Content & Trigger Warnings for Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)
17 content warnings identified across 2 seasons for this show.
Quick Summary
Yes, Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) contains 17 content warnings : Racial slurs / racism (depicted), Death of a child, Death of a parent, Grief / bereavement (major focus), Genocide / ethnic cleansing, Kidnapping / abduction, War / combat, Blood / medical gore, Body horror, Needles / medical procedures, Animal cruelty / animal death, Child abuse / harm to children, Gore / graphic violence, Gun violence, Self-harm / suicide (depicted), Slavery / forced labor, Torture.
The most severe warnings are for Racial slurs / racism (depicted) (severity 4/5), Death of a child (severity 5/5), Death of a parent (severity 4/5), Grief / bereavement (major focus) (severity 5/5), Genocide / ethnic cleansing (severity 5/5), War / combat (severity 5/5), Blood / medical gore (severity 4/5), Body horror (severity 5/5), Animal cruelty / animal death (severity 4/5), Child abuse / harm to children (severity 5/5), Gore / graphic violence (severity 5/5), Gun violence (severity 4/5), Torture (severity 4/5).
Check the full breakdown below before you watch.
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Does It Get Worse?
7 series-wide warnings apply across all seasons.
| Warning | Season | Severity | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identity & Discrimination | ||||
| Racial slurs / racism (depicted) | S1 | 4/5 | Depicted | Systematic racism against Ishvalans paralleling real-world genocide and ethnic cleansing |
| Racial slurs / racism (depicted) | S2 | 4/5 | Depicted | The aftermath and ongoing discrimination against Ishvalan survivors remains a central theme |
| Mental Health & Emotional | ||||
| Death of a child | S1 | 5/5 | Depicted | Nina dies after being transformed; the Elric brothers attempted to resurrect their mother as children |
| Death of a child | S2 | 4/5 | Depicted | Children die in the conflict; the homunculus Wrath was once a child subjected to experiments |
| Death of a parent | S1 | 4/5 | Depicted | The death of the Elric brothers' mother drives the entire plot; Hughes is murdered |
| Death of a parent | S2 | 4/5 | Depicted | The truth about Trisha Elric's transmutation and the fate of Hohenheim explored in depth |
| Death of a parent | All | 4/5 | Depicted | The Elric brothers' mother dies, which motivates their entire journey; Maes Hughes is murdered leaving his family. |
| Grief / bereavement (major focus) | S1 | 5/5 | Depicted | Pervasive grief from Nina's death, Hughes' murder, and the brothers' loss of their mother and bodies |
| Grief / bereavement (major focus) | S2 | 5/5 | Depicted | The brothers face the truth about their failed transmutation; widespread death and loss in the finale |
| Other | ||||
| Genocide / ethnic cleansing | S1 | 5/5 | Depicted | The Ishval massacre is a central plot point depicting military extermination of an ethnic group |
| Genocide / ethnic cleansing | S2 | 5/5 | Depicted | The full scope of the Ishval genocide is revealed with State Alchemists used as weapons of mass destruction |
| Kidnapping / abduction | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Characters are abducted by homunculi and other antagonists in multiple arcs. |
| War / combat | S1 | 4/5 | Depicted | Extensive Ishval War flashbacks showing military operations and battlefield violence |
| War / combat | S2 | 5/5 | Depicted | Large-scale military conflict and civil war form the climax with mass casualties |
| Phobias & Sensory | ||||
| Blood / medical gore | All | 4/5 | Depicted | Significant blood during combat and especially in alchemical experiments gone wrong. |
| Body horror | S1 | 5/5 | Depicted | Nina Tucker is fused with her dog into a chimera in one of anime's most disturbing scenes |
| Body horror | S2 | 5/5 | Depicted | Homunculi transformations, failed human transmutations, and the Dwarf in the Flask's true form |
| Body horror | All | 5/5 | Depicted | Failed human transmutation creates grotesque chimeras and deformed bodies; Tucker's chimera is deeply disturbing. |
| Needles / medical procedures | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Medical and alchemical procedures including automail surgery shown in painful detail |
| Needles / medical procedures | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Alchemical and medical procedures including automail attachment and laboratory experiments |
| Violence & Physical Harm | ||||
| Animal cruelty / animal death | All | 4/5 | Depicted | Animals are used in alchemical experiments, most notably Nina's dog Alexander being fused into a chimera. |
| Child abuse / harm to children | S1 | 5/5 | Depicted | Shou Tucker experiments on his own daughter Nina, transmuting her into a chimera |
| Child abuse / harm to children | S2 | 4/5 | Depicted | Children subjected to alchemical experiments including the creation of Wrath |
| Child abuse / harm to children | All | 5/5 | Depicted | Shou Tucker fuses his young daughter Nina with a dog to create a chimera—one of anime's most disturbing scenes. |
| Gore / graphic violence | S1 | 4/5 | Depicted | Graphic alchemy-based violence, dismemberment, and bloody combat throughout |
| Gore / graphic violence | S2 | 5/5 | Depicted | Increasingly graphic violence as the conspiracy escalates; homunculi deaths are visceral and disturbing |
| Gun violence | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | Military firearms used extensively in combat and assassination scenes |
| Gun violence | S2 | 4/5 | Depicted | Extensive military firearms combat during the civil war and coup sequences |
| Self-harm / suicide (depicted) | S2 | 3/5 | Depicted | Characters contemplate or attempt self-sacrifice; themes of self-destruction through alchemy |
| Slavery / forced labor | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Themes of people being used as tools and resources, including for Philosopher's Stone creation. |
| Torture | S1 | 4/5 | Depicted | Characters are tortured by homunculi and military figures in several arcs |
| Torture | S2 | 4/5 | Depicted | Extended torture sequences and psychological torment by the homunculi antagonists |
Identity & Discrimination
Systematic racism against Ishvalans paralleling real-world genocide and ethnic cleansing
The aftermath and ongoing discrimination against Ishvalan survivors remains a central theme
Mental Health & Emotional
Nina dies after being transformed; the Elric brothers attempted to resurrect their mother as children
Children die in the conflict; the homunculus Wrath was once a child subjected to experiments
The death of the Elric brothers' mother drives the entire plot; Hughes is murdered
The truth about Trisha Elric's transmutation and the fate of Hohenheim explored in depth
The Elric brothers' mother dies, which motivates their entire journey; Maes Hughes is murdered leaving his family.
Pervasive grief from Nina's death, Hughes' murder, and the brothers' loss of their mother and bodies
The brothers face the truth about their failed transmutation; widespread death and loss in the finale
Other
The Ishval massacre is a central plot point depicting military extermination of an ethnic group
The full scope of the Ishval genocide is revealed with State Alchemists used as weapons of mass destruction
Characters are abducted by homunculi and other antagonists in multiple arcs.
Extensive Ishval War flashbacks showing military operations and battlefield violence
Large-scale military conflict and civil war form the climax with mass casualties
Phobias & Sensory
Significant blood during combat and especially in alchemical experiments gone wrong.
Nina Tucker is fused with her dog into a chimera in one of anime's most disturbing scenes
Homunculi transformations, failed human transmutations, and the Dwarf in the Flask's true form
Failed human transmutation creates grotesque chimeras and deformed bodies; Tucker's chimera is deeply disturbing.
Medical and alchemical procedures including automail surgery shown in painful detail
Alchemical and medical procedures including automail attachment and laboratory experiments
Violence & Physical Harm
Animals are used in alchemical experiments, most notably Nina's dog Alexander being fused into a chimera.
Shou Tucker experiments on his own daughter Nina, transmuting her into a chimera
Children subjected to alchemical experiments including the creation of Wrath
Shou Tucker fuses his young daughter Nina with a dog to create a chimera—one of anime's most disturbing scenes.
Graphic alchemy-based violence, dismemberment, and bloody combat throughout
Increasingly graphic violence as the conspiracy escalates; homunculi deaths are visceral and disturbing
Military firearms used extensively in combat and assassination scenes
Extensive military firearms combat during the civil war and coup sequences
Characters contemplate or attempt self-sacrifice; themes of self-destruction through alchemy
Themes of people being used as tools and resources, including for Philosopher's Stone creation.
Characters are tortured by homunculi and military figures in several arcs
Extended torture sequences and psychological torment by the homunculi antagonists
