Alphonse Elric

Alphonse Elric, nicknamed Al, is the second protagonist of the manga and anime series. He is the younger brother of Edward Elric, and son of Trisha Elric and Van Hohenheim. He's around 14 years old. 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 transmutated into a suit of armor by his brother. His goal throughout the manga and anime is to regain his original body and help his brother regain his leg and arm.

Character Outline
Alphonse is a sweet boy who loves (mostly feline) strays, a very strong pacifist, and is kind and gentle to everyone. These traits are considered childish tendencies, the reason is said to be because he has a stunted emotional maturity from not growing physically at all. He almost stays the same age in his armor 'body'. Edward, feeling a tremendous guilt over affixing Al to something that won't grow or have senses, doesn't care what happens to himself and would without second thought give his life to give Al his body; he believes Al may lose his humanity. Alphonse is completely against Edward dying or being separated from him, so Al stops his brother from going too far for him. Al is known to be one of his "tough-as-steel" older brother's very few weaknesses; enemies often take advantage over it. Alphonse sometimes feels that he is a burden to Edward, but he has saved his brother's life more than once. Alphonse is seen as the counterpart of Edward. While Edward is demonstrated as violent, impulsive, stubborn, and loud, Alphonse is pacifistic, strategical, stubborn and quiet.

Because of his armor, most people who meet Alphonse, to Ed's annoyance, automatically assume him of being the Fullmetal Alchemist.

Edward and Alphonse are both very loving and close to each other; in their traumatic struggles, they retained their very sanity by becoming each others support beams and only friends.

Plot overview
Alphonse is born in a small town named Resembool, where he lives with his older brother, Edward, and both of his parents, Trisha Elric and Van Hohenheim, until Hohenheim embarks on a journey and several years after, Trisha falls ill and dies, leaving the two young boys as orphans. Their neighbor, Pinako Rockbell, then begins looking after them. During that time, the brothers concentrate in studying alchemy in hopes of bringing their mother back to life and are able to train with a skilled alchemist named Izumi Curtis. When they return home from their training, they proceed to try the taboo art of Human transmutation but fail costing Edward his left leg, and costs Alphonse his entire body. Edward then performs a second transmutation, sacrificing his own right arm to bind Alphonse's soul to a nearby suit of armor.

In the Anime
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, although this is due to him "remembering" the gate. 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.

Alphonse becomes the Philosopher's Stone and regains full memory of his visit to the Gate. The concept of this is never fully ventured, due to his fear of the possible outcome effects of using the Stone's power. In the final episode of the series, he clearly uses alchemy without the need of any transmutation circle, in order to resurrect his dying brother.

In the Manga
In the manga Al eventually develops the ability to perform alchemy without a transmutation circle, the same as Ed. In the manga, when King Bradley impales Martel while she is inside Al's armored body, her blood spills onto his blood seal. This gives him a near-death experience, recalling to his mind his experience at the Doors of Truth. He realizes that he can transmute without a transmutation circle shortly thereafter. Also, in the manga, Alphonse is afraid that his armor will eventually reject his soul, which would mean his death.

A recent chapter proved the theory that Al's body was still in existence, as Ed finds it on a return trip to the Doors, malnourished and unkempt, but very much alive. He shows the true nature of his body, showing that even though his body is almost impossible to recover, he won't give up, and so neither should they. During Ed's near-death experience, Al is shown as blacking out and seeing his body in the midst of snowstorm. This suggests that his body is calling for his soul, showing the first sign of rejection. However, he manages to find the party and warns them, though Scar said that it is rather useless, since they had nowhere else to go. As of recent chapters, Al has been attacked by Pride and Gluttony, and was knocked out and possessed by Pride. However, with Ed's quick thinking and flash bangs, Pride's control over Al was broken. He then returned to the slum camp, where he met Hohenheim. Al came up with an idea to "beat" Pride. By Hohenheim using himself as a decoy, Pride moved all his shadows near him and was attacked by Al. Further distracted by Al, Hohenheim sealed Pride and Al in a large sphere made out of Earth. Al would be fine in there as he required no oxygen to survive. He started talking with Pride about how human he could be.

When Zolf J Kimblee, guided by Pride's morse signals blasted a hole in the Earth Jail, killing Heinkel and setting Pride free. Al tried vainly to save a dying Heinkel who gave him Kimblee's first Philosopher Stone, which he lost in his fight against Ed. Then, an infuriated Alphonse prepares to fight both Pride and Kimblee.

Appearances in other media
Aside from the initial anime and manga, Alphonse also appears in the Movie, Conqueror of Shamballa. Al also appears in almost all the Fullmetal Alchemist OVAs. In the first one as a super deformed version of himself at the movie's wrap-up party, and in the fourth OVA, he plays a part in the battle against the anime's Homunculi. Al also appears in all Fullmetal Alchemist video games on all platforms. He is also featured in several of the Fullmetal Alchemist Trading Card Game Alphonse is also in the additional yet non-canon Fullmetal Alchemist novels. In The Movie The Conqueror of Shamballa, Al's previous armor is shown as one of the soldiers Eckhart uses in her attempt to conquer Amestris. Al transfers a part of his soul into one, allowing him to talk with Edward in Munich (through the armor) for a short time. (However, the transmutation is temporary).

Character reception
Several publications for manga, anime, and other pop culture media have provided both praise and criticism on Al's character. AnimeOnDVD say Al is "quite the likeable character" and praised him in both Volumes 6 & 7. The first stating that "...Al's slow descent into madness and disbelief over his own existence is interesting something that could make up a series all by itself.." The latter volume review claiming that Episodes 25-28 saying "Getting more time with Al as an actual young boy is a nice change of pace.." The site also commented for the Movie and how the characters had changed, the reviewer stated; "What I enjoyed the most from the changes was seeing just how similar yet different Al had become as he took on the role of his brother."