Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodstands as one of the best-written anime series of all time, but it's not just the strong, deep themes driving the story forward. The anime is also a gripping adventure because of how well-written its characters are, with remarkably few of them being basic archetypes or stock characters. Even minor characters like the chimeras have heart, and main cast members have some of the strongest writing of all.

Good writing in an anime like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood call for more than funny one-liners in the dialogue or a basic backstory to explain where the character came from. The best-written cast members of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are designed with a balance of heartwarming values, inspirational strength, realistic flaws, and sympathetic insecurities. Such robust writing is even more effective when it's worked into a dynamic personal arc as the character grows and changes, showing more sides of themselves over time.