Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: 10 smartest characters ranked

Father at full power (Hiromu Arakawa/Square Enix, Viz Media, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood)
Father at full power (Hiromu Arakawa/Square Enix, Viz Media, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood)

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is one of the most iconic and popular anime of them all. An amazing cast, a world full of life and secrets that demand to be uncovered, it has quickly become a classic.

Amongst all the amazing characters in this world filled with knowledge, there are some that excel simply because of their brilliant minds. Thus, this list gives you the 10 smartest characters in all of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.

Disclaimer: This list will be based upon the author’s opinion. The content in the series deals with topics like blood and death, so we recommend discretion. It will contain spoilers for Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.


Who is Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood's smartest character?

10) Solf J. Kimblee

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Once a State Alchemist, Kimblee quickly became one of the world's worst war criminals. His use of destructive alchemy caused the deaths of thousands of innocents during Amestris' invasion of Ishval.

After his release from prison, Kimblee became one of the most heinous villains in the Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. He possessed a cunning mind and a desire for death and destruction. If not for his behaviour, he would have been a brilliant alchemist.


9) Izumi Curtis

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Ed and Al’s teacher and mother figure after the death of their biological mom, Izumi is one of the best Alchemists in all of Amestris. Unfortunately, though, she is weakened by her condition. After losing her baby during labor, she tried human transmutation to bring him back to life. The cost of this transmutation was immense - her internal organs.

Izumi isn't just a great alchemist, she is also one of the strongest fighters in the Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. An amazing teacher, she was able to get her students to reach the level of state alchemist when they were just kids.


8) Dr. Marcoh

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One of the most intelligent alchemists in Amestris, Dr. Marcoh was the first to decipher the recipe for the Philosopher's Stone. After seeing the destruction his investigation caused in the world and the number of lives that were lost due to it, he retired to become a medic in a village.

However, after meeting the Elric brothers and helping them realize that what they were looking for was not the answer to their problems, Dr. Marcoh became one of their biggest allies during their insurgence against the government controlled by Father.


7) Maes Hughes

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Hughes was not only one of the most beloved characters in Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, he was also one of the smartest humans who did not possess any alchemical training. He was a family man who was always bragging about his daughter and wife.

Tragically, his brilliant mind got him killed really early on in the show. He was the first character to discover the dark and awful truth lurking behind his country's government. His sacrifice was not in vain, though, and the heroes were able to honor his memory in the end.


6) Winry Rockbell

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Winry is the youngest Automail mechanic in Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and is also Ed and Al's childhood friend. She has been studying mechanics since she was a child in order to become the best Automail designer for Ed.

She is not only hard working, but also a very caring and kind individual. The fact that she was able to become one of the best Automail creators in Amestris at such a young age is a testament to her incredible mind and dedication.


5) Edward Elric

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The elder of the Elric Brothers, Edward was born with a prodigious mind that allowed him to read his father’s alchemy books even as a child. After his father left their family and his mother died from an illness, Edward became obsessed with obtaining the secret of human transmutation.

He became the youngest state Alchemist in Amestris, and his intellect and incredible fighting skills made him one of the best too. Unfortunately, he is very temperamental and cooky, causing him to commit a few mistakes along the way.


4) Scar’s Brother

Although he was never named and was barely seen during Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Scar’s brother was one of the smartest people in the entire series. He didn't just understand alchemy and its principles but was also able to combine them with Xing’s alkahestry.

His brother, Scar, carries the fruits of his labor in his arms - two Dragon Pulse tattoos that contain different alchemical runes, combined with alkahestrian ones. One arm can to deconstruct anything it touches, while the other reconstructs it in any form.

A brilliant mind murdered unjustly and before time.


3) Alphonse Elric

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The youngest of the Elric brothers, Alphonse is a kind soul who dislikes to fight. He studied alchemy with his brother when he was a toddler, and would later continue his education under Izumi’s guidance.

His entire body was taken into Truth's world after Alphonse and his brother attempted to bring their mother back to life with human transmutation. He was forced to inhabit a suit of armor since then.

Yet, despite that disadvantage, Alphonse is one of the best fighters and most intelligent researchers. After the end of the series, he would go on to study alkahestry to make the world a better place.


2) Van Hohenheim

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Hohenheim used to be a slave in the defunct country of Xerxes. After coming across a Dawrf in a jar called The Homunculus, he started studying alchemy with the being's help. Later, he was also able to discover the secret of eternal life, which he offered to the king.

However, he was tricked by Father, the creature that lived in the jar, turning both of them into living philosopher's stones. Hohenheim decided to stop Father's quest for the power of God and left the family which was his only joy.

A brilliant and tragic character who could learn even as an uneducated slave but one who was tricked by an evil being.


1) Father

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The original homunculus, Father, is after the power of God, otherwise known as the Truth. His intellect is such that he didn't just orchestrate all the horrible events in Amestris, but the entire history of the world since his creation.

With the help of his children, the Homunculi, Father became a ruler from the shadows. He was waiting to enact his plan of bloodshed and using a giant transmutation circle to obtain the ultimate power.

However, it was the combined efforts of each of the heroes of the story and Father's own hubris that eventually defeated him.

He still remains the ultimate villain of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.


Disclaimer: All external media in this article are the property of their respective owners and Sportskeeda claims no ownership of the same.

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Edited by Madhur Dave
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