Uzumaki

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood vs. the 2003 Original, and Why It Matters

There are two different Fullmetal Alchemist anime adaptations of the same manga, and picking the wrong one for what you want is the single most common mistake new viewers make with this series.

Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009) are not the same story told twice — they diverge significantly partway through because the original 2003 anime was produced while the manga was still ongoing and had to write its own ending.

The 2003 series follows the manga faithfully for roughly the first third, then goes in a completely different direction with a darker, more philosophical original ending. It’s considered a strong story in its own right, but it is not what the manga’s story actually is.

Brotherhood was made after the manga finished, adapts the complete story faithfully from start to finish, and is what most fans and critics mean when they call this series one of the best-regarded anime ever made. If you only watch one version, this is the one to pick.

The core alchemy rule — Equivalent Exchange, “to obtain, something of equal value must be lost” — drives both versions’ plot and theme, but Brotherhood builds its entire narrative arc around testing and ultimately complicating that rule, which is why its ending lands as more thematically complete.

Watch Brotherhood if you’re only watching one. The 2003 original is worth it afterward as a genuinely different, not lesser, take — but starting there first means re-watching a large overlapping chunk when you inevitably want the “real” ending.

  • 1

    Brotherhood (2009)

    Complete, faithful adaptation of the finished manga — the version most commonly recommended and referenced as a genre landmark.

  • 2

    2003 original

    Follows the manga for roughly the first third, then diverges into its own original, darker ending. A distinct story, not an inferior copy.

  • 3

    Equivalent Exchange

    The core alchemy rule ("to obtain, something of equal value must be lost") drives both versions, with Brotherhood building its full arc around testing it.

  • Should I watch the 2003 version before Brotherhood?

    Most viewers are advised to start with Brotherhood since it's the complete, faithful story — the 2003 version is better appreciated afterward as a distinct alternate take, not a prerequisite.

  • Why are there two different anime for the same manga?

    The 2003 anime was produced while the manga was still being written and had to create its own ending; Brotherhood was made after the manga concluded and adapts it faithfully in full.