Top 10 Coolest Things About Alphonse Elric

Alphonse Elric is a central character in both ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ and ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.’ After a failed magical ritual, his soul is trapped inside a suit of armor. He journeys with his brother, Edward, throughout the country of Amestris, seeking a way to reverse what happened. Throughout their travels, Alphonse proves himself to be skilled, thoughtful, and a strong strategist.

He’s not just impressive because of his unique armor. What truly sets him apart is his ability to turn any challenge into an advantage. He skillfully combines his formal training in alchemy and martial arts with his sharp, on-the-spot thinking. Whether it’s performing alchemy without needing traditional circles or using advanced alkahestry in combat, he consistently proves his practical skills, driving the story forward and cleverly defeating enemies in both ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ and ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’.

The Blood Seal and Armor Body

Alphonse’s life force is bound to his metal body by a special mark created with blood. This mark keeps his mind connected to the armor. When the armor is damaged, his connection weakens, as seen when he fights. This is why Alphonse doesn’t need to eat or sleep, doesn’t feel pain, and can keep fighting even when seriously damaged – injuries that would stop a normal person.

In both versions of ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’, the weakness of Edward’s automail armor is a key part of the plot. Edward is constantly repairing and strengthening it, and Alphonse fights in ways that keep the armor’s vulnerable spot safe, like shielding the inside during battles. Because the armor is hollow but still functions perfectly, it also allows for clever tricks, such as hiding small objects or creatures inside.

Transmutation Without Circles

Following his experience with “Truth” after the failed attempt at human transmutation, Alphonse, similar to his brother Edward, can use alchemy by simply clapping his hands. This allows him to visualize and complete the necessary alchemical circles in his mind, removing the need to physically draw them. This ability lets him quickly alter the environment, build defenses, or disarm enemies – especially useful in situations where drawing a traditional circle isn’t possible.

Throughout the fast-paced battles in ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’, he consistently uses this skill. By clapping, he can quickly create walls of earth to protect people, trap enemies with stone, and build structures even on rough terrain. His ability to perform these precise transformations rapidly is key to how the Elric brothers manage to think on their feet and overcome challenges.

Izumi Curtis’s Training and Hand-to-Hand Technique

Before the main story begins, Alphonse undergoes rigorous training with Izumi Curtis. Her training combines survival skills with practical alchemy and basic fighting techniques. This helps him learn to anticipate opponents’ moves, control the space between them, and use technique instead of just strength – abilities that are even more powerful because of his strong metal body.

Alphonse frequently combines wrestling moves, joint locks, and throws with his ability to instantly change matter. As seen in ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’, he uses a solid base and redirects his opponents’ weight, then manipulates the ground itself – hardening it or reshaping it – to throw them off balance or trap them. This combination of fighting skill and environmental control transforms simple fights into carefully managed encounters where he has the upper hand.

Field Ethics: Refusal to Use Tainted Philosopher’s Stones

In both versions of ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’, Alphonse researches Philosopher’s Stones and discovers they’re made using human lives. He gathers this information through his investigation of Laboratory 5, confirming it with accounts from people who survived or worked there. Even though a Stone could potentially restore his body, he refuses to use them because of how they are created.

This core belief directly impacts the choices the Elric brothers make throughout their journey. They carefully consider options – like deeper investigation, collaboration with figures such as Dr. Marcoh, and using peaceful methods – to avoid solutions that require widespread loss of life. This principle guides their approach, leading them to take more challenging and time-consuming paths while remaining true to their understanding of how Philosopher’s Stones are created.

Strategic Partnership With Edward

Alphonse and Edward work well together, combining their individual skills to achieve success. Edward’s powerful attacks and prosthetic limbs complement Alphonse’s strong defenses and strategic positioning. This allows them to use tactics like creating overlapping barriers, quickly changing their approach, and flanking opponents. They also share information during battles, adapting their strategy as they learn more about what their enemies can do.

Throughout ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’, Alphonse and Edward work together seamlessly, whether it’s protecting people on the streets or during large-scale battles. Alphonse usually takes on a defensive role – protecting citizens, reinforcing buildings, or diverting attacks – while Edward takes advantage of the opportunities Al creates by controlling the battlefield. This creates a consistent pattern: they assess the situation, secure the area, and then quickly eliminate the threat while keeping damage to a minimum.

Durability, Limitations, and Maintenance

Alphonse’s armor protects him from cuts, bullets, and strong blows, allowing him to safely take on dangerous frontline combat roles. Even if he loses arms or his helmet, he can keep fighting as long as his internal blood seal holds. This durability lets him help others, move injured teammates, or finish tasks even when enemies think he’s defeated.

Following Al’s journey, it’s clear his automail isn’t just a strength, but something he constantly works with. Because he can’t *feel* through the metal, he has to carefully check everything with his eyes – making sure tools are right and seals are tight. Plus, he makes noise when he walks and has to be mindful of how much he weighs on delicate floors. And let’s be real, he needs regular repairs, usually handled by Edward or other skilled mechanics. What’s really impressive is how he plans ahead – we see him setting aside time for maintenance and always carrying backups, like extra plates or makeshift parts. It just shows how dedicated he is to keeping his automail functioning perfectly when it really counts.

Key Role Against the Homunculi

Alphonse plays a key role in several crucial battles against the homunculi. He carefully analyzes their weaknesses, particularly how they regenerate, and then develops ways to trap them. He often uses combinations of barriers and isolating techniques to limit their movement and vision. For example, during fights with Pride and other enemies in ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’, he quickly changes the battlefield and creates sealed spaces to counter their shadow attacks and block their vision.

He cleverly includes support roles in his strategies, working with various allies like chimeras, State Alchemists, and even civilians who act as lookouts or distractions. During battles, he constantly analyzes how his creations withstand attacks from the homunculi, quickly improving his designs – swapping fragile materials for stronger ones, for instance – until he can successfully contain his target long enough to extract or capture them.

Temporary Use—and Careful Return—of a Philosopher’s Stone

Despite generally opposing the use of Philosopher’s Stones, Alphonse briefly uses one in ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’ to help his friends during a tough battle and turn the tide. He strengthens his defenses and quickly fixes damaged armor with the Stone’s power, but gives it up as soon as the danger passes.

The order of his actions is important because it demonstrates how he carefully limits the use of this exception. He only employs it when civilian lives are at immediate risk or the mission is about to fail, and even then, only as a temporary solution until a better option is available. He then meticulously records the outcomes – what the tool achieved and any potential problems it caused – to prevent it from becoming a standard practice in future operations.

Alkahestry Studies and Cross-Disciplinary Application

Alphonse studies alkahestry with experts from Xing, a practice different from Amestrian alchemy. He discovers that alkahestry focuses on manipulating energy for long-distance transformations and healing, and he adapts these techniques to improve his tracking, medical diagnoses, and fine-tuning of objects – tasks that would be difficult using traditional alchemy.

In ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’, this research helps the team gather better intelligence and provide crucial support. He uses techniques inspired by alkahestry to create maps of underground areas, identify magical signatures, and find safe paths around dangers. This extra training gives the team more options than just relying on force, which is especially useful when they need to conserve resources or be discreet.

Documented Compassion Toward Victims and Testimonies

Alphonse investigates cases involving unusual beings, former prisoners, and ordinary people, carefully gathering their stories to understand the truth. He speaks with those involved, collects evidence from places like Laboratory 5, and compares different accounts to reach solid conclusions. This approach helps him reveal how people were forced into harmful experiments that created Philosopher’s Stones, and also allows him to find and safeguard witnesses who need protection or a fresh start.

He provides useful insights in both versions of ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ that directly impact the story’s direction. By identifying who is truly responsible versus those who are being forced to help, he focuses efforts on stopping the flow of resources and protecting people with valuable knowledge. This ultimately helps the Elric brothers achieve their goals much faster.

Tell us about your most loved scenes with Alphonse Elric from either ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ or ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’ in the comments below!

2025-10-09 09:21