Olivier Mira Armstrong

Olivier Mira Armstrong is a character from the Fullmetal Alchemist anime and manga.

Olivier is the primary heir to the illustrious Armstrong family and the older sister of Alex Louis Armstrong as well as the commanding officer charged with the protection of Amestris' northern border at Fort Briggs.

Appearance
In keeping with her lineage as a natural-born Amestrian and scion of the long-standing Armstrong bloodline, Olivier bears the trademark family traits of blue eyes with long eyelashes and her waist-length blond hair is noticeably curled at the ends despite being otherwise relatively straight. Her lips are clearly defined and depicted as being rather full, making her one of only three characters in the series (the other two being Lust and Martel) with such a characteristic. Though slender, Olivier also sports a rather muscular build, which gives off a clear air of regallity and command.

Personality
Olivier Armstrong is a severe woman with a fearsome and commanding presence. Harsh with her subordinates and peers and coldly merciless to her enemies, the deceptively beautiful woman's schadenfreude has earned her the nickname "Ice Queen" among the Briggs soldiers. Sharp-tongued and highly combative, Olivier is no stranger to furious chastisements and bursts of fiery violence, especially toward those who fail to live up to her high standards and staunch adherence to the "survival of the fittest" philosophy. As such, she has no tolerance at all for weakness or lack of willpower and fosters great distaste for the concept of "Equivalent Exchange", which she views as a mindset promoting easy handouts and unnecessary compromise. That being said, she is extremely perceptive and adaptive, able to coolly judge which courses of action will lead to the most beneficial results and capable of thinking and acting on the fly in response to unpredictable or mutable circumstances.

Skilled at reading people and conscious of even her own limitations, Major General Armstrong understands that she requires the support of her subordinates and peers in order to succeed and, though she understands that sacrifice is often a necessary part of her endeavors, never forgets the weight and impact that each person has on the world. As such, she takes her commanding role very seriously and has earned the undying loyalty of her men with her hands-on approach to leadership on and off the field of battle. While she cannot be said to have a "soft spot" for anyone, in particular, Olivier is a deceptively caring and selfless individual, prone to taking great risks in order to protect the lives and well-being of those who have placed their trust in her.

Abilities
Being the General of Briggs, Olivier has full command of the Fortress. She is very skilled with her family heirloom sword, which she uses unhesitatingly, as well as with firearms, from pistols to rocket-propelled grenade launchers, shooting with deadly accuracy. She is proficient enough in swordsmanship to easily defeat her brother Alex and hold her own against Sloth. Olivier does not falter in the face of battle, hardly flinching when facing tough opponents like Sloth. She is also, like the rest of the Armstrong family, abnormally strong, and despite her slender appearance is able to easily throw Alex around. However, her inability to match Sloth's strength while Alex did means that Olivier merely outmatches Alex in sheer combat prowess, relying more on agility, speed and combat skill as opposed to brute strength. Above all she is an excellent leader, not faulting at the suggestion of danger as well as making soldiers who were sent to kill her to work under her.

Trivia

 * Being the aggressive, scary, and cruel woman she is, Olivier is the only person Edward Elric has not expressed rage toward for calling him short. In fact, while he acknowledges the remark, he reacts with fear.
 * Like nearly all military personnel in the Fullmetal Alchemist series, the Armstrong family is named after a military vehicle, vessel or weapon, in this case, the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley (A.W.38 Whitley), a British bomber from early WWII
 * Major General Armstrong's first name, "Olivier" (Orivie), is actually a masculine name. It is the French form (pronounced o-lee-VYAY) of Oliver. Thus, in the french version of the manga, her name has been changed to Olivia.
 * Her seiyuu Yoko Soumi also voiced Camilla from the video game Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel.
 * Olivier ranked 8th place in the latest popularity poll, making her the third most popular female of the series (with Winry being second and Riza Hawkeye being first), also making her the most popular of the Armstrong family, Alex being the second.
 * Major General Armstrong was the only female member of Central's High Command, as well as the highest-ranked woman depicted in the series.
 * The type of sword she wields seems to be a "sabre" and has been passed through the Armstrong family for generations.
 * Her Japanese voice actress also voices Camilla in Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel.