Edward Elric

== Edward Elric ==
Edward Elric,  commonly nicknamed Ed,   is the main protagonist of the series. His military codename is The Fullmetal Alchemist, or simply Fullmetal. 
== == Birthday ==
The exact date of Ed's birthday is a subject of much speculation. The anime gave Edward a date of birth, but Arakawa specified that she avoids giving birthdates to her characters because it limits what she can do with the story. She mentioned that she thought of Edward being born in the winter, but that her perception of winter was skewed because, in her birthplace, wintry weather would sometimes last nearly six months.
Additionally, Edward's birthday of February 3rd in the anime was to coincide with the birth of Elicia Hughes, when, in the manga, they don't necessarily have the same birthday. It is generally accepted that Ed's birthday falls between January and February 1899, but it has occasionally been implied that his birthday might be in 1905, as is the case in one of the OVA's, in which Ed was shown to be 100 years old in 2005, making his birthday sometime in 1904 or 1905. Though, in the original anime, when Ed passed through the gate to the world on the other side (our world around WWI), it mentioned that the year was 1917, making it three years ahead of Amestris in Ed's world.
 
== Personality ==
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 version of the 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.) Because of this it is speculated that he has a . 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, , 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. He seems to have feelings of repressed anger towards his father, often physically striking out at his father at sight, irritated at his very presence and is particularly scornful and hypocritical towards him, even when Hohenheim is showing signs of remorse over Trisha's death. Because of Hohenheim's gentle nature, he usually allows these behavior
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== History ==
story begins in February 1910, when he and , his younger brother, attempt to resurrect their dead mother by a forbidden act of : . The process requires the correct proportion of elements that constitute a human body, (according to the dialogs this includes 35 liters of water, 20 kilograms of carbon, 4 liters of ammonia, 1.5 kilograms of lime, 800 grams of phosphorus, 250 grams of sodium, 100 grams of saltpeter, 80 grams of sulfur, 7.5 grams of fluorine, 5 grams of iron, 3 grams of silicon, and trace amounts of fifteen other elements) as well as the more metaphysical element of a human soul which is rendered by Ed and Al through a drop of one another's blood, the same blood as that of Trisha Elric.
The attempt backfires, resulting in Al losing his body and Ed his left leg, as well as bringing to life an inhuman monster. In order to save Al's soul, Ed sacrifices his right arm to bind Al's soul to a nearby suit of armor using knowledge he attained from this glimpse into the Gate of Truth. Unbeknownst to Ed at the time, he also gains the rare ability to perform transmutations without a circle. In order to regain what they had lost, Ed and Al decide to search for the legendary Philosopher's Stone, which allows an alchemist to perform transmutations that violate the Law of Equivalent Exchange (which states that in order to gain, something of equal value must be lost). To gain access to the vast amount of research and information on alchemy available only to State Alchemists, Ed and Al decide to take the notoriously difficult State Alchemist entrance exam.
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