State Military characters of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga

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This page is exclusively for the State Military characters appearing in the Fullmetal Alchemist manga; for those that appeared in the anime, see State Military characters of the Fullmetal Alchemist anime

In the fictional country of Amestris, the Führer (the governing leader with the official title of President) has command of both the country and the military. Since Edward Elric is a member of the Amestris Military, the army and its personnel play a very pivital role in Hiromu Arakawa’s anime and manga series Fullmetal Alchemist. The various members of the State Military provide the lens through which the story and plot are advanced, and also provide insight to both the Ishbal War and the Lior War. The Ishbal War, in particular, serves as a defining moment for many of the State Military characters, as most of the members that have since been introduced were involved heavily in the conflict.

Amerstris’s military is very large, and is split into several military units; these include mechanized forces, infantry, mechanized infantry, armored units, special forces units, intelligence detachments, judicial branches, research organizations, military police and so forth. All alchemists that work for the military are referred to as "State Alchemists" (or less commonly, "National Alchemists"), and obtain titles based on their alchemic talents and abilities. All State Alchemists in Amestris are admitted into the military with the rank of Major and can be promoted from there. All members of the State Military can be placed into one of these categories, and each character’s background and role in the army helps to advance the story by providing insight and expertise to the Elric brothers as they search for the Philosopher's Stone.

Doctor Tim Marcoh, Jack Crowley, Lincor, Cravis Fagott and Shou Tucker are all considered former State Alchemists. Additionally, several of the chimeras that were held in the 5th Laboratory before it was stormed and secured were members of Amestris’ State Military or of the Military's Special Forces before becoming chimeras. Also, while Führer King Bradley is a member of the State Military, he's more than what he appears. Lastly, although Edward Elric is a ranking member of the State Military, he is also the series’ main character. All of these characters are not described in this section. It is also notable that Mustang and his subordinates are named after World War II era fighter planes. Due to irregularities in translations some names may have multiple spellings.

Contents 1 Military Ranks 1.1 Commissioned Officers 1.2 Enlisted Soldiers 2 Roy Mustang 3 Mäes Hughes 4 Riza Hawkeye 5 Jean Havoc 6 Heymans Breda 7 Alex Louis Armstrong 8 Vato Falman 9 Kain Fuery 10 Basque Grand 11 Yoki 12 Maria Ross 13 Denny Brosh 14 Sheska 15 Zolf J. Kimblee 15.1 Trivia 16 Grumman 17 Joliot Comanche 18 Storch 19 Fessler 20 Raven 21 Olivier Mila Armstrong 22 Buccaneer 23 Miles 24 Henry Douglas 25 Bermouth 26 Yakovlev 27 Focker 28 Black Hayate 29 Miscellaneous 30 Notes 31 External links

[edit] Military Ranks

Military ranks in Amestris, from highest to lowest. The commissioned officer rank structure is nearly identical to that of the United States Army, except that the Amestris military does not ostensibly have the rank of Captain between First Lieutenant and Major. These ranks are what the characters have for the majority of the manga.

NOTE: Only the manga series show the rank of captain.

[edit] Commissioned Officers

Rank	Badge	Known Characters
Commander-in-Chief (Führer) (大総統 - daisoutou)		King Bradley
General (大将 - taishou)		Raven
Lieutenant General (中将 - chuujou)		Grumman
Major General (少将 - shoushou)		Hakuro, Olivier Mila Armstrong
Brigadier General (准将 - junshou)		Basque Grand, Fessler
Colonel (大佐 - taisa)		Roy Mustang, Henry Douglas
Lieutenant Colonel (中佐 - chuusa)		Mäes Hughes[1]
Major (少佐 - shousa)		Alex Louis Armstrong, Edward Elric, Tim Marcoh[2], Zolf J. Kimblee[3], Miles
First Lieutenant (中尉 - chuu'i)		Riza Hawkeye, Yoki[4]
Second Lieutenant (少尉 - shou'i)		Heymans Breda, Jean Havoc, Maria Ross, Bermouth

[edit] Enlisted Soldiers

Rank	Badge	Known Characters
Warrant Officer (准尉 - jun'i)		Vato Falman
Master Sergeant (曹長 - souchou)		Kain Fuery
Sergeant (軍曹 - gunsou)		Denny Brosh
Corporal (兵長 - heichou)
Private (一等兵 - ittouhei)		Sheska
Military Police (憲兵 - kenpei)

[edit] Roy Mustang

Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, is the man who first recognized the Elric brothers' talent and recruits Edward Elric to become a State Alchemist. He first appears in Chapter 4: Battle on the Train. The anime followed much of Roy's role in the manga during the early storyline. However, as the anime diverges from the original story, Roy's role and much of his background also differed.

Roy tries to investigate Hughes' death in secret despite the military closing the case after convicting Maria Ross. Trusting in Ross' innocence, and with the help of Barry the Chopper, Mustang uses his alchemy skills to fake Ross' death and engineer her escape from Amestris. After discovering that King Bradley is a Homunculus, he tries to expose him to the top echelons of the military, only to discover that they know his true nature but continue to support him. This move costs Mustang and deprives him of his subordinates - King Bradley places Riza Hawkeye under his command and authorizes the transfer of Mustang’s remaining personnel to the far reaches of Amestris.

In chapter 58 (Padding footsteps of destruction), Roy is said to have learned his elementary alchemy from Riza's father. In a flashback conversation, we are told Roy became a State Alchemist in order to help the common people, despite the objection of his shishou (teacher). Upon hearing Roy's wanting of power, Roy's teacher states that he would pass his greatest and most powerful alchemy to Roy if he shall use it as a good course. However, before any further explanation, Roy's teacher choked with blood and only managed to state that he had passed all his secrets on to his daughter, and asked of Roy to look after her. It is later revealed that the strange markings seen on Hawkeye's back were the method chosen by her father to pass his secrets on.

The more recent chapters depict Roy's active role in the Ishbal War. Like fellow State Alchemists, he was sent to raze a complete area where Amestris was losing, using his flame alchemy. Later, he was seen with Hughes discussing the State's involvement in the War, before getting ambushed by an injured Ishbalan. They were saved by a sniper, later revealed to be none other than Riza Hawkeye.

In chapter 61, in the continuing flashback of the Ishabal war, Mustang discovers that while he thought he was alone in the war, simply murdering people, he was saving the lives of the men in his unit. This new idea appears to spur him into making an attempt to become the Fuhrer, which he explains to Hughes at the end of the war. He then surrounds himself with people he knows he can trust; Hughes, Fuery, Falman, Havoc, Breda, and lastly Hawkeye. He orders Hawkeye to watch his back, and that if he ever strayed from the path of wanting to help people, of wanting to change the government, it was her role to shoot him.

In chapter 62, Roy compares his struggle against the Fuhrer to a chess game, and says that his knight, pawn, rook, bishop and queen have been taken away, obviously referring to the fact that his trusted subordinates have been stationed elsewhere. In this analogy, logically, Roy must be the king piece, also given that his name in French means "king". However, it is unclear whether Arakawa intended for each chess piece to correspond with one of Roy's removed subordinates, or if she had referred to all the pieces in chess, being Roy's subordinates in general, being taken away collectively.

Also in the same chapter, it is revealed that his playboy tactics used in order to cover his true intentions were inherited from Hawkeye's grandfather, General Grumman. This is an interesting follow up to Mustang's note of gratitude towards Grumman "I have learned a lot from you" before he left Eastern Headquarters. In chapter 62, when Roy visits "Madame Christmas", he mentions that "Elizabeth-chan has been taken by another man". While it has not been confirmed, this may be his way of referring to Hawkeye's being restationed, as her codename in chapter 37 was "Elizabeth" and she has recently been assigned to the Fuhrer as his personal aide. This subsequently leads to a contact between Mustang and General Grumman, who had left a hidden message inside the queen piece of the chess set he gave Mustang upon the latter's transfer to Central should Mustang need his help.

[edit] Mäes Hughes

Lieutenant Colonel Mäes Hughes was a member of the Investigations Division and was good friends with Colonel Mustang. He is a devoted family man who constantly brags about his wife Gracia and is absolutely besotted with his little daughter Elysia. He comically shoved pictures of Elysia into other people's faces to their annoyance - but it was clear that his goofy behavior was usually a cover for the serious and depressing nature of his work. Another common gag involved Hughes calling Mustang to either gloat about his daughter or advise Roy to get a wife, promptly causing Roy to slam the phone down in anger.

In the original manga, Hughes fought in the Ishbal war— not as an alchemist, but as a soldier. While not an alchemist, Hughes was an expert in knife throwing, and carried two or four small push knives in both or either of his sleeves or in the back of his belt, which he used as protection in battle.

He had known Mustang since their days at the military academy, when they had both been idealistic as to what the future would hold. Their values changed with the war and they became critical of where the future of their country was heading toward. During this time, he introduced Mustang to a nameless sniper who had been protecting their people. She turned out to be a young Riza Hawkeye, whom Mustang recalled as the daughter of his alchemy teacher.

Years later, he married Gracia (whom he had known before the war began) and supported of Mustang's plan to become Führer, doing whatever he could by "working below him and help push him to the top." After the incident in the military's 5th Laboratory, Edward shows Hughes some drawings of what he saw in there. Upon further research, Hughes realizes that the military is making a huge transmutation circle around the country. He is confronted by Lust, but manages to escape with only a flesh wound by throwing a knife into Lust's forehead. Hughes tries to phone Mustang with the crucial information, but is killed by Envy before he could talk to Mustang.

He is promoted to Brigadier General posthumously and buried with full honours for dying in the line of duty. His death came as a shock to his friends and family, especially Sheska and Mustang.

Last Words: Hey, hey, give me a break. I've got a wife and kid waiting for me at home ... I can't afford to die yet!

[edit] Riza Hawkeye

First appearing in Chapter 4: Battle on the Train of Vol. 1, Riza Hawkeye is introduced as a First Lieutenant of the Eastern Headquarters, before being hand-picked by Mustang to join him at Central. She is the most trusted in Mustang's circle of friends and his right-hand woman. Hawkeye serves as Mustang's voice of reason, remaining cool and collected in sticky situations, constantly looking out for Mustang's well being, but also occasionally scolding him for his good-natured posturing and arrogance. She is a crack shot with a sniper's aim (Havoc referred to it as 'the eyes of a hawk' in Chapter 37: The Criminal's Body of the manga), and usually carries two pistols with her at all times. However, although her dog training method is still an example of her no-nonsense ways, Riza's softer and compassionate side is shown through her care for her dog, Black Hayate, as well as through her devotion (possibly love) to Roy Mustang. She also appears to have a soft spot for the Elric Brothers.

Her minor role has become more prominent as the story develops, as she works alongside Mustang in capturing Barry the Chopper and the homunculus Gluttony. There have also been more scenarios in which we are able to see her emotional side. In particular, when Lust tells her that Mustang is dead (Chapter 39: Intricacies of Central, vol. 10), Riza loses control and empties three handgun clips (about 20 rounds) into the homunculus.

After Roy tried to unsuccessfully turn the military's top brass against King Bradley, she was reassigned to Central Headquarters as the Führer's personal assistant. It is very likely that she was given this assignment as a hostage to keep Mustang in line.

In Chapter 57 (Scars of Ishbal), Riza was revealed to have a strange marking on her back after taking a shower, similar to the transmutation circle on Mustang's gloves, which is partially distorted by a large burn. Upon enlarging the image, the latin 'Libera me' and 'Domine' (meaning 'free me' and 'master' or 'lord' respectively) can be seen in the top row. These are the beginning words of the last part of a standard structure requiem, thus putting forward the theory that the words inscribed is in fact the standard lyrics of a Requiem (see the lyrics here).

In the flashback in Chapter 58: Padding Footsteps of Destruction, Riza is revealed to be the daughter of Roy's alchemy teacher. It is stated that her father has passed on to her the secrets of his most powerful alchemy. As such (revealed in chapter 60), this is what is on Riza's back: a marking encoded in a way that can't be understood by ordinary alchemists. It has been recorded on Riza's back to escape anyone who may take away her father's research after his death. However, as Hawkeye asked Mustang if she could "trust her back" to him, it is implied that permission was given to Roy to uncode her father's alchemy secrets.

Chapter 59 depicts Riza in the Ishbal War, and her reintroduction to Roy as a military member. As a sniper, she saved Roy Mustang and Maes Hughes from an ambush by an Ishabalan. It has also been recently revealed that the disfiguring burn on her back was given to her, at her own request, by Roy Mustang, in order to destroy her father's very dangerous research. Though Roy got an extremely concerned face and he told her he couldn't, she begged for him to continue so that the research would not give birth to a new Flame Alchemist. Hawkeye also told the colonel that it was so she could become Riza Hawkeye as an individual.

In recent chapters, Riza is restatationed as Bradley's assistant in Central as a hostage to keep Mustang in line. Her latest appearance, in chapter 62, shows a brief departing conversation with Mustang.

It is possible that her surname comes from the fighter plane E-2B Hawkeye. Although it did not play a role in the World War, it was manufactured by the Grumman Corporation, which also explains the cameo of her grandfather's surname.

[edit] Jean Havoc

Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc likes to smoke, and is almost always pictured with a cigarette in his mouth. He is a fair shot with a gun, and one of Roy Mustang's loyal followers; he gives Edward a stern talking-to when Ed bad-mouths Mustang for only caring about promotions. Havoc is a strict man of duty, a very by-the-book soldier, even if he doesn't always agree with the orders. A running joke in the manga is that he has terrible luck with women; he usually ends up getting dumped because he is forced to do important things at work. The one time he manages to find a girlfriend, Mustang orders him to dump her because he expects Havoc to transfer with him to Central.

Havoc finally gets a girlfriend in Central: a busty woman called Solaris, who is actually Lust trying to get information about Mustang. Eventually Mustang and Havoc are confronted by Lust in the basement of a hospital^[5], and in the ensuing fight Havoc is impaled by Lust and paralyzed from waist down. From then on, Havoc dedicates himself to physiotherapy, determined to rejoin his comrades someday.

[edit] Heymans Breda

Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda is one of Mustang's subordinates. He also has a talent for strategy games, including chess, go, and shogi. He suffers from cynophobia, the extreme fear of dogs, so much so that he refers to a puppy like Black Hayate as a 'beast'.

In the manga, Mustang sends Breda to help smuggle Maria Ross to Xing. However, Breda is also to confirm if Ross is truly responsible for the death of Maes Hughes and to execute her if she was, though in the end she is allowed to go into hiding because she is not. When he finds out that Havoc is paralyzed, he proposes to Mustang that they should seek out Tim Marcoh (The ex-Crystal Alchemist) to help heal Havoc. But by the time he gets to Marcoh’s home it's too late; Envy, who had taken the form of Breda, had kidnapped Marcoh a day before the real Breda had arrived. In the wake of King Bradley's realization of Roy's insight into his true nature, Breda is transferred to Western Headquarters as a means of breaking up Mustang's group.

[edit] Alex Louis Armstrong

Major Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist, was born into an elite family of alchemists and has mastered his family's techniques. Members of his family have, in the past, filled the highest military and political positions in the state. He acquired his alchemy titles for his skill of using arm strength in his alchemy. A very intimidating man at first sight, Armstrong is actually a sensitive man who frequently weeps, and his sentimentalism prevents him from being promoted.

He makes his first appearence when he and Maes Hughes are sent from Central to investigate former State Alchemist Shou Tucker. Following Tucker's death, Scar targets the Elric brothers and Armstrong demonstrates his skill as an alchemist to defend them. Subsequently, he volunteers (after being moved to tears by the tragic story of their attempt to resurrect their mother) to act as a bodyguard for Edward and Alphonse when they must return to Resembool to repair Edward's automail arm. Armstrong ends up recognizing Dr. Tim Marcoh at a train station and he and the Elric brothers choose to find Marcoh instead of returning to Resembool immediately.

After tracking down Marcoh and having him reveal the location of his research on how to create a Philosopher's Stone, Armstrong stays with the Elrics when they return Resembool and arrive in Central City, where Marcoh's notes are located. The major leaves Edward and Alphonse under the direct supervision of subordinates 2nd Lieutenant Maria Ross and Sergeant Denny Brosh, but continues to watch over them as the Elrics attempt to find and decode Marcoh's notes.

Armstrong is filled with rage after Maria Ross's supposed death, but a tip from Mustang told him where to find her. He then deliberately damaged Ed's automail as an excuse to take him home for repairs, where they then saw Ross as she left with Fu for Xing.

A young state alchemist at the time of the Ishbal Rebellion, Armstrong's personality was never fit for such battlefields as Ishbal. In a recent chapter of the manga, he is shown making a wall with his alchemy, then breaking down when he hears Ishbalan women and children being killed on the other side. Later, while walking through the carnage, he finds and old man and a child who had survived. He quickly punches a hole into the wall he made and lets them escape, telling them to alert the other Ishbalans to flee the extermination. However, as the two survivors start to walk forward, they are blown away by Kimblee right in front of Armstrong's eyes. As Armstrong falls to his knees, Kimblee scolds him somewhat sarcastically for not seeing the Ishbalans, not realizing Armstrong had let them escape, or at least pretending that he hadn't.

The other members in Armstrong's family include his father, mother, and his sisters. Younger sister Catherine Elle, who despite Armstrong's ridiculously massive physique, their mother's tall stature, and father's girth is a very beautiful, petite yet freakishly strong young woman. She was originally part of a plan to get Havoc a girlfriend, but she rejected him. The major also has at least one older sister, Major General Olivier Mila Armstrong, who is stationed up north near the Drachma border.

[edit] Vato Falman

Unlike his anime counterpart, Warrant Officer Vato Falman has apparently never been a subordinate of Maes Hughes. In addition, he did not have to beg to be transferred to Central with Mustang, and was chosen instinctively like the other four and had become one of Mustang's group soon after the Ishbalan War. He is known for his good memory and precision with information, but has relatively little field experience.

When Riza Hawkeye comes across Barry the Chopper in Central, Mustang has Falman interrogate Barry to confirm that he is actually who he is, despite reports that Barry is dead. When the fact is confirmed, Mustang tells Falman the latter need not get involved with whatever the former is getting into. Falman expresses his loyalty to Mustang, that in spite of the dangers of working for Mustang, he fully intends to support him anyways. A reluctant Falman ends up babysitting Barry and keep him away from public view under Mustang's orders.

In the wake of King Bradley realizing that Roy knows about his true nature, Falman is transferred to Northern Headquarters as a means of breaking up Mustang's group. In chapter 65, it is revealed that shortly after his transfer to Northern Headquarters, Falman was promoted to second lieutenant and was transferred again to Brigg's Fortress, where he is reunited with Edward and Alphonse.

As the names of all military personnel in Fullmetal Alchemist are army and aviation-derived (the P-51 Mustang, Howard Hughes, and Breda Meccanica Bresciana, for instance), it is possible that "Falman" is a mistransliteration of "Farman".

[edit] Kain Fuery

Master Sergeant Kain Fuery is a kind young man who cares for animals and everyone else. He was the one who brought Black Hayate into the Eastern Headquarters, though he freaked out about Riza's methods of training. He is part of Roy Mustang's group and is the lowest-ranked member. Fuery is extremely talented with radio signals.

Fuery and Black Hayate save Riza when she is ambushed by Gluttony at the top of a tower where she was using a sniper rifle to protect Havoc, Falman, and Barry the Chopper, who were fighting below. In the wake of King Bradley realizing that Roy knows about his true nature, Fuery is transferred to Southern Headquarters as a means of breaking up Mustang's team.

Fuery may be a mispronounciation. It is believed his name was to be Huey, like the army helicopter. There is no "hu" sound in Japanese; the "letter" that "hu" would be theoretically is "fu".

[edit] Basque Grand

Brigadier General Basque Grand's role in the manga is more of an enigma, as he was supposedly killed by Scar beforehand and thus not actually seen in person, although numerous characters discuss and talk about him now that he is gone.

He was heavily involved as an overseer in the 5th Laboratory during the military's experiments to create philosopher's stones, an investigation the Homunculi were directly involved in as well, leading to some speculation as to whether Grand and the Homunculi are somehow linked.

• In chapter 52 the meeting between the generals they talk about Grand "even if only by name he was the one responsible for the 5th Laboratory," and "in the case traces of human experiments are found we can make him responsible for all of it," putting the blame solely on Grand.
• In the end of chapter 58 he made a small cameo during the flashback, he has a few scars on his face (across his nose and chin) and carries a Kar98-type rifle.
• As of chapter 60, Grand has made what could be considered his first significant appearance, as the chapter continues into a flashback of the Isbalan extermination campaign. Apparently, he was called into a mission after Armstrong refused to follow a higher officer's (Brigadier General Fessler) order to kill off Ishbalans in an unclaimed district.

Also in the above chapter, Grand reveals his alchemic abilities. His can be compared to Ed and Armstrong's methods. He wears a set of gloves (presumably iron, like his name may imply) that have Latin words scrawled onto them and uses punches or forceful hand movements to perform alchemy, like Armstrong. However, since there is no circle shown on his gloves, he hits his fists together beforehand to form a ring, similar to Ed clapping his hands to transmute. In a scene where he uses his ability to assault an enemy district, he punches a stone wall to create dozens of cannons and chains with blade tips. Due to this, it is questionable whether the Ironblood Alchemist received his name based on his alchemy or on some personality or character trait (though the weapons he creates did seem to have a metal sheen to them, implying he may have somehow transmuted the stone into iron).

Despite the power-hungry character he was in the anime, Grand does not seem to show it yet in the manga, and even does something to make him likeable in chapter 60. After the important religious figure, Roug Roa, requests to see King Bradley in order to stop the killing, Brigadier General Fessler refuses and tells the soldiers to continue the extermination campaign. As he screams the order at them, Grand calmly comes up to him and point-blank shoots him in the heart with his rifle, all the while telling Fessler that about twenty percent of the officers have met their death in the war not from the Ishbalans but from subordinates of the Amestris army. While he died, the soldiers that witnessed it (including Maes Hughes) stood by and agreed that it was just a stray bullet from battle. Drawing from these actions, it could be said that Grand is a man who does not mind death in the midst of battle, but does not revel in it so much that he will ignore quick or peaceful resolutions. Also, judging by an earlier statement he made in chapter 60, he does have pride in being a soldier.

A common unofficial translation has his family name as Gran but official materials have consistently written his name as Grand with the ending French silent "d."

[edit] Yoki

First Lieutenant Yoki was in charge of the mines in Youswell and is a very corrupt man who rose to his position through massive bribes. His influence on the people of Youswell was profoundly negative: not only did he levy heavy taxes on the people, he also lowered their wages, virtually bankrupting the city residents.

In the manga, Yoki aligns himself with a band of Ishbalans until he could get his revenge on Edward and the military members who discharged him for the Youswell incident. However, he would eventually betray them in order to claim the bounty placed on Scar's head. Scar then forces Yoki to live with him as his servant, and Yoki ends up being the one who finds Mei Chan in the street. Yoki seems to enjoy telling Mei that he is Scar's master, when in fact it is the other way around.

Recent chapters show Scar and Yoki travelling north directly from Central in order to the military's divert attention from Dr. Marcoh and Mei, who are travelling up north from the east to recover Scar's older brother's research.

[edit] Maria Ross

Second Lieutenant Maria Ross is put in charge of taking care of the Elric brothers during their stay in Central. She is a subordinate of Major Alex Louis Armstrong and the partner of Sergeant Denny Brosh.

She and her partner were assigned the task of guarding the Elrics in Central due to Scar's previous attempt on Ed and Al's lives. While they appreciate the concern, Ed and Al view Ross and Brosh as annoying "chaperones" than actual bodyguards. Ross and Brosh help the Elrics find Dr. Marcoh's notes on how to create a Philosopher's Stone and later rescue them after the brothers are badly hurt at the military's 5th Laboratory. Thanks to Ross, they are brought to a clinic run by a friend of hers rather than a military hospital to ensure what Elrics were researching prior to their investigation of the 5th Laboratory is not uncovered their military superiors. Ross and Brosh literally knock some sense into Edward while reprimanding him for disobeying Major Armstrong's orders not to investigate the lab and putting himself and Alphonse in such danger. Ross tells Edward that while he is capable of taking care of himself, he is still a child and should know that he can trust adults like herself and Brosh.

In the manga, she is accused of murdering Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. With the help of Mustang and his gang she fakes her death in Central and flees to the country of Xing to the East. Before departing she meets Edward and asks him to not tell anybody about her escape including her family and Sergeant Brosh, in order to protect them. Grateful for Mustang's help she asks that Armstrong and Breda convey to Mustang that she would risk her own life and return if he should ever need any help from her.

As many of the military personnel in Fullmetal Alchemist are army/aviation-derived, it is possible that she is named after the Canadian Sir Charles Ross of the Ross Rifle.

[edit] Denny Brosh

Sergeant Denny Brosh, almost always seen with Lieutenant Ross, is rather nosy and lazy. He has a resemblance to Edward. Like Ross, he also works under Major Alex Louis Armstrong.

In Central, he and Ross are assigned as bodyguards for the Elric brothers and attempt to help them find Dr. Marcoh's notes. They later rescue Edward and Alphonse after the two brothers are badly hurt from their investigation of the 5th Laboratory. Brosh and Ross knock literally knock some sense into Edward at the hospital where they have taken the brothers while reprimanding him for undertaking something so dangerous after Major Armstrong forbade them. After Edward informs them they need not be so polite towards him despite his higher military rank (as a State Alchemist, Edward's rank equivalent to a major), Brosh treats Edward in a more casual manner.

In the manga, after Armstrong goes on "vacation" (in reality, he snuck off with Edward to find the supposedly dead Maria Ross) in the east, Brosh (who had become depressed with the loss of Ross) greets him and asks the Major about his vacation. Recalling that Ross had warned him that Brosh was incapable of keeping a secret and could not lie to save anyone's life, Armstrong avoids telling Brosh the truth concerning Ross, but does slip Brosh the same hint Mustang gave him ("There are many beautiful women in the east.") to tell him Ross was in the east.

[edit] Sheska

Private Sheska was a librarian who was responsible for organizing and keeping records of all of the books in the First Branch of the Central City library. She is known for her tendency toward hysterical panic as a coping mechanism. By the time the Elric brothers had arrived back in Central, she has been fired from the library for lackluster performance. Sheska has a photographic memory when it comes to books, and her ability to recite them verbatim. Thanks to Sheska recreating them from memory, the Elric Brothers were able to obtain Tim Marcoh's notes, which were destroyed in a fire created by Lust and Gluttony.

She is hired by Hughes to help research the military's experiments with chimeras and the creation of philosopher's stones for military use. She is also shown helping Mustang in his research for who could have killed Hughes and for what reason.

Sony's Aniplex anime DVDs and website spell her name as Sheska, although FUNimation's anime DVDs and television closed captioning spell her name as Scieszka (similar to Polish term Sciezka standing for "path" or "trail", specifically one well-traveled).

[edit] Zolf J. Kimblee

Major Zolf J. Kimblee (the Crimson Alchemist) is an ex-war criminal and a veteran of the Ishbal War. His alchemy title refers to his use of sulfur in the human body to create explosive fluids, turning people into living bombs.

With a far more subtle, polite approach to evil than his Anime counterpart, the Manga's Kimblee spearheaded the Ishbalian Extermination Campaign, and was one of the few, if not the only, State Alchemists to utilized the full power of the Philosopher's Stones fabricated at Lab 5. His personality seems almost split in two; at times he can be polite, if curt, straightforward, rational, and "civilized." He even seemed to have a certain respect for Winry's parents because of their devotion to their duty. However, in battle he displays an uncanny and foreboding demeanor in favor of destruction and damnation, using one of his own subordinates to demonstrate his destructive powers. Kimblee's powers appear to be much the same as those in the Anime, except that he can transmute and detonate from a distance as well, using the ground as a connecting force, causing huge explosions.

Armed with the Philosopher's Stone, Kimblee was assigned to take out a sector of Ishbal that proved highly volatile, which also conveniently housed the Rockbells, whom the Government wanted dispatched in the "crossfire". It was during this time that he encountered Scar and his brother. The mad alchemist, however, did not reach the Rockbells before Scar did, and found them already disposed of. Soon after the campaign, Kimblee's superior officers requested the stone be returned, but Kimblee, in a strain of madness, ate the stone and killed all the officers therein (Except for one which was apparently Envy in disguise). For this affront he was incarcerated for war crimes in the prison near Lab 5, where he has remained until recently.

Since then, Kimblee has been mentioned offhandedly as a potential human sacrifice for the Homunculi's needs, but it is decided against. The officials come to the conclusion that they could never force him to try to bring someone else back to life, because he is "a coward" and therefore is useless as a sacrifice. As he was rotting in jail, Scar's mind no doubt lingers on the man who destroyed his life and Ishbal.

Kimblee is released from his imprisonment, almost immediately after the flashback is over (chapter 63) and is lead outside by a guard to whom doesn't agree that the upper ranked men of the State should be releasing a man like Kimblee, Kimblee turns to shake his hand as a farewell to him and transmutes the Guards watch into a time bomb, the guard panics frantically but it turns out only to be a toy bomb moments later. Kimblee is picked up by Envy once again impersonating a Military officer and is offered a job by him to recapture Dr.Marcoh who is then on the run with Scar, Envy also tells him to kill Scar as well if Kimblee comes across him and that letting him live would go against Kimblee's pride which was built up throughout the Ishballan war from his reputation. Kimblee agrees to the job, but remarks that the Homunculi must have other reasons for arranging for his release from prison. To answer him, Envy tells Kimblee that if Marcoh should run away again from him, Kimblee should erase whatever city/town Marcoh is hiding in from the map altogether.

Kimblee is finally given a Philosophers Stone from Envy after regurgitating the one he ate from the Ishballan massacre and is told that this one was actually created from the lives of people who have worked for Marcoh. Judging from the difference in size and shape, the stone that Envy gave Kimblee is likely to be more powerful than the one he had previously.

In chapter 64, he caught up to Scar and Yoki, who he thought was Dr. Marcoh. He and Scar engage in combat with Scar on a train, when they passed by an outside light, both of their identities were revealed to each other by their distinguishing characteristics (Scar's scar, and Kimblee's transmutation circles on his hands). Subsequently, Kimblee is critically wounded when Scar impales him with a pipe. When Scar moves in for the kill, Kimblee escapes by blowing up the coupling connecting their seperate train carts.

[edit] Trivia

Kimblee's attire in the manga is possibly a reference to Alex from the classic book and movie, A Clockwork Orange. Alex is a serial killer, but also the main character of the work, and in many ways is very much like Kimblee. Alex wears a white jumpsuit and bowler hat. In addition to this in many shots when Kimblee first gets in Envy's car he resembles Alex greatly, even though when looked at on the whole he does not.

[edit] Grumman

Lieutenant General Grumman was the commander of the Eastern Headquarters, and Mustang’s superior officer during his three year tour of duty in the Eastern Command Center. An old man with gray hair and a moustache, Grumman is a General who takes a lighthearted approach to command. Grumman is an excellent chess player who frequently played against Mustang. When Mustang received orders to transfer back to Central, Grumman gave Mustang his chessboard and pieces as a parting gift. He also extended an offer for Mustang marry his granddaughter, who happens to be Riza Hawkeye. As a final favor to Mustang Grumman authorized the transfer of Mustang’s subordinates (Riza Hawkeye, Jean Havoc, Heymans Breda, Kain Fuery, and Vato Falman) back to Central with him.

While his role in the manga is essentially the same as his role in the anime for the majority of the series, Grumman appears to be gaining more importance in the manga, as he receives a secret request by Mustang in the most recent chapter. The nature of this request is still unknown. Of note is Grumman's tactic of entering relationships while on reconnaissance or in a situation of duress to disguise his actions, a tactic he seems to have inadverdently passed onto Mustang.

In chapter 63, Grumman meets up with Mustang disguised as an old woman. (Mustang didn't even know the "old lady" was Grumman until he looked closely at "her"). during this meeting, Grumman tells Roy about General Raven, who wanted to create an immortal army. It is implied that because of his oppostion to Raven's plan, Grumman was demoted, as he has been stuck in Eastern Headquarters ever since.

Grumman is named after the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, which made fighter planes during World War II.

[edit] Joliot Comanche

Joliot Comanche (the Silver Alchemist) is exclusive to the manga. Comanche fought by transmuting objects into steel weapons. He lost his left leg in the Ishbal war, but has replaced it with a peg instead of automail. Despite this apparent handicap, he was apparently quite agile, even performing acrobatic spins on his peg-leg as he fought Scar. Like Kimblee, he had transmutation circles tattooed on his hands, though Comanche went a step further and had them etched all over his hands, rather than just on the centers of his palms. In issue #43 of the manga, he was assassinated by Scar. Scar killed him by snapping his leg and knocking him off a dock, dropping him into the harbor below. Deprived of raw materials to make weapons with, he was easily finished off.

In a recent chapter of the manga, he is shown with a smile on his (partially obscured) face while the State Alchemist prepared to be deployed into Ishbal. He is later shown being stretchered away with an injury to his left leg, all the while cursing the Ishabalans out loud. According to Hiromu Arakawa (from her interview in the FMA Perfect Guidebook 2), Comanche's hobby was to make all sorts of strange weapons with alchemy. Following his retirement from the military, he became a grandfather who told stories to his grandchildren, though he tended to be suspicious of them.

[edit] Storch

Exclusively in the Manga, Storch is Führer King Bradley's personal secretary and advisor. Beset with grim eyes and a drawn face, he can often be seen in the near background during various military events. Recently, he delivered orders to scatter Mustang's group to different points on the map. He is rarely seen.

He is most likely named after the Fieseler Storch reconnaissance plane which was used by the Germans in World War II.

[edit] Fessler

Brigadier General Fessler was one of the overseers and tacticians of the Ishbal Campaign, specifically the division under which Armstrong and Hughes were stationed. He was a rather heavy-set man who enjoyed fine cigars and personal glory. Due to his brutish and self-aggrandizing nature, Fessler spilled incalculable blood on both sides of the war with needlessly wasteful and dangerous tactics. Blind to his own inept ability, the Brigadier General was "accidentally" taken out by "a stray bullet," which happened to be shot from (then) Colonel Basque Grand's rifle at point blank range. Hailing from his unpopular and rash nature, the death was deemed accidental friendly-fire by all present, including Hughes.

[edit] Raven

Introduced shortly after the Gluttony incident, General Raven is a member of the high military command, sporting a casual attitude towards his position and a personable disposition. Unfortunately, these amiable traits merely mask his ruthless intentions under the guise of the military. Interested in the notion of creating a perfect immortal army, he aligned himself, along with the military's chiefs of staff, to the roles the Homunculi provided for them. Although no specific conclusions can be drawn, it is hinted that Raven is responsible for Grumman's reassignment to the East, as well as possible other high-ranking officers who might cause trouble down the road. Mustang initially took Raven for a friend in high places, but as soon as Raven realized Mustang knew a great deal concerning the Homunculi, he betrayed his trust and led Mustang "[i]nto the lion's den." It is unknown what further part he has to play.

[edit] Olivier Mila Armstrong

Exclusive to the manga, Major General Armstrong protects the Drachma border, also known as "Brigg's Cliff". She is the older sister of Major Alex Louis Armstrong, who has stated that she could be a "very powerful helper" and gives Edward a letter (though he warns Ed it may actually be useless) that is to be given to the Major General in the event that they meet. Her right hand man is an officer named Captain Buccaneer.

In chapter 64, when the Elrics encounter Armstrong, she orders a full-body search of Ed and Al to ensure that they are not enemies. When Ed gives her Armstrong's letter, Olivier simply looks at the envelope and tears it up. She states that she does not read letters of introduction and judges people with her own eyes. Olivier has a calm, collected demeanor, much like her mother. Both Ed and Al note that she bears little resemblance to Major Armstrong. Her feelings towards her brother appear to be mixed; she does not even read a word of Major Armstrong's letter, yet she inquires as to how he is and only grumbles in irritation when the Elrics say that the Major is doing very well.

Severe, straightfoward, and serious, Armstrong believes firmly in putting survival above all else. Equivalent exchange means nothing to her and she will take whatever she can if it will contribute to surviving and strengthening her position at Brigg's Cliff.

Despite her lack of resemblance to her brother or the rest of her family for that matter, the Major General does coincidentally resemble another Full Metal Alchemist character, Martel, a snake-chimera from Devil's Nest (chapters 26-30). In addition to them being the only characters we have seen with outlined lips, their eyes and facial shapes are also very similar.

[edit] Buccaneer

One of the State Military officers with the rank of Captain, Captain Buccaneer was stationed in the north with a detachment of Amestrisian soldiers protecting the Amestrisian-Drachman border with Major General Armstrong. He is armed with an M1913 Automail, known as the Crocodile for its resemblance to a crocodile's mouth and its powerful ability to crush a person's limbs, whether natural or artificial, after winding it up. His automail appears to be based from a chainsaw. He also has a net gun, holstered on his left leg, that he uses to capture enemies alive.

He initially accosted the Elric brothers from the Amestrisian side of the Amestris-Drachma border, accusing them of being Drachman army infiltrators. Later on, he realized that they came from Central City.

Like most FMA characters named after military weapons and such, he was most likely named after the Buccaneer aircrafts formerly used by Britain and the United States.

[edit] Miles

Stationed up north at Brigg's Fortress, Major Miles serves as Major General Armstrong's assistant, a job that he has performed since enlisting in the military. Miles is somewhat unusual given his heritage - while members of his family, including her grandmother, father, and, incidently, his wife, are of all different races, he has inherited his Ishbalan grandfather's dark skin and distinct red eyes.

Miles enlisted in the army before the campaign to annihilate the Ishbalans, but did not meet the requirements to be exterminated along with his Ishbalan relatives and was spared. While he despised the military for its actions, Miles held doubts as to why the Major General continued to use him as her assistant. She reveals she believes discrimation of any kind on battlefield would result in more deaths within the army and in a place like Brigg's, nothing is more important than survival. For a person like herself, who is an Amestrisian by birth, upbringing, and blood, she needs a person with a diverse background like Miles in order to stay at the top and maintain a sturdy but flexible army.

[edit] Henry Douglas

Colonel Henry Douglas first appeared in Chapter 34 of the manga. Detailed with the military police command, he was responsible for detaining Maria Ross as a prime suspect in the death of Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes. He gave the order to active military police officers to hunt down and apprehend or kill Maria Ross if she chooses to resist arrest.

Later on, he lectured Roy Mustang for going "too far" when he "killed" Maria Ross after Barry set her free during a siege in a State Military prison.

[edit] Bermouth

Mentioned in Chapter 60, Second Lieutenant Bermouth served in the Ishbal Civil War alongside Lt. Colonel Hughes and other State Military personnel. He had witnessed the "accidental death" of Brigadier General Fessler, who was shot by Colonel (later Brigadier General) Basque Grand.

[edit] Yakovlev

Yakovlev works under the Personnel Affairs Department in the State Military. He, alongside Storch, is responsible for handing out the orders to reassign most of Roy Mustang's subordinates to various commands so as to prevent him from telling them the real truth about their leader.

He is named after the Yakovlev Design Bureau in Russia, known for creating the line of Yak biplanes and fighter planes, the former famous in WWII when they engaged German forces in combat.

[edit] Focker

Not much information is available on Captain Focker, except that he is stationed in Central at the Amestrisian Army's main headquarters. He appears to be named after Fokker Aeroplanbau, an aircraft manufacturing company infamous for producing fighter aircraft for the Germans in World War I, notably the Red Baron's. He appears to know Sheska on a first name basis.

In earlier scanlations, he is known as Foker and Fokker.

[edit] Black Hayate

A true dog of the military, Black Hayate was a little puppy that Kain Fuery picked up on a rainy street one day out of pity. Since he couldn’t keep the dog himself (since he lived in a dormitory that did not allow pets), the puppy was eventually adopted by Riza Hawkeye (who named the puppy herself).

Unfortunately, Riza was a rather stern owner, who then proceeded to scare the puppy (and all of Mustang's staff) by shooting an outline of bullets around it (while not injuring the dog, proving her marksman ability) when it urinated on the office wall. Despite Riza's harsh methods of discipline, Hayate is a way for her to show her more compassionate side, as opposed to the cool, stone-faced officer that she usually is.

In the manga, Fuery and Black Hayate saved Hawkeye from being eaten by Gluttony in issue #38. They manage to hold the homunculus off long enough until Roy Mustang saves them all from being eaten.

[edit] Miscellaneous

• According to fan polls, Mustang is consistently the second most popular character while Hawkeye and Hughes are consistently in the top ten most popular characters. Despite his early death, he has a very strong fan base.
• The General who played chess with Roy in the Eastern Headquarters is General Grumman, Riza's grandfather.^[6] General Grumman said that he will give his granddaughter to the "future president of Amestris."
• On occasion Hawkeye’s name is translated as Liza or Rise, but official materials have consistently written her name as Riza. Undercover missions also had her taking alternate identities, two of which are Elizabeth (manga chapter 37) and Margot Orange Peko (Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel).
• Hawkeye has short hair when she is still a Second Lieutenant, but had grown it long after encountering Winry Rockbell.
• In a conversation with Edward Elric, it is revealed Hawkeye was in her last year of military training when sent to the battlefield of the Ishbal War. Her mother died earlier than her father and her relatives on both sides of the family seem to have kept their distance.
• Riza's favored side-arms are the Browning Hi-Power and FN Model 1910; she switches back and forth between them often, and she used both of them simultaneously on one occasion. On one occasion (when she first meets Barry the Chopper while walking home with her groceries) she uses a revolver on him, but this has only occured once.
• Havoc resembles the main character of Shanghai Youma Kikai, an early manga from Hiromu Arakawa. Ironically, his boss, a nine-tailed fox, looks exactly like Lust.

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Fullmetal Alchemist The Military
• State Military characters of Fullmetal Alchemist
• Fullmetal Alchemist Manga Only Characters
• The Official Website of Fullmetal Alchemist
• Fullmetal Alchemist character bios
• General Fullmetal Alchemist site

view • talk • edit Fullmetal Alchemist
Common characters:	Edward Elric | Alphonse Elric | Winry Rockbell | Scar | Izumi Curtis | Hohenheim | Minor
Anime-only characters:	Dante | State Military | Homunculi | Minor
Manga-only characters:	Main | State Military | Homunculi | Minor
Media:	Anime (Episode list | Voice casts) | Manga | OVAs | Conqueror of Shamballa | Video games (characters) | Trading cards
Items/Concepts:	Alchemy | Automail | Chimera | Equivalent Exchange | Gate of Alchemy | Philosopher's Stone | State Alchemist | Transmutation circle
Locations:	Amestris | Ishbal | Lab 5 | Lior