Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Key Moments in Edward Elric’s Life That Change Him Forever

 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a story of two brothers who lose their bodies in an attempt to revive their dead mother through human transmutation. They learn from their failures and accept that they have been arrogant about their knowledge of transmutation. The sin of human transmutation has long-term consequences for the Elric brothers, and it is unlikely that anyone else would have been humble enough to get their normal lives back after making such a mistake. However, the brothers were determined and persistent even when they had to face Father and his evil plans.

On their adventurous journey, they meet many interesting characters like Colonel Roy Mustang, Greed, Maes Hughes, and Scar. These unique characters with different backgrounds helped them learn different ways of looking at the world. They not only challenged their worldview but also helped them question their beliefs. The friends they made helped the brothers deal with their tragic past. 

Edward Elric, the older brother of the two, has several life-changing and soul-crushing experiences even before he turns 20. He is an idealist who fights for the greater good and is not afraid of sacrificing himself to help others live a better life. He blames himself for the troubles his younger brother has to face after they commit the sin of human transmutation. Today we look at some of the moments in his life that changed him in unimaginable ways.

Human Transmutation

Ed and Alphonse were very close to their mother as their father was never around. Their mother would usually take care of all of their needs, so when she died, it was very hard for them to accept it. They tried to resurrect their mother instead of accepting her death. By using raw ingredients that resembled the human body, the brothers, Alphonse and Edward tried human transmutation. 

It was not surprising that they ended up opening the portal of Truth instead and lost their bodies in the process. To get back Alphonse’s soul, Edward gave up an arm and succeeded in bonding it with an armored suit. Edward loved his brother, and he could not stand the fact that it was under his protection that his younger brother had lost his entire body and barely succeeded in keeping his soul.

Fullmetal Alchemist 

After the failed attempt to revive his mother, Trisha Elric, Edward was in terrible shape. However, he had not lost hope and was determined to get back whatever he and his brother had lost when they tried human transmutation. Winry Rockbell, a childhood friend, and her grandmother Pinako built automail limbs for Edward. Thanks to them, he could now use his alchemy again. As he learned to work with his new artificial limbs, Ed slowly regained agility and physical mobility. It was after this that he was assessed by Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang to see if he had it in him to become a state alchemist. 

Edward Elric passed the alchemy test easily at the age of 12. He astonished everyone who had doubted his potential. Even when he was in the presence of King Bradley, he did not shy away from forming a weapon and brandishing it without fear. King Bradley was impressed by the young boy so much that he made him the state alchemist. It was the start of a great journey for young Edward, who had no idea of the challenges he was going to face in the future. 

The Truth of Philosopher’s Stone

The Elric brothers believed that they needed the Philosopher Stone to restore their bodies, but they were in for a serious twist. Edward was helped by Sheksa, who helped her rewrite the destroyed notes of Dr. Marcoh. The brothers soon realized that the notes looked like a cookbook and were heavily encrypted. They had to work day and night to decode them but once they succeeded the hideous truth of the Philosopher’s Stone became evident. Each Philosopher stone was made by sacrificing hundreds of innocent people. Edward was appalled when he learned the truth of the Philosopher’s stone and vowed never to use it. However, he was soon made aware that the Ishval civil war was fought just to create the Philosopher’s stone, and the state of Amestris was responsible for it. 

Edward’s Sacrifice of Alchemy

On the Promised Day, the Elric brothers fought valiantly to ensure that Father’s plan did not succeed. Edward succeeded, but he met the truth again. It seemed like he knew what he needed to make things right this time and made a deal. In order to bring back his brother’s body, Edward gave up his alchemy. Truth has been waiting all this time for this bargain. He immediately agreed to it, and the Elric brothers finally succeeded in their quest.

The brothers got their bodies back, and it allowed them to live their old lives with no regrets. Edward was finally happy that he made up for his mistakes, and his brother no longer needed to suffer. Ed was brave no matter how tough situations got. Even when no one else believed them and the brothers had lost everything, Ed persisted and ensured that he was able to make things right. Even as a teenager, he showed the courage of a warrior and never gave up.

Source : Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Key Moments in Edward Elric’s Life That Change Him Forever