Majhal

Majhal (マジハール) is a minor antagonist in the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime adaption. He is an alchemist that wears a special bracelet around his right arm with a transmutation circle that allows him to perform alchemy without having to draw circles. However, Lust considers him a second-rate alchemist. On their way to Central to perform in the State Alchemy exams, the Elrics, upon hearing about Majhal from a police officer, decide to pay Majhal a visit, since Edward recalled that Majhal was one of the names that was on their dad's letters and that he wrote about Human Transmutation.

The Elrics first met Majhal after he saves them from Claus's gang. The Elrics soon discover that Majhal is responsible for the zombies, which are actually mannequins that he created, when Ed notices the noise from the doll is the same sound coming from a section within Majhal's house. Having previously failed at Human Transmutation, Majhal's purpose is to perform a spirit attachment, similar to the one used on Alphonse, to bind the souls of village girls (including Claus's older sister) to create living versions of the doll based on Karin, a former village woman who was the love of his life 20 years ago. However, due to the process being incomplete, the souls were rejecting their new vessels which caused some of these dolls to wander into the village after escaping from his house. It is when Majhal destroys one of the "Karin zombies" that Lust, watching from the shadows, decides that Majhal isn't worth her time, as she is still looking for alchemists capable of creating the Philosopher's Stone.

Majhal wanted to try to learn the perfected technique that Ed previously succeeded with in soul binding, and tries to force Ed to teach him that technique. But then Claus arrived at his house to thank him for saving her from the so-called zombie and Majhal attempted to use her as his latest victim. However, Ed discovered that the mysterious old woman, Lebi, who had been hanging around Majhal was the real Karin, her youthful beauty having been eroded by time. In his madness, Majhal refused to believe the truth as he was obsessed with Karin's former youthful beauty and tried to attack them with a sword, but Ed transmuted the blue rose that Karin had in her hair to knock the sword out of his hand. The sword flew into the air before it fell and impaled Majhal through the stomach. Even as he was dying, Majhal still refused to accept the truth and died believing that he would be with Karin again.

Years later, while talking with Winry Rockbell in the Southern slums, Ed admits that while Majhal's death was an accident, he still blames himself for being responsible for the circumstances which led to Majhal dying in the first place, which is a part of the reason why he didn't want her to travel with him and Al anymore, due to the highly increasing number of deaths being involved in their journey.

Trivia

 * For unknown reasons, the Alchemist that appeared when Edward explained the use of codes and signs in alchemy writtings bears intense resemblance to Majhal with same gaunt face and long, dark-brow hair. This was in Episode 7 of Brotherhood.


 * Possibly due to an animation oversight, when Majhal transmuted a chisel into a sword, he violated the first part of the Law of Equivalent Exchange, namely the conservation of mass. (output of material must be equal to your input) In the FMA universe, it would be impossible to transmute a small 4 inch carving knife into a five without a Philosophers Stone. It is possible he drew mass from the surrounding air to create the needed matter.