Sloth (2003 anime)

Sloth is a homunculus initially created by Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse in attempt to transmute their deceased mother Trisha. The organic mass that was formed was fed red stones by Dante, thus giving Sloth the appearance of Trisha. Sloth's unique ability as a homunculus is to be able to alter her body into pure water, which she uses as a means of transportation, espionage, and also killing by drowning her victims. Her Ouroboros tattoo is located above the area where her heart would be.

Soon after her creation, Sloth took on a second alias "Juliet Douglas", and played the role of secretary to Führer King Bradley, who is in reality the homunculus Pride. Although she is the youngest homunculus, Sloth is also seemingly one of the highest-ranked, and is shown giving orders to Envy. Later in the series, Sloth's identity is uncovered by Winry Rockbell, who recognises her as bearing the same appearance as Trisha Elric. Sloth later reveals herself to the Elric brothers, who are horrified by her. Sloth takes full advantage of her resemblance to their mother, frequently mocking them by acting like Trisha and using their hesitation as a chance to attack them. Although killing the Elrics is an objective of the Homunculi at this time, Sloth has her own personal reasons to kill them. She reveals late in the series that in fact, she had been suffering memories of Trisha and her life with her sons. Sloth does not wish to believe that she bears any relation to Trisha, and feels that, if she kills the Elrics, she can prove this to herself.

Sloth's motivations also lie in the hope that her master, Dante, will eventually make her human. She has been shown not to be completely devoid of human feelings, and replaces Edward and Alphonse with Wrath, as her child, which is frowned upon by Dante. Sloth's final appearance in the anime is during a battle with the Elrics at an abandoned warehouse, after she, along with Lust and Wrath, is sent to capture them. She almost succeeds in her task, however, she is severely weakened by a lock of Trisha Elric's hair (the remains of the human on whom she is based) and is ultimately betrayed by Lust, who attacks her to prevent her from reforming her liquid body. Lust has already been through similar emotions that Sloth goes through, and recognises that Sloth must die, as she stands in the way of the Elrics making her human. Sloth escapes Lust when Wrath shows up to attack the former, and she hides in Alphonse's armour and controls his movements, intenting to return him to Dante. Edward confronts her, and she takes time to explain to him why she must kill both he and his brother, before going on to informing him that she should hate him anyway for ever creating her. Unfortunately Wrath, having killed Lust and absorbed Trisha's remains moments earlier, embraces Sloth and the remains cause her to become immobile. It is then that Sloth recognises the moment of her defeat. Edward uses alchemy to transform her body into ethanol, and she slowly evaporates into the atmosphere. Smiling, Sloth speaks her last words to the Elrics: "Nicely done, Sweetheart. Clean up after yourselves and take care of each other". She had been lying about her feelings all along, and she took the oppertunity to admit so as she died. She was the third homunculus to die.

Sloth later appears in a cameo, as Envy transforms into her to make Edward hesitate during a battle.