TheFullmetal Alchemistuniverse is a very interesting one. Governed by alchemy, the anime’s events are both intriguing and frightening. A marriage of science and ancient theory,alchemy is more akin to scienceas opposed to magic, despite its magical-looking aesthetic.
There are various forms of alchemy practiced throughout the anime by its many characters. Colonel Roy Mustang practices Flame Alchemy, a fire-based form. With the snap of his fingers, Mustang is able to utilize flames as he sees fit. There is a lot to be unpacked about Flame Alchemy, so what does this form entail?
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The Hawkeye Family and Flame Alchemy
Berthold Hawkeye, Riza Hawkeye’s father, is the man who taught Mustang the fundamentals of alchemy. Hawkeye never obtained his alchemist’s license, despite his vast knowledge on the subject. He completed his research in Flame Alchemy, themost powerful form of alchemythere is. He has a dislike for the military, even being disappointed in Mustang for joining them. Hawkeye became concerned that if his Flame Alchemy falls into the wrong hands, ill fortune will follow.
Hawkeye fell very ill and did not live long enough to teach Mustang Flame Alchemy. He tells Mustang that all his notes on the subject are with Riza, urging him to take care of her in his last words. It transpires that Hawkeye tattooed this notes onto Riza’s back. Using these, Mustang masters Flame Alchemy.
How Does It Work?
Flame Alchemy is less about fire itself, and more about oxygen. Mustang is able to manipulate oxygen levels and then ignite it, which causes the flame. The ignition is triggered by a spark in some form, normally caused by Mustang’s gloves. He has also used a lighter to trigger sparks, such as in his battle withLust. His gloves are made of a special ignition material that allow for this. They also contain a transmutation circle for Flame Alchemy. This is how Mustang is able to use Flame Alchemy by the signature snap of his fingers. The noise heard is not the actual snapping of the fingers, but the combustion of the spark and air.
The Transmutation Circle
Riza had the symbol tattooed onto her back by her father. Now, Mustang wears a simplified version of it on his gloves to practice alchemy. Mustang’s version of the symbol consists of various triangles within a larger ring. At the top of the ring is a smaller symbol that resembles a smallflame.
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This assumedly refers to the literal physical form of alchemy that involves fire. At the bottom end of the symbol is a salamander. Salamander loosely translates to “fire lizard” in Greek, therefore this symbol is apt. The animal supposedly has mythological connections to fire, as well.
Flame Alchemy in Combat
Mustang balances a lot of components while performing Flame Alchemy. By controlling the oxygen in the air, Mustang creates pathways which he then ignites. This pathway is concentrated so that his opponent gets burnt in the heat of things. Air is a poor conductor offire, therefore he needs to control the oxygen to before creating a spark.
Keeping the flame under control would be particularly difficult. Mustang does notcontrol the element fire, but the oxygen. The higher concentration of oxygen he controls, the bigger the flame. This is important to remember so that he does not harm himself or others in the process. If he has multiple opponents, this becomes a harder technique to implement, as multiple pathways must be created almost simultaneously. In the chaos of battle, this must take incredible skill to control.
An Interesting Drawback: The Weather
Since Flame Alchemy requires a spark to take place after manipulating oxygen in the air, wet weather renders this impossible. In rainy conditions, Mustang’s gloves will be wet. The gloves are made of ignition cloth, which cause the spark when Mustang snaps his fingers. When the gloves are wet, the desiredsparkingeffect is useless.
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