is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. It was serialized in Square Enix's manga anthology magazine Monthly Shōnen Gangan between July 2001 and June 2010; the publisher later collected the individual chapters in 27 volumes. Set in a fictional universe in which alchemy is a widely practiced science, the series follows the journey of two alchemist brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, as they search for the philosopher's stone to restore their bodies after a failed attempt to bring their mother back to life via alchemy. The steampunk world of Fullmetal Alchemist is primarily styled after<!--This is not about the year of the series, this is about the design of the characters and the cities. This is cited in production.--> the European Industrial Revolution.
Fullmetal Alchemist has been adapted into various animetwo television series, released in 2003 and 2009, and two films, released in 2005 and 2011, all animated by Bonesas well as light novels. The series also includes original video animations (OVAs), video games, supplementary books, a collectible card game, and a variety of action figures and other merchandise. A live-action film based on the series was released in 2017, with two sequels in 2022. In North America, the manga was localized and published in English by Viz Media. Yen Press has owned the rights for the digital release of the volumes since 2014.
Fullmetal Alchemist has received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike and is considered one of the greatest manga series of all time. It has sold over 80 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. It received the 49th Shogakukan Manga Award for the category in 2004, the UK's Eagle Award for favorite manga in 2010 and 2011, and the Seiun Award for best science fiction comic in 2011.
Synopsis
Setting
Fullmetal Alchemist takes place in the fictional country of , in which the physical setting and political system is largely inspired by general European society at the turn of the 20th century. In this world, alchemy is one of the most-practiced sciences, and can largely be contexualized as magic which follows the rules of science. By drawing patterns called Transmutation Circles, alchemists have the ability to create or form almost anything from physical substances that already exist. Alchemists who are skilled enough to be recruited by the government are known as and are given code names as an identifier based on their unique area of expertise. As per the rules of science, transmutation cannot be successful if used to attempt to create something without all parts present, which is a natural law called Law of Equivalent Exchange. The one taboo in alchemy is Human Transmutation, which is the attempt to create a human from the substances found in the human body. Under natural circumstances, human transmutation will always fail as there is no natural physical substance that equals a human soul. Any resulting transmutation is botched, and results in an incomplete human form that dies immediately after creation. Those who attempt human transmutation are confronted by , a pantheistic and semi-cerebral godlike being who appears as a reflection of the alchemist themselves, and is a divine entity that regulates all alchemy use. In order to rectify the attempted non-equivalent exchange, Truth often takes a part of the alchemist's own physical body as punishment for attempting to create something from nothing. The flesh parts in which Truth takes are often symbolic to what the alchemist values most in their life, or what they attempted to acquire through the botched transmutation.
Truth also shows these alchemists the , where they are shown all the information in the universe simultaneously. This experience often drives the alchemists mad, but those who survive with their minds intact, gain the knowledge to transmute without a circle. All living things possess their own Gate of Truth, and per the Gaea hypothesis, heavenly bodies like planets also have their own Gates of Truth. There is only one possible way to bypass the Law of Equivalent Exchange for human transmutation, and that's by using a philosopher's stone in place of a soul. A philosopher's stone is a substance that has been made by trapping thousands of human souls through alchemy. This substance can then be used to transmute fully functional artificial humans called Homunculi. Most Homunculi have numerous superhuman abilities like regeneration which is accomplished through them using the trapped souls inside their philosopher's stones as fuel for this ability. They typically do not age and can only be killed by destroying or exhausting the power of their philosopher's stone.
There are several cities throughout Amestris. The main setting is the capital of , along with other military cities such as the northern city of . Towns featured include , the rural hometown of the Elrics; , a city deceived into following a cult; , a town that specializes in automail manufacturing—a procedure that provides prosthetic mechanical limbs; and Ishbal, a conservative, religious region that was annexed by Amestris and rejects alchemy. Ishbal suffered near-destruction in the Ishbalan Civil War, a genocide instigated after an Amestrian soldier shot and killed an Ishbalan child. Outside of Amestris, there are few named countries, and none are seen in the main story. The primary foreign country is Xing. Heavily reminiscent of China, Xing has a complex system of clans and emperors, as opposed to Amestris's government-controlled election of a Führer. It also has its own system of alchemy, called , which is more medical and can be bi-located using kunai; in turn, it is implied that all countries have different forms of alchemy.
Plot
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Edward and Alphonse Elric lived in the small village of Resembool with their mother Trisha and father Van Hohenheim. For unknown reasons, Hohenheim abandoned them, and Trisha soon died from an illness. After finishing their alchemy training under Izumi Curtis, the Elrics attempted the forbidden alchemical practice of human transmutation to resurrect their mother. However, the transmutation backfired, and Edward lost his left leg while Alphonse lost his entire body. Edward sacrificed his right arm to retrieve Alphonse's soul, binding it to a suit of armor. Edward was invited by colonel Roy Mustang to become a State Alchemist and research a way to restore their bodies, undergoing a painful automail procedure. Edward became a State Alchemist, acquiring the title of "Fullmetal Alchemist". The Elrics spend the next three years searching for the philosopher's stone to restore their bodies.
The Elrics are eventually attacked by an Ishbalan serial killer known as Scar, who targets State Alchemists in revenge for his people's genocide in the Ishbalan Civil War. Returning to Resembool to have Edward's limbs repaired by their childhood friend and mechanic, Winry Rockbell, the Elrics meet Dr. Marcoh, who provides them with information revealing philosopher's stones are created from human souls. They investigate a laboratory in which the Stones were created, but are hindered by the Homunculi. The Elrics decide to visit Izumi, hoping to improve their alchemy. Mustang's friend Maes Hughes continues the Elrics' research and discovers government conspiracy, but is killed by the homunculus Envy. The Elrics learn that Izumi also performed human transmutation, having attempted to use alchemy to revive her stillborn child. Alphonse is captured by the homunculus Greed, but is rescued by Amestris' leader King Bradley. Bradley is revealed to be the homunculus Wrath and brings the captured Greed to the Homunculi's creator, Father. When Greed refuses to rejoin his fellow Homunculi, he is reabsorbed by Father.
After meeting the Xingese prince Lin Yao, who seeks a philosopher's stone to cement his position as heir to his country's throne, the Elrics return to Central City, where they learn of Hughes's murder. Lieutenant Maria Ross is framed for Hughes' murder, so Mustang fakes Ross's death and smuggles her out of the country. In encounters with the Homunculi, Mustang kills Lust. Lin captures Gluttony, who swallows Lin, Edward, and Envy into his void-like stomach. They escape from Gluttony's stomach after he takes Alphonse to meet Father, who makes Lin the vessel of Greed. Mustang tries to expose Bradley to the government but finds that the higher officials are complicit in Father's plans. The Elrics and Mustang are released, but warned not to oppose Father, who seeks to use them as "human sacrifices". Meanwhile, Scar heads north with the Xingese princess May Chang, former corrupt official Yoki, and a kidnapped Dr. Marcoh.
The Elrics head north as well, and reach Fort Briggs, commanded by General Olivier Armstrong. They confront the homunculus Sloth and learn that Father founded Amestris to amass a population large enough to create a massive philosopher's stone. With it, he plans to achieve godhood by absorbing the being beyond the Gate of Truth on the "Promised Day". Forced to work with Solf J. Kimblee, a murderous former State Alchemist and ally of the Homunculi, the Elrics turn on him and split up, joined by a reformed Scar, his group, Kimblee's chimera subordinates, and later Lin/Greed. Riza Hawkeye discovers that King Bradley's son Selim is the homunculus Pride. Hohenheim reveals that he was made an immortal when Father arranged the fall of