Although not the titular hero of Fullmetal Alchemist, the series wouldn't be complete without his loyal, ever-positive brother Alphonse. Both of them suffered through a horrific tragedy the night they attempted to transmute their mother back to life, but Al got the short end of the stick, as he lost his entire physical form. Now unable to eat or sleep like everyone else, he instead has to suffer through those moments in an eerie, lonely silence that he admits at one point is too painful for him to bear forever.
Despite having been through so much tragedy and hardship, though, Alphonse never lets anything phase him. Being the more emotionally mature of the Elric brothers, he's often the one keeping his elder brother out of trouble. However, while he does possess quite the slew of likable traits, he's still a balanced character with his own set of weak points.
10 Strength: He Remains Forever Optimistic
There isn't a single event too terrible to make Alphonse throw away his positive outlook on life, even after being bound to a suit of armor that could potentially reject him anytime. He never once believes that they won't be able to restore both he and his brother's bodies, and he typically doesn't appear sad that he can't eat food in his current state. Instead, he channels that energy into excitement for the future, writing down a list of food he wants to eat when he regains his human form.
9 Weakness: He Can Be Overly Passive
Alphonse is an incredibly emotionally mature character who's able to read how other people feel quite easily. However, this leads to one of his greatest weaknesses: he tends to be passive even when his instinct is absolutely correct.
This is seen as early as the very first flashback of the series, as he had an ominous feeling as he and Ed were going to attempt transmutation. He kept silent due to his brother's overwhelming excitement, however.
8 Strength: He Has Exceptional Emotional Control
Although Al is still very much a child in all matters aside from his new outward appearance, he possesses impressive emotional control for even most adults. He rarely shows fear in the face of danger, much like his brother, and he's the one of the pair who often has to hold the other back when he loses it.
Now, Al may seem like he isn't capable of having extreme emotional outbursts, but he's actually stated to be just as passionate as his brother. However, his fuse isn't quite as short, so he never gets to be the one of the pair to lose it- which is quite beneficial for their dynamic, given how often Ed loses his temper.
7 Weakness: He Possesses A Childlike Sense Of Naivety
It can be easy to forget due to his maturity and physical appearance, but Alphonse really is the younger of the Elric brothers. This manifests in its own way, particularly in Alphonse's naive lens, which tends to view the world.
This makes him more likely to believe strangers have good intentions and believe in them, whereas Ed remains skeptical. Al is also the one who didn't realize the dark truth about Shao Tucker until after Ed called him out, showing that he doesn't quite see all the evil in the world yet given his younger age.
6 Strength: He's Able To Inspire People Just As Much As Edward
Edward is typically the brother that's shown inspiring other people they meet throughout their journeys, such as Rose and the people of Liore. His actions help Scar begin to turn a new leaf and follow a path less stained in blood.
However, Alphonse is actually just as much of a key emotional supporter throughout the series, particularly for his brother. Since he's really the only person Ed lets extremely close to him, he's typically seen as the one helping to guide him back on the right path when he starts to lose his way.
5 Weakness: He Blames Himself For Things Out Of His Control
Alphonse has a bad habit of feeling as if he's responsible for much more misfortune than he truly is. He believes it's his fault that Ed lost part of his body, as he had to pay an extra price to bind Al's soul to the suit of armor.
In fact, he blames himself for the entire tragedy, even though, if anything, it was Edward who pushed the two forward into attempting it. Both brothers harbor extreme feelings of personal responsibility for what happened, one of the negative traits they share.
4 Strength: He's An Expert At Handling Animals
While Ed is shown not to be too outwardly fond of animals- or at least, not great at dealing with them due to his temperament- Al's gentle soul meshes quite well with the small animals he encounters during the series. He keeps Mei's panda safe for her after the two are separated, and aside from an initial upset outburst, the panda doesn't really have a problem being around Al.
He's also shown to hide stray cats in his armor whenever he finds them, as his empathetic nature won't allow him to leave them stranded. However, Ed always finds out and makes him release them- which is understandable due to the danger they throw themselves into, but still saddening on Al's behalf.
3 Weakness: He Harbors Complex Insecurities But Refuses To Voice Them
Due to Alphonse's unique circumstances regarding his body and way of life, it's no wonder that he finds it hard to open up to others about his worries. He's afraid of being trapped in his current state forever, or worse, being rejected altogether and dying before that goal can be achieved.
He also fears that he may never have been a human, to begin with, instead of having been implanted with false memories by Ed and maybe even the Rockbells as well. He's never seen truly opening up about this, though, instead of leading to an emotional outburst and one of the series's weakest arcs.
2 Strength: He's Able To Be Edward's Parental Figure Despite Being Younger
Alphonse may be the younger of the Elric brothers, but he's also the one who took on the definitive 'parental' role after their mother's passing. After all, Al is shown to control his emotions better, allowing him to reign Ed in without becoming heated himself.
Winry herself even remarks that Al reminds him of Ed's parent rather than a brother when he's seen worrying over him after they all finish a meal. Ed passes out with his stomach exposed, which Al states are a 'careless habit' of is, and that he really should be more careful- exactly like a concerned parent.
1 Weakness: Due To His Childlike Innocence, He's Easy To Manipulate
Although Al's childlike view of the world can come in handy when the brothers need a dose of positivity, it's also something that lands him in many troublesome situations. He even questioned for a moment if the priest in Liore really could bring people back from the dead since his followers seemed to so passionately believe so, even when they knew it was impossible.
This is also the reason why he lets Barry the Chopper get so deep inside his head. He has a childlike desire to believe that others have good intentions and wouldn't lie to him, even if they're clearly doing so. In the 2003 anime, this is also shown when the brothers are repeatedly lied to and made fools of, but Al still wants to believe her intentions are pure and that her lies were merely coincidences.