Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood centers primarily on its protagonist, Edward Elric, and his brother and deuteragonist, Alphonse Elric. Although their father, Van Hohenheim, is introduced as a minor character whose sole purpose is to provoke the events leading up to the central plot of the story, it becomes quite apparent throughout the anime that Hohenheim is so much more.

As an alchemist, Hohenheim is powerful, intelligent, and exceptionally critical to the story. However, the same can't be said about his role as a father. Although Van Hohenheim has failed his children numerous times, perhaps the reasons behind his decisions are not so black and white.

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Hohenheim's Mistakes

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One of Hohenheim's biggest slip-ups in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood occurred prior to the beginning of the anime arc. After meeting Trisha Elric, Hohenheim fell in love and, though hesitantly, decided to pursue her. Eventually, they got married and had two sons, Edward and Alphonse. Seemingly, Hohenheim struggled with the fact that he was cursed with immortality and would have to watch his family grow old, and as a result, abandon them. While his fear was understandable, he failed as a father because he not only intentionally had children (and married Trisha) without resolving his inner conflict, but he also abandoned the responsibilities that accompany fatherhood.

Aside from leaving his family at the beginning of the franchise, Van Hohenheim abandoned Edward once again the day after he unexpectedly encountered him. His dear friend, Pinako Rockbell, even questioned this, but Hohenheim was seemingly okay with leaving without saying goodbye. The fact that this was the first time he had seen his child since he abandoned him years ago put him in an even worst light. Rather than attempt to establish a fatherly relationship with his son, Hohenheim chose to leave him a second time.

Throughout the series, Hohenheim is portrayed as a terrible father for abandoning his family, particularly through the lens of Edward. However, his reasons for leaving were not entirely clear until later in the series when his past was revealed. For example, it is eventually uncovered that while Hohenheim did, in fact, choose to leave his family, it was to put an end to Father's plan and save thousands of lives. This has resulted in fans debating whether Hohenheim's justifications for leaving his family were valid and reasonable, along with whether he was a great father, after all. In other words, if Hohenheim had never left his wife and children, he would have had to live with the guilt of knowing that the entire country of Amestris was going to perish under Father's plan, including his own family.

His Unfortunate Past

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Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood's 40th episode, "The Dwarf in the Flask," distinguishes itself by successfully uncovering Hohenheim's backstory and providing viewers with context about where he came from. Formerly a slave who went by the number 23, Hohenheim didn't have a dime to his name, and his home was nonexistent. It could be argued that the odds were against him from the moment he took his first breath.

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Hohenheim was a relatively insignificant young man until he met "Father," a Homunculus that was created with Hohenheim's blood during an experiment. But along with feeling indebted to him, Father saw something in Hohenheim: courage, integrity, and perhaps a hint of naivety. This is how Van Hohenheim's tragedy began. Father played a considerable role in Hohenheim's life, even being the one to assign him his name. Father also awarded Hohenheim with immortality and knowledge, both of which were eventually proved to be double-edged swords. Though this feeling of gratitude led Father to bestow these gifts on Hohenheim, this amicable relationship, as it were, didn't last long.

Hohenheim's Downfall

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It became Hohenheim's purpose to put an end to Father and his future plans, but as time went on, it seemed Hohenheim was almost sidetracked by Trish, the woman he eventually fell in love with. Perhaps the thought of a 'normal' life was enticing and one that he would dream of, which led to his decision to marry her and start a family. It is also likely that having his two sons made him realize the important things in life. But knowing what he knew, the guilt would continue to gnaw on his soul with every thought until he put an end to Father. It was a lose-lose situation for Hohenheim. Though he left his family with the intention of returning, he never did, and Edward Elric believed only what he was shown: that his father was a terrible man who betrayed their family.

Ultimately, it becomes evident that Hohenheim's sacrifice at the beginning of the series, in addition to losing his wife and any relationship he could have had with his sons, was essential to the safety of Amestris and his family, and the overall plot of the anime. It's also critical to question if Hohenheim ever really had a choice in the matter. Or if he was destined to endure these tragic events from the very beginning.

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