Highlights
- Shou Tucker is known for his unethical experiments and his willingness to sacrifice his family for personal gain and alchemy knowledge.
- The transformation of his daughter, Nina, into a chimera reflects his selfishness and cruelty, highlighting his disregard for the well-being of his loved ones.
- Tucker’s story serves as a reminder of the destructive consequences that occur when a parent prioritizes their ambitions over their child’s well-being, making him one of the worst fathers in anime history.
When it comes to fatherhood in anime, there are examples of terrible fathers, including Hunter x Hunter’s Ging Freecss, My Hero Academia’s Enji “Endeavor” Todoroki, and even Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Dario Brando. However, the father often referred to as “the worst father in anime” is Goku of the Dragon Ball series. While Goku may have neglected his children to train or, you know, being dead, he still showed on multiple occasions that he loved his children and wanted to be stronger — not only for them but for the world. There are many more fathers in anime without such pure intentions, one being the one who holds that title more deservedly — Shou Tucker of Fullmetal Alchemist.
Fullmetal Alchemist, as well as Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, follows the journey of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who use alchemy in their quest to find the Philosopher’s Stone to restore their bodies after a failed alchemy experiment.
How Shou Tucker Became One of Anime’s Most Hated Characters
Shou Tucker is known as a State Alchemist – a highly skilled practitioner who is commissioned by the government. State Alchemists often hold significant influence and authority within the government and the military. Tucker is known as the “Life-Sewing Alchemist” and was known for creating a talking chimera.
In both iterations of the series, Ed and Alphonse visit Tucker’s estate after they are researching. They discover Tucker is an expert in bio-alchemy, which involves the manipulation of living organisms, making Tucker a potential source of information about the Philosopher’s Stone and the secrets of alchemy. This leads them to decide to visit Tucker in the hope of gaining insights into their quest for the Philosopher’s Stone.
The brothers visit Tucker’s home and meet his daughter, Nina. Although they only spend a few days at the Tucker estate, the brothers grow a very close relationship with his daughter Nina. They bond after Nina confides in them that she has been lonely since her mother left her father two years ago, just before Tucker received his State Alchemist certification. Afterward, her father began to spend more time working and less time with her. This is relatable to the Elric brothers, as they recall feeling the same way about their father. They begin to see her as a little sister, with her referring to them as her “big brothers” and spend the day playing with her and her dog – Alexander.
The Elric brothers begin to notice inconsistencies and oddities in Tucker’s behavior. They become suspicious when they learn how he is the only State Alchemist to retain his certification in bio-alchemy. The Elric brothers visit Tucker’s laboratory to gather information, and during their investigation, they find a hidden door leading to a room with a transmutation circle and notes detailing Tucker’s experiments. As they continue to explore the laboratory, they find that Tucker has created a new chimera – a talking dog. The Chimera recognizes Edward, calling him “big brother.” Edward realizes that Tucker has done the unthinkable – transmuted Nina and Alexander into a Chimera using the same method with which he transmuted his wife. Tucker admits to it proudly, justifying that his methods are for the good of mankind. Edward begins to pummel Tucker and only stops after the Chimera Nina pleads for her father’s safety.
Ed and Al realize that there is no helping Nina, as she cannot be transformed back. Edward and Alphonse Elric come to the tragic realization that there is no way to help Nina after she has been transformed into a chimera. The irreversible nature of alchemical experimentation becomes evident, especially when human transmutation is involved. They leave to report Tucker’s misdoings to Colonel Mustang. However, Nina never gets a happy ending, as she is mercifully killed by Scar – a vengeful Ishvalan warrior who has disdain for alchemists who play with human lives.
Tucker’s fate is shown differently in Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. In Fullmetal Alchemist, after Tucker’s arrest for his unethical experiments, he is sent to Laboratory 5 as a researcher and test subject. Eventually, Edward sees Tucker, who has transformed into a monstrous chimera after several failed attempts to bring Nina back. Tucker continues his experiments, creating chimeras and collaborating with the Homunculi to try to deceive Edward into creating a Philosopher’s Stone.
Tucker attempts to use Alphonse Elric as a vessel for the Philosopher’s Stone to transmute a fully human Nina, but the attempt fails. Tucker is last seen drawing alchemy arrays on a wall with the Nina doll in his arms, driven to madness. In Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Shou Tucker’s story is closer to the original manga in Brotherhood. Tucker is killed by Scar, before he kills Nina.
Definitely Worse Than Goku
Shou Tucker’s willingness to sacrifice his own family for personal gain and the pursuit of alchemy knowledge shows a complete and utter disregard for the humanity of his loved ones. The transformation of his daughter Nina into a chimera, as well as his wife, coupled with his lack of remorse, marks him as a character defined by his selfishness and cruelty. Tucker’s story in both Fullmetal Alchemist adaptations serves as a stark reminder of the destructive consequences that unfold when a parent prioritizes their ambitions over the well-being of their own child, making him one of the worst fathers in anime history.
Fullmetal Alchemist is now available to stream on Prime Video.
Leave a Reply