Alphonse Elric

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Alphonse Elric
Fullmetal Alchemist character
Alphonse Elric by Hiromu Arakawa
First appearance	Fullmetal Alchemist manga chapter 1 Fullmetal Alchemist anime episode 1
Voiced by	Japanese Rie Kugimiya[1] English Aaron Dismuke[2]
Profile
Known relatives	Edward Elric (brother) Hohenheim Elric (father, deceased) Trisha Elric (mother, deceased)

Alphonse Elric (アルフォンス・エルリック, Arufonsu Erurikku^?), commonly nicknamed as Al is a fictional character in the Fullmetal Alchemist universe created by Hiromu Arakawa and developed into a media franchise, consisting of a series of manga, anime, soundtracks, OVAs, movies, video games, and even collectibles. He is a human child who lost his body during an alchemic experiment to bring his deceased mother back to life, and had his soul transmuted into a suit of armor by his brother, Edward Elric.

Al's blood seal lies just below the base of the neck at the back of the suit, on the inside. It is drawn with Ed's blood. According to Edward, he needs to be careful whenever he reconstructs Alphonse's body because he must keep the blood seal intact during the transmutation. If the blood seal is removed, Al's soul will be lost.

Contents 1 Creation and conception 2 Character Outline & Personality 3 History 3.1 In the anime 3.2 In the manga 4 Powers and abilities 5 Appearances in other media 6 Character reception 7 References

[edit] Creation and conception

The name of Alphonse Elric in Japanese is a play of language regarding the nature of the character. In Japanese, his nickname is adapted into the katakana "Aru" to mimic the pronunciation of "Al," but the hiragana "aru" (pronounced exactly the same) is a verb meaning "to exist." The Japanese, however, have two verbs for "to exist;" one for animate objects (iru) and one for inanimate objects (aru). Since a major theme of the anime is whether or not Alphonse still exists as a person with his soul affixed to the normally-inanimate suit of armor, the choice of naming him takes on a deeper meaning with this background. This wordplay could in fact be only a coincidence and not an intentional decision, but it serves as an interesting look into the nature of the language nonetheless given the theme of Al's struggle to define what he has become.^[3]

[edit] Character Outline & Personality

Alphonse is a sweet boy who loves strays (usually feline), and is pure, kind (a bit naive), and gentle to those around him. These traits are considered as childish tendencies- the reason is said to be because he has a stunted emotional maturity (though, still sometimes more mature than his brother) from not growing physically at all. He basically stays the same age in the armor. Edward, feeling a tremendous guilt over affixing Al to something that won't grow or have senses, doesn't care what happens to himself and would without second thought give his life to give Al his body. Alphonse is completely against Edward dying or being separated from him, so Al usually stops his brother from going too far for him. Al is known to be one of his "tough-as-steel" older brother's few weaknesses; enemies often try to take advantage over it. Alphonse sometimes feels that he is a burden to Edward, but he has saved his brother's life more than once.

[edit] History

[edit] In the anime

Born in 1900 to Hohenheim and Trisha Elric, Alphonse is often thought to be older than Ed due to his large exterior physique being bounded into a suit of armor, standing approximately eight feet according to the novels and anime. Unlike Edward, Al is quite the more rational of situations, due to his calm and contemplative nature. Also, because of the armor, most people who meet Alphonse automatically assume him of being the Fullmetal Alchemist-which never fails to annoy Ed. When Ed and Al tried to revive their mother, Al's body was taken to the Gate along with Ed's left leg, Ed had to save him by giving up his right arm as the equivalent exchange to bind his brother's soul to a nearby suit of armor. Because of this, Al is unable to feel, smell, or taste anything anymore (he cannot eat or sleep, but in the anime can go into a 'hibernation' state where his eyes fade out), but he can apparently see, hear, and speak. Al, like his brother, is an alchemist. He usually calls Ed "Brother," due to the translation from Japanese where it is common to address siblings in such a way. Before burning down their home, Ed painted the symbol of a Flamel cross, which is a winged snake on a cross, on Al's armor. The symbol was inherited from their teacher Izumi Curtis and from Izumi's teacher Dante (anime only).

Al, with his calm and optimistic personality, usually acts as a foil for the fiery, excitable, easily discouraged Ed. But during his fight with Barry the Chopper at Laboratory 5, Al was troubled by the suggestion that he could possibly be a fabrication of Ed's and may not have truly ever existed, since he was unable to remember some things from when he was human and thought Edward was keeping something from him. As a result, Al left to find the truth for himself. But by helping Scar deal with mercenaries and Barry, Al comes to realize that he did in fact exist, and rejoined his brother in their search for the Philosopher's Stone. In the manga, he realized that his existence is not doubtable after he learns from Winry (who scolds him for his assumtions) that his brother is worried whether Al blames Ed for putting his soul in the suit of armor. After having a spar with his brother, and being defeated for the first time (though his defeat is a little "unfair"), they talk, heart to heart, about their experiences and feelings, and he manages to bring himself together.

After Kimblee uses alchemy to transform Al's armor into explosive material, Scar transferred all of his incomplete Philosopher's Stone into Al to save his life. As a result, Al became the Philosopher's Stone. Shortly after, Alphonse learns his body became lighter and his blood seal could endure contact with water. He also gained the ability to perform alchemy without a circle, although this is due to him "remembering" the gate. He only uses alchemy twice after he becomes the stone because any alchemy he or anyone near him uses activates the stone and destroys a part of Al's body. Because he houses the Stone in his body, he becomes the primary target of Dante's attempt to cheat death, but not before he becomes a pawn in Shou Tucker's plot to resurrect Nina. Once captured by the Homunculi for Dante, Al was to be devoured by Gluttony to complete the Stone inside Gluttony's body. But when he saw his brother killed by Envy, Al uses the stone's power to restore Edward's body (including his missing limbs) and re-bind his soul to it. This destroys his own body as he used up the whole of the Philosopher's Stone in the transmutations.

Ed, who could not accept his little brother sacrificing himself for him, resurrected Al by using himself as the equivalent exchange in a transmutation and fully expecting to die. Al came back in his original 10-year-old body with no memory of his life since the night they tried to revive their mother. He became Izumi's student again to study alchemy so that he could be reunited with Ed again. During that time, Al came to resemble his brother, donning attire similar to Ed's, equipped with gloves that have transmutation circles on both of them so he can merely clap his hands together to perform alchemy (though he could perform alchemy without a transmutation circle near the end of the series -- prior to returning to his body -- that ability was among the memories that he lost).

However, Alphonse's alchemy is unique as he can now transmute a piece of his soul into inanimate objects, thus controlling them. This ability to transfer his soul is likely due in part to his soul's extended absence from his body (as Al puts it, his soul detaches from his body easily). As a tribute to the manga and anime, he usually transfers it to the same type of armor he was sealed in previously. Indeed, the first time in the film that the ability is used to control armour to the point of 'possessing' it and being able to talk through it, he uses this type of armour to pass through the gate and to talk to his brother, thus letting Ed recognise him,due to this ability fans of the anime has given Alphonse the nickname of transmetal alchemist,trans for his unique ability to transfer his soul or parts of his soul into inanimate objects and metal after his brother Edward; the fullmetal alchemist. After stopping an attack by the Thule Society on Liore, Al meets Wrath and together they open a physical gateway between worlds. Al's intention is to bring Ed back through the gate, but the army of the Thule Society uses it to attack Central. After helping to defeat the invasion, Al, wanting to remain with Ed, follows him back to the Other World to help him close the physical gate. When Al passes through the gate he regains the memories of his life with Ed after attempting to transmute their mother, and also returns to his proper age of 17 (he should have been 15 by the end of the series). He then sets out with Edward to recover a nuclear bomb brought into the brothers' original world.

[edit] In the manga

In the manga Al eventually develops the ability to perform alchemy without a transmutation circle, the same as Ed. In the manga, when King Bradley impales Martel while she is inside Al's armored body, her blood spills onto his blood seal. This gives him a near-death experience, recalling to his mind his experience at the Doors of Truth. He realizes that he can transmute without a transmutation circle shortly thereafter. It is also believed by some that he is able to perform alchemy better than his brother after having seen more of the Doors than Ed, albeit at the cost of his body. Also, in the manga, Alphonse is afraid that his armor will eventually reject his soul, which would mean his death.

During his fight with Barry the Chopper at Laboratory 5, Al was troubled by the suggestion that he could possibly be a fabrication of Ed's and may not have truly ever existed. When he confronted his brother with this possibility, Ed just becomes distraught and left him. He realized that his existence is not something to be doubted, after he learns from Winry (who scolds him by banging a wrench into his head, full of anger and sadness) that his brother is always worrying and feeling guilty about putting Al's soul into the armor, and Ed wouldn't endanger his own existence to create a fake little brother. Ed, after having a spar with his brother, and winning for the first time (though his way to defeat him is a little "unfair"), they talk from heart to heart about their experiences and feelings, and he manages to bring himself together.

Though his personality is similar with his anime counterpart, if he is presented with a situation where his comrades or the innocent are in danger, he will protect them at all costs, like when confronting Lust to protect the devastated Hawkeye. He resolved to do this due to the death of Martel inside his body, which traumatized him. He is willing to do this to the point that he willingly let a weakened Scar escape (in which point he already knows about the Rockbells' murder by his hands), only to protect a little girl that he barely knows.

A recent chapter proved the theory that Al's body was still in existence, as Ed finds it on a return trip to the Doors, malnourished and unkempt, but very much alive. Ed could not bring it back because Al's body said that Al's soul needed to be at the gate for the body to come back. The brothers theorize that there is some connection between their bodies-the reason Ed is so short is because a great deal of the nutrition he consumes nourishes Al's body while it is separated from his soul in the Doors.

In chapter 73, he was shown asking Miles not to execute Kimbley's chimera soldiers. The chimeras respond that their lives are meaningless anyway, that they won't be able to turn back, and that Kimbley won't forgive their failure. However, when asked if they want their original bodies back, they said that they want it badly, and Alphonse scolded them for being unhopeful. He shows the true nature of his body, showing that even though his body is almost impossible to recover, he won't give up, and so neither should they. Al is later shown as seeing his body in the midst of snowstorm (when he attempts to warn Scar's party for being intercepted by Central army who had arrived on Briggs.) This suggests that his body is calling for his soul, showing the first sign of rejection. However, he manages to find the party and warns them, though Scar said that it is rather useless, since they had nowhere else to go.

In chapter 76, when Ed's critically injured, he suddenly felt that his soul is being pulled out, indicating the connection between the two. He then wakes up soon after Ed heals himself.

Al's human body has the softer features of his mother's face and his hair and eyes are the same color as Edward's. A painting by Arakawa in "The Art of Fullmetal Alchemist 2" of Winry and Al flanking a sitting Ed in formal clothing shows the three-some as older with Al towering over the other two (In this picture they are 18). It can be assumed from this that when Al returns to his body he will inherit Van Hohenheims physique with Ed being diminutive like their mother.

An omake shown in the first volume of the manga depicts a "baby Al" as a suit of armor wearing a diaper; this is not canon as the comic is a humorous omake created by Hiromu Arakawa, the series' author.

Alphonse is also seen as the counterpart of Edward. While Edward is demonstrated (in the manga) as violent, impulsive, and loud, Alphonse is the peace-maker of the two, and seeks to help others. He also seems to utterly adore kittens- as seen in many omake at the end of multiple books. He has a heart of gold, and often holds his brother back from snapping and doing something they'll both regret later. Whether picking up stray animals, or even picking fights, Alphonse is a kind boy who just wants his, and his brother's, original bodies back.

[edit] Powers and abilities

Alphonse's level of alchemy skill is likely on par with his brother, Ed. After having his soul transmuted into a suit of armor, Al becomes more impervious to physical attacks. He is also unaffected by fatigue, hunger or any physical human limitations. The armor’s tall size grants Al exceptional physical strength, arguably equivalent to a person of equal size. As such, he is able to lift and hurl heavier objects with considerable ease.

Like standard alchemists, Al could only transmute alchemy with the aid of a transmutation circle. Later through the story, Alphonse eventually develops the ability to perform alchemy without the use of any transmutation circles. In the manga, he obtains this ability after remembering his encounter with the Gate, the source of all alchemical knowledge, triggered when the Chimera Martel is killed by King Bradley while inside Alphonse's armor, that causes her blood to spatter on the rune inside his armor. In the anime, Alphonse gains this ability much later in the storyline, apparently after becoming the Philosopher's Stone and regaining full memory of his visit to the Gate. The concept of this is never fully ventured, due to his fear of the possible outcome effects of using the Stone's power. In the final episode of the series, he clearly uses alchemy without the need of any transmutation circle, in order to resurrect his dying brother (whether this being him becoming the Philosopher's Stone or his recovered memory from the Gate is left debatable). In Conqueror of Shambala, Al gains the ability to transfer a portion or all of his soul into inanimate objects, though the effects are only temporary.

Like Edward, Al is also a very skilled hand-to-hand combatant, perhaps more so than his older brother, having never been beaten by Ed in their spars and scuffles.

[edit] Appearances in other media

Aside from the initial anime and manga, Alphonse also appears in the Movie, Conquerer of Shamballa. Al also appears in almost all the Fullmetal Alchemist OVAs. In the first one as a super deformed version of himself at the movie's wrap-up party,^[4] and in the fourth OVA, he plays a part in the battle against the anime's Homunculi.^[5] Al also appears in all Fullmetal Alchemist video games on all platforms.^[6][7][8] He is also featured in several of the Fullmetal Alchemist Trading Card Game^[9] Alphonse is also in the additional yet non-canon Fullmetal Alchemist novels.

[edit] Character reception

Aaron Dismuke has stated voicing for Fullmetal Alchemist is "pretty cool" as the idea of having fans "is awesome". For voicing Al, he had his lines recorded in a metal box which he claims "..to kick it into the mic over and over again, producing an ear piercing, deafeningly loud noise that was the formula for me nearly getting fired.."^[10]

Several publications for manga, anime, and other pop culture media have provided both praise and criticism on Al's character. AnimeOnDVD say Al is "quite the likeable character" and praised him in both Volumes 6 & 7. The first stating that "...Al's slow descent into madness and disbelief over his own existence is interesting something that could make up a series all by itself.."^[11] The latter volume review claiming that Episodes 25-28 saying "Getting more time with Al as an actual young boy is a nice change of pace.."^[12] The site also commented for the Movie and how the characters had changed, the reviewer stated; "What I enjoyed the most from the changes was seeing just how similar yet different Al had become as he took on the role of his brother."^[13]

Anime News Network say that Aaron Dismuke, the actor for Al, state his voice is "absolutely charming" and "Only 12 years old, the innocence and earnestness that he applies to his role makes him a perfect Alphonse, and one of the shining stars of the dub..."^[14]

[edit] References

v • d • e Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa Franchise Chapters • Episodes • Movie • OVAs • TCG Video games (Broken Angel • Curse of the Crimson Elixir • Kami o Tsugu Shōjo • Dream Carnival • Dual Sympathy) Characters Edward Elric • Alphonse Elric • Winry Rockbell • Roy Mustang • Maes Hughes • Scar • Izumi Curtis • Hohenheim • Dante • Father • Ling Yao • State Military characters (Manga · Anime) • Homunculi (Manga · Anime) • Minor characters (Manga · Anime) • Video game characters