doing mothing all day

- "Your hands aren't meant for killing people. They're for helping them live." vs "The hands of the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known."

- "Even without alchemy, I still have them." vs "I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." Heck, just the whole theme of denying strength and power except when truly necessary because there's things worth so much more.

- Al and Sam both being sidekicks and being more awesome for it because supporting others gives them their greatest chances to shine.

- Having cast chock full of warriors and letting them be absolute badasses while simultaneously not shying away at all from showing the horrors and costs of war.

-Aragorn leading the Army of the Dead against Sauron’s forces vs. Hohenheim using the willing souls of the thousands who died that are contained within him to fight Father’s efforts

Magical/Alchemical item filled with immeasurable power being sought by many people, but turns out to be an item steeped in evil and suffering, and would probably be better off never used and even destroyed

Protagonists live in an idyllic countryside town that they return to in the end

But the main protagonist doesn't stay there forever! He leaves at the very end!

Main protagonist can see the humanity/value in an enemy that most people wouldn't (Gollum/Slicer, etc.)

Even though the story is shounen/male-dominated, the author portrays women as people with value and complexity YES I'M TALKING ABOUT TOLKIEN TOO FIGHT ME

Main protagonist tries to go off and tackle the main plot on his own, but his best friend insists on joining him - which is good, because the protagonist would have died otherwise

Character with a "split personality" that argues with himself (Gollum/Greedling)

Protagonist gets a wound that keeps bothering him as time goes on (Frodo's Nazgul wound from Weathertop, the cut on Ed's forehead that keeps reopening and eventually scars XD)