Sloth

Sloth is composed, calculating and emotionally distant. She rarely displays the exaggerated behavior associated with some of the other Homunculi, instead approaching her assignments with quiet efficiency. Her position inside the State Military also requires her to maintain a convincing human identity and interact calmly with officials who have no knowledge of her true nature.

Beneath that controlled exterior, Sloth is deeply troubled by memories and emotions associated with Trisha Elric. She regards these feelings as unwanted remnants rather than proof that she is the woman whose appearance she shares. Her desire to separate herself from those memories becomes increasingly important whenever she encounters Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric.

Rather than wanting to become Trisha, Sloth ultimately believes that killing Edward and Alphonse will free her from the maternal feelings that continue surfacing around them. This puts her directly against Alphonse's hope that some part of his mother might genuinely remain within her.

Sloth possesses the enhanced resilience and regenerative capabilities associated with the Homunculi of the 2003 anime. Red Stones within her body provide the energy required to recover from otherwise lethal injuries, making ordinary attacks ineffective unless her regeneration is specifically neutralized.

Her unique ability allows her to transform part or all of her body into water. In this state she can alter her shape, move through confined spaces and avoid conventional physical attacks. She can extend liquid portions of her body around opponents and engulf them, using the water to restrain or drown victims.

The fluid nature of her body also makes her difficult to damage through straightforward combat. She can rapidly shift between human and liquid forms, allowing her to attack from unconventional angles or escape through spaces inaccessible to an ordinary person.

Like the other Homunculi created through failed human transmutation, Sloth has a specific weakness connected to the remains of the person whose resurrection produced her. Edward eventually exploits this weakness using material from Trisha's remains, temporarily suppressing Sloth's regenerative abilities. He then transmutes the water composing her body into ethanol, which evaporates and destroys her.

Sloth works alongside the other Homunculi while maintaining the public identity Juliet Douglas. Her position as King Bradley's secretary gives the group access to the State Military and allows her to operate inside Central without revealing what she is.

Her origins lie in Edward and Alphonse's childhood attempt to resurrect their mother through forbidden human transmutation. The malformed being produced by the failed transmutation survives after the brothers leave and is discovered by Dante, who feeds it Red Stones until it develops a human form resembling Trisha. Dante subsequently names the resulting Homunculus Sloth.

Sloth participates in the Homunculi's efforts to manipulate alchemists into creating a complete Philosopher's Stone. She works with Lust, Envy, Gluttony and the other Homunculi while her military position helps conceal their involvement in events across Amestris.

Her resemblance to Trisha eventually becomes central to the Elric brothers' conflict with the Homunculi. Alphonse struggles to accept that the woman before him is not his resurrected mother, while Edward insists that their failed transmutation created an entirely different being. Sloth exploits Alphonse's uncertainty before Edward finally confronts her directly and destroys her in Laboratory 5.

Edward Elric has an intensely personal connection to Sloth because he and Alphonse unintentionally created her during their attempt to resurrect their mother. Edward refuses to accept Sloth as Trisha despite her appearance and memories, eventually confronting and destroying her after overcoming his guilt about what their transmutation produced.

Alphonse Elric reacts differently to Sloth than his brother. Her appearance and apparent memories lead Alphonse to wonder whether some part of his mother survived within her. Sloth takes advantage of this uncertainty, even though she herself wants to escape the maternal feelings she experiences around the brothers.

Trisha Elric is the woman Sloth physically resembles. Sloth originates from the Elric brothers' failed attempt to resurrect Trisha, leaving her with Trisha's appearance and fragments of emotions or memories associated with her without actually restoring the original person.

Dante discovers the malformed product of the Elrics' human transmutation. She feeds the creature Red Stones, helps it develop into Sloth's human form and subsequently uses her as one of the Homunculi serving her plans for the Philosopher's Stone.

King Bradley employs Sloth's Juliet Douglas identity as his secretary. Bradley is himself the Homunculus Pride in the 2003 continuity, making their apparent professional relationship part of the Homunculi's infiltration of Amestris's government.

Lust, Envy and Gluttony are fellow Homunculi with whom Sloth works under Dante's direction. Although their individual goals differ, they cooperate in manipulating events surrounding the creation of the Philosopher's Stone.