The Hidden Meanings
The Symbolism in Fullmetal Alchemist
By Pat McCauley
Disclaimer: Before starting, I would like to recognize that I do not own any rights to the anime or manga series Fullmetal Alchemist. They belong to their respective owners. This essay is being written without permission and is intended for entertainment and reference for other fan writers.
The anime and manga series Fullmetal Alchemist (hereby referred to as FMA) has many symbols and hidden meanings that, when revealed, can give better insight to the story. The categories to be discussed include shapes, colors, objects, elements, ideas, and miscellaneous things.
Shapes
Circle: The circle in FMA is very important. It is required for transmutations because it channels the energy. But beyond that, a circle represents "wholeness, completion, totality and perfection. The circle is the unmanifest; God without beginning or end, timeless and eternal. It is the symbol of the Mother Goddess and the never-ending cycle of birth, death and rebirth." This same principle is seen in the uroboros, "a dragon, or more often a snake, eating its own tail. The dragon was a symbol of the god Mercury and the circle a powerful symbol of the eternal cycle of nature. Because the uroboros recreates itself by feeding on its own body, it is a symbol of transforming matter, i.e. alchemy itself."
Triangle: The triangle isn't mentioned as much in FMA, but if one looks on the transmutation circles, one will almost always find at least one triangle. A triangle with the point on top represents fire and a triangle with the point on bottom represents water in alchemy. The symbol for fire has the point on top because fire rises while the symbol for water has the point on bottom because water flows down. On Colonel Roy Mustang's array on his gloves, there are two triangles, one placed on top of the other. This is the Seal of Solomon. "As the water descends and the fire ascends, air and earth are created. The seal, therefore, represents the union of the four elements in the quest for the Philosopher's Stone."
Colors
"In alchemy, the union of opposites is expressed by the colors red (the physical) and white (the spirit)."
Black: Edward Elric (Ed) wears black throughout the series. "In the West, black is the color of death, mourning, and the underworld." However, black is also the dark aspect of the Self; the shadow. Black, as the color of mourning, also represents unresolved emotions over loss from death. "In alchemy, black is the nigredo, the initial stage of the Great Work, and also the destructive aspect of the unconscious. The nigredo is the darkness that precedes spiritual light. It is the decay, destruction and death that sweeps away the old order/old self to make way for the new order/new self. Psychologically, the nigredo is depression and dissolution, or the self-reflection that is induced by conflict and depression. When the nigredo is at its worst, a birth of a new Self occurs in the unconscious." It makes sense that Ed wears black because he is mourning the deaths of his mother, Trisha Elric, and brother, Alphonse Elric (Al). Since the Great Work is the creation of the Philosopher's Stone, and Ed is searching for the Philosopher's Stone, Ed's wearing black can represent his first step on the path to obtaining it.
Blue: The color blue is quite ironic for the color of the military uniforms. Blue represents many aspects of religious beliefs. "The Egyptians associated blue with truth." As anyone who watches the anime knows, the military is far from being truthful. They hide who knows how many secrets and, if anyone gets close to finding anything out, the military has him or her killed. Blue also symbolizes calmness, and reflection.
Gold/Yellow: In many fanfic, Ed is equated with/represented by gold. His hair and eyes are gold. Gold represents "The sun, divine light, illumination, the highest state of glory. In alchemy, gold represents the attainment of the Philosopher's Stone." And Ed and Al do finally obtain the Philosopher's Stone. "Golden yellow stands for wisdom and generosity." Ed is a genius. He has to be in order to get into the State Alchemists at the age of 12. While Ed isn't quite generous, he is more generous to the people than most, if not all, other State Alchemists are. The color yellow represents many things around the world. In Islam, yellow represents wisdom and good advice. In Egypt, yellow is envy and disgrace. In Europe yellow symbolizes cowardice. While in China yellow was the color of royalty. Ed does seem envious of people who haven't lost their limbs, and he feels disgrace at having tried the transmutation upon his mother and how he lost Al.
Gray: Al's armor is gray, which represents the immortality of the soul in Christianity. But gray also represents gloom and depression, mourning and humility, neutrality and penitence. Al is usually gloomy and depressed. Ed even makes a reference to this in episode four. It makes sense for Al to be in mourning. For he also lost a mother. But he also lost his life. Al is more humble than Ed in that his transmutations aren't so gaudy, he doesn't go about trying to fish for compliments. Ed and Al probably both see their current bodies as penitence for "crossing into God's domain."
Green: Except for the lion figure, the Amestrine flag is entirely green. Green represents life, hope, and joy. However it also has the negative meanings of decay and jealousy. The Amestrine government is decaying from the inside. The rampant corruption and frivolous power plays are proof of that. Also, as the head of government, Fuhrer King Bradley, is a homunculus, the green can be his jealousy of humans. As for the green representing life and hope, Bradley could be hoping for the Philosopher's Stone to give him his life back.
"In alchemy, it is the sulphurous, dissolving Green Lion, which is the beginning of the Great Work." Amestris is an alchemy driven country as is made clear by the enormous amount of research funds State Alchemists are given and the level of authority they are given (an automatic rank of major in the military).
Red: Ed wears red throughout the series. "Red is associated with fire. It is the color of activity, energy, courage, will power, war and ferocity." Ed certainly doesn't like to be still for long and to say that he is cowardly is like saying the sky is green. "In alchemy, it is the suphuric stage in the creation of the Philosopher's Stone, and represents sublimation, suffering and love."
Silver: In the anime, the pocket watches signifying the State Alchemists are silver. "Opposite gold, silver is the feminine aspect of duality of the cosmic reality. In alchemy, silver is Luna, 'the affections purified'."
White: The lion in the Amestrine flag is white. White represents purity, perfection, sacredness, mourning (in Asia), and peace. "In the alchemical process of the Philosopher's Stone, white marks the second stage, the beginning of the ascent up from darkness."
Objects
Salamander: Seen on Colonel Mustang's array, the salamander is a mythological creature of fire. It is usually depicted breathing or surrounded by flames. "It represents the righteous soul, which can emerge unscathed from the fires of temptation." This is shown by Mustang's wish to become Fuhrer in order to remove the corrupt officers and also in his fight with Bradley.
Snake/Dragon: The snake/dragon is used in the uroboros, the symbol on all of the homunculi. A dragon represents all four elements, light and dark, the sun and moon, masculine and feminine. Where as the snake "is the most widely revered of all creatures because it embodies so many forces. Its underground lair allies it with the underworld and it is associated with the primal waters from which all life was created."
Crown: In the symbol on the back of Ed's coat (I'm not sure what it's called, but have heard it called the Flamel, so I will call it that for this essay), there is a crown. Crowns represent mastery over one's self and one's own "kingdom." Crowns are often associated with father figures."
Rod of Aesculapius: This is also found in the Flamel. "A serpent coiled around a rod was both the emblem and the symbol of Aesculapius, the Roman god of medicine. Its association with healing comes from the snake's shedding of its skin, making it a symbol of renewal and regeneration. In alchemy a serpent around a pole represents the harnessing of the metal quicksilver (mercury)." It makes sense that this in the Flamel because Dante also makes medicine. Also, Envy was Dante's and Hohenheim's child and was killed by mercury poisoning. So the Rod of Aesculapius is a reminder of past events in addition to a symbol of Dante's job.
Cross: The Rod of Aesculapius (see above) has been modified to include a cross. The cross represents much of what the dragon (see snake/dragon) represents. It also is a symbol for one to come to terms with his or her current situation.
Train: Ed and Al constantly move around Amestris by train. Trains represent "a means of traveling through life by a planned route or schedule."
Gate/door: The Gate is the connection between the world of FMA and our own. "Glowing doors, golden doors and doors filled with light symbolize opportunities for spiritual growth…A door that closes or is closing symbolizes the end of something, such as a phase of life." The inside of the Gate, after Ed gets past the Gate creatures is golden and it is there that he sees the "Truth" as he puts it. The "Truth" gives him an enormous amount of knowledge. In the series the Gate is repeatedly shown while closing. When the Gate closed on Ed after he tried to revive his mother, it ended the innocent stage of his life. When the Gate closed after he died in our world, that part of his life ended. When the Gate closed after Izumi put her child into it, which ended Izumi's innocence. "A gate is usually a symbol for problems. Those who open the gate must deal with whatever is behind it." One sees this aspect in anyone and everyone in FMA who performs human transmutation or gets close to the Philosopher's Stone. The legend of anyone who gets close to the Philosopher's Stone dies is a prime example. Ed and Al's journey is filled with problems because they opened the Gate.
Elements
Fire: Fire is Colonel Mustang's chosen form of alchemy. Fire represents purification, transformation, transcendence and illumination. Colonel Mustang shows many of these traits in his goals as Fuhrer. He wishes to purify and transform the military from a pool of corruption to a more trustworthy government. "The alchemical process begins and ends with fire (calcinatio). Fire purges the blackness of the nigredo to white. The process is likened to a spiritual purgatory that can end with redemption…Burning may symbolize punishment for sins and wrongdoing, as in the fires of Hell." At the end of the series, Colonel Mustang burns Pride (Bradley) to death. Colonel Mustang is purifying the sin that was Bradley.
Ideas
Seven: Ed changes the transmutation circle for the Philosopher's Stone from having six corners to having seven. "In alchemy, seven metals make up the work, the creation of the Philosopher's Stone." There are also seven homunculi with the names of the seven deadly sins of the Christian religion.
Birth: Ed and Al help with the birth of Maes Hughes' daughter in the anime and Lear Ricardo's son in the manga. It represents an "emergence of a new self or a new aspect to one's life." Ed and Al are changed by this as, when they meet up with Izumi they tell her about the birth they witnessed. "When a man dreams of birth, it means that a new idea is coming to fruitation." Indeed, after they witness the birth in the anime, Ed passes the State Alchemist exam and in the manga Ed and Izumi try to bring back Al's memories of when he was in the Gate.
Death: Many characters die in the FMA anime series. When Trisha Elric dies, her grave is covered in lilies. "The white lily is traditionally associated with purity in the West, and this may explain why is has become customary to place lilies on the grave at a funeral. Death is seen as a return to a pure state-white as opposed to the black of death."
Miscellaneous
Elric: The name Elric, when reversed is Cirle. If one adds another 'c' to the word, it becomes Circle. This could be representative of an incomplete circle. As a circle is unending, it repeats itself. Since Elric is incomplete, it means that it won't repeat.
Works used
Dream Symbols A to Z by Georg Fink
The Illustrated book of Signs & Symbols by Miranda Bruce-Mitford
The Encyclopedia of Dreams by Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Dictionary of Symbols by Carl Liungman