Personality Of Edward Elric

On the surface, Edward displays an immature sort of personality. He is decidedly stubborn and strong-willed, frequently letting his pettiness and vindictiveness get the better of him (it is this stubbornness that contributes to Führer Bradley's decision to codename him "Fullmetal", as "Hagane" (literally meaning "steel") is a term in Japanese that denotes someone of obstinate disposition); he is somewhat selfish and remarkably self-absorbed, generally acting more out of self-interest than any sort of philanthropy as well as taking several opportunities to stroke his own ego or flaunt the governmental power and monetary license of his military position. He is largely hostile towards figures of authority and feels little incentive to follow orders with which he disagrees, earning him the distinction of being a loose cannon of sorts. Edward is also rather quick-tempered, resorting more often to steel-fisted violence than calm negotiation to settle disputes (even going so far as to suggest that refraining from hitting Paninya because of her gender is a sexist notion and, therefore, against his principles). He has a reputation for being foul-mouthed and is an incurably sarcastic cynic, only too happy to bluntly and harshly relieve others of their comfortable delusions regarding god, reality, or their own self-importance. Edward has also displayed a propensity towards impatience and an inability to sit still for long, which perhaps contributes to his love of travel.
However, for those few people who have made an impact on him, Ed shows his deeper nature to be one of marked selflessness, unflinching loyalty and great compassion. As someone who has had to suffer greatly at such a young age, Edward cannot ignore the true suffering of others and becomes sympathetic upon sensing pain and resolve in people's hearts. Though his solemn advice to such people is often tempered with brusque criticism, it is only because he genuinely wishes to place them on the most direct path forward. As one who has to struggle with a maimed body, he urges those with healthy bodies to use their strong legs to move forward, and as one burdened by the mistakes of his past, he stresses the necessity of people taking responsibility for their own errs. Though he will intervene on behalf of the oppressed if he concludes that a situation has called for it, Ed tends to help only those with the will - but not the means - to help themselves, in which case his recklessness and disdain for authority often has him bending the rules to dole out a Robin Hood-esque justice in accordance with his strong belief in the concept of Equivalent Exchange, earning him notoriety and popularity as a "hero of the people".

"Shorty?! Could a shorty do this?! What else you want to call me: a half-pint bean-sprout midget?! I'm still growing you backwater desert idiots!"

Added by JapanManiac

Of course, the most noticeable of Edward's dispositional characteristics is his Napoleonic denial of his shortness. Even in moments of relative composure, any and all references to his stature cause him to violently lose control of his emotions and lash out both verbally and physically. Distinctive to these outbursts is Ed's tendency to take even the most casual mention of his height as a gross insult and interpret it exaggeratedly, mistaking words as simple as "small" for phrases as contrived as "so-tiny-that-he-need-not-fear-being-crushed-by-a-boot-because-he-fits-so-easily-between-the-grooves-of-the-sole" and the like. Those unfortunate to utter the word "small" in his presence are fated to suffer one of his vindictive tantrums. Though Edward proudly professes that he does not believe in gods, his spiritual sensibilities tend more toward the agnostic than the atheistic; in private, though he does not pray, he frequently acknowledges the existence of a god in his speech, if only to justify why it is that his life has been so difficult.
Ed's aesthetic sensibilities are also quite twisted in that he is a great fan of gothic or macabre fixtures and will usually transmute decorations filled with monstrous or demonic imagery and unnecessarily gaudy details, much to the dismay of anyone who receives a gift or service from him. He has also made it known that his trademark red coat is part of this general lack of taste, as it is "a badass color [that] gets the blood going".

RelationshipsEdit

Alphonse Elric - Edward's relationship with his younger brother is easily the strongest and most significant of his personal connections. Though the Elric brothers have wildly different personalities and argue often about the best way to go about things, they are close enough that each would readily and willingly give his life for the other. As it is, Edward willingly sacrificed his right arm as material for a Soul Binding Transmutation after Alphonse's whole body was taken into The Gate as part of the payment for the attempted resurrection of their mother. Edward managed to call his brother's soul back from the void and affix it alchemically to a suit of armor, but remains wracked with the guilt of having both initiated the experiment that caused the accident and damning his brother to a cold existence inside an artificial body incapable of physical sensation. Despite his own physical hardships with his automail limbs, Edward appears to care relatively little about returning his body to its original state and is entirely focused on restoring Al as soon as possible.
Winry Rockbell - Ed's relationship with Winry Rockbell is likely one of his more complex personal

Ed comforts Winry.

Added by Ichihime-UsagiBara

connections. Born to the kind family that lived next door to the Elrics, Winry grew up alongside Ed and Al and means as much to them both as would a sister; she and Ed are more than childhood friends, they are a family. As such, however, Edward argues with Winry even more than he does with Al, their similarly stubborn personalities keeping them at odds with one another despite their powerful bond. After the terrible accident that claimed Ed's arm and leg, Winry took on the role of his personal automail mechanic, building him sophisticated new limbs at the tender age of eleven. Since then, Winry has served as Ed's constant well of support, both mechanically and emotionally, though they still find themselves arguing frequently. However, this affectionate hostility appears to be masking a deeper relationship. Though Edward has not outwardly admitted any romantic feelings toward Winry, he is rather overprotective of her and becomes unnaturally flustered at the mere suggestion of an amatory relationship between them. Winry, for her part, has admitted to herself that she fell in love with Edward long ago. This relationship was confirmed at the end of the series, with Ed confessing and eventually marrying Winry. According to the Fullmetal Alchemist Chronicle (Official Guide), they get married in 1917 and have many children. Roy Mustang - Officially, Colonel Roy Mustang is Edward's superior officer, but their relationship is far from the typical professional connection. There exists between them a sort of amicable animosity, as Roy takes a great deal of personal pleasure in teasing Fullmetal and watching him squirm under his orders and, at the same time, Ed takes pleasure in getting around his orders and showing Mustang up whenever he manages to find an opportunity. Though their meetings are fraught with a great deal of apparent, mutual dislike, Flame and Fullmetal hold a great deal of respect for one another and are compatriots as well as co-conspirators in the secret battle against the Homunculi. Having originally scouted the young boy for the State Alchemist program and formed a bond with him, Roy genuinely wishes to see Edward fulfill his goal and Edward also subtly supports Mustang's secret bid to become the Führer and improve the country.
Van Hohenheim - Edward's relationship with his estranged father is strained in both the manga and 2003 anime versions of the storyline. Blaming his mother's death on Hohenheim's sudden departure, Edward antagonizes him and initially refuses to accept the slightest bit of help or cooperation from him. After a while, however, Edward comes to terms with his father's presence and comes to trust his expertise in regards to dealing with the Homunculi.
Trisha Elric - Before her death from a contagious illness in 1904, Edward's dear mother had always been a source of greatest comfort to him. Wishing to fill the void left in Trisha's heart from her husband's sudden and seemingly permanent departure, young Edward did everything he could to make her smile. In fact, it was the fact that his mother was so pleasantly surprised by his alchemical abilities that Edward became so engrossed in alchemy at such a young age. In no uncertain terms, Trisha's death was the defining moment of Edward's young life - the trigger for all the sadness that was to follow. However, he still holds her dearly in his heart, suffering from the void that her absence has left within him.
Izumi Curtis - As a former student of this spartan-minded alchemy mentor, Edward's respect for Izumi's great wealth of knowledge coupled with his memories of her harsh physical and spiritual training during his youth contribute to the fact that she is initially the only person of whom the brash young State Alchemist is outright and unapologetically afraid. That being said, the time she spent raising Edward and Alphonse to be skilled alchemists and wise young men in general has left an immensely profound print on their hearts, causing them to see her (in her gentler moments) as a sort of surrogate mother, just as she seems to look at them as surrogate sons. Their relationship hits a strain with the boys' shame at having directly disobeyed her teachings, but when they own up to their transgression, Edward and Izumi are able to come to an understanding, not merely as master and student or as surrogate mother and son, but as friends and colleagues