Van Hohenheim

Van Hohenheim, also known as Slave Number 23, Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, Sage of the West, Hohenheim Elric, Hohenheim of Light and Mr. Ho, is a character from the Fullmetal Alchemist series.
== Charactah Account ==
Van is the father of Edward and Alphonse Elric, and he is a brilliant and well-known alchemist. He left Ed, Al, and their mother Trisha when Al was a baby and when Ed was very young. Years later, Ed still holds a grudge against him for abandoning his mother, which he believes contributed to her death.
Through Van's devotion to Alchemy and the mysterious circumstances under which he was witnessed abandoning his young family gave the impression that he was cold, he is an unexpectedly softhearted, kindly individual who is quick to give compliments but loath to accept them. Van appears to care very little for his own well-being, much less his dignity (because he thinks of himself as a monster because he became a Human Philosopher's Stone), and is therefore often put in situations that give him the impression of being goofy or eccentric, adding greatly to the series' comic relief.
Slow to anger and apparently a bit of a pacifist, Van would much rather talk out disputes than fight, frequently doing so even while he himself is under vicious attack. Chief among his personality traits appears to be his hopeless romanticism, given his propensity for spouting sappy lines about his love for Trisha Elric, his readiness to weep openly over her, and his charming treatment of women in general. Van lacks the ambition of others, clearly content to take his time dealing with things that do not demand urgency, but in his youth had a hair-trigger temper much like that of his son, Edward, and became irrationally angry when taunted for his ignorance. 
== Appearance ==
=== Anime ===
* Fullmetal Alchemist
* Fullmetal Alchemist Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa
* Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
* Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - 4-Koma Theater
* Fullmetal Alchemist: Reflections
* Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos
=== Light Novels ===
* Fullmetal Alchemist
=== Manga ===
* Fullmetal Alchemist
=== Video Games ===
* Divine Gate
== Trivia ==
* Van is named after Paracelsus, a prolific real-world 16th century Swiss Alchemist, who was born with the name "Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim".
** It is also noteworthy that the Dwarf in the Flask suggested the name "Theophrastus Bombastus".
* Pinako mentioned Van was an old drinking buddy of hers.
** Van later tells Father that he drank so much to satisfy the lust for liquor a soul in him had.
** Van, it's implied he can't get drunk or at least hangovers, due to his Philosopher's Stone healing him.
* In the greatest irony in overview, had Van stayed in Resembool and not tried to stop The Promised Day, he would have prevented Ed and Al from trying Human Transmutation, leaving the amount of Human Sacrifices at half.
** Van possibly could have cured Trisha's sickness.
* Van didn't give Ed and Al his last name to keep them hidden from Father.
* It is interesting to note that while Father is defined by his seven sins, Van Hohenheim is greatly defined by the Seven Virtues. He fell in love with Trisha and remained loyal to her even long after her death (Chastity), he never abuses or exploits his power beyond what is necessary for the situation (Temperance), he is willing to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of others (Charity), he is willing to put in the work to accomplish his goals (Diligence) and is willing to endure great struggle or time in the process (Patience), and despite being incredibly powerful he uses his power to help others (Kindness) and does not see himself as superior to others (Humility).
* Van's backstory may be a reference to the medieval European legend of the Wandering Jew. The Wandering Jew was a man who supposedly heckled Jesus Christ before the latter was crucified at Calvary. After the former’s transgression, he was cursed with eternal life and doomed to wander the earth until the second coming. This parallels Van's arc in many ways. Like the Wandering Jew, he was cursed with an immortal body by Father, was forced to wander the earth for four centuries, and finally passed away after helping his sons thwart the Homunculi's plans on the Promised Day.
** As an interesting footnote, it is also said the Wandering Jew's real name was Ahasuerus, which is the Latinized form of Akhashverosh, which is ultimately the Hebrew rending of the name Xerxes.
* According to notes from Hiromu Arakawa in the Fullmetal Edition, originally Van was going to have a title in his name. One such was called, "Hohenheim the Supreme", but she changed her mind on the idea before publication began. This idea made it into the 2003 anime with "Hohenheim of Light."
== Gallery ==
File:Van Hohenheim Render 01.png
File:Van Hohenheim Fan Art Render 01.png
File:Van Hohenheim 01.png
File:Van Hohenheim 02.png
File:Van Hohenheim 03.png
File:Van Hohenheim 04.png
File:Van Hohenheim 05.png
File:Van Hohenheim Fan Art 01.png
== External Links ==
* Van Hohenheim at Fullmetal Alchemist Wiki
Category:Characters
Category:Males
Category:Fullmetal Alchemist