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A lesson without pain is meaningless.

Alchemy is a science where one understands the structure of matter, breaks it down, then rebuilds it. However, it is not an all-powerful technique, as one cannot create something out of nothing. If one wishes to gain something, one must present something of equal value. This is the concept of equivalent exchange, the fundamental basis of alchemy. However, there is a taboo in alchemy. Human transmutation. One must not commit this act.

Preview (No Spoilers)

After their mother’s death, brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric committed a taboo in alchemy known as human transmutation. After failing in their attempt to bring back their mother from the dead, Edward lost his left leg and Alphonse lost his entire body as toll for the transmutation. Desperately, Edward made a desperate attempt to transmute back his brother’s soul into a suit of armor, thus losing his right arm. A few years later, Edward and Alphonse decided to become State Alchemists to search for the legendary Philosopher’s Stone that can bring back their bodies.

Edward Elric Bio

Despite the fact that Edward Elric is very young, he earned his State Alchemist certification when he was 12 years old, making him the youngest State Alchemist there is. Edward is very determined when it comes to achieving his goal to get their bodies back and would stop at nothing to make sure that he does so. Having that mentality does have its downsides as Edward often puts himself in dangerous situations. You’d be surprised how many times Edward manages to bounce right back after a tragedy. Here’s 5 highlights of Edward Elric worth mentioning in Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood!

Edward Elric Highlights

1. Brotherhood relationship

After failing the attempt to resurrect his mother, Edward developed a really close bond with his brother, since he is the only family member he has left. Edward Elric secretly blames himself for that incident that resulted in Alphonse Elric losing his entire body. In Episode 9 "Created Feelings", it was revealed that Edward was too afraid to ask Alphonse if he hates him for making him lose his body. It was really heart-warming to see this soft side of Edward.

Alphonse misunderstood Edward’s intention, and thought that what Edward was afraid to tell him was the fact that Edward created him as an artificial soul and gave him a set of fake memories infused into his armor body. Edward snapped and left the room, leaving Winry Rockbell, their childhood friend to ‘smack’ some sense back into Alphonse. The two made up immediately after a sibling fight, and it became a stepping stone for them to grow stronger both mentally and physically.

2. Strong-willed

It may not come as a surprise to you that Edward Elric is a very determined and strong-willed individual. After becoming a State Alchemist, Edward decided to burn down his house, as it signifies that there is no turning back until they get their bodies back. Edward engraved “3 Oct 11” onto his State Alchemist pocket watch as a reminder of the day they burned down the house.

In Episode 11 “Miracle at Rush Valley”, during their trip to Rush Valley, his pocket watch was stolen by Paninya who works for Dominic LeCoulte, an automail master who lives in the mountains. As Edward pursued the pickpocket, one thing led to another and Winry decided to apply for apprenticeship under Dominic and was able to retrieve Edward’s pocket watch from Paninya. Winry and Paninya were the first to find out about the engraving on Edward’s pocket watch.

3. Height sensitive

Edward Elric is really sensitive when it comes to his height. He is quite short for his age and people often mistake his brother Alphonse Elric for himself. Since Alphonse’s body is the suit of metal armor, and Edward Elric’s State Alchemist title is “Fullmetal Alchemist”, a lot of people think that Alphonse is the Fullmetal Alchemist. This annoys Edward every time.

In episode 24 “Inside the Belly”, we see that Edward Elric remembered and counted the total number of times Envy called him a “runt” which really annoyed Edward. In episode 9 “Created Feelings”, we find out that the fact that Edward doesn’t like drinking milk could be the contributing factor to his height problem. It is really entertaining to see Edward’s reactions to these kind of insults.

4. Childhood crush

Ah, the romantic cliché that is childhood friendship. Edward’s romantic interest for Winry Rockbell, his childhood friend, doesn’t really blossom till the end of the series. Although there are tidbits throughout the series. One such time was in episode 23 “Girl on the Battlefield”, when Winry realized that she had fallen in love with Edward. Edward on the other hand, tries to hide his feelings for Winry throughout the series and doesn’t really show them until the last episode.

5. Character Development

The character development for this character is outstanding. You can actually notice how much Edward matures, both physically and mentally. Somehow he outgrew Winry and at the end of the series, it’s clear that Edward is now taller than Winry. Edward also learns to acknowledge his father Hohenheim a bit better, and was able to let go of any past resentments towards him arising from Hohenheim leaving them when they were little.

Spoilers!

Towards the end of the series, inepisode 63 "The Other Side of the Gateway", Edward Elric finally figured out a way to bring Alphonse’s body back without using the Philosopher’s Stone. He exclaimed that it was the last transmutation that the Fullmetal Alchemist will ever do. After arriving at the other side of the gate, Ed sacrifices his Gate of Truth which renders him unable to use alchemy ever again, but he is able to bring back his brother’s body.

The ending in Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is similar to the one from the manga version, as it gives out a more fulfilling ending. Scar and Miles were assigned together to help sort out the Ishvalan policies; with the help of Dr. Marcoh, Roy Mustang was able to regain his eyesight and his subordinate Jean Havoc was able to regain the use of his legs.
Edward and Alphonse made a decision to travel separately as Edward heads out to the West of the country and Alphonse heads out to the East. Ling Yao returned to Xing and became the emperor but agreed to protect all the other rival clans including May Chang’s. Edward eventually married Winry and they have a family together.

Overall, I think Edward’s determination and strong-willed nature is something worth highlighting in this anime. Despite this being a fictional anime, it is uniquely inspiring as it reflects how we should work hard for our goals and face tough life challenges with a decent amount of determination.
“A lesson without pain is meaningless. That’s because no one can gain without sacrificing something. But by enduring that pain and overcoming it, he shall obtain a powerful, unmatched heart. A fullmetal heart.”
Does that quote from Edward Elric motivate you in some way? Do you agree with those 5 highlights I’ve stated above? Be sure to let me know if there are other things you like about Edward Elric and leave them in the comments below!

Writer

Author: Winfrey Widjijanto

Hi! My name is Winfrey and I come from Indonesia. I’m currently residing in Jakarta to pursue my bachelor degree but I hope in the near future I get to travel to new places including Japan! Still in search of my passion though, but so far, music and writing seems to interest me the most. (Just starting out) Desperately trying to learn new things and striving to become a better person each passing day. Cheers from Jakarta!

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