A member of a bandit group, Bald hijacked a train bound for Central City to negotiate the safety of its passengers, including General Haruko, in exchange for the freedom of his group's leader. Formerly part of the military, Bald sought an Automail arm to enhance his strength. However, the state prohibited such unnecessary procedures, leading to his discharge and subsequent turn to a life of crime as he sought revenge against the military that had dismissed him. His Automail arm featured two gun barrels and a small knife blade.
During the train hijacking, Bald encountered Edward, who disabled his arm and defeated the bandits. This act earned Edward permission to take the State Alchemist examination. Bald later reappeared in "Curse of the Crimson Elixir" within the sewers of Eastern City and then in "Stray Rondo," where he repeated his crimes but was again apprehended by the Elrics both times.
In the manga, Bald is depicted as part of a rebel group opposing Amestris, possibly from a southern neighboring country whose territory had been annexed by Amestris during a war. In the anime, the event is shown as a flashback before Edward became a State Alchemist. Defeating Bald allowed the Elrics to take the State Alchemist examination after a grateful Hakuro recommended them. In the manga, Edward, already a State Alchemist at fifteen, returns from Lior and, after defeating Bald, is referred by Mustang to Shou Tucker’s research on the possibility of alchemically constructing new limbs.
