Evangelion
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Evangelion

This is a list of episodes in the Neon Genesis Evangelion series.

Airing history[]

After several episodes were produced, the first episode aired on October 4, 1995, long after originally planned. Initially ignored (although received positively by those Gainax fans invited to early screenings), viewership grew slowly and largely by word of mouth.

The 16th episode marked a distinct shift that would characterize the second half of Evangelion as being more psychological than action or adventure.[1] This change in emphasis was partly due to the development of the story, but also partly because by this point, production had begun running out of funding and failing to meet the schedule; this collapse has been identified by at least one Gainax employee as the impetus for Evangelion's turn into metafiction:

I didn't mind it. The schedule was an utter disaster and the number of cels plummeted, so there were some places where unfortunately the quality suffered. However, the tension of the staff as we all became more desperate and frenzied certainly showed up in the film … About the time that the production system was completely falling apart, there were some opinions to the effect that, "If we can't do satisfactory work, then what's the point of continuing?" However, I didn't feel that way. My opinion was, "Why don't we show them the entire process including our breakdown."[2]

But nevertheless, by the 18th episode, it had become enough of a sensation that Unit-01's violent rampage "is criticized as being unsuitable on an anime show that is viewed by children", and episode 20 would be similarly criticized for the offscreen depiction of Misato and Kaji having sex.[3] With this popularity came the first merchandise, "Genesis 0:1" (containing the first two episodes). Beginning a trend, it sold out. As the series concluded on 27 March 1996 with "Take care of yourself.", the story apparently remained unresolved: Third Impact and the Human Instrumentality Project are implied to have begun or even finished, but the episodes focus largely on the psychology of the characters, leaving deeply unclear what actually happens. The End of Evangelion was meant to replace or complement the original episodes 25 and 26, in order to better explain the events of the ending.

Episode list[]

Each episode has 2 titles: one is the original Japanese title, and the second is an English title that was chosen by Japanese studio Gainax itself. Most often, the direct translation of the Japanese title is not the same as the official English title that was chosen. For example, the direct translation of the original Japanese title of episode 2 is "An Unfamiliar Ceiling", but the English title chosen was "The Beast". Sometimes, however, the two titles are either similar or exactly the same, as was the case with episode 10 "Magmadiver". Many tracks on the original soundtracks are named after the English episode names in which they are first used.

Episode Information Director Writer Air Date
01

Apostle Approach

(使徒、襲来 "Shito, shūrai")
"Angel Attack"
Kazuya Tsurumaki Hideaki Anno Oct 04, 1995
The year is 2015, 15 years after the first disastrous contact with the mysterious beings known as Angels resulted in the global cataclysm referred to as the Second Impact, which wiped out half of the human race. To defend humanity against future Angel attacks, the United Nations established the NERV organization in Tokyo-3 to develop giant bio-mechanical mecha known as Evangelions. Now, the Angels have finally returned, and the untested Evangelions can only be piloted by specially selected 14 year olds. Shinji Ikari, estranged son of the director of NERV, Commander Gendo Ikari, arrives in Tokyo-3 and is dragooned into piloting Evangelion Unit-01 to fight the Angel, Sachiel, which is attacking the city.
02

An Unfamiliar Ceiling

(見知らぬ、天井 "Mishiranu, Tenjō")
"The Beast"
Kazuya Tsurumaki Hideaki Anno
Yoji Enokido
Oct 11, 1995
Shinji wakes up in the hospital, with no memory of the fight against the Angel the night before. His father wants nothing to do with him, so NERV's head of operations, the young and attractive Misato Katsuragi, becomes his legal guardian. Settling in to life in Misato's apartment, he eventually recalls the furious battle.
03

The Phone That Never Rings

(鳴らない、電話 "Naranai, denwa")
"A Transfer"
Hiroyuki Ishido Hideaki Anno
Akio Satsukawa
Oct 18, 1995
Shinji begins school at Tokyo-3 and meets classmates Tōji Suzuhara, Kensuke Aida, and Hikari Horaki. Toji is angry with Shinji because his sister was badly injured in Shinji's first fight against the Angel Sachiel. Another Angel, Shamshel, appears, and Shinji must defeat it. Shinji is pushed to his mental limit during the battle, going berserk during the last seconds, engaging the Angel in close combat and savagely disabling it. Afterwards, he is traumatized by the emotions he experienced during the battle.
04

Rain, and After Running Away

(雨、逃げ出した後 "Ame, nigedashita ato")
"Hedgehog's Dilemma"
Tsuyoshi Kaga Akio Satsukawa Oct 25, 1995
Overstressed from being made an Evangelion pilot, from the events of the previous episode, and arguing with Misato, Shinji runs away from home. Shinji is soon recaptured by NERV, but he quits being a pilot. However, at the last minute Shinji does not board his train to leave Tokyo-3 and decides to stay.
05

Rei, Beyond the Heart

(レイ、心のむこうに "Rei, kokoro no mukō ni")
"Rei I"
Keiichi Sugiyama Hideaki Anno
Akio Satsukawa
Nov 01, 1995
Evangelion Unit-00 is finally repaired after it went berserk during the experiment it was in prior to the events of the first episode. Shinji tries to get to know the pilot of Unit-00, Rei Ayanami, better but finds that she is incredibly insular, has no friends, and all records of her past have been erased. A new and powerful Angel arrives: Ramiel, a floating monolithic metal diamond with a powerful particle beam blast which nearly kills Shinji in Unit-01.
06

Decisive Battle in Tokyo-3

(決戦、第3新東京市 "Kessen, daisan shin Tōkyō-shi")
"Rei II"
Hiroyuki Ishido Hideaki Anno
Akio Satsukawa
Nov 08, 1995
The Angel Ramiel is boring down through the upper layers of Tokyo-3 to reach NERV headquarters in the geofront below. Possessing a strong beam attack and the strongest A.T. Field ever observed, a direct assault by an Evangelion would meet with failure. A plan ("Operation Yashima") is devised in which Shinji in Unit-01 will use an advanced prototype positron rifle to shoot Ramiel from outside its target zone, which must use the entire electrical output of Japan in order to operate, while Rei in Unit-00 shields Unit-01. (A national promotional campaign to conserve and redirect electricity in the wake of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami was named after "Operation Yashima".)[4][5][6]
07

A Human Work

(人の造りしもの "Hito no tsukurishimono")
"A Human Work"
Keiichi Sugiyama Hideaki Anno
Yoji Enokido
Nov 15, 1995
Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, NERV's chief scientist, explains to Shinji more of the classified real nature of Second Impact, the Angels, and the mission of the Evangelions to defeat them. A rival organization of NERV builds a prototype giant robot, Jet Alone, meant as an alternative to the Evangelions, which this new robot line will supersede. Unlike the Evangelion units, which rely on external or limited battery power, the Jet Alone has an on-board nuclear reactor and can thus function indefinitely without external power. However, during the first public test of Jet Alone, it goes out of control and starts marching toward a nearby city with its reactor building to a meltdown. Shinji keeps the robot at bay in his Evangelion while Misato gets inside and shuts down the reactor.
08

Asuka's Arrival in Japan

(アスカ、来日 "Asuka, rainichi")
"Asuka Strikes!"
Kazuya Tsurumaki Hideaki Anno
Yoji Enokido
Nov 22, 1995
Misato brings Shinji and his friends Toji and Kensuke on a flight to a United Nations carrier battlegroup which is transporting Evangelion Unit-02 and its fiery German pilot, Asuka Langley Soryu, to Japan. Escorting Asuka to Japan is Misato's old flame, Ryōji Kaji. In the middle of some awkward introductions and reunions, a massive aquatic Angel, Gaghiel, begins attacking the fleet, and Asuka determines that she will fight it using Unit-02, by playing "hopscotch". Unfortunately for both due to their unfriendly meeting, she takes Shinji with her. The Angel drags Unit-02 underwater, and Misato devises a plan to kill it by lodging two sunken battleships in its mouth and then firing all weapons into it. The Angel is killed, and it is revealed that both Shinji and Asuka broke their synchronization records. Kaji is seen delivering Adam to Gendo, and Asuka transfers to Shinji's class.
09

Moment and Heart Together

(瞬間、心、重ねて "Shunkan, kokoro, kasanete")
"Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!"
Seiji Mizushima Hideaki Anno
Akio Satsukawa
Nov 29, 1995
Asuka moves into Shinji and Misato's apartment where he and Misato live. As Asuka adjusts to Japan, the Angel Israfel attacks. After apparently being defeated, Israfel splits in to two identical copies and defeats both Units 01 and 02. In desperation the UN takes the drastic step of dropping an N² bomb on the Angel, temporarily disabling it and giving NERV six days to find a way to defeat it. They determine that both parts of the Angel must be defeated perfectly simultaneously, so Misato puts Shinji and Asuka in a training regimen which has them spending as much time together as possible in order to synchronize their actions to pull off a coordinated dual attack set to a timed dance routine. Asuka and Shinji do not take well to such close conditions however, and the training is deemed a failure. Nevertheless, Shinji and Asuka are able pull off the routine almost flawlessly, destroying the Angel.
10

Magma Diver

(マグマダイバー "Magumadaibā")
"Magmadiver"
Tsuyoshi Kaga
Hiroyuki Ishido
Hideaki Anno
Akio Satsukawa
Dec 06, 1995
The Evangelion pilots (save for Rei) are excited about their upcoming class trip to Okinawa Island, but they are upset to learn that they cannot leave Tokyo-3, since they have to be on standby in case of an Angel attack. A dormant Angel, Sandalphon, is discovered in an embryonic stage nesting deep in the magma of an active volcano, and in the hopes of gaining greater insight into the Angels, Asuka is sent to capture it by lowering Unit-02 into the magma, while it wears a special giant coolant suit for protection. However, the Angel soon awakes and advances beyond its embryonic stage, forcing Asuka to battle Sandalphon while deep beneath the surface of the magma.
11

In the Still Darkness

(静止した闇の中で "Seishishita yami no naka de")
"The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still"
Tatsuya Watanabe Hideaki Anno
Yoji Enokido
Dec 13, 1995
The electrical power in Tokyo-3 is completely cut off as a result of sabotage by parties unknown, trapping most NERV personnel inside, and worse, trapping all three Evangelion pilots outside of the base. A new Angel, Matarael, appears and begins to burn its way down to NERV headquarters by using a corrosive acid attack, and everyone inside must struggle to power up the Evangelions, as the pilots try to make their way back into Central Dogma through a maze of closed corridors and air ducts. The pilots then enter their Evas and go into battle. After traversing more vents and passageways, they come face to face with the Angel. Asuka defends Shinji and Rei from Matarael's corrosive acid, while the other two pilots retrieve Shinji's rifle. Shinji then uses the rifle to destroy the Angel.
12

The Value of Miracles

(奇跡の価値は "Kiseki no kachi wa")
"She said, 'Don't make others suffer for your personal hatred.'"
Hiroyuki Ishido Hideaki Anno
Akio Satsukawa
Dec 20, 1995
A massive Angel, Sahaquiel, appears in Earth's orbit, well beyond the reach of the Evangelions, and launching several N² bombs at it has no effect. The Angel attacks by dropping small pieces of itself onto Earth below, calibrating its aim: once it has zeroed in on Tokyo-3, the main body of Sahaquiel will fall to Earth in a massive kamikaze attack to destroy Tokyo-3. All three Evangelions are deployed at once in a race to reach the Angel before it hits, hold it back by projecting their own AT fields, and destroy it.
13

An Angel's Invasion

(使徒、侵入 "Shitō, shinnyū")
"Lilliputian Hitcher"
Tensai Okamura Hideaki Anno
Mitsuo Iso
Dec 27, 1995
The pilots are undergoing a synchronization test directed by Ritsuko deep within NERV headquarters when a new Angel, Ireul, appears within the base itself, being initially mistaken for corrosion. This Angel is actually a collection of millions of microscopic organisms, which interact to create a living biological computer circuit. Iruel infects NERV's computer network, and then infiltrates two of the three Magi supercomputers that control the base before Ritsuko is able to set up a firewall to slow its advance. Iruel is trying to trigger the NERV base's self-destruct, which requires a unanimous vote by all three supercomputers. Although Ritsuko's firewall slowed the advance of Iruel's infiltration, it is gradually taking over the last supercomputer. Ritsuko comes up with a scheme to use the Angel's rapid adaptive ability against it and force it to evolve in to a benign state, but must race to implement it before the Angel gains control.
14

SEELE, the Throne of Souls

(ゼーレ、魂の座 "Zēre, tamashii no za")
"Weaving a Story"
Masahiko Ohtsuka
Ken Ando
Hideaki Anno Jan 03, 1996
The first half of this episode is a clip show, in the form of a report by SEELE reviewing Gendo's actions, summarizing the first season of episodes and the story up until this point. In the second half, Ritsuko conducts an experiment to determine if pilots can be switched between the Evangelions they normally pilot. Rei can synchronize with Unit-01 fairly well, but when Shinji attempts to synchronize with Unit-00, it goes violently berserk inside of the base, in a manner identical to the failed activation test that took place before Shinji's arrival in Tokyo-3. As before, Unit-00 attacks the hangar's observation booth, smashing the window. However, Rei was standing at the window instead of Gendo, as was the case in the first test, causing Misato Katsuragi to wonder if Unit-00 was trying to kill Rei. Meanwhile, Ritsuko feels that Unit-00 was trying to attack Ritsuko herself. At the end of the episode, Rei uses Unit-00 to bring the Spear of Longinus recovered from Antarctica to the deepest level of NERV's base, Terminal Dogma.
15

Lies and Silence

(嘘と沈黙 "Uso to chinmoku")
"Those women longed for the touch of others' lips, and thus invited their kisses."
Naoyasu Habu Hideaki Anno
Akio Satsukawa
Jan 10, 1996
Ryoji Kaji begins to make clandestine investigations into NERV's dark secrets, after which he, Misato, and Ritsuko attend a wedding. Meanwhile, Rei and Shinji stay after class to clean up while Asuka goes on a blind date. Shinji meets Gendo at his mother's grave. Later that night, at Misato's apartment, Asuka kisses Shinji out of boredom, nearly suffocating him. Misato finds out that Kaji is a spy, but he shows her that NERV is hiding things from her. He shows her what he believes to be Adam, the first Angel, which is being kept in NERV headquarters.
16

In sickness unto death, and...

(死に至る病、そして "Shi ni itaru yamai, soshite")
"Splitting of the Breast"
Kazuya Tsurumaki Hideaki Anno
Hiroshi Yamaguchi
Jan 17, 1996
A new and extremely bizarre Angel, Leliel, appears in the sky over Tokyo-3, apparently a black and white sphere. All three Evangelions move in to attack, but Shinji's attack is useless, and he in Unit-01 is absorbed into a growing shadow that has engulfed the city. Ritsuko determines that Leliel exists on a higher dimension of existence, which can only be explained by mathematical concepts. The shadow on the ground, described as being 600 meters wide but only three nanometers thick, is the actual body of the Angel, and the sphere in the sky is its true shadow. Fearing that Unit-01 has been completely lost, NERV prepares to drop all of its remaining N² bombs into the Angel, hoping that this will destroy Leliel even though it could easily kill Shinji as well. While trapped in Leliel, Shinji goes on an introspective mental journey. As the battery power completely drains and life support runs out in Unit-01, Shinji falls unconscious, and a pair of glowing arms reach out to embrace him. Outside Leliel, Misato and Ritsuko witness Unit-01 violently tear its way out of Leliel's shadow, thereby killing it.
17

The Fourth Child

(四人目の適格者 "Yoninme no tekikakusha")
"Fourth Child"
Minoru Ohara Hideaki Anno
Shinji Higuchi
Jan 24, 1996
Disaster strikes unexpectedly when NERV-02, NERV's second branch base in Nevada, mysteriously disappears in a flash, resulting in the loss of everything in a radius of eighty-nine kilometers and thousands of people. The incident coincided with an experiment to install an S² Engine, capable of giving an Evangelion an unlimited power supply, into Evangelion Unit-04, one of the two new Evangelions which have recently finished construction in the United States. Panicking after the accident involving Unit-04, the United States government demands that Evangelion Unit-03, built in NERV-01, NERV's first branch base in Massachusetts, be removed from its soil as quickly as possible. As Unit-03 is about to arrive in Tokyo-3, Toji Suzuhara becomes the new pilot for it.
18

The Choice of Life

(命の選択を "Inochi no sentaku o")
"Ambivalence"
Tensai Okamura Hideaki Anno
Shinji Higuchi
Jan 31, 1996
Unit-03, being transported from the United States to Japan via airplane, flies through a microscopic Angel disguised as an odd cloud, infecting Unit-03. During Toji's first synch test, Unit-03 goes berserk and mutates into an Angel, Bardiel. Possessing both the power of an Angel and the form of an Evangelion, Unit-03 destroys the test facility and advances toward Tokyo-3. All three Evangelions are sortied against Bardiel, but the Angel rapidly defeats both Unit-02 and Unit-00. Although Shinji does not know that Toji is trapped inside Bardiel, he refuses to use Unit-01 to attack it, wanting to try to save the pilot. As Bardiel attacks Unit-01, Gendo orders that Shinji be cut off from control of Unit-01 and that Unit-01's dummy plug autopilot system be activated. Under the control of the dummy plug, Unit-01 savagely attacks Bardiel, literally tearing the possessed Evangelion to shreds and crushing its entry plug. After the battle, the already emotionally-devastated Shinji is even more horrified as he sees Toji being taken from the wreckage of the entry plug.
19

A Man's Battle

(男の戰い "Otoko no tatakai")
"Introjection"
Masayuki Hideaki Anno
Akio Satsukawa
Feb 07, 1996
Shinji, horrified and emotionally devastated by the battle between Unit-01 and Bardiel and witnessing Toji's near-death, as well as Gendo's cold indifference to the situation, quits NERV for a second time. However, as he is leaving Tokyo-3, the Angel Zeruel appears, and easily defeats the other Evangelions. After speaking with Kaji, Shinji returns to NERV just before the Angel penetrates NERV Headquarters, and engages the Angel in Unit-01. The Angel succeeds in overpowering Unit-01 as its batteries expire, and blasts away the Evangelion's chest armor, revealing a core identical to those of the Angels. As the Angel attacks Unit-01's core, Shinji pleads with the Evangelion to start working again. Unit-01 goes "berserk", re-engages and defeats the Angel, then tears apart and eats the Angel's corpse, absorbing its S² Engine in the process.
20

Shape of Heart, Shape of Human

(心のかたち 人のかたち "Kokoro no katachi, hito no katachi")
"WEAVING A STORY 2: oral stage"
Masahiko Ohtsuka Hideaki Anno Feb 14, 1996
During the climax of the massive fight against the Angel Zeruel, Shinji achieved a 400% synchronization ratio with Unit-01, a level thought impossible. However, because of this, Shinji has merged with the Evangelion, and his body has reverted to LCL inside the entry plug. Over the course of thirty days, as Unit-01 stands immobile and covered in bandages in its hangar, Ritsuko struggles to come up with a way to restore Shinji. Meanwhile, Shinji's consciousness goes on an introspective odyssey while merged with Unit-01 in which he comes into contact with the soul of his mother, Yui Ikari. After speaking with Yui, Shinji is "reborn" from Unit-01's exposed core. Later that evening, Misato and Kaji resume their love affair, which disturbs and angers Ritsuko.
21

The Birth of NERV

(ネルフ、誕生 "Nerufu, tanjō")
"He was aware that he was still a child."
Hiroyuki Ishido
Shunji Suzuki
Hideaki Anno
Akio Satsukawa
Feb 21, 1996
Deputy Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki is kidnapped and interrogated by SEELE, who are outraged that in its last battle Unit-01 absorbed the S² engine from an Angel into its body, so that it no longer requires an external power source and can now function indefinitely. Meanwhile, Kaji goes AWOL to try to find out the truth about NERV. As Fuyutsuki is interrogated by SEELE, he recounts in flashbacks how he first met Gendo, Yui, the dark events surrounding Second Impact, and how NERV and the Evangelion project were born. Flashbacks also reveal the history of Misato, Ritsuko, and Rei.
22

At Least, Be Human

(せめて、人間らしく "Semete, ningen rashiku")
"Don't Be."
Akira Takamura
Kazuya Tsurumaki
Hideaki Anno
Hiroshi Yamaguchi
Feb 28, 1996
After being defeated yet again by an Angel, Asuka's synchronization ratio continues to drop, affecting her ability to pilot Unit-02. Flashbacks reveal Asuka's tragic childhood, which shaped her current abrasive personality. A new Angel, Arael, appears in Earth's orbit, well outside the range of any Earth-based weaponry, including the Evangelions. Asuka is told that she will be Rei's backup for the confrontation with the Angel. Infuriated, she launches herself and confronts Arael on her own, however Arael uses a telepathic attack which forces Asuka to relive traumatic events from her past, causing such mental distress that Asuka completely loses synchronization and Unit-02 shuts down. Gendo orders Rei to go to Terminal Dogma, retrieve the Spear of Longinus, and use it against the Angel. The Lance succeeds in penetrating Arael's A.T. Field and destroys it, but the Lance achieves escape velocity and enters a lunar orbit. Asuka is again angered by her defeat, worsened by her hatred of Rei.
23

Tears

(涙 "Namida")
"Rei III"
Shoichi Masuo
Masayuki
Hideaki Anno
Hiroshi Yamaguchi
Mar 06, 1996
Following the last Angel's assault on her mind, Asuka sinks into clinical depression. The next Angel, Armisael attacks, and attempts to merge itself with Unit-00, causing it to make contact with Rei's mind, as past Angels did with Shinji and Asuka. In order to save Shinji, Rei self-destructs Unit-00 in order to destroy Armisael. Rei is revealed to be "recovered" after a supposed near-death experience. Misato forces Ritsuko to reveal to her, as well as Shinji, the dark secrets of NERV and the true nature of Rei.
24

The Final Messenger

(最後のシ者 "Saigo no shisha")
"The Beginning and the End, or 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'"
Shoichi Masuo
Masayuki
Hideaki Anno
Akio Satsukawa
Mar 13, 1996
As Asuka's depression has grown to the point that she is reduced to catatonia, SEELE sends Kaworu Nagisa to NERV in order to be the replacement pilot for Unit-02. At first Shinji and Kaworu bond and quickly become friends. However, it is soon revealed that Kaworu is in fact the final Angel and has been sent to merge with Adam in Terminal Dogma at the bottom level of NERV headquarters. Kaworu commandeers Unit-02, and Shinji engages it with Unit-01 in a fierce fight while in free-fall as they descend to Terminal Dogma. Kaworu reaches the Angel in Terminal Dogma as Shinji defeats Unit-02, but realizes that the Angel is not Adam but Lilith. Realizing it is the way things are meant to be, he then implores Shinji to kill him to prevent humanity from being destroyed. Shinji hesitates, but finally kills Kaworu. Later, traumatized by the day's events, Shinji tries to talk to Misato, but she is too distracted by her own struggles to be of comfort to him.
25

A World That's Ending

(終わる世界 "Owaru sekai")
"Do you love me?"
Kazuya Tsurumaki Hideaki Anno Mar 20, 1996
The Human Instrumentality Project begins, merging the souls of humankind into a single entity. Shinji, Rei, Misato, and Asuka struggle with their reasons for existence. Shinji discovers that he has created a solitary existence for himself, a world in which he alone can exist.
26

The Beast that Shouted 'I/Love' at the Heart of the World

(世界の中心でアイを叫んだけもの "Sekai no chūshin de 'ai' o sakenda kemono")
"Take care of yourself."
Masayuki
Kazuya Tsurumaki
Hideaki Anno Mar 27, 1996
The Human Instrumentality Project continues as humankind attempts to complete its existence. Shinji continues to struggle with the impact of his personal existence, and eventually views a world (resembling a light-hearted, comedic high school setting) in which he is not an Evangelion pilot. Shinji, now understanding that his existence is not fixed, destroys the constrictive shell which he had formed around himself. He is met by all of the other characters from the series, who applaud and congratulate him, and, in response, he thanks them all.

The End of Evangelion[]

Main article: The End of Evangelion

The End of Evangelion is a 1997 Japanese animated film written and directed by Hideaki Anno along with Kazuya Tsurumaki. It is a movie based on Episodes 25' and 26' which were alternate versions of 25 and 26.

Episode Information Director Writer Air Date
25'

Air

(エア "Ea")
"Love is Destructive"
Kazuya Tsurumaki Hideaki Anno Jul 19, 1997
First half of the film The End of Evangelion, which is meant as an alternate ending to the series, complementing or replacing the original episodes 25 and 26.

With the Angels defeated, Commander Gendo Ikari and SEELE finally break their relationship and Gendo attempts to start Third Impact with Rei and the Angel Lilith in Terminal Dogma. SEELE orders the Japanese Strategic Self Defense Forces (JSSDF) to attack Tokyo-3 and NERV headquarters, culminating in vaporizing Tokyo-3 with an N² mine. Asuka uses Unit-02 to repulse the JSSDF's attack on NERV, prompting SEELE to retaliate by sending in the nine Mass Production Evangelions, Units 05 through 13, to fight Unit-02. Meanwhile, Misato rescues Shinji from advancing JSSDF troops and brings him safely to Unit-01, but is mortally wounded. Ritsuko tries to initiate NERV HQ's self-destruct as an act of petty revenge against Gendo, but it doesn't work, at which point Gendo fatally shoots her. In a spectacular heated battle, a reawakened Asuka is able to defeat all of the MP Evangelions, but Unit-02's batteries run out, and the MP Evangelions reactivate despite their wounds because they are fitted with S² engines. The MP Evangelions proceed to eviscerate Unit-02. Shinji leaves the Geofront in Unit-01 and, upon seeing the remains of Unit-02, loses his last hold on sanity.

26'

Sincerely Yours

(まごころを、君に "Magokoro o, kimi ni")
"ONE MORE FINAL: I need you."
Hideaki Anno Hideaki Anno Jul 19, 1997
Second half of The End of Evangelion, which is meant as an alternate ending to the series, complementing or replacing the original episodes 25 and 26.

Gendo starts Third Impact with Rei, but she rejects Gendo and merges with Lilith to become a god-like being. The MP Evangelions crucify Unit-01 with their Lance of Longinus replicas, and centering around the Rei/Lilith being create an Anti A.T. Field which spreads over the entire world, reducing everyone to the primordial ooze of LCL, merging into a single super-being as all souls merge. In a surreal sequence (in which Shinji imagines himself in different scenarios interacting with the people he has come to know and care about during his time as an Eva pilot), Shinji examines his life's meaning with Rei and what he truly wants, and after talking with the soul of his mother in Unit-01, decides to reject Instrumentality, accepting individual existence and the possibility of pain over the painless loss of identity. He is told all living things will have the choice of returning to individual existence, if they can remember it. The Rei/Lilith being and the MP Evangelions die. In the end, Shinji wakes up on the beach of the Sea of LCL, which has formed over Earth, and finds that Asuka is lying next to him, inexplicably alive, her injuries sustained during her battle with the Mass-Produced Evas covered in bandages. Shinji, still in an emotionally fragile state, chokes the seemingly catatonic Asuka, but stops himself when she reaches up her bandaged arm to touch his cheek. He then breaks down completely, sobbing uncontrollably as he hunches over her. Asuka looks at the sky for several moments before turning her gaze towards the weeping Shinji. Regarding him coldly with her one good eye, she faintly mutters "How disgusting.". The story ends at this point, with the message "Fin" appearing at the bottom of the screen, leaving the fates of Shinji, Asuka, and the rest of humanity unresolved.

See also[]

References[]

  1. "Fans liked the concept, praising it for a psychoanalytical look at anime that had never been attempted before. Sato sees Episode 16 was of particular importance. A spherical black Angel called Ririeru (Leliel in English) appears and Shinji's Eva Unit-01 is absorbed into it. Normally, such close contact between an Evangelion and an Angel would have resulted in combat. Instead, in this episode, Shinji is confronted by another version of himself. The two Shinjis engage in conversation as the young boy probes "himself" about who he really is and the meaning of "self." The episode clearly shows how Shinji explores his inner self as he continues asking why it is that he has been selected to pilot the Eva. The series continues in this way with a strong focus on Shinji's internal struggles until Evangelion draws toward its climax." "Evangelion Special: From phenomenon to legacy"
  2. "A STORY OF COMMUNICATION: The Kazuya Tsurumaki Interview"
  3. pg 162, Fujie 2004
  4. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-03-12/evangelion-inspires-real-operation-yashima-after-quake
  5. "Twitter offers one example in the spread of the "Yashima Sakusen" (Operation Yashima) movement, which derives its title from the anime series "Neon Genesis Evangelion." Using the social networking service, Twitter users urge others to conserve energy. All that "tweeps" have to do is retweet the phrase, spreading the word to their own followers. The ease of participating in a charitable cause with a simple click has caused Yashima Sakusen to spread like wildfire around the Japanese Twitterverse." "Tweeting 'slacktivists' could create true social change", Asahi Shimbun
  6. http://schoolgirlmilkycrisis.com/blog/?p=2847
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