Edward Elric

Few characters from the Modern Age manga boom made as immediate and lasting an impression as Edward Elric, who burst onto the scene in Viz's Fullmetal Alchemist #1 in 2005 under the creative vision of Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. Across 28 catalog appearances spanning the full run through 2011 — collected in both the standard series and the handsome 3-in-1 Edition — Edward anchors one of the most beloved manga properties to reach Western readers in that era. Throughout those pages he's inseparable from Alphonse Elric, and the bond between the two brothers gives the series much of its emotional weight. Whether you're discovering him for the first time or revisiting the story in the omnibus editions, Edward Elric is exactly the kind of protagonist who reminds you why this era of manga captured so many devoted readers.