[Shonen] Fullmetal Alchemist / Hagane no Renkinjutsushi

[spoiler]Edward and Alphonse Elric are two alchemist brothers searching for the legendary Philosopher's Stone, a powerful object which would allow them to recover their bodies (which were lost in an attempt to bring their mother back to life through alchemy). Born in the village of Resembool from the country of Amestris (アメストリス, Amesutorisu), the two brothers live there with their parents. Their father, Hohenheim, leaves home for unknown reasons and years later, their mother, Trisha Elric, dies of a terminal illness leaving the Elric brothers alone. After their mother's death, Edward becomes determined to bring her back through the use of alchemy, an advanced science in which objects can be created from raw materials. They research Human Transmutation, a forbidden art in which one attempts to create or modify a human being. However, this attempt fails, ultimately resulting in the loss of Edward's left leg and Alphonse's entire body. In a desperate effort to save his brother, Edward sacrifices his right arm to affix Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor. Some days later, an alchemist named Roy Mustang visits the Elric brothers, and he tells Edward to become a member of the State Military of the country to find a way to recover their bodies. After that, Edward's left leg and right arm are replaced with automail, a type of advanced prosthetic limb, created for him by his close family friends Winry Rockbell and her grandmother Pinako.

Edward sets out to become a State Alchemist (国家錬金術師, Kokka Renkinjutsushi), an alchemist employed by the State Military of Amestris, which infamously annihilated most of the Ishbalan race (Ishbal) in the past decade. Becoming a State Alchemist enables Edward to use the extensive resources available to State Alchemists, but it also turns him into what they call a "dog of the military". His more friendly relationship with Roy Mustang however, whom he reports to and who recruited him, allows the brothers freedom to search for the Philosopher's Stone as part of Edward's research, as each State Alchemist is expected to independently research new things which may be of a use to the State Military of Amestris. The brothers set off in search of the Philosopher's Stone as a means to restore their bodies. Throughout their journey, they meet many antagonists, including those who are willing to do anything to obtain the Philosopher's Stone; Scar, one of the few surviving Ishbalans, who seeks vengeance on the State Alchemists for the destruction of his race; and the homunculi, a group of human-like creatures who carry pieces of the Philosopher's Stone inside themselves, and from it derive the ability to survive almost any harm.

As the story progresses, Edward and Alphonse discover the vast expansion of Amestris was the result of the homunculi, who created and secretly control the State Military. The homunculi and much of the high-ranking military officers are commanded from behind the curtains by the creator of the homunculi, a man simply known as "Father" who gained immortality by using a copy of Hohenheim as his new body centuries before the series' timeline. He plans to use Amestris as a gigantic transmutation circle, possibly to transmute the entire country into the Philosopher's Stone. When Edward and Alphonse discover Father's plans, they, along with other members of the State Military, set out to defeat him.

Edward Elric

Edward Elric (エドワード・エルリック, Edowādo Erurikku), the "Fullmetal Alchemist," the youngest State Alchemist in history, serves as the major protagonist of the series. He and his younger brother, Alphonse Elric, scour the world in search of the Philosopher's Stone, in the hopes of restoring their bodies. Edward lost his left leg in a failed attempt to revive his mother using Alchemy, and lost his right arm in exchange for attaching Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor. Edward now employs the use of metal prosthetics, known as automail, as replacement limbs. Edward harbors a sharp sensitivity to his short height; a recurring gag in both the anime and manga is for Edward to overly react to people that call him short

Alphonse Elric

Alphonse Elric (アルフォンス・エルリック, Arufonsu Erurikku?), the younger brother of Edward Elric, did not become a State Alchemist at the request of his brother. Together, he and Ed scour the country in search of the Philosopher's Stone in the hopes of restoring their bodies. Unlike Edward, who lost one arm and one leg in the failed attempt to revive the brothers' mother, Al lost his entire body. At the last moment, Ed sealed Al's soul in giant suit of armor, making Al almost invulnerable. Because of his size and him being a suit of armor, a running gag is that he is always mistaken as being the older brother and the Fullmetal Alchemist.

Roy Mustang

State Alchemist Roy Mustang (ロイ・マスタング, Roi Masutangu?), the "Flame Alchemist," holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the State Military at the start of the series, was initially a Colonel when first introduced to Edward and Alphonse, and was promoted to Brigadier General by the end of the first anime series. He aims towards becoming the next Führer of Amestris, heavily relying on the support of his loyal subordinates to propel him along that path.ch.2 Mustang would find this path interrupted by the murder of his best friend and confidant, Maes Hughes, afterwards, beginning an almost behind-the-scenes investigation into finding the true culprit.

Winry Rockbell

Winry Rockbell (ウィンリィ・ロックベル, Uinrī Rokkuberu?), a childhood friend of Edward and Alphonse Elric, lives with her grandmother Pinako Rockbell in Resembool, who raised her after the death of her parents during the Ishbal War. In the manga series, her parents were killed by Scar in a blind rage, while in the first anime, they were executed by a younger Roy Mustang under Military order. Winry is a practicing and gifted automail mechanic, following in her grandmother's footsteps, continually designing and maintaining Edward Elric's automail prosthetics. In the manga, Winry is often used as an unwitting hostage by the homunculi to ensure the Elrics' subservience to the State.

Homunculi

Homunculi (ホムンクルス, Homunkurusu) serve as the main antagonists in Fullmetal Alchemist. They are a group of artificially created humans who seek to fulfill their leader's goals of creating a Philosopher's Stone. They can be identified by their bearing of the mark of the Ouroboros somewhere on their body, usually in places symbolic with their identities. In both the anime and the manga, each homunculus is named after one of the seven deadly sins. Aside from this, the concept of the homunculi varies drastically between mediums. In the manga, homunculi have a Philosopher's Stone somewhere in their bodies. Most of the homunculi that have been introduced were created at the same time as their respective Philosopher's Stone. Others, such as Wrath, were humans that accepted a Philosopher's Stone into their body, gaining the abilities of a homunculi while aging like a human. All homunculi are created by or at the discretion of Father, being a manifestation of one of his traits; his greed, his lust, and so on. In the manga, the only way to kill a homunculus is by expending all of the power in their Philosopher's Stone, leaving them unable to revive themselves once they have been killed.n the first anime, homunculi are created when someone performs a human transmutation to revive a dead person. They will fail to revive the intended person, and will instead create a homunculus that looks almost exactly like the deceased target. These homunculi are led by Dante. The only way to kill a homunculus in the anime is by finding a remnant of their original body (a bone, hair, etc.) and having it near them, weakening them and making them susceptible to death.

Volume 1

* 001. "The Two Alchemists" (二人の錬金術師, Futari no Renkinjutsushi)
* 002. "The Price of Life" (命の代価, Inochi no Daika)
* 003. "The Mining Town" (炭鉱の街, Tankō no Machi)
* 004. "Battle on the Train" (車上の戦い, Shajō no Tatakai)

Volume 2

* 005. "The Alchemist's Suffering" (錬金術師の苦悩, Renkinjutsushi no Kunō)
* 006. "The Right Hand of Destruction" (破壊の右手, Hakai no Migite)
* 007. "After the Rain" (雨の後, Ame no Ato)
* 008. "The Road of Hope" (希望の道, Kibō no Michi)

Volume 3

* 009. "A Home with a Family Waiting" (家族の待つ家, Kazoku no Matsu Ie)
* 010. "The Philosopher's Stone" (賢者の石, Kenja no Ishi)
* 011. "The Two Guardians" (二人の守護者, Futari no Shugosha)
* 012. "The Definition of Human" (「人間」の定義, "Ningen" no Teigi)
* Gaiden. "The Military Festival" (軍部の祭り, Gunbu no Matsuri)

Volume 4

* 013. "Fullmetal Body" (鋼のからだ, Hagane no Karada)
* 014. "An Only Child's Feelings" (ひとりっ子の気持ち, Hitorikko no Kimochi)
* 015. "Fullmetal Heart" (鋼のこころ, Hagane no Kokoro)
* 016. "Separate Paths" (それぞれの行く先, Sorezore no Yukusaki)
* Gaiden. "Dog of the Military?" (軍の犬?, Gun no Inu)

Volume 5

* 017. "The Boomtown of the Broken Down" (にわか景気の谷, Niwaka Keiki no Tani)
* 018. "The Value of Sincerity" (誠意の価値, Seii no Kachi)
* 019. "I'll Do It for You Guys!" (あんた達のかわりに, Anta-tachi no Kawari ni)
* 020. "The Terror of the Teacher" (師匠の恐怖, Shishō no Kyōfu)
* 021. "The Brothers' Secret" (二人だけの秘密, Futari dake no Himitsu)

Volume 6

* 022. "The Masked Man" (仮面の男, Kamen no Otoko)
* 023. "Knocking on Heaven's Door" (叩け 天国の扉, Tatake: Tengoku no Tobira)
* 024. "Fullmetal Alchemist" (鋼の錬金術師, Hagane no Renkinjutsushi)
* 025. "Master and Apprentice" (師弟のけじめ, Shitei no Kejime)

Volume 7

* 026. "To Meet the Master" (主の元へ, Shu no Moto e)
* 027. "The Beasts of Dublith" (ダブリスの獣たち, Daburisu no Kemono-tachi)
* 028. "A Fool's Courage" (匹夫の勇, Hippu no Otoko)
* 029. "The Eye of the King" (王の眼, Ō no Me)
* Gaiden. "The Second Lieutenant Goes to Battle!" (戦う 少尉さん, Tatakau: Shōi-san)

Volume 8

* 030. "The Truth Inside the Armor" (鎧の中 真理の奧, Yoroi no Naka: Shinri no Oku)
* 031. "The Snake That Eats Its Own Tail" (己の尾を噛む蛇, Onore no O o Kamu Hebi)
* 032. "Emissary From the East" (東方の使者, Tōhō no Shisha)
* 033. "Showdown in Rush Valley" (ラッシュバレーの攻防, Rasshu Barē no Kōbō)
* Gaiden. "Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel" (鋼の錬金術師 翔べない天使, Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: Tobenai Tenshi)

Volume 9

* 034. "The Footsteps of a War Comrade" (戦友の足跡, Sen'yū no Sokuseki)
* 035. "The Sacrificial Lamb" (生け贄の羊, Ikenie no Hitsuji)
* 036. "Alchemist in Distress" (苦渋の錬金術師, Kujū no Renkinjutsushi)
* 037. "The Body of a Criminal" (咎人の肉体, Toganin no Nikutai)

Volume 10

* 038. "Signal to Strike" (反撃ののろし, Hangeki no Noroshi)
* 039. "Complications at Central" (錯綜のセントラル, Sakusō no Sentoraru)
* 040. "Philosopher from the West" (西の賢者, Nishi no Kenja)
* 041. "On the Palm of an Arrogant Human Being" (小さな人間の傲慢な掌, Chiisa na Ningen no Gōman na Te)

Volume 11

* 042. "The Father Standing Before a Grave" (墓前の父, Bozen no Chichi)
* 043. "River of Mud" (泥の河, Doro no Kawa)
* 044. "The Unnamed Grave" (名前の無い墓, Namae no Nai Haka)
* 045. "Scar's Return" (傷の男再び, Kizu no Otoko Futatabi)

Volume 12

* 046. "The Distant Image of Their Backs" (遠くの背中, Tōku no Senaka)
* 047. "A Girl in the Grip of Battles Past and Present" (戦場の少女, Ikusaba no Shōjo)
* 048. "A Promise Made by Those Who Wait" (待ち人の約束, Machibito no Yakusoku)
* 049. "A Monster Among Men" (人中の化け物, Hitonaka no Bakemono)

Volume 13

* 050. "In the Belly of the Beast" (腹の中, Hara no Naka)
* 051. "A Portal in the Darkness" (闇の扉, Yami no Tobira)
* 052. "Lord of the Demon's Lair" (魔窟の王, Makutsu no Ō)
* 053. "Signpost of the Soul" (魂の道標, Tamashii no Dōhyō)

Volume 14

* 054. "The Fool's Struggle" (愚者の足掻き, Gusha no Ashikaki)
* 055. "The Avarice of Two" (二人の強欲, Futari no Gōyoku)
* 056. "The Lion of the Round Table" (円卓の獅子, Entaku no Shishi)
* 057. "Scars of Ishbal" (イシュヴァールの傷, Ishuvāru no Kizu)
* Gaiden. Short Story

Volume 15

* 058. "The Footsteps of Ruin" (破滅の足音, Hametsu no Ashioto)
* 059. "The Immoral Alchemist" (背徳の錬金術師, Haitoku no Renkinjutsushi)
* 060. "In the Absence of God" (神の不在, Kami no Fuzai)
* 061. "The Hero of Ishbal" (イシュヴァールの英雄, Ishuvāru no Eiyū)

Volume 16

* 062. "Beyond the Dream" (夢の先, Yume no Saki)
* 063. "The Promise Made for 520 Cenz" (520センズの約束, 520 Senzu no Yakusoku)
* 064. "The Northern Wall of Briggs" (ブリッグズの北壁, Burigguzu no Hokuheki)
* 065. "The Ironclad Rule" (鉄の掟, Tetsu no Okite)

Volume 17

* 066. "The Snow Queen" (雪の女王, Yuki no Joō)
* 067. "Burgeoning Borders" (この国のかたち, Kono Kuni no Katachi)
* 068. "Portrait of a Family" (家族の肖像, Kazoku no Shōzō)
* 069. "The Foundation of Briggs" (ブリッグズの礎, Brigguzu no Ishizue)

Volume 18

* 070. "The First Homunculus" (始まりのホムンクルス, Hajimari no Homunkurusu)
* 071. "In the Grip of the Red Lotus" (紅蓮の男, Guren no Otoko)
* 072. "A Chain of Negativity, a Pebble of Goodness" (負の連鎖 正の一石, Fu no Rensa, Sei no Isseki)
* 073. "A Daydream" (白昼の夢, Hakuchū no Yume)

Volume 19

* 074. "The Dwarf in the Flask" (フラスコの中の小人, Homunkurusu)
* 075. "The Last Days of Cselkcess" (クセルクセス最期の日, Kuserukusesu Saigo no Hi)
* 076. "Shape of a Person, Shape of a Stone" (人の形 石の形, Hito no Katachi: Ishi no Katachi)
* 077. "The Tables Are Turned; A New Transmutation Circle" (逆転の錬成陣, Gyakuten no Renseijin)
* 078. "The Seven Deadly Sins" (七つの罪, Nanatsu no Tsumi)

Volume 20

* 079. "Bug Bite" (蟻のひと噛み, Ari no Hito Kami)
* 080. "The Prodigal Father Returns" (瞼の父, Mabuta no Chichi)
* 081. "A Full Recovery" (バリバリの全開, Baribari no Zenkai)
* 082. "Family By Spirit" (魂の家族, Tamashii no Kazoku)
* 083. "The Promised Day" (約束の日, Yakusoku no Hi)

Volume 21

* 084. "Shadow of the Pursuer" (追跡者の影, Tsuisekisha no Kage)
* 085. "The Empty Box" (空の箱, Kara no Hako)
* 086. "Servant of Darkness" (闇の使者, Yami no Shisha)
* 087. "An Oath Made in the Underground" (地下道の誓い, Chikadō no Chikai)

Volume 22

* 088. "The Love of a Parent and Child" (親子の情, Oyako no Jō)
* 089. "Return of the Warrior" (戦士の旗艦, Senshi no Kikan)
* 090. "An Invincible Army" (不死の軍団, Fushi no Gundan)
* 091. "The Philosopher's Revival" (賢者の再会, Kenja no Saikai)

Volume 23

* 092. "Everyone's Power" (皆の力, Minna no Chikara)
* 093. "Archenemy" (不倶戴天の敵, Fugutaiten no Kataki)
* 094. "The Flames of Revenge" (復讐の炎, Fukushū no Honō)
* 095. "Beyond the Raging Fire" (烈火の先に, Rekka no Saki ni)
* Gaiden. "Prince of the Dawn—Prologue" (暁の王子—Prologue, Akatsuki no Ōji—Prologue)

Volume 24

* 096. "The Two Heroines" (二人の女傑, Futari no Joketsu)
* 097. "The Two Philosophers" (二人の賢者, Futari no Kenja)
* 098. "Infinite Greed" (底無しの強欲, Sokonashi no Gōyoku)
* 099. "Eternal Rest" (永遠の暇, Eien no Itoma)
* Gaiden. "Daughter of the Dusk—Prologue" (黄昏の少女—Prologue, Tasogare no Shōjo—Prologue)