It’s a literal fact that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is one of the best anime series of all time, though if you’ve only ever watched or prefer Fullmetal Alchemist—the first adaptation of the manga, which follows a significantly different plot—there’s nothing wrong with that! Still, what I’ve come to realize is that a lot of folks prefer FMAB and it’s the most well regarded. Practically every character, from main to minor, lends to the overall story somehow. And it’s truly the kind of anime that I’d love to watch for the first time again.
Speaking of characters, the ones I’m talking about today are the Homunculi—the children, if you will, of Father (dub voice by Kent Williams), who would give anyone with father issues a chilling feeling. He definitely doesn’t win any Father of the Year awards. Each of the Homunculi is the physical embodiment of the seven sins. All of them vary in terms of power and overall motivations, because of course, with some characters being more interesting than the others—which is how I’m going to rank them! Here are all Homunculi in Fullmetal Alchemist, ranked.
7. Sloth
Essentially, Sloth (dub voice by Patrick Seitz) is like an overgrown child. He has no agility, just like a toddler, and is somewhat useless. Even in battle, he’s not like his siblings because of his apathy. There’s not much to say about him because he’s literally the least interesting of the seven. What I will say is that chains can be a look if you do it right.
6. Gluttony
There’s only so much that a character like Gluttony (dub voice by Chris Cason) has to offer. He’s bumbling and, quite frankly, annoying. Sure, he’s got a physical presence that can take down inexperienced enemies, which helps his team achieve their goals. (That’s the whole point, right?) Still, he’s pretty useless at the end of the day, entirely consumed by what he wants—he even angers his own siblings and is later killed by Pride. Sibling tension, am I right?
5. Lust
Folks have spoken plenty about how hot Lust (dub voice by Laura Bailey) is. I’d be lying if I said she wouldn’t be able to manipulate me. She’s one hell of a fighter and has such a presence in the series (up until her death, of course), though she doesn’t fully embody lust in a way. She’s meant to encourage people to be distracted by her. That doesn’t make her not interesting, but when paired up against the other Homunculi, she’s not as complex of a character, at least not from how I see her.
4. Envy
People love this genderless individual and it’s no wonder why. Envy (dub voice by Wendy Powell) is a very complex character. They play off like they don’t long for things like friendship, when in reality, they do. Of course, they have their siblings, but it’s different to have people you’re not forced to be aligned with. It’s also important to mention that Envy’s true appearance isn’t something to envy, and their human form is constantly replicated by way of cosplay in reality. There’s a lot of layers to the way this character is perceived in the series and in the real world. And their death has such a tragic tone to it.
3. Pride
The reveal of the true nature of this character was so wild. Pride (dub voice by Brittney Karbowski) is obviously full of pride and really loves winning, and ultimately, he wins at the ultimate deception of pretending to be the child of a very powerful man. It’s delightfully sinister to think back on how well he hid himself, not to mention the power he possesses as a Homunculus. You wouldn’t want to fight him … believe me. He’s just an overall impressive character, and the inner workings of his character make him so interesting.
2. Wrath
The fact that King Bradley (Ed Blaylock) is in such a position of power and is a Homunculus is perfect. It does lend to the war crimes that are committed in this series. Bradley plays his role, and there’s something so pure about the act of wrath in itself. There’s just a lot to his character, with such a specific purpose, his antagonistic nature knowing no bounds, and some of the best fight scenes in the series. Not mentioning that would warrant a virtual tomato or 3.
1. Greed
Ah, Greed (dub voice by Chris Patton)! Who’s definitely the most interesting of all. The ways in which he loves excess is so fascinating to watch. What’s also intriguing is how he’s the oldest of the siblings, meaning he’s treated the worst. It could be read that greed was the one sin that Father had the most disdain for. Wanting more and more can distract from the end goal.
Although, Greed has even more dimension when he inhabits the body of Ling (Todd Haberkorn)’s. He’s not even originally void of care for others and happens to be the most human of the homunculi, in a sense—thus making him even more interesting than his ultimate shield. (It’s really damn cool, alright!) There’s just so much to to him that goes beyond him being fascinating and really hot. He’s also one of my favorites.
(featured image: Aniplex of America)
