Edward Elric

Edward Elric (エドワード・エルリック, Edowādo Erurikku), the Fullmetal Alchemist (鋼の錬金術師, Hagane no Renkinjutsushi), is the main protagonist and titular character of the series. After losing his right arm and left leg due to a failed Human Transmutation attempt, Ed became the youngest State Alchemist in history by achieving his certification at age twelve. Three years later, Ed has become fully engrossed in his search for the legendary Philosopher's Stone, an item with which he hopes to restore his younger brother Alphonse - whose whole body had been lost in the aftermath of that tragic experiment.

Appearance
Edward is small for his age, standing at only 149 cm (4'11") at the beginning of the series despite his attempts to appear taller. He wears his golden-blond hair long - usually tied in a braid that hangs down to his shoulders, but sometimes forgoing the braid for a simpler ponytail. He parts his bangs in the middle so that they frame his face on either side as they fall and, in the center of the parting, he leaves a single strand of hair sticking up like an antenna. In Chapter 56, it is revealed that he does this intentionally, presumably to add to his height. Ed's eyes, too, are gold colored signifying his Xerxesian ancestry.

Early on in the manga, Ed receives a thin, horizontal battle scar just above his right eye which remains because his subsequent battles cause the sensitive skin to tear open repeatedly. As of Chapter 76, however, the scar appears to have healed over completely.

Near the end of the 2003 anime series, it is revealed that the Earth has its own version of Edward Elric, who is identical to that of the storyline save for having his hair and bangs cut short.

Automail
As a result of his alchemical dismemberment, Edward was fitted with full steel automail prosthetics custom crafted by Winry and Pinako Rockbell. His left leg from just above the knee downward is automail and his automail right arm reaches all the way up to his shoulder; both are designed so that their outer shells resemble modernized plate mail.

In the manga and 2009 anime series, after Edward travels to the northern area, he is refitted with new, cold-climate type automail limbs. Designed to be rich in carbon to prevent frost damage and lighter to help Edward's movement, they are both significantly thinner than his previous models and even appear shinier, with a more silvery tint than the old steel versions.

Clothes
Ed wears as his trademark, a bright red, long-sleeved, hooded cloak whose tail comes down to his upper calves. Emblazoned in black on the back is a Flamel signifying his tutelage under the master alchemist Izumi Curtis. It is likely that Edward fashioned this cloak for himself as he needs to repair it often and, in Chapter 85, transmuted one from scratch using a roll of red cloth. During the Elric Brothers' trip to the northern area, Ed's cloak was modified somewhat with a white fur trim around the hood to accommodate comfortable passage through cold conditions.

Though Ed's clothes vary over the course of the series, he seems particularly partial to black and will nearly always dress in black trousers and some sort of black shirt under his coat. In his usual outfit, he also wears a wide leather belt to which he keeps his silver State Alchemist pocketwatch affixed. In the 2003 anime, this belt is instead changed to two thin belts worn parallel to each other.

As part of his attempts to seem taller, Edward is rarely seen without his elevator shoes - black leather boots with thick, red soles. Additionally, he frequently wears white gloves when in public to conceal the fact that his right arm is artificial.

It is likely that his general outfit is meant to convey a red, black and white motif, as these three colors are considered significant in traditional alchemy.

Personality
On the surface, Edward displays an immature sort of personality. He is decidedly stubborn and strong-willed, frequently letting his pettiness and vindictiveness get the better of him (it is this stubbornness that contributes to Führer Bradley's decision to codename him "Fullmetal", as "Hagane" is a term in Japanese that denotes someone of obstinate disposition); he is somewhat selfish and remarkably self-absorbed, generally acting more out of self-interest than any sort of philanthropy as well as taking several opportunities to stroke his own ego or flaunt the governmental power and monetary license of his military position. He is largely hostile towards figures of authority and feels little incentive to follow orders with which he disagrees, earning him the distinction of being a loose cannon of sorts, and is also rather quick-tempered, resorting more often to steel-fisted violence rather than calm negotiation to settle disputes (even going so far as to suggest that refraining from hitting Paninya because of her gender is a sexist notion and, therefore, against his principles). He has a reputation for being foul-mouthed and is an incurably sarcastic cynic, only too happy to bluntly and harshly relieve others of their comfortable delusions regarding god, fantasy, or their own self-importance. Edward has also displayed a propensity towards impatience and an inability to sit still for long, which perhaps contributes to his love of travel.

However, for those few people who have made an impact on him, Ed shows his deeper nature to be one of marked selflessness, unflinching loyalty and great compassion. As someone who has had to suffer greatly at such a young age, Edward cannot ignore the true suffering of others and becomes sympathetic upon sensing pain and resolve in people's hearts. Though his solemn advice to such people is often tempered with brusque criticism, it is only because he genuinely wishes to place them on the most direct path forward. As one who had to struggle with a maimed body, he urges those with healthy bodies to use their strong legs to move forward and as one burdened by the mistakes of his past, he stresses the necessity of people taking responsibility for their own errs. Though he will intervene on behalf of the oppressed if he concludes that a situation has called for it, Ed tends to help only those with the will - but not the means - to help themselves, in which case his recklessness and disdain for authority often has him bending the rules to dole out a Robin Hood-esque justice in accordance with his strong belief in the concept of Equivalent Exchange, earning him notoriety and popularity as a "hero of the people".

Of course, the most noticeable of Edward's dispositional characteristics is his Napoleonic denial of his shortness. Even in moments of relative composure, any and all references to his stature cause him to violently lose control of his emotions and lash out both verbally and physically. Distinctive to these outbursts is Ed's tendency to take even the most casual mention of his height as a gross insult and interpret it exaggeratedly, mistaking words as simple as "small" for phrases as contrived as "so-tiny-that-he-need-not-fear-being-crushed-by-a-boot-because-he-fits-so-easily-between-the-grooves-of-the-sole" and the like. Those unfortunate to utter the word "small" in his presence are fated to suffer one of his vindictive tantrums.

Though Edward proudly professes that he does not believe in gods, his spiritual sensibilities tend more toward the agnostic than the atheistic; in private, though he does not pray, he frequently acknowledges the existence of a god in his speech, if only to justify why it is that his life has been so difficult.

Ed's aesthetic sensibilities are also quite twisted in that he is a great fan of gothic or macabre fixtures and will usually transmute decorations filled with monstrous or demonic imagery and unnecessarily gaudy details, much to the dismay of anyone who receives a gift or service from him. He has also made it known that his trademark red cloak is part of this general lack of taste, as it is "a badass man color [that] gets the blood going".

Relationships
Alphonse - Edward's relationship with his younger brother is easily the strongest and most significant of his personal connections. Though the Elric brothers have wildly different personalities and argue often about the best way to go about things, they are close enough that each would readily and willingly give his life for the other. As it is, Edward willingly sacrificed his right arm as material for a Soul Binding Transmutation after Alphonse's whole body was taken into The Gate as part of the payment for the attempted resurrection of their mother. Edward managed to call his brother's soul back from the void and affix it alchemically to a suit of armor, but remains wracked with the guilt of having both initiated the experiment that caused the accident and damning his brother to a cold existence inside an artificial body incapable of physical sensation. Despite his own physical hardships with his automail limbs, Edward appears to care relatively little about returning his body to its original state and is entirely focused on restoring Al as soon as possible.

Winry - Ed's relationship with Winry Rockbell is likely one of his more complex personal connections. Born to the kind family that lived next door to the Elrics, Winry grew up alongside Ed and Al and means as much to them both as would a sister; she and Ed are more than childhood friends, they are a family. As such, however, Edward argues with Winry even more than he does with Al, their similarly stubborn personalities keeping them at odds with one another despite their powerful bond. After the terrible accident that claimed Ed's arm and leg, Winry took on the role of his personal automail mechanic, building him sophisticated new limbs at the tender age of eleven. Since then, Winry has served as Ed's constant well of support, both mechanically and emotionally, though they still find themselves arguing frequently. However, this affectionate hostility appears to be masking a deeper relationship. Though Edward has not outwardly admitted any romantic feelings toward Winry, he is rather overprotective of her and becomes unnaturally flustered at the mere suggestion of an amatory relationship between them. Winry, for her part, has admitted to herself that she fell in love with Edward long ago.

Roy Mustang - Officially, Colonel Roy Mustang is Edward's superior officer, but their relationship is far from the typical professional connection. There exists between them a sort of amicable animosity, as Roy takes a great deal of personal pleasure in teasing Fullmetal and watching him squirm under his orders and, at the same time, Ed takes pleasure in getting around his orders and showing Mustang up whenever he manages to find an opportunity. Though their meetings are fraught with a great deal of apparent, mutual dislike, Flame and Fullmetal hold a great deal of respect for one another and are compatriots as well as co-conspirators in the secret battle against the Homunculi. Having originally scouted the young boy for the State Alchemist program and formed a bond with him, Roy genuinely wishes to see Edward fulfill his goal and Edward also subtly supports Mustang's secret bid to become the Führer and improve the country.

Hohenheim - Edward's relationship with his estranged father is strained in both the manga and 2003 anime versions of the storyline. Blaming his mother's death on Hohenheim's sudden departure, Ed antagonizes him and initially refuses to accept the slightest bit of help or cooperation from him. After a while, however, Edward comes to terms with his father's presence and comes to trust his expertise in regards to dealing with the Homunculi.

Trisha Elric - Before her death from a contagious illness in 1904, Edward's dear mother had always been a source of greatest comfort to him. Wishing to fill the void left in her heart from her husband's sudden and seemingly permanent departure, young Edward did everything he could to make her smile. In fact, it was the fact that his mother was so pleasantly surprised by his alchemical abilities that Edward became so engrossed in alchemy at such a young age. In no uncertain terms, Trisha's death was the defining moment of Edward's young life - the trigger for all the sadness that was to follow. However, he still holds her dearly in his heart, suffering from the void that she herself has left for him.

Abilities
Despite Edward's small stature and young age, he is a remarkable combatant. Having apprenticed under Izumi Curtis, Ed was taught to condition his body through regular workouts and sparring as part of her philosophy, "to train the spirit, first train the body." As such, his slight frame belies a compactly muscular build that, in addition to his naturally high energy level and endurance, fuels his considerable strength and agility. Due to Izumi's spartan training, Ed has become a particularly competent hand-to-hand fighter, able to hold his own against armed opponents and even skilled martial arts practitioners. Besides that, his steel right arm and left leg augment his fighting strength by adding to his defensive and offensive capabilities as well as his speed - after he is refitted with a lighter, cold-climate automail in Chapter 70 of the manga.

As suggested by his unprecedented acceptance into the State Alchemist program at such a remarkably young age, Edward Elric is an alchemical prodigy of genius level intellect. From early childhood, he displayed a proficiency for alchemy, acquiring self-taught alchemy skills and comprehension from the advanced literature in his father's abandoned study at an age that shocked even his mother. Having incorporated alchemy into his life during his developmental stages, Edward sees the world alchemically and is therefore able to solve complicated codes, puzzles and mysteries much more easily than normal. He also showed himself to be exceptionally adept at chemistry and reasonably competent with biology; indeed even his preparations for the failed attempt to resurrect his mother were indicative of these. Ed's near-encyclopedic knowledge of alchemical theory is astounding and contributed to his incredible success with emergency Soul Binding experimentation. He shows an uncanny level of focus that allows him to effectively shut out everything from his surroundings and devote all of his considerable mental power to whatever problem demands his attention, especially in the case of books.

Combat Alchemy
As a result of having passed through The Gate and witnessing the Truth, Edward became one of the few alchemists who do not require a drawn Transmutation Circle to perform alchemical transmutations. By merely touching his palms together, he creates an energy circulation with his arms and transmutes by using his own will as a substitute for the necessary runes. This remarkable talent makes his transmutations both instantaneous and incredibly versatile, allowing him to use alchemy to its fullest potential in direct combat.

With this quick style, Edward becomes a master of his surroundings and uses the substances therein to supplement his physical prowess in battle - creating giant earthen hands to lift objects, columns of stone to gain himself the higher ground and ogre-faced battering rams with which to strike opponents. Ed also specializes in transmuting weapons with which to do battle and often crafts menacing-looking swords and ostentatious lances when necessary, however, his primary weapon is his automail right arm, whose forearm plating he transmutes into various blades.

But the true genius of Edward Elric's combat alchemy lies in his aptitude for incorporating the alchemy styles of others into his own after merely having once seen them in action, which makes him very adaptable to various situations. So far, he has shown the ability to absorb Scar's destruction alchemy, Alex Louis Armstrong's alchemy gauntlets and spikes as well as Greed's carbon armor into his combat repertoire. In the 2003 anime, he also took on the tactic of repeatedly altering the chemical makeup of his automail in order to keep Scar from comprehending and therefore, destroying it.

History
Born to Trisha Elric and Van Hohenheim of Resembool in the winter of 1899, Edward's first few years were relatively happy; but after the sudden departure of his father during the lad's formative years, Ed was left with his mother and younger brother Alphonse as his only family. The three Elrics lived in peace in the rural village and the boys began displaying a remarkable talent for alchemy at a young age, much to the joyful astonishment of his mother. However, early in the year 1904, Trisha contracted an illness that had been spreading in the area and died, leaving her two sons orphaned. Even while mourning, mired in grief, Edward vowed to his brother that the two of them would find a way to bring their dear mother back to life with the power of alchemy.

Edward and Alphonse spent the next few years living on their own in the Elric family home, supported by their close childhood friend Winry Rockbell and her grandmother Pinako, and pursuing the alchemical knowledge necessary for their planned resurrection. Although they had gained a great deal of information and comprehension regarding the extended basics of the craft, before long it became apparent to the young prodigies that there was only so far they could go while being self-taught. In a stroke of good fortune, Resembool was visited by an exceptionally skilled alchemist named Izumi Curtis who, after some persuasion, agreed to take the Elric brothers on as her apprentices provided they pass a preliminary test. She brought the boys to Yock Island near the town of Dublith in the southern region, where she informed them that they were to survive for one full month without alchemy. If, at the end of their ordeal, they could correctly explain the concept "One is All and All is One", they would begin their training under her wing.

While there, the brothers discovered self-reliance and gained new abilities and insights relevant to living in the world under their own power from having to forage and hunt for food as well as fend off periodic attacks from Mason, an employee at the Curtises' butcher shop who had disguised himself as a masked wild man at Izumi's behest. Coming to realize that, as a human, he is but a small part of the world and universe as a whole, but that the world and universe cannot exist without a collective of small parts, it is Edward who answered Izumi's riddle properly when she finally returned. For the next five months, the Elric brothers were subjected to Izumi's intensive alchemy and martial arts training, growing significantly in both mind and body and gaining a great deal of alchemical knowledge before returning to Resembool. Though instructed specifically by Izumi to understand that death is an irreversible part of the flow of the world and that acceptance of such is important to the "One is All, All is One" concept, the boys dove headlong into their plan to resurrect their mother upon their homecoming, having advanced their knowledge while abroad and discovered the basics to a forbidden practice called Human Transmutation.

Devising a Human Transmutation Circle, amassing the elemental ingredients for an adult human body and offering their own blood as soul and biological data, the boys secretly initiated the Human Transmutation secretly in their home. Unfortunately, the Human Transmutation resulted in a Rebound; Alphonse and Edward were pulled into The Gate. Encountering the mysterious being called Truth, Edward was stripped of his left leg in exchange for crossing into God's domain and peeking at the Gate's vast wealth of alchemical knowledge. Maimed and bleeding, Edward was returned to the human dimension to find that Alphonse had not yet returned from his disappearance into the Gate, that the mother they had attempted to revive was a grotesque mass of organs only capable of sustaining life for a few moments and that his own sojourn into the Gate had granted him the curious ability to perform transmutations merely by clapping his hands together, without the aid of a Transmutation Circle - in the same style used by Izumi. Desperate to at least have his brother by his side, Edward willfully performed another Human Transmutation to call him back, this time sacrificing his right arm in exchange for Al's soul, which he bound alchemically to an antique suit of armor with a Blood Rune before passing out from severe blood loss. Alphonse carried Ed to the Rockbell house, where a shocked Pinako and Winry performed emergency surgery to save the young boy's life.

For some time afterward, Edward remained in a sorrowful torpor until Lt. Colonel Roy Mustang arrived in Resembool on an inaccurate tip regarding possible State Alchemist candidates. Upon discovering the bloody remains of the brothers' failed experiment, Mustang confronted Edward at the Rockbell home and persuaded him to consider joining the State Alchemist program as a means to perhaps restore his limbs and his brother's body someday. Edward, driven by the guilt of what his ambition had done to his little brother, commissioned Pinako and Winry to craft him an automail arm and leg in order for him to follow Mustang's advice. When told that the surgery would be excruciating and that recovery would take at least three years, Ed commented that the pain would be nothing compared to Alphonse's suffering and promised to finish recovery in a single year.

In the fall of 1911, his new automail limbs complete, twelve-year-old Edward ventured with Mustang to Central City to apply for his state certification. After passing the written examination and psychological evaluation, Edward astounded all the officials present - including the Führer, King Bradley himself - with his superb and unique abilities and even managed to win the Führer's favor with his brazenness. Within a week, he was issued his license and the symbolic title of "Fullmetal Alchemist". On October 3rd, Edward returned to Resembool, packed up his belongings, burned down the Elric house (claiming that, without it, he and his brother would have no means of turning back from their goal) and left home with Alphonse to find a way to restore him to normal.

Adventures in the East
Three years later, at the start of the story, Edward and Alphonse visit the eastern frontier town of Reole following a lead on what they consider their best chance at restoration - the legendary Philosopher's Stone. They infiltrate the town's newfound Church of Leto with the help of a young Letoist girl named Rosé in order to investigate the mysterious priest Cornello who claims to use divine powers to bring about miracles. Suspecting that Cornello is in possession of the Philosopher's Stone, Edward exposes him as a fraud and reveals his plan to fool the people of Reole for his own militaristic goals. Unfortunately, as Edward defeats the faux clergyman, the stone Cornello holds shatters and disintegrates. Coming to the conclusion that his stone, too, was a fake, Ed and Al set off on their next assignment, but not before informing the distraught and now spiritually perplexed Rosé that she is able to move forward even without her faith so long as she has her two strong legs and the truth.

Next, the brothers move on to the coal mining town of Youswell, where they discern that the local landowner, the corrupt Lieutenant Yoki, has been harassing taxing the villagers unjustly. With some clever trickery, Edward manages to swindle ownership of the town and mines away from Yoki and transfer it to the grateful citizens.

After thwarting a train hijacking, the boys arrive in East City, where Colonel Mustang introduces Edward to state-certified bio-alchemist Shou Tucker, whom they hope can use his expertise on chimeric alchemy to give them some insight on a different means of restoring their bodies. Unfortunately, Edward discovers that Tucker's famous past success in creating a chimera capable of human speech was the result of a human experimentation in which he sacrificed the life of his "estranged" ex-wife and that his fresh triumph was willingly gained at the cost of his young daughter Nina, to whom the boys had grown quite close.

While Edward and Alphonse suffer the grief of Nina's tragedy, they learn that Tucker and his mutilated daughter have been murdered by a mysterious assailant - the State Alchemist-targeting serial killer known only as "Scar", who then comes after Edward himself. Baffled by Scar's curious ability to alchemically destroy anything he touches with his right hand, the boys are soundly defeated, with Edward's automail arm reduced to shards of scrap and much of Alphonse's armor body being disintegrated as well. Fortunately, Mustang's forces come to Fullmetal's aid before Scar can enact his lethal brand of justice and, with the help of Major Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist, it is revealed that Scar's grudge is linked to his being an Ishvalan survivor of the Ishval Civil War. Scar flees the scene and the boys make plans to get Ed's arm rebuilt in Resembool so that he can repair Al's body without damaging the blood rune inside.

With Major Armstrong as an escort (since Edward is vulnerable to attack without his arm), the boys make their way out to the countryside, but when Armstrong recognizes an his old war colleague, medical alchemist Dr. Tim Marcoh, in a small town on the way, Edward disembarks to perhaps find the bio-alchemy information that Shou Tucker couldn't provide. Asking around town, they learn that Marcoh, who had fled the front line in Ishval has been living under an assumed name as a small-time physician, treating patients with alchemy in the years since the war. But the biggest surprise is what Edward learns from Marcoh himself - that the research he had been performing during the war, the research that had caused him to leave the military, was the development of the Philosopher's Stone. Marcoh reluctantly shows Edward the stone that he had stolen when he left the war, stating that, while incredibly powerful, it is an imperfect version of the legendary stone. Edward, filled with hope, asks to see Marcoh's research notes on the Philosopher's Stone, but even after hearing Ed's tragic story, the good doctor urges that the young alchemist not desire it, for it is truly a hellish pursuit. However, Edward's determination finally sways Marcoh, who hands Fullmetal a note describing the location of his hidden research notes along with a cryptic message: his hope that Edward's talent will lead him to "the truth behind the truth".

Edward arrives in Resembool where the Rockbells tend to his automail, Pinako adjusting his left leg to make up for the slight bit of growth since his last visit and Winry working nonstop for three days and nights to build a new and better right arm for him from scratch. Freshly repaired, Edward wastes no time fixing Al's armor body and after a day of rest and relaxation in their hometown, the alchemists set off for the location specified in Marcoh's communiqué - the first branch of the National Central Library in Central City.

Central City and Laboratory #5
Upon arriving in Central, the Major relinquishes his position as the boys' bodyguard to resume his normal duties, but appoints two of his own subordinates - 2nd Lieutenant Maria Ross and Sergeant Denny Brosh - to remain as Fullmetal's escorts since Scar is still at large. With their new guards in tow, Edward and Alphonse head to the National Central Library to find Marcoh's hidden journals, but are dismayed to find that the library's first branch and all the texts within had been completely destroyed in a suspicious fire just one day before their arrival. Edward inquires at the library's main office if they have any record of Marcoh's journals actually having been in the first branch building, but the answer is inconclusive. He is, however, referred to a woman named Sheska, who had previously worked in the first branch and has a remarkable knowledge of all the texts that were held therein. Though she confirms that Dr. Marcoh's notes had indeed been in the first branch - and, therefore, incinerated - Sheska is able to recreate the entirety of the journal word-for-word due to her photographic memory. Discovering that Marcoh had coded his sensitive research notes in the guise of a cookbook, Edward and Alphonse compensate Sheska for her help and get to work deciphering the code. After ten grueling days of poring over Marcoh's text as well as a score of alchemical reference materials in the Central Library, the boys finally decrypt the journals and come to the horrific truth alluded to by the doctor himself - that the legendary Philosopher's Stone is created from live human beings.

Having come to such a devastating dead end in their pursuit, Ed and Al are thrown into a deep despair and begin to wonder whether the time of their restoration will never come. As Edward considers asking Alphonse whether he blames him for the tragedy that befell them, the brothers are interrupted by Armstrong, Ross and Brosh, who have all become informed about the terrible developments. However, their attempts to comfort the Elrics remind Edward that Marcoh had mentioned cryptically that there had been a "truth behind the truth" and continues investigating with renewed vigor. Looking into the matter of the alchemical laboratories within the city limits, Edward discovers that the supposedly unused Fifth Laboratory is located next to the city's prison and, using the idea of the Philosopher's Stone's makeup as a base, posits that death row inmates may have been smuggled into Lab 5 to be secretly used in the stone's creation. After Armstrong informs Edward that the officer in charge of Lab 5 had been killed by Scar, cutting off their investigation choices, the brothers make plans to sneak off and investigate the facility under cover of night, without informing their bodyguards.

Arriving at the lab, they discover several points that make it clear that the "decommissioned" building is still in use and Edward opts to slip inside to get a closer look, leaving Al outside because of the prominence of his brother's size. Inside, he discovers a room built around a mysterious Transmutation Circle designed with multiple layers of alternating pentagons, and concludes that this five-point array is specifically for creating Philosopher's Stones. Before he can investigate further, however, he is attacked by a mysterious armored figure calling himself Number 48 and claiming to be charged with eliminating anyone who intrudes on Laboratory 5 in pursuit of its secrets. After Edward discovers that 48 is an "empty" suit of armor, just like Alphonse, the guard explains that he had been a serial killer called "Slicer" in his past life, before Lab 5 scientists pulled him off death row to perform experiments on his body and soul, confirming Ed's hypothesis. However, Edward runs into trouble when it turns out that the serial killer known as "Slicer" had actually been a pair of murderous brothers and that both of them inhabit the armor body, giving his opponent unexpected versatility. Badly injured and backed into a corner, Edward narrowly avoids death by adopting Scar's style of destruction alchemy, thereby immobilizing Number 48. But before he can interrogate his beaten enemy, a new mystery pair appears and destroys the Slicer brothers to keep them quiet. The newcomers, a woman and a teenager both marked with the symbol Ouroboros, refer to Edward as a precious Human Sacrifice. Threatened by their dangerous abilities and angered by their insults, Edward attempts to attack, but finds himself at a marked disadvantage when his automail arm suddenly malfunctions and ceases to move altogether. The teenager, called Envy, kicks Edward in the stomach, knocking him unconscious, and carries him outside to where Ross and Brosh have arrived as backup before the Laboratory explodes.

When Ed regains consciousness the next day, he finds himself being treated in a public clinic run by one of 2nd Lt. Ross' acquaintances. He angrily laments the fact that he was unable to conduct a more thorough investigation and Ross reprimands him despite her lower rank, insisting that he learn to trust his allies in the future. His head cleared, Edward summons Winry to Central to have her repair his arm and - after reassuring Alphonse, who had been coaxed into doubting that his memories of ever being human were genuine - discusses the revelations of the Lab 5 incident with Major Armstrong, close friend and ally Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes and the Führer, who warns them all that the trail of the Philosopher's Stone may be far too dangerous to pursue any further. Having reached the limit of their investigative license in Central City, Edward and Alphonse make plans to visit their teacher in the southern region in order to strengthen their bodies and minds as well as consult Izumi on the Philosopher's Stone, Human Transmutation and the possibility of restoring their bodies. Winry, desiring to see the famous automail community of Rush Valley on the way to Dublith, tags along.

Journey to the South
As per Winry's request, the Elrics make a stop in Rush Valley to do some sightseeing; there, they meet the pickpocket Paninya, whose weaponized automail legs drive Winry to seek out their creator, Dominic Lecoulte, dragging Ed and Al along for the trip. After helping Dominic's daughter-in-law deliver a baby in a storm, the trio leaves the Lecoulte home, with Winry deciding to stay in Rush Valley as an apprentice in an automail atelier while ED and Al continue on to Dublith.

Suprisingly, she comforts them as Ed and Al apologize, but soon reverts back to her normal self and kicks the two brothers out of her house, claiming that she is no longer their teacher. The Elrics come back and ask her for knowledge on how to revert their bodies back to normal, and so stay in Dublith for a few more days. During those few days however, they stumble across Greed and his gang and find out about creatures called Homunculi, of whom Greed himself is one. Greed wants Ed to help him become immortal using Alchemy, but Ed refuses and the two fight. Greed demonstrates the power of a Homunculus as they fight, specifically his high speed regeneration abilities and shield. Ed is overpowered by Greed at first, but eventually figures out how to break through his Shield. Izumi and her husband come to help out as well. As Greed tries to escape as the Military also show up, along with an unexpected appearance of Führer Bradley. The Führer easily defeats Greed's gang, and has to kill Greed numerous times until he stops regenerating. Greed is not dead however, as he is shown being brought to a mysterious man called Father and the other Homunculi by Bradley who is hinted to be one himself, being called "Wrath" by the others. Father melts Greed into a boiling liquid until he reverts to being a simple Philosophers Stone, knowing that the current Greed would be nothing but trouble.

After that Edward and Alphonse head to Rush Valley where Winry is currently working as an automail mechanic to fix up Ed's automail arm that had been injured during his fight with Greed. In Rush Valley they end up meeting a Xingese man called Ling and his two bodyguards, Fu and Lan Fan. The Elrics finds out that Ling is also looking fo the Philosophers Stone in order to obtain the throne of becoming the next heir to the Emporer.

Return to Central
Ling, Fu and Lan Fan soon tag along with the Elrics to Central but at one point they encounter Gluttony and Bradley who fights against Ling and Lan Fan. Lan Fan however loses one of her arms during the fight and is taken to Dr. Knox for treatment in a secret hideout. However Envy and Gluttony still show up to where Ed, Ling, Roy and the others are hiding and taking shelter. While Roy and the other escape, Ed and Ling stays behind to take on Envy and Gluttony, but is accidentally swallowed by Gluttony along with Envy and Ling. As the three of them are stuck in Gluttony's stomach Envy reveals that Gluttony is a fake Gate of Truth created by Father and concludes that the only way to get out is by going through the real gate. Using Envy's stone as the passage fee, Edward transmutes himself while Envy and Ling jump in. At the Gate, Edward sees two Gates and Al's body waiting at one of them, proving his theory that his and Al's souls are somehow connected. As Edward is pulled back into the real world, he vows to someday get Al's body back from the gate.

Gluttony who was with Alphonse brought him to Father when Ed, Ling and Envy escape out of his stomach and all end up to where Father is. They find this mysterious man called "Father" with a striking resemblance with Hohenheim their own father. They learn about how the Philosopher's Stone and the Homunculi are connected, and Ed tries to fight Father. But Father enables both Ed and Al's ability to use alchemy and is easily overpowered. Father lets the two of them go though, since they will be valuable "sacrifices" in the future but turns Ling into the new host of the Homunculus Greed. Later the Elrics are shown forced to keep working within the military who threaten to use their friends from Resembool as hostages if they reveal about the Homunculi and rebel.

The Northern Wall of Briggs
Being unable to protect them, Ed and Al go to the north of the country to make a request to its guardian, Olivier Mira Armstrong (Major Armstrong's sister) to help them look for the "Rentanjutsu girl," May Chan.

They ally with Major General Armstrong and attempt to get information out of General Raven (who is later killed by Armstrong). Because of Raven's disappearance Solf J. Kimblee is called in (along with Winry, who replaces his automail with one more suited for the northern climate) and tells Edward he has to do his job as a state alchemist. Ed is assigned three tasks - 1) search for scar, 2) search for Marcoh, and 3) "carve a bloody crest into Briggs". Edward chooses to look for Scar first with the Briggs soldiers.

Winry comes with them to look for Scar and May. Scar is seen fighting Zampano and Jerso until Ed and Al intervene. When the Briggs soldiers show up, they come up with a plan to escape from Kimblee with Winry. Edward splits up with Alphonse so Al can warn the soldiers and Winry of a trap back at the fort. In chapter 76 Edward is impaled by a metal rod after losing a fight with Kimblee and collapses (Al also blanks out in unison with Ed's wound.) Chapter 77 show him saving Kimblee's subordante Chimeras so that they can remove the rod. At the expense of cutting a short part of his life span, he heals the wound using his life energy. When the revealed homunculus Greed runs off he runs into Edward, He offers him to come join him and agrees.

The Promised Day
In Chapter 84 Ed is seen at the Rockbell house in Resembool hiding with Greed and the rest of his followers. Ed goes to Winry's room to keep watch, and Winry comes into her room and starts to undress when she is shocked to see Ed. The two scream from the shock which causes everyone to believe Ed and Winry are in danger and rushes up to her room and an annoyed Winry kicks everyone out of her room. Shortly after the incident, she fills Ed in on where Al is and what's been happening in Lior. While Ed fills her in on how Ling has become Greed, and why they were hiding out in her house. Ed, who is worried about her safety asks her to leave the country but she refuses, wanting to help Ed in anyway she can. Ed soon departs and Winry stays in Resembool for the time being.

In Chapter 85 Ed arrives to Kanama, where is Hohenheim. After a serious talk with his father, Ed finds Al being possessed by Pride, who finds them thanks to Gluttony's smell sense; from Chapter 86-88 occurs the fight against Pride and Gluttony. Ed and company take the upper hand first because Ed used transmutation to blow up the electric system. The darkness caused allowed Heinkel to attack a defenseless Pride, while the sudden return of Lan Fan, with the aid of Ling, allowed to take care of Gluttony.

However, the noise of the fight attract the villagers, which carry with them fire lanterns, where Heinkel and Pride were. The lanterns' light allowed Pride to cast shadows to attack Heinkel and to destroy the lanterns, which make a fire in the woods. The fire's light was enough for Pride counterattacks with shadows. Guided by Fu, Ed finds and helps Heinkel before Pride kills him; also, thanks to Fu and his light bombs, Ed recovers Al's armor body from Pride's control. Nevertheless, seeing how things were going, Pride eats Gluttony to improve his own abilities and gain more lives, making Pride with the upper hand in the battle.

Being informed by Fu and Heinkel about the events, Al thought a plan where Hohenheim was vita; it was then when Hohenheim came into help Ed, Greed and Lan Fan. Concerned about Hohenheim's presence and plan, Pride forgets about everyone else and centers his attention in him, just to be attack by Al for the back, something that doesn't work. Amused about "the plan" and the recovery of his hostage, Pride mocks Al, something that makes Hohenheim act according to Al' true plan: lock up Pride and Al in a huge earth dome, where total darkness make Pride's powers useless.

Although at first Ed was furious with Hohenheim for lock Al in the dome, after knowing was Al's own idea, he talks with his brother and prepares for the now starting Promised Day. In Chapter 89, Ed and the rest leaves Kanama to go to Central to the final clash in Father's lair.

In Chapter 93-94, Mustang's gang arrives at Central. While Mustang and Hawkeye meet up with Edward, the other subordinates send out a radio transmission of how the upper brass of the military is corrupted, although they say it in believable terms and do not mention the Homunculi or their real intentions. Mustang and everyone then encounters Envy who mockingly reveals he was Hughes' killer, something Mustang has been trying to find ever since Hughes died. Edward, Scar, Mei and the chimera all move on to get to Father, leaving Hawkeye and Mustang to fight Envy. Envy, realizing that Mustang could easily kill him, attempts to escape. Mustang orders Hawkeye not to come follow him and goes off after Envy, but she chooses to come anyway. Envy makes another dash for it when the angered Mustang mercilessly continues to burn him, and finds Hawkeye is searching for Mustang. He shifts into Mustang and tries to deceive her. Hawkeye however understands that it could be Envy and tricks the Homunculus by saying that Mustang never calls her "lieutenant" but Riza when the two of them are alone. Envy falls for her trap which confirms that it was indeed Envy and not Mustang. She is able to take him by shooting him repeatedly for a little while even with her injury, but Envy eventually is able to get the upper hand and ensnares her in his elongated arm. Just as he is about to kill her, Mustang blasts him from a side entry, and warns Envy that Riza is one of his dearest subordinates. He burns Envy one final time which causes the homunculus to revert back to his ugly parasitic form from before. He is only one spark away from killing Envy when Hawkeye, although injured surprisingly gets up and puts her gun to his head. She refuses to put her gun down and tries to persuade Mustang to stop, Mustang explodes at her, going into a fit of rage and refusing to give up his vengeance. Ed and Scar arrive shortly, and Ed uses his alchemy to grab Envy to stop him while Mustang then demands that Ed to give him back for him to finish Envy off.

When Edward refuses, Roy threatens to burn his arm off. Edward accepts the challenge, but asks for him to look at himself first, claiming "You think you can lead a country looking like that?!". Edward then reminds him of his goal and Mustang's temper subsides partially. Scar partially agrees with Edward that Roy couldn't lead others the way he is now, but shows no opinion if Roy does exact his revenge on Envy.

Roy then begins to scream about the time it has taken to get this far and how close he is to killing Envy "for Hughes". Riza yells back that she understands, but what he's doing right now is not helping anything, rather, it is just satisfying Mustang's need for revenge. She begs him, "Don't go where I can't follow." Roy tells her that if she was going to shoot, she should have shot, and then asks her what she would do if he were to die. She replies that she wouldn't continue living and would die with him. Roy, still somewhat aggravated, blasts a hole in the wall. Finally when it seems his anger has mostly subsided, he comments about how he cannot lose her too. He laments on his recent behavior and actions and apologizes to her for how he forced her to act. He sinks to his knees, defeated.

Envy then cuts in, mocking their apology. He antagonizes everyone, bringing up events that he hopes might bring themselves to fight amongst each other and taunting others with the things they have done. When they show no response, Envy wonders why his words aren't affecting any of them. Edward looks at him, pointing out Envy's envy of humans. Ed goes on to explain that, even though humans are weak and sometimes they fail, humans always have their friends to help them up. Whilst Homunculi don't have such a comfort. Envy frees himself of Edward and falls to the ground. Riza is about to shoot, but Scar stops her, pointing out that Envy doesn't have much time left. Envy comments on how pathetic he seems, on their "mocking nature", and how Edward, the one that he despises the most, is the only one that understands how he truly feels. He pulls out his Philosopher's stone and disintegrates, bidding Edward a tearful farewell.

In Chapter 99, Ed's group finds the Doctor Alchemist, who sends candidates for the title of Führer, but could not take the power of the Stone. They quickly over power Ed and his party. The Doctor then calls five of the Führer Dolls, having each of them stand in one of the small circle in the larger transmutation circle. This creates a very large transmutation circle all around Central and several large eyes and the Black Hands from the Gate of Truth appear around Ed, Al and Izumi. The Hands then drag the three of them down into the eyes.

Ed, Al and Izumi are then shown to have been brought to Father, who has overpowered Van Hohenheim and has attempted to steal his Philosopher's Stone. Father then announces to them that they are already dead. While Ed tries to wake up Alphonse who was unconscious at the time, Mustang and Pride suddenly teleport into Father's lair. Ed then asks how Mustang got into the lair, when Roy tells him that he went through the Gate. Upon hearing this, Ed immediately begins looking for any missing body parts, when Mustang asks why the whole room is pitch black. Ed and the others suddenly realize that Roy has in fact lost his eyesight. Shortly after this, Mei Chan somehow breaks into the lair and Al regains consciousness. With Mei Chan engaging Father in combat, Ed and Al then decide to take on Pride together, glad that they can still use alchemy to attack. When Ed and Al both attempt to strike Pride, instead of using his shadows to dodge and counterattack which he normally does, he simply jumps to dodge, which surprises them both. When Mei is critically injured by Father, Ed asks Al to help her while he takes on Pride. As they fight, Ed asks why Pride is fighting with weaker shadows than going all-out. Pride tells him not to misunderstand as he needs him alive to fulfill his role. Knowing that Pride won't kill Ed, Ed boasts that if it's going to be like that then he kill him and the others no problem. But Pride tells Edward that since he's been fighting big people, he has know idea how to fight someone smaller than him, while he uses his shadows to nearly incapacitated Ed. But to his surprise, Ed fends off Pride's shadows with his automail arm, coming close to decapitating the latter. Ed admits that he has been fighting opponents that are bigger than him, which means he knows how short people fight. Ed grabs a hold of Pride and head-butts him on the head, to which disintegrates the right eye area of his face. Edward's fight with Pride is cut short when Father assembles the five sacrifices in order to open "The World's Gate" as one can obtain enormous power. But Greed then shows up and cuts down Father for he says "The world belongs to me!". But by surprise, Father is still alive and still intends to open the gate. After the skirmish, Ed, Al, Izumi, Greed/Ling, Mei, Hohenhiem, and Roy are seen alive with Roy saying that it's quiet all of a sudden. Hearing this, Ed looks around if Father had made the people of Amestris into a Philosopher Stone, Which Father admits that he did, to Ed shock as he looks at the smoke where Father is in. He tells them that in order to contain God within himself required a massive amount of energy, which the people of this country provided. Now both they and God reside within him. And as the smoke clears, Father gains a new form that resembles the young Van Hohenhiem and goes to saying "And I have you to thank for that my friends.", Much to Ed's, everyone else's shock.

Ed, Al, Hohenhiem, Izumi, Roy, Ling/Greed, and Mei witness Father in his new form that contains "God" within him. Father thanks them for their help and goes to disposing them with a column of energy, but is stopped by Hohenhiem's power of the Philosopher stone. Father is impressed that Hohenhiem can stop his attack despite that he has nearly half a million souls within him, but tells the latter that his true enemy is time. He then goes to destroying the floor that Ed and the others are standing in. Fortunately, Mei saves them with her Xing Alchemy as she states "The more power there is in the ground, the more I have at my disposal." Father resorts to creating a sun in his hand to finish them off, but suddenly feels a sudden pull from his body. Hohenhiem explains to Father that the souls of Amestris do not belong to him yet and that he planted each of the stones within the earth's soil in order to begin their counterattack on Father. With the Reversal Nationwide Transmutation Circle completed, Ed, Al, Izumi, and everyone else have finally regained their alchemy, with Ed proclaiming that their counterattack begin.

Hohenhiem encourages everyone to keep fighting as "every tiny fraction of the stone's power used to fight them pushes him closer to breaking point", although he isn't sure how much it will take. But as the rest of the party pursues Father upward as he harvests more stones, Pride restrains Edward with the intent to steal his body, as his own "container" is on the verge of destruction. Ed asks why does the homunculus follow Father in the first place, and Pride responds, "What child doesn't listen to what his parent tells him." Ed tells him that Father doesn't care what happens to him, and that Greed is more of an evolved human than a homunculus. Pride continues to try to overtake Ed's body until Kimblee's soul intervenes. Ed takes this opportunity and turns himself into a Philosopher's stone, invading Pride and destroying his "container" body, reducing him to his true, fetus-like form. He then places Pride's true form on his coat and follows the others up to Father, just in time to be hit with the full force of his attack.

2003 anime series
The end of the anime series is very different from the Manga. Ed finds out that a person named Dante has been controlling the homunculus. Dante had captured Al and Rose planning on using Al to transfer her soul into Rose's body. Edward arrives in an abandon city and finds Rose and Dante in a ballroom. Dante sends Ed to the other side of the gate, thinking that now he can't interfere. Ed wakes up in London, durning a WWI air raid. Hohenheim meets him there, explaining that this was the other side of the gate and that he was using the body of a person that is identical to him. Hohenheim leaves Edward to fend for himself, Ed tries to figure-out how to get by to his body when a blimp crashes on him, killing this world's Edward. Edward comes out of the gate, realizing that the person he was possessing died. Al is in the middle of a large transmutation circle and Rose is controlled by Dante. Envy and Ed fight, Envy changing his appearance to people that Edward knows. Envy's changes don't affect Ed until he shows his real identity, he is the failed attempt to resurrect Hohenheim's first son. Edward is killed by Envy, Al uses the power of the Philosopher's Stone (contained within himself) to heal Ed's body and to reattach his soul. The revival, however, uses up the all of the Stone's (Al's own body) power. Al appears briefly at the gate and then disappears. After being revived, Ed discovers that he had regained his arm and leg, but decides to risk everything to bring back his brother. He then pulled Alphonse's soul and original body out of the Gate and reassembled them in exchange for his own life if necessary. As a result, Ed ends up on the other side of the gate, which is our world. He is living in Pre World War II Munich with Hohenheim. Hohenheim appeared to have been in London for some time, despite a relatively short passage of time between his being sent there by Dante in the anime, and Edward's arrival there.

Hohenheim later offers the theory that the bonds formed in the four years the brothers spent on their quest for the stone served as the equivalent exchange in the transmutation (rather than Ed's life, as he intended). Hohenheim also said, in an earlier episode, that one way for the Elrics to reclaim what they lost is to give up what they had gained. The death of Sloth, the Homunculus born when they attempted to transmute their mother, had given back a portion of what they had gained. In Al's case, he loses all the memories he had of the time he spent in his armored form and reverted to exactly how he was, body and all, before the failed transmutation of their mother. Ed, on the other hand, could not keep his arm and leg because he gave them up in exchange for the soul of Alphonse.

Edward leaves to do research on rocket science, believing that outer space could lead him back to the Gate, since our world nullified his alchemic powers.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa
Two years have passed since Edward arrived in Munich, Germany. He has grown noticeably taller and for a while, he lived with Hohenheim who equipped him with prostetics based off automail technology. He later meets and lives with a young man named Alfons Heiderich, who resembles his brother Al, for research in rocket fuel. Befriending a young woman named Noa, Ed found himself embroiled in a conspiracy by the Thule Society, bent on invading his own home world. Reunited with Alphonse and Winry once again, he is equipped with new automail and with Alphonse managed to defeat the Thule society but Edward had to cross the portal again to close it from the other side, saying good bye to Al and Roy. After crossing the portal, Ed found Noa holding Alfons' dead body, now finding out that Al had managed to hide himself in a suit of armor almost identical to the one he was trapped in the anime. After Alfonse's funeral Ed and Al decide to find the atomic bomb and dismantle it.

Trivia

 * Though automail has its advantages, Ed is fully aware of its disadvantages as well. When there is a severe change in the barometric pressure, the joints of his left leg and right arm begin to ache.
 * As an avid traveler, Edward codes his own alchemy research notes in the guise of a travelogue. They are so well coded that not even his brother Alphonse can decipher them.
 * Edward greatly dislikes milk, either for its taste, the fact that it is "an opaque, white liquid secreted by a cow" or both. He does, however, greatly enjoy stew and marvels that something comprised mainly of milk can taste so good. It is often joked about in both the manga and the anime the reason he is so short is because he refuses to drink milk. Incidentally, Hiromu Arakawa grew up on a dairy farm as a child.
 * In the 2003 anime, it appears that Edward also has a fear of needles.
 * Though Edward is ambidextrous in combat, he writes with his left hand, likely due to the fact that his right is artificial.
 * As a State Alchemist, Edward Elric technically holds the rank of "Major".
 * In the 2003 anime, although it is understandable that Edward loses his right arm again after transmuting himself to revive Alphonse, as it was originally used to get Alphonse's soul back, for some unexplained reason, Edward also loses his left leg again, even though Alphonse regained his body and both where used in their attempt to resurrect their mother.
 * As Van Hohenheim greatly resembled Edward in his youth, it is likely that Edward will grow up to resemble his father. Indeed, as the series progresses, some of Edward's facial features (his nose and chin) begin to take on characteristics similar to his father's as he matures.
 * Though Arakawa has admitted to not having read any of the books in Michael Moorcock's "Elric saga", she has stated that Edward's surname takes these books as their origin. Incidentally, she has also admitted that his given name was inspired by the film Edward Scissorhands, one of her favorite movies.
 * Although Edward is constantly considered short, he has in fact growing taller throughout the progression of the manga series. This is shown when he meets up with Winry, after he allied himself with Greed/Ling: he is shown to be a few inches taller than she is, where as at the beginning of the series he was several inches shorter than her.
 * In the volume 2 extras of the manga, Ed is asked how tall he really was. He replied that he was 165 cm (about 5'5") tall. However, this height also included his elevator shoes and antenna, his true height at the time was 149 cm (about 4'11"). By chapter 84, he is shown to be slightly taller than Winry, implying that he has finally attained his 165 cm stature.
 * In the 2003 anime, Edward has a connection to most of the Homunculi:
 * Envy is his half-brother, the child of Dante and Hohenheim of Light.
 * Wrath is the unborn child of his teacher, Izumi Curtis, and is also in possesion of his missing right arm and left leg.
 * Pride is the Führer of the military, Edward's superior officer.
 * Sloth is in the image of his late mother, Trisha Elric.
 * In the manga/2009 anime, Edward is - as a direct descendant of Van Hohenheim - close blood kin to Father and all the seven Homunculi. Additionally, Arakawa has jokingly confirmed that, in the manga, Edward is technically uncle to the seven Homunculi, as he relates to them by blood.

Reception
Vic Mignogna, who does the voice acting for Edward in the English dub was the winner in American Anime Awards in the category "Best Actor" for voicing Edward. He has stated that performing Edward may be his biggest voice acting achievement since fans do not compare him with Romi Park, the seiyū for the character. Due to his popularity, Edward won the Twenty-sixth Annual Animage Readers' Poll in the "Favorite Male Character" category as well as his seiyū, Romi Park, in the "Favorite Seiyu" category for her acting as Edward. Several pieces of merchandise have been released in Edward's likeness, including plush toys, action figures, and key-chains.

Several publications for manga, anime, and other pop culture media have provided both praise and criticism on Edward's character. IGN praises Edward as the perfect balance between the typical clever kid and the stubborn kid persona, explaining that this allows the character to float between comical moments and underlying drama without seeming false, something they comment that most manga fail to do. Anime News Network praises Edward's facial expressions to as one of the most humorous highlights of the series, including also the moments in which he reacts quite violently to comments about his small stature. They also praise him for not being a stereotypical shōnen character as it is noted that he has very real skills, relationships, and personality. T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews comments that the interaction between the Elric brothers as they travel is interesting, since humor is quite frequent rather than the constant grimness of many series.