TV-Series
Description
Father, also known as the Pai dos Homúnculos, is the central antagonist of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. He is the original homunculus, a being first known as the Dwarf in the Flask, created in the ancient nation of Xerxes from the blood of a slave who would later receive the name Van Hohenheim. The king's chief alchemist produced him during an experiment intended to obtain infinite knowledge, resulting in a small, sentient creature confined inside a glass flask. While imprisoned, he befriended the slave known only as Number 23, taught him to read and practice alchemy, and gave him the name Van Hohenheim. Father later deceived the king of Xerxes into constructing a nationwide transmutation circle, which sacrificed the entire population of the country. Using the collected human souls, he formed a Philosopher's Stone, granted himself and Hohenheim new human bodies, and took on an appearance nearly identical to Hohenheim's.
In personality, Father was originally charming, articulate, and lively, described as being full of human emotions. After obtaining his human form, however, he cast out the seven vices he considered weaknesses and expelled them from himself as the homunculi Pride, Wrath, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Greed, and Sloth. Following that separation, his demeanor became cold, stoic, and detached. He holds human beings in contempt, regarding them as insignificant insects, and is entirely willing to sacrifice countless lives for his own ends. His cunning and ruthlessness are accompanied by a deep-seated envy of humanity. Although he despises people, he longs to possess what they have, particularly the capacity for connection and growth, and to overcome the limitations imposed on him as an artificial being.
Father's chief motivation is to elevate himself to godhood and acquire ultimate knowledge and power, which he believes will grant him true freedom. To achieve this, he secretly controls the nation of Amestris from the shadows, directing his homunculi to manipulate political and military events. The Ishval Civil War and other large-scale conflicts are engineered as part of a long-term scheme to cover the entire country with a transmutation circle fueled by human death and suffering. On the Promised Day, during a solar eclipse, he activates this circle, absorbs the souls of the people of Amestris, opens the Gate of Truth, and temporarily absorbs the entity beyond it. His triumph is brief, as Hohenheim's preparations and a coordinated resistance wear him down. Edward Elric ultimately pierces his body and releases the trapped souls, causing Father to be dragged back into the Gate of Truth, where he is stripped of his freedom and reduced to a diminished being.
Father's most important relationship is with Van Hohenheim, who is both the source of his creation and his mirror image. The two share bodies derived from the same Philosopher's Stone, each containing the souls of the citizens of Xerxes, and their rivalry spans centuries. Father also serves as the father of the seven homunculi, having created them from his own discarded sins. Pride, the eldest, is his most faithful servant and often acts as his eyes and hands. Wrath, in the form of King Bradley, was created by a different method and lacks the regeneration of the others. Greed stands apart as the one who rebels against him. Father's relationship with the Elric brothers is one of open antagonism, with Edward representing everything Father dismisses about humanity and ultimately becoming the one who brings about his ruin.
Father's development follows the escalation of his plan. He begins as a clever and secretive manipulator, advances to openly seizing power when his transmutation circle is complete, and ends with the exposure of his emptiness after defeat. Though he briefly achieves his goal of touching godhood, his inability to understand human bonds and his disregard for individual life prove to be his greatest weaknesses, and his final state strips him of nearly everything he had gained.
As a living Philosopher's Stone, Father is extraordinarily powerful. He possesses immense alchemical abilities, is effectively immortal, and can manipulate souls and matter with ease. His power enables him to create the homunculi and grant each one exceptional gifts, such as the Ultimate Spear, the Ultimate Shield, and the Ultimate Eye. At his peak, after absorbing the being beyond the Gate of Truth, he can reshape the world around him, generate celestial bodies, and demonstrate strength that requires the combined efforts of many skilled and determined opponents to overcome.
In personality, Father was originally charming, articulate, and lively, described as being full of human emotions. After obtaining his human form, however, he cast out the seven vices he considered weaknesses and expelled them from himself as the homunculi Pride, Wrath, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Greed, and Sloth. Following that separation, his demeanor became cold, stoic, and detached. He holds human beings in contempt, regarding them as insignificant insects, and is entirely willing to sacrifice countless lives for his own ends. His cunning and ruthlessness are accompanied by a deep-seated envy of humanity. Although he despises people, he longs to possess what they have, particularly the capacity for connection and growth, and to overcome the limitations imposed on him as an artificial being.
Father's chief motivation is to elevate himself to godhood and acquire ultimate knowledge and power, which he believes will grant him true freedom. To achieve this, he secretly controls the nation of Amestris from the shadows, directing his homunculi to manipulate political and military events. The Ishval Civil War and other large-scale conflicts are engineered as part of a long-term scheme to cover the entire country with a transmutation circle fueled by human death and suffering. On the Promised Day, during a solar eclipse, he activates this circle, absorbs the souls of the people of Amestris, opens the Gate of Truth, and temporarily absorbs the entity beyond it. His triumph is brief, as Hohenheim's preparations and a coordinated resistance wear him down. Edward Elric ultimately pierces his body and releases the trapped souls, causing Father to be dragged back into the Gate of Truth, where he is stripped of his freedom and reduced to a diminished being.
Father's most important relationship is with Van Hohenheim, who is both the source of his creation and his mirror image. The two share bodies derived from the same Philosopher's Stone, each containing the souls of the citizens of Xerxes, and their rivalry spans centuries. Father also serves as the father of the seven homunculi, having created them from his own discarded sins. Pride, the eldest, is his most faithful servant and often acts as his eyes and hands. Wrath, in the form of King Bradley, was created by a different method and lacks the regeneration of the others. Greed stands apart as the one who rebels against him. Father's relationship with the Elric brothers is one of open antagonism, with Edward representing everything Father dismisses about humanity and ultimately becoming the one who brings about his ruin.
Father's development follows the escalation of his plan. He begins as a clever and secretive manipulator, advances to openly seizing power when his transmutation circle is complete, and ends with the exposure of his emptiness after defeat. Though he briefly achieves his goal of touching godhood, his inability to understand human bonds and his disregard for individual life prove to be his greatest weaknesses, and his final state strips him of nearly everything he had gained.
As a living Philosopher's Stone, Father is extraordinarily powerful. He possesses immense alchemical abilities, is effectively immortal, and can manipulate souls and matter with ease. His power enables him to create the homunculi and grant each one exceptional gifts, such as the Ultimate Spear, the Ultimate Shield, and the Ultimate Eye. At his peak, after absorbing the being beyond the Gate of Truth, he can reshape the world around him, generate celestial bodies, and demonstrate strength that requires the combined efforts of many skilled and determined opponents to overcome.