The 26th episode of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Ed cracks the secret of escaping Gluttony's void through a forbidden transmutation, learns the horror behind Xerxes, and comes face to face with his brother's original body before the Gate.
Summary
Envy keeps battering Ling and Edward, and Ed is unsettled by the wailing souls in the homunculus' true form, one childishly begging to play in a way that recalls Nina. Studying the debris around them, Ed notices fragments of the ruined city of Xerxes and realizes the Philosopher's Stone at Envy's core might open a path home if the three of them cooperate. Above ground, May and Scar trail Alphonse and Gluttony into an underground facility, cutting through a horde of guardian chimeras, while May senses an even greater presence deeper below. Sensing the intruders drawing near, the homunculi's Father waits. In his office, Bradley recounts to Mustang how he was raised from infancy as one of many candidates and given his Wrath through a Stone that killed eleven others before him.
Key Events
Reassembling the Xerxes mural, Ed identifies it not as the five-point array from Lab 5 but as a human transmutation circle, and reasons that a controlled transmutation of his own body and soul could open the true Gate and return them home. Ling and Envy agree to trust him. Ed deduces the mural was designed to turn all of Xerxes into a Stone in a bid to surpass God, explaining the civilization's vanishing, and Envy confirms the trapped souls can never be human again. Drawing a new circle powered by part of Envy's Stone, Ed performs the transmutation, and one freed soul thanks him as they pass through the sea of blood. He reaches his own Gate to find a second one beside it, where Alphonse's emaciated, living body sits. Before he can reach it, the shadow hands drag Ed back, and the soulless body refuses to leave with anyone but its own soul, so Ed vows to return for him.
Notes
The episode adapts the manga chapters Lord of the Demon's Lair and Signpost of the Soul, and the title card shows Ed's variant of the Xerxes five-point circle. One Xerxesian soul calls to Ed much like Nina, and Ling likens Ed's circleless transmutation pose to prayer. In the manga Ed makes his promise before vanishing, but here he punches the closed Gate open to deliver it. This is the season's final episode and the last to earn a TV-MA rating on Adult Swim.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Edward, Ling, and Envy escape the void inside Gluttony?
Edward reassembles a mural from the ruined city of Xerxes, identifies it as a human transmutation circle, and performs a controlled transmutation using part of Envy's Philosopher's Stone to open a path back to the real world.
What does Edward discover about the fate of the city of Xerxes?
Edward deduces that the mural was designed to turn the entire civilization of Xerxes into a Philosopher's Stone in a bid to surpass God, which explains why the city vanished, and Envy confirms the trapped souls can never become human again.
What does King Bradley tell Mustang about his origins?
Bradley recounts that he was raised from infancy as one of many candidates and was given his role as Wrath through a Philosopher's Stone that had already killed eleven other candidates before him.
What does Edward find beside his own Gate in "Reunion"?
Edward finds a second Gate holding Alphonse's original, emaciated but living body, though shadow hands drag him back before he can reach it and the soulless body refuses to leave with anyone but its own soul.
What milestone does "Reunion" mark for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood?
"Reunion" is the season's final episode and the last installment of the series to earn a TV-MA rating on Adult Swim.
Sources & Information
Looking for more on Reunion? The Fullmetal Alchemist Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.
View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Anime based on the Fullmetal Alchemist anime series, manga, and official materials. Fullmetal Alchemist was created by Hiromu Arakawa, published by Square Enix, and animated by Bones. All rights to Fullmetal Alchemist and its characters belong to their respective owners. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
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- Created byHiromu Arakawa
- Published bySquare Enix
- Animated byBones
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