Why Are the 7 Homunculi in 'Fullmetal Alchemist' Named After the 'Seven Deadly Sins'? Originally, There Were Not 7 — The 'Lost Eighth Sin' Few Have Heard Of

One of the most iconic elements in 'Fullmetal Alchemist' is the seven homunculi under 'Father': Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of Western culture will recognize that these seven names correspond exactly to the famous 'Seven Deadly Sins.' Yet, many do not know that the concept originally did not consist of seven sins. In 4th-century Christian monastic tradition, there were 'eight evil thoughts,' one of which was 'Sadness'—a sin no longer included in today's list. So where did this so-called 'lost eighth sin' go? Understanding how the Seven Deadly Sins evolved from eight to seven reveals a deeper layer in the homunculi's design in 'Fullmetal Alchemist.' This article discusses the homunculi in 'Fullmetal Alchemist,' primarily based on Hiromu Arakawa's original manga and the 'Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood' universe. The 2003 anime version features different identities and origins for the homunculi. Who Are the Seven Homunculi in 'Fullmetal Alchemist'? All Names Derived from the 'Seven Deadly Sins' The Seven Deadly Sins as commonly known today are Pride, Greed, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth. These seven 'sins' are not legal crimes but rather, in Christian tradition, considered root desires that lead to other sins and vices. 'Fullmetal Alchemist' directly turns this concept into characters. In the original world, 'Father' creates homunculi embodying each of the Seven Deadly Sins by separating aspects of his own sinfulness and distributing his Philosopher's Stone power among them. Thus, the homunculi's names are not merely for mystique; each character's personality, desires, and even fate resonate deeply with their assigned sin. 'Fullmetal Alchemist' Seven Sins 1: Pride Pride represents 'Pride' and holds a high status among Father's homunculi. He lives in human society as Selim Bradley, appearing at first glance to be an innocent, harmless child, but his true nature is entirely different. Pride fundamentally views humans as inferior beings and holds a strong sense of superiority over his own power and existence. The most 'proud' character wears a child's appearance, creating a stark contrast: within the seemingly weakest body lies utter contempt for others. 'Fullmetal Alchemist' Seven Sins 2: Greed Greed represents 'Greed.' He never hides his desires—money, women, power, status, immortality—anything in the world he wants it all. Yet what makes Greed truly fascinating is how, in the latter part of the story, his 'greed' is revealed to be far more complex than mere material desire. While he claims to want the entire world, the desire he struggles most to admit is for companionship and friendship. Only at the end does he realize what he has truly been pursuing. Thus, Greed's 'greed' is not just about acquiring wealth, but also an insatiable inner longing. 'Fullmetal Alchemist' Seven Sins 3: Lust Lust represents 'Lust.' She has a mature, sensual female form, behaves calmly, and skillfully uses her appearance and words to approach targets, making her one of the most iconic homunculi in the early story. However, unlike Gluttony, who constantly eats, or Greed, who endlessly demands, Lust does not frequently display intense sexual desire. Therefore, her 'lust' is more conveyed through her character image, seduction, and dangerous charm rather than overt sexual appetite. 'Fullmetal Alchemist' Seven Sins 4: Envy Envy represents 'Envy.' He constantly mocks humans for being weak and foolish, even taking pleasure in watching people hurt each other, seemingly despising humanity. Yet in the latter part of the story, what Envy truly 'envies' is revealed. Humans, despite being so weak and mortal, can trust one another, support each other, and even sacrifice their lives for friends. The more Envy scorns these emotions, the more he exposes his own deep longing for something he cannot truly possess. What he despises most is precisely what he envies most. 'Fullmetal Alchemist' Seven Sins 5: Gluttony Gluttony represents 'Gluttony.' Compared to the other homunculi, his connection to his name is the most direct—his greatest desire is 'eating.' With permission, he will consume almost anything, whether enemies or corpses. The sin of 'gluttony' in the Seven Deadly Sins was never just about overeating, but more importantly, about losing control over desire. Gluttony's image of never being full and always wanting to consume more perfectly embodies 'insatiable desire.' 'Fullmetal Alchemist' Seven Sins 6: Wrath Wrath represents 'Wrath.' His true identity is King Bradley, the Führer of Amestris. Interestingly, Bradley is not someone who flies into rage easily. On the contrary, he is usually calm, composed, and even carries the dignity of a ruler. This makes Wrath's portrayal even more terrifying. Wrath is not necessarily expressed through shouting; it can also be an emotion compressed to the extreme, ready to turn into killing intent at any moment. Thus, his 'Wrath' is not uncontrolled rage, but a cold, suppressed, yet highly destructive anger. 'Fullmetal Alchemist' Seven Sins 7: Sloth Sloth represents 'Sloth.' He frequently says 'What a hassle,' showing little interest in work, combat, or even thinking, as if he doesn't want to do anything. Yet he possesses astonishing physical abilities. Sloth has immense strength and speed, capable of explosive bursts so fast that opponents cannot react. In other words, his problem is never 'inability,' but having ability yet refusing to act—this aligns more closely with the mental state implied by 'sloth.' Were the 'Seven Deadly Sins' Always Seven? Originally, There Were Eight However, the seven names used in 'Fullmetal Alchemist' were not fixed from the beginning. The familiar Seven Deadly Sins were not explicitly listed in the Bible as 'seven major sins of humanity,' but evolved over centuries through early Christian monastic and theological traditions. One key origin traces back to the 4th-century Christian monk Evagrius Ponticus. He compiled temptations and inner thoughts that monks might face, proposing 'eight evil thoughts': Gluttony Lust Greed Sadness Anger Acedia (similar to listlessness, despondency, and spiritual sloth) Vainglory Pride Later, Christian thinker John Cassian continued this eight-category classification and brought the concept into the Western Christian world. In other words, the early form of today's Seven Deadly Sins was indeed eight, not seven. Was the 'Lost Eighth Sin' Sadness? Once, Even Grief Was Considered a Sin? Comparing the early eight with today's Seven Deadly Sins, the most surprising to modern people might be 'Sadness.' Does feeling sad count as a sin? That's not the intended meaning. The 'sadness' discussed in early monastic traditions did not mean that feeling sorrow after a breakup, death of a loved one, or failure was sinful, nor can it be directly equated with modern understandings of mental health and emotional grief. What was warned against was a state of prolonged despondency, loss of hope, and ultimately abandoning one's life and spiritual pursuits. The issue was not 'feeling sad,' but allowing oneself to be completely controlled by sadness and despair. Therefore, when discussing the evolution of the Seven Deadly Sins, 'sadness' is often called the 'lost eighth sin.' However, while this phrase is catchy, strictly speaking, one key point must be added: the reduction from eight to seven did not simply involve deleting 'sadness.' How Did Eight Become Seven? Centuries of Theological Reorganization From eight evil thoughts to the modern Seven Deadly Sins, the transformation took centuries of theological refinement. Evagrius Ponticus's 4th-century list included Gluttony, Lust, Greed, Sadness, Anger, Acedia, Vainglory, and Pride. Later, John Cassian introduced this classification to the West. By the 6th century, Pope Gregory the Great reorganized this system. 'Envy' gradually entered the new framework, while concepts like Pride, Vainglory, Sadness, and Acedia shifted in position. Over time, medieval theologians further refined the system, eventually forming the Seven Deadly Sins we know today: Pride, Greed, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth. Among the original eight evil thoughts, the one that...