King Bradley has been the top commanding officer of Amestris (the Fuhrer) for nearly 20 years. The country had never experienced such a period of lengthly war conflicts till he took that position. It was him, in fact, the one who sent the national alchemists over Ishval to end the war -- by annihilating its population. Roy knew it was him the one to be blamed for at least most of these atrocities, and so he made his ultimate objective to overthrow him.

Bradley: Hmmm... There's a man in this hustle and bustle who isn't drunk with victory. He's looking at me... No... he's already looking past me. The Flame Alchemist!!

We know now that Bradley was suspicious of Roy's true intentions even before he began to move. It's no wonder that Roy and his group were already being watched by him even during their stay in East City. Their mistrust and caution are totally justified now.

But what Roy ignored (and the readers too, till tankoubon 07) is that Bradley wasn't just a war-loving man in charge of a whole country. He wasn't even a man, really. The terrible truth is that he's one of the seven homunculi created by a man we only know by the name of Father. He's Wrath, the youngest of the seven sins and very different from the rest of them (till the "new Greed" came along).

King Bradley was a born human, in fact. He was trained ever since he was a little kid to be a "fuhrer candidate", along with other kids his age. He no longer remembers what his name was (if he ever had one before being thrown away or sold) or who his parents were. Once the children reached a certain age, they were taken to see if they could withstand Father's "wrath" in their bodies -- that is, the power a Philosopher's Stone. He was the twelfth attemp and their ultimate success. From then on he'd be called King Bradley and be placed at the top of the country and under Father's orders.

What's scariest about Amestris' Fuhrer is his ability to deceive, to pretend he's a carefree old man or that he cares about someone besides his associates. Moreover, he has already proved just how intelligent, calculating and cruel he can get. I shudder to think what he's really capable of.

Father: Wrath... why did you let the Flame Alchemist escape?
Bradley: He can still be of use, that's why I let him go back alive.
Father: He can be used?
Bradley: Roy Mustang is exceedingly kind... that might be a strength or a weakness. Shall I make him try to get the Gate opened?

Being who he is, Bradley is also the closest person to Roy working for the other side. Despite Roy's gigantic efforts to avoid showing weaknesses in the form of feelings or speaking up his mind... Bradley ultimately is a witness of the real Roy, just when he finishes off Lust in order to save Hawkeye, Havoc and Alphonse.

     

However, being the only homunculus conscious of mortality and aging (and having been human, despite not remembering it), also makes Bradley the most "human" between them all, of course. There's a certain touch of respect when Bradley talks about Roy, a certain look of admiration in his eyes. Something that may be not so surprising, as Roy's humanity is what makes him what he is, and something Bradley is not able to achieve, as he is not human himself anymore.

Bradley's (and Father's) ultimate plans for Roy are now revealing themselves, but we still ignore what being a "potential human sacrifice" will really mean for him and his subordinates.