Canon History
Alphonse Elric was born in Resembool in the year 1899. Al initially lived with his brother Edward Elric, his mother Trisha Elric and his father Van Hohenheim. After Van Hohenheim left, Ed and Al began to study alchemy with their father's textbooks. When their mother discovered this she openly encouraged both Ed and Al to develop their talents further. Trisha Elric died from plague a few years after, leaving the boys as orphans. They were raised by their friend and neighbour Pinako Rockbell. During this time they began to plan to resurrect their mother via alchemy.
During a flood they met Izumi Curtis, and after observing her skills in alchemy they convinced her to train them as alchemists. Both boys traveled to Dublith, where they were taught alchemy along with martial arts and survival skills. After 6 months training they returned to Resembool and attempted Human Transmutation in order to revive their mother. The attempt was unsuccessful snd Alphonse lost his whole body in the process. Ed, having lost his left leg as well, gave his right arm to transmute Al's soul into one of his father's suits of vintage armor laying around.
Very shortly afterwards they were visited by Roy Mustang, who recruited Ed as a state alchemist. Alphonse, however, does not seek to became a state alchemist for fears that people will learn of their human transmutation (which is forbidden) and exploit him as a test subject.
Al's last few years have been seriously turbulent. He has gone from being a human boy to becoming trapped in a suit of armor with no physical body, traveling across the land with his brother in hopes of Finding the Philosopher's stone - something that he initially thought had been a myth. He has seen every person that has sought the stone come to ruin, from Cornello to Marcoh to his teacher's teacher, Dante. And his own father.
He has met and tried to help many people, sometimes relating to them even when they are on opposite sides, and always seeking to understand them despite being "the enemy". Al chooses not to become a state Alchemist even though it is revealed that he solved puzzles and passed parts of the examination that his brother Ed did not.
If there's been any theme in Al's life over the last few years, it has been loss. The loss of his parents, even the rediscovery of his father and what his father was, the loss of Maes Hughes, the possible loss of his brother, and the illness of his teacher have all figured prominently.
Throughout the series, his life has been turned upside down, being kidnapped by Greed and later bonding with one of his mercenaries, Martel, before she was murdered inside him. Al has seen people that he trusted turn out to be corrupt and horribly twisted (Shou Tucker), and at the same time he has seen his "enemies" Scar, Lust, exhibit compassionate, questioning qualities.
Al accepts this, mostly, only breaking down at the worst of times, when he believes that he is not real and has been given false memories by his brother.
After Al's armor is transferred into explosive material, Scar transfers all of his incomplete Philosopher's Stone into Al to save his life. As a result, Al became the Philosopher's Stone. 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 used 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.
Alphonse becomes the Philosopher's Stone and regains 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 uses alchemy in order to resurrect his dying brother. Then Edward, using his own body, resurrects Alphonse.
It is just before Edward resurrects Alphonse that he awakens in Anatole, having lost most of the Philosopher's Stone - and some of his memories - in the transmutation attempt.
During a flood they met Izumi Curtis, and after observing her skills in alchemy they convinced her to train them as alchemists. Both boys traveled to Dublith, where they were taught alchemy along with martial arts and survival skills. After 6 months training they returned to Resembool and attempted Human Transmutation in order to revive their mother. The attempt was unsuccessful snd Alphonse lost his whole body in the process. Ed, having lost his left leg as well, gave his right arm to transmute Al's soul into one of his father's suits of vintage armor laying around.
Very shortly afterwards they were visited by Roy Mustang, who recruited Ed as a state alchemist. Alphonse, however, does not seek to became a state alchemist for fears that people will learn of their human transmutation (which is forbidden) and exploit him as a test subject.
Al's last few years have been seriously turbulent. He has gone from being a human boy to becoming trapped in a suit of armor with no physical body, traveling across the land with his brother in hopes of Finding the Philosopher's stone - something that he initially thought had been a myth. He has seen every person that has sought the stone come to ruin, from Cornello to Marcoh to his teacher's teacher, Dante. And his own father.
He has met and tried to help many people, sometimes relating to them even when they are on opposite sides, and always seeking to understand them despite being "the enemy". Al chooses not to become a state Alchemist even though it is revealed that he solved puzzles and passed parts of the examination that his brother Ed did not.
If there's been any theme in Al's life over the last few years, it has been loss. The loss of his parents, even the rediscovery of his father and what his father was, the loss of Maes Hughes, the possible loss of his brother, and the illness of his teacher have all figured prominently.
Throughout the series, his life has been turned upside down, being kidnapped by Greed and later bonding with one of his mercenaries, Martel, before she was murdered inside him. Al has seen people that he trusted turn out to be corrupt and horribly twisted (Shou Tucker), and at the same time he has seen his "enemies" Scar, Lust, exhibit compassionate, questioning qualities.
Al accepts this, mostly, only breaking down at the worst of times, when he believes that he is not real and has been given false memories by his brother.
After Al's armor is transferred into explosive material, Scar transfers all of his incomplete Philosopher's Stone into Al to save his life. As a result, Al became the Philosopher's Stone. 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 used 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.
Alphonse becomes the Philosopher's Stone and regains 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 uses alchemy in order to resurrect his dying brother. Then Edward, using his own body, resurrects Alphonse.
It is just before Edward resurrects Alphonse that he awakens in Anatole, having lost most of the Philosopher's Stone - and some of his memories - in the transmutation attempt.