In the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, alchemy emerges as a powerful tool for creation but also serves as a deadly weapon. The narrative doesn’t shy away from illustrating the harsh truth that power comes with a price. Each remarkable transmutation or military advancement exacts a heavy toll. Often, it is the innocent civilians who find themselves paying the price for the ambitions of others—those who never wished to be collateral in the battles for knowledge, revenge, or dominance.
The Elric brothers grapple with their own burdens of guilt, yet they are not alone in bearing the weight of their actions. From reckless experiments to heinous state-sponsored massacres, countless civilians have suffered in this universe. Many have endured the tragic fates of becoming test subjects, collateral damage, or forgotten victims caught in the crossfire of a war they never asked to be part of.Innocent lives have repeatedly fallen prey to the relentless pursuit of power.
10 Nina Tucker
Laughter That Never Reached Tomorrow
Nina Tucker remains an unforgettable symbol of innocence lost. The adorable daughter of Shou Tucker, innocent and joyful, was tragically merged with her family dog due to her father’s desperate quest to maintain his State Alchemist license. This grotesque act of alchemy stripped away her humanity, turning her into a chimera that could barely utter a word—an inhumane sacrifice for the sake of ambition.
9 The People of Ishval
Graves That Were Burned Into Sand
The genocide of the Ishvalans was not a skirmish but rather a calculated campaign of extermination orchestrated by the state. Alchemists became agents of destruction, viciously attacking innocent families. Although Edward and Alphonse were not directly involved, many of their allies were, thwarting their ideals at every turn.
The Ishvalan civilians faced targeted slaughter due to their ethnicity and beliefs. Entire families were obliterated, buildings reduced to ash, and unspeakable atrocities were committed, such as children immolated by flame-based alchemy. Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye approach their roles in this war with remorse rather than pride, understanding the lasting scars their actions have left.Alchemy transformed their homeland into a merciless graveyard.
8 Rosé and the Town of Liore
Hope That Fell for a Miracle
Rosé, a beacon of hope, once clung to miracles sparked by a charismatic figure, Father Cornello. He deceitfully wielded alchemy as a guise for divine magic, manipulating the citizens of Liore. Although the Elric brothers eventually revealed his true nature, the fallout was catastrophic; chaos erupted as the Homunculi exploited the disarray, with Envy masquerading as Cornello to instigate violence and destruction.
The aftermath was devastating; Rosé endured profound losses—her faith, community, and even her voice. The citizens of Liore became unwitting pawns in a cruel game of manipulation.What they once perceived as a miraculous salvation morphed into a harbinger of their ruin.
7 The Slicer Brothers’ Victims
Chains That Never Got Names
The Slicer brothers’ transformation from criminals to soulless suits of armor showcases the depths of alchemical depravity. Before their fates were sealed as experimental subjects, they were once ordinary individuals with families. Yet, they were not alone in suffering due to the horrific experiments that created them.
Countless other forgotten lives—innocent prisoners—became mere statistics in the quest to master the intricate relationship between souls and bodies. Each failure to bind a soul resulted in another tragic loss.In these laboratories, alchemy veered into realms of cruelty, where the civilians who vanished into darkness left no trace behind.
6 Tim Marcoh’s Research Subjects
Equations Written in Bone
Dr. Tim Marcoh played a pivotal role in the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone during the tumult of the Ishvalan War. What began as an intention to aid his homeland spiraled into a nightmare as he learned the stone was forged from the lives of countless souls.
Realizing too late the magnitude of his contribution to this atrocity, Marcoh attempted to fade into obscurity, yet the death toll of innocents weighed heavily upon him.
His every tranquil moment is tainted with the knowledge that an entire village ceased to exist so that he could map an equation.
5 Laboratory 5 Experiments
The Lab Where Nobody Left
Despite its official closure, Laboratory 5 operated clandestinely, where both civilians and prisoners were ensnared as guinea pigs for the Philosopher’s Stone research.
During an investigation, Ed and Al uncovered the horrific truth: those inhabitants were being meticulously transformed into mere components; their existence diminished to fuel for an insatiable quest for power.No identities, no memorials—just an echo of blood, stone, and desolation. They embodied the invisible prices paid for unchecked aspirations.
4 Ishvalan Children Used as Test Subjects
Childhood Claimed Before Memory
Amid the chaos of conflict, the military targeted Ishvalan children, seizing them for experimentation under the guise of progress. These children, already robbed of familial love, were subjected to grotesque experiments simply because their lives were deemed expendable by reckless alchemists.
The implications are staggering, though often glossed over. The lost childhoods of these victims encompass unspeakable horrors, and when experiments failed, they were discarded mercilessly.In this warped world, the relentless pursuit of results overshadowed the intrinsic value of human life.
3 Tringham Brothers’ Town
Soil That Refused to Grow
In the earlier adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist (2003), the Tringham brothers sought to access restricted alchemical texts to save their dying hometown devastated by industrial alchemy. The soil had become unproductive, leading the community into famine. Their desperation mirrored that of their town’s inhabitants, all victimized by corporate greed.
Through ambition and corruption, former alchemical knowledge was misapplied, leading to the slow but painful demise of a once-thriving community.The suffering endured was insidious and gradual, yet it remained all too real.
2 Barry the Chopper’s Victims
Shadows That Walked Among Shoppers
Before becoming a notorious soulless figure, Barry the Chopper was a serial killer, hunted and eventually captured by the military. His heinous acts left behind families and routines shattered. The civilian lives he extinguished before his transformation into a lab experiment were individuals with dreams and aspirations—all denied to them by his cruelty.
His shift to being a mere experiment did not erase his bloody record; instead, it added to the already horrific narrative.The nameless victims he claimed only serve as haunting reminders of the darkness lurking beneath the surface.
1 Scar’s Victims in the Early Episodes
Rage That Mistook Innocence
Scar’s transformation into a killer stemmed from profound grief, a response to profound loss. His justified anger, however, led him down a destructive path where all State Alchemist uniforms became targets—regardless of the bearer’s actual involvement in atrocities. Many who died were not soldiers in battle, but civilians: engineers, researchers, and support staff.
Scar reflects on his journey with sorrow, recognizing that in his quest for justice, he inadvertently became an instrument of chaos.His actions distanced him from the very people he aimed to protect, highlighting the tragic consequences of retaliation without discernment.
Leave a Reply