When done well, romance can be one of the best and most intricately written parts of any series, even whenever it isn't one of a series' central focuses. This happens to be the case with Fullmetal Alchemist, which especially seems devoid of many romantic pairings early on, but things change later as fans grow to understand the cast better, as well as meet new characters.
The best part about romantic interactions within the series is that typically, the payoff is well-timed and rewarding. The romance is also written organically, as even someone like Ed who originally seems like he'd never think about romance proposes to Winry in a way that fits his character so well that it's genuinely heart-warming even on rewatches. And while the stakes are incredibly high and they don't get to spend their every moment together —even after they make their feelings known— there are still hints of their blossoming romance throughout their prior interactions.
10 Winry Gets Up To See Ed Off After Pulling Several All-Nighters To Fix His Automail
It's phenomenal enough that Winry was able to perform a rush-order full repair on Ed's arm in just three days, not getting a wink of sleep the entire time. It's even more astounding that she still manages to get herself up to see Edward off after Pinako tells him that she shouldn't be woken and should focus on getting sleep.
When she appears on the patio to say goodbye, she's incredibly disheveled and still half-asleep, a side to her that no one else had really seen. What makes this moment seem especially cute for EdWin fans is that although both Ed and Al were leaving, in her half-asleep stupor, she specifically calls out to wish Edward safe travels.
9 Anytime Ed Gets Hurt, The First Thing On His Mind Is Always Winry
In nearly every fight he's in, the second anything happens to his automail, it's not the danger it puts Ed himself in that he focuses on, but the fact that Winry's going to kill him. A very clear exception to this is whenever he's in a situation where Al's safety is also potentially compromised, but this makes sense given the bond they share as brothers.
Although that might not exactly sound like love, the worst Winry ever does is yell at him for being reckless and potentially wrench-smack him. Her concern for his well-being and gratitude that he came back alive again —no matter how many pieces his parts might be in— always shine through.
8 From The Beginning, They Had The Perfect Classic "Childhood Friends" Romance Setup
The childhood-friends-to-lovers trope has always been popular, and this doesn't apply only to anime. When it's written well, the unbreakable bond that the two characters share is genuinely felt, and they're usually blunter and more 'real' with each other since they know practically everything about them.
Winry and Edward are a perfect example of this trope done right, and it never feels as if the show is disrespecting or stretching their personalities to force them together. Although most of Winry's actions are motivated by Edward, it fits in with her empathetic and driven nature, and her caring side compliments Ed's casual disregard for his own safety.
7 Other Members Of The Cast Can Clearly See Edward's Love For Winry, Especially Al & Riza
It makes sense that Alphonse is able to see his brother's true emotions and understand his feelings for Riza. Not only are the two of them always together with an unspoken bond that the series showcases often, but Al is incredibly emotionally intuitive.
However, even characters like Riza who initially come off as somewhat cold can see Edward's love for Winry, even before he accepts it himself. His conversation with her pops into his mind the next time he's with Winry, and he gets so flustered that he flies around his hospital room in an embarrassed fit.
6 Edward Stops Winry From Killing Scar & Forever Staining Her Hands With Blood
The cycle of revenge is a needless cycle full of hatred, violence, and bloodshed that doesn't benefit anyone in the long run. Scar's entire character early on is dedicated to discussing this theme, and it's him that Winry almost shoots, to get revenge on the man who took her parents from her.
Edward stops her from doing so in an incredibly tender moment, where he embraces her and slowly removes each of her fingers from the gun. While doing this, he gently gives her one of the most beautiful speeches in the series and gives her his coat. She reaches out to him as he leaves and cries out for him not to leave, and it's hard not to feel how much they care for one another in this scene.
5 Winry Notices When Edward's Feeling Down & Actively Tries To Cheer Him Up, Starting In The First Few Episodes
Shortly after the incident with Nina Tucker, Edward's convinced by Winry to make a pit-stop before his next adventure to take her to Rush Valley, the 'holy land of automail' in her words. The typically-stubborn Edward let her drag him around and buy whatever she wanted without question, with rather apathetic responses.
This is something that Winry took notice of, and she tried to be gentler with Ed to give him space with his emotions. Of course —in typical Elric fashion— he doesn't discuss the true root of everything with her, but he could've thought it was unfair to dump something that heavy on her and then leave.
4 When Edward & Alphonse Were Little, They Fought Over Who Would Marry Winry One Day
Edward and Alphonse had an argument over which one of them would end up marrying Winry. Apparently, Alphonse was the one who won their fight, but there's a hint that Edward and her would end up together in his reaction.
Alphonse tells his brother that Winry actually shot him down, and Edward's immediate response of relief shows a few of his true feelings. It's short-lived as Winry tells him she shot them both down for being shorter than her, but he eventually grew into the role.
3 Edward Doesn't Hold Winry Back, Even If It's Potentially Dangerous, Showing The Trust They Share
Winry's arc with Scar is one of the most emotionally volatile in the entire series. Edward stops things from taking a darker turn when Winry had access to a gun, but when they meet again and Winry tries to approach Scar, he tries to hold her back at first.
She only has to ask one heartfelt time for her to listen, and it's clear how pained and conflicted his expression is when he lets go of her shoulder and allows her to approach Scar. It was hard for him to let her go because of how attached he was, especially given how dangerous his perception of Scar still was at the time, but still lets Winry do what she feels she must.
2 Edward's Vision Of "Truth" Within The Portal Changed From His Mother To Winry, Showing His Change In Values
The two times that Ed actually goes through the Portal of Truth, the vision that he sees reaching out to him at the end is that of his mother. Although he knows that reviving her through human transmutation is impossible, it shows that he's still hung up on it, and hasn't yet grown past this traumatic point in his life.
In the fifth opening of the manga-faithful series, the vision of Truth is instead shown as Winry. This shows Ed's shift in values, realizing that alchemy can't solve all of his problems and that the relationships he'd formed are the most important to him —especially his bond with her.
1 Winry Straight-Up Admits Out Loud That She Fell Romantically For Ed — He Just Doesn't Hear Her
It isn't often that romantic interests in shows straight-up confess their feelings to the protagonists casually. Ed says something that causes Winry to remark that she 'can't believe she fell for such a moron,' but he doesn't quite hear her and she denies saying anything when asked about it.
This is perhaps the solidifying moment in many fans' minds when they realized that Winry's feelings for him were true. After that, it was only a matter of waiting until Ed could accept his own feelings, and the two could live happily ever after.