- Overview
- Appearances
Known by history as the last monarch of Xerxes, an ancient and prosperous land, the King of Xerxes ruled over his subjects well into his old age, acting in a manner that caused him to be beloved by the happy citizens.
However, fear of his approaching death and a presumed lack of eligible heirs began to cloud his judgment as he grew older and, when one of the nation's most prominent alchemists produced an artificial life form with knowledge of arcane rituals and phenomena unheard of in the realm of men, the King called this creature into his presence for the express purpose of learning how to become immortal.
The creature, known only as The Dwarf in the Flask or Homunculus, instructed the King to build an incredibly large transmutation circle in the form of a large trench that encircled the country. When completed and activated, the transmutation circle would draw the lives of all of Xerxes' people and grant the King and his court immortality. Only those who were at the palace, the center of the transmutation circle, would be spared. Despite the abhorrent nature of the ritual, the King agreed and began the long process, willingly sacrificing his loving subjects on the altar of his own ambition.
When the time finally came for the ritual, it quickly became apparent that the King had been tricked by Homunculus, He had secretly orchestrated the circle so that he and his caretaker Van Hohenheim alone would stand at the circle's true center, granting them and only them to receive the souls of Xerxes' citizens (including those of the royal court) and immortality.
The King's final return.
Four centuries later, on the Promised Day, the King is awakened from the whirlpool of souls within Father's body when he "births" a number of humans to prove a point to Van Hohenheim. Finally having returned to a human body after so long, the king mistakenly perceives his rebirth as proof of his desired immortality.
In the manga, due to having only an imitation of a human's body, the King's body (as well as the bodies of the other revived Xerxes citizens) begins to deteriorate rapidly. He is ultimately destroyed when Father unleashes an immense burst of alchemical energy in an attempt to obliterate the five human sacrifices.
Trivia[]
- Father's usual outfit is one of the King's royal robes.