Character Discussion - Roy Mustang

[Haladflire65]

Sorry to change the topic, I just have to mention one of my favourite things about Roy's character - ROYAI. What's your opinion on the pairing? I personally think it's one that's mature, subtle, beautiful. I prefer it over EdWin anyday, and it's one of my favourite anime/manga couples.

I just wish it were more 'out there'. I'm wondering whether the manga will see any active development of it. Although I'm already doubting...

[Vicious108]

I have mixed feelings towards it.

Well, not really towards the pairing itself. I actually really like it. I love the sense of trust and complicity that is always inherently there between them. At times it's like there's really no need for words at all between them. It's great.

The problem is that ever since I've started reading FMA, I've lost count of the times that I've seen the following type of comment when a new chapter comes out: "Eh okay chapter, but it had no Royai..." Basically when people get stuck on certain characters/pairings and their enjoyment of the manga depends on the development they get, well, it's never a good thing.

[BetoJR]

Love the pairing, myself. Hope they'll join Ed and Winry in acknowledging their feelings towards each other, before the manga ends, as well.

[Sannom]

Spoilers manga :

Spoiler:

Originally Posted by Kayin

The fact that Roy nearly died in that fight shows how strong she really is. What if Sloth, Greed, or Wrath was there in her place?

Bad examples, very bad examples Sloth wouldn't have been affected by the flames (that skin if his really is thick) and when he gets in super-speed mode, I don't think Roy is fast enough to dodge like Alex and Olivia did (hand to hand is not his forto). Greed... well, the Ultimate Shield wouldn't be affected by the flames. Here, it comes down to how fast Roy is. Wrath... guy is freaking fast and skilled, I don't see anyone except specialist of hand to hand or armed combat against him! Heck, even Glutonny made Roy useless once he transformed!

Well, in fact it seems that for me, the Homonculus against which Roy has the best odds are Pride and the ones he already defeated.

[Vicious108]

Originally Posted by Sannom

Spoilers manga :

Spoiler:

Bad examples, very bad examples Sloth wouldn't have been affected by the flames (that skin if his really is thick) and when he gets in super-speed mode, I don't think Roy is fast enough to dodge like Alex and Olivia did (hand to hand is not his forto). Greed... well, the Ultimate Shield wouldn't be affected by the flames. Here, it comes down to how fast Roy is. Wrath... guy is freaking fast and skilled, I don't see anyone except specialist of hand to hand or armed combat against him! Heck, even Glutonny made Roy useless once he transformed!

Well, in fact it seems that for me, the Homonculus against which Roy has the best odds are Pride and the ones he already defeated.

Spoiler:

Well first of all Gluttony did not make Roy useless, the injuries he'd sustained in the fight with Lust did.

As for Sloth not being affected by his flames, I'm not so sure about that. If the blizzard in Briggs got to him, why wouldn't the flames of the strongest type of alchemy?

And yes, Wrath is freaking fast, but so is Mustang with his flames. Especially his focused self using both hands like he did against Envy. Instant pinpoint flames with one hand and instant huge blasts with the other. Wrath is definitely more skilled in terms of hand to hand/armed combat, but for that he'd have to get close to Roy, which is not an easy thing to do either.

So yeah, the only one I can see truly being a very bad match for Roy would be Greed. His Ultimate Shield > flames, I'm afraid.

As for Lust, she was simply lucky to be around a place with water, thus quickly neutralizing his ability, which is also basically his entire means of fighting. If Roy had been able to use his flames from the start, especially as viciously and as strategically as he did against Envy, the fight would've been over much sooner, I'd say. And Havoc would probably still be walking.

[Sannom]

Spoilers manga :

Spoiler:

Originally Posted by Endless Twilight

Well first of all Gluttony did not make Roy useless, the injuries he'd sustained in the fight with Lust did.

Remember how Glutonny drank Roy's flames ? He made his attacks completely useless.

Originally Posted by Endless Twilight

As for Sloth not being affected by his flames, I'm not so sure about that. If the blizzard in Briggs got to him, why wouldn't the flames of the strongest type of alchemy?

The blizzard got to him with a big help from some human creations, even if I still don't completely understand how did this work. Plus, even a blast from a explosive ammunition (the bazooka) didn't do anything to him, so I don't think Roy's flames would be that much more efficient.

Originally Posted by Endless Twilight

And yes, Wrath is freaking fast, but so is Mustang with his flames. Especially his focused self using both hands like he did against Envy.

Is Mustang really that fast, fast enough to keep up against Wrath's inhuman speed? Envy and Lust were both slow, so I don't think we should judge his speed with those fights.

[Vicious108]

Spoiler for Manga:

Roy could've still used strategy and tactics (remember, he's a soldier who's been through his wars) to deceive and get around Gluttony and hit him from behind with his flames, from where he would be unable to swallow them. He simply was in no shape to do anything of the sort thanks to, as I've said already, the injuries from the Lust fight. Had he been in 100% condition it would've been a different story.

It doesn't really matter if it was with help from human creations or not, the fact is that an extremely low temperature material was able to get to Sloth's skin, and if so the same could happen with the extremely high temperature material that is Roy's alchemy. And even if it didn't, Roy could still stick his arm inside his mouth and burn his insides. If he stuck his hand inside and in between Lust's breasts, I don't see him having any trouble doing it with Sloth's mouth.

Mustang might not be so fast on his feet, but all it takes for him to attack is rubbing his fingers together, so yeah I'd say he's got enough attack quickness to deal with Wrath. Not to mention he doesn't even need to get close to him. And Ling, a human, was able to keep up with Wrath's speed, so it can't be that much above human level.

[yezhanquan]

Remember: Homunculi are not invincible, at all. As the man himself mentioned before, if a homunculus have many lives, then it is up to the attacker to deplete them. What is worrying is the inability of the flames to stun. As seen in his crowning battles, he works best when his opponents can get stunned/staggered by flames.

[Rika24]

Roy is easily in my top 2. in fact, he and Ed switch places between 1 and 2 very often.

Spoiler for manga:

i can't wait for the Roy vs Lust fight. not only is it great Royai, but it also shows Roy's devotion to his friends. like him telling havoc he isn't allowed to die before him and saying to get havoc help first. he truly forgets about his own safety and wellbeing when those he cares about are in danger.

[KonataChan]

Originally Posted by yezhanquan

In terms of alchemy, he is the master of his art. The Elrics may be more versatile, but when it comes to the use of fire, the man is awesome.

Besides, snapping your fingers to summon fire: classy way to fight if you ask me, and he can be damn brutal if he wants to.

True, true

[Sannom]

Spoiler for manga:

Originally Posted by Endless Twilight

Roy could've still used strategy and tactics

Aren't people over-estimating him when it comes to combat tactics and strategies ? He is a master for planning and strategies on a large scale, knowing how to use every of his men for maximum efficiency. But when it comes to one-to-one combat? His only strategy seems to blast his enemy with fire until he breaks.

Originally Posted by Endless Twilight

the fact is that an extremely low temperature material was able to get to Sloth's skin, and if so the same could happen with the extremely high temperature material that is Roy's alchemy. And even if it didn't, Roy could still stick his arm inside his mouth and burn his insides. If he stuck his hand inside and in between Lust's breasts, I don't see him having any trouble doing it with Sloth's mouth.

Well, the cold didn't really get to Sloth's skin, it got to his brain through the skin. I'm not sure fire would work so much, especially after seeing Sloth withstanding a rocket.
His Mustang even tall enough to put his hand in Sloth's mouth ? Plus, if you want to compare to Lust, don't forget that before getting his hand inside Lust's chest, he blowed it away first with a shotgun.

[Vicious108]

Spoiler for Manga:

Originally Posted by Sannom

Aren't people over-estimating him when it comes to combat tactics and strategies ? He is a master for planning and strategies on a large scale, knowing how to use every of his men for maximum efficiency. But when it comes to one-to-one combat? His only strategy seems to blast his enemy with fire until he breaks.

That's all he needed to beat Envy, but against Lust he was left fire-less for a while and still managed to get around it with combat tactics. He knows how to use his surroundings to his advantage quite well.

Well, the cold didn't really get to Sloth's skin, it got to his brain through the skin. I'm not sure fire would work so much, especially after seeing Sloth withstanding a rocket.
His Mustang even tall enough to put his hand in Sloth's mouth ? Plus, if you want to compare to Lust, don't forget that before getting his hand inside Lust's chest, he blowed it away first with a shotgun.

He wouldn't need to blow someone way to stick his hand inside their mouth. And "tall enough"? How is that even a factor? I'm sure Roy can jump.

And I'm also sure his alchemy > a rocket. Let's face it, military weapons just aren't all that effective in the FMA world now.

[GaimeGuy]

Spoiler:

Keep in mind that Roy was the hero of the Ishbal war for the Armetris side. Just because he doesn't use a hand-to-hand style (or one using a direct combat weapon) like Ed, Al, Wrath, Scar, or Armstrong doesn't mean he doesn't know how to fight or is only good because of his brute alchemic strength....

or would you say that firearm specialists like Basque Gran and Riza Hawkeye can't fight, either?

[Kayin]

I think the best way to "show" Hawkeye and Mustang getting together would simply be to have a scene showing them as lovers in a subtle way. Weddings or dramatic admissions of love aren't needed, because I honestly think they might already be lovers and aren't showing it. Ed and Winry would be good for a sappy love scene, a wedding, etc., but that's only if the FMA manga has a "happy" ending.

[blackpanther27]

mustang is by far my fave character, and love the fact that he is completely useless in the rain and keeps forgetting it >.<

[GaimeGuy]

Also, for those of you who think Mustang isn't that smart alchemy wise....

Spoiler for stuff you know if you've read the manga or are caught up with the anime through episode 17:

He was able to decode marcoh's research and learn about live humans being the ingredients for philosopher's stones just like Ed and Al were able to. We know he got Sheska to let him see some files... most likely he was going around asking her and other subordinates of hughes if they knew anything about his link with the elric brothers and/or the philosopher's stone, and sheska explained to him what she knew and provided him the documents of marcoh's research that she recreated for Ed and Al, which Mustang proceeded to decipher.

[Ziziphus]

Originally Posted by GaimeGuy

Also, for those of you who think Mustang isn't that smart alchemy wise....

Spoiler for stuff you know if you've read the manga or are caught up with the anime through episode 17:

He was able to decode marcoh's research and learn about live humans being the ingredients for philosopher's stones just like Ed and Al were able to. We know he got Sheska to let him see some files... most likely he was going around asking her and other subordinates of hughes if they knew anything about his link with the elric brothers and/or the philosopher's stone, and sheska explained to him what she knew and provided him the documents of marcoh's research that she recreated for Ed and Al, which Mustang proceeded to decipher.

I think you misunderstood that part...

Spoiler for facts known up to ep 17:

Mustang didn't decipher the document of Marcoh's research, I don't think he received it either. He learned about the philosopher's stone and the ingredients being live humans from Barry the Chopper in ep 15, then proceeded to look further into the case in ep 16 (the episode with Sheska).

Personally, I don't see him being able to decipher the document even if he had it. His knowledge about alchemy mostly involves flame transmutation it seems.

[Kanish]

Yeah, the whole snapping fire thing really made me love this guy too. I just think he looks goofier in the second series(As evident from the op video). Like his face is shorter or something.

[Krazzy Angel]

If Roy was not a skilled alchemist then why was he accepted as state alchemist?
In even if flame is his speciality, it does not mean that he does not know about other fields.

Spoiler for manga:

Also why would have the homunculi considered him as a potential sacrifice if he was not a good alchemist?

[Kanish]

I think there's little doubt that all personnel in the military have received some combat training. It's just Mustang that seems to overly rely on his flame to the point where I think he does it subconciously. Reminds of that time he tried to use it in drenching rain against Scar. Prompting Riza to comment on his uselessness in the rain.