Greed

Greed is a homunculus who rejects being controlled and pursues wealth, power, and freedom on his own terms. His name reflects his appetite for possession, but his relationships with his followers reveal a form of loyalty uncommon among the homunculi. When he crosses paths with the Elrics, his self-interest creates conflict, though his independence also sets him apart from the group’s larger designs.

Greed is a broad-shouldered man with long black hair, narrow eyes, and a confident, sharp-featured face. His usual clothes are a dark, high-collared outfit with a pale shirt and trousers, giving him a more formal look than the chimeras who follow him. The Ouroboros mark is visible on his left hand. When he activates his Ultimate Shield, his skin darkens and takes on a hard, blackened appearance. Greed carries himself with relaxed assurance, often leaning or lounging as if even a dangerous confrontation is happening on his terms.

Greed is self-assured, calculating, and openly possessive. He describes his desires broadly, but his idea of having everything includes loyalty, companionship, and the freedom to make his own choices. He values the chimeras who work with him and treats them as people rather than expendable tools, a contrast to the way the military and other homunculi use them. Greed is willing to bargain and can be pragmatic, but he does not readily accept being controlled. His pride and hunger for independence place him at odds with Dante and the other homunculi, even when their interests briefly align.

Greed is one of the homunculi, though the 2003 series does not explain the human transmutation that created him in detail. Before the story reaches his hideout, he has broken away from the other homunculi and established himself as the leader of a group of chimeras at the Devil's Nest. He has gathered people who were altered by military experiments and offers them a place to live outside official control. Greed's separation from Dante's group reflects his central aim: to make his own choices and keep what he considers his. His reputation and protective ability make him both a feared criminal and a possible source of information about homunculi.

1. The Devil's Nest

   Edward and Alphonse encounter Greed while tracing the military's experiments with chimeras. At the Devil's Nest, Greed commands a small group of altered humans and refuses to hide his identity as a homunculus. He offers the brothers knowledge in exchange for cooperation, but his demands and independent agenda make a lasting alliance impossible.

2. Capture by the military

   Greed's attempt to remain beyond Dante's control ends when military forces seize him and return him to her. The capture demonstrates the reach of the conspiracy and the danger faced by anyone who openly defies it. Greed's companions are left exposed, while he is forced to confront the people from whom he had separated.

3. The confrontation with Edward

   After escaping custody, Greed confronts Edward and reveals important information about the homunculi, including their vulnerabilities. Edward learns that Greed's hardened skin can be altered, turning the Ultimate Shield into a weakness. The fight ends with Edward killing Greed, who meets death on his own terms rather than returning to Dante's control.

Edward Elric

Opponent and source of information

Greed sees Edward as a useful potential partner, but the two cannot agree on how to deal with one another. Their fight becomes a contest between Greed's hardened body and Edward's alchemy. Before dying, Greed gives Edward information that helps him understand the homunculi.

The Devil's Nest chimeras

Leader and protector

Greed leads the chimeras who make the Devil's Nest their refuge after being altered by military experiments. He treats them as companions and offers them a degree of protection and independence. Their loyalty to him shows that his desire to possess people can coexist with genuine attachment.

Dante

Former superior and captor

Greed once belonged to the group of homunculi directed by Dante, but he rejected her authority and pursued an independent life. Dante ultimately has him captured and brought back. Greed's refusal to submit makes their relationship one of control, defiance, and betrayal.

The Homunculi

Former comrade and dissenter

Greed shares a nature and history with the other homunculi but does not accept their collective purpose. His departure and resistance make him an outsider among them. He understands their abilities and plans, yet chooses personal autonomy over continued service.

• Greed introduces himself to Edward and Alphonse as the leader of the Devil's Nest.
• Greed's Ultimate Shield makes him difficult to injure during his fight with Edward.
• Greed explains that a homunculus can be vulnerable to the remains of the human transmutation that created it.
• Edward defeats Greed by changing the structure of his hardened carbon skin.

• Greed's Ouroboros mark is on his left hand.
• His title, the Ultimate Shield, refers to his carbon-based defense.
• The Devil's Nest is a refuge for chimeras who escaped military control.
• Greed's backstory is less fully explained than those of several other homunculi in this adaptation.

• Lust
• Envy
• Dante

• Edward Elric
• Alphonse Elric
• Winry Rockbell
• Roy Mustang
• Riza Hawkeye
• Scar
• Maes Hughes
• Izumi Curtis
• Gluttony

Back to the Fullmetal Alchemist guide