Envy- the third homunculus

Subject: Envy- the third homunculus Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:00 pm

Envy

Envy is the third homunculus to appear in the series. He can assume any appearance he wishes. When not in disguise, he prefers the form of an androgynous figure. Because of his ability, Envy usually acts as infiltrator for the other homunculi, often assuming another's identity in order to gain sensitive intelligence. Before the start of the manga, Envy assumed the form of a State Military soldier opposed to the Ishvalan occupation, and shot an Ishvalan child, sparking the resulting civil war. Envy is very proud of this achievement, as he enjoys violence between humans.

In the manga, Envy's natural form resembles that of an enormous demonic creature, composed of citizens of Xerxes. After Lust's death, Envy replaces her as the homunculi's messenger. On a mission to personally capture Dr. Marcoh, all of the Xerxes' souls composing Envy's true form are destroyed in the ensuing battle, reducing Envy to a tiny parasitic creature. Envy is then handed over to May Chang in a mason jar for her to take back to Xing, but Envy instead convinces her to return to Central, where he absorbs several super-soldiers to recreate his body. Soon after, Mustang confronts Envy, where he learns that Envy was Maes Hughes' murderer. Envy stands no chance against Mustang's vengeful wrath, and was quickly subdued and rendered to his parasitic form once more. After Edward sympathizes with Envy over the jealousy he feels towards the strength of humans, Envy, who was disgusted that Edward understood how he felt, commits suicide by tearing out the Philosopher's Stone at his core.

In the first anime, Envy was the first homunculus and the only one with no desire to become human, and served as Dante's right hand. Throughout the series, Envy expresses a vendetta against the Elric Brothers that was later clarified in his origins: Envy was created by Hohenheim's attempt to revive the dead child he had with Dante long ago. When his father left him and Dante to start another family, Envy began to hate Hohenheim and transferred that loathing towards his two half brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, even successfully killing Edward after revealing to him the truth of their relationship. After learning Hohenheim was still alive and on the opposite side of the Gate, Envy, leaping at the chance to personally kill his father, forces himself through while assuming the form of a giant serpent, and then loses his power of transformation. In Conqueror of Shamballa, it was later revealed that the Thule Society had captured Envy, and had been given Hohenheim as a human chew toy before being used as a sacrifice to open the Gate linking the two worlds. In the first Japanese series, Envy is voiced by Mayumi Yamaguchi, and by Wendy Powell in the English adaptation. His voice in the new series is provided by Minami Takayama.