In the story of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, the hero, Edward Elric, is on a quest to atone for his ultimate crime: attempting to transmute his dead mother back to life. His brother, Alphonse, is equally guilty of this, and the duo now seek a way to restore their damaged bodies. But there is more at stake than that; Father the Homunculus schemes to control the entire world, and it seems no one can stop him.
The Elric brothers will give it their best shot, though. During their quest to save the world, they learn more about alchemy, the world, and themselves, and suffer more than a few painful defeats along the way. Edward has learned these lessons well, and has become humbler and wiser as a result.
10 When Edward Failed To Break Down Captain Buccaneer's Arm
Edward Elric is quite used to having an automail arm, and his childhood friend, Winry Rockbell, built him an arm and a leg made of refined steel. Thus, he is the Fullmetal Alchemist, but he wasn't prepared to fight someone with Northern model of automail.
When Edward clashed with Captain Buccaneer, Ed tried to blast Buccaneer's arm apart, but failed, since it was made of a unique alloy that Ed had never even heard of before. Fortunately, the fight ended before Ed could get badly hurt. Still, his ignorance cost him.
9 When Edward Nearly Gave Up On Yock Island
Edward and Alphonse both wanted to learn more about alchemy under the mentorship of Izumi Curtis, herself a master alchemist, and they had to undergo a harsh trial first. Izumi brought the young brothers to a small island in the middle of a lake and left them there for a full month.
Ed and Al had to survive and learn the truth of "one is all, all is one." About a week in, though, Ed and Al were ready to give up, and nearly gave in to despair. Ed was convinced that this experience had nothing to do with alchemy, but he was wrong. Fortunately, he and Al learned the truth in time, and survived.
8 When Edward Clashed With Hohenheim At Trisha's Grave
Ed and Al's estranged father, Van Hohenheim, finally returned after years of absence. He visited Trisha Elric's grave in the Resembool cemetery, and when Edward happened upon him there, Ed reacted very badly. He acted rather bratty and defiant.
This was one of Ed's least flattering moments, where he needlessly antagonized his grieving father and made unfounded accusations. Ed stormed off, failing to realize that Hohenheim was on his side, while Alphonse Elric got along with their father much better later on.
7 When Edward Failed To Fight Off The Mannequin Soldiers
During the Promised Day, Major General Olivier Armstrong assaulted the Central command center, and Central forces used a legion of one-eyed mannequin soldiers to fight back. At one point, Edward and his team took on a whole swarm of them in a courtyard, sealing the mannequins in with them.
Ed did his best to win the day, but he was in over his head, and he would have died if it weren't for Colonel Roy Mustang lending aid with his Flame Alchemy. Perhaps Edward should have retreated rather than try to defeat all these foes in vain.
6 When Edward Failed To Save Nina Tucker
Edward realized too late what Shou Tucker, the Sewing-Life Alchemist, had done with his daughter Nina and the family dog Alexander. In all fairness, Edward and Al were deeply preoccupied with Shou's research notes and library books, but that didn't stop Ed from blaming himself for this later.
Edward couldn't do a single thing to save Nina when she was fused with Alexander into a chimera, and for that matter, neither could Scar the monk. Edward would always remember this incident as an example of how he failed to save just one innocent life, and Alphonse blamed himself in the same way.
5 When Edward Realized That The Philosopher's Stone Was Not The Solution
In a sense, this moment was both a success and a failure, though it was largely a failure in Edward's eyes. Early in the series, Ed sought a Philosopher's Stone and urged Dr. Tim Marcoh to help him look deeper into the matter. After protesting, Dr. Marcoh pointed Ed in the right direction.
Ed and Al deciphered Dr. Marcoh's extensive notes, then learned the horrible truth: that what they sought was an evil item made of innocent human lives, and it would not be the solution to their problem. Ed was horrified and dismayed; he had chased the Stone for so long, only for this to be the truth?
4 When Edward Nearly Died At Scar's Hands
Not long after the Shou Tucker incident, Scar the monk arrived, and he was out for blood. First, he killed Shou and the Nina chimera, then moved on to the Elric brothers, showing the true power of his destructive alchemy. The Elrics hardly stood a chance.
Ed couldn't even escape, and when he tried attacking Scar again, he lost his arm and his alchemy along with it. Ed then bargained with Scar, offering his own life to spare Al's. Alphonse later scolded Ed for this, since Ed couldn't afford to just die like that.
3 When Edward Lost At Laboratory 5
Edward Elric and his brother went to the seemingly abandoned Laboratory 5 in Central, and he snuck in through the air ducts to find the truth about Dr. Marcoh's research. Within, he clashed with two brothers whose souls were bonded to armor and very nearly died at their hands.
The disembodied brothers planned to tell Ed all they knew, only for the Homunculi Envy and Lust to arrive and silence them. Envy battered Ed and reminded him that Ed was just a sacrifice poking his nose where it didn't belong. Then, Laboratory 5 was destroyed. Not a good night for Ed.
2 When Edward Burned Down The Elric House Out Of Shame
After the Elrics committed their great sin, there was nothing left for them in Resembool, so Edward became a State Alchemist and resolved to wander the nation of Amestris, seeking answers while Al tagged along. Ed then burned down the Elric family home, believing that having no home to return to would harden his resolve.
Deep down, though, Ed was really doing this to bury his shame about human transmutation, and Van Hohenheim pointed this out when he and Ed reunited in the Resembool cemetery. Ed didn't want to admit it, but Hohenheim was right.
1 When Edward Attempted Human Transmutation With Alphonse
This was by far Edward Elric's biggest mistake, and Alphonse is to blame as well. No one can fault the brothers for wishing for their dead mother back, but there's a good reason why human transmutation is strictly forbidden. It won't ever work, and the Truth will demand a heavy price for even an attempt.
The brothers kept this hidden from their teacher until it was too late, and Ed lost a leg as payment for viewing the Truth. Then he gave up his right arm to retrieve Al's soul and bond it to a suit of armor nearby. This would forever change the brothers' lives, and Ed will have to spend the rest of his days carrying this mental burden.