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Fullmetal Alchemist (2017) movie poster

Timeline

Fullmetal Alchemist (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 135 mins · Japanese
Echo score 48
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Directed by
Fumihiko Sori
Starring
Jun Kunimura, Fumiyo Kohinata, Tsubasa Honda, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Dean Fujioka, Ryuta Sato

Two alchemist brothers go on a quest for the Philosopher’s Stone after an attempt to revive their dead mother goes horribly wrong.

Fantasy Adventure Action Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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15 events in order · contains spoilers

Fullmetal Alchemist Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Fullmetal Alchemist (2017) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. The Forbidden Transmutation

    In a rural town in Amestris, Edward and Alphonse attempt to resurrect their mother Trisha through human transmutation. The ritual backfires catastrophically: Edward loses his left leg, and Alphonse's soul is dragged into the Gate of Truth as his body is destroyed. To save his brother's soul, Edward sacrifices his remaining right arm and binds Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor.

    When
    Immediately after Trisha's death
    Where
    Rural town, Amestris

  2. Automail Arrives

    With their bodies badly damaged, Edward and Alphonse receive automail prosthetics to replace their missing limbs. The town's automail mechanic forges their new limbs, and his granddaughter Winry Rockbell becomes a trusted ally and friend. The automail enables them to continue their dangerous pursuit of alchemy and the Philosopher's Stone.

    When
    Soon after the transmutation
    Where
    Automail workshop

  3. State Alchemist Invitation

    Edward is invited by Colonel Roy Mustang to join the military and soon becomes the youngest State Alchemist, earning the title Fullmetal Alchemist. The appointment grants him influence and access to powerful, questionable resources. Alphonse supports his brother from the shadows as they pursue a way to restore their bodies.

    When
    Soon after automail installation
    Where
    Amestris military headquarters

  4. Quest for the Philosopher's Stone

    Years after becoming State Alchemists, the brothers embark on a long quest to obtain the legendary Philosopher's Stone, hoping it can restore their bodies. Their pursuit takes them across Amestris to dangerous laboratories and secretive factions, drawing new allies and deadly enemies. They cling to the belief that the Stone can bypass the Law of Equivalent Exchange.

    When
    Years after becoming State Alchemists
    Where
    Across Amestris; various laboratories

  5. Hakuro's Grim Reality

    Major General Hakuro helps the brothers after another failed attempt to obtain the Stone. He introduces them to a harsher reality about state alchemy and the people who profit from it. Hakuro's presence expands their understanding of systemic corruption within the military.

    When
    Years later
    Where
    Military research circles

  6. Tucker the Chimera Alchemist

    Hakuro directs them to Shou Tucker, a bioscience alchemist who earned his State Alchemist credential by creating a talking chimera. Tucker's experiments push ethics to the breaking point, showing how far some alchemists will go for power. The brothers realize the stone's power may come at an unbearable price.

    When
    Shortly after meeting Hakuro
    Where
    Tucker's laboratory

  7. Marcoh the Philosopher's Stone

    Hakuro points them to Dr. Tim Marcoh, who once crafted a Philosopher's Stone and then went into hiding. Edward and Alphonse search for Marcoh, hoping his knowledge can guide them toward a cure. Marcoh's notes hint at the Stone's true moral cost.

    When
    During their search
    Where
    Marcoh's hiding place

  8. Lust Strikes

    Edward and Winry locate Marcoh, only to discover that Lust has murdered him. The loss hardens their resolve to uncover the truth behind the Stones and the military's complicity. The team mourns Marcoh while continuing their mission.

    When
    After locating Marcoh
    Where
    Marcoh's location

  9. Tucker's Chimera and Arrest

    Back at Tucker's home, Edward and Winry confront Tucker as he has transmuted his young daughter Nina and his dog into a talking chimera, hoping to preserve his State Alchemist credentials. They arrest him, but he tries to turn Alphonse against Edward, triggering a tense confrontation between the brothers. The ethical line is crossed, and the brothers confront the consequences of their choices.

    When
    After discovering Marcoh's murder
    Where
    Tucker's home

  10. Hughes's Discovery and Death

    Maes Hughes uncovers crucial notes from Marcoh revealing dangerous truths about Philosopher's Stones. He is killed by Lust's associate Envy, cutting a key source of support for Edward. The discovery deepens the conspiracy surrounding the military and the stones.

    When
    Soon after Marcoh's notes are discovered
    Where
    Military compound

  11. Fifth Laboratory

    Using Marcoh's notes, Edward winds his way to the clandestine Fifth Laboratory where Tucker holds Alphonse and Winry hostage. A dangerous standoff ensues as Edward fights to rescue his brother and friend. He begins to confront the grim reality of human experimentation and the cost of their pursuit.

    When
    During the pursuit
    Where
    Fifth Laboratory

  12. The Cost of Stones

    Edward learns that Philosopher's Stones are created from human lives, a revelation that shatters his faith in the Stone's ethics. He breaks down under the weight of the truth and confronts the scope of his and his brother's actions. The moral price of their quest becomes impossible to ignore.

    When
    Revelation moment
    Where
    Fifth Laboratory

  13. Lust, Hakuro, and the Army

    Lust kills Tucker, exposing herself as a homunculus. Hakuro's duplicity is revealed as he orchestrated the Stones' use and activates a Mannequin Soldier army powered by the Stones; the mastermind is killed by the very force he unleashed. Mustang kills Lust and tears out the Philosopher's Stone powering her body, signaling a collapse of the conspiracy.

    When
    Climax
    Where
    Battlefront vicinity

  14. A New Path to Restoration

    Mustang tears out Lust's Stone and offers Edward the power to restore Alphonse, but the brothers refuse to rely on human lives for power. Edward instead uses the Stone to reach the Gate of Truth and appears beside his brother's corporeal body, vowing to seek another way to restore him. This marks a turning point in their quest.

    When
    Final moment
    Where
    Gate of Truth

  15. Envy's Escape

    In a mid-credits scene, Envy is revealed to have survived Mustang's attack, escaping its parasitic form from the charred remains of its host. The threat lingers as the credits roll.

    When
    Mid-credits
    Where
    Mid-credits scene

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 13:07

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Timeline questions answered

Fullmetal Alchemist Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Fullmetal Alchemist (2017): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did the human transmutation ritual fail so catastrophically?

The forbidden ritual to resurrect their mother Trisha backfired because Human Transmutation is impossible according to the Law of Equivalent Exchange, the universe does not allow dead bodies to be brought back. Instead, Edward lost his left leg and Alphonse's entire body was destroyed, with his soul dragged into the Gate of Truth. Edward then sacrificed his right arm to bind Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor, paying an even greater price to save his brother.

  • human transmutation
  • equivalent exchange
  • gate of truth
  • failed resurrection
Q2

Why did Edward sacrifice his arm to save Alphonse?

Edward sacrificed his right arm to bind Alphonse's soul to the armor because Alphonse's body had been completely destroyed during the failed transmutation. Without a vessel, Alphonse's soul would have been lost forever. By giving up his arm, Edward performed a second transmutation that fused his brother's soul to a suit of armor, literally trading his own limb for his brother's existence.

  • edward elric
  • alphonse elric
  • automail
  • soul binding
Q3

How are Philosopher's Stones actually created?

Philosopher's Stones are created from human lives, the summary reveals they are ethically made by harvesting the life force of multiple people. This horrific revelation shatters Edward's faith in his quest, as he realizes that restoring his and Alphonse's bodies would require sacrificing numerous innocent lives.

  • philosopher's stone
  • human lives
  • alchemy ethics
Q4

Why did Edward and Alphonse refuse to use the Philosopher's Stone at the end?

The brothers refused the Stone because they learned it is created from human lives. Using it to restore Alphonse's body would mean sacrificing dozens of people, an act they could not commit. Edward instead used the Stone to reach the Gate of Truth, choosing to find an ethical alternative path to save his brother.

  • ethical alchemy
  • equivalent exchange
  • redemption
Q5

Who is Lust and what is she?

Lust is a homunculus, an artificial human created through alchemy. She appears as a powerful woman working behind the scenes, murdering Dr. Marcoh and manipulating events. She is revealed to be powered by a Philosopher's Stone embedded in her body. Colonel Mustang ultimately kills her by tearing out that Stone.

  • lust
  • homunculus
  • philosopher's stone
  • colonel mustang
Q6

Why did Shou Tucker transmute his daughter Nina into a chimera?

Shou Tucker transmuted his young daughter Nina and his dog into a sentient chimera to retain his State Alchemist credentials, which required creating a new talking chimera each year. Desperate to keep his position and status, he sacrificed his own child in a horrifying act that demonstrates the ethical corruption within the alchemical community.

  • shou tucker
  • nina
  • chimera
  • state alchemist
Q7

Who killed Maes Hughes and why?

Maes Hughes was killed by Envy, a homunculus associate of Lust. Hughes had discovered crucial information about Philosopher's Stones from Marcoh's notes, threatening the conspiracy. Envy eliminated him to prevent the truth from reaching Edward and Mustang.

  • maes hughes
  • envy
  • murder
  • conspiracy
Q8

What is the Gate of Truth?

The Gate of Truth is a mystical threshold that appears during human transmutation. It contains the ultimate truths of alchemy and claims a price from anyone who crosses it, either body parts or knowledge. Alphonse's soul was dragged there when the resurrection failed, and Edward later used a Philosopher's Stone to appear before it.

  • gate of truth
  • alchemy
  • equivalent exchange
Q9

Why did Major General Hakuro turn against the brothers?

Major General Hakuro appeared helpful but was actually duplicitous. He orchestrated the Philosopher's Stone conspiracy within the military and planned to unleash an army of Mannequin Soldier Homunculi powered by the Stones. He was killed in the aftermath of his own scheme.

  • hakuro
  • military conspiracy
  • homunculi army
Q10

What is Envy's true form in the mid-credits scene?

In the mid-credits scene, Envy is revealed to be a parasitic homunculus that can shapeshift and inhabit human hosts. After being apparently killed by Mustang, Envy's true form escapes from the charred remains of its host body, indicating the creature survived and hinting at future threats.

  • envy
  • homunculus
  • shapeshifter
  • mid-credits
Q11

Why did Colonel Mustang tear out the Philosopher's Stone from Lust?

Colonel Mustang killed Lust by tearing out the Philosopher's Stone embedded in her body. This act destroyed her by removing the power source that sustained her artificial life as a homunculus. He then offered the Stone to Edward, though the brothers ultimately refused it.

  • roy mustang
  • lust
  • philosopher's stone
  • battle
Q12

Why did Edward become a State Alchemist?

Edward accepted Colonel Roy Mustang's invitation to join the military and become a State Alchemist because it provided resources, access, and influence to search for the Philosopher's Stone. His title "Fullmetal Alchemist" made him the youngest State Alchemist in Amestris, granting him power to pursue his and Alphonse's goal of restoring their bodies.

  • state alchemist
  • fullmetal alchemist
  • roy mustang
  • military

Movie threads

More Movies Like Fullmetal Alchemist, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Fullmetal Alchemist tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Dark fantasy quests with heavy moral costs like Fullmetal Alchemist

Heroic journeys in grim worlds where victory comes at a devastating personal price. For viewers seeking movies like Fullmetal Alchemist, this section features dark fantasy and sci-fi adventures where heroic quests are shadowed by moral complexity and significant personal loss. If you liked the exploration of sacrifice and corruption in a high-stakes world, you'll find similar stories here.

  • dark
  • quest-driven
  • brooding
  • tragic
  • unyielding
  • oppressive
  • Tone: dark, morally complex
  • Pacing: fast, quest-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically follow a central quest driven by a profound mistake or tragedy. The protagonists operate in a morally ambiguous world, often within or against corrupt systems. Their journey is as much about atonement and understanding the cost of their goals as it is about achieving them, leading to bittersweet resolutions where the price of progress is fully acknowledged.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they share a core combination of dark fantasy adventure, high emotional stakes, and a focus on the ethical dilemmas and personal sacrifices inherent in wielding great power or seeking redemption. The blend of fast-paced action with heavy philosophical themes creates a distinct, intense vibe.

Quest for the Mighty Sword movie poster

Quest for the Mighty Sword

1990
Conquest movie poster

Conquest

1983
SAGA - Curse of the Shadow movie poster

SAGA - Curse of the Shadow

2013
Fading of the Cries movie poster

Fading of the Cries

2011
In the Lost Lands movie poster

In the Lost Lands

2025
Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal movie poster

Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal

2015
The Beast and the Magic Sword movie poster

The Beast and the Magic Sword

1983
Solomon Kane movie poster

Solomon Kane

2009

Movies about brotherhood bonds tested by trauma like Fullmetal Alchemist

Stories of sibling relationships tested by extreme circumstances and unwavering loyalty. If you liked the core relationship between the Elric brothers in Fullmetal Alchemist, this collection features movies centered on siblings facing extreme adversity. These stories explore themes of shared guilt, protective loyalty, and the resilience of family bonds in dark, action-packed settings.

  • brotherhood
  • tragic
  • determined
  • melancholic
  • unyielding
  • resilient
  • Tone: melancholic, determined
  • Pacing: fast, driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern revolves around a foundational trauma that irrevocably binds the siblings together. Their primary motivation becomes protecting each other and rectifying or surviving the consequences of their shared past. The plot is often a physical and emotional journey where their loyalty is constantly challenged, highlighting their complementary strengths and deep, sometimes fraught, connection.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their intense focus on the sibling relationship as the emotional core. The shared experience of trauma creates a specific dynamic of co-dependency, fierce loyalty, and a collective drive that defines the characters' actions and the story's emotional weight, beyond just a standard adventure.

Brothers movie poster

Brothers

2009
Brothers movie poster

Brothers

2005
My Brother movie poster

My Brother

2007
Brother movie poster

Brother

2010
Brothers at War movie poster

Brothers at War

2009
Brother movie poster

Brother

2016
Four Brothers movie poster

Four Brothers

2005
Sworn Brothers movie poster

Sworn Brothers

1987

Every angle

Fullmetal Alchemist (2017) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

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