To gain, something must be given

Two brothers try to bring their mother back with forbidden alchemy, and pay a terrible price: the older loses an arm and a leg, and the younger loses his whole body, his soul bound to a hollow suit of armor. Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most beloved stories in manga and anime, a mix of adventure, mystery, war and brotherly love. A Fullmetal Alchemist-inspired rug brings its world of alchemy into a room: a glowing transmutation circle on a round rug, historic alchemical symbols, an ouroboros serpent, a silver pocket watch or steampunk gears. Every design is printed into soft velvet and goes in the washing machine.

Fullmetal Alchemist-inspired designs

Design	The look	Best in
Transmutation circle	A glowing geometric circle of runes and lines	Round rugs, anime rooms
Alchemical symbols	Historic signs for metals and elements	Studies, libraries
Ouroboros	A serpent swallowing its own tail	Round rugs, gothic rooms
Pocket watch	An engraved silver watch with a chain	Studies, offices
Steampunk gears	Brass gears and mechanical limbs	Workshops, game rooms
Red stone	A glowing red gem on black	Teen rooms, gaming setups

The transmutation circle is the classic round design, and the ouroboros suits a fan who prefers the darker side of the story.

The series

Fullmetal Alchemist was written and drawn by Hiromu Arakawa and ran from 2001 to 2010. It was adapted into two anime series by the studio Bones: the first in 2003, and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood in 2009, which follows the manga closely and is often ranked among the greatest anime ever made. Edward and Alphonse Elric travel their country searching for the legendary philosopher's stone to restore their bodies, and uncover a conspiracy reaching the top of their military government. At its heart is the idea of equivalent exchange: in alchemy, as in life, you can't gain anything without giving something of equal value.

Transmutation circles

In the series, alchemists draw intricate circles of geometric shapes, runes and lines to transform matter. A glowing transmutation circle, our own design of interlocking triangles, circles and symbols in gold or blue light on deep black, is a stunning round rug for an anime room, a dorm or a study, as if you could stand in the center and work alchemy. Our round rugs come from 2.6 to 5.9 ft (80 to 180 cm) across.

Real alchemy

Alchemy was a real practice for centuries, in Egypt, the Islamic world, China and medieval Europe, part science, part philosophy and part mysticism. Alchemists tried to turn lead into gold and to find an elixir of life, and along the way they developed laboratory techniques that helped lead to modern chemistry. Even Isaac Newton, one of history's greatest scientists, spent years writing about alchemy.

Equivalent exchange in real chemistry

The series' central law has a real echo. In the 18th century, the French chemist Antoine Lavoisier showed that in a chemical reaction, matter is never simply created or destroyed, only rearranged, an idea now called the conservation of mass. It's a neat fact for a student who loves both the show and science class.

The creator's farm roots

Hiromu Arakawa grew up on a dairy farm in Hokkaido, in northern Japan, and her love of hard work and rural life shows in the brothers' small hometown and in her later farm-school manga, Silver Spoon. She even draws herself as a cow in her author notes.

Hallways and entryways

Down a hallway, a custom runner up to 10 ft long with a chain of linked transmutation circles makes a dramatic passage. Just inside the front door, a small pocket-watch or symbols rug is an elegant welcome; keep it indoors, out of the weather. Choose Standard for both, for its grip on hard floors.

Pairing with furniture

These rugs suit warm, old-world rooms: dark wood, leather, brass lamps, glass bottles and old books, like an alchemist's study. For a steampunk look, add exposed bulbs, copper pipes and a few vintage gears on the shelves.

Alchemical symbols

Old alchemists used symbols for the metals and elements: a circle with a dot for the sun and gold, a crescent for the moon and silver, and triangles pointing up or down for fire, water, air and earth. A rug of these historic symbols in gold on navy or black is an elegant, scholarly design for a study, a library or a science lover's room, meaningful even to someone who has never seen a single episode of the show.

The ouroboros

The ouroboros, a serpent or dragon swallowing its own tail, is an ancient symbol of eternity and cycles found in Egyptian, Greek and alchemical art. In the series, it marks the mysterious beings at the center of the conspiracy. An ouroboros curling around a round rug is a striking, timeless design for a gothic or anime room. For more circular symbols, see our mandala rugs.

The pocket watch

State alchemists carry a silver pocket watch as a badge of office, and the hero's holds a secret engraved inside. An engraved silver pocket watch on a chain is a classic, elegant design for a study or an office, with or without any alchemy connection at all. A custom version can engrave your own date or initials.

Steampunk gears and mechanical limbs

The older brother's arm and leg are replaced with metal prosthetics, built by his childhood friend, a brilliant mechanic. A rug of brass gears, springs and mechanical parts is a fun steampunk design for a workshop, a maker space, a game room or an engineer's study. For more mechanical style, see our Transformers rugs.

Brothers

The bond between the two brothers, who would give anything for each other, is the emotional heart of the story. For brothers sharing a room, a pair of rugs, a red and a silver-gray, or a transmutation circle split between their two favorite colors, is a meaningful nod to the bond between brothers.

The red stone

The philosopher's stone, a glowing red gem said to break the rules of equivalent exchange, drives the whole plot. A single red gem glowing on black is a simple, dramatic design for a teen's room, a dorm or a gaming setup. Under a gaming chair, choose Standard, 5 mm crushed velvet on a non-slip faux leather back, about 500 g/m², which stays put and lets the wheels roll.

For older fans

The series includes war, loss and some frightening moments, so it suits older kids, teens and adults. The alchemical symbols, gears and pocket watch are the gentlest designs.

Studies and libraries

An alchemical-symbols or pocket-watch rug pairs beautifully with dark wood shelves, old books, brass lamps and a globe, a scholarly room any alchemist, real or fictional, would envy. For the softest feel underfoot, choose Premium, 7 mm plush velvet on a bamboo and cotton back, about 700 g/m². Our office and studio rugs page has more setups.

Anime bedrooms and dorms

A transmutation-circle or red-stone rug is a striking centerpiece for an anime bedroom or a dorm. Choose Standard on hard dorm floors. Our bedroom rugs page has more layouts.

Colors

Fullmetal Alchemist-inspired designs look best in deep red, gold and black, glowing blue for transmutation light, brass and silver for gears and watches and navy for scholarly symbols.

Other anime

For more classic anime, see our Hunter x Hunter, Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop and Death Note rugs, and all our anime and manga rugs.

Gifts

A Fullmetal Alchemist-inspired rug makes a great gift for an anime fan, a chemistry student or a history buff. A transmutation circle is the most recognizable; alchemical symbols are the most elegant and the most grown-up.

Your own design

Want a transmutation circle with your initials at the center, a pocket watch engraved with your own date or alchemical symbols in your favorite colors? Our custom rugs can print it in any size up to 5′11″ × 10′, or cut it to shape with our shaped rugs. Please only send artwork you're allowed to use; official manga panels and anime stills belong to their owners. Custom rugs are made just for you and can't be returned.

Sizes, shipping and returns

Rectangles come in 2×3, 2.6×3.9, 3.3×5, 4×6 and 5×7 ft. Round rugs come from 2.6 to 5.9 ft (80 to 180 cm) across, and shaped rugs from 2.6×2.6 up to 5.2×5.9 ft (80×80 to 160×180 cm). Custom sizes go up to 5′11″ × 10′. Every rug is printed to order in 1–3 business days and ships from Turkey; US delivery usually takes 2–5 business days after that. Unused rugs can be returned within 30 days on US orders; custom rugs can't be returned.

Care

Machine wash on a gentle, cold cycle and let it air dry flat. Vacuum on a low setting between washes, and blot spills with cold water right away. The design is printed into the fibers, so the circles stay crisp, wash after wash, a fair exchange for a little care.

Amestris, from Resembool to Briggs

The Elric brothers' journey crosses the whole country of Amestris. It begins in Resembool, the quiet farming village in the east where they grew up and where Winry builds Ed's automail. Central City holds the military headquarters and the library where state secrets hide. East City is Colonel Mustang's base, and far to the north, Fort Briggs stands in the snow, guarded by Major General Olivier Armstrong and her soldiers. Beyond the desert to the east lies Xing, home of Ling and May.

A map of Amestris makes a rich, story-filled rug: Resembool's green fields, the circular layout of the country, Briggs' snowy mountains and the desert border, all drawn in the style of an old military chart. It suits a study or a fan's bedroom, and it rewards anyone who has watched the series closely, because the country's shape turns out to hide one of the story's biggest secrets.

The seven homunculi offer darker designs. Named after the deadly sins, Lust, Gluttony, Envy, Greed, Sloth, Wrath and Pride, each carries an ouroboros mark somewhere on the body. A rug with seven simple sin symbols around an ouroboros is a striking, symbolic piece for an older fan.

Hiromu Arakawa's manga ran from 2001 to 2010, and Brotherhood, the anime that follows it closely, aired from 2009 to 2010. Both remain favorites with fans who love a story where every detail, even the map, matters.

For a study or a library corner, the map design pairs beautifully with old leather-bound books and a brass compass, a nod to the Elric brothers' long research trips in search of the Philosopher's Stone. It works equally well in a teenager's room covered in posters.

Padrift is an independent studio. Fullmetal Alchemist is named to describe what our designs are inspired by; we are not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by Hiromu Arakawa, Square Enix, Bones or Viz Media.