Alphonse Elric

Alphonse Elric is one of the two main protagonists of the Fullmetal Alchemist anime (both the 2003 series and the 2009 Brotherhood adaptation, though Brotherhood is the more widely accepted faithful version today).

In the anime, Alphonse is Edward Elric's younger brother. During a forbidden human transmutation to resurrect their deceased mother, he lost his entire physical body except his soul. Edward sacrificed his right arm and left leg to bind Al's soul to a suit of armor using alchemy.

As a result, Alphonse exists as a giant suit of medieval-style armor (about 7 feet tall) with a red blood rune seal on the inside of the neck plate. He has no flesh, blood, or sense of touch/smell/taste, and he doesn't need to eat, sleep, or breathe. His soul is anchored to the armor, so he can move and speak, but he feels deep loneliness and guilt over the transmutation accident.

Personality-wise, Al is gentle, kind, compassionate, and level-headed—often acting as the emotional and moral anchor for the more hot-headed Edward. He's polite, thoughtful, and deeply caring toward others, with a strong sense of justice. Despite his intimidating armored appearance, he has a soft, almost innocent nature and is frequently mistaken for the "older brother" due to his size.

He spends the series searching with Edward for a way to restore their bodies, using his soul-bound armor to protect others and fight with surprising grace and strength (he can punch through walls, run at high speeds, and use alchemy). His journey explores themes of sacrifice, humanity, and the value of life. Voiced by Rie Kugimiya (Japanese) in both major adaptations (and Aaron Dismuke in English dubs).