History Fridge / FULLMETALALCHEMIST

** In a world where [[PeopleOfHairColor eye color indicates ethnicity]] better than any other physical trait (red for Ishvalans, blue and brown for Amestrians), why do only Ed (and later shown Al and Hohenheim) have gold eyes? At first, you could mistake this for [[RuleOfCool the anime wanting to make the hero look distinctive]], but it makes sense when you take Xerxes into account: Hohenheim and his sons carry the genes of a people who no longer exist.

* While it's made a point early on in the series that Alphonse is physically unable to cry (or feel anything for that matter), there are some scenes in the manga and Brotherhood where Al oddly sounds like he's out of breath after running, or even crying when he's upset. However in episode 20 of Brotherhood, Al covers his face and audibly sobs as he expresses his thankfulness to Ed for [[spoiler: confirming that they didn't end up bringing back their mother, thus also not killing her a second time]]. After that, when Al admits to his brother how afraid he is of his armor body failing him and his reason for wanting his body back, reflections of light can be seen on his helmet that look like tears falling down his "face."

** Come to think of it, since Ed is constantly supplying Al's body with requirements for survival, this means Ed is in decidedly less than peak condition throughout the series. In fact, it's only at the very end that we catch a glimpse of what a peak Ed is physically capable of. [[spoiler: [[HeroicSacrifice After Al transmutes his soul to get Ed's arm back]] during the final battle with Father, Ed proceeds to, in the words of Hohopapa's outtake from that episode, '''''[[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown FUCK HIM (Father) UP!]]''''' Ed, quite literally, [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punches out]] [[{{Satan}} Father]]. [[UnstoppableRage Twice]].]]
*** That also explains why Ed is so short for most of the series even though he is a BigEater - Al's body is constantly draining energy and other essential elements like vitamins from Ed's in order to remain alive.

*** There are a few odd fits in this particular equation, some of whom we don't know enough about such as [[spoiler:Basque Grand (the Iron Blood Alchemist) and Giolio Comanche (the Silver Alchemist)]]. Some of whom we do know about, such as [[spoiler:Solf J. Kimblee (the Crimson Lotus Alchemist). The red lotus is a flower that symbolizes passions of the heart and human nature, with all its good and all its evil. Kimblee's got the kind of alien morality that would care to explore that and go nuts within his job rather than take a real stand on either side, and given what he said about wanting to see who would win in the Humans v. Homunculi conflict, it's entirely plausible that the Homunculi convinced him he could see it for himself from their vantage point]]. As for [[spoiler:Tim Marcoh (the Crystal Alchemist), the homunculi end up blackmailing him over his role in creating the Philosopher's Stones, and he'd probably at least started researching or made some prototypes when he became a State Alchemist. Bradley probably realized he'd be able to make an actual one later, and named him based on that]].

*** Using sexual lust to tempt people is exactly what she tries to do [[HoneyTrap with Havoc]]. It seems Lust is quite okay with invoking "her" sin in others.

*** Lust herself seems to [[CombatSadomasochist enjoy]] [[BloodKnight combat]] a little too much, making her "proper" sin ''blood'' lust pretty likely.

** From the first episode of ''Brotherhood'', [[KillItWithWater Isaac the Freezer]] brought about some very deep foreshadowing, especially with the phrase "Do you know what shape this country is in?!" About a dozen episodes later into the anime, we find that Amestris isn't as what we originally believed, [[spoiler: especially being the main base of operations for Father, his homunculi, and his soldiers that are devoted to his twisted cause, and we were assumed he meant that. THEN Ed pieces together all the outbreaks that happened over the years of the country's following with help of Valman listing them, and when he connected the dots... it showed the pattern of a transmutation circle. All within the ''round shaped'' country. Ed realizes this in-universe too when he flashes back to what [=McDougal=] was ranting about.]]

** Selim's voice sounds... kind of like a bad dub voice. This is ''completely'' intentional. [[spoiler: Because Pride is "Dubbing" himself to sound "normal" like a bad kid]].

** The transliteration of Envy's name from Japanese is "Enbi", which is homophonous with "Enby", derived from "NB", the modern shorthand for "non-binary". Envy doesn't have an actual gender, being a shapeshifter!

** It should also be noted that Edward was right-handed before he lost his right arm, and in early episodes of FMA (2003) we see clips of Ed's research written in a flowing cursive hand. Contrast this with the letter he writes Winry [[spoiler:after passing the State Alchemist exam]], where there are several balled up pieces of paper on the desk, and he is evidently concentrating very hard to scrawl even simple words with his left hand. Even later in the series, Pinako comments that she hasn't received "even a postcard" from the boys, further demonstrating that Ed finds writing to be a truly difficult chore (and that he never sent that letter to Winry). Ed has probably given up on ever being able to write well again, giving him a disproportionate admiration and appreciation of others' abilities.

** Greed and his minions were hopelessly outmatched and destroyed by King Bradley when Bradley raided the Devil's Nest. After returning later in the series, however, he puts up a much better fight. In fact, he even goes as far as to engage Bradley extending his Ultimate Shield only over his arms and still gives him the fight of his life. To make sense of this, one has to remember just how he returns: [[spoiler:in Ling's body]]. Sometime after stomping Greed and killing off his minions, Bradley ended up in pursuit of [[spoiler:Ling and Lan Fan]]. Seeing how [[spoiler:the Xingese royals that crossed into Amestris]] are far more ''[[WeakButSkilled skilled]]'' than Greed, they were able to elude Bradley. [[spoiler:Second Greed wasn't ''stronger'', he was ''more skilled'' thanks to Ling's martial arts prowess and Stone-sensing ability.]]

** Before he [[spoiler:gets boiled down]], Greed insults Envy's appearance by [[BerserkButton calling them ugly]] and then goes out of his way to goad them to turn into their [[OneWingedAngel real form]], even though Envy is threatening to kill him. Why would he do that? Well, he'd definitely want to go out with the satisfaction of angering Envy (and the rest of his family) if he ''had'' to, but if Envy did take a swipe at him in their giant form, given how short-sighted Envy can be it likely would've broken the restraints on Greed and could have offered him a chance, however slim, of trying to escape in the ensuing mayhem (or of [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge trying to take down]] [[ItsPersonal Wrath]] again and potentially [[TakingYouWithMe some of the other homunculi]]). Envy being in his giant size would also provide a good obstacle to the other homunculi trying to get to Greed and potentially block their line of sight on him.

** Before he [[spoiler:gets boiled down]], Greed insults Envy's appearance by [[BerserkButton calling them ugly]] and then goes out of his way to goad them to turn into their [[OneWingedAngel real form]], even though Envy is threatening to kill him. Why would he do that? Well, he'd definitely want to go out with the satisfaction of angering Envy (and the rest of his family) if he ''had'' to, but if Envy did take a swipe at him in his giant form, given how short-sighted Envy can be it likely would've broken the restraints on Greed and could have offered him a chance, however slim, of trying to escape in the ensuing mayhem (or of [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge trying to take down]]] [[ItsPersonal Wrath]] again and potentially [[TakingYouWithMe some of the other homunculi]]). Envy being in his giant size would also provide a good obstacle to the other homunculi trying to get to Greed and potentially block their line of sight on him.

* In Episode 1 of Brotherhood, the ice alchemist, Isaac McDougal, [[spoiler:is trying to kill Bradley for what he did to Ishval. He's trying to protect the world from him. When we learn about the conspiracy and the homunculi, his actions suddenly make perfect sense.]]

* In Episode 1, the ice alchemist [[spoiler:is trying to kill Bradley for what he did to Ishval. He's trying to protect the world from him. When we learn about the conspiracy and the homunculi, his actions suddenly make perfect sense.]]