Studio Bones' Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most beloved stories of all time and by far one of Aniplex's best works. Brotherhood especially is still the top-ranked anime on all of MAL, with an astounding 9.22 rating. But, it also has the original manga, two different anime adaptations, and two different feature-length movies. Now sometimes a show gets adapted then re-adapted a good 5+ years in the future, JoJo's Bizzare Adventure for example. But FMA: 2003 and FMA: Brotherhood are radically different adaptions, Brotherhood follows the manga pretty specifically while FMA: 2003 diverges into its own story early on. So, we'll go over some of the biggest changes so people can figure out which one to rewatch for the umpteenth time.
10 The Overall Main Story Thread Changed Early On
Why did FMA: 2003 diverge from the canon story so greatly? Well, mainly because studio Bones got a bit too eager to adapt the manga. Usually, an adaptation only happens once the manga has been running for a long amount of time so that there's a large period where they can freely animate before catching up to the source material. FMA: 2003 didn't wait, in fact, it only made it to the tragedy of Maes Hughes before they had caught up. So, after that point, Bones then worked with the mangaka Hiromu Arakawa to make their own story and ending.
9 The 2003 Anime Tragically Didn't Include Olivier Mira Armstrong
FMA: 2003 deals a lot with the Ishballan War and the political implications within. And, when it isn't focused on that, it focuses on the journey of the Elric brothers. FMA: B Is mostly the same, but it does expand on is the world surrounding Amestris such as the country of Xing or the northern Fort Briggs where Major Olivier Armstrong is stationed. Olivier is the sister of one Major Armstrong, a character so beloved by the community that people mod him into video games. So it goes without saying that she's also well-liked, and the OG anime sorely needed her.
8 The Homunculi Origins Differed Greatly
While Arakawa worked with Bones on the 2003 adaptation, she worked as a consultant and didn't sign off on every single change. So, she herself was pretty surprised by how the anime team changed the Homunculi. In the manga/Brotherhood, the Homunculi were tools made by Father and had nothing to do with human transmutation.
In the manga-divergent adaptation, they're products of Human Transmutation that have a will/mind of their own. Lust is the mistake made by Scar's Brother, Sloth is made by the Elric Twins, and even Wrath is accidentally created by Izumi Curtis. In the manga, none of these three homunculi have ties to these people.
7 The Assignment Of Sins To The Homunculi Is Very Different
And, while we're speaking of the Homunculi, it turns out the mechanics of how they're made isn't the only thing that was changed in the earlier-made anime. The naming convention for the 7 deadly sins is all mixed around when compared to the anime. In the '03 version, Pride is Wrath, and Izumi Curti's son doesn't come back. Plus, Wrath/King Bradley's son is actually Pride and Sloth is a completely different character altogether. Confusing huh? Yeah, we think so too.
6 The Main Antagonist Is Completely Different
Now, who is Father? Well, Father was originally given a much different name, known as The Dwarf in the Flask. Flask Baby is what we'll call it, and it was created by the Elric Brother's father Hohenheim long ago. This "creature" makes itself a body, taking on the appearance of Hohenheim, and goes on to make the Homunculi that embody different aspects of its sins.
In the 2003 anime, the main antagonist has nothing to do with the Dwarf Baby, who doesn't even exist in this version. Instead, a lady named Dante is the villain, and she has the Homunculi working for her in order to get a Philosophers Stone, and switch bodies. Both villains have interesting aspects, but Dwarf Baby is absolutely a bit more unique.
5 Sloth Isn't Even Sort Of Similar
Alright so a lot of the big changes have to do with the Homunculi, it starting to get a bit repetitive, that's fair. But, while the others usually are simply switched around, Sloth is entirely different between the manga and 2003 adaptation. In the anime, Sloth is the Homunculi created from Ed and Alphonse committing alchemic taboo and trying to bring their mom back. She/It can take the appearance of any person and has a slime-like true form. Sloth in the manga/Brotherhood, on the other hand, is just a giant dude that can take a lot of punches. Honestly, most fans typically like Brotherhood more, but this aspect is something the adaptation nailed a bit better.
4 Greed's Entire Backstory And Character Arc
Alright here's are very last Homunculi-based entry. We were saving it for a bit later but thought it might be best to get them all out of the way now. Greed is the other Homunculi that differs drastically depending on which version you're watching. In the '03 version, Greed is introduced, fought, and beaten all in the span of a few episodes. In the manga, Greed loses his companions, takes over the body of Ling Yao, and the two of them learn to cohabitate the same body. It's a really odd relationship, but one many found themselves becoming fans of as the end of the series rolled around.
3 Hohenheim's Story, Personality, And Goals Differ Between The Two Adapatations
This article mentioned earlier how Father came to be in Brotherhood/the manga, now lets dive just a bit deeper into the man known as Hohenheim. This mysterious immortal has lived a long life in both adaptations but is a bit more selfish in FMA: 2003. This version of the stoic Elric patriarch is about 400 years old and has a much more reserved personality than his manga counterpart.
Instead of being cursed with an immortal body, Hohenheim is saved by Dante, his ex-lover, by having his consciousness transferred to a new host. After some struggles, he renounces his love for Dante and settles down with Trisha Elric.
2 No Xing Country Or Characters In FMA: 03
Now we're finally getting to the other country talked about most often in the manga, with little to no representation in the 2003 version. The country of Xing is one where the many sons and daughters of the current Emperor are constantly fighting each other for the throne. Ling Yao is the twelfth son and Mei Chang is the Seventeenth daughter. Their country is constantly on the search for a way to elongate the life of their emperor, and it's what leads Ling Yao to assimilate with Greed. Just having a competing country makes the world feel so much more realized, so it's definitely a strike against the original FMA anime
1 No "Other Side" Of The Gate In Brotherhood Or Manga
The ending of Brotherhood/the manga is, once again, vastly different from the ending in '03. In the manga, Father tries to eat the moon/sky and becomes as big as the planet. In the older adaptation, Ed simply sacrifices himself to give Alphonse his full body back and becomes trapped on the other side to the Gate of Truth. On the other side is what we can assume is "our reality" where alchemy doesn't exist and technology reigns supreme. Ed becomes stuck there until the events of the Conquerer of Shambala film. Meanwhile, in the manga, the two brothers end up fine at the end, and even both find true love.