Alphonse, or Al, is the younger brother of Edward. He is also a gifted alchemist, though not nearly as good as Ed. He uses alchemy usually to fix things by using a transmutation circle.



When Al and Ed's mother died, they attempted to use human alchemy, a strictly forbidden branch, to bring her back. Despite their best efforts, something went terribly wrong. The ingredients they used to create a new body weren't enough. Ed's left leg was consumed, as well as Al's entire body! Fortunately for Al, Ed did a quick transmutation; he sacrificed his right arm in order to put Al's soul in a suit of armor. To make matters worse, they STILL couldn't get their mother back.



After getting cybernetic components (automail) to replace Ed's lost limbs, the boys went to central. They took the tests to become state alchemists. They both passed the written part, but Al had to withdraw, in case the state demanded a physical, and realized what he was (which is just a suit of armor, nothing inside).



Al cannot eat, drink, feel pain, or breath. To quote another popular anime, he's just a ghost in the shell. It has it's advantages, such as being nearly invulnerable, he doesn't have to sleep (though he can), it saves money on food, etc. However, Al wants to be human again. He wants to smell the fresh air, sense the sun's warmth, feel his brother's comforting touch, and be his own person. This is why they're searching for the Philosopher's Stone, a rock that allows alchemists to break the rule of equivalent exchange (you get what you give). They believe this will let them restore their bodies to normal shape. Despite his bullet-proof exterior, Al still talks like a 11- year old boy. Whether his restored body would be aged or not is a question that probably won't be answered until the end of the series.