The BEST episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist
Every episode of Fullmetal Alchemist ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist!
Two young brothers are raised as alchemists, but when they are severely injured trying to perform a forbidden act, they begin searching for the one thing that can save them; the fabled philosopher's stone.
#1 - Laws and Promises
Season 1 - Episode 51 - Aired 10/2/2004
It is the very end, what will become of Ed and Al? Will the dark plot of the villians finally be realized? It all comes down to the wire in the final instalment of the FMA anime.
#2 - The Stray Dog
Season 1 - Episode 43 - Aired 7/31/2004
Now that Al has actually become the Philosopher's Stone, the brothers are forced to flee, knowing well that the Homunculus would soon be after them. The Fuhrer, in turn, places orders for the brothers to be captured. Mustang takes this responsibility, knowing that if they are captured by anyone else, they would surely not get the opportunity to explain themselves. Winry and Seska have gone to Rizenbul to lay low for a while after their scare at the military base. To their surprise, the mysterious stranger on the train turned out to be none other than Hoenheim, the Elric's father. They receive word of the hunt of Ed and Al, and the two go to try to help. Ed and Al, for unclear reasons, are hurrying back to their hometown, knowing that the military would surely be there, but they are not dissuaded, and trouble brews as Mustang's soldiers get closer and closer.
#3 - Soul of the Guardian
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/21/2004
The battle in the Fifth Laboratory continues. Separated, each now face a formidable foe: Ed faces off with Number 48 while Al deals with the insane Number 66. After an exchange with Number 66, though, Al soon comes to question his very existence.
#4 - Words of Farewell
Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/27/2004
Ed announces that he and Al have decided to stop searching for the Philosopher's Stone. Boarding a train headed South, they leave Central to visit their old teacher. Meanwhile, Hughes has discovered the truth behind the Fifth Laboratory -- a truth that could topple the Government.
#5 - Night of the Chimera's Cry
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/15/2003
Now that Edward is an official State Alchemist, the brothers can begin their quest to restore their bodies. However, something about Tucker's chimera experiments begin to trouble Ed. As he investigates, Ed begins to see a sinister side to alchemy. Now he and Al must stop a friend from committing the unthinkable.
#6 - Death
Season 1 - Episode 50 - Aired 9/25/2004
Ed now joins his father on the other side of the gate which seems to be a lot like our world but what will Ed do there and how will he get back to the world he knows?
#7 - The Untainted Child
Season 1 - Episode 29 - Aired 4/24/2004
As Ed and Al get ready to leave Yock Island, a strange boy wanders out of the forest. Suffering from amnesia, he can't remember how he got there. Amazingly, he is a gifted alchemist; not only can he perform alchemy, but, like Ed, he doesn't need a transmutation circle. He also has other amazing abilities, compelling Izumi to take the child in. Ed, however, is suspicious of the boy's sudden appearance, and doesn't believe he is as innocent as he appears to be.
#8 - Teacher
Season 1 - Episode 27 - Aired 4/10/2004
Izumi: a skillful alchemist with an iron will and the Elric Brother's childhood teacher. She is the one person Ed and Al have both tried to avoid. Now, their past has caught up with them when she finds them at Rush Valley. Enraged to find out what they have become, she takes them back to her hometown for an interrogation they won't soon forget.
#9 - The Scar
Season 1 - Episode 40 - Aired 7/17/2004
Ed confronts Scar in Lior and learns his objective for being in the city. When arguing against the plan doesn't work, Ed finds himself battling Scar yet again. In the midst of the battle, though, they are interrupted by Lust and Gluttony. After stopping them, they are again interrupted by two more people from Ed's past who persuade Ed to listen to Scar's story. Meanwhile, Marta and Al are captured by Kimbley and taken back to Regional Headquarters.
#10 - The Other Side of the Gate
Season 1 - Episode 49 - Aired 9/18/2004
Alphsone has been captured and Roy is about to begin the last part of his plan. Edward, meanwhile is traveling deeper and deeper under Central City to find the one who controls the homunculi and ultimatly, his brother.
#11 - Mother
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/18/2003
Ed and Al grew up at a time when their country was at war. While news from the front devastated friends and neighbors, their mother was a pillar of strength. She made them feel safe in an uncertain time, and encouraged their gifts of Alchemy. When she died, Ed and Al were determined to bring her back. They believed they had nothing left to lose, but they didn't know how wrong they were.
#12 - Holy Mother
Season 1 - Episode 41 - Aired 7/24/2004
At the brink of another civil war, Scar justifies his intentions for Lior to Ed. However, after learning from Lyra what Scar intends to do to the Military, he sends an urgent message to Mustang to stay out of the city. Meanwhile, back at Regional Headquarters, Al ponders Martel's warning as the Military gets ready for battle.
#13 - Created Human
Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/6/2004
Ed reaches the heart of the Fifth Laboratory and learns that it was used as a biological research facility for the military. There, he is nearly fooled into doing an unspeakable act. He manages to escape, but then discovers that Envy has taken Al hostage. Meanwhile, Hughes has ordered Armstrong and the others to find out what is going on in the Laboratory.
#14 - Hohenheim of Light
Season 1 - Episode 44 - Aired 8/7/2004
Mustang has finally caught up to Ed and Al, but he explains that he is not there to apprehend them, but to find out what was really happening. They explain the Fuhrer''s identity, to the shock of everyone present. This prompts them to develop a plan for testing the truth of the claim. They arrive in Rizenbul to find Hohenheim and Al, despite his brother''s protests, spends as much time as he can with his long lost father. The homunculus are hiding out in the church that Ryla has taken Rose to, and it becomes apparent in a fabulous plot twist, that ''him'' that the homunculus are always talking about, is in fact Ryla, who is in fact Dante. The plot thickens as Hohenheim storms their sanctuary, having heard Dante''s name from the brothers. His skill in alchemy is incredible, even enough so to scare Gluttony. Ryla faces off with him using her own alchemy, and action ensues.
#15 - Theory of Avarice
Season 1 - Episode 34 - Aired 6/5/2004
The battle to rescue Al is in full force, as Major Armstrong takes to the sewers to fight off Greed's men while Ed remains on the surface in a showdown with Greed and the Military. As Ed and Greed face off, Ed must make the ultimate decision: is he willing to take someone's life to save his brother?
#16 - Sealing the Homunculus
Season 1 - Episode 47 - Aired 9/4/2004
Ed discovers Sloth and Al at Tucker's research lab. He tries to convince Al that the Homunculus is not their mother, and not to be trusted, but Al is pretty sure that it'll be fine. So Ed has to do things his way. He reveals the pieces of his mother's corpse that he dug up in Rizenbul, stunning Sloth, and giving him a chance to seal her forever. Lust had drawn a sealing transmutation circle with her claws, so it could not be destroyed, and Ed lured Sloth into it. The deal was almost done, when Al in his infinite wisdom decided that he was going to save the homunculus, so he threw the box containing a piece of his mother out the window, thus freeing Sloth. Lust held her at bay while Ed went to get the box, but Wrath was waiting outside, and decided to absorb the box into himself so Ed couldn't get it back. More and more it became clear that the brothers would not win this battle so easily, especially with Al helping out the Homunculus. Sloth freed herself from the circle, and while Ed chased Sloth, who was now controlling Al's body from the inside, Wrath and Lust squared off. Lust is easily destroyed though, as Wrath found her locket and used it to stop her on the transmutation circle. Wrath killed Lust and headed off to find Sloth. Fortunately for the brothers, who were not in great shape at this point, Wrath was a bit inexperienced, and foolishly merged himself with Sloth. Having the box inside of him, this stopped them both and gave Ed his chance to destroy his creation, Sloth, once and for all.
#17 - The Ishbal Massacre
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/17/2004
As the Strong Arm Alchemist holds off Scar, he realizes that the killer is from Ishbal. Meanwhile, as Ed, Al and Doctor Marcoh make their way through the village, the Doctor recounts the Ishbal Rebellion and how he and the other State Alchemist were ordered to level the entire city using the Red Stones. The events still haunt Marcoh, Mustang, and Armstrong to this day.
#18 - A Rotted Heart
Season 1 - Episode 45 - Aired 8/21/2004
Everything begins to come together in this episode. Hohenheim has confronted Dante and the Homunculus, but he was taken by surprise when the Homunculus of his former wife appears, and he is captured by Dante and sent to the other side of the mysterious gate. Mustang confronts the military court, not about the Fuhrer yet, but about his secretary Juliet Douglass. His words revealed him to the Fuhrer, who orders him to the front lines on the north, to make it easy to dispose of him when the time comes. Ed and Al are on the run, disguising themselves. They don't make it very far before being discovered, but they were far enough for Ed to find Sensei, who knows of his plans when he asks for a piece of her child's corpse. Al, trusted to stay in hiding, of course runs off and meets with Tucker. He reveals Nina's motionless body to Al, who is taken by it, and offers to use himself to help her.
#19 - Sin
Season 1 - Episode 31 - Aired 5/8/2004
Izumi has successfully escaped with the boy, but to no avail--Envy had already told the child the truth about himself, and his personality is changing. With all her secrets exposed, Izumi makes plans to atone for her sins. Ed and Al rush to intervene before it's too late.
#20 - The Truth Behind Truths
Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/14/2004
Ed and Al have spent years searching for the Philosopher's Stone. After studying Marco's notes, however, Al learns of the gruesome secret behind its power. With this knowledge, can the Elric Brothers continue with their quest to be whole again?
#21 - His Name Is Unknown
Season 1 - Episode 42 - Aired 7/24/2004
Al’s body has been transmuted into a bomb by Kimblee just before his death, and Scar, in a fit of compassion, prepares Al to be saved by turning him into the Philosopher’s Stone. Scar sacrifices his right arm, melding it with Al, and making Al a container waiting for the army’s invasion of the city. Ed manages to fight off the two homunculi and with Ryla and Rose, they escape, but Ed knows he has to go back, and returns to the city. Mustang, using information gathered by Armstrong in his mock service of Archer, goes down to Tucker’s research room to put a stop to the madness. They are beset by chimeras and though they have little trouble fighting them off, Archer gets away. Before anyone can stop him, he sends the army into Lior. There Scar sacrifices himself to transmute the army into Al’s body, making him the Philosopher’s Stone.
#22 - Assault on South Headquarters
Season 1 - Episode 30 - Aired 5/1/2004
Under suspicion of being a Homunculus conspirator, the strange wild boy from Yock is taken into custody by Lt. Col. Archer. Enraged by the arrest, Izumi takes on the military with the full force of her alchemic powers. Meanwhile, Scar has been spotted in the Southern Slums by a retired military officer.
#23 - Al, Captured
Season 1 - Episode 33 - Aired 5/29/2004
Al is kidnapped by Greed and his gang, leaving Ed frantically searching for him. Izumi and Sigu join him in the search, and in the process Izumi discovers how much her young proteges have learned on their own.
#24 - All Is One, One Is All
Season 1 - Episode 28 - Aired 4/17/2004
Izumi sends the brothers to the savage Island of Yock. Ed and Al remember when, as children, when they were dumped on the very same island. With no food or shelter, they are left with only the cryptic words of Izumi: "One is All, All is One." Now, they must relearn the lessons of the past to survive their latest test.
#25 - With the River's Flow
Season 1 - Episode 38 - Aired 7/3/2004
After crashing the vehicle Winry left them, Ed and Al are forced to continue their journey to Ishbal on foot. The brother's tempers flare and they end up separated in a small town. Meanwhile, back at Central, Winry and Sciezka join forces to find the cause behind Hughes death.