Neon Genesis Evangelion is definitely one of the most popular and acclaimed anime series of all time. The original anime that was released in 1995 has influenced countless other movies, series, and even western cartoons. The last piece of media for this franchise was released in 2021, and it has —tentatively— marked a definitive end to the story.
The 1995 anime is only the tip of the iceberg, though. There are additional compilations and movies that construct the whole Evangelion experience. The plot in Neon Genesis Evangelion is never easy to explain, and the fact that some parts of it have been retold and mixed over time does not make it better. Attempting to watch everything in “the right order” might be a bit confusing, but heading in with the right mindset is a key component.
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Neon Genesis Evangelion and Evangelion: Death and Rebirth
The 90’s Installments to the Series Have a Confusing and Experimental Development
The starting point has to be the first anime series, the one with the iconic theme “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” which surprised even Hideaki Anno himself. The director always had a clear idea of the distinct anime he wanted to make. However, Anno's own struggles, combined with studio Gainax running out of budget towards the end of the series, resulted in a couple of final episodes with plenty of room for improvement. This led to the creation of a movie that would substitute such a bizarre ending, and so The End of Evangelion was released in July 1997.
Prior to the release of The End of Evangelion though, came Evangelion: Death [True]², a somewhat optional movie to watch. It is a compilation of the events from episodes 1-24 of the anime, but re-edited so it’s divided into four parts, each focusing on Shinji, Rei, Asuka, and Kaworu. It’s important to note that Evangelion: Death, Evangelion: Death [True], and Evangelion: Death [True]² are basically the same thing, the only differences are minor changes in animation, editing, and soundtrack.
The Rebuild of Evangelion Brings an Even More Convoluted Story
A decade after the series had “concluded” with The End of Evangelion, the Rebuild began. It consists of four movies that were released between the years 2007 and 2021: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, and 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time. The first movie retells the events of anime episodes 1 to 6, up until when Shinji and Rei manage to destroy Ramiel, but starting from 2.0, the story of Rebuild of Evangelion changes completely from the one told in the original anime series.
In an interview with The New York Times, Hideaki Anno revealed that he had had the idea of reworking the story since 2002, wanting to make it more psychological and action-packed. It’s safe to say he did achieve those objectives with the Rebuild of Evangelion. The movies were all a theatrical release, and must be watched in the order they came out. All movies are available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
The Whole Evangelion Experience Chronology
There could be more than one way to “correctly” watch all of the Neon Genesis Evangelion content there is, and it would depend on whether the original anime ending is to be taken into account or not. Even if The End of Evangelion is the true ending to the original anime, the original final episode is still an experience to take in, not to mention watching the iconic scene of Shinji being congratulated by everyone for finally becoming self-aware and realizing that he can make his own decisions and is worthy of love.
Evangelion Watch Order |
|---|
Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) (up until episode 24 if the anime ending is not taken into account) |
Evangelion: Death [True]² (1997) (Optional) |
The End of Evangelion (1997) |
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (2007) |
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009) |
Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012) |
Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021) |
In the same NYT interview, Anno stated: “I don’t feel a need to see Shinji and the other characters any time soon. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to see them ever again: there might come a time when I meet them again.” which signals that Thrice Upon a Time might not be a definitive conclusion to the huge franchise. The director has a very active career, and has already teased future Evangelion-related projects.
Overall, the Evangelion experience is a strongly psychological and existentialist one.Human Instrumentality might be one of the hardest concepts to conceive in all anime, but maybe binge-watching the franchise might help. The original anime plus the Death and Rebirth of Evangelion are a staple of 90’s anime culture, and the Rebuild of Evangelion creates an even more complex story with some special focus on Kaworu Nagisa and the new character Maki Illustrious Makinami.
Shinji Ikari might be one of the oddest protagonists out there. Seeing his emotional journey and his struggles with his relationship with others, especially his father, is a very entertaining character arc to watch. Alongside all the internal conflicts the other characters have to deal with, and the now emblematic references to Christianity and Jewish mysticism that the series employs, Neon Genesis Evangelion is truly one of the greatest pieces of media one can invest time in watching.