Movie
Description
The character presented under the name Melvin Voyager in Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos is a complex figure whose true identity is a carefully constructed facade. The real Melvin Voyager was a young man who left his home in western Amestris for the capital, Central City, but seemingly vanished. The person using his name is actually Atlas, a former security chief from the neighboring country of Creta.
Atlas’s background is rooted in the tragic history of the Crichton family. Several years before the film's events, he was assigned by the Cretan military to protect the alchemist Crichton family. Driven by a desire to obtain the Sanguine Star, the Milosian term for the Philosopher's Stone, he betrayed them. On the night Julia and Ashleigh Crichton’s parents were murdered, Atlas attacked the young Ashleigh, using a knife to strip the skin from his face and a portion from his torso that bore one half of a tattooed map leading to the Sanguine Star. He then grafted this stolen skin and its tattoo onto his own body. To bide his time until Julia Crichton, who possessed the other half of the map, was old enough for the tattoos to align, he assumed the identity of Melvin Voyager and deliberately committed a crime of robbery and injury to be imprisoned in Central for five years.
In terms of personality, Melvin Voyager is first seen as a mysterious and powerful escapee, but his true nature as Atlas is that of a ruthlessly calculating and patient antagonist. His primary motivation is the acquisition of the Sanguine Star, which he believes will grant him immense power. Unlike those who might use it for nationalistic or altruistic purposes, Atlas’s goal is entirely self-serving; he intends to use the stone to create an independent nation that he himself would rule, a nation more powerful than either Amestris or Creta. He is highly manipulative, exploiting the deep emotional wounds of Julia Crichton by falsely claiming to be her long-lost brother, Ashleigh, to gain her trust and cooperation. His patience is extraordinary, having waited years in prison for his plan to come to fruition, and he displays a chilling lack of empathy, as shown when he casually betrays and murders his own allies, Miranda and Raul, to fuel his transmutation.
His role in the story is that of the main antagonist. He serves as the hidden puppeteer, initially presenting himself as an ally to both the Elric brothers and Julia before revealing his treacherous nature. He is the catalyst for much of the film's conflict, from his prison break to the final, desperate chase for the Sanguine Star. His actions force Edward and Alphonse Elric to confront a different kind of alchemical threat, one rooted in personal obsession and meticulous planning.
Key relationships for the character are defined by his deceptions. His most significant relationship is with Julia Crichton, whom he manipulates by masquerading as her brother Ashleigh. This false brotherhood is the tool he uses to guide her actions toward creating the Sanguine Star. In contrast, his relationship with the Elric brothers is purely adversarial; they recognize him as a dangerous fugitive and later as a true villain, standing as the primary obstacle to his plans. He also has past relationships with his former Cretan military associate, Raul, and the Milosian resistance leader Miranda, both of whom he ultimately discards as expendable pieces in his scheme.
Throughout the film, Atlas’s character does not develop in a positive sense but rather is progressively unveiled. The initial persona of the enigmatic escaped prisoner Melvin Voyager gives way to the cunning manipulator "Ashleigh Crichton," which finally collapses to reveal the ruthless mastermind Atlas. His development is not one of change but of revelation, exposing the full depth of his long-planned treachery and his willingness to sacrifice anyone for power. His ultimate defeat comes when the real Ashleigh Crichton, alive and in disguise, kills him, bringing his years of deception to a violent end.
As an alchemist, Melvin Voyager possesses notable abilities that set him apart. He performs transmutation without a traditional circle, using the palms of his hands. His alchemy is elemental, allowing him to instantaneously generate and project sharp projectiles and large-scale structures of ice with one hand. Simultaneously, with his other hand, he can release powerful, concentrated bursts of explosive energy, resembling lightning or plasma, which he can use offensively or defensively. This dual-element combat style makes him a formidable and unpredictable fighter, capable of matching both the wolf chimera and Edward Elric in direct combat. He also demonstrates a high tolerance for pain, performing self-surgery to carve transmutation circles and remove his own grafted skin without flinching.
Atlas’s background is rooted in the tragic history of the Crichton family. Several years before the film's events, he was assigned by the Cretan military to protect the alchemist Crichton family. Driven by a desire to obtain the Sanguine Star, the Milosian term for the Philosopher's Stone, he betrayed them. On the night Julia and Ashleigh Crichton’s parents were murdered, Atlas attacked the young Ashleigh, using a knife to strip the skin from his face and a portion from his torso that bore one half of a tattooed map leading to the Sanguine Star. He then grafted this stolen skin and its tattoo onto his own body. To bide his time until Julia Crichton, who possessed the other half of the map, was old enough for the tattoos to align, he assumed the identity of Melvin Voyager and deliberately committed a crime of robbery and injury to be imprisoned in Central for five years.
In terms of personality, Melvin Voyager is first seen as a mysterious and powerful escapee, but his true nature as Atlas is that of a ruthlessly calculating and patient antagonist. His primary motivation is the acquisition of the Sanguine Star, which he believes will grant him immense power. Unlike those who might use it for nationalistic or altruistic purposes, Atlas’s goal is entirely self-serving; he intends to use the stone to create an independent nation that he himself would rule, a nation more powerful than either Amestris or Creta. He is highly manipulative, exploiting the deep emotional wounds of Julia Crichton by falsely claiming to be her long-lost brother, Ashleigh, to gain her trust and cooperation. His patience is extraordinary, having waited years in prison for his plan to come to fruition, and he displays a chilling lack of empathy, as shown when he casually betrays and murders his own allies, Miranda and Raul, to fuel his transmutation.
His role in the story is that of the main antagonist. He serves as the hidden puppeteer, initially presenting himself as an ally to both the Elric brothers and Julia before revealing his treacherous nature. He is the catalyst for much of the film's conflict, from his prison break to the final, desperate chase for the Sanguine Star. His actions force Edward and Alphonse Elric to confront a different kind of alchemical threat, one rooted in personal obsession and meticulous planning.
Key relationships for the character are defined by his deceptions. His most significant relationship is with Julia Crichton, whom he manipulates by masquerading as her brother Ashleigh. This false brotherhood is the tool he uses to guide her actions toward creating the Sanguine Star. In contrast, his relationship with the Elric brothers is purely adversarial; they recognize him as a dangerous fugitive and later as a true villain, standing as the primary obstacle to his plans. He also has past relationships with his former Cretan military associate, Raul, and the Milosian resistance leader Miranda, both of whom he ultimately discards as expendable pieces in his scheme.
Throughout the film, Atlas’s character does not develop in a positive sense but rather is progressively unveiled. The initial persona of the enigmatic escaped prisoner Melvin Voyager gives way to the cunning manipulator "Ashleigh Crichton," which finally collapses to reveal the ruthless mastermind Atlas. His development is not one of change but of revelation, exposing the full depth of his long-planned treachery and his willingness to sacrifice anyone for power. His ultimate defeat comes when the real Ashleigh Crichton, alive and in disguise, kills him, bringing his years of deception to a violent end.
As an alchemist, Melvin Voyager possesses notable abilities that set him apart. He performs transmutation without a traditional circle, using the palms of his hands. His alchemy is elemental, allowing him to instantaneously generate and project sharp projectiles and large-scale structures of ice with one hand. Simultaneously, with his other hand, he can release powerful, concentrated bursts of explosive energy, resembling lightning or plasma, which he can use offensively or defensively. This dual-element combat style makes him a formidable and unpredictable fighter, capable of matching both the wolf chimera and Edward Elric in direct combat. He also demonstrates a high tolerance for pain, performing self-surgery to carve transmutation circles and remove his own grafted skin without flinching.