Fullmetal Alchemist (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Edward is a teenage State Alchemist known as Fullmetal Alchemist. After a failed Human Transmutation to resurrect his mother, he sacrifices his right arm to bind his brother's soul to a suit of armor and adopts automail prosthetics. He joins the military on an invitation from Roy Mustang and relentlessly searches for the Philosopher's Stone to restore their bodies, grappling with the moral costs of that power.

• ⚡️ Prodigy

Alphonse's soul is bound to a suit of armor after the failed transmutation. He travels with Edward as they pursue a way to recover their bodies, maintaining a protective, compassionate demeanor despite his imposing form. His journey with Edward highlights loyalty and the costs of their quest.

• 🛡️ Loyal Partner

Winry is the brothers' childhood friend and the granddaughter of the town's automail mechanic. She provides crucial prosthetic support for Edward and embodies the human cost and personal stakes behind alchemy and invention. Her presence anchors the brothers' humanity amid their arduous journey.

• 🛠️ Mechanic

Colonel Roy Mustang recruits Edward to join the military and becomes a central figure in their pursuit of power and truth. He is strategic, capable of both sharp authority and emotional resolve as he confronts the state's ethical lapses. Mustang embodies the tension between ambition and moral responsibility.

• 🔥 Flame Alchemist

Maes Hughes is a close ally and loyal friend to Mustang, with a sharp investigative mind who uncovers crucial information from Marcoh's notes. His optimism and dedication highlight the personal costs of digging for truth in a dangerous system. He is ultimately killed, marking a stark turn in the story.

• 🕊️ Loyal Ally

Lust is a ruthless homunculus assassin who manipulates events from the shadows and is ultimately exposed as part of the state-facilitated power structure. She murders Dr. Marcoh and wields significant influence until her eventual demise at Mustang's hands.

• 💀 Villain

Shou Tucker is the bio-alchemy authority whose State Alchemist credentials come from a grim transmutation that creates a talking chimera. His reckless experiments culminate in a horrific betrayal, leading to his arrest after the incident.

• 🔬 Scientist

Dr. Tim Marcoh is the creator of a Philosopher's Stone and the source of notes that guide Edward's search. He is murdered by Lust, and his writings reveal the dark origins and ethical implications of Philosopher's Stones.

• 🧬 Scientist

Envy is the true parasitic form behind Lust, a cunning homunculus who manipulates events from the shadows. Their fate becomes entangled with the military's use of stone-powered soldiers, and the character reappears beyond a pivotal confrontation.

• 👁️ Trickster

Gluttony is one of the homunculi encountered by Edward and Alphonse, representing another facet of the hidden force driving the conflict. The character joins the chain of manipulations that the Elrics must navigate.

• 🍖 Predator

Cornello is a schemer who uses popular belief and manipulation to influence events around alchemy in Amestris. His presence foreshadows the broader manipulation and loss of trust that permeates the early parts of the story.

• 🗝️ Schemer

Major General Hakuro appears as a source of guidance for the Elrics after a failed attempt and helps reveal the military's hidden costs. His role ties the brothers' personal quest to the larger machinations of the state.

• 🧭 Ally

Gracia Hughes is Maes Hughes's wife, adding emotional stakes and emphasizing the human cost of the investigation and the missions surrounding the State Alchemists.

• 💖 Spouse

Human Transmutation is a forbidden act with catastrophic consequences. The pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone is framed as a shortcut that relies on unethical means and sacrifices. The narrative tests whether the ends justify the means, forcing characters to confront the moral costs of their quest. The revelation that stones are powered by human lives deepens the moral stakes and questions the price of knowledge.

The military uses alchemy to pursue its ambitions, including the creation of Philosopher's Stones. The clandestine activities of the Fifth Laboratory and the deployment of Mannequin Soldier homunculi reveal how power can be built on deception and human cost. Mustangs and others seek truth and accountability in a system that hides its true ethical price. The existence of homunculi exposes the corrupt underpinnings of state power.

Family bonds motivate the brothers' actions, from their mother's death to their devotion to each other. Edward's protection of Alphonse's soul and their insistence on finding a real restoration underscore a core familial duty. Winry, as their childhood friend and automail mechanic, ties personal ties to the larger conflict, reminding them of what they fight to safeguard. The story treats family as the emotional center that sustains risk, sacrifice, and moral choice.