Last reviewed on 2026-05-02
Edward Elric
Fullmetal AlchemistThe hot-tempered, short-statured State Alchemist who sacrificed his arm and leg to save his brother's soul. Edward's automail prosthetics and refusal to forgive himself for Alphonse's condition drive his relentless pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone. His clap-based alchemy without a circle marks him as a genius whose determination outpaces his years.
Alphonse Elric
Soul Bound to ArmorEd's gentle younger brother, whose entire body was lost in the failed human transmutation — leaving only his soul, bound to a suit of armor. Al's calm wisdom and enormous empathy contrast with Ed's temper, making them an ideal pair. His philosophical grappling with what it means to be alive — without a physical body — is one of the series' most touching threads.
Roy Mustang
Flame AlchemistThe suave, ambitious Colonel whose fire alchemy and calculated political maneuvering make him one of the military's most formidable officers. Mustang's goal of ascending to Fuhrer to reform Amestris from within hides the guilt of his role in the Ishval Civil War. His relationship with Lieutenant Hawkeye is the series' most emotionally complex partnership.
Winry Rockbell
Automail MechanicThe skilled automail engineer who maintains Ed's mechanical limbs — and the childhood friend whose parents were killed in Ishval by Mustang. Winry's strength in forgiving Roy despite this loss is one of the series' most powerful moments. Her role as the Elric brothers' emotional anchor grounds the show's heaviest themes in genuine human warmth.
Riza Hawkeye
Roy's Loyal LieutenantThe deadly sharpshooter and Mustang's most trusted subordinate — a woman whose competence and composure make her one of anime's greatest supporting characters. Hawkeye carries the flame alchemy secrets tattooed on her back and has sworn to both protect Mustang and kill him should he stray from his path. Her quiet devotion is as powerful as any flashy ability.
Father
The Original HomunculusThe ancient being born from Van Hohenheim's blood — the dwarf in the flask who engineered Amestris itself as a giant transmutation circle to absorb God. Father's cold logic, his seven Homunculus "sins," and his pursuit of divine power make him one of anime's most chilling final antagonists. His eventual defeat — stripped of his stolen power — is cathartic on an almost mythological scale.
Envy
Homunculus of JealousyThe shapeshifting Homunculus who sparked the Ishval Civil War and revels in humanity's suffering. Envy's reveal — that they secretly envy humans for their genuine emotions — and their subsequent breakdown is one of FMA:B's most surprising character moments. The fact that Edward shows them pity rather than revenge makes Envy's end both satisfying and unexpectedly moving.
Greed (Ling Yao)
Homunculus / Xing PrinceThe Homunculus of Avarice who merges with Xing's Ling Yao — creating the series' most charismatic duo. Greed's desire for "everything" slowly reveals itself as a desire for genuine companionship. His ultimate sacrifice — giving up all he has for the people he claimed to use — is one of FMA:B's most emotional moments, made more powerful by his casual declaration that he got everything he wanted.
Scar
Ishvalan AvengerThe unnamed Ishvalan monk who hunts State Alchemists in vengeance for the genocide of his people — wielding his brother's arm, which can deconstruct and reconstruct matter. Scar's arc from one-dimensional villain to tragic hero, and eventually to key ally, is FMA:B's most compelling redemption. His journey forces the series to confront the imperial violence at its world's foundation.
Van Hohenheim
Immortal AlchemistThe Elric brothers' absent father — a former slave from Xerxes who became immortal when Father used him as a vessel. Hohenheim's millennia of guilt over the lives absorbed into his stone, his plan to counter Father, and his final reconciliation with his sons give FMA:B its most quietly devastating emotional arc. His last act — dying peacefully before Trisha's grave — remains one of anime's most affecting endings.
About Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (2009) is an anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's manga, widely considered one of the greatest anime series ever made. Unlike the 2003 adaptation, Brotherhood follows the manga faithfully through its complete narrative.
The series is celebrated for its perfect balance of action, world-building, humor, and emotional weight — and for featuring one of anime's most satisfying endings, where every plot thread resolves with purpose. Its exploration of equivalent exchange as both alchemic law and life philosophy gives the story a thematic coherence rarely achieved in long-form anime.
FMA is the cleanest example of a franchise where adaptation order genuinely matters: the 2003 anime and Brotherhood are different stories with different endings. The watch order guide walks through which to pick first and why.