Winry Rockbell

Infobox animanga character
name = Winry Rockbell
series = Fullmetal Alchemist


caption =
creator = Hiromu Arakawa
voiced by = Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese)
Caitlin Glass (English)
age = 16
gender = Female
occupation = Automail specialist and mechanical expert
relatives = Grandmother, Mother and Father (Deceased)

nihongo|Winry Rockbell|ウィンリィ・ロックベル|Winrī Rokkuberu is one of the main characters in the "Fullmetal Alchemist" series by Hiromu Arakawa. A childhood friend of the central characters, the Elric brothers, she is often seen in their company throughout the series. Specializing in mechanical repair, specifically with automail, Winry services Edward's arm and leg whenever it is in need of repair or replacement. Her character plays a more prominent role in the manga than in the anime. She is voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi in Japanese and by Caitlin Glass in the English dub.

Character outline

Winry is protrayed in the series as kind, optimistic, and sincere, acting like a concerned family member to the Elric brothers whenever in their company. Having known Edward and Alphonse since childhood, she maintains a close friendship with the two. In the story, she was orphaned at a young age when her parents, serving as doctors in the Ishval war, were killed, so she lived with her grandmother in the town of Resembool from then on. Known as an "Automail Otaku", she is fascinated by any and all types of machines, excelling in building and repairing automail, and she takes pride in her work as a mechanic. Along with her grandmother, Pinako, who is a famous automail engineer, the two run a small automail shop out of their home. They are also the ones who made and installed Edward's automail arm and leg after he lost his original limbs in a failed human transmutation of his mother."Fullmetal Alchemist" episode 3] Winry takes it upon herself to make sure that his automail is in top form and will go out of her way to travel for servicing when it's needed.

Manga

In the manga Winry becomes an apprentice to Garfiel, an automail engineer in Rush Valley. She also studies techniques for making automail for northern frigid conditions. Her parents, both doctors, were killed by Scar during the Ishbalan war when she was very young (after the Elric brothers' father left but before their mother died.) She frequently travels with the Elrics and later realizes that she has been in love with Ed for a long time."Fullmetal Alchemist" chapter 48]

Due to her importance in the lives of the Elric brothers, Winry is used as a hostage by the military to gain Edward's obedience. In order to escape from the military's possession, she decided to travel with Scar and the others. It was revealed in chapter 73 that it was her plan for Scar to use her as a hostage in order to escape although she has not forgiven him for killing her parents."Fullmetal Alchemist" chapter 72] "Fullmetal Alchemist" chapter 73] In chapter 81 she is in Lior with Alphonse and the others. Rose invites her in her house and the two discuss their relationship with Ed. She is also seen worrying for Ed's safety in this chapter. In chapter 84 Winry is taken on a military train back into Resembool in a water tank. When she comes into her house she is shocked to find Ed in her room while she is undressing. They both scream (obviously embarrased) which causes everyone to believe that the two of them are in danger. Shortly afterwards, she fills Ed in on where Al is and what's been happening in Lior. She finds out Lin has become Greed, and why they were hiding out in her house. Ed tells her to leave the country, but she refuses, wanting to help Ed in any way that she can. Ed soon departs and Winry stays in Resembool for the time being.

Anime

Winry pays a lot of attention to Ed's automail because of her deep care for him"Fullmetal Alchemist" episode 26] , and feels accomplished when she thinks that Ed wins in an automail arm wrestling contest. Winry accepts the Elric brothers as a part of her family and tries to play the role as their sister, though she may not truly see herself as one. Throughout the series, she tends to most express her feelings during moments of weakness, showing genuine concern towards Edward.

After Ed disappears at the end of the anime, Winry takes care of Al while waiting for Edward to return. When he finally does in the sequel of the anime series, she embraces Ed in tears, making him blush. It is stated in the Japanese cast commentary that she hugs him in order to hide her own tears. Winry reveals that she has prepared new automail for Edward, and upon his return, attaches them to him. After Edward's departure, Winry continues working on automail with her grandmother.""]

In 2007, three OVA's were created. In the first OVA, the "cast" of the movie attended an after-party. During which, a drunken Winry confronts Edward about pictures of him and Noa that appeared in a magazine featuring shots and tidbits of the movie. During Ed's explanations, Winry becomes infuriated with jealousy and beats him with wrenches and screwdrivers. In a second OVA, Edward is shown as a grandfather with three grandchildren. One of the children resembles Winry. In the third, an animated short for a ride at the Japanese Universal Studios, Winry herself does not make an appearance, though Envy takes on her form and is kidnapped by Greed together with Al.

According to the booklet in Special Edition of the movie, it is stated that she has become an authority on Automail during the two years in which Edward was away.

Casting

Catlin Glass, the actress for Winry said that she never thought of auditioning for Winry as she had tried out for Al, Rose & Hawkeye respectively. It was through auditioning for Rose that the voice production team said she could do Winry through her "hyper" voice from the series. She adds that she just said one line of dialogue before she was given the role. [ [http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/aug05/fullmetal.shtml Sequential Tart - The Fullmetal Interview Part. 1] ]

References