Overview
When it comes to alchemy, the art of knowing, breaking, and reforming matter, there are few who can challenge Edward Elric. Though young, he is a fully fledged State Alchemist, carrying the title of Fullmetal. Many who see him think this title comes from the automail right arm and left leg he has to replace the missing limbs, but in fact it is an allusion to the great weight and cost of his prodigious skills. He is cynical and petty, always focused on his goal, but only has the best interests of his allies and those he meets at heart, so long as they don't oppose his goals. Those who can get past his prickly outer shell will find a stalwart ally, so long as they don't make the mistake of calling him short.
Perks
Pocket Watch: Identification and personal amplifier.
This silver pocket watch is emblazoned with the Amestris dragon, and outwardly appears to be an identification of sorts for the State Alchemists. However, it also acts as an amplifier of sorts, allowing the alchemist possessing it to create greater transmutations, adding a bit of energy to the reaction.
Combat Training: Skilled in hand to hand and using his automail wrist blade.
A requirement of his teacher's instructions was martial arts, something Ed takes to quite naturally. He tends to focus on strikes with his automail limbs, and can even weave alchemy into his combat style, transmuting weapons from the materials around him or forming a blade from his automail arm.
General Alchemy: Can break down and rearrange or repair items he fully comprehends.
Edward is a prodigy in the field of Alchemy, able to preform transmutations without a transmutation circle which all other alchemists require. By either knowing or learning about the construction of an item, he can break it down into its base components and reassemble it, either to its working state or a state that rearranges all of the materials into a new shape. However, he can only do this with materials he understands, and the starting materials must always equal the output. He tends to struggle forming objects larger than he could concievably lift, and his ability to form structures or repair objects dampens sharply outside of his immediate reach.
Intelligence: A prodigy in math and natural sciences.
Ed is extremely well-read, taking up knowledge of alchemy, natural sciences, and mathematics with relative ease no matter his surroundings. While he can operate fields outside of alchemy to a limited degree, he has no engineering or advanced knowledge in more manmade fields, making him useless in regards to even simple mechanics. His particular strong suits are chemisty, alchemy, math, and physics.
Military Backing: Ed gains a fair salary from the State, plus research funds.
Ed is able to access restricted areas and knowledge with Amestris' backing, and they provide him with a salary and funds for projects he might undertake. With Amestris joining the World Tree, they have found themselves needing to provide Edward with local currencies as well, often meaning that Ed is never stranded off his home world should things go south in his explorations.
Automail: Metal limbs are stronger than flesh.
Ed lost his right arm and left leg, requiring their replacements through something known as automail. These metallic limbs are sturdy and function much like normal flesh and blood limbs, and offer these two limbs increased durability and striking power. When he needs something more cutting, he has a penchant for making a short wrist blade out of his metal arm.
Combat Alchemy: Can form a blade from his arm, or even twist the immediate area to his advantage
Edward is able to, even in the heat of battle, put his skills to use. He can form basic weapons from the materials of the world around him, provided he understands the makeup, but tends to rely on forming a blade upon his automail arm as his main weapon. He can break the ground around him into projectiles, form basic walls around himself, and create pitfalls or spikes at his opponent's feet. He tends to improvise when outside of wrist-blade range.
Complications
Jaded: Ed has seen a lot, and that shapes his negative worldview.
Ed's past shapes a lot of his outlook on the world around him, and given how traumatic and negative these experiences are, he has a bit of a distant, cold, and angry disposition. He tends to view the most negative outcome as the most likely one, seeming quite pessimistic to those around him. He has his reasons, but it makes him hard to be around, even for his closest friends.
Stubborn: Ed never gives up, no matter what.
When he sets his mind to a task, there's not much outside of disabling him that can stop Ed from pursuing a goal to its end, whether said end is good or bad. He tends to forsake everything and everyone around him when he gets an idea in his head, and has trouble seeing the trouble signs of a bad path until he hits the end. This can get him into nasty situations, or otherwise just cause general ill will.
Selfish: Always looking out for his own goals.
Ed has one concern in mind almost always: getting his brother back into his normal body. As such, he often seems quite self-centered, pursuing his own goals no matter what those around him say or think. He will disobey orders that he feels are pulling him from his path, and he quite literally will run over the feelings or protests of others as a bump in the road if they get in his way. He has concern for others, but it's second to his own wishes, making him petulant at times.
Short Complex: Don't call me short!
Ed is short, standing under five feet tall at the age of fifteen. And this is a very sore spot for him, causing immediate outbursts of violent anger if he so much as thinks someone is making fun of his height or, sometimes, even if they say nothing at all.
Automail: His limbs require special upkeep.
Ed's automail limbs are carefully tuned and crafted for him, and while he is skilled in their use, he has no capability to fix them. Repairs on these limbs requires special tools and knowledge, meaning that he can be out of commission for a good deal of time if that specialty isn't readily available.
Petty: Let no slight stand.
Edward has a mind like a steel trap, and is not one to let a perceived slight go unpunished. He is exceedingly petty, and will often go out of his way to either flaunt his knowledge, belittle someone for their beliefs, or prove something wrong just to hurt someone else. Sometimes the victim doesn't have to do anything directly to him, making him seem exceedingly cold or childish at times.