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Edward "Fullmetal Alchemist" Elric is a young alchemical prodigy. He has a bright mind, an unyielding willpower, and a loud mouth. He is the youngest State Alchemist to ever be recognized by the Amestris State Military, having received the title at the age of 12. Ed's primary motivation throughout the series is to return his younger brother (whom he superannuates by one year) Alphonse to his original body, which was lost in a botched human transmutation. Edward, despite his occasional bouts of immaturity, is a selfless boy that gains a reputation as a "hero of the people" throughout his youth. Notably, he doesn't seem concerned about returning his own arm and leg, instead focusing entirely on Al's suffering. He despises authority, an agnostic who enjoys nothing more than serving up Robin Hood-esque justice to people in need (and gains some fame from it).

His State Alchemist (or "second") name, "Fullmetal", was given to him by Fuhrer Bradley upon passing the State Alchemist certification at the age of 12. Bradley thought it was an appropriate title considering the irony of his automail (note at end), his artificial arm and leg. This could also be seen as a playful knock on the boy, seeing as his brother is the one that is truly 'Fullmetal', and would thus cause many cases of mistaken identity. It may also be that State Alchemists are not named for what they are, but for their outstanding achievements in Alchemy. In this case, Edward's title of Fullmetal would have been presented to him for his successful binding of his brother, Alphonse's, soul to a suit of armor. Another reason Edward may be called "Fullmetal" is because he is stubborn. "Fullmetal" is a term used to describe someone who is stubborn or headstrong.

Ed is short with a somewhat stocky build. He has golden-blonde hair and gold eyes. His body is that of an experienced martial artist, with noticeable muscles and a wealth of agility. Although he lacks both his right arm and left leg, Ed's ability to fight is not impaired. His heavy automail limbs are considered by him to be the very best in Amestris. They were made by his childhood friend, Winry Rockbell, and she is constantly working on them. He is able to think quickly, even in desperate situations. These qualities, combined with his alchemical powers, and his incredible physical strength make him a formidable fighter. He is ambidextrous, but usually uses his left hand for writing. This is because it is difficult writing with his auto-mail hand.

Ed's strong personality is revealed most when others make jokes about his height. He doesn't tolerate phrases such as "pipsqueak", "half-pint", "bean sprout", "short stuff", and he becomes so enraged by such quips that he usually screams back with a highly exaggerated insult that is nowhere near the scale of the original remark. (In one episode, Archer even reaches for his sidearm as Ed yells about one such insult.) When Ed is not out on a mission for the Philosopher's Stone or just an odd job for Roy Mustang, he is a kind, laidback person. However, regardless of whether or not he is on the job, Ed can hold a grudge for an eternity, and will go to extreme lengths to get an apology. Ed is extremely idealistic--almost to a fault--and strongly believes in the theory of "Equivalent Exchange". He regards religion and superstition cynically, instead believing that alchemy and science are the true saviors of humanity. He shows little remorse in defeating the false prophet Cornello in Liore and "taking away the hope of the people", although he does show more compassion when dealing with the religious Ishbalans. It is unknown from whom Ed inherited his hot temper as neither his Father nor Mother are quite so impassioned. It is, however, speculated that some of his anger issues are from his alchemy and martial arts teacher, Izumi Curtis, who has similar terrifying facial expressions(in a flashback episode, Edward once called her "Obasan" [or "Older woman"] to which Izumi responded in a way very reminiscent to Edward's own tantrums). It maybe also come for resentment to his father, who abandoned him, his brother and mother, and letting his mother to die in vain.

Despite his diminutive height, Edward is a very powerful alchemist who, unlike most practitioners, can perform alchemy without the use of a transmutation circle, also known as an array. In the anime, he first discovered when taking the state entrance exam, he saved a man's life by turning a falling hot air balloon into a shower of cherry blossom petals. (He did, however, once do it by accident when Gracia was giving birth and he boiled a pot of water without a transmutation circle.) In the manga, however, Edward's first transmutation done without the use of a circle was when he transmuted Al's soul into the suit of armor.

Whenever an alchemist is seen doing a transmutation without a circle in the anime, the transmutation starts by clapping hands together (except in the case of Wrath who fuses with the object being transmuted). Alchemists with this ability includes Edward, Izumi Curtis, Wrath, Dante and Hohenheim. Edward does this in such a way that his arms form a circle, effectively making his body the missing transmutation circle.

Note: Edward's ignorance of this ability in the anime version constitutes a continuity error to some fans, in that the Gate is supposed to give knowledge of alchemy rather than unexplained special abilities. This, however, could be explained by the fact that Ed was preoccupied with transmuting his brother's soul rather than understanding what he gained. It is later revealed, when Edward is telling his teacher the story of what happened on the night they tried to resurrect their mother, that while he saw that the gate contained knowledge and the truth, there was simply too much for him to take in and comprehend. He gained the knowledge, but was incapable of understanding what he had learned.

Piczo