The story of Hiromu Arakawa's Fullemetal Alchemist is one of redemption, the fallacy of ambition, and facing one's own mortality, among other themes. Brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric committed the grave sin of attempting human resurrection, and now they're trying to undo their mistake. And on the way, they meet a wide variety of fascinating characters, both enemies and allies alike.
Alchemy is the magic system of this story, and it can be used for good or for evil. But what about a superpower like My Hero Academia's quirk One For All? All Might is looking for a successor who has the heroic courage, resolve, and heart of gold to use this quirk, and it takes more than a love of battle to wield One For All. Without further delay, find out which Fullmetal Alchemist characters would earn it, and which would never deserve this honor!
10 DESERVES IT: Alphonse Elric
He is the younger Elric brother, and he spends most of Fullmetal Alchemist has a human soul bound to a suit of armor. Like Ed, Alphonse is a skilled alchemist who learned the hard way that alchemy's potential is not something to toy with.
Due to this balanced perspective, his kind nature, and his determination to do the right thing at all times, Alphonse is a fine candidate for One For All. He's never tempted by power or vengeance, and instead he'd rather try and make the world a better place.
9 DOESN'T DESERVE IT: Roy Mustang
Roy is an ambitious man who holds the rank of Colonel, but aims to become the leader of Amestris no matter the cost. Roy even sees his friends as powerful chess pieces in his game for power. On the battlefield, meanwhile, he wields incredible flame alchemy.
Roy isn't a bad guy, but by One For All's standards, he skirts the line too much with his self-centered ambition and his odd temper. Remember that time he nearly fell to darkness and tried to kill Envy in hate? That's not One For All material.
8 DESERVES IT: Alex Louis Armstrong
Next up is another officer of the Amestris military, Major Alex Louis Armstrong. He comes from the illustrious Armstrong family, and uses his incredible brawn and alchemy to create a hybrid fighting style. He can even fight homunculi with this power.
But what's best about him is what's inside. Like Alphonse, Alex has seen the dark side of alchemy and the Amestris military, and it changed him. He will never raise his hand against the innocent. Instead, he will give his life to fight for them, and this selfless and noble spirit is what All Might is looking for.
7 DOESN'T DESERVE IT: Olivier Armstrong
Here is another Armstrong family member, and she is entirely different from her little brother Alex (aside from that gold hair). She is the commander of the Briggs fort up north, a steadfast bulwark on the Drachma border.
Major-General Olivier Armstrong believes in survival of the fittest and sheer pragmatism, but she's also rather keen to use anything and everything as a weapon, even the Xingese healing art of alkahestry. This unforgiving attitude is leagues apart from what All Might wants in a successor.
6 DESERVES IT: Riza Hawkeye
Now for another officer: Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, the personal aid and good friend to Colonel Roy Mustang. She is not an alchemist, but she did survive the Ishval Civil War and used sniping as a way to distance herself from her horrific acts.
But she was just following orders, and now, Riza would much rather use her skills and knowledge to protect the innocent and make up for past mistakes. She will fearlessly face down homunculi and dive right into action, and she helped talk down Roy when he tried to kill Envy in a fit of rage.
5 DOESN'T DESERVE IT: Solf J. Kimblee
Solf J. Kimblee may be a state alchemist like Edward, but he's hardly the same breed of alchemist. He is an Ishval Civil War veteran who actually enjoyed the massacre, and he took delight in using the Philosopher's Stone to annihilate the Ishvalans.
He's borderline insane, and never broke down even when in prison (for killing his officers). Once he was freed, he continued his rampage, using and abusing everyone around him until Pride ate him on the Promised Day. He's cunning and creative, but his personality is the dead opposite of what One For All requires.
4 DESERVES IT: Jean Havoc
Remember him? He's the soldier who always had Roy's back, and they both fearlessly pursued Lust early in the series. Jean may not have exceptional combat skills, but he's disciplined and tries his best, and he's always in good spirits.
He also supported Roy and Riza during the Promised Day, using his family's store to provide all necessary supplies for the battle. Such a courageous and selfless spirit is just right for One For All. If he weren't paralyzed from the waist down, he'd also be quite the fighter.
3 DOESN'T DESERVE IT: Prince Ling
Meet prince Ling, one of the Xing emperor's many sons (and a half-brother to May Chang). On the surface, he's a cooperative and fun-loving fellow, but don't be fooled; his greedy ambitions are worthy of Greed the homunculus himself.
This is why he and Greed made such a good team when they shared a body, and Edward soon realized that this foreign prince is no ordinary tourist. He's good in a fight, but he's selfish and ambitious, which makes him a poor fit for One For All.
2 DESERVES IT: Van Hohenheim
Hohenheim, Ed and Al's father, is much older than he looks. He comes from Xerxes, when Father's giant transmutation circle put half of the Xerxes population into his body as a living Philosopher's Stone. Now he wanders the earth, trying to make this right.
Despite his incredible power and knowledge, Hohenheim only acts out of kindness to others, and he sees himself as a monster. He's also something of a pacifist, and will only use alchemy in self-defense. This noble spirit is just right for One For All.
1 DOESN'T DESERVE IT: Barry the Chopper
Barry the Chopper is an odd case. He's a human soul bound to armor, like Alphonse, and he was supposedly executed for his acts as a serial killer. Now he hangs out in Laboratory Five, and he challenged Alphonse to a duel.
He soon became an ally and even broke Ling out of prison without killing any of the guards. This helps redeem him somewhat, but that's not enough for All Might. Barry still longs to chop people up, and that and his many crimes in the past make him a horrible fit for One For All.