
Slow to anger and apparently a bit of a pacifist, Van Hohenheim would much rather talk out disputes than fight, frequently doing so even while he himself is under vicious attack.

Hohenheim appears to care very little for his own well-being, much less his dignity (because he thinks of himself as a monster because he became a Human Philosopher's Stone), and is therefore often put in situations that give him the impression of being goofy or eccentric, adding greatly to the series' comic relief. Through Hohenheim's devotion to Alchemy and the mysterious circumstances under which he was witnessed abandoning his young family gave the impression that he was cold, instead, he is an unexpectedly softhearted, kindly individual who is quick to give compliments but loath to accept them. In the 2003 anime series, Hohenheim sports a slightly doughier build, a softer jawline, and darker hair. In his youth, Hohenheim looked much like his son Edward, save for slightly increased height and a slightly more pronounced jaw. In the manga, Hohenheim frequently wears a white dress shirt and tie under a black vest with matching slacks and a brown overcoat. He has been described as "very handsome" by several women over the course of the series.


He also wears spectacles over his golden eyes, though whether or not he needs them is unknown.

He wears his long, golden-blond hair in a loose, shoulder-length ponytail with two or three loose strands of hair falling over his brow and sports a full Donegal-style beard on his square jaw. Hohenheim is a fairly tall, broad-shouldered gentleman with the appearance of a man of relatively healthy middle-age.
