What's the Best Way to Watch Fullmetal Alchemist?

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A definitive guide to watching FMA in release and chronological order

Co-authored by Richard Moore and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: February 4, 2026 Fact Checked

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Release Order

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Chronological Order

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About the Series

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Should you skip anything?

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Are there any filler episodes?

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Where to Watch

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Tips

If you’re preparing to dive into the wild world of Fullmetal Alchemist, you have a lot to look forward to…but that also means you have a lot of content to sort through. Not to worry—we’re here to help! It can be a little confusing to figure out the “proper” watch order for Fullmetal Alchemist since there are two different anime series and a movie trilogy (along with other animated features and OVAs). But with our guide—featuring watch-lists organized by release date and chronological order—you’ll have a plan ready in no time.

A Brief Fullmetal Alchemist Watch Order

Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa (2005)
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Special OVAs (2009 - 2010)
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos (2011)
Fullmetal Alchemist (Movie, 2017)
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar (2022)
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Last Transmutation (2022)

Section 1 of 6:

How to Watch Fullmetal Alchemist in Release Order

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It’s definitely easiest to organize your Fullmetal Alchemist content by release order, since two different series and a movie trilogy all cover the same base source material. Nonetheless, each show and movie offers a different take on the Fullmetal Alchemist universe; you can pick one version of the story to watch, or just watch them all! The release order list is:
- Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)
- Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa (2005)
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA - The Blind Alchemist (2009)
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA - Simple People (2009)
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA - The Tale of Teacher (2010)
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA - Yet Another Man’s Battlefield (2010)
- Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos (2011)
- Fullmetal Alchemist (Movie, 2017)
- Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar (2022)
- Fullmetal Alchemist: The Last Transmutation (2022)

Section 2 of 6:

How to Watch Fullmetal Alchemist in Chronological Order

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“Chronological” order doesn’t really apply in the Fullmetal Alchemist fandom, since its main entries (the 2003 series, 2009 series, and the 2017 movies) all cover the same source material.^{[1]
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Richard Moore
Anime Expert

Expert Interview} However, each series (FMA and Brotherhood) does technically have accompanying movies and OVAs (original video animations). So, we’ve organized all existing FMA content into three categories, and listed everything chronologically:
- The Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) timeline:
  - Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)
  - Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa (2005)
- The Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood timeline:
  - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)
  - Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos (2011)
  - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA - The Blind Alchemist (2009)
  - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA - Simple People (2009)
  - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA - The Tale of Teacher (2010)
  - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA - Yet Another Man’s Battlefield (2010)
- The Fullmetal Alchemist movie timeline:
  - Fullmetal Alchemist (2017)
  - Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar (2022)
  - Fullmetal Alchemist: The Last Transmutation (2022)

Section 3 of 6:

About the Fullmetal Alchemist Series

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Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)Fullmetal Alchemist is the story of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who embark on a search for the Philosopher’s Stone to heal their own bodies, which were damaged after attempting an alchemical resurrection on their mother.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Richard Moore
Anime Expert

Expert Interview} The 2003 series, Fullmetal Alchemist, is considered less faithful to the original manga, as the plot deviates after covering the first seven volumes of the manga.^{[3]
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- You can also watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Reflections (released in 2005), which is a 55-minute recap of the entire 2003 series.
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Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa (2005)Conqueror of Shamballa is a direct sequel to the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist, in which Edward Elric makes a return to his homeworld from the parallel world in which he’s been living. His actions draw the attention of the Thule Society, which then invades Edward’s world as well.
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Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is yet another adaptation of the FMA manga—and this one covers the source material from start to finish!^{[4]
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Expert Source

Richard Moore
Anime Expert

Expert Interview} In the story, brothers Edward and Alphonse attempt to find the Philosopher’s Stone, only to uncover a government conspiracy along the way.^{[5]
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Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Special Episodes (OVAs)The four special episodes, or OVAs, accompanying Brotherhood are considered non-canon—they fall outside the main story, but they’re fun bonus adventures for fans of the show to enjoy! They are:^{[6]
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- The Blind Alchemist - Edward and Alphonse investigate claims of an alchemist said to have performed a successful human transmutation.
- Simple People - Edward and Alphonse buy souvenirs for Winry—and get into trouble with an assassin along the way.
- The Tale of the Teacher - An exploration of Izumi (Edward and Alphonse’s teacher) and her past, starting from the age of 18.
- Yet Another Man’s Battlefield - An exploration of the relationship between Roy Mustang and his best friend (and rival) Maes Hughes.
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Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos (2011)This FMA movie is set during the events of Brotherhood, and it’s an original (bonus) story—meaning it’s not from the manga. In the movie, Edward and Alphonse encounter an escaped convict, Melvin Voyager, and are drawn into a conflict within the land of Milos, where the people are beginning to rebel against their rulers.^{[7]
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Fullmetal Alchemist (2017)This is one in a trilogy of live-action movies following the events of the manga series. Fullmetal Alchemist (2017) covers the first four volumes of the manga; in the movie, Edward and Alphonse become State Alchemists and attempt to hunt down the Philosopher’s Stone—before discovering a shocking secret about it.
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Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar (2022)The Revenge of Scar is a sequel to Fullmetal Alchemist, wherein the Elric brothers go toe-to-toe with Scar—an enemy determined to punish alchemists for their sins.
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Fullmetal Alchemist: The Last Transmutation (2022)The Last Transmutation is the final film in the live-action trilogy. In it, Ed and Alphonse must escape the Homunculi Gluttony…and stop the Homunculi from bringing about armageddon on Earth.

Section 4 of 6:

Should you skip Fullmetal Alchemist or Brotherhood?

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You don’t have to watch both, but each offers a different take on the manga. Anyone wanting to get the full Fullmetal Alchemist experience might want to watch both, because even though they’re based on the same source material, they ultimately don’t tell the same story. However, if you don’t want to watch both, you definitely don’t have to (especially since FMA is harder to find than FMAB). If you want, you can skip FMA and just watch FMAB instead.^{[8]
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Richard Moore
Anime Expert

Expert Interview}
- The original Fullmetal Alchemist deviates quite a bit from the manga, while Brotherhood is much more faithful to its source material. So, if you do want to watch both, each show will be a unique experience.

Section 5 of 6:

Are there any filler episodes in Fullmetal Alchemist?

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Both Fullmetal Alchemist series have only a couple of filler episodes. In the original Fullmetal Alchemist (2003), the only episodes that qualify as “filler” (meaning you don’t need to watch them to follow the plot) are episode 4, “A Forger’s Love,” episode 10, “The Phantom Thief,” and episode 37, “The Flame Alchemist, the Bachelor Lieutenant & the Mystery of Warehouse 13.”
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, on the other hand, only really has a single filler episode that’s safe to skip—episode 27, “Interlude Party,” which is a clip show-type episode.

Section 6 of 6:

Where to Watch Fullmetal Alchemist

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The first Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) series, sadly, isn’t available to stream anywhere in the U.S. To watch it, you’ll have to buy the DVD set or use a VPN to access another country’s streaming platforms. Fortunately, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is much more accessible; it’s available to stream on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. Additionally, Crunchyroll will let you stream the first 25 episodes for free (no premium membership needed).
- The Conqueror of Shamballa movie is available on Crunchyroll with a subscription.
- While The Sacred Star of Milos used to be on Netflix, it isn’t currently available—but you can still buy a DVD copy.
- The Fullmetal Alchemist live-action movies are available exclusively on Netflix.