Here's Why Winry Rockbell Is One of the Best Characters in Fullmetal Alchemist

 

 Fullmetal Alchemist is full of well-written, memorable characters. However, few compare to Winry Rockbell, who even now remains one of the best.

There are many beloved characters in Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist (FMA) franchise. Some of the most popular characters are the main characters, Edward and Alphonse Elric, Colonel Roy Mustang and Ling Yao.

One thing that sets Full Metal Alchemist apart from other popular shonen series is the way Arakawa treats his female characters with respect and non-sexuality. Read on to find out why Winry Rockbell is one of the best characters Full Metal Alchemist has to offer.

Winry's Personality Makes Her Fun to Watch

Winry has a great personality and is a very likable character according to most Full Metal Alchemist fans. She's not super unique, and her kindness is a trait that fans often see in female leads in various shonen anime. Basically, Winry doesn't just stand out because of her personality. That's not to say her personality isn't an interesting asset to her character and sets her apart from other characters on the show. While some consider Winry to be a tsundere because she might have had a crush on Ed from the very beginning, this is highly debatable and her quirks and overall personality don't fit the tsundere traits at all. Winry is not "rough on the outside and soft on the inside" like a tsundere. And hitting Ed with a wrench when he breaks his automail was added to the series for comedic effect.

Winry is a stubborn but kind person. Her stubbornness is often shown throughout Fullmetal Alchemist - especially when it comes to letting Ed and Al go their separate ways away from her. Being stubborn is not a unique trait and is quite common in real people and fictional characters. What makes this trait unique to Winry is that although she can be stubborn and stubborn at times, she usually does not act selfishly. For example, when she travels to Rush Valley with Ed and Al, she convinces a local mechanic to take her on as his apprentice. It's because of her stubbornness that Winry refuses to back down, but that's also why she gets the job. She also wants to work as an apprentice so she can make better automail for Ed. This shows Winry's kindness and how she wants to improve her mechanical skills to help her childhood friend even more.

If you compare Winry to someone like Riza Hawkeye, they have a few similar traits, but they are also vastly different. For example, both women are generally kind people, but kindness can only go so far, and it's not a very interesting personality trait for many fans, since kindness is such a common trait, especially for teenage female characters in anime. But this does not mean that it is an overused or overrated quality. Winry shows her kindness many times throughout the series, even though she yells at Ed a lot and gets mad at him when he destroys his automail, it's only because she cares about him.

The Character Winry Acts as a Beacon for the Elric Brothers

Winry isn't important to Fullmetal Alchemist just because of her connection to the main protagonists. There's more to her than that, but it's disingenuous to deny that her being their girlfriend isn't one of the most important aspects of the story. Winry gives the boys a focal point, and while she still lives in Resembool with her grandmother, she gives them a place to call home. Although Winry says several times throughout the story that she is tired of waiting for the boys to come home, especially when she is unable to do anything to support them, she gives them hope by being there. Ed and Al are able to support each other because they are always together, Winry is the bedrock of their support - she is what holds them together apart from their brotherly bond and the trio's childhood friendship.

As they face many complicated scenarios throughout the FMA storyline, it would be easy for Ed and Al to lose sight of their goal. However, Winry's presence in the Elric brothers' lives keeps them grounded and provides a focal point on their journey, reminding them why they seek the stone and why they want to reclaim their original bodies. Because Winry and Pinako exist, they give Ed and Al two people worth fighting for, in addition to the other friends and people they've met along the way.

Childhood Friend Trope Fits Winry and the Elric Brothers

Friendship is an underlying, recurring theme throughout Fullmetal Alchemist. For example, Paninya started out as an enemy for Edo, or at least a very basic or minor antagonist; she stole Ed's pocket watch and he stopped at nothing to get it back before she could. Paninya soon becomes their friend and ally. She could be considered Winry's friend rather than brothers. Ling and Lan Fan are great examples of this as well, but they're more allies of the trio than true close "friends," at least until the end of the series, when Greed dies and mentions that they've become friends with the main cast.

Childhood friends are nothing new in the anime world, especially in a shonen series like FMA. But it's one of the main features of the series that makes the trio's relationship endearing to fans. Winry and the Elric brothers' relationship didn't come about in a work environment, and since they're all similar in age, with Ed and Winry only one year apart from Alphonse, there's not a weird power dynamic between them. Winry isn't just the boys' ally either, the three of them grew up together and continue to grow alongside each other - physically and metaphorically - even though they're separated from each other. Winry is one of the few characters who is explicitly listed as a friend of Ed and Al, so it's a nice contrast to many of the other characters who come off as allies or acquaintances rather than stagnant friends. It doesn't have to be outright told for fans to think of the supporting characters as Ed and Al's friends, but it would save fans from confusion as some of the relationships shown throughout the series seem ambiguous.

Winry is an excellent character in Fullmetal Alchemist; the main and supporting cast contribute new and refreshing ideas. She is also one of the first characters in the series who is not an alchemist, reminding the viewer that not everyone in the Fullmetal Alchemist universe has special powers and can do alchemy or is interested in alchemy.