About him

Edward Elric is the youngest State Alchemist to be selected by the State Military of the country, having achieved the rank of Major at age twelve. His father's disappearance when Edward was young, the death of his mother, and a failed transmutation play a key role in his story. Edward's motivation stems from a love for his brother Alphonse Elric, for whom he is desperately seeking a way to restore to a human form after their alchemy accident. Due to this, he is also generally perceived to be very independent; he feels that he's the only one who can solve a problem. Often, he feels a heavy guilt that the problem is his fault to begin with, and thus his responsibility to solve. His automail limbs are made by his childhood friend Winry Rockbell. Edward often fights by transmuting the forearm of his automail into a blade. Winry is always kept busy with them, as Edward regularly breaks them during fights. She is constantly looking for new ways to improve them, whether it is an attempt at extending their lifespan or simply lightening the weight. Ed has the special ability to create alchemical currents in his body simply by connecting his hands unlike regular alchemists that normally use transmutation circles. This is a direct result of seeing the Gate of Truth, the source of all alchemic knowledge, while attempting to resurrect his mother. He is adept at changing substances from one thing to another quickly, such as changing water into ethanol, and can transmute the elements of an enemy's body to injure them in battle. In the manga, this knowledge is great enough to save his own life, as he heals a would-be fatal wound. Even without alchemical ability, Edward is a formidable fighter as result of his training with Izumi Curtis, who extensively trained both brothers in the martial arts