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.”
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.
The OG Series
2003 continuity, its own ending. No need to pair this with Brotherhood.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood — the manga-faithful retelling. Start here if picking one.
If you have not watched this, then you have not watched anything.
The route
Closes out the 2003 series only. Skip if you're watching Brotherhood instead.
2003-continuity DVD bonus shorts, no plot stakes.
Brotherhood-era bonus comedy shorts.
gag shorts based on the 4-koma spinoff manga.
a short promo preview for the Sacred Star of Milos movie.
Standalone Brotherhood-continuity side story. Watch after finishing Brotherhood.
That's the whole route, captain.
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