Character Analysis: The Brothers Elric

Love is an easy thing to say, but duty, devotion and efficiency are simple concepts yet challenging to maintain.

Two brothers, deliberately made asymmetrical in art style thanks to Hiromu Arakawa’s ingenious blend of familial ties and classic alchemical formulae, both Alphonse and Edward throughout Fullmetlal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alcehmist: Brotherhood are defined by what happens after an ill-fated attempt to use necromancy to revive their mother. One stripped of his body entirely, with his soul confined to a large suit of armour faces the idea of living without rest or pause, contemplating even the possibility that he is merely an automaton, yet never loses love or trust in his brother. Edward, the more “human” face ironically possesses perhaps a little less obvious empathy or innocence than Alphonse, bearing not only a prosthetic arm and leg but the guilt for what was done to his brother, the price they paid and which he desperately seeks to reverse, but from the beginning of the series firmly deciding not to use the bodies or subsume the wills of others as is the case of the many enemies they fight.

Each brother, at a young age finds themselves pressed into a position tied to the military police of an oppressive regime. Their dealing with individuals willing to blend others into human chimeras draws out a certain coldness, a reserve in battle, while slowly opening to the past, combat and mystery being the constant catalyst for their shared quest and continued transformation.

Material efficiency in terms of ‘equivalent exchange’ brings elements of elemental magic and historical concepts of alchemy to the series, creating inventive fights and aesthetics for the manga and shows. However, much like the inspiration for the Elric surname the Elric of Melnibone, each duragonist faces the materialistic, but non commodified question of the heart, the soul. Alphonse as a metal suit is larger, physically stronger, no longer subject to disease, yet is always perceived as cursed. The ‘item’ to be feared losing is very clearly and explicitly the soul, the notion of compassion, and through the quick use of a soul binding Edward managed to keep Alphonse’s mind from death by binding him to the metal. It could be argued that this desperate impulse came from love, and that the painful lessons of loss prevalent so heavily from the series, within a violent setting and subversive and fascistic society is that notions of academic curiosity or power may seem intoxicating at first, but the consequences usually result in being bloodied personally, and suffering by seeing those one loves come to torment or permanent disability or death.

Both of the Elric brothers are child soldiers essentially, and at their core a great deal like their partial namesake: Elric of Melniboné. Part of their tragedy and character is the tenacity to weild incredible powers of alchemy (or sorcery for the X). calling upon higher powers, ultimately possessing notable intellect, but underestimating and being mentally and physically tortured by more malevolent forces, and their combat prowess is nothing less than vital in a nation that conscripts them, against terrorist cells, dissidents and conspiracies of those in typical daemonic fashion are chimeras and creatures that once were men and women.

The brothers analyse enemies to beat them and pick up martial art styles the capacity to study being not only a virtue but short hand for magical power in this universe.

Interestingly, both play to imposing facades and provoke genuine terror is some villains despite it not being who they are. Edward’s rage -often regarding his height- is a joke, but contrasting it is quest moments where he truly ponders not executing people despite the ability and on a literal level, art shows Alphonse’s armour can be damned imposing. It simply does not occur to Alphonse to be as brutal as he could, a steel weight that may use martial arts and disabling strikes, but not crush or impale with the suits spikes. The boys embody young gentlemen with a capacity for violence tempered by compassion allowing themselves to be laughed at and never displaying any kind of dominance desire or wish to manipulate or abuse with their physical or mental powers.

Edward begs to offer his arm, his leg, even his heart because his brother is all he has. He asks Scar -an initial antagonist and terrorist from another country- before the prospect of death simply not to harm Al. We are shown the brothers will sacrifice themselves especially for each other and are close because of not only love but the mystery, while fighting and sparring and learning, growing as people this is also in the constructive pursuit of restoration, alchemists in the older sense of essentially a proto or esoteric chemist and the more modern philosophical alchemist transmuting their own human condition.

Both Elric brothers importantly however share both intelligence and strength. No brains v brawn older younger divide commonplace elsewhere.

I very much enjoy that Alphonse truly never loses his temper, the principles and nature body boys have isn’t removed or deconstructed or anything like that. they suffer, but still achieve a happy ending because they were pressured and tested but reacted like the formation of diamond or the chemical process that distils the purity of something with other substrate moved away. As Louis Armstrong says: the process of alchemy is analysis, into destruction, into recreation, a process which applies to people as well on a literal and psychological level within the series. To be bared from sleep, eating and drinking or feeling without your skin and not to break is admirable conviction, and a case of a rare ‘sweet warrior’ for lack of a batter word.

Al is a rather dark take on the knight in shining armour, that armour being an awful prison and curse while Al’s soul remaining as a smear of blood is noble and selfless, animating that armour and what it symbolises. Nothing, not even the happy ending is not earned without consequences being set echoing the alchemy theme and pondering consequences. An example of their scholarly and compassionate hope is his notebook of things to enjoy with the return of his body.

Sacrifice, not devotion or heroics are the critical and primary trait of the Elric brothers; although I would argue that sacrifice is their heroism. There is no amount of amputation, torture, battle, or existential dread that will stop them. Each is absolutely devoted to the other, one of the most visually haphazard, sadly in the ‘present’ unalike pairings in fiction. a humanoid automaton, gigantic, inhuman, yet more pensive and excitable. With a brother with mechanical augmetics, a hothead, in truth artificially shortened due to consuming enough food to sustain his brother’s body in its state of limbo.

The Elric brothers begin the series having offered part of their bodies, and every episode attempts to test their souls. Against this, their childlike naivety, humour and heroism without cynicism or a snarky rejoinder. While each has the tendency to angst, and are far from perfect boys growing into their adolescence, to their credit much of their development is addressing how they appear to those they love. They act, they isolate, and possess the self-assuredness of detectives and special operations agents. But when this comes at the expense of a friend, when they are at risk of going too far in their violence, their positive qualities and trust in each other brings them around the colourful ensemble, the deliberately contrasting yin to the yang of the Homunculi, sharing the aspects of power and intelligence, but with no love, ability to change, and arguably the quest to find and possess reciprocated love.

Each brother is flexible and simple in their fighting style, giving them the advantage of not being overspecialised. It’s enjoyable to see a series that integrates and understands the merits of martial art as well, much like their technological reliance and the importance of Winry, each sought out and learned from a tutor that honed their minds. Their discipline as children is commendable, implied to lead in the finale to Alphonse especially possessing incredible ability. Because paired with this devotion, implementing the hard lessons of suffering and sacrifice, is the humility and friendliness allowing the brothers to learn so much, their assembled cadre of allies bestowing a wealth of knowledge, cultural mores, battle techniques, a cause worth fighting for. And constantly in this series, it is to great effect that so many relatives and friends work together so well, narratively as well as to provide impressive and entertaining spectacle.