

In one of the episodes of _Fullmetal Alchemist_ (the original 2003 anime),
Hohenheim of Light is sent to a parallel universe of some sort smaller than
the world he once knew by Dante, using a baby as she did some research on The
Gate. He says something along the lines off:

> Even when we fix a radio with alchemy . . . it takes a life or energy from
> this world to do it

I know it's not exactly what he told his son Ed (although I do not remember
why), but why does this other world exist? Does it just exist to serve the
purpose of alchemy?


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fullmetal-alchemist-series fullmetal-alchemist-2003
Does the world on the other side of the gate exist for alchemy to exist?


The answer to this is hard to give, as the anime you are referring to did not
follow the source material. However, I believe based on the fact that it was a
"parallel" world that one cannot exist without the other.

If no one transmutated in the alchemy world, then no one would die in the
other world, if no one died in that world then the people would eventually
starve and suffer.

This is just speculation though.


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> Even when we fix a radio with alchemy . . . it takes a life or energy from
> this world to do it

The explanation, as it is given to the viewer, isn't so much that this world
exists for the purpose of alchemy. Rather, the other world is being "tapped
into". Alchemists think they are following the principle of Equivalent
Exchange; but there is a hidden cost that they are not aware of. This hidden
cost is "stolen" from the other world.

Imagine running a cable from your neighbour's house to your house, so you can
steal their electricity. Every time you use an electrical device, you steal
some of your neighbour's electricity. That's basically what it is for alchemy
too.

You put two slices of bread in your toaster. Two pieces of toast come out.
That's equivalent exchange, right? To you, living in your house, it may
**seem** that way. But you're simply not aware of the additional cost (the
electricity bill) because you're not the one paying for it (your neighbor is
paying the cost)

This does not mean that I _forced_ my neighbour to come live next to me so
that I could steal his electricity (which is what your question boils down
to). Alchemy was simply constructed in a way that it takes the additional cost
from another (pre-existing) world.

As far as I'm aware, **why** the other world exists is never discussed,
because then you must also ask yourself **why** the original (alchemist) world
exists, and ponder what existence truly means.


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From what I can tell, it's because the series is based heavily on _The Divine
Comedy_ by real-world Dante who the show comments on through its antagonist.
In _The Divine Comedy_ , there is a pathway which goes through the Earth and
comes out the other end (Inferno and Purgatorio).

The reason the show focuses on this is that in 2003, the main theme is about
the dangers of blind belief. In real life, Dante's works pretty much make up
the foundation of modern-day Christianity as the church used his depictions of
hell for the control of people. The same way _FMA_ Dante manipulates the
people of Liore through religion.

[This YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IShQ2rrKACg&t=713s) is
where I got the information and expanded upon it:


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