So many people love Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. The relaunch took everything fans love about the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime and made it an even tighter story, following more closely to that of the manga, while still giving them the great character moments and animation that has made the series so popular in the first place.
The series is also chock full of amazing quotes from the characters. A lot of the quotes that fans remember are philosophical, as much of the series is, and others are frank comments on the nature of war. Still others are inspirational messages, and no Brotherhood fan is likely to forget them any time soon.
10 “Nothing’s perfect, the world’s not perfect, but it’s there for us, trying the best it can. That’s what makes it so damn beautiful.”
Roy Mustang says this line, which is important, considering that he has seen some pretty bad stuff in his time in the military. He’s also done some terrible things, and his feelings about his role in an actual genocide color all of his decisions afterwards. The fact that he’s still willing to be so optimistic about the world that he lives in is very inspiring.
9 “War does not determine who is right — only who is left.”
This is obviously something of a pun, but it’s also a pretty dark observation about the nature of war. Riza Hawkeye, like Mustang, has definitely been in some intense stuff in her time serving in the military. She is clearly embittered by what she’s seen and definitely has lost her faith in the idea that the military can be a morally righteous group.
8 “Stand up and walk. Keep moving forward. You’ve got two good legs. So get up and use them. You’re strong enough to make your own path.”
This is one of the earliest moments of truth that Edward doles out in the series. After he dismantles the cult leader who has been lying to the citizens of Reole about channeling the power of God, Rose demands to know what she’s supposed to do now. His response is no-nonsense but also encouraging. It’s also a little ironic, since Edward himself is missing one of his legs.
7 “Dedication is a talent all on its own.”
Alphonse Elric is not quite as talented at alchemy as Edward is. He can’t do alchemy without a transmutation circle, and he wasn’t scouted by the State Alchemists in the same way. Still, he is a devoted student, and what he lacks in talent, he makes up for in hard work and determination. He definitely holds his own in battles, and it’s clear from this quote that he knows his worth.
6 “However little strength I’m capable of, I’ll do everything humanly possible to protect the people I love, and in turn, they will protect the ones they love. It seems like the least we tiny humans can do for each other.”
Mustang, who is an often goofy, sardonic character who makes a lot of jokes and is constantly flirting with women, is also probably the most affected by the chaos and brutality of war.
Both because he is responsible for the deaths of so many innocent people and because he has seen people he loves killed, he has every reason to feel it’s worth giving up. Instead, he wants to protect his family and his friends in whatever way he can.
5 “Life that has been lost cannot be brought back again. That very truth is what shows us the meaning and value of living.”
This quote by Mustang is one example of the philosophical stance that the entirety of Fullmetal Alchemist takes. The whole series starts with two children, devastated by their mother’s death and unable to understand a world in which she doesn’t exist, trying to bring her back to life with alchemy. Their eventual understanding that they have to protect those they love and cherish the relationships they have is what makes the series so special and hard-hitting.
4 "Even when our eyes are closed, there’s a whole world out there that lives outside ourselves and our dreams.”
This follows from Mustang’s quote above. Here Edward has begun to understand something important both to alchemy and to life: that the world doesn’t revolve around him and that he, and Al, and everyone he knows, are small parts of a big cog that keeps the world spinning, and everyone is pretty insignificant in the big picture.
3 “The heroes during times of war are nothing but mass murderers during times of peace.”
This is another pretty cynical viewpoint from Hawkeye. It’s an especially interesting take on the idea of the war hero from the perspective of someone in the military in Fullmetal Alchemist.
Since the iconography of the military and the nature of the war make so many allusions to Nazi Germany, it’s hard to imagine that this isn’t also a commentary on the people fighting in WWII, especially on the Axis side, who are now war criminals.
2 “No fair, sky. I’m the one who feels like crying.”
Al’s place in Fullmetal Alchemist is a difficult one. He doesn’t have a physical body, which makes it hard for him to emote, and he doesn’t have to endure the same kinds of physical pain as his brother, which causes him some anguish since he doesn’t feel the things that make a person human. In this case, he’s sad, depressed even, and he can’t even express that by crying. So rain must feel like a truly cruel joke.
1 “A lesson without pain is meaningless. That’s because no one can gain without sacrificing something. But by enduring that pain and overcoming it, he shall obtain a powerful, unmatched heart… a Fullmetal heart.”
This is no doubt the thesis of the entirety of Fullmetal Alchemist. The series considers what a person has to give up in order to achieve something, and all of the trials of just being alive. The fact that Edward could have become cynical and could have given up on his life because of the difficulties in it, but instead barreled on until he could find the answers he needed, is what makes him such a special character.