Major Alex Louis Armstrong (アレックス・ルイ・アームストロング, Arekkusu Rui Āmusutorongu?), also known as the Strong Arm Alchemist (豪腕の錬金術師, Gōwan no Renkinjutsushi), is a State Alchemist and officer in the Amestrian State Military. The scion of the illustrious Armstrong family, Alex is a remarkably caring commander and friend as well as an invaluably skilled ally to Colonel Roy Mustang and Edward Elric.

Alex Armstrong is a massive man standing at 212cm, who towers over most of the other characters in the series, making him very easy to spot in a crowd or at a distance. In addition, he sports an equally large frame of exceptionally-sculpted and well-defined muscles honed from years of enthusiastic physical training. While his physique is usually barely hidden beneath his uniform, it seems he need only flex all his muscles at once to tear his garments to threads and leave him shirtless and bulging – a carriage he seems to generally prefer.

His complexion is rather light in comparison to other characters and, while he seems to have blond hair like the rest of his family, Alex’s head is completely bald save for a single lock of curly blond hair hanging from just above his brow. His eyebrows, too, are bare of hair and he sports a thick, blond handlebar mustache, which hides his mouth while accentuating his strong, cleft chin. Though these characteristics give Alex a rather menacing visage, his eyes are blue and kind-looking with notably long eyelashes that appear to run in his family to some degree.