The Elric brothers' failure to resurrect their mother inFullmetal Alchemistserve as a heart-wrenching and pivotal moment that kick-starts their epic journey. Because as we all know, their valiant attempt proves to be a tragic failure. Not only that, they also have to pay an extremely expensive price for attempting something so taboo in the world of Alchemy.
We know that these two brothers certainly eat more than they can chew with thishuman transmutation attempt. But what is exactly the cause of their failure? This article delves into the reasons behind the Elric brothers' failed resurrection of their mother, examining the crucial elements that led to their heartbreaking outcome.
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An Attempt On Human Transmutation
Edward and Alphonse Elric lose their mother at a young age.Their father hasn’t been around in years, so the loss of their dear mother is such a devastating blow to the boys. Driven by grief and desperation, the Elric brothers delve into the forbidden realm of human transmutation. Ignoring the fundamental laws of alchemy, they believe they can bring their mother back to life through their understanding of equivalent exchange. Their reckless act defies the natural order, setting in motion a chain of events that will forever alter their lives.
At the time, the Elric brothers were merely teenage boys who were obsessed with alchemy. They are not an officially recognized state-alchemist yet. That being said, their knowledge and abilities far surpass their peers. That is one of the reasons why Edward feels confident he can properly perform the human transmutation in order to revive their mothers back from the dead. Unfortunately, they are much too naive. Becausethe whole experiment quickly turns into such a disastrous incident.
During the transmutation process, Edward loses his left leg, while Alphonse loses his entire body. Seeing his brother’s body dissipate, Ed quickly performs a blood seal alchemy to bind Al’s soul into a piece of metal armor nearby. In doing so, he has to sacrifice his right arm. To make matters worse, rather than resurrecting their mother, they ended up creating an ungodly creature that moves in a disfigured body of their late mother. Fortunately, their neighbor, grandma Rockbell, comes and helps them kill that monster and immediately help the wounded Edward.
The Separation of Body And Soul
During one of their travels, the Elric brothers stumble upon a secret lab that contains countless documents left behind by the researchers that used to be there. As it turns out, that lab was used for human transmutation research. Based on that information, they finally found out the reasons why their human transmutation attempt ended in failure.
One of the crucial elements that contribute to the Elric brothers' failure lies in the concept of the separation of body and soul. Human transmutation involves recreating a physical body, whichthe brothers knew and even successfully created at the time. What they don’t realize, however, is the fact that the soul’s connection to the realm of the living is severed upon death. That means once somebody dies, there’s no way to conjure their soul back. What’s left is just an empty vessel.
That means even if they manage to recreate a proper vessel, the body of their mother, the brothers have no means to summon their mother’s soul and bind it into the vessel. As a result,the vessel that was just given life through alchemyended up becoming something akin to a feral creature that has no human consciousness whatsoever. Just a cursed monster that moves around in the disfigured vessel that resembles the body of their late mother. They didn’t realize it at the time, but their attempt to be reunited with their mother is doomed to fail from the start.
How This Horrific Event Affect The Story
Despite their fervent desire to revive their mother, the Elric brothers come face-to-face with the cold reality that the being they create is far from their beloved parent. Alchemy operates on precise principles, and attempting to manipulate life itself carries profound consequences.The creature born from their failed transmutationembodies the inherent dangers of tampering with the natural order, serving as a painful reminder of their inability to bring their mother back.
This failure serves as a profound lesson about the limitations of alchemy and the consequences of defying the laws of nature. There are certain things that are beyond their understanding, and they now have to pay the price for recklessly diving into that forbidden territory. In that regard, the failed human transmutation becomes a driving force behind the brothers' subsequent quest to restore their bodies and seek redemption.
As the story unfolds,the Elric brothers' journeyhighlights the importance of acceptance, growth, and the pursuit of truth in a world shaped by the dangerous, beneficial, and fascinating art of Alchemy.
