All watch orders Fullmetal Alchemist TV, Movie the Complete list
Watch order · 9 titles · updated Sep 2026

Fullmetal Alchemist TV, Movie the Complete list, in order

“There are two versions of this story. Here's which one to actually watch, and what's optional.”

The route, in numbers
9stops total
3truly essential
145episodes
~58hruntime
Spoiler Guard is on — notes stay clean until you tap them.
Your route
0 of 9 logged

Fullmetal Alchemist is the one series where "watch order" doesn't mean "watch everything in this exact sequence." It means pick a route. There are two complete adaptations of the same premise, and you only need one of them.

Route one: the 2003 series. It ran while Hiromu Arakawa's manga was still being written, so the studio ran out of source material around the halfway point and built its own ending from there. It's darker, slower, and finishes with Conqueror of Shamballa, a movie that exists purely to close out that 2003 story. If you go this way, that's the end of the story, full stop.

Route two: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Made once the manga was finished, it retells the story from scratch and follows Arakawa's actual ending all the way through. It's also the better first watch if you've never seen either version.

You don't need to watch both. Pick Brotherhood if you want the story as it was meant to end. Pick the 2003 series if you're curious what a different writers' room did with the same setup, or if you already finished Brotherhood and want more time with Edward and Alphonse. Either one is a complete, self-contained watch.

Everything else here is bonus material tied to whichever route it sits under: Reflections is a clip-show recap from the 2003 run, the Premium OVA Collection and Brotherhood's own OVA set are DVD-bundle shorts with no plot stakes, and the 4-koma Theater is just gag comedy based on the spinoff strip. Skip all of it without losing a thing.

The one movie worth catching on its own is Sacred Star of Milos, a standalone Brotherhood-continuity story set partway through the series. Watch it after you finish Brotherhood. It's a fun side-quest, not a piece of the main plot.

At the end, here's the short version: Brotherhood if you're picking one, the 2003 series plus Conqueror of Shamballa if you want the road not taken, and everything else is optional.

Era ONE · stops 01–02

The OG Series

2 stops
01
Fullmetal Alchemist
TV Essential 2003 · 51 ep · Season 1
Fullmetal Alchemist

2003 continuity, its own ending. No need to pair this with Brotherhood.

Log it Log it
02
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
TV Essential 2009 · 64 ep · Season 2
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood — the manga-faithful retelling. Start here if picking one.

Log it Log it
Era TWO · stops 03–09

The route

7 stops
03
Fullmetal Alchemist: Reflections
Special Optional 2005 · 1 ep · Special
Fullmetal Alchemist: Reflections

A clip-show recap special from the 2003 run.

Log it Log it
04
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie - Conqueror of Shamballa
Movie Optional 2005 · 1 ep · Movie
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie - Conqueror of Shamballa

Closes out the 2003 series only. Skip if you're watching Brotherhood instead.

Log it Log it
05
Fullmetal Alchemist: Premium OVA Collection
OVA Skippable 2006 · 3 ep · OVA
Fullmetal Alchemist: Premium OVA Collection

2003-continuity DVD bonus shorts, no plot stakes.

Log it Log it
06
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA Collection
Special Skippable 2009 · 4 ep · Special
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA Collection

Brotherhood-era bonus comedy shorts.

Log it Log it
07
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood 4-koma Theater
Special Skippable 2009 · 16 ep · Special
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood 4-koma Theater

gag shorts based on the 4-koma spinoff manga.

Log it Log it
08
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos PV
ONA Skippable 2011 · 4 ep · ONA
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos PV

a short promo preview for the Sacred Star of Milos movie.

Log it Log it
09
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos
Movie Essential 2011 · 1 ep · Movie
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos

Standalone Brotherhood-continuity side story. Watch after finishing Brotherhood.

Log it Log it
The finish line

That's the whole route, captain.

9 stops left on this route — 0% logged so far.

Log it to your profile

Track your route, captain.

Save this order to your account and Lifehaki remembers exactly where you stopped — down to the episode.

Join the haki — it's free