Fullmetal Alchemist’s Final Episode Accidentally Predicted Frieren

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For years, many considered a certain anime to be the best of all time. However, a new series emerged in 2023 and quickly gained popularity. Currently, Frieren holds the top spot as the highest-rated anime on both MyAnimeList and Anilist, and it’s still ongoing.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (FMAB) concluded over 15 years ago in 2010 with a finale widely praised and still celebrated today. Interestingly, that finale proved remarkably prescient. It seems to have foreshadowed that Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End would eventually surpass even its own impressive legacy.

Fullmetal Alchemists’s Final Episode Prophetically Foreshadowed Frieren

Wow, the last episode of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood originally aired way back on July 4th, 2010! It was so satisfying seeing everything wrap up after that incredible fight with Father. I especially loved how they gave us really heartwarming endings for characters like Scar, Ling, and, of course, Edward and Alphonse Elric. Seeing Ed and Al finally come home after everything they went through just felt… complete. It truly felt like the end of an era!

Alphonse gets his body back, Edward accepts a life beyond alchemy, and Edward and Winry finally get married. The touching reunions and sad goodbyes in the last episode perfectly matched its title, “Journey’s End,” marking the true conclusion of the Elric brothers’ adventure. However, it also signals the beginning of a new era for anime as a whole.

Looking back, the title of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood‘s last episode feels beautifully fitting, especially considering what came next. While ‘Journey’s End’ truly signaled the conclusion of a hugely popular anime, a sequel was already in development, hinting at even greater things to come.

Interestingly, the connection between Fullmetal Alchemist and Frieren is specific to the English versions. The original Japanese title of Frieren is Sousou no Frieren, which means “Frieren at the Funeral.” This title hints at a key aspect of Frieren’s story: as an elf who lives for centuries, she often finds herself attending the funerals of the humans she cares about.

A particularly memorable scene in the series is when the usually composed Frieren cries at the hero Himmel’s funeral, lamenting that she never really got to know him. This deep regret motivates her to embark on a new adventure, even after what feels like the end of one. It’s significant that this happens in the very first episode, appropriately titled “The Journey’s End.”

The End of FMAB’s Journey Was the Start of Frieren’s

As a huge anime fan, it’s just incredible to me how things lined up! Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood finishing with an episode called “Journey’s End,” and then Frieren starting with “The Journey’s End”… it feels like such a perfect, symbolic moment. It’s almost like Frieren was being handed the crown as the next big, critically loved anime, taking over from FMA as a true classic. It gives me chills thinking about it!

The phrase “journey’s end” isn’t unique to the anime Fullmetal Alchemist and Frieren. It’s a well-known expression, famously used by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night with the line, “Trip no further pretty sweeting, journeys end in lovers’ meeting.” Still, it feels significant that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (FMAB) directly referenced Frieren – a later, highly-regarded anime – in the title of its final episode.

Ultimately, Frieren stands out because it asks a unique question: what happens to heroes after their adventures end? The series suggests that true humanity isn’t just about grand, heroic deeds, but also about the quiet moments of self-reflection and the lasting lessons learned along the way.

Many consider Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood to be a perfect story – one that’s so well-done, it’s hard to improve upon. Frieren understands this. Instead of trying to retell a familiar tale already mastered by series like Fullmetal Alchemist, it aims to go further and offer something truly unique. It recognizes that simply repeating a perfected story wouldn’t be enough to create something equally impactful.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2 comes out on Friday, January 16 on Crunchyroll.

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2026-01-15 04:40