Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: All The Sin-Based Homunculi & Their Powers, Explained

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood made its appearance in the anime franchise in the early 2000s, and to date, the show still remains a classic. The alchemy-inspired show represents the brothers, Ed and Alphonse, who are thrown into a world of transmutation and homunculi through an unsuccessful experiment to resurrect their dead mother. Unfortunately, as a result of their inexperience in the ways of alchemy, the alchemy experiment stripped Edward’s right hand and Alphonse’s physical body part.

In the goal to recover their body parts, the siblings encounter the homunculi, a villainous set of characters born from the Philosopher’s Stone. Due to the philosopher's stone otherworldly capabilities, it bestowed inhumane and powerful abilities on the homunculi, making them the most deadly set of antagonists in the series. Every homunculus in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood possesses a unique ability, sometimes similar to their sin-based names. From Gluttony’s all-consuming feature to Envy's exceptional shapeshifting, the homunculi are one of the reasons Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood remains a fan-favorite show.

Gluttony’s All-Consuming Nature

Even though Gluttony is 'all brawn and no brains,' the character was a herculean obstacle the Elric brothers faced. The homunculus ability stems from Father’s failed attempt to create a Gate of Truth, a channel to gain tremendous alchemy-based power. The remainder of his failed experiment contributes to Gluttony’s bizarre form. Bearing the signature Ouroboros mark on his tongue, Gluttony is a simple-minded homunculus that submits to other homunculi with a higher authority.

True to his name, Gluttony's hunger for meals to consume is unquenchable, and his powerful jaws are strong enough to munch through wood and steel. His abilities make him the perfect trash dumpster for Father to eliminate his unpleasant experiments. Gluttony's apex ability is not his ability to consume anything, but the dimensional portal, the false Gate of Truth residing in his gut. In other words, Gluttony can pull his opponents into a different dimension and imprison them permanently.

Greed’s Impenetrable Body Defense

Amongst all the homunculi, Greed's covetousness is second to none. Usually, the homunculi are extremely loyal to Father and his plans; however, Greed’s avaricious nature was greater than his loyalty to his creator, Father. Consequently, he abandoned the agenda set by Father to pursue his selfish interests and desires. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood showed viewers the true extent of Greed’s capacities after he possessed Ling, allowing him to use the human’s martial arts skills.

Greed is alternatively known as Father’s “Ultimate Shield" due to his signature skill. He can manipulate the carbon residing in his body, making his skin extremely hard to penetrate. Fans witnessed the potency of his ability when bullets proved to be useless against his armor coating. His impenetrable armor, combined with the exceptional regeneration inherent in all the homunculi, makes him really strong. Greed has one fatal weakness despite his toughness: alchemy can control his carbon-oriented defense mechanism.

Lust, The Embodiment Of True Villainy

Lust is among the three foremost leaders in the homunculi group. The sadistic character was the first of the homunculi to be introduced to the screens. True to her name, Lust tends to be flirty, using her beautiful appearance to ensnare unsuspecting characters to get what she wants. However, underneath her bewitching and poised appearance is a monster that relishes cruelty and unjust actions. Lust is arguably the smartest homunculus, and this can be seen through the well-thought-out actions she takes.

Unlike Gluttony, who is driven by food, or Greed driven by avariciousness, Lust remains level-headed in all situations. Apart from the extraordinary strength, immortality, and the high-speed generation she shares with the rest of the homunculi, Lust can produce extremely long blades from her nail sockets, which can cut through almost any substance. Her nails, combined with her speed, make her one of the more dangerous homunculi.

Sloth, The Dim-Witted Brute

Sloth lives up to it his sin excellently. Although he wasn't given enough screen time compared to the other homunculi, it was time enough to witness the character's abilities. The homunculus was tasked by Father to constantly build underground tunnels, so he rarely converses with his brethren. However, even when he gets the chance, he doesn't talk, viewing chatting and even thinking as a tiresome task. Another feature of this character is his constant grumbling and complaining while he carries out his work.

Surprisingly, despite his dim-witted characteristics, Sloth is extraordinarily strong, capable of rendering metal bars and walls useless. One of Sloth's abilities that comes as a shocker due to his natural proclivities is his speed. When he is serious, Sloth can be surprisingly fast, and Olivier and her brother witnessed this development. Unfortunately, despite being blessed with immense strength, Sloth lacks the 'wits' to make his ability deadly in combat.

Envy, The Cruel Shapeshifter

You have no idea how good that felt! I ravaged their entire country with a single bullet! I mean, talk about invigorating!

Of all the homunculi in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Envy stands at the very top in terms of cruelty. Despite the small body size of the homunculus, his power is on a different level than the other homunculi. Envy is born from Father's covetousness of humans with lovable bonds and freedom. Envy's ability lies in shapeshifting, which involves the transformation into any creature or human the homunculi wishes. This ability is especially useful for Intel acquisition, spying, and infiltration. However, the way Envy uses this ability proves the creature's vicious nature.

Often, Envy morphs into the loved ones of the target it wants to kill, taking them by surprise and making it difficult to attack them. Although Envy's shapeshifting ability is versatile, its true form possesses incredible regenerative abilities, high speed, and immense strength, possibly above that of Sloth. However, similar to the other homunculi, Envy has one fatal weakness: poor fighting talent.

Pride, The Powerful Narcissist

Pride is the first homunculus created by Father and is undoubtedly the strongest among the seven homunculi. Pride's true form was the most shocking for viewers since he was first depicted as an adorable child. However, underneath that cheerful face lurked a powerful, cruel monster who works as the second-in-command to Father, the apex villain of the series. As a result of the sin he was created from, Pride is the embodiment of narcissism, viewing himself as superior to humans and the other homunculi. Pride is surprisingly the most loyal to Father among the homunculi, following his orders and dictates like an obedient child hungry for their parents' praise.

Since Pride is the most powerful homunculus, his ability is one that is difficult to escape from. Using blood-curdling shadow-looking manifestations with high durability and versatility, Pride can destroy anything he sets his mind on. In addition, his shadow ability can expand over a great distance, making the homunculi an excellent long-range combatant. Finally, Pride can absorb and consume humans and homunculi. This was revealed when he consumed Gluttony, making the glutton’ abilities his in the process.

Wrath, The Impeccable Swordsman

The shocking development involving Fuhrer King Bradley, the leader of Amestris, revealing his true nature as Wrath, one of the homunculi, was probably one of the best twists the show offered. Contrary to most of the homunculi, Wrath is reserved and generally polite, probably the main reason he was tasked with leading Amestris on Father's behest. While Wrath's ability is not as potent as his homunculi companions, his skill as a swordsman is remarkable.

Despite using a normal-looking blade, Wrath was able to cut through Greed's carbon defense. The Fuhrer also possesses exceptional agility and strength, revealed at different points in the show. However, wrath’s apex ability is the "Ultimate Eye," which allows him to predict his opponent's movements and scan through different elements in an impressive manner. Combined with his exceptionally skilled swordsmanship, the Ultimate Eye makes Father the best fighter among the homunculi. But, he has one weakness: he cannot regenerate.

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