Maes Hughes

Infobox animanga character
name = Brigadier General Mäes Hughes
series = Fullmetal Alchemist


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creator = Hiromu Arakawa
voiced by = Keiji Fujiwara (JPN)
Sonny Strait (ENG)
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age = 36 (deceased)
gender = Male
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class =
occupation = Lieutenant Colonel (posthumously promoted to Brigadier General)
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relatives = Gracia Hughes (wife), Elysia Hughes (daughter)
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Maes Hughes (pronounced Mäes Hughes) is a fictional character of the "Fullmetal Alchemist" anime and manga series. Initially he was member of the Investigations Division at Central, he is an old friend of Colonel Roy Mustang. At the time of his introduction in the anime, Hughes held the rank of Major, and first met the Elric brothers while serving as a Communications Officer for General Hakuro. Hughes and Edward Elric worked together throughout various episodes. He was later murdered by the Homunculus, Envy.

Plot

Hughes is initially assigned to the Investigations Division in Central, where he is more involved with police work than he is in actual battles. He has displayed his skills with his push knives, with very precise aiming and through the use of his reflexes. After receiving his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, Hughes is placed in charge of the Investigations Division. While investigating the 5th Laboratory incident and the mysterious deaths of the prisoners involved with its experiments, Hughes finds that there is much to suspect about the Führer's secretary, Juliet Douglas. During the course of his investigation, he is lured by Douglas to a hotel where she had told him Tim Marcoh is waiting, but on arrival Hughes is confronted by both her and Lust - another of the Homunculi. Barely surviving against the Homunculi, he is only saved by the timely intervention of Maria Ross. He flees the building with Maria Ross, in order to contact Roy Mustang from a public telephone booth. His reason behind calling Mustang directly is to give him information that the Homunculi have infiltrated the top Military ranks and that his life may be in danger. As Mustang is on a train to Central, Hughes is not able to contact him. Hughes then notices that the Maria Ross is missing a minuscule mole under her left eye, and Envy - another Homunculus - reveals himself. After slashing Envy's throat but as Hughes turns to leave Envy transforms into Hughes’s wife Gracia. Hughes hesitates, and Envy uses the opportunity to shoot him. He is posthumously promoted to Brigadier General ironically attaining a higher rank than Mustang, although the latter later does gain the same rank. [Episode 25: "Words of Farewell"]

Character Outline

Personality

Maes Hughes's personality is sometimes seen as comical; tongue-in-cheek, and, to another extent very serious about his family and job. He is often throughout the anime seen as helping people; mainly befriending and giving advice to Edward and Alphonse Elric; Roy Mustang and even Winry Rockbell. In the episode that he is introduced in, the viewer clearly sees what an eccentric character he was. He was excited primarily about his pregnant wife at the time the series was just beginning and even resulted in inviting the Elric brothers to his house as act of kindness. He shows his sensitive side throughout the anime series towards various characters in addition, and is continually obsessed with his daughter. Moments before his death, at the phone booth he had mistakenly dropped a picture of his wife and daughter on the ground, had symbolised that he was a devoted father and loving husband. It also finally gave the impression that he had loved his family very much. Before setting out for Juliet Douglas he is shown firing his assistant - who had initially been a librarian for Alchemical Library - moments before he set out to uncover Douglas as a fraud as a final act of kindness. He knew of the danger he was putting her up against and so ultimately fired her for her own safety. His comical behaviour was shown in the last moments he was with someone trusting.

Family life

Hughes was shown to have been infatuated with his wife, Gracia, and their daughter, Elicia. He comically thrusts pictures of Elicia into his colleagues faces much to their annoyance - but it is clear that his erratic behavior is usually a cover for the serious and depressing nature of his work. In his final episode he was featured alive and with his family he is seen kissing his daughter goodbye before investigating a dangerous case involving Dr. Tim Marcoh.

Relationships

Roy Mustang

Hughes is very supportive of Roy Mustang's plan to become Führer of the state military, stating; "I'll work below you and help push you to the top". A common gag involves Hughes calling Mustang to either gloat about his daughter or advise Mustang to get a wife, promptly causing Mustang to slam the phone down in anger. Hughes in addition to giving some news only gives out serious information after he had actually first talked obsessively about his daughter. Mustang was deeply shocked by Hughes' untimely death and shed a single tear at his funeral. Mustang's goals after Hughes' death were all to avenge him and in his memory. Edward, Alphonse, Winry and Sheska realized this after Pinako Rockbell told them that all of Mustang's actions were for Hughes.

Elric brothers

Hughes is especially kind to Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric throughout the series. In the anime, he invites them to his home to celebrate Edward's birthday, one of the few moments of domestic bliss enjoyed by the Elric brothers outside of their earlier lives with their mother. Because the Elric brothers had helped deliver Hughes's baby it may be one of the reasons why he displays kindness towards them. Both he and his wife Gracia continue to be kind towards the brothers, as well as to their friend Winry. Hughes also seems to be Edward's most trustworthy ally in the military, as Hughes manages to convince Edward to describe to him what he saw while in Laboratory 5. Major Armstrong also seems to have similar role like this to the Elrics. When the two brothers learn of Hughes' death, Edward instinctively holds Roy Mustang responsible for the death although as time passes he drops this accusation. Alphonse is also affected, but since he was in his armor form at the time, it is hard to see him expressing emotions physically.

Winry Rockbell

Hughes had a limited time to get to know Winry, meeting her in the hospital where Edward and Alphonse were being treated after the events in Laboratory 5. Hughes immediately baffled Winry with his obsession with his daughter and practically dragged her out of the hospital to his house in order to celebrate his daughter's birthday. There, Winry befriended Elicia and Gracia, and after discussion her relationship with the Elrics, Hughes gave her confidence to give Edward some encouragement. She is deeply upset when she learns of Hughes' death in both the anime and manga. In the manga Ed and Al decide not to inform Winry of Mae's death and she discovers it in a newspaper then decides to visit Maes's family. In the anime, she finds it very troubling that a man she liked and respected had been such an ardent supporter of the man she discovered to be behind the murder of her parents.

Career

Hughes is initially assigned to the Investigations Division in Central, he is more involved with police work than he is in actual battles and alchemical assignments. He has displayed his skills with his push knives, with very precise aiming and through the use of his reflexes. After receiving his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, Hughes is placed in charge of the Investigations Division.

Military

* Major - Has this rank when introduced in the story.
* Lieutenant Colonel - Promoted to this rank shortly before Edward's state alchemy reassessment examination. [episode 13]
* Brigadier General - Posthumously promoted to this rank for dying in the line of duty.

Manga

In the original manga, Hughes fought in the Ishval war — not as an alchemist, but as a soldier. While not an alchemist, Hughes was an expert in knife combat (specializing in knife throwing) and carried two or four small push knives in both or either of his sleeves or in the back of his belt, which he used as protection in battle.

He had known Mustang since their days at the military academy, when they had both been idealistic as to what the future would hold. Their values changed with the war and they became critical of where the future of their country was heading toward. During this time, he introduced Mustang to a nameless sniper who had been protecting their people. She turned out to be a young Riza Hawkeye, whom Mustang recalled as the daughter of his alchemy teacher.

Years later, he married Gracia (whom he had known before the war began) and supported of Mustang's plan to become Führer, doing whatever he could by "working below him and help push him to the top." After the incident in the military's 5th Laboratory, Edward Elric shows Hughes some drawings of what he saw in there. Upon further research, Hughes realizes that the military is making a huge transmutation circle around the country. He is confronted by Lust, but manages to escape with only a flesh wound by throwing a knife into Lust's forehead. Hughes tries to phone Mustang with the crucial information, but is killed by Envy before he could talk to Mustang. Hughes was 29-30 years old when he died (he is the same age as Mustang).

He is promoted to Brigadier General posthumously and buried with full honours for dying in the line of duty. His death came as a shock to his friends and family, especially Sheska and Mustang.

Last Words: "Hey, hey, cut me some slack. I've got a wife and kid waiting for me at home ... I can't die here!"

Military

* Captain - Held this rank when he was in the Ishval war.
* Brigadier General - Posthumously promoted to this rank for dying in the line of duty. (Incorrectly translated as Major General by VIZ Media, then later as Commodore.)

Film

Just like many of the other characters, Maes Hughes and his wife Gracia also have alternate versions of themselves living in our world, with the former possessing a slightly looser set of moral standards than his Amestris counterpart. He works as a policeman in Munich, and Gracia is a flower shop owner and the landlady of the place where Edward and Alphons Heiderich were living. By the time of the movie, they are not together, but Hughes is already trying to approach her, and Ed tells him to stop stalking her and confess his feelings to her once and for all. Their relationship starts to cool when Noa starts to live with Ed, because while Gracia supports her, Hughes, a Nazi Party affiliate, tries to dissuade Ed due to Noa’s Roma origin. By the movie's last moments Hughes finally gets the courage to speak openly with Gracia and apparently, they finally come to terms and he leaves the Nazi party.

Trivia

*In the OVA "Kids" on the Conqueror of Shambala DVD another police officer resembles Hughes can be seen giving directions to Edward Elric's grandchildren.
*According to his tombstone in Chapter 46 of the manga, he died at the age of 36.

References