Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood used its famously strong writing as a shonen anime to make sure most of the cast got a proper ending to match their cool introductions. These strong character endings provided some serious drama and thematic weight, and many had happy endings Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood on a memorable note. Still, some characters in this anime had weak and unsatisfying endings to their arcs, or they personally deserved better than they got.
This is known to happen in shonen anime like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodas if the plot simply doesn't have room to give a character a more impactful or rewarding end to their arc, whether death is involved or not. Sometimes the story just has to toss some actors aside to make room for more prominent characters, and that's always such a shame. And for emotional reasons, anime like these tend to give terrible fates to good people, and fans really wish it could have been any other way.
Trisha Elric suffered the same fate as many anime mothers
That hairstyle is a total death flag
There seems to be a rule about killing anime moms, as in One Piecewith mothers being discharged with shocking regularity. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood did this as well, treating Trisha Elric as little more than an emotional act for her two sons. As a rural dweller with no powers or great skills, Trisha would of course not play much of a role in the story, but she still deserved better than she got. Trisha was dealt the same hand as many shonen parents: being killed to heighten the emotional stakes.
In Trisha Elric's case, the cause of death was hardly an afterthought, with her death from some disease or other being a convenient way to get rid of her. She didn't even die heroically to protect her sons from an invader or wild animals; Trisha just caught Plot Disease and wasted away. Trisha became more important in death, as Edward and Alphonse unwisely attempted human transmutation. That in turn drove the heartbroken brothers to hunt for the Philosopher's Stone.
Lust's death felt forgettable compared to what the other villains experienced
Lust died in her only major battle
Lust might not rank that high among the great homunculi in combat power, and that might be why Roy Mustang had a pretty easy time dispatching her in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodfirst half. While Lust landed some nasty blows against Roy and Jean Havoc to demonstrate her power as an assassin with the Ultimate Spear, the story soon made a fool of her. Lust let her shield herself as she attacked Riza Hawkeye, and then Roy returned with his searing flame alchemy.
Lust didn't stand a chance when Roy ignited her, and Roy kept at it until Lust was nothing but ashes – if even that. Her Philosopher's Stone was depleted, and above all, father made no attempt to revive his only daughter. Gluttony and Greed were both brought back from the Holocaust, but Lust didn't get the same favor, so that was it Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was made with Lust. It's a shame, because her seductive assassin strategy was fun, and fans didn't get to see Lust make the most of it before they died.
Gluttony died without feeling like much of a threat
Gluttony and Lust both became dirty
Gluttony is one of three homunculi siblings who meet an underwhelming or disappointing fate in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Like her “sister” Lust, Gluttony just wasn't deadly enough to earn herself a glorious last stand as the heroes got used to fighting these creatures. The initial shock wore off, and then Ed, Roy, and the others took up new ways to keep the homunculi on the defensive. Gluttony is the prime example of a frothing villain who was more useful in death than life, as far as Pride was concerned.
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Gluttony was practically helpless as Ed and the rest got used to his powers, to the point where Gluttony was just dead weight when Ed's team encountered Gluttony and Pride in the shadowy forest. Lan Fan, in particular, used his flash-bang grenades and remarkable agility to put nonstop pressure on his two homunculus enemies. Gluttony was helpless and drained his menacing aura quite a bit before Pride just ate him to gain his strong sense of smell. It was thematically ironic, sure, though it still felt odd for a “superior” being to seem like such a jerk at the end.
Maes Hughes had to die for the crime of truth
Even Roy Mustang couldn't hide his tears
If there is only one Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood character that fans agree deserved a better ending, that would be Maes Hughes. He wasn't a strong state alchemist, just an ordinary soldier with a flamboyant love for his family, so he was a pretty squishy target. Father and his homunculus minions probably would have left Maes alone as an unwitting part of Amestris' military, but Maes just had to find the truth Lust couldn't let him see. Maes deduced the father's plan, and it sealed his fate.
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Mae's death checks up where the story and drama are concerned, to give viewers a much-needed gut-punch, and of course Lust and Envy would kill anyone who stumbled upon Father's plans. Thus, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood viewers want to give Maes a new fate simply because a great guy like him deserves one, not because the story failed the writing. The story was actually written just right for Maes, and that's what makes the fandom cry the most.
Greed had to give its life to prove its redemption
Greed could have survived as a solo homunculus in the human world
Unlike the other homunculi, Greed's fate feels unfair, as this character actually managed to redeem himself. Some viewers might go so far as to say that Greed is the Maes Hughes of homunculi, a good person who had to meet a rough end to serve the needs of the story. Greed may not be innocent like Maes Hughes was, but fans still wanted to see more of him so he could make the most of his life. Or rather, make the most of his second life, with his fresh new perspective on everything.
To end greed as a loose end, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood needed to write him out, and it also allowed greed to show off its friendship power with an ironically selfless twist. That said, fans would love to see Greed survive the final battle with father so he can wander the world and continue practicing his newfound heroism, all while remaining an oddity as the only great homunculus left in the world.
