Seven years ago there was a civil war in the country of Amestris. Alchemists - powerful soldiers capable of using advanced scientific techniques to destroy the opponent - were sent in to finish the war. Isaac McDougal was one of those alchemists. The Ishval War shaped Isaac more than any other event in his life. He left the military as soon as the war was over and went into hiding, joining up with the Anti-Establishment Movement, a group plotting to overthrow the "corrupt" government.
Isaac has a very strong sense of morals; in his opinion, the Ishval War was nothing more than an extermination of a group of people for no reason. The war left him very bitter toward the government he had served. He proceeds to attempt to take down the military single-handedly, regardless of the personal cost. He tries to freeze Central Headquarters over despite knowing that at the very least he'll be captured. He believes what he's doing is for the greater good and he's willing to go to any lengths to accomplish his goal. The creation of a Philosopher's Stone involves thousands of souls; something Isaac must have realized once he figured out what Bradley was attempting to do with the country. Yet Isaac has an incomplete Philosopher's Stone that he's willing to use to activate the array that will freeze Central over. In this case, the ends really do justify the means.
Isaac isn't exactly selfless, however. He only attempts to enlist the help of one other person to take down the government. This is mostly due to his overconfidence in his capabilities, as well as confidence in the incomplete Philosopher's Stone he's been given. Had he put aside his pride and enlisted more help, he might have actually succeeded in his plan to freeze Central over. Isaac does get very close on his own, but this is mostly due to the Philosopher's Stone.
Once Isaac sets his sights on something, nothing is going to stop him. He's not only determined, he's stubborn. He refuses to explain himself and expects others to understand what he's doing. When Mustang asks for his surrender, Isaac refuses to even consider it. While this is due in part to his ego, Isaac genuinely believes that something has to be done immediately and everyone who doesn't agree with him is in the wrong. He's very open about his irritation with Mustang for remaining in the military after the Ishval War and escapes before Mustang and the soldiers can capture or kill him. This doesn't stop him from attempting to carry out his goal.
That's another major part of his personality; Isaac has spent seven years on the run from the military, he's used to relying only on himself. He doesn't trust anyone. He attempts to enlist the help of another alchemist who was in Ishval with him, Solf J. Kimblee. Kimblee killed his superior officers and was arrested; Isaac was under the impression Kimblee did this to send a message to Bradley about the war. Isaac was willing to risk being captured in order to seek out Kimblee in Central Prison, only to be turned away and informed that Kimblee only killed his superiors because he wanted to. The fact that he trusts Kimblee enough to break him out of prison and risk capture just to attempt to gain his cooperation speaks volumes about Isaac and just how much he trusted Kimblee. When that trust is shattered, he doesn't back down from his plans, instead he keeps going. That just reaffirmed what he's been practicing for the past seven years; you can't trust anyone.
Obviously, Isaac is rash. He doesn't think things through very well before he acts. His plan to freeze Central over required a bit of forethought, but he acted very quickly on it without planning for interference from other alchemists. Again, he relied far too heavily on the Philosopher's Stone and expected that to ensure his victory. Had he stopped to think things through, he might have realized that in order to ensure success, he'd need more help. Clearly this thought did cross his mind, because he does try to enlist Kimblee's help. After that, however, he doesn't attempt to alter his original plans any.
For a character who appears in only one episode, there's a surprising amount of depth to Isaac's character. He's taking action against the entire government because of what he's discovered about the country; while this may not make him brave, it certainly does mean he's bold. He's able to avoid capture for seven years prior to this, and even when orders are given to shoot him on sight he still manages to survive for an entire day. Isaac ultimately is just trying to do what he believes is right, regardless of the personal cost.
Isaac hasn't changed much during his time in Johto. He's mellowed out a bit and he's realized that he was indeed in the wrong with his attack on Central, but for the most part he hasn't changed. He's still determined to take Bradley down, should Bradley ever show up in Johto again, and he's still determined to do what's right to make up for the things he did back home. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), he's wound up in Team Rocket this time around. Maybe he can make a difference. Or maybe he'll be outed before he has a chance to do that. Who knows?
Strengths/Weaknesses:
✔ Let's start with the obvious one here: alchemy. Isaac is still known by his alchemist title "the Freezing Alchemist" even seven years after leaving the military. His alchemy isn't actually based around ice, but rather water - he can utilize the array etched into his gauntlet (or the one tattooed on his palm) to freeze any source of water. This includes the human body - one touch with the activated array can result in freezing the target solid or boiling the blood within the body and burning them. Either way it results in death. Isaac can also boil other sources of water, though he tends to rely on freezing. Finally, he can create massive glaciers that are incredibly difficult to stop with a larger transmutation completed by three separate arrays in specific locations. Obviously none of these abilities will work in Route. ✔ Isaac is incredibly strong. In the anime he's not only able to block Edward's attacks, but he's also able to flip Alphonse over his head. Alphonse is a suit of armor and is at least a foot taller than Isaac. This isn't any super-human ability; Isaac is just naturally very strong. This comes from years of training, which has only intensified over the past seven years since he joined the Anti-Establishment Movement. ✔ He's also very fast and flexible. Again, he's able to dodge Edward and Alphonse's attacks and counter them. When he is eventually arrested, he manages to escape and avoid capture for another day. Isaac has avoided capture for seven years since he left the military as well, which means he's also quite good at keeping a low profile. This only changes once he's discovered the array beneath Amestris and the plans to turn the country into a Philosopher's Stone. ✔ Isaac has a very strong sense of justice. He didn't agree with what was happening in the Ishval War, but he didn't act out. Afterwards he left the military and began acting against it. He finally moves to take down Bradley (whom he believes is behind the array to transform Amestris into a Philosopher's Stone) because it's the right thing to do. That, and no one else seemed to figure it out. Good job, guys. ✔ It might not seem like it, but Isaac is quite clever. Alchemy is a science and Isaac has extensive knowledge of the composition of the human body, which enables him to utilize his alchemy. He's also very perceptive; he's the first character in Brotherhood to figure out what's going on in Amestris (outside of the ones behind it, of course).
✔ / ✘ Blind determination is another one of Isaac's major characteristics. This can be beneficial and harmful, depending on the situation. While this does mean that once he's set his sights on something he won't budge until he obtains it, it also means he won't focus on anything else or consider any other options. He wants to stop Bradley, so he'll take care of things his way.
✘ Isaac is very rash. He discovers what's happening in Amestris and instead of attempting to come up with a plan that could gather support, he instead chooses to attempt to take down Bradley on his own. He does come up with a plan that nearly succeeds, but he could have come up with something better if he had taken the time to stop and think about it. ✘ Social cues aren't something Isaac picks up on very easily. He's naturally a loner and tends to socialize only when others initiate it. His choice in "friends" is questionable as well; he seeks Kimblee's help before turning to any of the other alchemists he was on good terms with during the Ishval War. Kimblee laughs him out of Central Prison. Isaac also expects others to understand what he's trying to do without giving enough explanation. Ed brushes him off, and instead of attempting to explain himself, Isaac gives up. ✘ Isaac is very idealistic. This is very problematic in his homeworld; he acts on ideals rather than trying to come up with a more pragmatic approach to obtaining those ideals. ✘ Isaac doesn't trust anyone. This is something he's developed over the years due to the fact that the military has been pursuing him, but it's not a great thing to have here in a new world. He prefers to work alone and the only person he actually trusted to help him turned him away. He's still bitter about that. ✘ He has no issues hurting people despite very openly hating what happened in the Ishval War. He doesn't stop to think about how many people could be hurt because of what he's doing. Someone has to stop Bradley, after all.
no subject
Seven years ago there was a civil war in the country of Amestris. Alchemists - powerful soldiers capable of using advanced scientific techniques to destroy the opponent - were sent in to finish the war. Isaac McDougal was one of those alchemists. The Ishval War shaped Isaac more than any other event in his life. He left the military as soon as the war was over and went into hiding, joining up with the Anti-Establishment Movement, a group plotting to overthrow the "corrupt" government.
Isaac has a very strong sense of morals; in his opinion, the Ishval War was nothing more than an extermination of a group of people for no reason. The war left him very bitter toward the government he had served. He proceeds to attempt to take down the military single-handedly, regardless of the personal cost. He tries to freeze Central Headquarters over despite knowing that at the very least he'll be captured. He believes what he's doing is for the greater good and he's willing to go to any lengths to accomplish his goal. The creation of a Philosopher's Stone involves thousands of souls; something Isaac must have realized once he figured out what Bradley was attempting to do with the country. Yet Isaac has an incomplete Philosopher's Stone that he's willing to use to activate the array that will freeze Central over. In this case, the ends really do justify the means.
Isaac isn't exactly selfless, however. He only attempts to enlist the help of one other person to take down the government. This is mostly due to his overconfidence in his capabilities, as well as confidence in the incomplete Philosopher's Stone he's been given. Had he put aside his pride and enlisted more help, he might have actually succeeded in his plan to freeze Central over. Isaac does get very close on his own, but this is mostly due to the Philosopher's Stone.
Once Isaac sets his sights on something, nothing is going to stop him. He's not only determined, he's stubborn. He refuses to explain himself and expects others to understand what he's doing. When Mustang asks for his surrender, Isaac refuses to even consider it. While this is due in part to his ego, Isaac genuinely believes that something has to be done immediately and everyone who doesn't agree with him is in the wrong. He's very open about his irritation with Mustang for remaining in the military after the Ishval War and escapes before Mustang and the soldiers can capture or kill him. This doesn't stop him from attempting to carry out his goal.
That's another major part of his personality; Isaac has spent seven years on the run from the military, he's used to relying only on himself. He doesn't trust anyone. He attempts to enlist the help of another alchemist who was in Ishval with him, Solf J. Kimblee. Kimblee killed his superior officers and was arrested; Isaac was under the impression Kimblee did this to send a message to Bradley about the war. Isaac was willing to risk being captured in order to seek out Kimblee in Central Prison, only to be turned away and informed that Kimblee only killed his superiors because he wanted to. The fact that he trusts Kimblee enough to break him out of prison and risk capture just to attempt to gain his cooperation speaks volumes about Isaac and just how much he trusted Kimblee. When that trust is shattered, he doesn't back down from his plans, instead he keeps going. That just reaffirmed what he's been practicing for the past seven years; you can't trust anyone.
Obviously, Isaac is rash. He doesn't think things through very well before he acts. His plan to freeze Central over required a bit of forethought, but he acted very quickly on it without planning for interference from other alchemists. Again, he relied far too heavily on the Philosopher's Stone and expected that to ensure his victory. Had he stopped to think things through, he might have realized that in order to ensure success, he'd need more help. Clearly this thought did cross his mind, because he does try to enlist Kimblee's help. After that, however, he doesn't attempt to alter his original plans any.
For a character who appears in only one episode, there's a surprising amount of depth to Isaac's character. He's taking action against the entire government because of what he's discovered about the country; while this may not make him brave, it certainly does mean he's bold. He's able to avoid capture for seven years prior to this, and even when orders are given to shoot him on sight he still manages to survive for an entire day. Isaac ultimately is just trying to do what he believes is right, regardless of the personal cost.
Isaac hasn't changed much during his time in Johto. He's mellowed out a bit and he's realized that he was indeed in the wrong with his attack on Central, but for the most part he hasn't changed. He's still determined to take Bradley down, should Bradley ever show up in Johto again, and he's still determined to do what's right to make up for the things he did back home. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), he's wound up in Team Rocket this time around. Maybe he can make a difference. Or maybe he'll be outed before he has a chance to do that. Who knows?
Strengths/Weaknesses:
✔ Let's start with the obvious one here: alchemy. Isaac is still known by his alchemist title "the Freezing Alchemist" even seven years after leaving the military. His alchemy isn't actually based around ice, but rather water - he can utilize the array etched into his gauntlet (or the one tattooed on his palm) to freeze any source of water. This includes the human body - one touch with the activated array can result in freezing the target solid or boiling the blood within the body and burning them. Either way it results in death. Isaac can also boil other sources of water, though he tends to rely on freezing. Finally, he can create massive glaciers that are incredibly difficult to stop with a larger transmutation completed by three separate arrays in specific locations. Obviously none of these abilities will work in Route.
✔ Isaac is incredibly strong. In the anime he's not only able to block Edward's attacks, but he's also able to flip Alphonse over his head. Alphonse is a suit of armor and is at least a foot taller than Isaac. This isn't any super-human ability; Isaac is just naturally very strong. This comes from years of training, which has only intensified over the past seven years since he joined the Anti-Establishment Movement.
✔ He's also very fast and flexible. Again, he's able to dodge Edward and Alphonse's attacks and counter them. When he is eventually arrested, he manages to escape and avoid capture for another day. Isaac has avoided capture for seven years since he left the military as well, which means he's also quite good at keeping a low profile. This only changes once he's discovered the array beneath Amestris and the plans to turn the country into a Philosopher's Stone.
✔ Isaac has a very strong sense of justice. He didn't agree with what was happening in the Ishval War, but he didn't act out. Afterwards he left the military and began acting against it. He finally moves to take down Bradley (whom he believes is behind the array to transform Amestris into a Philosopher's Stone) because it's the right thing to do. That, and no one else seemed to figure it out. Good job, guys.
✔ It might not seem like it, but Isaac is quite clever. Alchemy is a science and Isaac has extensive knowledge of the composition of the human body, which enables him to utilize his alchemy. He's also very perceptive; he's the first character in Brotherhood to figure out what's going on in Amestris (outside of the ones behind it, of course).
✔ / ✘ Blind determination is another one of Isaac's major characteristics. This can be beneficial and harmful, depending on the situation. While this does mean that once he's set his sights on something he won't budge until he obtains it, it also means he won't focus on anything else or consider any other options. He wants to stop Bradley, so he'll take care of things his way.
✘ Isaac is very rash. He discovers what's happening in Amestris and instead of attempting to come up with a plan that could gather support, he instead chooses to attempt to take down Bradley on his own. He does come up with a plan that nearly succeeds, but he could have come up with something better if he had taken the time to stop and think about it.
✘ Social cues aren't something Isaac picks up on very easily. He's naturally a loner and tends to socialize only when others initiate it. His choice in "friends" is questionable as well; he seeks Kimblee's help before turning to any of the other alchemists he was on good terms with during the Ishval War. Kimblee laughs him out of Central Prison. Isaac also expects others to understand what he's trying to do without giving enough explanation. Ed brushes him off, and instead of attempting to explain himself, Isaac gives up.
✘ Isaac is very idealistic. This is very problematic in his homeworld; he acts on ideals rather than trying to come up with a more pragmatic approach to obtaining those ideals.
✘ Isaac doesn't trust anyone. This is something he's developed over the years due to the fact that the military has been pursuing him, but it's not a great thing to have here in a new world. He prefers to work alone and the only person he actually trusted to help him turned him away. He's still bitter about that.
✘ He has no issues hurting people despite very openly hating what happened in the Ishval War. He doesn't stop to think about how many people could be hurt because of what he's doing. Someone has to stop Bradley, after all.