Zolf J. Kimbley

In the 2003 anime series, Kimbley is first seen in a cameo as one of the State Alchemists during the Ishval Civil War in Dr. Tim Marcoh's story. Kimbley isn't properly introduced until a few episodes later, where he is in prison, serving his time for the war crimes he committed in Ishval. Along with other prisoners, he is sent by Envy, disguised as Basque Grand, to Lab 5, where he would be a human sacrifice for the Philosopher's Stone being created by Edward at the same time. However, Kimbley escapes death by exploding one of the inmates who believes that his alchemic skills are a hoax. While leaving the facility, he meets Greed, also escaping, and his newly formed Chimera gang. Having few options, Kimbley joins.

After the Elric brothers return from Yock Island, Kimbley helps Greed by assisting, along with Bido, in trying to capture the homunculus Wrath from Military headquarters. While there he personally meets Frank Archer who is impressed with him and points out that he could help Kimbley get back into the military if he wishes to. After they fail, he helps Greed in kidnapping Alphonse. Shortly afterward, Kimbley betrays Greed by sending an army unit (as well as Lust and Gluttony) into the hideout, where they kill most of Greed's gang. In doing so, Kimbley is recruited back into the military under Archer's command.

Kimbley, having been promoted to Lt. Colonel, later travels with Archer, Mustang and their men to Reole, where they attempt to find Scar, though Mustang is disgusted that Kimbley is back in the military. There, Kimbley is confronted by Martel, the only surviving member of Greed's gang. Enraged, she attacks Kimbley, only to be nearly killed. She is saved by Alphonse who injures Kimbley's arm in the process due to Al's strategy of using Kimbley's own alchemy against him. This only earns the armored boy Kimbley's wrath that makes the Crimson Alchemist swear he'll get revenge by turning Alphonse into a bomb next time they meet. Hours later, Kimbley is employed by Bradley to go into Reole to stir an uprising with the help of Shou Tucker's chimeras as part of his plan to ensure that the military wouldn't be blamed for any wrongdoing in the destruction of Reole, along with the command to secretly assassinate Edward to aid their cause. During this attack, he confronts Scar, which Kimbley was responsible for his facial scar and the death of Scar's brother during the Ishval rebellion (Kimbley initially didn't remember him, until he recognized that scar as his handiwork). Kimbley fights Scar, but is killed when the vengeful Ishvalan punched out his heart. Bleeding to death, his last act is to turn Alphonse into a bomb to exact his revenge, by designing to explode after a slow chemical reaction in order to give Alphonse "time to think about his death, and reflect on how meaningless his efforts have been", all while sadistically mocking Scar for his nobility.

Scar, along with Lust's assistance, would later use Kimbley's body to draw the military forces into Reole, allowing him to turn them into Philosopher's Stone ingredients in the end.