Where to start
Fullmetal Alchemist
4 versions · originally a series, 2003
Themes: alchemy, brotherhood, redemption, moral ambiguity, search for power.
The saga explores the harrowing physical and emotional toll of alchemy as two brothers sacrifice everything to reclaim their humanity.
✦ Most fans start here
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)
The original tv
Fullmetal Alchemist
Series · 2003
Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) offers an original, character-driven departure from the source material, focusing on the brothers' internal struggles and a darker, more experimental narrative arc that diverges early from the manga.
2005 film
Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa
Seiji Mizushima · Film · 2005
Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa (2005) serves as the definitive conclusion to the 2003 series, providing a high-stakes, cinematic resolution to Edward's displacement in our world and his separation from Alphonse.
2009 series
✦ Start hereFullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Series · 2009
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009) is the definitive adaptation, faithfully translating the manga’s expansive world-building, complex political intrigue, and high-octane action into a perfectly paced, emotionally resonant journey across the entire series.
2017 film
Fullmetal Alchemist
Fumihiko Sori · Film · 2017
Fullmetal Alchemist (2017) condenses the core narrative into a live-action format, offering a visually ambitious attempt to capture the brothers' desperate quest for the Philosopher's Stone through contemporary practical and digital effects.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Fullmetal Alchemist adaptations in?
You can begin with the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist television series, followed by its concluding movie, Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa. Alternatively, you may watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which is a separate adaptation. The 2017 Fullmetal Alchemist movie serves as a standalone live-action adaptation.
Is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood a direct sequel to the 2003 series?
No, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is not a sequel to the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series. Both shows are separate adaptations of the source material. They follow different narrative paths and creative directions, so they are intended to be viewed as distinct versions of the story.
How does Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa relate to the 2003 show?
Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa serves as the direct cinematic conclusion to the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist television series. It picks up the narrative threads left at the end of the show and provides a definitive ending to that specific version of the story.
Should I watch the 2017 Fullmetal Alchemist movie if I have seen the anime?
The 2017 Fullmetal Alchemist movie is a live-action adaptation of the story. You can watch it regardless of whether you have seen the 2003 or 2009 anime series, as it functions as its own version of the source material rather than a continuation of the animated projects.