Significance of Oct. 3 for the Elric Brothers in Fullmetal Alchemist

In the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, the character Edward Elric’s State Alchemist watch has a secret message engraved on its inside. The message reads, “Don’t forget 3, Oct. 11.” The date has even become a real-world day for fans to show their love for Fullmetal Alchemist. However, the grim meaning behind the message is not something Edward is eager to share with others. The message was a personal secret of Edward’s, and he sealed the watch with his alchemy. The only way to open it was with alchemy or tools. The fact that he kept this message in such an important and personal place spoke to its significance, but what does it mean?

Edward’s childhood friend Winry Rockbell knows the answer, though it’s not a pleasant one. 3, Oct. 11, is the day the Elrics set fire to their house and began their journey to find the Philosopher’s Stone. This event marks a turning point in the Elric brothers’ lives, and it sets them on the path that the story of Fullmetal Alchemist follows. However, even if they’re going on a journey, destroying their own home seems excessive. Winry probably won’t say much about it since it’s a touchy subject. Thankfully, viewers have the rest of the series to contextualize the Elrics’ actions and see what leads them to this choice.

To understand the Elrics’ actions, it is necessary to look at the events leading up to it. As children and budding alchemists, Ed and Al lived a peaceful life with their mother, Trisha. When Trisha died from illness, the boys tried using alchemy to resurrect her. Unfortunately, Human Transmutation is a strictly taboo practice in the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, and it always has terrible

Edward’s childhood friend Winry Rockbell knows the answer, though it’s not a pleasant one. 3, Oct. 11, is the day the Elrics set fire to their house and began their journey to find the Philosopher’s Stone. This event marks a turning point in the Elric brothers’ lives, and it sets them on the path that the story of Fullmetal Alchemist follows. However, even if they’re going on a journey, destroying their own home seems excessive. Winry probably won’t say much about it since it’s a touchy subject. Thankfully, viewers have the rest of the series to contextualize the Elrics’ actions and see what leads them to this choice.

To understand the Elrics’ actions, it is necessary to look at the events leading up to it. As children and budding alchemists, Ed and Al lived a peaceful life with their mother, Trisha. When Trisha died from illness, the boys tried using alchemy to resurrect her. Unfortunately, Human Transmutation is a strictly taboo practice in the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, and it always has terrible consequences. The boys’ attempt to bring their mother back to life resulted in them each losing parts of their bodies. Ed lost his left leg, while Al lost his entire body. In an attempt to save his brother’s soul, Ed sacrificed his right arm to bind Al’s soul to a nearby suit of armor.

Despite everything they lost, the thing that was supposed to be their revived mother turned out to be a mangled abomination of flesh and blood. This horrifying experience taught the boys the harsh lesson that attempting to defy the laws of alchemy and nature always comes with dire consequences.

The Elric brothers were left with a newfound problem: how to restore their bodies to their original state. Their opportunity arrived in the form of the military, specifically Lt. Roy Mustang, who offered Ed the chance to try out to become a State Alchemist. Ed realized that by joining the military, he could use their research materials to find the Philosopher’s Stone, which could bypass the laws of alchemy. With this in mind, he took Mustang up on his offer with the hope of using the Stone’s power to restore himself and his brother.

This is where 3, Oct. 11 comes into the picture. On this day in 1911 (or 1910 in the 2003 anime), the Elrics set fire to their old family home. According to them, destroying their old home symbolized their resolve to leave the past behind and head towards their goal of restoring their bodies. This was what Edward said, but there is another interpretation of this action: according to their father, Hoenheim, Edward burned down his house not to commit to the future but rather to run away from the past. Hoenheim believed that Ed felt guilty about trying to transmute Trisha, which caused Alphonse to lose his body.

It’s worth noting that the date changes by a year between the two anime adaptations. In the 2003 series, Edward spent a year under Shou Tucker’s roof as he trained for the State Alchemy Exam, so he set fire to his own roof a year earlier. In both FMAB and the manga, the house isn’t burned down until after he passed his exam.

Regardless of the slight variation in the date, the significance of 3, Oct. 11 remains the same. It was a pivotal moment in the Elric brothers’ lives, as it marked the beginning of their journey to restore their bodies and find the Philosopher’s Stone. It was also a moment that had significant emotional weight for Edward, which is why he inscribed it on the inside of his pocket watch. The watch became a symbol of his resolve to reach his goal and the reminder of the sacrifices he and his brother made to get there.

In conclusion, Fullmetal Alchemist is a story that explores the consequences of playing God and attempting to defy the laws of nature. The Elric brothers’ journey to restore their bodies and find the Philosopher’s Stone is a tale of redemption, sacrifice, and the importance of accepting the consequences of one’s actions. The significance of 3, Oct. 11 is just one small part of the larger story, but it serves as a reminder of the journey that the Elric brothers took and the sacrifices they made along the way.

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