Episode 44: Hohenheim of Light (2003 series)

Hohenheim of Light
Series	Fullmetal Alchemist (anime)
Episode number	44
Japan airdate	August 7th, 2004
U.S.A. airdate	January 28th, 2006
Language	English/Japanese
Subtitles	English
Navigation
Preceded by	The Stray Dog
Followed by	A Rotted Heart

This article is about the episode. For the character known as Hohenheim of Light, see Van Hohenheim.

Synopsis

Ed and Al must convince Mustang's faction that the Führer isn't what he seems. The reappearance of their father complicates matters. He has his own score to settle -- one that goes to root of the entire conspiracy.

Full Synopsis

Lyra and Rosé descend a secret staircase in an old church, where Lyra explains that it used to belong to an older religion that is no longer practiced and once caused numerous people to die in a religious conflict. At the bottom, the homunculi Sloth, Wrath, Gluttony, and Lust are awaiting their arrival. Sloth berates Lust, who is still imprisoned for allowing the Elric brothers to escape, although Lust reminds Sloth that it is not her mission to eliminate them as Lyra and Rosé arrive.

Although Colonel Mustang is furious at Ed and Al for running off without seeking him for help first, however, with Major Armstrong's gentler approach, the Elrics explain that they ran because Führer Bradley is a homunculus (Pride) and, therefore, part of the conspiracy over the Philosopher's Stone. The Elrics add that his secretary Juliet Douglas is a homunculus as well, much to Sheska's relief as she thought that she was an alien. The Elrics still keep Al's new status as the stone a secret, however. Mustang decides to head to Resembool, while he has Armstrong work on sending the rest of the search party back to Reole.

Along the way, Ed and Al learn that Lt. Havoc and Sgt. Fuery have already been sent back, with Ed apologizing for what he did. The subject changes to his pocket watch, to which Al admits that he lost it after Kimblee threw it at Scar and some red stone fragments came flying out. Mustang realizes that Colonel Archer was responsible and admits that, they used the red stones before during the Ishval Civil War under Brigadier General Grand's authority as transmutation amplifiers. Ed, disgusted that all these years of searching for the stone that Mustang waited until now to say this, confronts and grabs Mustang by the shirt, demanding more answers, but Al attempts to stop Ed from getting physical with Mustang. This accidentally causes Al to trigger another transmutation, knocking him into a river, but thankfully survives thanks to the stone, although the Elrics quickly cover up the truth to avoid revealing the stone.

Learning of the reappearance of their father from Sgt. Brosh upon their return to the Rockbell Automail house, Al is excited to see him, but Ed is angry enough to deck Hohenheim with one punch for flirting with Lt. Ross and then kicks him in the stomach after misinterpreting his question of whether or not he still hates milk as a statement that he hadn't matured enough. That night, Hohenheim is relaxing outside with Den while everyone else is inside having dinner and discussing the recent events. He reacts when he overhears Ed describe Lyra as wearing the same obnoxious perfume he has smelled on his father and Al's relief that she had safely escaped Dante's house after her apparent murder by Greed.

Later, Hohenheim has a private conversation with Mustang, who mentions that the Führer is married and has a son in addition to having seen pictures of him when he was younger. Hohenheim reveals that homunculi originally do not possess their human shape when they are born and must be fed human lives through red stones to gain it, and that the Führer can likely alter his appearance to make it look like he ages like a human. He reveals that Selim is likely adopted since a homunculus cannot reproduce. Hohenheim also mentions that due to the fifth laboratory having produced red stones, it is likely that someone is raising them and having them teach others how to make them due to their inability to perform alchemy. Al appears and asks why they can't, in which Hohenheim reveals because the homunculi come from the other side of the gate. Ed also appears and tells the truth about his and Al's bodies to their father, but condemns him for now all of an sudden wanting to start acting like a father, especially when they had to watch their mother die without him. Against Ed's wishes, Al decides to spend the night with their father. Hohenheim reveals that Al's body was lost and it's possible to transfer his soul to another's body which he cannot do. Al learns that reversing Equivalent Exchange can bring his body back, although he does not mention Sloth.

The next morning, Hohenheim disappears and Mustang, as he leaves with Hawkeye, orders the Elrics to stay in hiding while he deals with the search party that has just arrived in Resembool and also promises to look into the claim of the Führer being a homunculus. Pinako then sends the Elrics and Sheska into the basement to hide. While there, they bring up the subject of Juliet Douglas, and once Sheska mentions that she started the Ishval Civil War, Ed reveals that a special Black Ops group had actually started the war. He then realizes that the homunculi were the real instigators of the war so someone could create a Philosopher's Stone. Once Sheska mentions that Hughes was likely killed for learning too much, the Elrics react in horror and anguish that Hughes has been long dead since they left Central. The Elrics prepare to chase after Mustang for not telling them, only to be restrained by Sheska and Winry.

Pinako joins in and chides Ed, stating she, too, has heard about Hughes and how a great man he was, but Mustang didn't tell Ed about Hughes' death so Fullmetal wouldn't try to seek revenge; instead, Mustang only hid this fact to keep the Elrics from blaming themselves and that seeking revenge wouldn't be something Hughes would have approve of. With newfound respect for Mustang, Sheska and Winry along with Al realize Mustang's true determination to be a better man and search for the right path, just like he promised Hughes. Even though Sheska admits how wrong she was for not trusting Mustang, Ed disapproves and refuses to grow up if not seeking revenge is part of being an adult. Pinako blatantly reminds Ed that he grew up when he became a dog of the military, but Ed declares that from now on, he hates Mustang.

Hohenheim arrives at the same church where the homunculi are. He identifies Lyra immediately as Dante, her soul now residing in Lyra's body, and that she had been controlling the homunculi all along. Dante summons Gluttony to attack Hohenheim, but fails as the old man reveals--much to Lust's surprise--that he can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle, summoning ice spikes to lure Gluttony away. Dante then summons monsters while Hohenheim concurrently transmutes the ice spikes into golems resembling Alphonse's armor to counterattack. Hohenheim, knowing his body is near its limit, offers to tell Dante why her new body is already decaying rapidly in exchange for a promise to leave his sons alone, and proves his point by exposing a part of Lyra's skin that has already rotted.

Back in Resembool, Alphonse and Winry convey that the search party is gone, but Edward assigns himself a grisly task--desecrating his mother's grave to obtain a piece of her corpse to use as a weapon against Sloth.

Trivia

• At the beginning of the episode, Lyra discusses a religion that is now extinct in the world of Amestris. It is strongly implied that said religion was Christianity, especially given Izumi's comment in two episodes later that the dating system based on the birth of Christ was once used by an "ancient religion".