EPISODE CONTEXT

Sitting at episode 33 of 51, this follows 'Dante of the Deep Forest,' where Edward and Alphonse encountered Wrath and the enigmatic Dante, and it directly sets up 'Theory of Avarice,' which digs deeper into Greed's ambitions. Though classified as filler, it serves as a connective bridge in the anime-original storyline, escalating the conflict with Greed and his chimeras while keeping the Elric brothers' struggle against the homunculi front and center. This stretch of episodes marks the series' committed departure from the manga, building toward its own distinct endgame.