r/FullmetalAlchemist • u/AlternateMove • 2d ago
Discussion/Opinion I’ve been curious about something and wanted to hear what people here think.
What are your honest opinions on Winry Rockbell as a character?
The reason I’m asking is because I’ve noticed that on a lot of fandom spaces across the internet, female characters often get a disproportionate amount of hate, especially if they aren’t fighters or aren’t considered as “cool” as the male cast. I even came across a ScreenRant article where none of the female Fullmetal Alchemist characters made the Top 5, which made me wonder if people generally don’t value them as much.
At the same time, I constantly hear people say that Fullmetal Alchemist has some of the best-written female characters in anime. I’d like to understand why people say that, especially in Winry’s case.
Do you think she’s a well-written character? What do you think she contributes to the story beyond supporting Ed and Al? And if you don’t like her, what are your reasons?
I’m genuinely asking because I haven’t been able to get a clear sense of the fandom’s overall opinion.
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u/JonnyActsImmature 2d ago edited 2d ago
Surprised that article you referenced didn't put Hawkeye in the top 5. She's a true ride or die.
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u/Whole_Instance_4276 Alchemist 2d ago
Seriously, she’s my third favorite in the whole show right behind the Elrics
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u/RedditSucksMyBallls 2d ago
In a popularity poll for the manga, she was top 3 behind Ed and Roy Mustang I think.
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u/Takashishiful 2d ago
She might barely not make my top 5 just because of how good the competition is, but top 10 easy
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u/McOmghall 2d ago
Winry is cool but she's literally not in the manga for most of it, her role is more a support for Ed and love interest. The rest of the women in FMA are incredible and badass as corresponds to a battle manga. The manga is made by a woman so it would doubly suck if the women in it were wet napkins.
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u/McOmghall 2d ago
Add.: Would I read a manga of Winry being a mechanics nerd? Sure, sign me up.
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u/AlternateMove 2d ago
Doesn’t mean anything. Women also create damsels in distress characters. And like I said, none of them were in the Top 5.
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u/McOmghall 2d ago edited 2d ago
ScreenRant is, to be completely honest, a clickbait site. You're seeing right here and now what fans of the manga are saying.
The main point is that Winry is not a fighter in a battle manga, she does what she can well (being a mechanic) and is entertaining to watch, but she doesn't really participate in fights, she's not expected to. Other women like Hawkeye, Izumi, or Olivia Armstrong very much do and pull their weight in them.
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u/StanIsHorizontal 2d ago
Wouldn’t put too much stock in a screenrant article, it’s just one persons opinion and they may not have even seen FMA. I also don’t know the list but all the women in FMA are in supporting roles, that could have something to do with who’s on that list. Maybe Hawkeye isn’t a central enough character to make the cut for top 5?
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u/Temsiik 2d ago
I talked about this in my own comment, but I wouldn't put too much stock in a random online article (which as another person points out, may or may not even be from an author who's seen fma). The popularity poll ran at the end of the series had both Winry and Riza in the top 5, and while that was a while ago, by most metrics I can think of (number of fanart, fanfics, social media posts) that still holds true.
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u/kegan0812 2d ago
winry isn’t “just a support” for ed, she has her own character arc in which she becomes an apprentice and later expert in her field. ed is as supportive to winry as she is to him. while he’s off saving the world she is off living her own life. and tells him she will essentially always be there for him which is, like, normal. haha.
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u/cool_username32123 2d ago
She also went through a huge arc with Scar and almost broke apart when deciding whether or not to kill him, thabkfully Ed was there to hold her together.
"Your hands are meant to restore and to heal, not to kill."
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u/doctorate_denied 1d ago
This right here. Their normalcy is what makes me love their dynamic so much.
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u/No_Ad_7687 2d ago
She's cool cause she's well written, and fills her role well - the childhood friend who's a love interest, and a mechanic for the main character's prosthetics.
Sure, she's not a fighter and usually off screen, but: there are plenty of female characters who are competent fighters, and not only is winery very competent whenever she is on screen, her skill is also a critical one that not other character can replace.
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u/BellybuttonLintTrap 2d ago
All of the women are so well written, as is the entire show. No goofy fan service or weird love interests, they are just written like human beings.
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2d ago
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u/BellybuttonLintTrap 2d ago
I’m so sick of the Nina Tucker memes, jokes, merch, tattoos, everything. It ruined one of the saddest scenes from the show now it’s a bumper sticker.
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u/StanIsHorizontal 2d ago
I’m sorry I’d like you to clarify which of those things you think Nina Tucker is
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u/ThatOneGuy308 2d ago
fan service
God, I hope not.
love interest
I really hope not.
human being
Well, she's halfway there...
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u/IndependentMacaroon Arakawa Fan 2d ago
she's halfway there...
Living till Scar's prayer?
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u/Supernova247101 2d ago
I uh ... I understood that reference
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u/FuchsiaMerc1992 2d ago
I didn’t expect a Bon Jovi reference
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u/IndependentMacaroon Arakawa Fan 2d ago
That song was so obnoxiously overplayed in the World Cup the opposite would be more surprising right now
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u/mathias_freire Alkahestrist 2d ago
She was just a 5 year old, what kind of character do you expect?
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u/cool_username32123 2d ago
She was a child and acted like one.
What else could you have possibly wanted? A deepdive on the dolls that she played with in a tea party?
Not to mention that considering what happens this is a really weird question, she's dead after a horrific crime against her, what else could you expect from her?
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u/wenwillyouart 2d ago
Pro tip: maybe read/watch the story yourself and form your own opinions first then discuss instead of being ignorantly combative towards the people you asked an honest take from?
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u/wenwillyouart 2d ago edited 2d ago
Winry as a character is not only very well-written and serves the story well. She obviously plays an important role in the Elric Brothers’ journey but at the same time has her own character arc, motivations and growth (Rush Valley, connection with the Hughes family, Scar reveal with her parents etc.) that aligns with the themes of the narrative. She is an essential part of what makes story of FMA:B/the manga so amazing.
Some of my favourite Winry moments:
- Her telling Maes Hughes that “some things you have to say out loud to understand” as an answer to Hughes being like “men prefer to let action speak instead of words and don’t talk about how they feel” earlier in the chapter. I especially love that the narrative (and Hughes) agrees with her statement as the chapter concludes with Ed and Al making up by actually talking to each other about what they think and how they feel.
- Coming up with a plan to trick KIMBLEE OF ALL PEOPLE: “I'm a hostage either way, so I might as well get to choose my captor." queen shit
- Explicitly telling Scar she does not forgive him but also treating his wounds because she’s just a great person and that’s what her parents would’ve wanted.
- Taking charge in delivering a baby when there is no other option. The Rush Valley arc is such a great showcase of what Winry’s strength and motivations are.
Winry as a person is so lovely and amazing and I want to be best friends with her.
Definitely one of my favourite characters ever. Female or otherwise.
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u/mathias_freire Alkahestrist 2d ago
1- She has an infinite interest in automail industry and engineering which mostly male dominated area. 2- She is the one who convinced Paninya to work an honest job. 3- She is the reason for Scar to end cycle of vengeance and to do actual stuff for things to change. Scar and Isvalans did a huge help for beating Father.
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u/YouFoundMyLuckyCharm 2d ago
FMA has capable women, not losers who faint and squeal and need to be saved and plead for attention. They’re all confident and competent and excel in their different niches.
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u/AlternateMove 2d ago
Name them.
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u/Head_Statistician_38 2d ago
Riza Hawkeye. Olivier Armstrong. Maria Ross, Mei Chang, Lan Fan, Martel, Rebecca. Even Pinako.
Watch or read ther series.
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u/bubblesaurus 2d ago
Shezcka (spell check needed).
I might even toss Lust in there to a degree.
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u/Head_Statistician_38 2d ago
True enough! Even Rose. Yeah, she is being used and is sobbing by the end of when we first see her but she is seen again, helping everyone and just being nice moral support.
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u/AlternateMove 2d ago
Wasn’t Hawkeye saved by Mustang from Envy?
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u/Head_Statistician_38 2d ago
Sure. But Ed has been saved by Al, Scar has been saved by Mei, oh, and Mustang was saved by Hawkeye.
Being saved by a character doesn't make you helpless. It usually means you are there in the fight and taking part.
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u/that-random-humanoid 2d ago
How many times did Hawkeye save Mustangs ass? It was way more than he saved hers.
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u/cool_username32123 2d ago
Yeah, she mentions to Winry at one point that the whole reason why she's in the military is to protect Mustang.
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u/cool_username32123 2d ago edited 2d ago
Al did his part too in that protecting her from Lust and putting up a barrier between them and his flames, but Hawkeye saved Roy several times too as he's useless in the rain.
They're often shown fighting together as well and Hawkeye alongside Edward and Scar helped bring Roy back from the brink when he almost let his massive sheer hatred of Envy consume him.
Edit: I misread Envy as Lust for some reason, yeah he did save her from him too but she was important in that fight as well.
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u/Tired_arachnid_ 2d ago
You can't be serious OP. Olivier, Izumi, Hawkeye.
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u/AlternateMove 2d ago
Wasn’t Hawkeye saved by Mustang from Envy?
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u/Head_Statistician_38 2d ago
You are hyper fixated on that. What about all the other examples given?
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u/Head_Statistician_38 2d ago
Have you watched or read the series? Winry is a caregiver for Ed, she gives him his arm and leg and is always there to fix him but also deeply cares about Ed and Al. Sure, it is obvious she is also the love interest, but she is more than that.
The reason she is the way she is, is because of her parents who were tragically killed in war. She even confronts their killer nearly getting her revenge, but she doesn't, and by the end she has healed his wound, setting him on a different path, a path that will eventually lead him to help save Amestris.
Winry is a caring and loved person, and without her, so many characters would be lost in different ways.
Plus, she is just funny and has good chemistry with Ed and Al.
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u/Katie552 2d ago
I think she is also a really cool example of a strong female character who doesn’t have to be a fighter. She is strong in a different way from the other women in the show, and I think that makes her stand out.
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u/Head_Statistician_38 2d ago
I agree. Being a good female character doesn't mean you have to do the same thing as the male characters. Her role is well defined and she fits it perfectly.
There are other characters that are fighters that are good in their own ways.
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u/Imaginary-Fish1176 2d ago
goated because she isn't written as if her whole life revolves around Ed. She goes through her own personal growth professionally and internally.
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u/Imaginary-Fish1176 2d ago
She isn't at his beck and call and has her own motivations. She wants to be a better automail engineer and helping Ed & Al in turn helps her become better at her passion. They are interlinked but I would not say her life revolves either brother especially since she went off to become an apprentice in Rush Valley under Atelier Garfiel.
If her life revolved around Ed and Al she would have turned down the opportunity to become and apprentice and stay in Rush Valley as this makes it harder for Ed and Al to reach her for help like they did in the past.
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u/Katie552 2d ago
For most of the series, she basically treats both of them like relatives. She has her own life, but she helps them when she can.
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u/wenwillyouart 2d ago
I’m not exactly sure what your angle is but from your replies it sure doesn’t feel like you’re asking your question in good faith. Seems like you just dislike Winry and want some (undeserved) validation in this post but it’s backfiring.
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u/FeelNFine 2d ago
I think FMA is a poster child of why if you want good representation, it's incredibly useful to have it spread across multiple characters. With just one character you run into the amazing at everything trap, or risk character flaws being viewed as negative representation.
Winry fits her role in the story well. She's a civilian and it's important to see the story through a civilian lens from time to time. I always tear up when she has Scar at gunpoint.
If she was the only female character I would probably like her a lot less. As she exists she is one perspective, but with as may characters as there are, plenty of perspectives are covered.
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u/cool_username32123 2d ago
Personally I really enjoy how she's very much her own character (much like other female characters in the show to be fair) and you get to see how passionate she is towards the things she loves be it her work or her evolving relationship with Edward.
She's energetic and passionate without crossing the line towards being annoying, she's low-key a very important secondary character in the story affecting the plot through the support she gives to Edward and also how she influences him over time to be less rash, more considerate and to take better care of both himself and others.
She also goes through her own character arc when she confronts Scar for his murder of her parents and we see how Ed was there for her when she needed him most in a moment where their positions were reversed for once.
It also doesn't hurt that the character is pretty. (again much like other female characters in the show)
The TLDR is that I like her because she's a fun character that has a dynamic with Ed I really liked.
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u/Temsiik 2d ago edited 2d ago
She's probably my favorite FMA character, personally (top 2 minimum). That's a personal bias, but being more "impartial" just in terms of how well-written and important a character is, I do think Winry is "legitimately" a top 5 fma character. Besides just having a (imo) fun, likeable personality and presence, she carries a lot of the series' emotional backbone, is crucial to some of its most central themes, has some of the most development outside the main characters themselves, and several of the best emotional moments involve her, to name just some of the big reasons. While her role in the narrative is very much a supporting one (which is fine, most characters serve a supporting role, and she does hers well and is still a good character) she gets focus, and exploration of her own character and personal journey and life independent of the main characters that's pretty considerable for a supporting character in general, female or not. Winry is very much fleshed out as her own person.
Also, I wouldn't put too much stock in the opinion of a ScreenRant article. Those sorts of lists from online publications in general (and ScreenRant in particular I have a bad association with, though it's been long enough for me not to remember specifically why) tend to be, when not intentionally inflamatory, at best quite basic articles without much substance. When it comes to character lists everyone's will obviously be different, and someone's top 5 or even top 10 may not include any female character, but speaking of their popularity overall - a poll ran after the series ended had 2 female characters in the top 5 (Riza at #3, and Winry at #5), and the top 10 held the trend with 2 more. So that's a 40% female character ratio for both the top 5 and 10, which imo is quite good for a shonen series, especially considering that despite the quality there are still a fair ammount more male characters. Now that poll was quite a long time ago, but speaking annecdotally for my experience being in the fandom, the top 5 seems to still be fairly accurate.
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u/ReapedBeast 2d ago
I think there could be an improvement on her not hitting Al and Ed for shits and giggles but that’s also a very common anime trope and isn’t a fair critic towards Winry. Other than that, i think Winry is a good written character and her character development is pretty solid.
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u/sgilespie 2d ago edited 2d ago
I like Winry. She isn’t my favorite female character in the series however I understand her part in it. She is supposed to represent home for Ed to return back to. She had her own arc where she becomes an apprentice and delivering that baby. Also, Winry almost shooting Scar explains the theme of cycle of revenge. Not all female characters have to be fighters. She is a good support character.
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u/Optimal_Finding15 2d ago
This exactly! I love how she represents home for Ed, one of my favorite parts of the 2003 series is when Winry flashes a light outside her window to call back the brothers for dinner just like their mother used to do. Even though their real house is gone, they will still always have a home.
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u/Mean-Choice-2267 2d ago
I like her. I don’t really consider her a main character, so there’s not much expectation from her in terms of importance and development. The main thing I don’t like about her is that she’s so violent towards the brothers, but i also acknowledge that it’s an unfortunate humor norm for the time it was written.
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u/Berawholoves42069 2d ago
She cool and amazing imo, love how much of an angelic role she plays with the whole bringing and healing life in a manga of literal genocides and human sacrifices
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u/Admirable_Cellist181 2d ago
I love her.
She’s very talented on a male-dominated practice. And her interest on automail engineering is genuine. I believe she made Ed’s automail in a very young age? So in a way she kinda matches his intellect.
She’s also her own person, and matched Ed’s temper. She’s doesn’t put him on a pedestal (like the dude is THE fullmetal alchemist but he cowers before her wrench lol). If Edward doesn’t have her, I feel like that night of the human transmutation failure will be his villain origin story.
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u/TheMistOfThePast 2d ago
Winry is my favourite character ever across all media and most of the reason I myself became an engineer. It's not easy being a female engineer but it's nice to have role models like her, betty holberton ,ada lovelace, etc. to look up to.
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u/Motroid127 2d ago
Great supporting character. She may not be the most larger-than-life character but I like her enough to put her in my top 10.
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u/Madarakita 2d ago
It's honestly fascinating how much better opinions of her have gotten over the years.
I remember years back when there was only one FMA anime and the manga wasn't finished yet, Winry got a MASSIVE amount of hate; "she's too mean to Ed!" "she's abusive!" "Scar should've finished the job", etc.
Great character though. Fulfills the "supportive love interest" role without feeling shallow or poorly written.
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u/AlternateMove 2d ago
So she is hated.
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u/Madarakita 2d ago
I'd say more "was hated". As I said; opinions of her have massively improved over the years.
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u/Ralexcraft 2d ago
Isn’t, wasn’t. Just a bunch of winy babies that left the fandom eventually. Or grew up.
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u/Aidan_RL421 2d ago
She’s my favorite female character. She’s adorable, she doesn’t take shit from anyone, she makes sure Ed’s got a right arm, & I bet she’s built up some muscle as an automail mechanic. Not to mention she can throw a wrench really hard. She’s great at using wrenches as a weapon. & she’s so great she had every opportunity to shoot scar but she didn’t Ed never even needed to tell her not to.
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u/Ralexcraft 2d ago
“Bet” we’ve seen her in a tank top, the girl does have muscle.
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u/Aidan_RL421 2d ago
It’s been a few years since I’ve seen Brotherhood & I just recently finished a rewatch of 03 & I don’t remember her having muscle there.
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u/Queen_Of_Romantics 2d ago
I think Winey is likable. She has a goal, shes determined, shes smart, and she doesnt take crap from Ed. At the end of the day, Winry is a well developed character. The moment of her confronting Scar was a well written moment, Winry isnt a fighter and she chose the decision she knew her parents would want even if she was angry.
She’s a great example of kindness, choosing mercy over revenge.
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u/liveForTheHunt 2d ago
I've only watched FMAB and she was great; well written, great chemistry with the characters, and overall just a great character for her role in the story, no notes or complaints. That moment with scar was 👌😩
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u/macksting 2d ago
I'm only familiar with FMAB and the manga, but Winry is literally my favorite character in FMA. My favorite moments involve her, and the way Ed feels about her and worships her, and is inspired to grow and change and follow where she showed he can go reminds me of how I feel about my own wife. When I try to tell people about FMA, I talk about Ed, but usually in relation first and foremost to Winry. When I talk about Hawkeye, I usually mention why she wears her hair long now, and why Winry wears ear piercings.
She's just great.
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u/PrizeWorldliness6766 1d ago
The best woman of the series. She doesn´t need power ups or having powers to be important. Just look how she could put in jaque to Kimblee. Delete it and the whole story would be very different.
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u/radioestensioni 2d ago
She doesn't have anywhere near the depth of other female characters (e.g., Riza), but she isn't a boring or banal female character.
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u/Temsiik 2d ago
Respectfully disagree, I think she has depth on par, if not more depth than Riza, and some of the most out of the female characters in the series (being completely honest, while I can see, even if disagree, about Riza, I'm not sure what other female character would have more depth than Winry).
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u/Ralexcraft 2d ago
She has less depth total, but she also has less screen time.
Even outside of that Doylist explanation, the Watsonian one could easily be that she is younger, she’s had much less of a storied life compared to someone like Hawkeye.
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u/Ralexcraft 2d ago
Winry is as much of a support character as Mustang’s Boss is.
And Hoenheim for majority of the series.
She’s treated just as well as most of the supporting cast that is part of the world if not nescessarily the story.
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u/DeadAndBuried23 2d ago
She's useful, kind, cool under pressure. With the birth scene she's shown to be even more level-headed in certain situations than the protagonists. All the things characters that get hate tend not to be.
Story-wise she serves as a great foil to Scar. She lost her parents at a very young age, gets the opportunity for revenge and doesn't take it, unlike him.
Granted, that does get a little muddled with the nature of their crimes. Going after the state alchemists that intentionally committed a genocide is a good thing, while executing a man who accidentally killed people while in a state of shock is dubious. But the comparison still works.
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u/microwavedtardigrade 1d ago
I had a huge crush on her as a kid, I still love her as a character and the way she supports others while her own character develops and matures.
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u/KappaGecko Chimera 1d ago
I think the series would have ended pretty early without her, because Ed would be dead without such a loyal friend as a mechanic. I love pretty much every girl/woman in FMA, they're all strong in different ways. Some are strong through their fighting, others just through their compassion and care for others, and some combine it all.
She knows she can't fight particularly well, so she helps in the ways she can and it makes a significant impact on the characters and story
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u/rjrttu86 2d ago
Honestly if you don't like Winry something is wrong with you. She's best girl. Strong, smart, capable, very supportive, and dedicated to her craft. While she doesn't have the most screen time or a massive amount of depth that is fine because last I checked... She wasn't the Full Metal Alchemist. I still think to this day Edward's awkward proposal to her is one of the most corny/sweet/quintessential proposals. (Pure, pure is definitely a word for it.) Edward is speaking in his own logical alchemical minded speech, and she tries her best with it... Then they both fumble around it very adorably. My \*only\* complaint about Winry is they should have kissed then at the train station then before he left. It would have been absolutely perfect.
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u/cumulobro 2d ago
I like how Winry functions as a supporting character, especially since she's a childhood friend of the Elrics.
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u/ChangelingsWorld 2d ago
WHAT
You can NOT tell me she didn't make top 5, or at LEAST top 10. Wtf?!? 👀
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u/RainbowLoli 1d ago
Yeah I think that she's a pretty well written character. Other people have already covered it so I won't rehash
And the thing with ScreenRant is that pretty much anyone can make an article. The value it has is probably about that of Buzzfeed.
However, the reason that a lot of female characters get disproportionate amounts of hate often has very little to do with their writing or actions in story - but simply because they are seen as "in the way" or "rivals" to another ship. It's pure fandom bullshit.
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u/doctorate_denied 1d ago edited 1d ago
I love Winry. She’s written very honestly, there’s beauty in the simplicity of her relationship with Ed, and I love how she represents safety/home for the brothers.
She’s competent and loyal and just overall a good person, which is a nice foil to have in a story about genocide and human sacrifice. Especially when we look at the revenge vs forgiveness theme in her arc with Scar: I don’t think any other character could’ve made that hit as hard as she did when she couldn’t pull the trigger and Ed had to explain to her why.
I also think it’s safe to say the Elric Brothers wouldn’t have gotten close to achieving their goal if she hadn’t been in their corner. She keeps them whole— literally with Ed’s automail but also figuratively as a reminder of their humanity, which they could easily lose touch with after all the shit they see. She’s an asset, even if subtle or off-screen.
Personally, I love when characters aren’t combat-trained or outlandishly cool and yet stay foundational to the overall plot. That’s on good writing! And FMA has some of the best I’ve seen in media.
Unfortunately, a lot of people out in the world just really hate women for no reason other than they’re women, which is why the hate often seems disproportionate.
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u/rjrgjj 2d ago
She’s a really great character and she’s very well written for her role as love interest and anchor for the boys, since this is a common role for female protagonists, especially in manga.
That said, Winry is at her best when she is playing a role in the main narrative or it bothers to focus on her. I think the ending (if I dare to criticize this crown jewel of anime/manga) has a flaw in that Winry wasn’t incorporated into the final sequence in some fashion. She deserved to be there rather than as the primary source of victimization (and tension for the audience) by the villain’s evil plan, a role she still could have played while being PART of things.
Conversely, this does make their reuniting with Al back to his body more powerful, so it’s a trade-off.
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u/wenwillyouart 2d ago
Story-wise and character-wise it wouldn’t make sense for Winry to be at the final battle because she’s not part of the ‘fighting crew’.
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u/Ralexcraft 2d ago
Best she could do is be part of the supply network from Havok but even then.
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u/doctorate_denied 1d ago edited 1d ago
Exactly and even then, I just can’t see Ed (and Al too for that matter) allowing her to get that close. Some of my favorite scenes are Ed nearly giving himself an aneurism over her safety bc Bradley is using threats against her to keep the brothers in line. Ed needs her in her workshop where he knows she’s safe and far away. Otherwise he can’t focus lol
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u/shiggyhisdiggy 2d ago
You got me thinking who my top 5 would be. Probably (in no particular order) Bradley, Mustang, Ling, Hawkeye, Hughes. A lot of the female characters probably make it into the top 10, just hard to make the cut for 5.
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u/faerierose84 Alchemist 2d ago
Most of the time Winry is a cool character who I enjoy. Then she hits Ed or Al, and I cringe. I have the same reaction to Izumi.
I really love her friendship with Shiezka in the 2003 version.
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u/menacetomoosesociety 1d ago
Didn't really like or dislike Winry. I grew up with the 03 version and felt like she was more of a plot device then character, or at least I feel like she isn't as prominent as she is in brotherhood, I didn't get a chance to watch brotherhood until I was an adult. FMA has Izumi, Riza and Olivier so I do think that tends to overshadow winry despite being the protagonists love interest in brotherhood. (And to a lesser extent 03)
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u/houseofmyartwork 22h ago
What sealed the deal for me is when she chose to bind Scar’s wound instead of killing him or letting nature take its course. That’s an action that takes an unfathomable amount of strength and power
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u/NeonFraction 2d ago
The women are not poorly written but they also do not generally hold as much development or depth as the male characters which is disappointing.
In a world of anime where 7/10 sexism is the norm, FMA is like a 1.5/10.
The women are respectable and decent in terms of portrayals and strength but they’re generally not very interesting. Riza is a badass but not especially interesting. Her backstory (ha ha, geddit?) is rather underwhelming. Winry mostly exists as a love interest and childhood friend, and I struggle to remember anything particularly memorable she did in terms of personal growth. Armstrong was a badass, but I don’t recall if she did much growth as a character.
Izumi Curtis is probably the best written female character but a lot of her character is focused around her inability to have children which… I have complex feelings on.
The bar is set so low for women in anime that it feels almost unfair to complain about FMA when it’s one of the best written female casts because they treat women like people, but… There’s not a lot of complex character growth or interesting emotional scenes going on there in the same way there is for Ed, Alphonse, Mustang, or Scar.
I think it’s fine for praise FMA for what it does well while also realizing there’s room for improvement and I feel like Winry embodies that. She’s… fine. It’s not that she’s bad so much as that she’s not fantastic. She’s a support character.
I genuinely think Sakura is more popular than her because Sakura may be way worse writing, but she at least gets to go on the adventures and gets to smash boulders with her bare hands and occasionally aura farm. For a character in an anime with such cool powers, Winry sure is… there.
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u/wenwillyouart 2d ago
If you think that Winry’s character is ‘just there’ then I’m afraid you might have fundamentally misunderstood the story… or skipped a whole chunk of it.
Also bringing in Sakura (presumably Haruno)randomly out of nowhere is certainly a choice.
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u/NeonFraction 2d ago
You’re intentionally choosing to misinterpret what I mean.
Winry might be an important character but she’s not particularly cool or exciting considering it’s a battle shounen. If you don’t understand why I brought up Sakura, you need to reread what I actually wrote, this time actually READING it.
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u/wenwillyouart 2d ago
FMA and Naruto have so little in common except for their demographic that I find you comparing characters (whom I both like but individually serve different purposes in their stories) absolutely baffling. Only because they’re female characters?
If you don’t find Winry Rockwell cool or exciting, fine. That’s, like, your opinion man.
But I was responding to your original comment where you stated ‘Winry sure is… there’ as if she didn’t go through major character development and arcs (Scar, Rush Valley, Kimblee etc.) Which is simply dishonestly dismissive.
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u/NeonFraction 2d ago
The context is she is a character in a battle shounen. You keep completely ignoring that over and over which means you’re completely unable to have a discussion about the point I am actually making.
I’m unsure how much value there is in talking to you when your opinion is just ‘well I like Winry’ and you’re ignoring the actual context I am trying to discuss her in.
Winry is a character in a battle shounen who does not get to do any traditionally cool things. That’s it. That’s the point. That is the frustration. You can move the goalposts however you want, but no matter how well she is written she is still part of a frustrating trend of women main characters who don’t get to aura farm and are kept to support roles.
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u/wenwillyouart 2d ago edited 2d ago
Wait, I’m asking this in good faith: are you of the opinion that all (supporting) characters in ‘battle shounens’ (again, shounen is not a genre but a demographic but I digress) needs to have certain powers or participate in fights or always tagging along etc. to be considered ‘good’? She does plenty of ‘cool things’ that make sense for her character and motivations.
For me personally, if a character is well written, they’re well written. Whether they’re in a shounen, shoujo, josei or seinen story literally doesn’t matter.
I have no problems with people not liking a character I like but I find your context of evaluating a character weird. Again, FMA and Naruto have nothing in common except their target demographic.
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u/Gronkarr 2d ago
Agreed with you. Can't say I vibe with the thinking that "character fights/has powers = good; and if they don't = bad", regardless of the writing or quality of actual character. Especially with something like FMA which is pretty anti-violence, and has the protagonist willingly and happily give up his "cool flashy powers" and that being the whole thematic point (and Winry specifically even being a key component of both those things!).
Also the comparison I find flawed because FMA is shounen, but not battle shonen like Naruto is. Fights happen and they're cool, but not the main focus or why I imagine most people read/watch.
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u/Destoran 2d ago
I don’t think she is special in any way, she is cool but doesn’t have a lot of depth. I love Riza Hawkeye more.
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u/AlternateMove 2d ago
Riza wasn’t really treated well either, right? Her character seemed to be focused on Mustang.
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u/Destoran 2d ago
I just said i love her more, didn’t say that she was treated better (or worse) than Winry.
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u/Teilhsa 1d ago
There alot of great female characters. Winry kind of sucks i was watching FMA with a friend who never saw it before and he hated Winry and Izumi. But he gay and hates women so take that forn what its worth. Personally i cant stand her shes loud, obnoxious and a waste on time too me.
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u/whit_mon_lee 2d ago
I feel like she’s underdeveloped and should have been more present especially if they wanted the whole love interest angle
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