Happy FMA Day everyone! Last year I looked at Ed’s pocket watch and a message from Arakawa, so today I’m going to cover the Ouroboros symbol used by the Homunculi, its different iterations, and its possible connection to the State Alchemists.
In the manga, the Ouroboros is a dragon coiled around a hexagram, a six pointed star made from two triangles. The anime alters this to have the triangles filled in a solid colour, with the negative space forming a hexagon in the centre. This version is also used for media based on the anime, like the PSP game.
The reference art for the 09 anime specifically says not to use the manga’s hexagram.
●Please●
When abbreviating, never use a hexagram.
This is prohibited in this work.
・お願い・
省略時、六芒星 には絶対しないで下さい。
本作品では御法度としています。
Now in 2022, the mobile game has changed the Ouroboros again. Instead of the manga or anime design, it has made the star inside a heptagram, a seven pointed star formed using a continuous line pattern. Seven points for the seven Homunculi, it could work.
By the way, a hexagram also appears on the State Alchemist pocket watches and certificates.
The animal from the Amestrian flag is encased in a star the same shape as the one on the Ouroboros tattoo. I wonder if this was made as an inside joke amongst the Homunculi to show how State Alchemists are really only for their benefit as weapons and potential Sacrifices.
Like how the Ouroboros was altered for the anime, the State Alchemist symbol is very different too, having a mix of a vertical diamond and stretched horizontal hexagon instead.
The mobile game has changed the star to a heptagram, making it again match the Ouroboros.
This symbol is also used for characters in the “Creation” (創造) attribute: Roy, Grand, and Kimblee, all State Alchemists.
Oh, and they're the same as each other in the live action movies, too.
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