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Questions tagged [fullmetal-alchemist-series]

Use this tag for all entries in the Fullmetal Alchemist ("Hagane no Renkinjutsushi") franchise, including the manga by Hiromu Arakawa and both related anime series (Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (2010)).

FMA characters, from front to back: Edward Elric, Alexander Louis Armstrong, Alphonse Elric, Roy Mustang, Winry Rockbell, Riza Hawkeye, and Scar

This tag should be used for questions about the Fullmetal Alchemist manga, movies, light novels, and both anime series (Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood). In your question, specify which medium your question is about (per these meta posts: 1 and 2).

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How was The Dwarf in the Flask created?

In the Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, it was revealed that The Dwarf in the Flask was an experiment of the King of Xerxes and that it has Van Hohenheim's blood. But it wasn't explained what method was used to create him. So, how was The Dwarf…
xjshiya
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Are the events in Ishbal based on or inspired by the Holocaust?

I've noticed that a lot of Western fans seem to associate the genocide / war in Ishval with the Holocaust (or alternatively, the Middle East). However, from somewhat secondary sources, I've heard that Arakawa was inspired by the plight of the…
Maroon
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Why is the Japanese flag supposed to be funny?

In the first chapter of Fullmetal Alchemist, immediately after the priest explains that he wants to conquer the nation, we see Ed saying that he doesn't care at all. Why is there a Japanese flag on the priest's head? And what does Ed's gesture…
lulalala
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How does a Philosopher's Stone work?

The Philosopher's Stone is said to be an alchemical amplifier, allowing an alchemist to perform perfect transmutations, bypassing the laws of equivalent exchange. How does that work? Isn't the point of alchemy that you can only get as much as you…
Madara's Ghost
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What's Scar's name?

Before the manga ended, I remember reading somewhere that part of the things that should be revealed by the end was Scar's name, but I don't recall ever finding it out. What's Scar's name, was it ever revealed?
DarkAjax
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Why do the eyes of a bounded soul glow?

If I didn't miss one, all souls that were bound to armors have glowing eyes. Why do their eyes glow? It must somehow be connected to the bounded soul, as they stop glowing if the heads lose connection to the rest of the armor, but how? And can…
looper
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Why did Colonel Mustang lose his sense of sight and not his arm or body?

In Fullmetal Alchemist, when an alchemist performs human transmutation, they lose a part of their body. What determines the body part an alchemist loses?
gnerkus
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How much of the normal process of doing alchemy can be circumvented by seeing Truth?

I saw someone on the internet wonder if Ed and Al are capable of doing flame alchemy because they have seen Truth. This bothered me, since this would negate the idea that flame alchemy was difficult to learn and that via destroying Hawkeye's tattoo,…
Maroon
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How is King Bradley's sword so sharp?

Throughout all of Fullmetal Alchemist Manga, King Bradley chopped his way through everything, from stone to arms to automail. How did it get to be so sharp? What did the King use to sharpen his sword? An aside: the sharpness of his sword seemed to…
HotelCalifornia
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Why was Mustang's vision restored, when Izumi Curtis didn't get her organs back?

When Van Hohenheim met Izumi the second time, he heard that she had opened the gate of Truth and lost some internal organs. Instead of giving her back her organs he rearranged them to improve her blood flow, and said I can't give them back because…
libathos
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Where is Pride's Homunculus tattoo?

My brother and I were talking about the symbolism behind the location of the Homunculi's tattoo's location (i.e. Greed's is on his hand because he wants to get a hold of everything, Gluttony's is on his tongue because he wants to eat everything,…
Cyberson
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Is there a religion in Amestris?

Occasionally, especially when talking about human transmutations, Amestrians mention God, mainly with the idea of human transmutations being a transgression against God. An example of this is when Olivier Armstrong is talking about the three tenets…
kuwaly
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Why didn't Edward Elric get his leg back?

At the end of Brotherhood, Edward sacrifices his gate in order to bring back Al with his body. While doing so, the Truth being associated with Ed's gate tells him: You've defeated me. Take everything you want! So why didn't Ed get his leg back,…
Bej
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If Van Hohenheim is a living Philosopher's Stone, what does that make Edward and Alphonse?

In episode 62 of Brotherhood series, when Father's stone was nearly depleted, he started to search desperately for a new one. When he saw Edward Elric pinned down, his expression suddenly changed and he started walking towards him, as if he had…
Skropeh
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Are the Homunculi abilities based on the sins?

I understand Gluttony's ability of being able to ingest anything being related to the title Gluttony. I was wondering about the other Homunculi's abilities (from FMA:B, not FMA) and whether they have any relation to the sins or to any biblical story…
kuwaly
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