Netflix’s ‘Bass x Machina’ Is Still No Match for the Best Steampunk Series of All Time

Netflix’s Bass x Machina has an appealing mix: a reimagined Old West, steam-powered machines, supernatural abilities, and Brian Tyree Henry voicing lawman Bass Reeves. Its six-episode first season also gives Reeves a meaningful ending, as he stops the Colossus and returns to his family.

Yet the series still falls short of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The 2009 anime remains the stronger steampunk-inspired adventure because its technology, political struggles, emotional stakes, and characters feel connected. Bass x Machina is a fun ride; Brotherhood is a world you can get lost in.

Bass x Machina’s Finale Gives Reeves Closure, but Not FMA’s Scope

Bass Reeves from Bass x Machina | Credits: Studio Mir

Bass x Machina drops Bass into an alternate frontier filled with machines and supernatural forces. Sent to find scientist Eugene Starr, he is drawn into a conflict involving General Rivenbark, Lighthorse, and the Colossus. Dana Starr becomes his travelling companion, while Ahni’s changing loyalties add another layer to the fight.

The finale brings those threads together: as the Colossus advances on Central City, Bass learns that its systems run on an unstable Aianhli Core. Ahni discovers Lighthorse has misled her about the city and turns against his plan. Eugene and Etta get Dana to safety as the battle spreads. Bass confronts Lighthorse, who shoots him before releasing the core’s energy. Bass overpowers and restrains him, then uses his modified hand to absorb the energy and prevent a catastrophe.

Bass’s survival looks uncertain, so the time jump comes as a welcome lift. He is alive, has become a U.S. Marshal, and is back with his family. The arrival of his third child makes the new chapter feel real. Ahni visits him at the farm, and their farewell hints at a bond without spelling out what it means. Bass riding into the sunset is a fitting western image: after a season of fighting, he finally gets some peace.

That ending gives Bass something more valuable than another victory. Still, six episodes leave limited room for the world and its characters to grow. The setting is striking, but the story moves quickly. Brotherhood has more space to let its ideas breathe. Both shows explore oppression, revenge, and the cost of power, but Bass x Machina follows one man’s journey, while FMAB makes those questions central to almost every character.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Makes Steampunk Feel Essential

The do-over release, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, combines industrial design, military technology, automail, and alchemy, giving it a distinct steampunk feel. Amestris is shaped by factories and railways, while its technology comes from alchemists who can break down and reconstruct matter. The story begins when brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric try to bring their dead mother back through human transmutation. Edward loses an arm and a leg, while Alphonse loses his body. Edward binds his brother’s soul to a suit of armour, and they set out to find the Philosopher’s Stone. Their search uncovers a conspiracy reaching into the military and Amestris.

The world feels memorable because its details matter to the characters. Edward’s automail limbs need maintenance and repairs, bringing him close to Winry, his mechanic. Alchemy has clear rules, too. Equivalent exchange means gaining something requires giving something up. That principle shapes the action and the brothers’ choices. The uniforms, railways, workshops, and prosthetics make Amestris feel lived in, while keeping its technology central to everyday life and politics.

The cast gives the story its emotional weight. Edward and Alphonse’s bond anchors the adventure, while Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Scar, and the homunculi represent loyalty, grief, ambition, and revenge. The history of Ishval and the military’s role make the conflict personal, not just political. Smaller stories make Amestris feel lived in.

Across 64 episodes, Brotherhood develops its mysteries and brings the brothers’ journey to a satisfying close. Bass x Machina offers a lively western, memorable action, and a hopeful ending for Reeves. But FMAB makes its setting, technology, and emotional conflicts feel like parts of the same creation. That is why it remains the stronger steampunk series.

Have you finished watching Bass x Machina yet? We’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below.