immaculate vibes

The story opens with them attempting to resurrect their mother, which mutilates both of them and is the inciting incident for the whole story. It's a strong opening, things backfiring on Ed and Al is a consistent throughline.

Next, we flash forward to the town of Liore, where the brothers depose a corrupt warmongering priest. This destabilises the region and gives the Amestrian Military pretense to step in, leading to many, many deaths.

Episode 5, during the fight on the train, they end up saving General Halcrow. Though the story never confronts Ed and Al directly about this, we continue seeing him intermittently throughout the show, and during his next appearance he's committing atrocities in Liore.

The show is full of all these questions, big and small, that it never reaches a satisfying objective conclusive answer on.

Edward kills greed by accident, and then decides he has to do the same to the rest of the homunculi basically because of the sunk cost fallacy. Then Lust briefly joins forces with him and makes him question if killing them is even necessary at all.

Episode 10, by all accounts one of the more filler-y episodes of the series, still takes this theme and runs with it. "Would it be right to stop this thief, when she's using the money to fund hospitals and churches and schools that would otherwise be condemned?

...okay she was lying about that.

but she's still bringing tourism to a dying town!"

Edward ultimately decides to let her go, but the whole thing still feels really ambiguous. The show does a great job putting you in the mindset of a child who still hasn't fully figured out right from wrong yet.

Would it be right to make a Philosopher's Stone, knowing what it takes? I find it extremely interesting that when Edward decides the answer to that question is "No," the only reason he and Alphonse get out of that situation alive is because Scar agrees with that answer.

(God, this is just one of my favourite moments from the show.)

Scar stands in stark contrast to Ed and Al. As conflicted as he is about his brother's research, he is morally unwavering.

He is committed to what he thinks is right, and fully willing to pay the price for it, no matter what it takes. By the end of the series he has few regrets. He did what he thought was right, and the show agrees with him. It's great. He makes a really interesting foil to Ed and Al because of this. 03 Scar is the fuckin best.

Oh speaking of contrasts! on the note of ambiguous morality, I think it's really interesting to compare The Gate between the manga/FMA: Brotherhood, and 03.

The Gate in Brotherhood is accompanied by an entity known as "Truth." A reflection of the alchemist, who talks to them, answers questions, and imparts morals with a cruel sense of Humor. It makes it clear that what it takes, it takes with a sense of dramatic irony, and directly admonishes an alchemist for their hubris.

In 03 by contrast, The Gate is much more ambiguous. There is no one to tell you what it means and what you have done. It's left entirely to the characters and audience to interpret it. It "speaks" to Edward, once, but not in any way recognisable to the audience as speech. Characters debate on whether or not it even is "Truth"