logo
logo
Sign in

Was Greed a Hero or Villain in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

avatar
Delhi Magazines
Was Greed a Hero or Villain in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

It is impossible to be an anime fan and not have heard about Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The show has been able to become arguably the most successful anime of all time. This has been made possible because of a great plot and the character development that stands unrivalled in the anime world. The diverse characters were able to speak for themself and create a fan-following of their own. One of the most intriguing characters on the show was Greed.

The show’s villain, Father, has the ambition of becoming God. A long time ago he was just a dwarf in a flask and was able to gain his Humanoid form by tricking the father of the show’s protagonist Edward Elric. But such lofty aspirations are hard to achieve. All villains usually need henchmen who are willing to take a great risk or even die. Father too understood this. So, he got rid of his seven sins and gave them a physical form. Those seven became the henchmen for Father. But all did not go as planned by Father. He didn’t know he was also creating someone who will turn his back on him.

Greed because of his differences with Father and six siblings decided to leave them behind and create a path of his own some three centuries ago. Greed wanted power for himself and didn’t wish to remain just a minion of Father. His rapacity was hard to contain. His lust for power and money made him take such a drastic step. He did succeed in creating a name for himself and created a group of thugs who followed him around.

When he met the Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric, he was already in search of the most important treasure that he ever pursued. He wished to obtain true immortality. He thought that he would be able to get his way with the Elric brothers and obtain it. But he could not have been more wrong. Greed proposed a deal for them. He told Edward Elric that if he tells him the secret to immortality, Greed will give him a Philosopher’s Stone in return. The deal was a very tempting one from the perspective of the Elric brothers who desperately wanted to get their hands on the Philosopher’s Stone.

In the eyes of Greed, the soul of Alphonse attached to a suit of armor was fascinating. He thought he too can achieve immortality this way. But Edward Elric did not accept his proposal which led to a fight between them. But soon after the fight broke out Fuhrer King Bradley himself defeated and caught Greed. He was then taken to the Father, where he refused to ally with the father again. He was then melted to make into a Philosopher’s Stone. But that was not the end for him.

When Prince Ling confronted Father, his body was used as a container for Greed, which he did not resist. But contrary to what everyone believed, Greed was not able to completely take control of Ling’s body. Since they both shared the same body now, they were able to communicate with one another. Ling being the great Prince of Xing stuck around and kept Greed on his toes. He repeatedly made Greed think over his actions which Greed was not used to doing. Once Greed met one of his old henchmen. But he was unable to recognize his leader. Greed became furious and killed him mercilessly. Prince Ling was appalled he told him that friends and allies are meant to be protected and not killed in such fashion. Ling’s constant questioning of Greed’s actions did affect him ultimately as he started feeling conflicted and began questioning if he was doing the right thing or not.

Ling’s companionship marked a pivotal moment in the life of Greed as he started changing his ways. He understood that human beings were not weak creatures as was believed by other Homunculus. But they were very significant beings who deserved to be respected and not underestimated. Although he might never say himself his real reasons for allying with the Elric brothers as he was too prideful to admit it. But his actions clearly showed how he was a different creature altogether. Now he valued people he lived with more than himself. This became apparent especially at the end of the show.

When Father was struggling to fight at the end, he tried to absorb Greed. Greed didn’t care for himself at this point all he wanted to do was kill him. Greed had the power to re-arrange carbon according to his wishes. So, he used this ability and made Father’s body as soft as the pencil lead. But aware of his approaching death, Father killed Greed in return of what he did to him. Greed knew that he had done what he had hoped for. He had saved all the people he cared for and loved. This conscious sacrifice of Greed marked the completion of his transition from a villain to a hero.

I’m Anny. I’m a social media manager living in USA. I am a fan of technology, design, and music. I’m also interested in fitness and movies. You can attend my event with a click on the button above.

Source: Was Greed a Hero or Villain in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

collect
0
avatar
Delhi Magazines
guide
Zupyak is the world’s largest content marketing community, with over 400 000 members and 3 million articles. Explore and get your content discovered.
Read more