At the end of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood the audience was treated to a satisfying glimpse into what each of the brothers did with their lives after the main conflict was resolved. And unusual for a shonen anime, both of the main characters managed to find pretty happy, although extremely different, endings for themselves. Despite the pleasures and satisfaction in the lives that the boys built for themselves it is clear to audiences that things didn’t quite turn out equal for the brothers. In fact, Alphonse seems to have escaped all the calamity almost entirely unscathed, whereas Ed was forced to give up and sacrifice so much.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows the story of two young brothers who both have the incredible gift of alchemy. That is they can turn one thing into another, using only their own intrinsic power and a few small aids. The boys have one main goal, to return Alphonse to his real body. This he lost in a tragic accident three years prior when the boys violated the main taboo of alchemy: do not attempt human transmutation. They of course face increasingly powerful enemies and world-ending plots in the process, but the boys both come out of it in the end having learned a lot and with new goals in mind.
Alphonse’s Ending
At the end of the series, Al has regained his former body, though it was skeletally thin and entirely unkempt when Ed sees it. The audience is spared seeing Al in this form. Instead, a small time jump allows the audience’s first viewing of Al having returned to human state to be when he is healthy and happy once again.
He declares that he will be traveling with Mei Chang to her country so that he can learn more about Alkahestry and perhaps improve his own Alchemy in the process. Fundamentally, while Al did lose corporeal status for quite some time, he ends the series in the same condition he began it in. As a powerful alchemist, in a completely healed and human body.
Edwards Ending
Ed like his brother lost body parts to the tragic human transmutation accident. Where Alphonse lost his entire body Ed lost only his leg, he then sacrificed his arm to bind Al’s soul to the suit of armor that he occupies for the majority of the series.
This act saved Al’s life and is one of the only known examples of soul transmutation succeeding. At the end of the anime, Ed is granted his arm but still must use a prosthetic for his leg. A far greater loss arguably would be that in order to regain his arm and Al’s physical body Ed gives up his alchemy. Ed’s happy ending is that he gets to live his life with Winry, doing mundane things, and manual labor. He does seem genuinely happy about this.
Comparing the Boys
Ed gave up his alchemy, which to this point in his life defined who he was at every turn. He was the youngest State Alchemist at the age of twelve, and one of the most powerful. Ed’s loss of his leg was permanent and he retained the automail scars on his shoulders, whereas Alphonse got his body back, largely unmarred. Even corporeal situations aside the character of the boys is directly shown to be unequal in their endings.
When the boys suffered their trauma Ed dedicated the next three years of his life to Al. He put himself through every trial and every fight with the sole goal of finding the philosopher's stone and restoring Al to his real body. As soon as Al has his real body he leaves Ed behind. Al does not have the same loyalty to Ed that Ed had to Al. It is explained that since he lost out on so much of life as a suit of armor he just wanted to live to his fullest now. It is ignored that Ed also lost those years. Yes, Ed was able to eat and feel human warmth, but he wasn’t able to create his own goals, he wasn’t able to follow his own dreams. Both boys lost the same three years of their lives.
While Al clearly ended this story physically ahead of his brother, arguably Ed came out of it the better person. He was willing to sacrifice everything for his brother, and he expected nothing back. Had he not been like this it would have been almost impossible for him to succeed in his task. Al missed three years of life and consumed three years of Ed’s life as well. As soon as he was able to be on his own he left, Al did not sacrifice nearly as much as Ed. Similarly, while Al has a purpose at the end of the show, Ed seems to have genuine life satisfaction. The value of which cannot be calculated, although the cost of alchemy is rather high.