TV-Series
Description
In the anime Fullmetal Alchemist, the character known as Ira, which is the Spanish and Portuguese translation for Wrath, exists as two fundamentally different figures depending on which adaptation is being referenced. The 2003 anime series and the 2009 series Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (which follows the original manga) present completely distinct characters who share only a name and the title of the homunculus representing anger.
In the 2009 series and the manga, Ira is the homunculus Wrath, whose human name and public identity is King Bradley, the Führer of Amestris. He is a unique homunculus because he was not artificially created from nothing. Instead, he was originally a human orphan chosen for a secret military experiment to create the nation's supreme leader. He was the twelfth and only survivor of a process that infused a Philosopher's Stone into his body, which transformed him into a homunculus. As a result, he possesses the Ouroboros tattoo in his left eye, which he keeps permanently hidden under an eyepatch. His appearance is that of a fit, middle-aged man with black hair combed back and a distinctive mustache. He typically wears the formal uniform of the Amestrian military.
His personality is complex and contrasts with his name. While capable of immense fury in battle, he is often calm, calculating, and even displays a strange sense of humor, sometimes making jokes or sneaking away from his duties. Unlike other homunculi who despise humans, he has lived among them for decades and holds a certain tolerance for them. He has served Father loyally for many years, playing a crucial role in orchestrating the country's numerous conflicts, including the Ishvalan civil war, to create the Philosopher's Stones needed for his creator's grand plan. Despite this loyalty, he secretly seems to enjoy the unexpected complications that Edward and Alphonse Elric introduce into Father's carefully laid-out plan.
His primary homunculus ability is the "Ultimate Eye," which grants him superhuman predictive powers, allowing him to see an opponent's movements in slow motion and determine the best course of action in a fight. He is an extraordinarily skilled swordsman, capable of wielding multiple blades simultaneously and defeating several highly trained opponents at once. He also possesses the standard homunculus traits of enhanced strength, speed, and regenerative healing, though his healing factor is notably weaker than his siblings because of his human origin, and he can still age, albeit slowly. He meets his end in a climactic battle with Scar, who, after blinding him during a solar eclipse, destroys his body with alchemy. In his final moments, he expresses a sense of liberation, fighting purely for the joy of battle without any master or purpose.
In the 2003 anime series, Ira is an entirely different character. He is not the Führer but rather a young boy, appearing to be under eleven years old, with very dark green hair and lilac eyes. His Ouroboros tattoo is located on the sole of his right foot. He is the homunculus born from Izumi Curtis's failed attempt to transmute her stillborn son back to life. The deformed result of her transmutation was cast into the Gate of Truth, where it existed for years. When Edward Elric performed his own human transmutation, the creature inside the Gate claimed Edward's right arm and left leg as they passed through. These stolen limbs allowed the being to eventually form a stable, human-like body and escape from the Gate.
Once free, Ira possesses a unique blend of abilities. Like all homunculi, he has enhanced physical capabilities. He also has an innate understanding of alchemy and, because he has Edward's limbs, can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle, a rare skill. Furthermore, his specific homunculus power is the ability to fuse his body with other materials or objects, including inorganic matter. His motivations are driven by a deep emotional conflict related to his origin. Initially quiet, timid, and innocent, he becomes bitter and angry after being manipulated by the homunculus Envy, who feeds him Red Stones. He develops a fierce hatred for Izumi Curtis for having created and abandoned him, believing the homunculus Sloth, who has the form of the Elric brothers' mother, to be his true mother. His primary motivation becomes a desperate desire to become fully human, initially by trying to steal Edward's body.
Throughout the 2003 series, Ira serves as a tragic antagonist, moving between the homunculi and his conflicted feelings toward his creator. He is present for the death of Sloth, which sends him into profound despair. In the film Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa, which serves as a sequel to the 2003 anime, he has become melancholic and has lost his hatred for Izumi. He ultimately sacrifices himself by allowing a mutated Gluttony to consume him, using his own being as part of a transmutation circle to help Alphonse Elric open the Gate. In his final moment, he is shown reuniting with the spirit of Izumi Curtis inside the Gate, finally finding peace by returning to his true mother.
In the 2009 series and the manga, Ira is the homunculus Wrath, whose human name and public identity is King Bradley, the Führer of Amestris. He is a unique homunculus because he was not artificially created from nothing. Instead, he was originally a human orphan chosen for a secret military experiment to create the nation's supreme leader. He was the twelfth and only survivor of a process that infused a Philosopher's Stone into his body, which transformed him into a homunculus. As a result, he possesses the Ouroboros tattoo in his left eye, which he keeps permanently hidden under an eyepatch. His appearance is that of a fit, middle-aged man with black hair combed back and a distinctive mustache. He typically wears the formal uniform of the Amestrian military.
His personality is complex and contrasts with his name. While capable of immense fury in battle, he is often calm, calculating, and even displays a strange sense of humor, sometimes making jokes or sneaking away from his duties. Unlike other homunculi who despise humans, he has lived among them for decades and holds a certain tolerance for them. He has served Father loyally for many years, playing a crucial role in orchestrating the country's numerous conflicts, including the Ishvalan civil war, to create the Philosopher's Stones needed for his creator's grand plan. Despite this loyalty, he secretly seems to enjoy the unexpected complications that Edward and Alphonse Elric introduce into Father's carefully laid-out plan.
His primary homunculus ability is the "Ultimate Eye," which grants him superhuman predictive powers, allowing him to see an opponent's movements in slow motion and determine the best course of action in a fight. He is an extraordinarily skilled swordsman, capable of wielding multiple blades simultaneously and defeating several highly trained opponents at once. He also possesses the standard homunculus traits of enhanced strength, speed, and regenerative healing, though his healing factor is notably weaker than his siblings because of his human origin, and he can still age, albeit slowly. He meets his end in a climactic battle with Scar, who, after blinding him during a solar eclipse, destroys his body with alchemy. In his final moments, he expresses a sense of liberation, fighting purely for the joy of battle without any master or purpose.
In the 2003 anime series, Ira is an entirely different character. He is not the Führer but rather a young boy, appearing to be under eleven years old, with very dark green hair and lilac eyes. His Ouroboros tattoo is located on the sole of his right foot. He is the homunculus born from Izumi Curtis's failed attempt to transmute her stillborn son back to life. The deformed result of her transmutation was cast into the Gate of Truth, where it existed for years. When Edward Elric performed his own human transmutation, the creature inside the Gate claimed Edward's right arm and left leg as they passed through. These stolen limbs allowed the being to eventually form a stable, human-like body and escape from the Gate.
Once free, Ira possesses a unique blend of abilities. Like all homunculi, he has enhanced physical capabilities. He also has an innate understanding of alchemy and, because he has Edward's limbs, can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle, a rare skill. Furthermore, his specific homunculus power is the ability to fuse his body with other materials or objects, including inorganic matter. His motivations are driven by a deep emotional conflict related to his origin. Initially quiet, timid, and innocent, he becomes bitter and angry after being manipulated by the homunculus Envy, who feeds him Red Stones. He develops a fierce hatred for Izumi Curtis for having created and abandoned him, believing the homunculus Sloth, who has the form of the Elric brothers' mother, to be his true mother. His primary motivation becomes a desperate desire to become fully human, initially by trying to steal Edward's body.
Throughout the 2003 series, Ira serves as a tragic antagonist, moving between the homunculi and his conflicted feelings toward his creator. He is present for the death of Sloth, which sends him into profound despair. In the film Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa, which serves as a sequel to the 2003 anime, he has become melancholic and has lost his hatred for Izumi. He ultimately sacrifices himself by allowing a mutated Gluttony to consume him, using his own being as part of a transmutation circle to help Alphonse Elric open the Gate. In his final moment, he is shown reuniting with the spirit of Izumi Curtis inside the Gate, finally finding peace by returning to his true mother.