89 Fun Facts About Fullmetal Alchemist

Who wrote and illustrated the Fullmetal Alchemist manga?

Hiromu Arakawa draws herself as a bespectacled cow, a nod to the dairy farm she was raised on, yet readers often took her for a man because of her pen name.

Which magazine serialized the Fullmetal Alchemist manga from 2001 to 2010?

Monthly Shōnen Gangan all but sold out when it ran the final chapter, so the publisher apologised to readers who had missed it and printed the whole chapter again two issues later.

What is Fullmetal Alchemist's Philosopher's Stone made from?

Human souls are condensed into each Stone, a secret the brothers uncover partway through the manga's 27 volumes by cracking the code in a doctor's research notes.

Which company publishes the Fullmetal Alchemist manga in Japan?

Square Enix took over the series mid-run: the manga launched under Enix in 2001, and two years later Enix merged with its rival Square.

In which fictional country is Fullmetal Alchemist mainly set?

Amestris was built for a purpose: its hidden founder steered centuries of border wars so the country would grow into one giant transmutation circle.

What is the foundation of all alchemy in Fullmetal Alchemist?

Law of Equivalent Exchange: to gain anything, something of equal value must be lost, and an alchemist who tries to cheat it can pay with part of their own body.

Which limb did the failed transmutation take from Edward Elric before he gave another for Alphonse?

His left leg was the toll, and the result was no comfort: when Edward later dug up what the brothers had made, he found it had never been their mother at all.

What anchors Alphonse Elric's soul to his suit of armor?

A blood seal drawn inside the armor holds the soul in place, and it is his one weak point: another armor-bound soul in the series dies the moment his seal is scratched out.

What is the rural hometown of the Elric brothers in Fullmetal Alchemist?

Resembool is where the brothers burned down their own home on the day they set out, a date Edward keeps engraved inside his pocket watch.

Which Fullmetal Alchemist town is famed for its automail engineers?

Rush Valley greets Edward with a theft: a pickpocket running on automail legs lifts his State Alchemist pocket watch soon after he arrives.

Who trained the Elric brothers in alchemy in Fullmetal Alchemist?

Izumi Curtis made the boys earn it: she stranded them on an island for a month with a riddle, 'One is all, all is one', before agreeing to teach them.

Which officer urged Edward Elric to become a State Alchemist?

Roy Mustang saw the aftermath of the brothers' forbidden experiment and offered Edward a way forward: join the military and gain access to the state's alchemy research.

Which automail surgeon built Edward Elric's first metal limbs with help from her granddaughter?

Pinako Rockbell went to work after Alphonse carried his bleeding brother to her door, and she had already taken both boys in when their mother died.

Scar hunts State Alchemists to avenge the genocide of which people?

The Ishbalans forbid alchemy as heresy, yet Scar takes his revenge with an alchemical array tattooed on the arm his brother gave him.

Which homunculus murders Maes Hughes?

Envy, a shapeshifter, wins the fight by turning into Hughes's own wife at the last second, and the moment of hesitation costs him his life.

In the Fullmetal Alchemist manga, King Bradley is secretly which homunculus?

Wrath is the one homunculus who grows old: he began as a human boy raised to rule, and he alone among the candidates survived being injected with a Philosopher's Stone.

Which homunculus turns out to be Selim Bradley?

Pride is the eldest homunculus despite the child's body, and his living shadow needs light to exist, so plunging him into total darkness leaves him helpless.

Which homunculus is nicknamed the "Ultimate Shield"?

Greed walks out on his own creator: he wants everything for himself, so feeding someone else's ambitions is the one thing he refuses to do.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, the "Ultimate Shield" hardens his skin by rearranging which element?

Carbon gives him diamond-hard skin, and in the final battle he runs the trick backwards, turning the villain's body into its weakest, most brittle form.

Which Fullmetal Alchemist character willingly lets a homunculus take over his body?

Lin Yao, spelled Ling in the anime, is a prince of Xing who offers himself as a host because he sees no other route to immortality, and he ends the series as emperor.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, what is Xing's own medical form of alchemy called?

Alkahestry draws on the Dragon's Pulse, the earth's flow of life energy, so it keeps working when the villain shuts down every ordinary alchemist.

Who commands the northern Fort Briggs?

Olivier Armstrong fights beside her troops and ignores orders she disagrees with, which is why the garrison answers to her alone and not to headquarters.

Father's Promised Day transmutation can only be triggered during what event?

A solar eclipse is the trigger and also Father's undoing: the moon's shadow sets off a counter-circle Hohenheim had prepared, stripping away the power he has just seized.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, which ancient country created the being later called Father?

Xerxes died in a single night: the creature in the flask tricked its king into a vast transmutation that consumed every citizen and left the creature with a body.

Which Fullmetal Alchemist lieutenant has her death faked so she can flee abroad?

Maria Ross appears to be burned to death in an alley, but the charred body is a dummy: the officer who 'executed' her staged it so she could slip out of the country.

Who discovers that King Bradley's young son is a homunculus?

Riza Hawkeye finds out while posted to the leader's office as a hostage, is threatened into silence, and still gets the warning out as a coded message.

At the end of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga, what does Edward give up to restore Alphonse's body?

His ability to use alchemy is the toll: Edward performs one last human transmutation on himself and trades away his own Gate to bring his brother back.

Who does Edward Elric marry in the Fullmetal Alchemist manga?

Winry Rockbell gets a clumsy proposal at a train station, phrased as an alchemist's trade, and her equally awkward yes leaves Edward laughing.

Which animation studio produced both Fullmetal Alchemist anime series?

Bones gave its second adaptation to a new director and team, and where the first series had invented its own ending, this one treated the manga, as director Yasuhiro Irie put it, "like the Bible".

Who cuts off her own arm in Brotherhood?

Lan Fan severs her wounded arm to throw King Bradley off her trail, a scene the 2003 anime never reached: it had outrun the manga, so Brotherhood's 64 episodes retell the story faithfully.

Who does Sloth resemble in the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime?

Trisha Elric: across its 51 episodes the 2003 anime makes each homunculus the product of a failed human transmutation, so the brothers' attempt to revive their mother created an enemy in her image.

Which State Alchemist fuses his own daughter with the family dog to keep his certification?

Shou Tucker had done it before: the talking chimera that won him his license two years earlier was his own wife, and he needed a new result to pass his yearly review.

How does Edward Elric perform alchemy without drawing a transmutation circle?

By clapping his hands: joining them turns his own body into the circle, a shortcut open only to alchemists who have seen what lies beyond the Gate.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, what does Maes Hughes constantly push on his fellow officers?

Photos of his daughter Elicia: he even ties up military phone lines to brag about his family, and it is at a phone booth, calling in a warning, that he is killed.

Who voices Edward Elric in Japanese in both anime series?

Romi Park kept the part when Brotherhood rebuilt the show six years later, returning with Alphonse's actor Rie Kugimiya while other lead roles went to new voices.

Who voices Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist's English dub?

Vic Mignogna kept the role when Brotherhood was dubbed, but his on-screen brother had to be recast: Aaron Dismuke, a boy when he first voiced Alphonse, had grown up and his voice had changed.

Who performed "Again", the first opening theme of Brotherhood?

Yui made "Again" her comeback: her first single after pausing public work in late 2008, it carried what she had thought and felt during the break and went straight to number one.

The 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime's song "Brothers" is sung in which language?

Russian: under its title "Bratja", the song is the brothers' own story, the elder asking forgiveness for trying to bring back their mother and the younger refusing to blame him.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, which godlike being takes a toll from anyone who attempts human transmutation?

Truth chooses its toll with cruel irony: an alchemist who tried to bring back her stillborn baby lost the organs she would need to have another.

Which film concludes the story of the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime?

Conqueror of Shamballa finds Edward stranded in our own world, where his rocket research attracts the Thule Society, a real occult group hunting a doorway to his.

At the end of the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime, Edward finds himself in which real city?

Munich is where the Gate leaves him, stranded on our side of it, so he takes up rocketry in the hope that the technology can carry him home.

Who is the main antagonist of the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime?

Dante has lived some four hundred years by moving her soul into new bodies, and she steers the homunculi so that some desperate alchemist will make her another Stone.

Which streaming service released the 2017 live-action Fullmetal Alchemist film outside Japan?

Netflix carried director Fumihiko Sori's film worldwide in February 2018; to get its European-looking towns, the Japanese production had gone on location in Italy.

Who played Edward Elric in the live-action Fullmetal Alchemist films?

Ryosuke Yamada played his scenes against stand-in Atomu Mizuishi, whose on-set performance as the all-CG Alphonse won him the character's voice.

Which publisher released the Fullmetal Alchemist manga in English in North America?

Viz Media redrew two panels of one volume for American readers: a villain crucified on a stone cross in the Japanese edition was moved onto a plain slab, a change it said had the creators' approval.

Fullmetal Alchemist's State Alchemists are scorned as which animals of the military?

Dogs of the military: alchemists who take the state's research money must follow its orders, a leash Edward accepted as a boy, the youngest ever certified.

Fullmetal Alchemist's creator grew up on a family farm on which Japanese island?

Hokkaido kept her for seven more years after high school, working the family's dairy herd and fields while drawing on the side, before she left for Tokyo to become a manga artist.

Which Xingese princess travels with Scar?

May Chang crosses the desert with no bodyguard because her clan is poor and low in standing, and she hopes the secret of immortality will win it the emperor's favour.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, what kind of animal is the shoulder-riding pet Xiao-Mei?

A panda, kept kitten-sized by a childhood illness that stopped her growing, which is why she can ride on her owner's shoulder all the way across a desert.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, the Flame Alchemist gives his loyal subordinates code names taken from which game?

Chess gives the team its code names: the colonel's sharpshooting aide is the Queen, while four other soldiers are the Knight, Rook, Bishop and Pawn.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, what kind of animal is Xiao Mei, the tiny pet of a travelling Xingese princess?

A panda, Xiao Mei stays pocket-sized because an illness stopped her growing. Her name means little beauty.

What do the Elric brothers do to their family home in Fullmetal Alchemist so that they can never turn back?

They burn it down so there is no home to go back to. Edward keeps the date inside his State Alchemist pocket watch as a reminder.

Which streaming service released the live-action Fullmetal Alchemist film in 2018 as one of its original films?

Netflix carried it as an original film from February 2018. Three actors from the anime's English dub returned to voice Edward, Alphonse and their mechanic friend.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, what does the Flame Alchemist lose when the homunculi force him to perform human transmutation?

His eyesight is the toll for a transmutation he never chose to perform. Dr. Marcoh later offers to restore it if the colonel lets a persecuted people return to their homeland.

What is the name of the Elric brothers' mother in Fullmetal Alchemist, whose death drives them to forbidden alchemy?

Trisha raised the boys alone after their father walked out, then died of a lingering illness while they were still children.

Hagane no Renkinjutsushi, the Japanese title of Fullmetal Alchemist, literally names an alchemist of which material?

Steel is the literal reading, as the title translates to Alchemist of Steel. The English name matches the State Alchemist title Edward is given once he passes the exam.

Which Fullmetal Alchemist villain, the Sewing-Life Alchemist, fuses his daughter with the family dog?

Shou Tucker did it to keep his State Alchemist licence. His earlier talking chimera, the creation that won him the title, was secretly made from his own spouse.

Which being in Fullmetal Alchemist appears as a reflection of any alchemist who attempts human transmutation?

Truth takes a toll from each of them, often the body part tied to what they valued most. Survivors come away able to transmute without drawing a circle.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, what title does King Bradley hold as supreme ruler of the country and head of its military?

Führer is the title, written in full as Führer President. The Flame Alchemist spends the story plotting to win the post for himself with help from his loyal team.

Which centuries-old alchemist in Fullmetal Alchemist, once known only as Slave Number 23, fathered the Elric brothers?

Van Hohenheim got his name from the creature grown from his blood, which also taught him to read, write and transmute. It later became the story's main villain.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, which item of clothing made from ignition cloth lets the Flame Alchemist spark his fire?

His gloves carry transmutation circles and throw sparks when he rubs his fingers together. Others tease that he is useless once they get wet, though any other flame will serve.

Xing, the land of clans and emperors in Fullmetal Alchemist, is heavily reminiscent of which real country?

China is the clear model for Xing, which is split into fifty clans under one emperor. Two of his children travel abroad hoping the secret of immortality will win them the throne.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, which relative gave Scar his own right arm to save his life during the war?

His brother gave up the arm after studying the alchemy of two nations, a pursuit their people considered heresy. Scar still turned it on State Alchemists.

Which American cable programming block gave the English dub of the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime its television debut?

Adult Swim began airing the dub in November 2004. It later carried Brotherhood too, as part of its Saturday night action block.

What is the name of Maes Hughes's young daughter, whose photos he shows off to everyone in Fullmetal Alchemist?

Elicia is his constant boast, and Hughes even ties up military phone lines to brag about her to his best friend.

The world of Fullmetal Alchemist is primarily styled after which period of European history?

Industrial Revolution Europe supplied the look. The author read about the era and was struck by how far its clothes and architecture differed from her own culture.

Which Japanese band performed Melissa, the first opening theme of the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime?

Porno Graffitti's Melissa opened the early episodes and was voted Best Song at the Anime Grand Prix. On American television another opening was shown in its place.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, whose form does the shape-shifting killer of Maes Hughes take just before shooting him?

His wife, Gracia, is the disguise the killer picks, and Hughes is shot before he can attack. He had been phoning his closest ally with what he had uncovered.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, whom did the Elric brothers' alchemy teacher try to revive, losing some of her organs?

Her stillborn son was the one she tried to bring back, and the failure cost her the chance to bear children. Like Edward, she can now transmute without drawing a circle.

Which Fullmetal Alchemist villain turns whatever he touches into a bomb after clapping his tattooed palms together?

Solf J. Kimblee, the Crimson Lotus Alchemist, was jailed for killing his own commanding officers, then freed by the homunculi to hunt Scar.

Which young bodyguard in Fullmetal Alchemist cuts off her own arm to escape King Bradley while protecting her prince?

Lan Fan later returns with an automail replacement, hurrying back to guard duty before she has fully mastered the new arm. Her grandfather Fu serves the same prince.

Which bookworm in Fullmetal Alchemist rewrites Dr. Marcoh's lost research word for word from her photographic memory?

Sheska had been fired from the library for reading instead of working. Maes Hughes then hired her to recreate the criminal records destroyed in the same fire.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, which animal-loving sergeant gives the dog Black Hayate to a fellow soldier to raise?

Kain Fuery, the team's communications expert, passes the puppy to a lieutenant who house-trains it with warning shots fired into the wall.

Which city in Fullmetal Alchemist is deceived into following Father Cornello's cult until the Elric brothers expose him?

Liore falls for miracles that Cornello performs with an imitation philosopher's stone, and riots break out once the brothers reveal the trick.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, how does Scar disguise Dr. Marcoh after finding him held captive beneath the capital?

Scar disfigures his face beyond recognition, then drags him along as an unwilling ally. The doctor had confessed his part in the war hoping to be killed instead.

Which voice actress, also Happy in Fairy Tail, plays Alphonse Elric in Japanese in both Fullmetal Alchemist anime?

Rie Kugimiya kept the part when most of the Japanese cast was replaced for Brotherhood, one of only a few actors carried over from the 2003 series.

Which star of the web series Critical Role voices the Flame Alchemist in the English dubs of Fullmetal Alchemist?

Travis Willingham got the role after a director invited him to audition. He has called the job the most gruelling of his voice career, yet it made his name.

Which Japanese rock band made four contributions to Fullmetal Alchemist, including songs for both of its anime films?

L'Arc-en-Ciel first joined with Ready Steady Go, an opening of the 2003 series that topped Japan's Oricon chart. Good Luck My Way, for the second film, was the band's fourth contribution.

Which band's song Rewrite, the final opening of the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime, won an American Anime Award?

Asian Kung-Fu Generation took Best Anime Theme Song for Rewrite, which opens the last ten episodes. The series also won Best Casting and Best Actor at the same awards.

Which composer, also known for scoring three Godzilla films, wrote the music for the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime?

Michiru Ōshima's score won Best Music at the 2006 Tokyo Anime Awards. She returned to write the music for the film sequel that concluded the 2003 story.

Which actor was still a child when he voiced Alphonse Elric in the English dub of the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime?

Aaron Dismuke was recast for Brotherhood after his voice broke, with Maxey Whitehead taking over. He returned to the franchise as a young version of the brothers' father.

Which European country hosted filming for the live-action Fullmetal Alchemist film despite its all-Japanese cast?

Italy provided the backdrop, with the town of Volterra standing in for one of the story's cities before shooting moved to Japan.

Which son of action star Sonny Chiba plays Scar in the live-action Fullmetal Alchemist sequels?

Mackenyu joined for the two 2022 sequels, the first of which is named after his character. He had already starred in live-action versions of Chihayafuru and Rurouni Kenshin.

Before gaining a body in Fullmetal Alchemist, the being later called Father could not survive outside which container?

A flask was his whole world when he was the Dwarf in the Flask, a creature grown from a slave's blood who later tricked a king craving immortality.

Which disgraced officer in Fullmetal Alchemist, who bankrupted a town with heavy taxes, ends up calling Scar his master?

Yoki lost his rank after the Elric brothers tricked him out of owning the town. He mostly serves as comic relief, telling strangers that Scar works for him.

Which rogue State Alchemist, known as the Freezer, exists only in the anime Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood?

Isaac McDougal, the Ice Alchemist, deserted after the civil war and plotted against King Bradley, who killed him in person. Edward later realises he had known of the villain's plan.

Which major Japanese prize for comics did Fullmetal Alchemist win jointly with the series Yakitate!! Japan?

The Shogakukan Manga Award came in 2004, the 49th time the prize was given. The series later added a Seiun Award for best science fiction comic and two fan-voted Eagle Awards in Britain.

Which first Fullmetal Alchemist light novel was adapted into episodes of the 2003 anime featuring the Tringham brothers?

The Land of Sand introduced two siblings who borrow the Elrics' names to carry on their father's research. Its author, Makoto Inoue, wrote all six of the novels.

Which action role-playing game did developers of the Fullmetal Alchemist PlayStation 2 games study for inspiration?

Kingdom Hearts was the model the team named, alongside games based on other hit manga. IGN's review later judged the first game's computer-controlled partner the weaker of the two.