

At the end of the FMA: Brotherhood (Fullmetal Alchemist) series, Edward tried
to use alchemy and failed because he wanted his brother back and the law of
equivalent exchange clearly states that

> Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To
> obtain, something of equal value must be lost.

Therefore Alphonse's alchemy would be an equal value to Edward's alchemy. so
my question is if Edward Elric traded his brother's (Alphonse Elric) body and
soul with his alchemy, why can't Alphonse trade his alchemy for Edward's
alchemy?

Previously, it was asked [Why can't Edward get back his power to do
alchemy?](https://anime.stackexchange.com/q/34097/2604) That question was (in
my perspective) saying Ed should use a philosopher's stone to do alchemy,
because a philosopher's stone ignores the law of equivalent exchange. My
question focuses on the observation that a transmutation by Al to give up his
alchemy for Ed's should be a good example of following the law of equivalent
exchange.


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Why can't Alphonse trade his alchemy for Edward's alchemy?


This is an expansion of my thoughts in [Why can't Edward get back his power to
do alchemy?](https://anime.stackexchange.com/q/34097/2604)

There is no explicit indication that this is impossible, but it would not be
in keeping with the tone of the manga (which _Brotherhood_ roughly adapts)
were Edward able to recover his alchemy. Edward's decision to trade his gate
for Alphonse is portrayed as rather final, per Truth's question to him after
he proposes the exchange:

> The Gate of Truth exists within everyone. That is how everyone can use
> alchemy. Will you degrade yourself to an ordinary person, unable to use
> alchemy?

_Brotherhood_ points out more explicitly:

> Are you sure about this? If you lose your gateway, you'll never be able to
> use alchemy again.

It is thus unlikely that the exchange can be reversed; Edward even notes that
his recovery of Alphonse is "the Fullmetal Alchemist's final transmutation."
Furthermore, the personal nature of the gate makes me doubt that it is
possible for someone else to make an exchange for Edward's own gate. (If
Edward is the only person who can access his gate and thus, be able to give it
away, then he is probably the only person who would be able to exchange it
back, in the scenario where regaining one's alchemy is possible.)

Aside from the issue of whether the exchange is _technically_ possible, Edward
also does not really care about regaining his lost abilities. Even if he
mourned the loss, it is doubtful that he would let Alphonse sacrifice himself
in this manner. (Alphonse notes after the time-skip that Edward does not mind
keeping his automail leg "as a reminder" and that "apparently he had no
intention of trying to get it back" -- Edward only really cared about
recovering Alphonse's body. Surely Edward does not care about being "an
ordinary person" who cannot use alchemy, if he is even willing to live with
his automail leg.)


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