Wrath and Ed are always paralleling each other in FMA 03. One striking instance of this comes from episode 47: Sealing the Homunculus. We see Wrath turn his arm into a blade to stab Lust, killing her.
This is Wrath’s first kill. The method is quite similar to Ed’s kill of Greed. Lust is super sympathetic in these episodes given how she’s allied herself with Ed and everything but from Wrath’s perspective she’s as monstrous as ever with her brutal beat down plus the way she was slicing up Sloth earlier.
Just like how Greed’s really sympathetic, rebelling against the other homunculi, but from Ed’s perspective he was a monster who had kidnapped his brother and kill a (supposedly) nice old woman. Both fights take place around the same sealing circle as well. (it’s the anti-homunculus one so it’s only logical but I wanted to mention it anyway.)
But Wrath’s really quite different from Ed here, he knew exactly what he was doing as he ended her life and only stares at her dissolving corpse impassively. A far cry from how Ed collapses in despair, not having expected to actually kill someone.
But episode 47 also features Ed’s second kill and this time he knew exactly what he was doing. He planned for the scenario in advance and was ready. After it’s over he doesn’t collapse or start crying, mostly keeping hold of his emotions.
Except it wasn’t just Ed who destroyed Sloth – it was Wrath as well. He didn’t intend it but by recklessly fusing with her, he completely paralysed her and left her vulnerable for Ed to destroy. And Wrath collapses in despair and starts sobbing at what’s happened.
…
And here’s Ed after killing Sloth and Wrath after killing Lust. Both kinda sad and contemplative but reasonably composed and both probably questioning life and death and existence etc.
Wow this is a dark analysis. Eh, one final similarity? Lust, Sloth and Greed were all at peace as they were dying:
(Yes I think those are all meant to be little peaceful smiles. Wrath is also pretty content with his death in CoS.) …That addition just made this even more depressing, didn’t it?
Zetalial 