One of the most compelling parts of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the alchemy the characters use: it's presented like a magic system, even if it's meant to be based in science. The alchemists in the series are able to use some pretty magnificent powers to stop the show's villains from enacting their plans — or to aid them, depending on whose side they're on. The various types of alchemy that exist in the anime's world make for some intense battle scenes between the characters, too, especially when one brand of alchemy is drastically different from the other.
Of course, not every person viewers meet during Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is an alchemist. But fans do get to see some pretty powerful ones in action, from the series' main characters, the Elric brothers, to the highest-ranking members of the military, like Roy Mustang and Alex Louis Armstrong. Here are the strongest.
Update April 10th, 2020 by Louis Kemner: The story of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is all about ambition, the price of arrogance, human drama, and the abuse of power to cruel ends. In this series, alchemy is a powerful force that can either be used to heal or to harm others. Many different characters used it to different ends, and we have decided to add five more characters in this list who make remarkable use of alchemy in all sorts of ways.
15 Shou Tucker
One of the most widely reviled characters in all of anime, Shou Tucker is infamous for fusing his daughter Nina with their dog Alexander into a chimera, in an effort to keep his state alchemy license and impress Central.
He is known as the "sewing-life alchemist," able to understand how to use alchemy on living things and create chimeras. He's not on the same level as Tim Marcoh, but he did earn that alchemist pocket watch for a reason.
14 Giolio Comanche
Not much is seen of this alchemist, as he died in the first scene in which he appears. This petite old man is well dressed and has earned the title of the "silver alchemist," due to his tendency to make steel weapons out of nearly anything.
His hands are covered in all kinds of alchemy tattoos for the job, and he can make weapons and spin around like a helicopter to slice his enemies to bits. It didn't work so well against Scar, though.
13 Basque Grand
This burly state alchemist is known as the "iron blood alchemist," due to his skills in transforming stone and minerals into cannons that can actually fire projectiles like a regular cannon. This is a remarkable skill.
If need be, he can also create chains and prison boxes of iron to trap an opponent, but he gets careless once he thinks he's won. It's possible to dodge his cannons, and up close, he could do little against Scar.
12 Isaac McDougal
Next up is the freezing alchemist Isaac McDougal. He only appears in the 2009 anime, and even then, only in the first episode. He made a good first impression, though, with his flexible alchemy skills.
Isaac can freeze any water in the area, and he has the cunning to set up transmutation circles around Central City to perform alchemy on a grand scale. He can even boil the water in flesh, as opposed to freeze it.
11 May Chang
May Chang stands out in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood because she uses a type of alchemy that differs from that of the other alchemists. Since May is from the eastern region of the Fullmetal Alchemist world, she practices Alkahestry, a form of alchemy that's nearly extinct when viewers are introduced to it.
Unlike alchemy, Alkahestry draws energy from the Earth instead of from life energy — meaning that May’s powers are arguably purer. They’re also better for medical alchemy and have the ability to be used over greater distances. Unfortunately, May’s Alkahestry doesn’t do as well in battle as western alchemy does.
10 Alphonse Elric
Alphonse Elric is a skilled alchemist, and we see him utilize his powers in battle numerous times throughout the series — often against some pretty daunting foes. There’s no denying Alphonse is powerful, and it’s fair to say he gets stronger as the series continues.
Still, none of the other characters ever suggest that Alphonse is anything special when it comes to performing alchemy. Unlike his brother, who quickly becomes known for his pursuits in alchemy at a young age, Alphonse often takes a backseat when it comes to his powers. He can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle, but that’s about the extent of his special skills. To his credit, though, Al has swept in and saved the others on numerous occasions.
9 Kimblee
It almost seems that Kimblee should be higher on this list, especially given the destruction he causes using alchemy both during the war with Ishval and later on behalf of the Homunculi. But it's important to remember that Kimblee's powers, while impressive onscreen, are severely strengthened by the philosopher's stones he carries with him.
This isn’t to say the Crimson Alchemist isn’t still a force to be reckoned with. Kimblee’s alchemy is unique in the sense that it quite literally has explosive results. Pair his penchant for combustion with his sadism and a philosopher’s stone or two, and it’s easy to understand how he became such a problem for the Elric brothers.
8 Alex Louis Armstrong
Alex Louis Armstrong is a State Alchemist, and he's a powerful one — so much so that he was able to take on the Homunculus Sloth on his own and live to tell the tale. Alex's alchemy combines his physical prowess with his abilities in order to utilize both against his opponents.
With the cuffs on his wrist, Alex is also capable of hitting the Earth and bending it to his will, allowing him to produce spikes and other dangers out of the ground and walls surrounding him.
7 Edward Elric
The Fullmetal Alchemist that the series is named for, Edward Elric, has some advanced alchemy skills for his age. Even as a child, he manages to get pretty far with his human transmutation spell, something that Colonel Mustang acknowledges is impressive despite being illegal. He's also able to bind his brother's soul to a suit of armor, something many alchemists in the series wouldn't be capable of even as adults.
While Ed doesn't always come out on top in a fight, he has other skills that many of the stronger alchemists around him are lacking. For one, he doesn't need to use a transmutation circle to perform alchemy. He's also one of the few people who can boast having survived fights with Kimblee, Scar, and the Homunculi — and one of the only people who has opened the gate.
6 Scar
When fans of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are first introduced to Scar, he's considered one of the villains of the series. Seeking vengeance against State Alchemists for the Ishvalan War, Scar presents quite a problem for the Amestrian military in the beginning.
Having fought for Ishval during the war, Scar is incredibly skilled in combat. He's also perceptive when it comes to his opponents' weaknesses, allowing him to come out on top more often than not. The Transmutation Array tattoo on his right arm is capable of destroying whatever it comes into contact with, making Scar a pretty terrifying alchemist to be up against.
5 Izumi Curtis
Izumi Curtis taught Edward and Alphonse everything she knows about alchemy, and she's a force to be reckoned with — and was even more intimidating before she attempted human transmutation and obtained injuries that destroyed most of her internal organs.
In addition to the Elric brothers, Izumi is another character we meet who's capable of using alchemy without using a transmutation circle. She's also incredibly practiced in martial arts, and her physical strength overpowers most of the other characters.
4 Roy Mustang
Roy Mustang is a formidable opponent in battle, in part because his powers allow him to use flame alchemy. Flame alchemy is pretty rare, even in the world of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and it's one of the most destructive types of alchemy in existence.
Mustang more than proves himself worthy of the power over the course of the series. He uses his powers to defeat the Homunculus Lust during the first season — an iconic moment that left most fans admiring the Colonel. Following the confrontation, Mustang bears a scar in the schape of a transmutation circle on his hand.
3 Tim Marcoh
Dr. Tim Marcoh is the one who developed the Philosopher's Stones, though he is hardly proud of that fact. He lived in self-imposed exile until Father dragged him back to Central, and Scar broke him out soon after that.
His alchemy is truly advanced, being capable of creating the Philosopher's Stones from living people. He has complex alchemy symbols all over his hands to that effect. And once he comes in contact with a homunculus, he can deconstruct the Stone inside with just a touch. Few, if any, other people could do such a thing.
2 Van Hohenheim
Hohenheim is Ed and Al's father, but fans know little about him until later in the series. We're consistently told that he wasn't around much while the boys were growing up, and both of the Elric brothers have plenty of resentment about it. We find out during the later seasons, however, that Hohenheim had a fairly understandable reason for disappearing so often.
As it turns out, Hohenheim is attempting to thwart Father's plans the entire time. Fans discover that Hohenheim is far older and more powerful than is originally suggested, and that he inadvertantly became a philosopher's stone when he was younger. With his powers, Hohenheim can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle. He also can work around the law of Equivalent Exchange, something that shouldn't be possible for most alchemists. He's also immortal, with regenerative abilities that slow his ageing and make it much harder to actually wound him in battle.
1 Father
Father is the primary villain of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and to be fair, a lot of his power comes from the fact that he's the original Homunculus and a philosopher's stone — in addition to someone who can use incredibly powerful alchemy. Not only can Father control all of the other Homunculi with his powers, but he's also able to prevent other alchemists from using their own abilities.
As you can imagine, such things make Father a formidable antagonist. His capabilities certainly explain how he nearly succeeded in his quest for ultimate power. Truthfully, if all of the other alchemists on this list hadn't worked together to bring Father down, he would likely have won the conflict. He almost did, even with opposition from all of them.