Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most beloved anime franchises to date, and for those who are new to the series, there’s quite a bit to watch and decisions that must be made in doing so.

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The first adaptation of the manga series was back in 2003 and simply titled Fullmetal Alchemist. At this time the manga was still being released, so the anime took some liberties in crafting its own ending. Years later, the series was once again adapted to anime but this time it was a true retelling of the story written by creator Hiromu Arakawa. This series was called Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Given that there are two different series, it can be confusing to know which one you should watch first or if you’ll need to watch them both.

Here is everything you need to know about watching Fullmetal Alchemist in order.

Fullmetal Alchemist watch order

You have multiple options for how to watch Fullmetal Alchemist given that Brotherhood has a drastically different story than the original anime series. For example, you can stick to simply watching the content from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood onwards to get the best representation of the manga’s story.

If you’re looking to watch everything there is in the Fullmetal Alchemist universe, then here’s the order in which you’ll want to go about watching it:

• Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)
• Fullmetal Alchemist The Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa (2003)
• Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009)
• Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Special: The Blind Alchemist (2009)
• Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Special: Simple People (2009)
• Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Special: The Tale of Teacher (2010)
• Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Special: Yet Another Man’s Battlefield (2010)
• Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos (2011)

This order will give you an optimal viewing experience and will eliminate any confusion you may have about how to enjoy the popular series.

As mentioned before, Fullmetal Alchemist differs greatly from Brotherhood and the latter is widely respected as the better of the two so we strongly suggest skipping the original series if you’re a new viewer.

Whatever you choose to do, you’re in for a treat stepping into the world of this iconic anime.

Here’s how you can watch Fullmetal Alchemist online

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is currently available for streaming on Crunchyroll. However, if you run into any location-based restrictions trying to stream through this platform, you might want to consider using a VPN (or Virtual Private Network).

VPNs allow you to alter your viewing location to another country and access more shows & movies across all your streaming platforms of choice. The easiest way to get a VPN is by signing up for a paid VPN service, such as ExpressVPN or NordVPN. Even better, both options offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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