The story of Fullmetal Alchemist is a deep, philosophical tale of reckless ambition, atoning for past sins, the fallacy of human greed, and the universe's tendency toward balance and harmony. In this anime (which also has a live-action movie adaptation), brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric meet many new allies on their quest to restore their bodies, including Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye and Major-General Olivier Armstrong.

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Both of them are prominent and impressive women in the Amestris military, and they are both compassionate and endearing characters with a lot more depth to them than a casual observer might realize. But which one of them gets the title of Best Girl for Fullmetal Alchemist? There can only be one, and these two are the prime contenders.

10 Riza Hawkeye: Sharpshooter

riza hawkeye fma pointing gun

Neither Riza Hawkeye nor Olivier Armstrong are alchemists, but between them, Hawkeye has a more impressive combat record. She was a sniper in the horrific Ishavalan Civil War, and used the impersonal nature of sniping to distance herself from the brutality of what she was doing.

Now Hawkeye uses her formidable gunplay for good, helping Roy Mustang and the Elric brothers take on the homunculi with her impeccable aim. She's fearless, too, and will empty her magazine into the likes of Gluttony or Barry the Chopper without hesitation.

9 Olivier: Offensive Mastermind

Everyone knows that the Amestris military is powerful, and it is capable of fighting in multiple theaters of war around the nation. But what about fighting a defensive war? This is a weakness of the Amestris military, and Olivier knew it.

During the Promised Day, Olivier led the all-out assault on Central, using both inside help and her elite Briggs troops to smash Central's defenses and claim the palace. True, Wrath's arrival soon complicated things, but Olivier served as an excellent commander for this offensive campaign.

8 Riza Hawkeye: Codes And Messages

In this chilling scene, Pride the homunculus corners Riza after her visit to the Bradley estate, and warns her to keep those lips zipped. Hawkeye was sure that Pride could make good of that threat, but that fact didn't stop her.

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In one of Fullmetal Alchemist's most brilliant scenes, Hawkeye chatted with Roy over lunch and listed a bunch of their friends by name, using their first letters to spell "SELIM BRADLEY IS HOMUNCULUS." Roy got the message at once.

7 Olivier: Northern Wall Embodiment

Olivier Armstrong in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Just what is the "northern wall of Briggs"? Yes, there is a massive fortress up there along the Drachma border, but that is merely the building itself. The true wall of Briggs is, of course, Olivier herself.

With her iron will, strict discipline, and belief in survival of the fittest, Olivier is an immovable mountain who inspires her troops and causes endless grief for the Drachma forces who long to conquer this fort and make headway in Amestris. But it only takes one Olivier Armstrong to thwart those plans.

6 Riza Hawkeye: Intense Loyalty

riza hawkeye fullmetal alchemist

Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye may not be a general like Olivier is, but she takes her job very seriously, and she is intensely loyal to Roy Mustang both as an officer, and as a friend. She looks out for him in more than a few ways.

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In a chess analogy, Roy described Hawkeye as being his queen, and when Roy tried to destroy Envy in a fit of rage, Hawkeye stopped him, because she knew that Roy was better than this. She needed the compassionate, kind Roy to become the new leader, not the hateful Colonel before her.

5 Olivier: Faith In Her Brother

At first, Olivier's relationship with her little brother, Alex, seems to be just comic relief. Despite being a massive bodybuilder, Alex is a soft-spoken little brother who cowers in fear whenever his big sister shows up.

But these gags soon give way to a much more authentic brother-sister moment. During the desperate battle against Sloth, Olivier refused to allow help for Alex, proclaiming that she trained him for better and knew that he could handle this. Now that's a proud big sister.

4 Riza Hawkeye: Friendship With Rebecca

It looks like Riza Hawkeye isn't the only sharpshooter around here. Meet Rebecca, her good friend. She helped during the battle against Central during the Promised Day, and she has some impressive gunplay skills to share.

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For the most part, though, fans know her as Riza's good friend, and the two of them love to meet up at outdoor cafes to chat it up. Hawkeye also likes to gently tease Rebecca, who comically overreacts but feels better not long after that.

3 Olivier: Protected Her Family

FMA Olivier Sword

Olivier is indeed the unmovable northern wall of Briggs, and she would give her life for her duty and for her countrymen. But she hasn't forgotten about her own family, either.

Later in the series, both Olivier and Alex know what's about to happen, and their family may get caught in the crossfire. So, Olivier orders her parents and little sister to take a fun trip to Xing under false pretenses, so they'll be 100% safe during the coming battles. And it didn't take Alex long to catch on to  Olivier's plans, either.

2 Riza Hawkeye: Big Sister Model

riza hawkeye is talking happily in fullmetal alchemist

Olivier Armstrong actually is a big sister, but one would think that Riza Hawkeye is one, too. She's mature and c0ol and responsible, but also has a gentle sense of humor and a balanced perspective on things.

This makes her a great emotional rock, and she helps keep everyone in line, from her goofy friend Riza to the excitable Elric brothers to the oddly bratty Roy Mustang. Even in a firefight, she's not afraid to step as everyone's big sister, and they need it.

1 Olivier: Survived Sloth

While Riza Hawkeye faced the deadly Gluttony a few times, she made a tactical retreat once Gluttony proved immune to bullets. By contrast, Olivier and Alex together faced off against the monstrous Sloth, and held out for a long time.

True, they couldn't finish off Sloth without Izumi and Sig Curtis stepping in, but they got close. They injured Sloth many times, and Olivier even found a chance to stab her sword deep into Sloth's skull. Even Sloth's super-speed didn't finish them off, and once Sig and Izumi showed up, Sloth was doomed.

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