In the world of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, many power players are jockeying for position in Amestris. While Father schemes from the shadows and Roy Mustang plots to replace King Bradley as president, Major-General Armstrong oversees the reputable Fort Briggs to the north, the steely barrier between Amestris and Drachma.
Major-General Olivier Armstrong is a tough commander who may lack alchemy, but she has an incredible aptitude for leading an army and assessing the weaknesses of her enemy. It was she who led the assault on Central during the Promised Day, and she is also a capable swordfighter. In many regards, she is a consummate hero and commander, but with the right twists, she could be a cool villain instead. How might that work out?
10 Hero: Inspires Trust
This is never explicitly states during the series, but Olivier Armstrong has a theme of trust and honesty about her, which sets her apart from the likes of Envy, Solf J. Kimblee and the scheming General Raven. Not everyone likes Olivier's tough and unforgiving ways, but at least she's a straight shooter.
Honesty is an essential virtue in a person, and that desire for truth and integrity is what put her at odds with General Raven and the other commanders who are a part of Father's grand plans. She could never abuse her position for personal gain like that.
9 Villain: Threatening People
When Edward and Alphonse Elric arrived at Fort Briggs, Olivier tested them first be sure of who they were. Even when Ed and Al proved their identities, Olivier warned them to follow the rules and behave themselves, or she'd tear Ed's hair antenna right off his head.
Edward was terrified, and he realized that this Armstrong was very different from the one he already knew. Olivier may not be a villain, but sometimes she talks like one, and using threats to keep people in line is exactly what a villain does.
8 Hero: Supporting Her Brother
Olivier Armstrong doesn't seem to care much about her younger brother Alex Armstrong, and she often thrashes him and talks down to him. But that's just her being a gruff tsundere type. Soon enough, her words and actions proved her familial loyalty.
Like a true big sister, Olivier had trained Alex extensively and conditioned him to endure great pain and injury on the battlefield, and she had faith in Alex to endure Sloth's attacks and keep fighting. That's just how a hero, and a good big sister, will act.
7 Villain: Gruff With Others
If this aspect of Olivier's personality was magnified and sharpened, it could really define her if she became an actual villain in the story. Even as a hero, Olivier is brusque and chilly toward others, such as the time Roy gave her a bouquet to hide a paper message inside.
Olivier got the message, and he suggested that Olivier should keep the flowers and appreciate their symbolism for ladylike charm. Other women in the Amestris military might have liked that, but instead, Olivier got annoyed and threw the bouquet right into the fire. What a waste.
6 Hero: Protecting Her Parents
Olivier was soon caught up on the nature and extent of Father's plans, and she realized that whatever was going to happen, it was going to cause a lot of harm to the people of Amestris. Personally, Olivier had aging parents at home, and she didn't want them caught in the crossfire.
So, she visited her parents with Alex and suddenly but firmly urged them to take a much-needed vacation to relax, and she named Xing as a great tourist destination. Inspired by their daughter's ideas, the older Armstrongs packed their bags (and brought their youngest daughter with them) and temporarily departed Amestris.
5 Villain: Useful Base Of Operations
Let's imagine an alternate timeline where Olivier Armstrong becomes a villain. A proper supervillain needs a lair, and Olivier already has one. She's stationed at Fort Briggs, a thick and tough barrier that has many rooms, furnaces and other essentials inside.
As a villain, Olivier would be practically immune to any hero's attacks on her base, and even if they broke inside, Olivier could hunt down and slay any trespassing heroes at swordpoint. The cold metal walls of Briggs would soon echo with the cries of the slain.
4 Hero: No Racism
That officer to Olivier's right is Major Miles, who is part Ishvalan. Olivier is a loyal and immaculate officer of the Amestris military, and she never voiced any moral objections to the Ishval Civil War. But then again, she had no qualms about accepting a part-Ishvalan officer to her crew.
Olivier evaluated Miles based on not his race, but his capabilities, and that is the best way to do things. Ed, too, spoke openly with Miles about the civil war, and didn't feel the need to walk on eggshells around him. Miles is thankful for all this, that's for sure.
3 Villain: Ruthless Streak
Whether serving as a hero or a villain in Fullmetal Alchemist, Olivier is a distinctly ruthless person. After all, she believes in "survival of the fittest," and sees each day as a test of a person's strength and cunning. To her, a person has to constantly earn the right to be alive.
If Olivier were a villain, she could push that idea into overdrive, and challenge many heroes and demand that they defend their right to live. And if Olivier captured any prisoners or cornered a hero, she could make similar demands, and the viewers can squirm in their seats as the hero struggles to prove themselves.
2 Hero: Walking The Walk
Olivier Armstrong is comfortable in her position of leadership, and being the ruthless and resourceful commander she is, Olivier will sometimes give risky orders to her men. But she's not the type to demand that everyone else face the risks for her.
Instead, Olivier takes pride in the fact that she will never give an order that she wouldn't follow herself. Olivier is the type to lead from the front of an army, not the back, and she thus dodges any illusion of being a coward or hypocrite.
1 Villain: Love Of Weapons
Olivier is quite fond of weapons of all calibers, from cannons and prototype battle tanks to fancy swords and variations of alchemy and alkahestry. As she explained it, defending Fort Briggs is a major responsibility, so she must develop, buy or steal any weapon she must to keep the Amestris-Drachma border secure.
In fact, she was interested in finding a way to weaponize the healing art of alkehestry, something that bothered Alphonse a great deal. As a villain, Olivier could find all kinds of creative and vicious ways to weaponize just about anything, and vaporize the heroes with her fancy guns and alchemist minions. Anything can be a weapon if you stab your opponent hard enough with it.