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Synopsis

The Elric brothers have been on a long and difficult journey, seeking to regain what they've lost. Enemies have been toppled, friends have been buried, and the state has been remade. But it's not over yet.


Full Synopsis

Al, Rosé and Wrath watch in horror as Envy kills Ed. Envy declares that all humans will die and only the homunculi will survive, while Dante elaborates that humans always come short of the prices they have paid. Al is left to ponder on the horrible demise of his beloved brother just as Gluttony charges towards Al, ready to begin devouring him.

At the Führer's mansion, the military group that is escorting the confined Hawkeye along with the Führer's wife and son comes under attack from Archer, who declares that he is going to protect the Führer. When a soldier acknowledges they caught Hawkeye and are taking her to Central Command per the Führer's orders for questioning, Archer insanely tries to execute her, but Hawkeye is able to break free and retreat. Watching the soldiers restrain Archer, Selim slips away.

In the cellar of the mansion, Pride (Führer Bradley) escapes the fire with his skin burned and regenerates with the red stones in his body. Pinning Mustang against the wall, Pride laughs off about how petty Mustang's dream of becoming the Führer was and he will never be in a position of power again for attempting assassination. Mustang admits his foolishness and only wishes to avenge Hughes. As Pride continues to put Mustang through agonizing pain, Selim appears. Selim apologizes for coming back and Pride embraces him. When Pride finds himself in pain, he demands to know what Selim has done. Selim admits he took the treasure from the safe to save it from the fire. The treasure, revealed to be the skull from the body that Pride is based on, severely weakens him. In a fit of rage, Pride strangles Selim to death. Mustang pulls the sword out of his shoulder and quickly rushes to Selim's body to get the skull and hold it up high in the air right before Pride's eyes. Drawing up a transmutation circle on his hand with his own blood, Mustang plans to burn the skull to affect Pride's body until all the red stones within him have been used up.

Back at Dante's hideout, before Gluttony can finish eating Al's armored body, Al breaks free and plans to revive Ed, since there is still time due to Ed's soul still being at the gate. Ignoring Dante's scolding, Al makes it clear that it is time he finally gives his share after so many people have died in exchange for his life before. Envy tries to stop him, but fails as Al starts the transmutation. Back at the Führer's mansion, Mustang finishes turning Pride's body into a puddle of red water and throws the skull in there to burn. Taking Selim's body with him, Mustang encounters Archer outside the mansion. Hawkeye shows up and shoots Archer in the organic area of his mechanical body until he is dead. Hawkeye then finds Mustang lying motionless in a pool of blood, tearfully calling out his name.

Meanwhile, Envy encounters Ed's soul at the gate and learning that Hohenheim is still alive on the other side, Envy decides to head through against Ed's advice. However, when the gate children attach their bodies to him, Envy transforms into Edward to shake them off, then Hohenheim and Dante's deceased son once again, and finally disappears into the distance as a green, serpentine dragon; all the while swearing death upon his father. Watching the gate close, Ed is left with tears streaming down his face before his soul disappears. Waking up with his body fully whole and healed, Ed learns from Rosé about Al's sacrifice. As she is leaving in the elevator, Dante is planning to have Pride help her work towards manipulating someone to make a new stone, only to be attacked by Gluttony and dies at some point during the confrontation. Upon urging Rosé to take Wrath with her and flee, Ed uses a transmutation array with the same technique he used five years ago that transmuted Al into the armor in hopes of calling Al's soul back from the gate.

Flashing ahead to the epilogue, Sheska, who is back at Central Command as a records clerk again, writes a letter to Winry. Due to the Führer's disappearance, the Führer rank has been officially retired and the political power of Amestris has been transferred to the assembly with Grumman addressing the troops. Sheska admits the conflicts against other nations will still continue. However, Sheska also mentions that the policies towards Ishval have been undone, and the Ishvalans have been allowed to return their homeland with the military helping them to rebuild their homes. At Ishval, Rio, having overcome his prejudice, helps the exile out of their wagon. Sheska then mentions that Mustang is still bedridden; at Mustang's house, Hawkeye apologizes to him for not saving him on time which resulted in him losing his left eye and Mustang is now forced wear an eye patch, but he convinces her that nothing's perfect and that's why life is beautiful. It's implied that their relationship has become more intimate, as Mustang is seen stroking Hawkeye's hair and she feeds him a slice of apple. Finishing her letter, Sheska asks how Al is doing. It turns out Al has been restored to his 10-year-old body, but with no memory of the adventures he had with Ed.

In Resembool, Al is playing with Winry's dog while Winry and Rosé joyfully watch on, just as Izumi, Sig, Mason, and Pinako arrive. Izumi speculates that Ed did a reversed transmutation that caused Al to be originally sent to the gate and that explains why he came back as a ten-year old with no memories after the day he and Ed transmuted their mother. Pinako mentions that she and Winry provided Wrath with automail before he left. Later that night at dinner, Al announces he wishes to study alchemy under Izumi again so he can eventually be reunited with Ed. The next day, Winry, Pinako, and Rosé see Al and the Curtises off at the train station. Winry announces she is going to study to improve her automail mechanic knowledge and encourages Al to visit.

In the parallel world, Hohenheim is studying magic with the Thule Society in Munich, while Ed is studying rockets, hoping to locate an expert to use a rocket to return to his world in place of alchemy. As Ed speaks with his father about why he is still alive and in this world without paying the price for resurrecting Al, Hohenheim believes all the adventures his two sons experienced was the sacrifice.

As Ed travels by train, he vows to reunite with Al someday. Similarly, Al thinks of the same thing, no longer thinking of equivalent exchange as the law of the world but as a promise while traveling with Izumi and Sig by train to Dublith. Numerous scenes are shown including: Tucker with his Nina doll; the Ishvalans and military soldiers rebuilding the Ishvalan homes; Mustang and Hawkeye shopping together at the market; Sheska with Gracia and Elicia visiting Maes' grave; Russell and Fletcher with their plants in Xenotime, as well as Winry training under Dominic in Rush Valley while Paninya watches on. The Elric brothers reach their arms into the sky from their respective worlds, vowing to one day reunite.


Transcript

  • View the transcript for the English dub of this episode here.

Episode Notes

  • The song used the moment Riza starts crying over Roy is entitled Wakare no Kyoku (別れの曲, music for parting), and is actually taken from Étude op. 10, No. 3 by Frédéric Chopin.
  • The part of Mustang drawing a transmutation circle on his hand with his own blood and using it to burn Pride (The Führer - King Bradley) to death is similar to how he killed Lust in the manga and the 2009 anime.
    • Notably the chapter this plotline originated from Chapter 39: Complications at Central was at the time the latest manga chapter released in Japan which was released not long before this episode's original airing.
  • In the United States, this episode aired with a disclaimer, warning viewers about the content of the episode.
  • This episode, more importantly, its ending, would be the foundation for the first Fullmetal Alchemist film, Conqueror of Shamballa, the sequel to the 2003 anime.
  • The title of this episode in Japanese is "Munich, 1921", which appears only in the middle of the episode and makes reference to the year and place Edward was sent to after he passed through the Gate. Although the title was completely changed in the American version, the text "Munich, 1921" still appears in the middle of the episode just like in the Japanese version.
  • The only moment Al uses alchemy without a transmutation circle in the 2003 series is in this episode, using it twice in it.
  • Even with the anime being followed by the movie Conqueror of Shamballa giving it a proper ending, many fans still consider this episode as the finale of the 2003 series and don't consider the movie as a whole, leaving the ending with Ed left to live his life at the other side of the gate and Al without his memories.

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Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 Anime episodes
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