✓ | ||
This Villain was proposed and approved by Villains Wiki's Pure Evil Proposals Thread. Any act of removing this villain from the category without a Removal Proposal shall be considered vandalism (or a futile "heroic" attempt of redemption) and the user will have high chances of being |
“ | I did it, boys. I finally did it. A chimera that understands human speech. | „ |
~ Shou Tucker after transmuting his daughter and pet dog into a talking chimera, foreshadowing his true nature. |
Shou Tucker (ショウ・タッカー Shō Takkā) is a minor antagonist in the manga series Fullmetal Alchemist and its 2009 anime adaptation Brotherhood.
He is a State Alchemist who reportedly had created a chimera with the ability to speak, and is visited by Edward and Alphonse Elric. He is also the father of Nina Tucker and the owner of their dog Alexander.
During their time at Tucker's estate, the brothers find out about the horrifying truth behind his work, and sees the true nature of his character. Despite his minor role, his role and influence is heavily remembered due to his horrific actions, which led to him being one of the most despicable villains in the series.
He was voiced by Makoto Nagai in the Japanese version, and Chuck Huber in the English dubbed version.
Personality[]
At first, Shou comes off as a soft-spoken and talkative man who often prefers to keep to himself rather than socialize. When he has guests around, he puts on a polite and chivalrous persona, and appears to be quite kind and pleasant. However, as his daughter Nina begins to become aware of, he often has more interest in his work than his family. Shou is actually affected by skepticism due to his systematic investigation producing any infeasible results to the point that he started to lack any self-esteem.
In reality, he is an extremely selfish, vain, desperate, manipulative, heartless, immoral and heinous man who would condemn his family to a fate worse than death to get what he wants, such as becoming (and later retaining his position) as a State Alchemist as well as retain his good reputation. After his atrocious acts were unveiled, Shou has an utter lack of remorse for his actions and completely refuses to own up to what he had done to his family even after Nina saves his life by pitifully pleading to Edward for her father's life.
He was also too greedy to give up his lifestyle. Hence his decision to betray Nina and his pet dog. In addition to his lack of remorse for his crimes and ingratitude, Tucker also refuses to consider that he is in the wrong.
Even in death, he remained ignorant to how much of a monster he's become. Therefore, unlike most examples, his supposed lack of awareness of how his crimes impacted those around him makes him even more heinous as he is aware that what he did was wrong, but felt it was justified even though he did it only because he wanted to keep his job and status.
Biography[]
Past[]
In the original manga and the 2009 series Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Shou Tucker is introduced as an alchemist under Roy Mustang's jurisdiction in East City and referred to the Elric brothers due to his expansive work in bio-alchemy. The brothers stay at his estate and befriend his young daughter Nina and the family dog Alexander. He mentions that two years ago, his wife left them due to stress from his work, much to Nina's hope that she will one day return. The next day, he created the notable talking chimera that earned him his State Alchemist license - although its only words were "I want to die". Tragically, the chimera died not long afterwards, refusing to eat.
Present and His Reveal[]
“ | Shou: Damn brat, figuring it out so quickly. [gets pinned against the wall] Al: Brother! Ed: Oh yeah, I've figured it out. You did it again! Two years ago, it was your wife! This time, you used your own daughter and her dog to transmute a talking chimera! You can only do so much with animals, after all! It's much easier when you start with a human, isn't that right?! Shou: I... I don't see what you're so upset about. This is how we progress. Human experimentation is a necessary step. I would think a scientist should understand... Ed: Shut up! Do you really think you can get away with this?! Messing around with somebody's life like that... your own daughter! Shou: Someone's life, you say? Ha ha, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?! Look at you, Fullmetal Alchemist. Look at your leg! Your arm! Your brother! Those things are also the results of "messing around with somebody's life", aren't they?! Ed: SHUT UP!! [punches Shou] Shou: Ha ha ha, We are the same! We're the same! You're just like me! Ed: We're not! Shou: Oh, but yes we are! The opportunity was right in front of us, and we took it. We had to even though we knew it was against the rules! |
„ |
~ Shou Tucker when Ed confronts him about what he did to his family, also condemning him for his "hypocrisy" and giving his villainous breakdown as he taunts him for their similarities. |
Stressed with wanting to keep his license, Tucker goes into his lab and later informs the Elric brothers that he has successfully created another talking chimera. Edward, who has growing suspicions of Tucker's actions in the past, questions about the awfully close timing of the Sewing-Life Alchemist's wife's leaving and the creation of the suicidal chimera, revealing that Tucker had used his own wife to create the chimera.
Fears confirmed, Edward angrily reveals the conclusion that Tucker used Nina and Alexander to create this new talking chimera (that refers to Edward as "Big Brother"). Enraged, Edward brutally beats up Tucker who smugly declares that they are alike in their pursuit of knowledge and alchemical transgressions, likening his use of Nina and Alexander in the chimera creation to the Elrics' attempt to resurrect their dead mother. Whilst Alphonse tries to keep Edward from killing the alchemist, ultimately Edward by Nina pleading for her father's life and Tucker is instead detained on house arrest.
Death and Legacy[]
“ | I wonder why no one's capable of understanding me? Nina? | „ |
~ Shou Tucker asked Nina why no one's understand him, showing no remorse over his actions. |
However, Scar appears on the estate in his personal vengeance to murder all State Alchemists. Killing the guards outside, Scar seizes Tucker's face and kills him with a surge of alchemical energy, which blew up his organs on the inside as Nina mourned him. Seeing Nina as a tortured soul, he euthanizes her. Afterwards Scar prayed for the souls of all three, even the wicked Shou Tucker.
Tucker briefly appears in a later nightmare of Edward's, accusing him of being a monster for the transgression of attempting to revive their mother. His impression on the brothers is also revisited in the anime, particularly in how Alphonse vows to never let another friend/ally be killed because of them. Despite being a minor antagonist in the overall story, Tucker's atrocities have a significant impact on the brothers, changing their perspective and use of alchemy.
2003 Anime[]
- Main article: Shou Tucker (2003)
2017 Film[]
- Main article: Shou Tucker (2017)
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Each collection of the manga concludes with a small omake panel showing the characters of note that had died within the contained chapters. Tucker holds the distinction of being shown screaming in Hell as opposed to every other character, including savage characters like Envy and Gluttony, going to Heaven as angels.
- The event is semi-adapted into the video game Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir in the third chapter "The Tucker Mystery". However, Al and Edward do not actually meet, as Tucker himself does not appear in-game, already having been killed by Scar - although the brothers find his glasses and a massive pool of blood. They discover his actions through a diary that, as Edward notes, was "written by someone of an unhealthy mind".
- Although this is debatable, Tucker is arguably the most widely hated character in the series, both by characters, fans, and even Hiromu Arakawa herself. In the "In Memoriam" omakes, as stated above, Tucker is the only one shown going to Hell instead of Heaven, with not even characters like Envy, Solf J. Kimblee, or Barry the Chopper joining him.
- This could be explained by Tucker's insanity (unlike the other three, who were aware of who they were and were honest about it); Tucker showed conflicting priorities as he wanted a good home for his family but sacrificed them to create talking chimeras as well as being one of the worst humans of the franchise.
- While Tucker claims to be not so different from Ed since they're both scientists who did human transmutation, this argument actually falls very flat because their respective circumstances were not at all similar. Ed at the time was an 11-year-old child trying to bring back his dead mother, and he deeply regretted that it cost him his arm and leg as well as his brother Al's body, seeking the Philosopher's Stone in hopes of fixing his mistakes. Meanwhile, Tucker is a grown man who simply didn't want to get fired and go poor again, and is emotionally unable to comprehend that he did anything wrong as he shows delusional pride rather than remorse for what he did to his family. Therefore, Ed and Tucker are foils rather than equals.
External Links[]
- Shou Tucker on the Fullmetal Alchemist Wiki
- Shou Tucker on the Pure Evil Wiki
[]
Villains | ||
Manga & 2009 Anime 2003 Anime 2017 Movie |