History FullmetalAlchemist / TropesQToZ

** Armstrong is straight up sent home an emotional wreck after being responsible for several Ishvalan fatalities and breaks down clutching a dead child. He believes that getting sent home is [[MyGreatestFailure his greatest failure]], and his own sister considers him a coward for it. Not helping is that his self-deprecation is worsened by Olivia, who rubs in how weak he feels about himself.

** Dr. Knox's experience has left him scarred and incessantly bitter (resulting in his wife and son leaving him), and doesn't like talking about it at all.

* ShootingSuperman: Although shooting Homunculi ''isn't'' completely useless, since [[spoiler: they do have a limited amount of times they can regenerate]], most of the people shooting them have no idea of this. So, from their perspective, it may just be better to run away.

* StereotypesOfChinesePeople: The characters from Xing.

** Metaphorically speaking, this is Father's lair. A place where all the worst of Humanity's sins live personified? That fits.

* ShoutOut:
** Ed references ''Film/TheFly1958'' as an example of transmuting people, with a person and a fly becoming a fly-man. Even if that was solely in the realm of movies, it gave Ed the inspiration to try human transmutation.
** At one point, Kimblee says "the life force is strong with you."
** There are many references to historical alchemists, their beliefs and practices littered throughout the manga.
** The scene [[spoiler: in Gluttony's stomach]] where Ed boils a shoe into food is likely a reference to the Charlie Chaplin film ''The Gold Rush''--Ed refers to getting the idea from a film he saw. [[note]]Boiling boots to eat the leather was common practice in desperate times of warfare. Being as they are from a war-like nation, it can be rationalized that knowledge of such practices have crept into popular culture.[[/note]]
** On their first visit to Rush Valley, Winry starts {{Squee}}ing over a "Gotts 11th Year Model Automail". Compare UsefulNotes/GotzVonBerlichingen's '''''RealLife''''' [[ArtificialLimbs prosthetic hand]].
** The chimeras, especially the ones who worked for Kimblee, seems to be based on [[VideoGame/BloodyRoar zoanthropes.]]
** Giolio Comanche the Silver Alchemist is a lot creepier once you notice the similarities to ''Anime/CowboyBebop''[='=]s [[MonsterClown Mad Pierrot]]. (Less creepy if you see [[TabletopGame/{{Monopoly}} Rich Uncle Pennybags]] instead).
*** One of the residents of Rush Valley bares a remarkable similarity to Jet Black, complete with similar robotic limbs.
** [[spoiler: Father's apotheosis]] is eerily similar to the awakening of Lilith in ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion End of Evangelion]]''.
*** The eclipse backdrop and the importance of "sacrifices" also evoke ''Manga/{{Berserk}}''.
** The [[spoiler: mannequin soldiers]] are likewise very similar in nature and looks to the mass-production Evangelions.
** Envy's {{Eldritch Abomination}} form could be a shout out to Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan. The cover depicts a creature covered with human bodies, like Envy. The connection? In some religious mythology, the Leviathan [[FridgeBrilliance is a representation of the sin Envy]].
** During Edward's fight with Kimblee, he slashes his right transmutation circle. That circle contains a triangle which contains a circle. The slash wound divides the circle in two exact halves. [[Literature/HarryPotterandtheDeathlyHallows A line, a circle, and a triangle - where we saw it before?]].
** Hughes' military identification code is USO-800. This is likely shoutout to Uso 800 potion from ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}''.
** The military order that changes the fighting in Ishval from a Civil War to a War of Extermination is 30[[Film/RevengeOfTheSith 66]]. [[note]]It's "306" in the manga. The number can also be a reference to the order that led to the internment of Japanese American citizens in the United States, following the attack on Pearl Harbor[[/note]]
** The KonamiCode is visible on Fuery's locker in Chapter 47.
** The OverlyLongName gag in one of ''Brotherhood'''s {{omake}} shorts is a reference to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jugemu Jugemu]], a Japanese folktale which has often been used in rakugo performances.

** Subverted with Roy and Riza. ''"Colonel!"'' '''"Lieutenant!!!"''' Honestly, you'd think it was their CatchPhrase to yell each other's rank...

** May Chang's [[PandaingToTheAudience dwarf panda]], Shao May, is adorable, and you know it.

* RecognitionFailure: Al is addressed by Fuhrer King Bradley outside of the library and does not recognize him, to the horror of Lt. Hawkeye.

*** This dynamic is subverted later into the story - while Ed is brash and tends to jump into fights, he suffers his biggest setback because he chooses to be merciful during his fight with Kimblee, allowing Kimblee to survive and almost killing him in the process, whereas Mustang almost lets his anger and vengeance overtake him during his [[spoiler:final fight with Envy, requiring Ed, Hawkeye, and Scar to talk him down from it.]]

** Mustang and his forces use [[spoiler: the order to kill Bradley's wife and the blowing up of Bradley's train]] as evidence that the Central Senior Command was trying to stage a coup against the Fuhrer, when in fact Mustang was himself the one staging the coup

** In ''Brotherhood'', a spent round gets stuck in Riza's pistol when she is fighting [[spoiler:the leftover Fuhrer candidates]], thus enabling her enemies to capture her. (In the manga, she merely runs out of ammo). It actually made sense in this case, because the fight was at such close range that she didn't have ''time'' to clear the jam before she had a sword at her throat.

** There's also one that occurs in the manga with Fuhrer Bradley: Whenever he pays congenial or casual visits, he always gives someone a melon. Though not constant, it happens in various chapters.

* SatanicArchetype: Father, the BigBad, is a creature who seeks to usurp The Truth, which identifies itself as God, and tempts humans to evil to achieve his ends. Father is assisted by his [[TrulySingleParent "children"]], who are named after the SevenDeadlySins. Interestingly, Father is introduced looking like a GrandpaGod, [[LightIsNotGood bathed in light]], although his true form is some variety of HumanoidAbomination made of shadow.

** [[spoiler:Ed tried to rebuild his family, and loses the leg he stood on and his remaining family as payment.]]
** [[spoiler:Al wanted to feel his mother's warmth again, and lost his body and ability to physically feel.]]
** [[spoiler:Izumi tries to revive her stillborn baby, and loses her reproductive system.]]
** [[spoiler:Since Mustang held a strong vision for Amestris, he loses his sight and the ability to see what will become of his country.]]
** [[spoiler: The Dwarf in the Flask wanted freedom, mobility, and ultimately the power of God -- so he's reduced back to his original form and sealed within the Gate of Truth for eternity.]]
** Finally subverted when [[spoiler: Ed tries to bring back Al again in the finale; since Ed offers his physical ability to perform alchemy, denying himself his life specialty and the ability to bring back the dead (as he did with Al), The Truth sees Ed has learned his lesson and gave a large offering, and allows Al's body to return.]]

** Bradley does this to [[spoiler: Ed, concerning Winry, after he tried to quit the military.]]

** Mustang's experiences gives him the desire to climb the ranks and become Fuhrer to save his country and turn it around (and then imprison himself for what he did). While he tends to seem adjusted, his facade drops several times to show that Mustang can barely keep himself composed at times.

* StormingTheCastle: [[spoiler:The final assault on Central.]]

** Envy [[spoiler:the green monster.]]
** One could say that Sloth [[spoiler: died lying down on the job.]]
** Riza and her [[spoiler:backstory.]]
** Heinkel, a lion chimera, has a solo fight against [[spoiler: Pride.]]
** [[spoiler: Fuhrer Bradley, also known as Wrath. Fuhrer is homophonous in English with furor, which is synonymous with wrath.]]

** The spare Fuhrer candidates who become unnecessary once one of them succeeds in receiving Father's Wrath, and are discarded. They have spent the last few ''decades'' doing nothing but train in the art of combat, and their combat ability is some of the highest seen in the series. Also Deconstructed, as they are all {{Empty Shell}}s, from having no purpose in life other than discarded spares.

** Grumman, given an estimated two hours or so of thinking time, manages to [[spoiler:turn the situation of the Fuhrer President himself overseeing the annual training exercises into a situation he simply cannot walk away from without a victory. He does this by leaking information about a planned attack on Central. If the Fuhrer stays, Central is defenseless. If he leaves, Central is defenseless ''and'' Bradley gets dropped down a ravine by a well-placed train bomb. [[MagicalEye Bradley being who he is, though]], his exit from the story wasn't permanent. Still a very impressive feat, though.]]

* RatedMForManly: Armstrong. Sig Curtis. Then they '''meet'''.

** There are numerous references to real-life alchemy and other elements of Hermeticism and Western esoterica. For example, the reference to the "green lion" (which represents the "incomplete" or "impure" material of the Philosopher's Stone), and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life on Ed's Gate.

*** The [[spoiler: mannequin soldiers]] are likewise very similar in nature and looks to the mass-production Evangelions.