The Secrets Unveiled: Unraveling the Mystery of Reversing Human Chimera Transformation in Fullmetal Alchemist

Highlights

The Elric brothers' biggest regret is their inability to save Nina Tucker, a little girl turned into a chimera by her father. They now want to save other human chimeras.

In the realm of Fullmetal Alchemist, a human chimera refers to an individual who has undergone a transformation where animals are combined through alchemy.

Per the Elric brothers' hypothesis, reversing such a transformation involves extracting the soul, separating the human body from the animal components, and facilitating the soul's return to its original form. Nonetheless, the specifics regarding the spiritual aspect remain a mystery.

One of the most tragic events in Fullmetal Alchemist revolves around Nina Tucker, a young girl who was transformed into a chimera by her own father and subsequently perished. Despite Alphonse and Edward Elric being present, they were powerless to rescue her due to their lack of understanding regarding human chimeras. Consequently, Nina's fate remains a profound remorse for them.

Nevertheless, as the series progresses, the Elric brothers acquire significant knowledge. With the information they have gathered, could they potentially rescue other human chimeras? Moreover, is it even feasible to reverse a human chimera transformation?

What is A Human Chimera?

Let's begin by discussing the concept of a human chimera. In the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, a chimera is a unique creature that is created through the fusion of different animals using alchemy. Specifically, a human chimera refers to a person who undergoes the process of synthesizing other animals into their own body, transforming them into a chimera.

The primary aim of creating a chimera is typically to produce a new entity that possesses the desirable qualities of various animals. For example, one might seek to combine the immense physical strength of a gorilla with the lethal jaw power of a lion. However, due to the inherent challenges in isolating and merging specific characteristics from different animals, achieving success in chimera synthesis is rare, with more failures than triumphs. As a result, only a minority of alchemists are willing to venture into this field.

Under Amestris law, chimeric alchemy is permitted, albeit with a significant restriction. It allows alchemists to solely explore and create animal-based chimeras, strictly prohibiting any involvement with human chimeras. This strict prohibition extends to human transmutation as well, which explains why Shou Tucker was promptly apprehended once authorities discovered what he had done to his daughter. Despite this, it is noteworthy that there exist numerous military-sponsored covert research facilities throughout the country solely dedicated to the study of human chimeras.

The Human Chimeras In Fullmetal Alchemist

Apart from Nina, the majority of the series' human chimeras can be categorized into two groups. Greed's faction consists of several individuals, while Major Kimblee's group includes others. Devil's Nest is home to five human chimeras who are affiliated with Greed, while Major Kimblee commands a team of four. All of them were once Amestrian soldiers and were created through secretive human chimera experiments conducted by the military. However, only Kimblee's four chimeras remain actively involved in military operations.

Despite being significantly more advanced than poor Nina, the human chimeras in Greed's gang are still considered failures by the military. While they have the ability to maintain their sanity and personality while utilizing animal abilities, such as gecko wall-crawling or snake-like limbs, they are still physically deformed as human-animal hybrids.

In contrast, the chimeras under Kimblee possess the ability to not only utilize their animalistic traits but also freely transform between a regular human form and a hybrid chimera form. This is why the Amestrian military recognizes these four individuals as the only successful human chimeras ever created.

Can A Human Chimera Transformation Be Reversed?

Can a human chimera transformation be reversed? Can a human chimera revert back to being a regular human? Yes, it is possible in theory. Throughout their journey, the Elric brothers gained knowledge on human transmutation. By the end of the series, Edward and Alphonse have developed a theory on how to reverse the human chimera transformation.

Alchemy states that there are three essential components to a human being: the physical body, the soul, and the spirit. The physical body is comprised of chemical reactions and can be reconstructed by skilled alchemists using the right materials. The soul, however, represents consciousness, memory, and personality, and cannot be recreated. Once it is lost, it cannot be retrieved. Lastly, the spirit serves as the connection between the body and the soul.

In the case of human chimeras, the human soul remains relatively unaffected within the deformed body. Theoretically, if an alchemist can extract the soul of a human chimera and temporarily house it in a vessel (similar to Alphonse's soul within the armor), while separating the human body from the animal, the soul should be able to find its way back to its original body. This would ultimately restore the individual to their regular human form.

However, the main challenge lies in understanding the spirit. There is still much unknown about the spirit and its nature. Once the brothers, or any other alchemist, can gain a deep understanding of the spirit, it may become possible to reverse the transformation of a human chimera.

This is essentially the brothers' goal towards the end of the series. They deeply regret their inaction during the Nina tragedy and have made the decision to gather information from every part of the world. Their aim is to assist the remaining human chimeras in returning to their original bodies. Alphonse will be heading to the East, while Edward will be heading to the West.

Interestingly, Alphonse has enlisted the help of two human chimeras who were previously under the command of the late Major Kimblee. These bodyguards are Jerso, a chimera that combines traits of a toad and a frogfish, and Zampano, a chimera that combines traits of a razorback and a hedgehog.

The issue was left unresolved as the series concluded prematurely. However, if a sequel were to happen in the future, it is probable that the brothers would have found a way to reverse the transformation of human chimera. Stream Fullmetal Alchemist on Crunchyroll.