Envy (FMA 2003)

Envy is the secondary antagonist of the Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 series.

In Fullmetal Alchemist franchise, Envy's manga and 2009 anime counterpart was pitiful. The 2003 anime version, however, is a malevolent sadist who gets his fun out of ruining people's lives.

Personality
This version of Envy is drastically different than his manga counterpart, where instead of being envious of humanity as a whole, he is rather particularly jealous of the fatherly love that Ed and Al received, and is known for his unhealthy grudge towards his "father".

He is extremely cruel, aggressive, manipulative, and sadistic, gleefully causing all forms of suffering, whilst showing no remorse whatsoever. Because of that, he has absolutely no love for anyone (including his homunculi brethren), and has clashed with his own allies (with the exception of Dante herself, due to the power she has over him).

The animosity Envy had felt towards Hohenheim stems from both lack of acknowledgement (in regards to being his son), and the abandonment he had suffered moments after being created (the reason why he rejects his true form). In fact, the resentment he felt was so great to the point that he willingly threw himself into "The Gate" to cross over and personally kill him (while completely disregarding Ed's advice). In the movie, he was still bent on revenge, with Dietlinde Eckhart exclaiming that Hohenheim was the only means of soothing him, and was later satisfied in killing his "father", despite knowing that he would also be transmuted as well in the process.

Unlike most of the other homunculi, Envy has no desire whatsoever to become human.

He is also arrogant and egotistical, as he shown when he sheds his disguise as Father Cornello, and shows his true form, he calls it "adorable", as if he is proud of his true form the he is with other disguises.

However, in spite of his utter sadism and his jealousy with Hotunheim, this version of Envy is actually quite intelligent, charismatic, persuasive, and perspicacious, perhaps far more so than the original Envy. He knows how to manipulate and decieve others into doing his (or Dante's) bidding. A perfect example of this is when he manipulated Wrath into joining him by feeding him fragments of the Philosopher's Stone, and offering him a chance of learning his true past. This is what made Wrath later become quite childish, but evil and manipulative in return.

Powers and Abilities
Envy has the ability to shape-shift, he can even change his limbs into a weapon. He uses this power as a form of infiltration or to taunt enemies (i.e. playing on their weaknesses). He also have the typical homunculi strength, speed, and resilience.

Unlike his manga counterpart, this version of Envy is more skilled in combat, his attacks range from simple punches and kicks to Capoeira-like techniques. He is also very gymnastic, able to do somersaults with grace, as a form of evading his opponents attacks. As a testament to his might, he knocked down Pride (an opponent who is implied to be more deadlier than himself), and had to be distracted for Ed to land a hit on him.

As a dragon in the movie, Envy attacks using both his jaws and his massive body (quickly overpowering Ed in their fight), he had also used his tail to fell one of the planes used to capture him. Furthermore because he traveled through "The Gate", his body was used as material to open it (evident when his body was glowing with alchemic marks, after Dietlinde Eckhart touches him).

History
In the 2003 anime series, Envy is the first Homunculus created. As in this (radically different) storyline homunculi are created after a human transmutation, which only produce and alchemic "clone" of the deceased one. He was created almost 400 years before the beginning of the series by Dante (this storyline's main villain) and Hohenheim, in an effort to revive their late son who died of mercury poisoning.

Envy played a key role and is responsible for sealing Greed inside of the 5th laboratory. He had also helped recruit some of the other homunculi (like Wrath).

Envy remains at Dante's side and plans to someday kill Hohenheim (who abandoned him and Dante after realizing that their son would never truly return) for not recognizing him as a son. He is also extremely jealous of the protagonists of the series, Edward and Alphonse Elric the sons of Hohenheim (for receiving the parental love that he never got). Because of this, he rejects his true form and pretends to have forgotten it. He harbors a fierce hatred for humans, wanting to kill as many of them as possible and would stop at nothing to kill his "father" and "brothers".

Envy carrying out Dante's dirty work is for the sole pleasure of seeing humans die and suffer. After his final battle against Edward Elric, in which he reveals his true face to distract Edward and then stabs him in the heart, killing him. He later meets Ed at "The Gate", after learning that Hohenheim is on the other side of the gate Envy forces his way in by transforming into Edward, his original form, and lastly a huge snake-like dragon, and goes beyond the Gate of Truth into the real world, where his "father" has been banished.

During the two year gap between the end of the anime and Conqueror of Shamballa, Envy was captured by the Thule Society. With alchemy nullified on Earth, leaving him in the dragon form that he crossed The Gate as, the Thule Society intends to use him as a literal Ouroboros to open a physical Gate and transfer their soldiers to the other side to "Shamballa". Hohenheim was imprisoned and offered to Envy as a sacrifice; a human chew-toy to keep the "Great Serpent" calm as they formulated their plans.

Around the time of Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa, Envy escaped and took shelter in an abandoned castle, only to cross paths with his younger half-brother Edward once again. In their ensuing fight with Envy having the advantage, the serpentine homunculus was attacked on all sides by the Thule Society with gun-mounted stakes and planes, who recaptured him and managed to get a small regiment of soldiers to the other side for a short time. In the end, it was Hohenheim who took his own life using Envy as his means, enabling Ed to return to his own world in a final act of redemption for his sins, using Envy's body as material to create a gate between the two worlds. Thus, Envy's goal of killing Hohenheim was finally fulfilled, ultimately at the cost of his own life. He was the seventh and final Homunculus to die in the series.

It is not known whether or not Envy forgave Hohenheim before his death, though it is not likely.

Trivia

 * Envy and Pride are the only two Homunculi in the 2003 anime, whose personality is a lot more horrid and disturbing than their original counterparts.
 * In Conqueror of Shamballa, Envy lost his shape-shifting powers and remains stuck in his dragon form, due to the lack of alchemy in that world. However he can still speak as a dragon, but cannot move his mouth in the form of human tongue.
 * Another thing is that while as a dragon, Envy retains the voice of his preferred form (possibly as a way to make the viewers recognize that it is indeed Envy).
 * Envy is a male in the 2003 version, due to him being based off of Hohenheim's son, unlike his manga counterpart. Also like Edward Elric, his true form's hair is blonde with golden-colored eyes.
 * Envy is referred to as "The Great Serpent" in the movie, only Ed and Hohenheim referred to him as Envy. Furthermore, his dragon form is a reference to the Leviathan (being the sin of Envy),
 * Interestingly the Thule Society's plans were to use him as a literal Ouroboros (reflecting the tattoo on each of the homunculi).
 * Envy's true form somewhat resembles Father's third "perfect form" - both resemble young hohenheim, whom they are born of.