Mayfield Applictaion
Character Name: Edward Elric
Character Series: Fullmetal Alchemist (manga/brotherhood)
Character Age: 17
Background: Wiki link! Just the manga/2009 anime stuff.
Personality:
It’s easy to assume that Edward Elric is nothing more than a selfish, stubborn, snot-nosed, fouth-mouthed brat with an ego bigger than he is tall. He’s a troublemaker without trying to be one, he has issues with authority, he gets upset over petty issues (like his height), and he’s quick to anger -- usually skipping the “calm talking” stage and going right into the “kicking your ass” stage. He’s impatient to say the least and isn’t fond of sitting still for too long. Basically he’s the poster child for delinquency. It wouldn’t be wrong to think that way either. Ed certainly can be -- and often is -- just as childish and naive as people think he is, but believing he is only that and nothing more belies who he is -- his goals, his wants and needs, his principles.
He’s blunt and cynical -- telling people exactly what they don’t want, but need to hear. His words are usually harsh and he absolutely revels in relieving people of their foolish beliefs of god, their own sense of self-importance, and their delusions of what reality is and is not. For instance as he and Al are leaving the town of Reole (or Lior, however you want to spell it) he tells a distraught, lost and heartbroken Rose that she pretty much just needs to get over her issues, saying that she has “two strong legs” and she should use them to get up, stand on her own and keep moving forward. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear after “her last hope was destroyed”, but she needed it and more importantly, she took his advice to heart and finally started living on her own terms.
As someone who has suffered greatly in the past, Ed is unable to look away from the suffering of others, helping people who have the will, but not the means, to help themselves. He does a good job of hiding kindness behind blunt, harsh words and reckless behavior. His methods aren’t always exactly orthodox, but he means well and he does what he does because he genuinely wants to see people succeed and take the right path. Though he seems to act for his own benefit, he is honestly a very selfless person and is fiercely loyal to those he cares about. He gave up his arm to bring his brother back, he goes out of the way to help people who need it, is willing to put himself in harms way if it means saving a life.
Which brings up one of the most important aspects about Ed -- his view on life and what it means to be human. He outright refuses to kill or see anyone get killed because of him. He blames himself for being unable save Nina Tucker and the death of Brigadier General Maes Hughes. It was because Hughes found out too much about the what was going on behind the scenes of Amestris’ government that he was killed and that is something Ed will never forgive himself for. Because of his own brother’s situation, he has a very wide view of what constitutes as “human”. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a body, you still a soul, you’re still alive. A life is a life, even if someone doesn’t deserve it. He isn’t God. He doesn’t have the right to decide who lives and who dies.
He carries a lot of weight on his shoulders and has trouble sharing his problems with others or asking for help. He’d rather not get anyone else involved and is tight lipped even to his mechanic, and childhood friend, Winry -- never so much as letting her know where he and Al are or if they’re safe. He blames himself most of what has happened to him and despite Al saying he didn’t hate him for putting him in an armor body, he still carries that guilt with him.
Ed lives his life by the law of Equivalent Exchange which states that “in order to obtain or create anything, something of equal value must first be lost in return”. He lost his mother, is partly responsible for the loss of his own limbs and his brother’s body, and is the reason his little brother is stuck in a suit of armor. What he wants, more than anything in the world, is to set things right -- to get his brother’s body back, to be able to have a place to call home, to somehow be forgiven for the sins he bears. He’s stubborn for a reason. He has something he wants, a promise he intends to keep at any cost, he will give up whatever he has to in exchange.
Abilities:
Ed’s something of a genius. Ok, not something of, he is a genius. This kid’s got one hell of a head on his shoulders and that’s definitely landed him in trouble, but what he’s known for is alchemy.
Alchemy is the science of manipulating and altering matter by using natural energy in a process called transmutation. It’s complicated and follows the strict law of Equivalent Exchange. To be an alchemist and use the skill properly requires a comprehensive understanding of chemistry and alchemical theory. In addition, alchemists must be able to understand and recognize what physical objects are made up of and be able to control the flow and balance of energy within it.
For a more detailed explanation, the wiki will be able to tell you everything you wanted to know and then some about how alchemy works in his world.
Ed is considered an alchemical prodigy. This isn’t just because of his skill, intelligence, or the fact that he’s the youngest State Alchemist in Ametris’ history. Ed is one of the only people capable of performing alchemical transmutions without a transmutation circle. This is a big, big deal.
Like most alchemists, Ed has a specialization. His alchemy tends to deal with the transmutation of inanimate, solid objects. This isn’t to say that he isn’t capable of anything else, because he most certainly is. All that means is he’s more just more likely to use it than any other type.
He’s not only an alchemic genius - he’s also one hell of a fighter. His alchemy teacher made sure of that. She has a philosophy, one her students remember quite clearly, “to train the spirit, you must first train the body.” Ed can endure a lot - he’s strong, agile, and damn is he quick.