Episode 1: Those Who Challenge the Sun (2003 series)

The 2003 anime series starts off with this episode though in respect to the time line, the events take place after Episode 9 (Episodes 3 to 9 are flashbacks). It starts off with a mini-flash back to when two young alchemists, possibly around the age of 10 or 11, attempt the forbidden human transmutation then switches to current.

Edward and Alphonse Elric make their way a desert city town of Reole to investigate reports of a Philosopher's Stone. There they here of a priest named Father Cornello, who can supposadly perform miracles. While at a foodstand, a mysterious woman whom Ed seems to recognize introduces Ed as the Fullmetal Alchemist though it causes them to mistake Al as the State Alchemist, and it is here the Elrics meet a young woman named Rosé. The people of Reole insist that Father Cornello would be able to help them and Rosé volunteers to take them to see the priest. Conversation between Rosé and Father Cornello reveals that the priest has promised to resurrect Rosé’s dead boyfriend as a miracle in return for her hard work. Ed and Al attend a ‘Miracle Gathering’ where the Elric brothers realize the ‘miracles’ are nothing more than alchemy and the priest is ignoring the laws of alchemy.

Upon hearing of the presence of Edward Elric, the Full Metal Alchemist and wrongly perceiving a threat; Father Cornello authorizes for them to be removed. The priest is later shown to be talking to Lust, though nothing is explained.

Edward meanwhile tries to convince Rosé of the priests scam and tries to force his views on alchemy and science and disbelief in miracles upon her. Just then Cray, a follower of Father Cornello shoots Al with a gun and the suit of armor is revealed to be hollow – showing that Al has no body, which Al terms as his ‘punishment for setting foot on holy ground where mortals are forbidden’.

Rosé believes them to be evil and runs off in panic leading them to Father Cornello. There Edward realizes that the priest has a Philosophers stone and hence he performs alchemy without a transmutation circle and ignores the laws of equivalent exchange. A dialogue takes place where the priest tries to show he has done nothing but good for Reole and that Edward only wants the stone for personal reasons. The priest sets a Chimera and transmuted to attack them and turns the ground into sand sweeping Al away and preventing Ed from drawing a transmutation circle. This is where Ed reveals that he can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle to create a spear, forcing Cornello to transmute the bird on his shoulder into a larger bird to join the fight. As the fight drags on, it is revealed that Ed's right arm and left leg are mechanical as it helps him survive the attacks on those areas by the Chimera and Giant Bird and then he quickly defeats both of them. The priest correctly guesses that the brothers attempted human transmutation, hence their appearance.

Episode Notes

 * When Ed first sees Lust, he seems to recognize her from somewhere. It wouldn't be revealed until three episodes later in Episode 4, which occurs during Ed's Flashback, that Ed briefly saw her when he was in a graveyard trying to solve a mystery.