Fullmetal Alchemist Watch Order: 2003, Brotherhood, and Every Movie Explained

Short answer: the real question here is not what order, it is which version. Fullmetal Alchemist has two complete anime adaptations of the same manga, and they are not sequels to each other. For most people, watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009), the faithful, complete telling with the author's intended ending. The 2003 series is a darker alternate version you can watch separately (with its own sequel movie). Pick one path and watch it start to finish rather than marathoning both as a single story.

Untie that one knot and the Fullmetal Alchemist watch order gets simple. If you are wondering how to watch Fullmetal Alchemist, the first thing to settle is which of the two adaptations you want. Both shows follow the Elric brothers, Edward (whose sharpest lines the fandom still quotes) and Alphonse, after a forbidden attempt to bring their mother back costs them their bodies. You will also see this searched as the Full Metal Alchemist watch order, spelled as two words, and it means exactly the same thing. Below I lay out both paths, settle the 2003-versus-Brotherhood question, and slot in every movie and OVA.

The full Fullmetal Alchemist watch order at a glance

Here are both routes plus the extras, so you can see how to watch Fullmetal Alchemist in order without cross-wiring the two continuities. You follow one column, not both at once.

The top three rows are the modern default. The bottom two are the alternate 2003 experience, complete on their own. So the honest answer to what order to watch Fullmetal Alchemist is: choose a path, finish it, and only then consider the other.

Which version should you watch, 2003 or Brotherhood?

For a newcomer, my recommendation is clear: start with Brotherhood. It adapts Hiromu Arakawa's manga from beginning to end, it has the tighter second half and the more satisfying finale, and it has sat near the top of nearly every anime ranking for over a decade. If you only ever watch one version, this is the one.

The 2003 series is not a lesser option, and it deserves better than the "skip it" treatment it sometimes gets. It aired while the manga was still running, so Studio Bones carried the early arc faithfully and then built an entirely original second half, with a different villain, a darker philosophical streak, and an ending the manga never went near. Plenty of fans who grew up with it prefer it, and they are not wrong to. Think of the two as the same legend painted by two different artists.

If you want both, the smoothest route is Brotherhood first, then a short break to let it settle, then the 2003 series followed by Conqueror of Shamballa. Watching them back to back with no gap tends to blur the shared early arc, so the pause matters. People also ask what order do you watch Fullmetal Alchemist if they plan to see everything, and the answer is still one version at a time, each taken as its own complete story.

Time is worth factoring in too. Brotherhood on its own runs roughly 26 hours, while doing both series plus their movies lands somewhere around fifty. Either way, a clear Fullmetal Alchemist watch order keeps that investment pointed at the version you actually want rather than spread thin across everything at once.

What's the difference between Fullmetal Alchemist and Brotherhood?

Both versions open on the same tragedy and share their early episodes almost beat for beat. Around the middle of the 2003 run, once it caught up to the ongoing manga, the original series branches off into anime-original territory: a reworked origin for the homunculi, a new central antagonist, and a heavier, more melancholic tone that carries through to its own conclusion. Brotherhood, made after the manga finished, follows Arakawa's full story with her intended ending intact, and the payoff in its back half is a big reason it is so beloved. The two lines stay close for roughly their first quarter before splitting, which is another reason the break between them helps and why some rewatchers find the early overlap a little slow the second time through.

Neither version is bloated with filler, though the 2003 series carries a handful of skippable episodes (our Fullmetal Alchemist filler list breaks down both series episode by episode if you want a leaner run). The ensemble cast lands hard in both tellings too, from Scar to fan favorites like Roy Mustang, which is part of why people happily watch both.

Where the movies and OVAs fit

Each film belongs to one version, not the franchise as a whole, so slot them by path.

Conqueror of Shamballa (2005) is the direct sequel to the 2003 series, set two years later in an alternate 1920s Germany. It closes out the original anime's story, so it is essentially required viewing if you take the 2003 path, and it means nothing on its own if you only watched Brotherhood.

The Sacred Star of Milos (2011) is a standalone adventure set during the Brotherhood timeline. It is a fun side trip with original characters, but it is non-canon and changes nothing in the main story, so treat it as optional dessert after you finish the series.

The OVAs are short bonus stories tied to their respective series. The four Brotherhood shorts (including The Blind Alchemist and Simple People) expand backstory and play best once you have finished the show, while the older 2003 bonus shorts are pure extra. All of them are optional.

The live-action films and where to watch

There is also a live-action Fullmetal Alchemist trilogy from Japan (2017, then two films in 2022) that reached most of the world through Netflix. It sits completely apart from the anime and adapts the story with mixed results, so it is safe to leave off your list unless you are simply curious.

For streaming, coverage is fairly good. Crunchyroll carries both series and the major movies, and Brotherhood also turns up on other services in some regions. The older OVAs are the hardest to track down and often live on physical releases only. Availability shifts by region and over time, so confirm what is live where you are before you settle in.

Pick your road through Amestris

For all the debate it inspires, the Fullmetal Alchemist watch order really comes down to one decision: pick a version and commit. Brotherhood is the complete, definitive telling and the right call for almost everyone, while the 2003 series and Conqueror of Shamballa are a genuinely different, darker experience waiting whenever you want it. Add the OVAs and Sacred Star of Milos as extras, keep the two continuities in their own lanes, and one of the most acclaimed stories in anime opens up cleanly in front of you.

If you want more guides that make the call instead of hedging, swing by Kaminari, where our anime newsletters serve up fresh release rundowns, honest reviews, and recommendations you can actually trust.

FAQ

What order do I watch Fullmetal Alchemist in?

Pick one version and watch it fully. For most people that is Brotherhood (2009), which adapts the complete manga on its own. If you want the alternate take afterward, watch the 2003 series and then its sequel film, Conqueror of Shamballa.

Should I watch Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 or Brotherhood first?

Brotherhood first for most viewers, since it is the complete, faithful adaptation with the strongest ending. The 2003 series is best treated as a separate, darker alternate telling to explore later rather than a prerequisite.

Do I need to watch Conqueror of Shamballa?

Only if you watch the 2003 series. It is the direct conclusion to that version's story. If you only watched Brotherhood, you can skip it, since it is tied to the 2003 continuity.

Where does The Sacred Star of Milos fit?

It is an optional, non-canon side-story film set during the Brotherhood timeline. Watch it after you finish Brotherhood if you want a bit more, since it does not affect the main story either way.

Where can I watch Fullmetal Alchemist?

Crunchyroll carries both series and the main movies, with Brotherhood also available on some other platforms depending on region. The OVAs are the trickiest to find and are often physical-only. Availability varies by region, so check before you start.