Welcome back, friends!

So, you’ve seen FMAB and now you’re thinking about starting over from the beginning, but the complex characters, the twisty plot, and the deep world building aren’t enough to persuade you into rewatching… no, what you want is to revisit the best fight scenes. Because that’s what we really want, right? ACTION! ANIMATED BLOOD! SNAPPY COMEBACKS! 

15. Ed and Al vs. Scar #2 (Episode 21)

Ah the good ol' days when Scar hated alchemy. 

While this is not my favorite battle between the Elrics and Scar, I still felt like it was worthy of making the Top 15 list. In this scene, we see the Elrics using Scar as bait to lure out their real target, the homunculi. 

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• In this clip, we see (what might be the only instance of) Ed cancel out Scar’s alkahestry with alchemy. There’s a little bit of backlash (both of them get their shirtsleeves torn), but overall, they negate each other, which is so cool! Why doesn’t this happen more often? 
• I love Al and Scar’s conversation about Scar’s motives. Maybe it’s just me, but Al’s argument makes a lot of sense - Scar is using his god to justify his revenge, when he said in a previous episode that his beliefs are based in the natural order of things (shouldn’t people die how they were naturally supposed to, then, Scar?). 
• At the very end, Winry shows up and finds out that Scar is the man who killed her parents, but can’t take action. It’s one of my favorite character development moments in the series, because it’s not often that you see an anime character choose the path that doesn’t involve revenge. 

14. Everyone vs. The Freezing Alchemist (Episode 1)

Isaac MacDougal was ahead of his time, tbh. 

A lot of people overlook this first episode, but I think it’s important. In this clip specifically, we see The Freezing Alchemist take on various people from the military while he sets up his city-wide transmutation circle.

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• This clip includes Armstrong’s first appearance! One of my favorite characters, Armstrong flies into battle and begins shooting off those him-shaped projectiles and uses the classic line about his alchemy being “passed down through the Armstrong family for generations”. 

• We get our very first taste of Ed and Al’s fighting styles in this clip. Al fights off MacDougal with a few well-placed kicks, which wouldn’t be possible in his actual 14 year old body. Ed and Al protect each other time and time again. Classic Elrics. 

• At the very end of this clip, we see Fuhrer Bradley take down The Freezing Alchemist himself with a slice of his blade so fast that we can’t track it with our eyes. Looking back now, I wonder how I didn’t see Bradley being evil sooner. 

13. Scar vs. Kimblee (Episode 33)

Train fights! TRAIN FIGHTS! TRAIN FIGHTS!

Scar immediately recognizes the man who killed his brother back in Ishval. While this fight isn’t terribly long, I felt like it deserved a space on the list due to its significance. 

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• First of all, the trick of using Yoki as bait and pretending he’s Dr. Marcoh is genius. I laugh every time. Yoki is ridiculous and perfect in his role. 
• Kimblee and Scar both remember each other at first sight, which is crazy considering how long it’s been since they last interacted in Ishval. The sucky part is how Kimblee uses this to taunt Scar, bringing up memories of his family that Kimblee killed. 
• We all know that Scar would’ve won this fight if Kimblee hadn’t broken the train apart, which is so heart-wrenching, because I JUST WANT SCAR TO FINALLY BE AT PEACE, and I don’t really feel like that’s too much to ask. 

12. GreedLing and Fu vs. Wrath (Episode 57)

Team Xing! Oh, plus Buccaneer. Him too. 

During the attack on Central on the Promised Day, Fu and GreedLing team up to fight Wrath while he tries to break into Central Command. 

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• We get one last battle with Fu and Ling together. Fu gives his life during this battle to protect Ling and Central, and I don’t know about you, but I was holding back tears. 
• Wrath isn’t above fighting dirty (like when he pins GreedLing’s coat to the ground with a knife) so that he can fight one-on-one, and we see his nifty sword skills again when he slices the tops off of Fu’s bombs before they can detonate. 
• Greed and Ling are coexisting in one form, seamlessly switching back and forth when necessary to fight Wrath more effectively. I love that they get to this point of mutual respect and - dare I say - even brotherly love. 

11. Ed vs. Kimblee (Episode 41)

Kimblee can go away any time now. 

Why does everyone want to fight Kimblee so bad? I mean, I get it: he’s kind of a nut. Anyway, in this clipEd finally gets his turn at bat against Kimblee  while still up in the north. 

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• Ed has his fancy new automail, so he moves extra fast, which we see a ton of in this scene. He uses it to his advantage to ruin one of Kimblee’s transmutation circles on his palm and yeet the Philosopher’s Stone out of reach. 
• Kimblee always has an ace up his sleeve. The first time I watched this scene I screamed at my TV when he pulled that second Philosopher’s Stone out of his mouth. Like, Ed and Al have been searching for one for years, and you have the audacity to have TWO?! 
• The fighting itself doesn’t last very long because Kimblee is a dirty trickster, but the banter, the consequences, and the fact that Ed makes friends with Kimblee’s men afterwards puts this fight on my list for importance alone. 

10. Fort Briggs vs. Sloth (Episodes 34 and 35)

Sloth causes so much chaos at Briggs. 

We finally get to meet Sloth in this clip, which is ill-timed considering Ed and Al just got to Fort Briggs and most people there still think the boys are pretty suspicious. 

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• Sloth falls asleep??? In the middle??? Of a conversation??? 
• Just let Sloth dig his hole and go back to sleep! He really doesn’t want to hurt anyone… I think? Poor guy. I feel like he just wants a nap and is super confused about why all of these people are bothering him. 
• The Briggs soldiers try to use guns, then a rocket launcher, and even A TANK on Sloth, and nothing works. Just after this clip, they finally throw him out in the frigid weather and freeze him solid because it’s the only way they can think of to defeat him. 

9. Everyone vs. Pride (Episodes 47, 48, and 49)

Why is Pride so evil? 

This fight is so bananas that it takes THREE episodes for it to resolve (if I counted right). Pride uses the shadows inside of Alphonse’s armor to control him, using him as bait and a hostage to lure out Hohenheim, Edward, and the others.  

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• Alphonse thinks of a genius plan in order to capture Pride and render him useless, but has to rely on his dad to help! Ow my heart. 
• Gluttony is defeated along the way, but not by any of our heroes. Pride murders his own brother in order to absorb his body, power of smell, and life force. Bye, chunky baby. 
• There’s so much going on in this fight - Gluttony, Pride, GreedLing, two Elrics, a Hohenheim, some chimeras, no lights, Lan Fan, Fu - that it keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire battle. 

8. Armstrongs vs. Sloth (Episode 55)

Ultra mega team up time GO! 

While this isn’t the entire fight scene, it captures the arrival of the Curtises and Sloth’s eventual demise. 

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• I have no words for how much I love Sig and Izumi Curtis. That combo move against Sloth? AMAZING. They fight together, they cook together, they train orphans together… I mean, power couple, much? I just- I can’t- I love them. That’s it. Period. 
• Sig and Armstrong’s immediate bromance is noteworthy. They flex a little, show off their muscles, shake hands… and promptly punch the poop right out of Sloth in stunning synchronization. 10/10 so wholesome. 
• Izumi and Olivier’s instant respect for each other is so excellent. I wish there was more development between the two of them because they’re both such badasses, but alas, we can’t always get what we want. 

7. Ed and Al vs. Scar #1 (Episode 5)

Scar is the original King Explosion Murder. (Don't @ me, you know I'm right.)

We’ve seen brief glimpses of Scar’s destructive powers in the first four episodes of the series, but this battle is where we really get to see him show off. 

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• This is the first time Ed and Al meet Scar face to face, and leads to a series-long… Rivalry? Bromance? Mutually respectful acceptance is probably the closest thing there is for whatever relationship they end up with. 
• We see Ed willing to sacrifice himself for Alphonse’s safety, which is so touching and sad. As an oldest sibling, I thought that addition was appropriate and gave extra meaning to the fight. 
• This is also one of the first scenes that we start to understand Scar’s motives. While fighting Ed, Scar tells him that he thinks alchemy goes against God’s natural plan; just after this clip, we find out that Scar is Ishvalan and that he’s targeting state alchemists to get revenge for the Ishvalan war. 

6. Ed and Ling vs. Envy (Episode 25)

This battle is important, not only for expositional reasons (we find out Envy caused the Ishvalan war, for example, which impacted every character in the series), but also for character development. Shortly after this battle, Ed and Ling decide to work with Envy to bust out of Gluttony. 

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• This is the first time we get to see Envy’s true form - a grotesque, green lion-dog-thing made out of all of the faces and souls Envy’s made of. Super gross!
• The setting for this battle is amazingly well-rendered: the red lighting, the pools of blood, the intense music… all of it adds to the disgusting feel of the battle, and reminds us constantly that Ed, Ling, and Envy are fighting in Gluttony’s massive gut. 
• Envy gives us a villain monologue when he’s sure that they’ll never escape from Gluttony. Ed and Ling learn a ton of Envy’s, and Father’s, secrets because Envy thinks they’ll never be able to tell anyone. 

5. Scar vs. Wrath (Episode 61)

Scar vs. Wrath is literal art. 

A fight that is 61 episodes in the making, Scar finally gets to face off with the man who made the destruction of Ishval possible: Fuhrer King Bradley, AKA Wrath. 

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• Maybe my favorite thing about this scene is that we see all of the weird parallels between Scar and Wrath: both nameless men, both selected by extraordinary means to help their people, both fighting for a force greater than them for reasons they don’t always understand… just to name a few. 
• I love the reveal that Scar finally got the matching alkahestry tattoos on his other arm so he can create and destroy, like his brother always wanted. *chef’s kiss* Perfection. 
• Besides his intense fighting skills (I mean, he catches a blade out of the air WITH HIS TEETH), we get to see Wrath’s depth of character in this scene when he asks for Scar’s real name (respectful), when he admits that he has nothing left to say to his wife (caring), and when he dies with a smile on his face (peaceful). 

4. Mustang vs. Lust (Episode 19)

Crispy Lust gives me nightmares, not gonna lie. 

In this clip, Al protects Hawkeye while she grieves for Mustang because she believes he’s been killed by Lust. Then, Mustang bursts through the door and burns Lust to death, maxing out her regenerative capabilities. 

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• Roy not only cauterized his stab wound with his flames and definitely has internal bleeding, but he also carved himself a new transmutation circle onto his hand so that he could continue fighting. What a badass. 
• Alphonse was willing to put himself, his armor, and his blood seal at risk to protect Hawkeye from Lust while she grieved for Mustang. If that’s not a good adoptive son, I don’t know what is. 
• This is one of the first times in FMAB that we get to see how close Mustang and Hawkeye really are, and I am here for it. Team Royai all day. 

3. Mustang vs. Envy (Episode 53)

Yes Mustang! You get that revenge!

Mustang finally finds out that Envy is the one who killed his best friend, Hughes, and seeks revenge in this clip. 

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• This is my favorite fight of Roy’s because he shows off so much. He uses his alchemy so flawlessly, using both targeted and loose attacks (hitting only Envy’s tongue vs. filling an entire tunnel with flames). 
• Mustang almost gets his revenge for Hughes’s wrongful death, threatening his own humanity in exchange. The only reason he doesn’t is because Scar and Hawkeye talk him down from doing so. Who knew Scar would save Mustang someday? 
• One of the best parts of this scene is that Roy is so overpowered. If only he’d been available to fight against a few more of the homunculi in earlier parts of the series, then maybe everything could have been resolved earlier. 

2. Ed vs. Father (Episode 63)

Father is part god and still gets defeated by a human. What a noob. 

This is Ed’s best fight in the whole series. Every time I watch it, I get goosebumps. In this scene, Ed fights Father, the head of the homunculi… and wins. 

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• Just before this clip, Alphonse sacrificed himself so that Ed could have his human arm back. Ed’s fury stems from this, and the raw emotion in the voice acting only emphasizes Ed’s loss and his anger toward Father for taking Al away from him. 
• I love the line “Get up you novice - I’m about to show you how outclassed you really are”. It’s so powerful and sassy, like Ed, that it’s one of my favorite lines in all of anime. (Plus, it mirrors a line Ed said to Father Cornello in Ep. 3, which is neat!). 
• The part that always makes me cry is when the crowd is cheering on Ed, particularly Riza’s “Kick his ass, Ed!” Everyone’s faith in Edward is so heartwarming and powerful. 

1. Al vs. Pride and Kimblee (Episode 52)

I have a lot of feelings about this scene, so buckle up. 

Now, if you know me, you know that Alphonse is my favorite FMA character, so it’s probably no surprise that this is my favorite fight scene. Here, we see Al’s growth as he kicks butt against both Pride and Kimblee, and he uses a Philosopher’s Stone to keep his advantage during the battle. 

What Makes This Scene Awesome: 

• To begin with, this scene is beautifully animated. The fighting itself is gorgeous, and the scene is stunning to watch even without sound. It’s artful, really. 
• We get to see Al’s growth in this battle, which is one of the best parts of FMA (we get to see change and aging in basically every character). Al uses advanced alchemy and fighting tactics to stay on top throughout the fight. My personal favorite is when he makes the dragon out of earth and rides it out of the smoke and dust. 
• The cat-and-mouse fighting is the highlight of this scene; We never really know who is going to come out of this fight alive, or who will emerge the victor. With both parties using trickery (like Al’s decoy flash grenade or Kimblee’s secret Philosopher’s Stone), we’re kept on our toes and at the edge of our seats, hoping that Al will win.

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