Anime vs DC · City to planet
Edward Elric vs Zatanna
Alchemy follows the law of equivalent exchange. Zatanna’s magic follows no law at all, as long as she can say it backwards.
Tale of the tape
| Fullmetal Alchemist | Universe | DC |
|---|---|---|
| Superhuman | Tier | City to planet |
| Alchemy without a circle: he claps and reshapes the ground into anything | Strength | Spells cast by speaking words backwards, limited only by her imagination |
| Short temper, especially about his height | Weakness | If she cannot speak, she cannot cast |
| 1–2 | Record on Versus | 1–0 |
The Arena
Edward Elric came through a transmutation circle gone wrong and landed on the stage of a magic theatre in the middle of a performance, right in front of a woman in a top hat and tailcoat. The audience applauded, assuming he was part of the act. Zatanna looked at the short blond boy with the automail arm. “Well. That’s a new trick.”
Ed looked around at the audience, embarrassed. “Sorry. I’m an alchemist. I didn’t mean to land in your show.” Zatanna smiled. “Alchemy? Real alchemy?” Ed clapped his hands and touched the stage, and a perfect stone statue of himself rose from the floor. The audience went wild. Zatanna clapped. “Not bad. My turn.”
She waved her wand. “Eutats otni eerT!” The statue turned into a tree. Ed’s jaw dropped. “That’s not possible. That breaks equivalent exchange!”
Round One
Ed, determined to prove alchemy was better, transmuted the stage into a giant stone hand that reached for Zatanna. She said “Dnah eht ekaerb!” and the hand crumbled into sand. He transmuted the seats into a cage around her. She said “Egac ot sdrib!” and the cage became a flock of doves that flew around the theatre.
The audience loved it. They thought it was the greatest magic show in history. Ed was getting frustrated. Every transmutation he made required matter, energy and an exchange of equal value. Zatanna simply said something backwards and reality obeyed.
“How do you do that?” Ed demanded. Zatanna tipped her hat. “A magician never reveals her secrets.”
The Turn
Ed was a genius, and geniuses notice patterns. Every spell Zatanna cast required her to speak. If she could not speak, she could not cast. He clapped his hands and transmuted the stage curtains into a long fabric gag that flew at her face.
It almost worked. The fabric wrapped around her mouth, and for a moment, Zatanna could not speak a single word. Ed grinned and transmuted the stage into a pillar to trap her. Then Zatanna raised her hands and used sign language, spelling the spell out backwards with her fingers.
Nobody had ever told Ed that her magic could work that way. The gag turned into a silk scarf, and Zatanna pulled it away from her mouth with a flourish. The audience gave a standing ovation.
The Finish
Zatanna decided to end the show. “Sdnah sih eit!” Ed’s hands snapped apart, held by invisible ribbons, and without clapping, he could not transmute anything. He tried to touch the floor with his automail foot. “Toof sih ezeerf!” His foot froze in place.
He stood in the middle of the stage, unable to clap, unable to move, while the audience cheered and threw flowers. Zatanna walked over, tipped her hat, and released him with a single backwards word. “Ees uoy!”
Ed flexed his freed hands, scowling. “That’s not fair. Your magic doesn’t follow any rules.” Zatanna laughed. “Of course it does. The rules are just different from yours.” She took him backstage, gave him tea, and showed him how she did the card tricks. Ed figured out every one of them. He still never figured out the real magic.
The verdict
Zatanna wins
Edward is a creative genius whose alchemy can reshape anything physical, but Zatanna’s magic does not need equivalent exchange, only words, and she can even cast in sign language when he tries to silence her.
- Reality warpingZatanna’s spells ignore the rules alchemy depends on.
- AdaptabilityShe casts in sign language when gagged.
- Binding his handsWithout clapping, Ed cannot transmute.
How the rematch could go differently: An Ed who transmuted the air around her into a vacuum, so no sound could carry, might silence her for good.
Who do you think wins?
Who would win in a fight between Edward Elric and Zatanna?
Zatanna wins. Edward is a creative genius whose alchemy can reshape anything physical, but Zatanna’s magic does not need equivalent exchange, only words, and she can even cast in sign language when he tries to silence her.