Alchemical ability: learned or inherited?

[Rheinhard]

Here's another question I have wondered about with regard to the "magic" use in this series and in respect to the ability to use magic in fantasy in general:

Is the ability to use magic, or in this case perform alchemical transmutation, inherited genetically, or is it learned via study? While I think the series so far has strongly implied it is genetic, I don't think anyone has specifically come out and stated this one way or the other.

So could a smart kid from a poor peasant family who has no alchemist ancestry decide he is interested and become an alchemist through study and hard work? Or is the world divided, Harry-Potter-like, into distinct classes of wizards and muggles, and when one is born a muggle one is pretty much screwed with regard to any hope of using magic.

I first started thinking about this question a bit years ago when having a debate with an artsy kinda friend who was arguing about the "dehumanizing" nature of science. She felt that it would be better if we had something like magic that would be more "in tune with nature". I argued that at least science was totally democratic-- anyone who wanted to study and was willing to work hard could become a practitioner of science, while in most cases magic was presented in fantasy literature as something that was inherited biologically through one's family. Regardless of whether the use of such magic was more in tune with nature or not, this fact alone guaranteed the creation of a permanent, unassailable aristocracy unbreakable by the "muggle" peasantry. I congratulated her on setting up a permanent wizardric monarchy in the name of being more "in tune with nature". :eyebrow:

[Yebyosh]

So far there is no hard evidence in the manga or anime that indicates whether alchemical ability is genetic or cultivated.

I would go for it being inherent in all of the characters but each has an innate strength associated with genetics (so my stance is mainly it is cultivated with various results). My case would be based on:

Trisha Elric actually being surprised that the Elrics would be able to perform alchemy (although it can be argued that she might not have expected them to do it at that age).
-
In the mining town, the innkeeper admitted that he used to dabble in alchemy but never had the talent to go further.
His son does not exhibit any interest nor talent in alchemy.
Very thin backup at any rate but the "innkeeper" point is a good bet that it is inherent in all, just that talent-wise might be random or perhaps associated with bloodline.

[Bindibadgi]

Imo, both. If your parents are scientists then generally you have the mind for it too, so you could argue genetic, however, they like all science its learning through books and teaching/doing to develop your own skills. Talent is todo with genetics i spose, but also how you are taught and brought up?

[kamij0]

more likely is the interest to study and therefore learnt instead of having the genes

[The Faction's Lord]

Personally, I think that it is a bit of both. My reasoning behind this is as follows:
Anyone can draw an alchemical circle, but they need the knowledge of what they a decomposing and remaking etc.
But, it is obvious that some people have more talent than others for alchemy, such as the Elric brothers. This could well have been inherited. I beleive Ed said something along the lines of him and his brother not being 'right' when they tried to get their mom back. This being 'right' could be natural talent or what have you within this world, which could well be inherited.
I have the feeling that I'm now talking nonsense, so I'll shut up.

[Bindibadgi]

Personally, I think that it is a bit of both. My reasoning behind this is as follows:
Anyone can draw an alchemical circle, but they need the knowledge of what they a decomposing and remaking etc.
But, it is obvious that some people have more talent than others for alchemy, such as the Elric brothers. This could well have been inherited. I beleive Ed said something along the lines of him and his brother not being 'right' when they tried to get their mom back. This being 'right' could be natural talent or what have you within this world, which could well be inherited.
I have the feeling that I'm now talking nonsense, so I'll shut up.

Yea, its the same as this world - good scientists get BSc/MSc/PhDs cause they have the natural flaire for it, but anyone can bung 2 chemicals in a bottle and shake em.

[nak]

I think alchemy talent is sorta like art. Some are born with it but it takes great work to actually develop that potential. Others, through dilligent hard work may work to be at a level they wish to be but will have to struggle a bit harder than those who inherit the talent since these certain ppl. don't have as much natural talent to work with.

I've inherited my artistic ability, my family has a long line of artists. I see alot of people in my art classes and some have to work at their craft harder than most of us.

I like comparing it to the Neiji vs. Lee issue in Naruto. A genius can be beaten by hard work, but then again a genius might do the same amount of work(or possibly less) and get much further than the hard worker. Ex: Sasuke matching Lee's speed in a mere month. Lee took a longer duration of time to do that.

Some ppl. just have alchemy abilities while others dont. Just like some kids in my school have a flare for physics anf fly through the lessons and I desperately struggle with it, despite my hard work.

[Riese]

Alchemy is a mixture of science and magic. While it isn't science as we know it, it still obeys some important laws of physics such as the law of conservation of mass which is sort of converted into the "equivilant trade principal."

A young child being able to do alchemy and a young child understanding fundamentals of physics would both be considered amazing.

The intelligence required to understand certain scientific(and I suppose alchemic) principals can be genetic, or inherited behaviorally. My father's side supports a long line of scientifically inclined people. It could be that I genetically have the smarts implanted, as well as the fact that my father grew up with science being important and thus I was raised with that value system. Yes, I got a chemistry kit when I was in kindergarden and dad started teaching me algebra in 1st grade.

Even if Edward's father wasn't around, his mother always praised the two when they used alchemy. They certainly had early incentive to learn!

Theoretically, anyone could do Edward's trademark "circle-free" transmutations. He does make a simple circle with his arms, which anyone with 2 arms(real or otherwise) could do as well. No one else thought of it that way.

[BigFire]

Even if Edward's father wasn't around, his mother always praised the two when they used alchemy. They certainly had early incentive to learn!

Theoretically, anyone could do Edward's trademark "circle-free" transmutations. He does make a simple circle with his arms, which anyone with 2 arms(real or otherwise) could do as well. No one else thought of it that way.


Ed and Al are not self-taught alchemist. They do have a master who tought them the art and science of Alchemy. She is the other person who can transmute without actually drawing down the sigil, and it took Ed a long while before he figure out the underlining principle of how to do this (though she already explained it to them, it's a concept that you either understand it or you don't).

[sarcasteak]

Theoretically, anyone could do Edward's trademark "circle-free" transmutations. He does make a simple circle with his arms, which anyone with 2 arms(real or otherwise) could do as well. No one else thought of it that way.

Not...really...if it were that easy, then yes every other alchemist could do it too. -.-;;

In the manga, the reason Edward and his Sensei could perform transmutations without drawing a cricle was because they've seen "the truth" after they failed making human... it appears that only people who have seen the entity (a Creator, though he's quite condemning to those who stepped into his realm...) and SURVIVED could do this. And remember what Mustang said in episode 3: to perform and survive makes Edward a genius alone. The reason Al couldn't do no-circle transmutation was that his memory blurred during that time. Of course, this may only pertain to the manga as the anime didn't show the "confrontation" between Edward and that entity.


Ed and Al are not self-taught alchemist. They do have a master who tought them the art and science of Alchemy. She is the other person who can transmute without actually drawing down the sigil, and it took Ed a long while before he figure out the underlining principle of how to do this (though she already explained it to them, it's a concept that you either understand it or you don't).

Hmm, this part is not that clear in the anime. Remeber how in the manga, Ed understood what "the truth" was and performed no-circle transmutation right after he recovered from the incident? It sure took him a while to try it out in the anime.