TV-Series
Description
Pride is the first homunculus created by Father in the manga and the 2009 anime adaptation Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and he embodies the sin of pride itself. Father shaped him from his own discarded arrogance and feelings of superiority, making Pride roughly three hundred years old, the oldest of the seven homunculi, though he appears as a young child. In human society he poses as Selim Bradley, the adopted son of Führer King Bradley, who is himself revealed to be the homunculus Wrath. This disguise lets Pride move freely through Central City, gathering information and projecting an image of a polite, cheerful, and enthusiastic boy who charms the other characters, including the Elric brothers.
In terms of personality, Pride is cold, calculating, and deeply contemptuous of humanity. Unlike Envy, who taunts openly, Pride regards human beings almost as beneath his notice, dismissing them as short-lived and powerless. He is fiercely loyal to Father and considers himself and his fellow homunculi the natural superiors of humans. His pride also manifests as overconfidence, and he frequently underestimates his opponents in battle, a weakness that Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, and Van Hohenheim all exploit. Despite his cruel nature, he shows a genuine attachment to his adoptive mother, Mrs. Bradley, which introduces a surprising emotional layer to a creature that otherwise views humans with disdain.
Pride serves as Father's second-in-command among the homunculi, acting as a watchful overseer of their plans and of Central City itself. He plays a central role in the events leading up to the Promised Day, when Father attempts to absorb the nation of Amestris. Pride is responsible for overseeing the five human sacrifices required for Father's ritual, and he confronts the Elric brothers and their allies directly during the final battle. His relationships with the other homunculi are defined by his seniority and sense of superiority; he devours Gluttony to absorb his powerful sense of smell, and he later assimilates Solf J. Kimblee to gain the ability to use alchemy and create transmutation circles. His connection to Father is the most important, as his creation from Father's pride makes him a direct reflection of Father's arrogance and ambition.
Pride's true form is a shadowy, amorphous mass covered in eyes and mouths, resembling Father's original form as the Dwarf in the Flask. This form can stretch, reshape, and harden into spears, tendrils, and grasping arms that can impale, restrain, or lift opponents, and his many eyes allow him to observe events from great distances. He can consume other beings with the mouths scattered across his body and absorb their abilities, as seen with Gluttony and Kimblee. However, his powers depend on shadows, and his body requires a container to survive outside of it. His human vessel is Selim Bradley's body, while his other main container is the massive underground tunnel dug by Sloth around the perimeter of Amestris. He is vulnerable in absolute darkness, where no shadows exist, and in overwhelming light, which erases them, leaving his exposed shadow dissolved. He also cannot perform alchemy independently, which is why absorbing Kimblee was essential to his combat capability.
The end of his arc brings his downfall. During his final confrontation with Edward Elric, Edward converts himself into a human Philosopher's Stone to fight Pride's soul directly, and in the battle that follows, Pride is forced to confront his inner self: a frightened, fragile child rather than the supreme being he believed himself to be. He is defeated, and his body is destroyed, leaving only a small, fetus-like entity with a mark on its forehead. In the epilogue he is reborn as a younger Selim Bradley who retains the mark but has no memories of his past as Father's lieutenant, leaving his future ambiguous but no longer tied to his former role as a servant of Father's plan.
In terms of personality, Pride is cold, calculating, and deeply contemptuous of humanity. Unlike Envy, who taunts openly, Pride regards human beings almost as beneath his notice, dismissing them as short-lived and powerless. He is fiercely loyal to Father and considers himself and his fellow homunculi the natural superiors of humans. His pride also manifests as overconfidence, and he frequently underestimates his opponents in battle, a weakness that Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, and Van Hohenheim all exploit. Despite his cruel nature, he shows a genuine attachment to his adoptive mother, Mrs. Bradley, which introduces a surprising emotional layer to a creature that otherwise views humans with disdain.
Pride serves as Father's second-in-command among the homunculi, acting as a watchful overseer of their plans and of Central City itself. He plays a central role in the events leading up to the Promised Day, when Father attempts to absorb the nation of Amestris. Pride is responsible for overseeing the five human sacrifices required for Father's ritual, and he confronts the Elric brothers and their allies directly during the final battle. His relationships with the other homunculi are defined by his seniority and sense of superiority; he devours Gluttony to absorb his powerful sense of smell, and he later assimilates Solf J. Kimblee to gain the ability to use alchemy and create transmutation circles. His connection to Father is the most important, as his creation from Father's pride makes him a direct reflection of Father's arrogance and ambition.
Pride's true form is a shadowy, amorphous mass covered in eyes and mouths, resembling Father's original form as the Dwarf in the Flask. This form can stretch, reshape, and harden into spears, tendrils, and grasping arms that can impale, restrain, or lift opponents, and his many eyes allow him to observe events from great distances. He can consume other beings with the mouths scattered across his body and absorb their abilities, as seen with Gluttony and Kimblee. However, his powers depend on shadows, and his body requires a container to survive outside of it. His human vessel is Selim Bradley's body, while his other main container is the massive underground tunnel dug by Sloth around the perimeter of Amestris. He is vulnerable in absolute darkness, where no shadows exist, and in overwhelming light, which erases them, leaving his exposed shadow dissolved. He also cannot perform alchemy independently, which is why absorbing Kimblee was essential to his combat capability.
The end of his arc brings his downfall. During his final confrontation with Edward Elric, Edward converts himself into a human Philosopher's Stone to fight Pride's soul directly, and in the battle that follows, Pride is forced to confront his inner self: a frightened, fragile child rather than the supreme being he believed himself to be. He is defeated, and his body is destroyed, leaving only a small, fetus-like entity with a mark on its forehead. In the epilogue he is reborn as a younger Selim Bradley who retains the mark but has no memories of his past as Father's lieutenant, leaving his future ambiguous but no longer tied to his former role as a servant of Father's plan.