, which have his transmutation circles etched into them. To transmute things, he punches them.
 * Rated Mfor Manly: Arguably.
 * Red Oni Blue Oni: The red to Olivier's blue.
 * Shirtless Scene: So much so that it seems strange to see him fully dressed.
 * Sibling Team: He and Olivier make a pretty effective team against Sloth.
 * Sibling Yin Yang: With his General Ripper Chessmaster of a sister Olivier.
 * Tender Tears: Body of iron, heart of a kitten.
 * Tired of Running/Right Makes Might/Characterization Marches On: When he took part in the Ishval Massacre years before the start of the story, the meaningless genocide didn't sit right with his conscience. He was gradually overwhelmed to the point that he got himself dropped out before it was complete by showing mercy to two innocent women who survived his death trap. This became his greatest failure over the years, feeling he should've stood and fought and turned against the injustice (like the many disgusted soldiers who up and killed their CO's), and earned much constant scolding as a "coward" from his more stalwart sister. When Mustang lays out the truth for him about The Illuminati within Amestris and suggests he get out while he can, he vows not to back out of combating Father's conspiracy, then later refuses a chance to escape when he and his sister are given a clearing during their battle with Sloth, which leads to the Crowning Moment of Awesome that is . This is the main source of fairly impressive character development in a character mainly there for the laughs.

Basque Grand
Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: Brigadier General Specialty: Combat Alchemy/Weapon Alchemy]

A Colonel Badass who served as Mustang's commander towards the end of the Ishval War. "Voiced by: Shin Aomori (JP), R. Bruce Elliott (EN)"

-
 * Badass
 * Badass Moustache: And how!!
 * Colonel Badass: Clearly the man Roy and Hughes learned it from. Grand leads his troops from the front, and believes in setting an example for the men to follow.
 * Badass Boast: Listen here, i am the Iron-Blood Alchemist Basque Grand. Iron and blood, i am both soldier and weapon, now stand down i am the only man able to take lead in this battle!
 * Bald Black Leader Guy
 * Bald of Awesome
 * The Brigadier: Was a Brigadier-General at the time of his death.
 * Chewing the Scenery: His introduction in the manga is almost Armstrong worthy.
 * Genius Bruiser: In typical State Alchemist fashion. Emphasis on bruiser--the man's around seven-feet tall, and is a master of hand-to-hand combat as well as his trademark alchemy.
 * Incoming Ham: "I am the Ironblood Alchemist, Basque Grand! Iron & blood, might & manpower! If I do not lead the charge, who will?!"
 * Large and In Charge: Holy crap this guy is like twice as tall as a normal person!
 * Lightning Bruiser: From what little we see of his combat style in Ishbal, yes.
 * More Dakka: His signature attack generates chains, spikes, flails, and primitive cannons which he fires en masse at his targets.
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Overlaps with Awesome McCoolname.
 * Person of Mass Destruction: Turns entire buildings into weapons.
 * Posthumous Character: In the manga only, where he is said to have been a victim of Scar's by the time we first hear of him. In Brotherhood, his final battle and death against Scar is shown.
 * Power Fist: His massive, steel-wrapped gauntlets, which extend all the way up his forarms and help him produce his weapons.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure: In a major contrast to the first anime adaptation, in which he's a quite villainous character. Grand in the manga protects his men at a significant risk to himself, and accepts the surrender of Ishbal's high cleric despite the protestations of Brigadier Fiessler.
 * Spell My Name With an S: The "d" in "Grand" is often overlooked.
 * Unfriendly Fire: Non-evil, sympathetic variant. When Brigadier Fiessler orders them to continue fighting long after it's necessary, Grand gutshoots him and takes command of the unit, staving off further bloodshed.
 * Walking Armoury: See More Dakka above for how.
 * The Worf Effect:.
 * The Brotherhood anime.
 * According to Word of God in the manga,

Jean Havoc
Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: 2nd Lieutenant Specialty: Marksmanship/Weapons Expert]

One of Mustang's closest subordinates; he's third-in-command of the unit after Mustang and Hawkeye. Before joining the army he was just your typical country boy.

"Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto (JP - 2003 Anime), Yuji Ueda (JP - 2009 Anime), Mike McFarland (EN)"

-
 * Badass Beard: Grows one after his.
 * Badass Normal
 * Chess Motif: He is the knight in Mustang's chess-themed unit. The knight has the most unique moves and can do things that other pieces can't.
 * Chivalrous Pervert: Certainly not Master Roshi, but Havoc admits that he's a sucker for large breasts.
 * Code Name: During the only mission shown where he uses one, he's called Jacqueline. It Makes Sense in Context.
 * Crouching Moron Hidden Badass: He self-describes himself as being none too bright, but he's as loyal as they come and a very good marksman; even Olivier Armstrong notes his value and says it would be a shame for the military to lose him. Later in the story, - even Mustang, who knows his true worth, was shocked by that one!
 * Smoking Is Cool
 * Unlucky Everydude
 * Smoking Is Cool
 * Unlucky Everydude
 * Smoking Is Cool
 * Unlucky Everydude

Mustang's Other Subordinates
A trio of officers that fill out various functions. Their loyalty to Mustang is unquestionable.


 * Badass Crew: When shit gets real, they get shit done.
 * Chess Motif: They are the bishop, the pawn, and the rook in Mustang's chess-themed unit.
 * Fuery is the pawn. Pawns are relatively weak pieces but are capable of doing considerable damage if given the chance.
 * Falman is the bishop. Bishops move diagonally on squares of a single color, and are frequently key to early checkmates.
 * Breda is the rook. The rook is the "heavy hitter" of the board, the most powerful piece after the queen, and able to perform a particularly effective move with the king.
 * Code Name: Like Havoc, Falman and Fuery are given women's names during the only mission shown in the canon, and described in Mustang and Hawkeye's encrypted conversation as though they're shop girls in a store. Falman is Vanessa and Fuery is Kate. (An omake indicates that Breda is codenamed "Braidykins" for the operation, although if this is canon, it's clearly an in-group joke; Breda is out of the country for most of the sting.)
 * Communications Officer: Fuery
 * Greek Chorus: On occasion.
 * Took a Level In Badass: All three --
 * Mauve Shirt: Not quite. They serve a greater role to the story than most shirts, but they're hardly players in the game.
 * Ragtag Bunch of Misfits

Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: Warrant Officer Specialty: Intelligence] Vato Falman

The oldest member of the group, and resident Butt Monkey at times. "Voiced by: Takehiro Murozono (JP - 2003 Anime) Kenji Hamada (JP - 2009 Anime), Kyle Hebert (EN)"


 * Babies Ever After: In the Brotherhood anime, as pictured above; he's shown at the end of the series with two kids, whom the animators confirm are supposed to be his. (Their mother is not identified.)
 * Butt Monkey: He's this for a while (Havoc in particular considers him an amateur), but improves as he gets more field experience.
 * Eyes Always Shut
 * Kicked Upstairs: After the Fuhrer splits up the group, Falman is promoted to Second Lieutenant, but.
 * Manly Tears/Tears of Fear: A vanishingly rare example of both at once: he weeps when facing down Wrath, but refuses to surrender.
 * Non Action Guy: At the beginning.
 * Rank Up: By the end of the series, he's made Captain, according to the insignia on his uniform.
 * Reassigned to Antarctica: It doesn't work.
 * Spock Speak: He reads the dictionary for fun.

Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: Master Sergeant Specialty: Communications] Kain Fuery

The youngest, and their communications expert. Has a friendly relationship with the Elrics.

"Voiced by: Tetsu Shiratori (JP - 2003 Anime), Tetsuya Kakihara (JP - 2009 Anime), Kevin M. Connoly (EN)"


 * Adorkable
 * Awesome McCoolname: Kain Fuery. Played with in that Fuery is a shy communications specialist.
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Subverted (see above).
 * Name of Cain: Also subverted (see above).
 * Cowardly Lion
 * Expy: Fuery is strikingly similar to Corporal "Radar" O'Reilly of Mash in almost every way: meek, quiet, loves animals, low on the totem pole rank-wise, and he's even the communications officer. He also takes a huge level in badass by the end of the series!
 * Friend to All Living Things
 * Pet the Dog: Rather literally. As shown in a side story, he was the one to find Riza's beloved Canine Companion, Black Hayate, as a puppy and bring him in out of the rain; he couldn't keep the dog himself because he lived in the barracks at the time, but he remains very attached to Hayate even after Riza adopts him.
 * The Short Guy With Glasses/Megane
 * The Smart Guy: Fuery would be this, if it weren't for the fact that both Breda and Falman are easily his equal in intelligence, if not smarter. Still, he is the resident communications expert.

Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: 2nd Lieutenant Specialty: Military Tactics/Intelligence] Heymans Breda

The big guy in Mustang's crew. Mustang drafts him for his tactical abilities.

"Voiced by: Tomoyuki Shimura (JP - 2003 Anime), Biichi Satou (JP - 2009 Anime), Josh Berry (EN - 2003 Anime) Jeremy Inman (EN - 2009 Anime)"

-
 * Big Eater
 * Brilliant but Lazy: Hinted at, considering his skill at strategy games, and the fact that he graduated top of his class at the academy. He's the strategist of Mustang's unit.
 * Face of a Thug: Because of his looks, mannerisms, and big eating, people tends to think that Breda is a brawny idiot. Breda proves them wrong with shogi.
 * Genius Bruiser
 * Insistent Terminology: He only ever refers to Edward Elric as "big guy."
 * Redheaded Hero
 * Smarter Than You Look
 * Smart People Play Chess
 * Stout Strength: Is possibly the strongest physically of Mustang's men. Is also as big around as he is tall.
 * Why Did It Have to Be Snakes: Breda is afraid of dogs.

Dr. Knox
Affiliation: Amestris Military (former) Rank: None Specialty: Surgery]

A coroner who served as a medic in Ishval. After the war he went through a major BSOD, drove off his family, and ended up working the morgue in Central Hospital.

"Voiced by: Kinryuu Arimoto (JP), R. Bruce Elliott (EN)"

- ""Ho, there could be an unknown pathogen in the doctor's house that could get out, and kill everyone in it.""
 * The Alcoholic
 * Anti Hero
 * Knight in Sour Armour
 * The Atoner
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Deadly Doctor: Invoked this trope to stop May Chang and Lan Fan from killing each other.


 * Dr. Jerk: "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?! PATIENTS SHOULD STAY IN BED!!!!"
 * Good Is Not Nice
 * Jerk With a Heart of Gold: Come on, don't deny it. ... But he's still a jerk.
 * Perma Stubble
 * Shell Shocked Senior
 * "We're not war buddies. We're accomplices."
 * Spell My Name With an S: His name is alternately spelled "Knocs," "Knochs," or "Nocks".

Maria Ross
Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: 2nd Lieutenant Specialty: None]

Armstrong's subordinate. Serves as one of Edward and Alphonse's bodyguards during their investigations in Central.

"Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga (JP - 2003 Anime), Kaori Nazuka (JP - 2009 Anime), Meridith McCoy (EN)"

-
 * Beauty Mark
 * Bifauxnen: In the manga, at least.
 * Big Damn Heroes: Twice
 * Different As Night and Day: With Denny.
 * Get a Hold of Yourself Man: To Ed. She apologizes in advance.
 * Good Looking Privates
 * Mauve Shirt
 * Those Two Guys
 * Wrongly Accused
 * Those Two Guys
 * Wrongly Accused
 * Wrongly Accused

Denny Brosh
Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: Sergeant Specialty: None]

Ed and Al's other bodyguard, his carefree nature combines unexpectedly well with his serious partner Maria.

"Voiced by: Masao Harada (JP - 2003 Anime), Yuuki Hayashi (JP - 2009 Anime), Jim Foronda (EN)"


 * Big Brother Instinct: Literally, as he lives with his younger brother and sister (and may be raising them, since no parents are shown). When things start going down on the Promised Day, he makes them swear they won't leave the house so he knows they're safe.
 * Different As Night and Day: With Maria.
 * Idiot Hair
 * Mauve Shirt
 * Spell My Name With an S: His last name can be alternatively be spelled Brosch. In the first anime it was "Bloch," but that also requires a different pronunciation.
 * Those Two Guys
 * Spell My Name With an S: His last name can be alternatively be spelled Brosch. In the first anime it was "Bloch," but that also requires a different pronunciation.
 * Those Two Guys

Solf J. Kimblee
Affiliation: Amestris Military (formerly)/Homunculi Rank: Major (formerly) Specialty: Explosive Alchemy/Photographic Memory]

The Crimson Alchemist, a former State Alchemist who participated in the Ishval war. Kimblee is a sociopath and a sadist. His alchemical specialty is transmuting things into explosives.

"Voiced by: Yuji Ueda (JP - 2003 Anime), Hiroyuki Yoshino (JP - 2009 Anime), Eric Vale (EN)"

-
 * Arch Enemy: To Scar. Ironically,
 * Badass: Most definitely. Given the nature of the setting, Kimblee, much like, exists to remind us that villains too, can be awesomely Badass.
 * Badass Bookworm: He's a State Alchemist. It comes with the territory.
 * Badass in A Nice Suit
 * Badass Longcoat
 * Badass Long Hair
 * Bad Powers Bad People
 * Berserk Button: He's got two big ones: Being looked down upon, and people betraying their own beliefs. For the former, he maintains a facade of good-natured politeness, even when killing people by the hundreds, but during The second shows through when Kimblee looks visibly pissed off when
 * Birds of a Feather: He's pretty much the only human who Pride and (to a greater extent) Envy have taken to, which says a lot about his (lack of) morality.
 * Blood Knight
 * Blue and Orange Morality: Try wrapping your head around Kimblee's obscure moral code. Just try it. He's definitely got one, but beyond a few specific details, such as his respect for commitment, and more importantly, a massive distaste for hypocrisy, we have no idea how it works. He manages to be more alien than Father or The Truth.
 * : Not as large-scale as, but still a rather disturbing fate.
 * But for Me It Was Tuesday: An inversion, actually. Kimblee's policy in life is to never forget the faces of those he kills, and he proves that he means this quite literally. When Scar asks if Kimblee remembers him, not only does Kimblee say he does, he also perfectly recites the district in the city where he encountered him, notes that one of the Ishvalans bore a family resemblance to Scar, and remembers the exact placement and severity of the wound that took Scar's brother's life.
 * Chekhov's Gunman: In the manga, he is alluded to, mentioned offhand, and shown in blurry panels for a couple years worth of chapters before he finally begins to play an important role in the story.
 * In Brotherhood he makes a handful of appearances in early episodes, including the first episode, and appears in some flashbacks.
 * Colonel Kilgore: Kimblee got a real kick out of his time at the front, and was rather dissapointed when the war came to a close. Given his Social Darwinist beliefs, this isn't really surprising.
 * Deal With the Devil: Heavily implied.
 * Dissonant Laughter
 * Even Evil Has Standards: "You try to take a lesser being you despised as your container, just to escape your own predicament. You....are hideous."
 * He also seemed a bit offended when Ed mistook him for an ephebophile after he complimented Winry.
 * Evil Counterpart/Foil/Shadow Archetype: Possibly towards Scar. In the sense that both of them specialize in alchemy based around destruction, both were involved in the Ishval Civil War (Kimblee as one of the soldiers who took part in the genocide, Scar as one of it's victims), and both invoke Light Is Not Good. This was perhaps shown at its best when.
 * You can throw Roy in that mix too and make it a three way thing: same kind of alchemy, same war, etc, with Scar as a victim, Roy as a victimiser with regrets and Kimblee as a victimiser who thoroughly enjoyed himself.
 * Same goes for McDougal, as they both use alchemy to transmute the opponent's body.
 * Evil Is Stylish/Villainous Fashion Sense: Admit it, the all white suit he wears for most of his first major appearances is awesome.
 * Expy: Arakawa says his character was based on Alex, the protagonist of A Clockwork Orange.
 * False Reassurance: Towards Winry on the subject of her parents' deaths. He might be a crazed and sadistic mad bomber, but he isn't much of a flat-out dishonest person.
 * Faux Affably Evil: He's a borderline Axe Crazy sociopath who nevertheless manages to keep up a facade of being a polite gentleman for the sake of getting by in life. As long as you aren't in his way you're probably safe. Probably.
 * In fact after his release from prison, he transmutes a guard's watch into a toy bomb.
 * Fedora of Asskicking
 * For the Evulz: Significantly toned down from the first anime, but still there.
 * Genius Bruiser: Word of God has that he's the third most intelligent character in the series. The two smarter than him? They're hundreds of years old.
 * Good Looking Privates:
 * Go Out With a Smile:  It was Badass.
 * Hair Antennae: A very rare villainous example.
 * Hannibal Lecture: He's full of them, more so than even Father or the homunculi. He gives three of them during the Ishval campaign, the biggest being the one to Hawkeye and Mustang, explaining how they knew the risk when they put on the uniform, and that the only way they could honor those they killed was to remember them, since their victims would never forget what they did. He also gives one to Ed during their battle, Alphonse during their battle, and attempts to deliver them to Scar and Major Miles.
 * Having a Blast: Causes anything--from buildings to the air around him--to become unstable, resulting in truly impressive explosions.
 * He Cleans Up Nicely: The first appearance of Kimblee in the series presents him as an unkempt prisoner. Fast forward, and he dresses up in a stylish suit.
 * Hero Killer: Came reeeeeally close to making this literal with Ed.
 * Hidden Depths: He is, without question, a crazed Blood Knight Mad Bomber. He is also intelligent, truly admires and respects the Rockbells for their tenacity, protects Armstrong from military court martial, and generally demonstrates a certain Pet the Dog quality... often before, or even combined with, an even bigger Kick the Dog moment. Noble Demon he ain't.
 * Hoist By His Own Petard:
 * Jerkass Has a Point: Jerkass has a lot of points. Oh, and how.
 * Just Following Orders: He follows the orders to commit the Ishvalan genocide without a second thought and he is disappointed when he sees others fail to do the same. Kimblee sees it as a soldier's job to follow orders, no matter what they may be.
 * Know When to Fold Em:
 * Lack of Empathy: A rather chilling example of sociopathy.
 * Laser Guided Karma:
 * Light Is Not Good: Kimblee mostly wears a white suit, and the alchemical circles tattooed into his hands involve the sun and moon, both symbols of light. To say nothing of how he gives the impression of being a friendly and charismatic man. This probably makes the moment quite significant.
 * Loves the Sound of Screaming: Expresses this sentiment in an Ishval flashback. He seems to take it as the sign of a job well-done.
 * Mad Artist: Likes to make things explode in a manner he considers "beautiful".
 * Mad Bomber: A minor character even refers to him as a mad bomber at one point.
 * Majorly Awesome
 * Man in White: He takes to wearing a classy white suit after his release from prison. One of the signature men in white in anime and manga.
 * Man of Wealth and Taste
 * Moral Sociopathy: For all his sadism and disregard for human lives, he does have a code of honour - largely based on honesty and duty - and abides seriously by it and respects whoever fills these values; indeed, by the end,.
 * Mysterious Middle Initial
 * Nice Hat: OK, he's an evil, genocidal maniac. But that is still a damn fine hat.
 * Person of Mass Destruction: And how. He practically ends the whole Ishvalan War by himself by using a Philosopher's Stone. Much later, he even does this to the whole Drachman Army WITHOUT alchemy but through political deception alone!
 * Pet the Dog: His aforementioned admiration of the Rockbell family for their devotion to duty is actually genuine and he appears to have a legitimate soft spot in his heart for Winry. This particular dog petting doesn't earn him many points, though, since
 * Taken to sadistic extremes with his interaction with Alex Louis Armstrong. He commends Armstrong for sticking to his beliefs and because of it chooses to save him from court martial... by blowing up Ishavalan survivors that Alex had saved in front of his eyes (the policy is to kill all Ishvalans). Basically, he manages to Kick the Dog and Pet the Dog all at once.
 * The Philosopher: A particularly homicidal example.
 * Photographic Memory: As Scar points out after meeting him for the second time, Kimblee's memory is frighteningly accurate.
 * Power Tattoo: Has the circles needed for his trademark explosions tattooed on his palms.
 * Sharp Dressed Man
 * Slasher Smile: Very frequently.
 * Social Darwinist
 * The Sociopath: A high-functioning and very self-aware psychopath.
 * Sociopathic Soldier: Type II, with flashes of Type I.
 * Spell My Name With an S: Solf/Zolf, J./Jay, Kimblee/Kimbley/Kimbly/Kimberly/Kimberley
 * Also, while it doesn't have to do with actual spelling, the translation of his State Alchemist title is a subject of debate. The word guren in Japanese means "crimson", but the kanji used to make up the word in his title means "red lotus". It can be inferred that "red lotus" is his truest title, however, due to the flower being a symbol of firey explosions much like the ones he specializes in creating.
 * Stepford Smiler: Type C.
 * Transhuman Treachery: Arguably- though he is and remains human, keeping a Philosopher's stone inside his body is about as close to being a homunculus as a human can get without being, and he is acting on their behalf right up until
 * Trickster: No one modifies plans on the fly quite the way that Kimblee does. It's why Father, a former Trickster himself, keeps him around.
 * Villainous Demotivator: Knowing that the Briggs soldiers pretty much all wish him dead, he brings four chimeras with him as Elite Mooks. He did say he works best alone...
 * Warrior Poet: A rather bloodthirsty, psychotic poet.
 * Wicked Cultured: Look at him. Then look at his suit. Then listen to his voice. *insert Old Spice reference here*
 * Wisdom From the Gutter: Offers it up a few times.
 * Yin Yang Bomb: His favoured attack method is more or less this, as the symbols mentioned above stand for the opposite forces of the Sun-fire-gold and Moon-water-silver.
 * Villainous Demotivator: Knowing that the Briggs soldiers pretty much all wish him dead, he brings four chimeras with him as Elite Mooks. He did say he works best alone...
 * Warrior Poet: A rather bloodthirsty, psychotic poet.
 * Wicked Cultured: Look at him. Then look at his suit. Then listen to his voice. *insert Old Spice reference here*
 * Wisdom From the Gutter: Offers it up a few times.
 * Yin Yang Bomb: His favoured attack method is more or less this, as the symbols mentioned above stand for the opposite forces of the Sun-fire-gold and Moon-water-silver.
 * Wicked Cultured: Look at him. Then look at his suit. Then listen to his voice. *insert Old Spice reference here*
 * Wisdom From the Gutter: Offers it up a few times.
 * Yin Yang Bomb: His favoured attack method is more or less this, as the symbols mentioned above stand for the opposite forces of the Sun-fire-gold and Moon-water-silver.

Lt. General Grumman
Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: Lieutenant General Specialty: Military Tactics/Intelligence]

Head of the East Army and military mentor to Colonel Mustang, he is a major ally to Mustang.

"Voiced by: Masaki Tsukada (JP - 2003 Anime), Rokuro Naya (JP - 2009 Anime), Gordon Fox (EN - 2003 Anime), Bill Flynn (EN - 2009 Anime)"

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 * The Chessmaster: Figuratively, but also literally. In well over one hundred games, Roy has beaten him once.
 * If you look closely, that wasn't even a checkmate!
 * Cool Old Guy
 * Dirty Old Man: Whereas Mustang decided to go for an elaborate Urban Legend Love Life, Grumman prefers simply sexually harassing female subordinates.
 * Intergenerational Friendship: With Roy.
 * Manipulative Bastard
 * Master of Disguise
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: Taught some of his tricks to Mustang.
 * Opaque Lenses
 * Reasonable Authority Figure:.
 * Scary Shiny Glasses
 * Shipper On Deck: He tells Roy (in the manga only) that "what would really make this old man happy would be if you took my granddaughter as your First Lady." Said granddaughter is revealed in the second guidebook to be.
 * Smart People Play Chess
 * Spell My Name With an S: His name is alternately transliterated as "Graman".
 * Trickster Mentor
 * Trickster Mentor

Selim Bradley
Affiliation: None Rank: None Specialty: None]

All right, this guy isn't actually in the military, but his status means he's pretty well-connected with them.

The adopted son of King Bradley, he studies hard in order to help his father rule the country. He's also a big fan of the Elric Brothers, especially Edward.

"Voiced by: Makoto Tsumura (JP - 2003 Anime), Yuko Sanpei (JP - 2009 Anime), Zarah Little (EN - 2003 Anime), Brittney Karbowski (EN - 2009 Anime)"

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 * Big Brother Mentor: He considers himself one of these to
 * Cheerful Child
 * Keet:
 * Happily Adopted
 * Hero Worshipper: He's an Ed fanboy, much to the latter's discomfort.
 * Morality Pet: To King Bradley.
 * Tareme Eyes/Tsurime Eyes:
 * Theme Naming: He shares his name with an Ottoman sultan famed for his conquests. Makes sense for the führer's son.
 * Tareme Eyes/Tsurime Eyes:
 * Theme Naming: He shares his name with an Ottoman sultan famed for his conquests. Makes sense for the führer's son.

Briggs Brigade
Border guard forces under Olivier M. Armstrong, stationed in Briggs fortress, in Briggs mountain range that divides Drachma and Amestris. They include Captain Buccaneer, a hulk of a man with a variety of deadly automail prostheses; Major Miles, a biracial half-Ishvalan who wants to change the perception of his people; and Lieutenant Henschel, General Armstrong's steadfast assistant.


 * Badass Army: Though whole damn army is Badass. Even the cleaning officers.
 * Badass Longcoat: Their standard outfit. Justified since they work on snowy mountain range.
 * Band of Brothers: It's explained that being Reassigned to Antarctica has given all the soldiers plenty of time to get to know one another. Olivier's leadership is also a big help.
 * Everything Is Worse With Bears: Aptly named "Briggs Bears". Bears are also parts of indigenous fauna.
 * Olivier brags that every one of her men can defeat a grizzly bear in combat.
 * Grim Up North: Border patrol with Drachma. This is implied to be the reason why General Armstrong is such a General Ripper; she can't afford less.
 * No Guy Wants an Amazon: "The Major General is not a woman!!"
 * Though part of this is how she herself explicitly refuses to hear her name mentioned in any context of femininity/beauty.
 * Proud Warrior Race Guy: These guys are really proud of their abilities.
 * Blood Knight: And when given a chance to battle, some of them show that they really enjoy it.
 * Reassigned to Antarctica: General Armstrong implies that most of the soldiers here had skeletons in their closets.
 * That makes them a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits; the main reason why they work so well is because General Armstrong made them.
 * Tank Goodness: Never, NEVER wonder if this army can only fight on foot.
 * Undying Loyalty: Towards Armstrong, these guys are the hurricane of loyalty.

Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: Major Specialty: Military Tactics/Intelligence] Major Miles

General Armstrong's second-in-command. He is a quarter-Ishvalan from his grandfather's side, and is striving to change Amestris from the inside, so they will acknowledge the massacre they committed.

"Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai (JP), Jason Douglas (EN)"

""Up here in the north, the law is the survival of the fittest. You get careless, and you get dead, understand? You tell me what to do again, and you'll never leave this hospital." "
 * All of the Other Reindeer: Miles often feels like this, thanks to his Ishvalan blood, but Armstrong gets rid of it quickly.
 * Badass: Comes with the territory of being a Briggs man.
 * Cool Shades: Miles wears these to hide his Ishvalan ethnicity.
 * Death Glare: Commenced with The Glasses Come Off, he gives a pretty epic one to an injured Kimblee - made to him even scarier given his Ishvalan eyes.
 * Implied Death Threat


 * Majorly Awesome
 * Scary Black Man: Yes, but not that scary. He's actually a pretty swell guy. More like intimidating black man.
 * The Stoic
 * Not So Stoic: Even Miles has his limits when having to hear Kimblee's boasting from the war.
 * Wise Beyond His Years: About the only person to see through Grumman's cunning. Or at least, he thinks he sees through it; we never find out whether he's right or not. They're still pretty Genre Savvy suspicions, though.

Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: Captain Specialty: Weapons Expert] Buccaneer

General Armstrong's third-in-command and field commander. A big guy with a pretty hot temper, he is regardless extremely devoted and will fight for his comrades.

"Voiced by: Ryuzaburo Ohtomo (JP), Phil Parsons (EN)"

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 * Artificial Limbs: The artificial limbs! Even Winry falls in love with them at first sight.
 * Badass: Holy shit he can be! Consider this: He is the first person to actually injure Bradley. Let that sink i].
 * Badass Fu-Manchu
 * Berserk Button: He's got a few of them, but one of them definitely appears to be jealousy that Edward has such a cute automail mechanic.
 * Big Damn Heroes
 * Chainsaw Good: Buccaneer's "Crocodile" automail arm.
 * Twinkle Smile: He's probably got the biggest smile in the series, shown after Olivier extends their time limit in the tunnel to save who they can.
 * Spell My Name With an S: Buccaneer/Baccania.
 * Undying Loyalty: To Olivier, even more so than the rest of the Briggs' troops. After the fight with Bradley, Buccaneer--who has a sword sticking out of his gut--is solely concerned with making sure that her orders to hold the capitol are carried out.
 * Undying Loyalty: To Olivier, even more so than the rest of the Briggs' troops. After the fight with Bradley, Buccaneer--who has a sword sticking out of his gut--is solely concerned with making sure that her orders to hold the capitol are carried out.

Mrs. Bradley
Affiliation: None Rank: None Specialty: None]

As with Selim, not exactly in the military, but in that category nonetheless. The wife of Fuhrer President King Bradley and adopted mother to Selim. Serves as a Morality Pet to Bradley. Her abduction by Mustang's crew serves to kick off the final arc of the story.

"Voiced by: Ai Satou (JP), Dana Schultes (EN)"

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 * Hostage Situation: Subverted; Mustang's group technically kidnaps her, but it's to show her that the military high command couldn't care less about her well-being. Mustang vows to protect her at any cost, thus gaining her trust and, through her, the public's.
 * Hot Shounen Mom/Grandma What Massive Hotness You Have: She looks quite good for her age.
 * I Have Your Wife: She's the wife, but the military doesn't care.
 * Locked Out of the Loop: Is completely unaware of
 * Love At First Punch: She met her husband by slapping him! Rather than kill her, Bradley apparently started courting her instead.
 * Morality Pet: To both Bradley

Sheska
Affiliation: Amestris Military Rank: Sergeant Specialty: Photographic Memory]

A mousy haired bookworm who is mostly used for comic relief. She's something of a coward and cries a lot. Most of the other characters refer to her as "bookworm." She gets a job at the military working under Hughes copying down the books that burned in the military library in a fire and proves instrumental in the Elrics' search for the Philosopher's Stone.

"Voiced by: Naomi Wakabayashi (JP - 2003 Anime), Chika Fujimura (JP - 2009 Anime), Gwendolyn Lau (EN)"

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 * Bookworm: It's in her nickname for crying out loud!
 * Brainy Brunette
 * Butt Monkey: She's first shown in a library, from which she's promptly fired. Then next she's shown buried under a ton of books which she apparently collects. After copying down the book she's rehired (read: dragged off by Hughes) into the military copying all the files that got burned up in the fire at central library. And that's just for starters...
 * Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: She seems to have disappeared from the story after chapter 34.
 * Expy: Of Yomiko Readman.
 * Green Eyes
 * Meaningful Name: Polish for path.
 * Meganekko
 * Photographic Memory: She can reproduce exactly anything she's ever read.
 * Plucky Comic Relief
 * Spell My Name With an S: Alternately Schieska, Scheska, Ścieżka.
 * What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart Anyway: Other characters have alchemy, great shooting skills or control over fire. She can memorize anything she reads, and reproduce it exactly.
 * Forms something of a New Powers As the Plot Demands situation -- she's only introduced after the library burns down and her ability is actively needed to help Ed and Al with their quest.
 * What Happened to The Mouse: After being drafted by Hughes to help restore the lost library books, she's pretty much never seen again.

Giolio Comanche
Affiliation: Amestris Military (formerly) Rank: Major Specialty: Weapons Alchemy]

A retired State Alchemist known as the Silver Alchemist of Battle. He retired after having his leg chopped off in the Ishvalan Civil War. He is killed by Scar in his only appearance.

"Voiced by: Tadashi Miyazawa (JP), Charlie Campbell (EN)"


 * Artificial Limbs: Has a peg-leg.
 * Badass Grandpa
 * Badass Moustache
 * Blood Knight: When order 3066 was given before the War Of Ishbal, Comanche is the only one among them shown smiling in anticipation. Even after he retired he has some level of this, rather than shrink from the Scarred Man's presence, Comanche prepares to combat him with a rather large grin on his face.
 * Charles Atlas Superpower: His spin attack, which has nothing to do with his alchemy.
 * Colonel Kilgore: Like Kimblee, Comanche thoroughly enjoyed the Ishbalan Civil War, grinning in anticipation before battles, and reminiscing throughout his battle with Scar.
 * Handicapped Badass: Lost his leg in the Ishvalan Civil War.
 * Nice Hat
 * Power Tattoo: His hands and palms are covered in the tatts that allow him to essentially create weapons out of thin air.
 * Retired Badass
 * Slasher Smile: Cracks one after being sent into Ishval and again at the thought of facing Scar.
 * Sociopathic Soldier: Type II, going off the little we know.
 * We Hardly Knew Ye

Isaac McDougal
Affiliation: Amestris Military (formerly) Rank: Major (formerly) Specialty: Water Alchemy]

Better known as the Freezing Alchemist. A former State Alchemist who participated in the Ishval Massacre, McDougal went AWOL after the war and, years later, resurfaced as a madman trying to destroy Central City. His plan was foiled by the Elric Brothers and he was murdered by Fuhrer Bradley.

"Voiced by: Koichi Yamadera (JP), Bryan Massey (EN)"

- "McDougal: Do you know what shape this country is in?"
 * An Ice Person/Kill It With Ice/Making a Splash: The Freezing Alchemist specializes in transmuting water--mainly to turn it into ice, which he uses as a weapon, but he can also create scalding steam.
 * Bloody Murder: With his own blood to boot.
 * Human Popsicle
 * Literally Shattered Lives
 * Anti Villain
 * The Atoner: And The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized.
 * Axe Crazy: Really pushes it at times.
 * Canon Foreigner: McDougal was created specifically for the first episode of the new anime, but was neatly tied into the overarching plot.
 * : 30 episodes later he doesn't seem so nuts anymore does he?
 * Faux Affably Evil: Well-intentioned he may be, but he seems to be having a pretty good time wreaking havoc. Particularly noticeable in the English dub where he's voiced by the same actor who does Ladd Russo and displays a similar glee in this role.
 * Of course, there is the matter of him being justifiably nuts.
 * Foil: To both Mustang, Kimblee, and.
 * To Mustang: Fire vs. Ice, both are mentally scarred by the Ishval War into defying the Government/High Command, both want to overthrow the HC--Isaac from the outside, Roy from the inside.
 * To Kimblee: Both use alchemy to transmute the opponent's body, same war, etc., with Ishval as victim, Isaac as a victimiser with regrets, and Kimblee as a victimiser who thoroughly enjoyed himself. In fact, he tries to spring Kimblee and have the man join him, not quite realizing that Kimblee enjoyed it far more than he did.
 * To
 * Foreshadowing: He creates one big transmutation circle in Central. Later, we find out


 * Large Ham: Dear God, especially in the dub.
 * You're surprised?
 * Ham to Ham Combat: With Armstrong.
 * Majorly Awesome: Pre-breakdown.
 * Person of Mass Destruction: Nearly buried Central in ice.
 * Power Tattoo: One of his palms has his freezing alchemy tattooed on it.
 * Shell Shocked Veteran
 * Sociopathic Soldier: Type IV, after the war. He's totally cracked.
 * Still Wearing the Old Colors
 * Well Intentioned Extremist:
 * Well Intentioned Extremist: