The 10 best quotes from Alphonse in FMA!
Although Fullmetal Alchemist excels in almost everything it sets out to do, its greatest strength undeniably lies in its characters. Without a solid team to drive the story forward, nothing in the series would have unfolded as intended. Edward would have never seized the opportunity offered to him by the army, and Winry would have never overcome all her attempts to keep him away.
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One of the strongest characters, though he may not seem like it at first glance, is Edward’s brother, Alphonse Elric. Blessed with an empathy unmatched by almost any other character in the series, he often has a deeper understanding of emotional problems than others. He is also surprisingly mature emotionally, despite his young age, which earns him incredibly memorable lines.
10. The reality of sacrifice
Throughout the series, several characters view Alphonse’s new life – his soul bound to an armour – as a positive aspect. After all, according to Ling’s words, he no longer needs to worry about hunger, sleep, or other bodily necessities. However, he reminds fans just how tragic and difficult his situation is, declaring: ‘I can’t stand all these lonely nights! It’s too solitary… and that’s why I have to become normal again.’
9. Survivor’s mentality
Despite committing the ultimate taboo at such a young age, Edward and Alphonse strive to look only towards the future, especially Alphonse. He regularly pulls Ed out of his emotional funks by assuring him that the two have no choice but to survive for their own sake. After Ed is ready to sacrifice his life to protect his brother, Alphonse rebukes him firmly, declaring that he must ‘Live and learn more about alchemy. Survival is the only way.’ No matter how dark their situation seemed, there would be nothing left if they couldn’t hold on to hope.
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8. Haunting words
Fans who have only seen the 2009 adaptation may not be familiar with the recurring haunting speech Alphonse gives at the beginning of each episode. Even though it’s been heard over fifty times – once at the start of each episode – it still manages to send chills every time. He declares, ‘Humans can gain nothing without first giving something in return. To gain something of equal value must be lost. That’s the first law of equivalent exchange in alchemy. At the time, we truly believed that was the only and ultimate truth of the world.’ It’s absolutely chilling when placed in the context of their youth, when that very philosophy nearly cost both brothers their lives.
7. Accepting the downsides of life
Alphonse Elric’s life is far from easy after losing his body. From losing the ability to sleep and dream, to being unable to eat, there are many reasons why being trapped in an armour is far from ideal.
However, he surprisingly accepts his situation well and never blames his brother. On the contrary, his faith in Ed only grows after the tragedy, affirming, ‘This body has many downsides. But the downsides don’t make me miserable! My life was rebuilt with alchemy by my brother. If I reject this, it would be like rejecting my brother and alchemy.
6. Painful memories
Some reminders of the past can simply be too painful to bear, and it’s an incredibly difficult lesson the Elric brothers are forced to learn at such a young age. They end up burning down their old family home – the place where their father left, where their mother collapsed – and where they lost everything trying to bring her back. Alphonse declares, ‘On the day we left, we burned the family house and everything in it. Because some memories… they’re not meant to leave any trace.’
5. Just for a smile
Motivations can sometimes be incredibly complex and difficult to understand, even – and sometimes especially – for the person themselves. However, they don’t always have to be, and this is shown quite clearly in what drove Edward and Alphonse to attempt human transmutation. As Alphonse himself emotionally states, ‘we… We just wanted… We just wanted to see Mom’s face – to see her smile…’ This shows just how much of a positive influence she was in their lives, as well as the impact of her absence on them.
4. Hard to believe
Given Al’s circumstances, it’s not surprising that he struggles to accept reality and distinguish his true memories from anything false. This is further amplified each time another body linked to a soul convinces him that he was never truly a person, and that those were just false memories, implanted. When Ed tries to reassure him, he loses his composure, demanding how he can ‘believe you? How am I supposed to believe anything when I’m stuck in this body? What should I believe, my memories? Memories are just fragments of information that can be easily fabricated just like anything else!
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3. Undesirable circumstances
Many people in the series, whether they are humans burdened by their bodies or homunculi seeking immortality, see Al’s circumstances as a blessing rather than a curse. This leads to a few heartbreaking moments where Al has a genuine and painful outburst regarding his situation.
Ed joked that Al couldn’t follow him through the vents because he was too big, to which Al sadly responded, ‘You know, I didn’t ask to be so big.’ Although it was played for laughs, he seemed completely dejected while saying it, showing just how difficult his new life is for him.
2. Under their control
It’s typical for young protagonists in shonen series to push through, no matter how dark their circumstances are, even if all odds are against them. While this is often true most of the time when the Elric brothers are on screen, they also have their realistic moments of weakness.
After learning that the military had been manipulating them all along, they reacted in a very realistic way, especially Alphonse. One might expect the typical ‘push through anyway’ speech, but they are deeply affected. Al wonders, ‘These people have been manipulating us, haven’t they? I guess no matter what we do. We’ll never be the ones in control.’ This hints not only at their manipulation by the military, but also their helplessness in trying to save their mother.
1. Hardened resolve
When life shows its true cruel colors, you realize that by having connections, you risk those closest to you being hurt. This is especially true given the line of work Ed and Al are involved in, trying to recover their bodies. It would have been understandable for both of them to want to cut all ties with anyone, but especially for the empathetic Alphonse, that wasn’t an option.
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