Fullmetal Alchemist Filler List: Both Series Covered with Every Episode Ranked

Compare filler across 2003 and Brotherhood with our complete Fullmetal Alchemist filler list. Two versions, one essential guide. ⚙️🔥

Devin Morris

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Jul 14, 2026

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min read

Fullmetal Alchemist Filler List: Both Series Covered with Every Episode Ranked

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Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the few anime franchises adapted twice, and both versions have almost no filler. FMA 2003 has 3 filler episodes out of 51 (6%). Brotherhood has 1 filler episode out of 64 (2%). Across 115 total episodes, you could count every skippable entry on one hand.

The list can get confusing because roughly half of FMA 2003 diverges from Hiromu Arakawa's manga entirely, and those episodes keep getting mislabeled as filler. They're not. They're the actual ending of a different story, told because the manga wasn't finished when the 2003 anime aired. Calling them filler is like calling an alternate ending a deleted scene.

With Arakawa's new anime Yomi no Tsugai premiering on Netflix in July 2026 (animated by Bones Film, the same studio family behind both FMA series), fans are circling back to her original masterpiece. Whether you're starting fresh or revisiting the Elric brothers, here's the only FMA filler list that covers both anime in one place with honest verdicts.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Quick Episode Stats

Stat	FMA 2003	Brotherhood
Total Episodes	51	64
Filler Episodes	3 (Eps 4, 10, 37)	1 (Ep 27)
Filler Percentage	6%	2%
Source Material	Manga (partially adapted)	Manga (fully adapted)
Studio	Bones	Bones
Aired	2003-2004	2009-2010
Films	Conqueror of Shamballa (2005)	Sacred Star of Milos (2011)

Fullmetal Alchemist filler barely exists because both adaptations had strong source material to draw from, and neither studio padded the runtime with throwaway content. The 2003 version ran ahead of the manga and wrote its own ending rather than inserting filler arcs. Brotherhood waited until the manga was nearly complete before starting, which is why it adapts all 27 volumes with almost nothing added. For context, Naruto sits at 41% filler and Bleach at 45%. FMA's combined rate across both series is under 4%.

One critical note: FMA 2003's anime-original episodes (roughly Episodes 29 onward) are labeled "Anime Canon" in the tables below, not filler. They tell a complete alternate storyline with its own ending. Treating them as filler misrepresents what the 2003 series actually is.

Complete Fullmetal Alchemist Filler & Skip/Watch List

Since the Fullmetal Alchemist filler episodes across both series total only four, a pure skip list would barely fill a sentence. The tables below cover FMA 2003 and Brotherhood arc by arc, with verdicts on every stretch and clear labels for the actual filler.

FMA 2003: The Shared Canon (Episodes 1-28)

Episodes	Content	Type	Verdict
1-3	Introduction, Liore, Backstory	Manga Canon	Watch. A stronger, slower introduction to the Elric brothers than Brotherhood's version. Takes its time establishing the world and the brothers' bond. Many fans recommend experiencing these episodes in FMA 2003 even if you plan to switch to Brotherhood afterward.
4	"A Forger's Love"	Filler	Skip. A standalone about a counterfeiter. Mildly entertaining but completely disposable. The first of only three pure filler episodes in the entire series.
5-9	Tucker Arc, Hughes, Laboratory 5	Manga Canon	Watch. Includes the Nina Tucker episode, one of the most devastating sequences in anime history. FMA 2003 spreads the Tucker story across more episodes than Brotherhood does, giving you time to care before the horror. Essential viewing.
10	"The Phantom Thief"	Filler	Skip. A lighthearted thief-of-the-week story. Fun tone but zero impact on the plot.
11-28	Continuing Shared Canon	Manga Canon / Mixed	Watch. The stretch where both anime cover roughly the same ground: the Hughes tragedy, the Fifth Laboratory, and the introduction of Greed. FMA 2003 gives several of these beats more room to breathe than Brotherhood's faster pace allows.

FMA 2003: The Divergence (Episodes 29-51)

Episodes	Content	Type	Verdict
29-36	Anime-Original Storyline Begins	Anime Canon	Watch. The manga hadn't finished, so the anime forges its own path. Different Homunculi origins, a darker tone, and storylines that connect the Homunculi personally to the main cast. The shift is jarring if you know Brotherhood's version, but the 2003 interpretation asks genuinely different questions about the same premise.
37	"The Flame Alchemist, The Bachelor Lieutenant & The Mystery of Warehouse 13"	Filler	Skip. The third and final pure filler episode. A comedic Mustang standalone that's completely disconnected from the story.
38-51	Anime-Original Conclusion	Anime Canon	Watch. The 2003 series builds to an ending that splits the brothers across parallel worlds. It's controversial, it's bleak, and it's the story this version chose to tell. Conqueror of Shamballa (2005) serves as the true finale if you make it here. Skipping Episodes 29-51 means you watched half a show.

FMA Brotherhood (Episodes 1-64)

Episodes	Content	Type	Verdict
1	"Fullmetal Alchemist" (Ice Alchemist)	Anime Original	Watch. An anime-exclusive prologue not in the manga. Introduces the cast and tone through an original conflict. Some fans call it filler, but it functions as a cold open and sets the stage well.
2-26	Early Arcs (Liore through Greed)	Manga Canon	Watch. Brotherhood moves through the early arcs faster than FMA 2003, condensing material like the Tucker arc into fewer episodes. If you watched FMA 2003 first, this stretch will feel like a speedrun of familiar ground. It still works as a first exposure, but the emotional beats hit harder with FMA 2003's pacing as a reference point.
27	"Interlude Party"	Filler	Skip. The one undisputed filler episode in Brotherhood. A recap of the first 26 episodes framed as a party. Offers minor Hohenheim characterization but nothing you need.
28-64	The Complete Story	Manga Canon	Watch. Every single episode. This is where Brotherhood becomes the definitive adaptation and one of the greatest anime ever made. The Promised Day, Father's plan, the nationwide transmutation circle, and a finale that earns every emotional beat it reaches for. No skips. Not one.

Films and OVAs

Content	Type	Verdict
Conqueror of Shamballa (2005)	Sequel to FMA 2003	Watch if you watched FMA 2003. Completes the 2003 storyline. Essential for that version, irrelevant to Brotherhood.
Sacred Star of Milos (2011)	Brotherhood side story	Skip. A standalone adventure that doesn't connect to Brotherhood's main plot. Fine on its own, but entirely optional.
OVAs (both series)	Bonus content	Watch if you want more. Short side stories and extras. None essential, all enjoyable for fans who want more time in the world.

Secretly Peak: FMA Episodes Worth Defending

Any Fullmetal Alchemist filler list can give you the four episodes to skip. These three picks are the ones worth protecting.

FMA 2003's Tucker Arc (Episodes 6-7)

Brotherhood handles Tucker in a single devastating episode. FMA 2003 gives the story two, letting you spend more time with Nina and Alexander before the betrayal. The extra runtime makes the horror land harder because you've had the space to care. Fans who only know Brotherhood's version have experienced the shock but not the full weight of the grief that follows. The 2003 pacing is the reason this moment became one of anime's most infamous scenes.

Brotherhood Episode 19: "Death of the Undying"

The Lust confrontation. Mustang's flames, Hawkeye's breakdown, and one of the most visually stunning action sequences in the entire franchise. Often cited as the moment Brotherhood shifts from "great adaptation" to "all-time classic." The animation quality spikes, the stakes become genuinely lethal, and the series announces that it's done holding back.

FMA 2003's Homunculi

The 2003 version gives the Homunculi a completely different origin: each one is born from a failed human transmutation attempt. Sloth is the Elric brothers' mother. Wrath is Izumi's son. These connections make the Homunculi personal in a way Brotherhood's "creations of Father" structure doesn't attempt. Neither version is wrong. Brotherhood's Homunculi serve a grander plot. FMA 2003's Homunculi serve the characters. Both work, and experiencing both sharpens your appreciation for what each version prioritizes.

Hot Take: FMA 2003 Isn't the Wrong Version, It's the Other Answer

The community consensus has crowned Brotherhood as the definitive Fullmetal Alchemist, and that's fair. Brotherhood adapts the complete manga, delivers a more satisfying final arc, and earns its permanent seat near the top of every "best anime" ranking.

But framing FMA 2003 as the "lesser" version, or treating its anime-original content as glorified FMA filler, sells it short. The 2003 series handles the early arcs with more patience and emotional weight. Its Homunculi carry personal connections to the Elric brothers that Brotherhood never attempts. Its tone is darker and more willing to sit in grief rather than push toward resolution. And its ending, while divisive, asks a genuinely different philosophical question than Brotherhood's triumphant finale.

The real equivalent exchange isn't choosing one version over the other. It's watching both and letting each one illuminate what the other couldn't reach.

The Law of Equivalent Exchange (Applied to Your Watch List)

The Fullmetal Alchemist filler list is one of the shortest in anime: 3 episodes in FMA 2003, 1 in Brotherhood, and nothing else worth skipping. But the number was never the point of this guide.

The point was cutting through the confusion that surrounds this franchise. FMA 2003's anime-original content is not filler. Brotherhood's Episode 1 is not a waste of your time. And the question of which version to watch has never been "either/or" for anyone willing to invest in both. Use the verdicts above, skip the four episodes that genuinely don't matter, and give both Elric brothers' journeys the time they earned.

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FAQ

Does Fullmetal Alchemist have filler?

Very little. FMA 2003 has 3 filler episodes (4, 10, and 37) for a 6% filler rate. Brotherhood has 1 filler episode (27) for a 2% rate. The combined filler across both series is under 4%, making FMA one of the leanest major anime franchises.

Which Fullmetal Alchemist filler episodes can I skip?

In FMA 2003: Episodes 4 ("A Forger's Love"), 10 ("The Phantom Thief"), and 37 ("The Flame Alchemist, The Bachelor Lieutenant & The Mystery of Warehouse 13"). In Brotherhood: Episode 27 ("Interlude Party"). All other episodes are canon or anime canon and contribute to their respective stories.

Should I watch FMA 2003 or Brotherhood first?

Brotherhood is the complete manga adaptation and works perfectly as a standalone watch. However, starting with FMA 2003's early episodes (1-28) gives you a stronger, more patient introduction to the characters and world. Many fans recommend FMA 2003 first for emotional grounding, then Brotherhood for the full story. Either order works.

Is FMA 2003's anime-original content filler?

No. Episodes 29-51 of FMA 2003 tell a complete alternate storyline with its own ending, created because the manga wasn't finished when the anime aired. They are anime canon, not filler. Conqueror of Shamballa (2005) serves as the conclusion to this storyline.

Is Sacred Star of Milos worth watching?

Only if you want a standalone FMA adventure. The film doesn't connect to Brotherhood's main plot and introduces characters who never appear in the series. It's fine as a side story but adds nothing essential.