World of Evangelion
Thesis of a Cruel Angel.
Setting
The story of Neon Genesis Evangelion primarily begins in 2000 with the "Second Impact", a global cataclysm which almost completely destroyed Antarctica and led to the deaths of half the human population of Earth. The Impact is believed by the public at large and even most of NERV to have been the impact of a meteorite landing in Antarctica, causing devastating tsunamis and a change in the Earth's axial tilt (leading to global climate change) and subsequent geopolitical unrest, nuclear war (such as the nuking of Tokyo), and general economic distress. Later, Second Impact is revealed to be the result of contact with and experimentation on the first of what are collectively dubbed the Angels: Adam. The experiments were sponsored by the mysterious organization SEELE, and carried out by the research organization Gehirn.
In the year 2010, Gehirn had accomplished a number of its scientific and engineering goals and corporately changed into the paramilitary organization NERV which is headquartered in Tokyo-3, a militarized civilian city located on one of the last dry sections of Japan; NERV's central mission is to locate the remaining Angels predicted by SEELE, and to destroy them. However, NERV has its own secret agenda, as directed by its Machiavellian commander Gendo Ikari: the Human Instrumentality Project, which, according to Gendo in episode 25, is the task of uniting all human minds into one global spiritual entity. Associated with NERV is the Marduk Institute, which has the task of selecting the pilots for the Evas, the most capable being children conceived after the Second Impact (14 year-olds). The institute consists of Commander Ikari, and NERV's chief scientist Ritsuko Akagi; supporting the two are 108 companies which are all revealed to be ghost companies.
Organizations
Severy organizations have manipulated the course of the world since Second Impact, and the final conflict all came down to two of them.
NERV
NERV (German for "nerve") is a special organization that was put together to combat the Angels after the Second Impact and is the organization responsible for the creation of the Evangelions.
Although NERV is under the control of the United Nations, it is an independent organization in operations. The United Nations is the source of NERV's funding, income, and equipment for its operations. In the Rebuild of Evangelion movies, NERV is bound by the Vatican City Treaty, which restricts the number of operational Evangelions a single country can control at any one time.
Gendo Ikari is the commander of NERV, followed by Deputy Commander Kōzō Fuyutsuki. Misato Katsuragi is tactical field commander for the EVA pilots. Dr. Ritsuko Akagi is the chief scientist and is in charge of the technical aspects of NERV. Maya Ibuki, Makoto Hyuga, and Shigeru Aoba are the three main computer technicians of NERV HQ. The EVA pilots are First Child Rei Ayanami, Second Child Asuka Langley Sohryu, Third Child Shinji Ikari, Fourth Child Toji Suzuhara, and Fifth Child Kaworu Nagisa. Ryoji Kaji is the special inspector appointed by NERV later in the series.
Within NERV, there are a set of three supercomputers called the MAGI created by Gehirn scientist Dr. Naoko Akagi, the mother of Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. The MAGI within NERV HQ's Central Dogma are the original, while the other branches (China, Germany, and the United States) have copied MAGI systems.
NERV is composed of security personnel, technicians in various fields, maintenance crews for the Evangelions, and retrieval teams. All personnel are issued standard ID cards in order to allow entry into NERV HQ. All security within NERV HQ are instructed to shoot to kill intruders on sight in restricted areas of NERV; however, they are merely well-armed security guards with minimal weapons training. Security is split into two separate groups, one to defend the geofront and outlaying structures and road stops and the other to protect the HQ itself, Security personnel assigned to the geofront are armed with Steyr MP7 submachine guns and are distinguished from other Personnel by their signature red berets while HQ personnel are armed with both MP7 Steyr and M9 Berettas and utilizes Ballistic shields and large defensive covers and are distinguished from other personnel with bright magenta patches on both side of the uniforms arms while retrievale teams are armed with MP5 submachine guns, base crew personnel like Maintainance and Technicians are usually unarmed, only key personnel assigned to sensitive areas are armed. key staff members are apparently allowed to own their own firearms as seen numerous times (EOE). In Rebuild, the personnel is mostly the same with a notable major difference being the Geofront Security operating on surface level and are more heavily armed with MP7A1s modified with extensions and a ballistic vest with neck cover and their iconic red beret (E2.22)
There are many branches of NERV throughout the world. NERV HQ is located underneath Tokyo-3 within the GeoFront cavern. NERV-01 is NERV’s first branch located in Massachusetts, USA. NERV-02 is located within Nevada, USA. NERV-03 is located in Germany, where Second Child Asuka Langley Soryu was born.
NERV Personnel
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| Commander Gendou Ikari M.I.A. |
Vice-Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki M.I.A. |
Doctor Ritsuko Akagi Defected. |
Major Misato Katsuragi Defected. |
Ryoji Kaji |
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| Operator Makoto Hyuga |
Operator Maya Ibuki |
Operator Shigeru Aoba |
Operator Aoi Mogami |
Operator Kaede Agano |
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| Operator Satsuki Ooi |
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Children
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| Second Child Asuka Sohryu Langley Defected. |
Third Child Shinji Ikari Defected. |
Fourth Child Toji Suzuhara |
Kensuke Aida | Class Representative Hikari Horaki |
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Clones
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| First Child Rei Ayanami Defected. |
First Child Rei Quatre Unknown. |
First Child Rei Cinq Unknown. |
First Child Rei Six Unknown. |
Mari |
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SEELE
SEELE (German for soul) is a secret and mysterious organization with influence over the World's Governments and Organizations in the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise.
SEELE runs NERV by the name of the Instrumentality Committee, a meeting consisting of five SEELE members, including Keel Lorenz, who officially represents the United Nations. The Instrumentality Committee members are shown for their meetings, with each associated with a different color; however, for official SEELE meetings, images of large stone monolith marked "SEELE <member #> Sound Only" are projected instead of the images of the actual members.
It is presumed that Keel Lorenz, SEELE 01, is SEELE's leader or acts as the president of the council, since he's the one who speaks more and on behalf of the whole organization. The number of members in SEELE meetings varies each time, normally being only twelve but sometimes reaching to the total of fifteen members and the minimum of seven.
The only known members of SEELE are Keel Lorenz (original German name spelling: Lorenz Kiel) and other fourteen unknown men (four being the representatives of the Instrumentality Committee); all other SEELE-affiliated people and groups have no official power in the organization. Speculation is that they are some sort of A.I similar to the Magi; or that they are human beings similar to Kaworu Nagisa or Rei Ayanami who hold ties to Adam and Lilith.
Goals
SEELE strive to accomplish the Human Instrumentality Project - the goal of uniting the human race as one, thus ending all the wars and individual struggles of mankind. The Seed of Adam (the progenitor of the angels) was the original seed to arrive to Earth, but because of the arrival of the Seed of Lilith (the progenitor of humanity), Adam's seed was inactivated, so SEELE views Humanity as the false successors of Earth, and the Angels as the true successors, the sons of God, and for that Humanity is burdened by the "Original Sin" because it should never have existed. They work to destroy the Angels, then unite all humanity as one and sequentially unite with Lilith and Adam, so that they can become part of the God—the next stage of existence.
SEELE's original plan to accomplish this was to make Kaworu the Seventeenth Angel, the carrier of Adam's soul, merge with Lilith, causing the Third Impact. This would, with the help of thirteen Evangelion units, accomplish the Human Instrumentality Project. But the loss of Eva Units 03 and 04 and the delay of Units 05 and 06 lead SEELE to the construction of Mass Production Evangelions controlled by Kaworu Dummy Plugs.
The death of Kaworu made SEELE conclude that Kaworu wasn't the "successor of life" after all. This was further justified by the Dead Sea Scrolls, since it didn't foresee anything of this. SEELE agreed, from there on, that they wouldn't borrow the power of the angels anymore to help accomplish their plans.
SEELE Council
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| Keel Lorentz | 01 Sound Only | 02 Sound Only | 03 Sound Only | 04 Sound Only |
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| Ryoji Kaji | Tabris |
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Technology
Bakelite
Bakelite (ベークライト) is a fast-setting red-colored phenol resin, which, after being released in liquid state, quickly hardens in a similar fashion to that of quick drying concrete. Bakelite is deployed inside of NERV HQ in the event that an Evangelion breaks loose and needs to be quickly restrained. Also, part of NERV HQ's defensive system is to flood presumably most or possibly all access corridors with bakelite, as means of cutting off the advance of an approaching enemy. It is used to block entire passage ways in an effort to stop the Japanese Strategic Self Defense Force troop movements inside NERV Headquarters as can be seen in The End of Evangelion.
After Adam was reduced to an embryonic state, the embryo was encased in bakelite in order to freeze it and make it easy and safe to transport.
Evangelions
Evangelion (エヴァンゲリオン[?]) is a giant humanoid being of near-godlike power, created by NERV from samples of the First Angel, Adam (although Unit-01 might be an exception). Evangelions were supposedly created to combat the Angel threat, although their most important function (and one of their greatest secrets) is to initiate Third Impact to evolve humanity further.
Despite being giant humans (in the series' broader definition of the term "human"), Evangelions are often mistaken for giant robots. As early as Episode 02, Evangelion Unit-01 is seen without its helmet on, revealing that Evangelions are clearly not robots, but cyborgs, living organic creatures with cybernetic machine and computer components grafted onto them. They are also covered from head to toe in restraining metal plates that hide their true organic form and serve to keep them under NERV's control, and in part because they have pilots who sit in the cockpit-like Entry Plug.
Each Evangelion has been imbued with the soul of the pilot's mother, with the exception of Unit-00 and possibly the Mass Production Evas.
Evangelions do not have a fixed size in the show, and vary in size as the situation demands, going from 40 meters to a towering 200 meters in height (they all have a height of approximately 80 meters in the Rebuild continuity, with Eva-13 being slightly larger). Created from the Seed of Life Adam (with the seeming exception of Unit-01), their massive bodies are formed of Particle-Wave Matter, but their shape appears to be determined genetically rather than through their A.T. Fields since they were born without souls, having their soul inserted in a Contact Experiment with a human being. Evangelions are also incapable of generating an S² Engine, although Unit-01 later acquires one and Mass Production Evangelions are all equipped with them.
Like the original Adam, an Eva has essentially the same physical form as a normal human, albeit with exaggerated torso/waist proportions and varying head forms. The limbs are identical to human limbs in structure, down to the point of the fingers having fingernails (Episode 03) and the feet having toes (seen in End of Evangelion).
Skull shape and features vary from Evangelion to Evangelion. Some of the failed Prototype Evangelions have a skull shape almost identical to that of a human, while the Mass Production Evangelions have no eyes and a vaguely cetacean head form. Production model Evangelions vary in head shape, as well as in the number of eyes and nostril position.
Evangelions have internal organs including a complete digestive tract, as evidenced by display monitors and Unit-01's attack on Zeruel, and visually seen during the dismemberment of Unit-02. With the exception of Unit-02, which has blue-purple blood (In Rebuild, Unit-02's blood has been switched to red), all Evangelions have red blood, which sprays out of wounds in spectacular fashion.
Like Adam and the Angels, all Evangelions have a core, located on the solar plexus region in a similar manner to the more humanoid Angels. Unit-01 is known to have two smaller cores located below and next to the main core. NERV's technology allows the core to be prepared for a Contact Experiment or for piloting. Cores appear to have their own supply of LCL, and pipes for the liquid connect to the back of the Eva's head.
Like the Angels, Evangelions have regenerative capabilities. It is directly stated that they are capable of regenerating damaged or destroyed organs. Unit-01, in particular, has demonstrated extremely fast, controlled regeneration, including the ability to convert foreign biomass to its own. Likewise, Evangelions can lose their limbs or even their head and have them reattached later.
Unit-02's left leg is ripped off at the knee (which the script attributes to a blasting bolt), after which the torn off leg sinks deeper into the magma of the volcano, presumably beyond all hope of recovery; however, by the next episode Unit-02 is seen to be fully repaired with a full left leg. NERV is either capable of creating replacement limbs for the Evas (as opposed to simply being able to reattach limbs that have been severed), or of making Evas regrow lost limbs from their torso. It is not known how long or difficult of a process this might be, as it is not clear how much time passes between episodes during the fairly standalone "Action Arc" of the series, although in Episode 19, Unit-00 did not have time to grow a new left arm after the battle with Bardiel, implying that the regenerative process is fairly slow (or at least for Unit-00).
Evangelions are covered in bindings that serve to restrain them and bind them to NERV's control, and are restrained heavily at all times when not in combat. Whether the bindings serve to restrain them physically or use some other mechanism to restrict their power is not known as the functioning of the bindings is not elaborated upon within the series. The bindings appear to serve as armor of sorts, but they are presumably unnecessary in that role. The shoulder pylons serve as part of the restraint system, attaching to external restraints as well as serving as storage for weapons like the Progressive Knife and Unit-02's spike launcher.
Evangelions seem to be created from a sort of asexual amoeba-like[1] fission process with either Adam or Lilith, in which the torso of the Eva is 'pulled' out of the Seed; Bochan_bird's translation of the Japanese liner notes, Genesis 0:12, in the "Eva Tomo no Kai" section:
"[...] Among these are an image of two giants lying stretched out. These apparently are Lilith and Unit-01 at the stage of the experiment where Yui disappeared. Both are in the condition with most of their lower bodies missing, and the missing lower torsos appear to be joined. Yui probably performed contact in the condition with Lilith and Unit-01 joined, and was taken/absorbed into [the Eva]."
In the Rebuild continuity, the biological creation of the Evas is mostly the same at first, but a few key differences surface over the progression of the movies. First is that their origins are somewhat different as the First Angel was not involved in the Second Impact, but instead the four Adams take his role. Secondly, as the movies progress, NERV and SEELE begin to expand on Eva development, using different source materials for their creation such as Angels and even the Adams, culminating on the creation of Evangelion 13, which is one of the living Adams, restrained and mechanized.
Piloting Modifications
All Evas have an artificial section of the spine, which is left incomplete by a circular gap that the Entry Plug fits in. Inserting the entry plug completes the nerve connections from the head to the rest of the body. As an added precaution, a Signal Termination Plug is often kept in place of the Entry Plug to prevent neural impulses from flowing. While in operation, the Entry Plug is kept covered by a flush-fitting armor plate, although it can be lifted to eject the Entry Plug in an emergency.
The end of the Entry Plug is inserted into the core, which has a cylindrical cavity drilled out to accommodate it. The depth of the Plug inside the core can vary according to the synchronization rate and other factors, such as the Eva going berserk. The Entry Plug is flooded with LCL, which is either generated by the core itself or is pumped in from external storage before being processed and purified by the life-support systems. It serves to both provide oxygen and establish the link between the Entry Plug's occupants and the Eva, although the Interface Headset would appear to be necessary to actually pilot the Eva.
In addition, there appears to be an extensive computer interface between the pilot and the Eva, as the system must be set to the pilot's native language (the language in which the pilot thinks, see note below) to allow the Eva to activate and be piloted. It might also link to the viewscreens in the Eva cockpit (which can flicker on and off depending on the activation state of the Eva).
The shoulder-armor pylons on Evangelions do not actually contain any biological part of the Eva, underneath the armor. The entire pylon is just an extension of the Eva's outer armor. As seen in Episode 14, the pylons can actually be removed should the need arise, in this case to fit them into external restraints; besides Unit-00, both Unit-01 and Unit-02, which always had shoulder-armor pylons, are here seen without them.
Operational Capabilities and Equipment
Evas run off power from an umbilical cable, attached to a socket in the back of the artificial spine segment. How electrical energy is converted for the Eva's usage, or if the Eva indeed is capable of motion off raw electrical energy alone, is not elaborated in the show. If the cable is broken or disconnected (for increased speed and mobility), Evas have up to five minutes of Internal Battery power in reserve (alternatively quoted as one minute at maximum and five minutes with gain- varying depending upon plot).[2]
In the Rebuild continuity, while this remains the same for the first two movies, in 3.0, the technology for feeding energy to an Eva appears to have evolved, as Evas 02 and 08, appear to have small, portable batteries connected to their backs rather than cables, allowing them greater freedom of movement and quicker replacements, should their energy run out. On the other hand, some Evas, such as Mark.04, Mark.06, Mark.09 and Evangelion 13 appear to be completely autonomous, having apparently limitless energy, likely due to the presence of an S² Engine.
Also, in this continuity, more is revealed about the hardware embedded within the Evangelion units. There is 255 terabytes of memory available to the software used to run the Evangelion Provisional Unit-05. It is unknown, however, if this also applies to the other Eva units. More curiously, the colors used by the holographic display to show the various information, alerts, and so on, seems to be changeable via a control panel, as seen when Mari plays with this feature in her Evangelion Unit-08.
Defensively the Evas are fitted with 1200 pieces of special armor that is able to resist a low yield nuclear blast (Episode 7 and EoE) and can protect the Eva from conventional weapons, they are also capable of creating protective A.T. Fields as well as eroding the A.T. Fields of Angels, and have tremendous strength in addition. In complete contrast to their size and mass, Evas are capable of acrobatic feats like drop-kicks and enormous spinning leaps into the air. Performance rises with increased synchronization, and an Eva in battle rage can inflict crippling physical damage on an Angel or even another Evangelion, or cast its A.T. Field as an offensive weapon. The height of Eva capabilities is the Berserk mode, when the resident soul has taken control from the pilot. It is characterized by savage, animal-like behavior. A berserker Evangelion has greatly enhanced physical strength, and, at the height of berserker mode, can run without any electrical power at all.[3]
Evangelions have weapons and other equipment loaded on for combat purposes. Evas have computerized targeting systems, Radar and Sonar, as well as assorted weaponry.
All Evangelions (with the exception of Unit-00 in its original armor) have a Progressive Knife stored inside their left shoulder pylon, and Unit-02 has a spike launcher in its right shoulder pylon. Unit-00's shoulder pylons have a rocket system that allows the Eva to slow down when making large jumps (or presumably increases jump height as well).
Evangelion Pilots
An Evangelion is imbued with the soul of its pilot's mother. Whether the soul or the pilot is chosen first is unknown. A pilot can easily sync only with a compatible soul. Synchronization depends upon the pilot's psychological condition. Synchronization rate and performance can be pulled down when the pilot is emotionally distressed and increase under duress or anger, reaching a high sync rate when in battle rage. In 2.0, Shinji is able to achieve a whopping 400% synchronization rate with the awakened Evangelion Unit 01.
In Episode 14, Ritsuko's "mutual compatibility experiment" marked the first time that it was attempted to switch Eva pilots between Evangelions. Rei could synch with Unit-01 fairly well, but when Shinji tried to sync with Unit-00, it went berserk. Evangelions are thus permanently associated with exclusively one pilot, and while Ritsuko considered the experiment enough of a success to begin work on the Dummy Plug system, pilots are never really switched between Evas in the series.
Absolute Terror Fields
The Absolute Terror Field (also known as A.T. Field (A.T. フィールド[?], "A.T. Fīrudo")) is a barrier that both Angels and Evangelions can generate to protect themselves. A.T. Fields typically take the shape of an octagon and are usually orange in color. The strength of A.T. Fields produced varies between Angels; for example, the Angels Zeruel and Ramiel possess extremely powerful A.T. Fields, while Matarael's A.T. Field was very weak. The strength of Evangelion units' A.T. Fields depends upon the synchronization level of the pilot, and the strength setting used at the time. Eva pilots can control the strength of the A.T. Field from their entry plug.
A.T. Fields are normally invisible barriers but become visible to the naked eye when colliding with other things. They are mainly used as an almost impenetrable shield; only the most powerful weapons, such as N² Weapons are capable of breaching them. Even then, damage to the Angel is generally minimal. Through most of the series, the only thing that can reliably penetrate an A.T. Field is another A.T. Field, as seen in Episode 02 when the Evangelion Unit-01 "corrodes" Sachiel's A.T. Field.
Some Angels are sophisticated enough to use A.T. Fields as a method of attack or movement. Sachiel, Israfel and Bardiel can be seen making jumps assisted by their A.T. Fields, while Sahaquiel and Zeruel use theirs to attack, with Sahaquiel using it to destroy satellites and Zeruel in the Rebuild to shove attackers away. Kaworu's A.T. Field is powerful enough (or perhaps his mass is low enough) that he's able to use it to glide through the air.
It is revealed later in the series that every living thing with a soul possesses an A.T. Field: Angels and Evangelions just have A.T. Fields so strong that they are easily detectable and can even stop physical attacks. The boundary within an A.T. Field is subject to different physical laws as decided by its creator, and in the case of Angels this effect is so powerful that they are able to create seemingly supernatural phenomena within the enclosure of their Field. While substantially weaker in human souls, the A.T. Field nevertheless provides a vital function: Bounding the ego and sense of self of a person from everyone else, allowing them to exist as an individual. Without an A.T. Field, it becomes almost impossible for souls to define their own existences without substantial conscious effort, causing the physical body of the soul to degenerate into pure LCL.
The Lance of Longinus, an ancient and unbreakable weapon, is able to penetrate any A.T. Field, no matter how strong it is.
N2 Technology
N² weapons (N² 兵器, N² heiki) is the name given to the strongest conventional (non-Evangelion) weapons ever created by mankind. N² weapons are as strong as nuclear bombs, even being capable of producing electro-magnetic pulses, but they lack the radioactive fallout generated by their nuclear counterparts, allowing them to be used more readily than their predecessors. The name N², meaning 'Non-nuclear' refers to this. They are capable of dealing moderate damage to some of the weaker Angels, as can be seen during Sachiel's attack to Tokyo-3, although even several detonations of N² weapons are incapable of affecting others. It has been said that the N² weapons are broadly similar to a low-yield nuclear warhead, with no apparent fallout comparable to FOABs and other real life Thermobaric weapons.
N2 Reactor
N² Reactor is a technology appearing in Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA. It is used on the UX-1 Allegorica support unit and Evangelion EUROII Heurtebize. Its purpose is essentially the same as the S² Engine's one as it grants the Evangelion unit an unlimited amount of operational time. However, it uses N²-derived technologies to achieve this.
Angels
Angel (使徒[?], "shito") is an ambiguous term that has various meanings within the Evangelion mythos depending on the context.
As most commonly used in the show and elsewhere, the word "Angel" refers to any of Adam's fifteen children, whom NERV must systematically destroy over the course of the story. Adam itself, the designated "First Angel", is occasionally included with its offspring when speaking of Angels collectively.[1]
However, considering SEELE's list of designated Angels in full, it includes entities as dissimilar as the Seeds of Life, Adam and Lilith[2][3], the natural progeny of Adam, the human-shaped vessel of Adam's soul, Kaworu Nagisa, and Homo sapiens itself, or the Lilin.
This conflict between the heavily-reinforced concept of Angel, god-like beings antithetical to human life, and the more inclusive version rightfully raises the question of what an Angel is actually supposed to be. Evangelion plays a similar game with terms related to humanity (hito, ningen, and jinrui).
One possibility is that Angel actually refers to all beings whose origin is ultimately traceable to the First Ancestral Race. This species, the prototypical humans of NGE, produced the Seeds of Life in order to propagate new lifeforms on distant worlds, into which the F.A.R.'s souls would be reincarnated.[4] Consider also that both "angel" and "apostle" (the literal meaning of Angel's Japanese equivalent, shito) inherently mean "messenger". Furthermore, the F.A.R. are stated to be esteemed as gods by Adam's children and the Lilin.[5] (On a perhaps related note, Rei muses, "What is a human? A creation of God? Is man a human creation?")[6] "Angels", then—which we know to refer to both Seeds of Life and their progeny—could be thought of as "messengers" for their "God(s)". The "message" to be disseminated is humanity itself.
Nature
Despite being segregated into separate "Angels" (Third, Fourth, etc.), Adam's children essentially comprise a single race of humanity – one possible variation upon a theme, with the Lilin being another variation. They are described as "humans who cast aside human form". Accordingly, they appear to begin life as humanoid entities, developing embryologically in perhaps the same way as Adam or an Eva would. Going by Sandalphon, the Angels develop inside oblong objects resembling eggs, compared in the show to a chrysalis. After developing to an indeterminate point,[9] the Angel's human form is "rejected". Immediately prior to hatching (again, going by Sandalphon's precedent), the Angel undergoes a spontaneous metamorphosis into its "adult form", then emerges from its "chrysalis".[10]
How the form is selected and its structure determined is entirely unknown. The A.T. Field appears to play some role in Angel metamorphoses. Taken together with what is said about the role of the A.T. Field elsewhere in the show, this implies that perhaps each Angel's form is a tangible manifestation of its self-image. That is, where Lilin are more or less constrained to a common form, and must express their individuality in subtler ways, Adam's children can simply be whatever they imagine themselves to be.
The genetic pattern of Shamshel is reported to possess a 99.89% similarity to that of humans (Homo sapiens). While no comment is made on Shamshel's brethren, this similarity can be deduced to apply universally to the group. In Sadamoto's manga, the same percentage is applied to the Evas, implying, at least in Sadamoto's view, the same genetic origins, which would be Adam. Of note here is that metamorphosis has no apparent effect on the Angels' biological blueprints, indicating that it must operate on a more metaphysical level.
Origins
How Adam generated its offspring is completely unknown. Explanations can be as disparate as "pieces of Adam blown off at Second Impact grew into the various Angels" to "Adam laid the Angels' eggs billions of years ago, but didn't give them souls until the day of Second Impact, when they were scattered by the explosion". The proposed theories have varied pros and cons.
Whether the Angels existed in some form prior to September 13, 2000, or only came into being on that very day, it doesn't seem to be any coincidence that Adam opened its Doors of Guf on Second Impact (implying the release of souls), and its children began to "appear" fifteen years later.
The cues in the show itself regarding the Angels intentions are varied and ambiguous. Some of them lend the common impression that the Angels are trying to return to Adam, in automaton-like manner, although the Angels' behavior is hardly consistent enough to support this. One explanation of their motivations, found in the Classified Information states, "Some of them were trying to access Lilith and reset all life, some of them had nothing in mind, and some were trying to recover their progenitor Adam."
Adam's children are generally uncommunicative, and the forms they take tend to be inexpressive, with the result that we have little insight into their thoughts. However, some is provided by Leliel, Arael, and Armisael, who engage the Eva pilots in forms of communication. Some of the Angels also provide some insight into their psychology through their behavior, such as Sachiel and Zeruel.
Common Traits
While each of Adam's children has a form unique to itself, there are many traits common to or prevalent among the group. (Some of these, in turn, can be found in other so-called "Angelic" lifeforms, such as the Seeds and Evas.)
Blood is observed for many of Adam's children, including: Sachiel, Ramiel, Leliel, Bardiel, Zeruel, Arael, and Armisael. It is red in all instances save for Sachiel, whose is blue (albeit changed in Rebuild to adhere to the norm). It is unclear why, or how, Angels whose forms seem to preclude the possession of circulatory systems possess blood. On one level, it might be considered a visceral reminder of their intrinsically human nature.
In the Rebuild continuity, the Angels dissolve into a red fluid resembling blood when their cores are destroyed, attributed to the collapse of their A.T. Fields.[12] This is possibly an analogue to LCL.
Most register "Blood Type Blue". "Orange" is seen on some rare occasions (Leliel's spherical shadow and Unit-03 parasitized by Bardiel; Armisael cycles between orange and blue when it first appears). What "Blood Type" actually refers to is unclear.
The core is a spherical red organ containing the soul and S² Engine. Observed in nearly all of Adam's children. This feature derives from Adam.
Several Angels demonstrate an ability to harness energy to trigger explosions or generate focused energy beams / energy-based projectiles. Angels possessing eyes—Sachiel, Israfel, and Zeruel—involve them in the energy projection process, although it's not entirely clear how this works. (I.e., if the eyes actually emit the energy, or if they simply act as a "focal point" of some sort.)
Both Sachiel and Zeruel are capable of projecting the infamous cross-shaped explosions. Unit-01 and Unit-02 appear to have the same ability, suggesting that it perhaps "runs in the family".
Most Angels are capable of enduring vast amounts of physical damage. As long as an Angel's core and S² Engine is intact, it can theoretically regenerate the damaged tissue, given enough time.
AT Fields
All of Adam's children have souls and, hence, A.T. Fields. Their A.T. Fields are much more powerful than those of LCL-based lifeforms, giving them various paranormal, especially psychokinetic, abilities. Common utilizations include barriers ("force fields"), levitation, and metamorphosis.
S2 Engines
An S² (Super Solenoid) Engine (S²機関, S² Kikan), also referred to as an S² Organ, is an organ located within the core of an Angel[1] which grants it a limitless source of energy. Evangelions are not born with S² Engines,[2] and are thus (normally) dependent upon energy supplied via a power cable or an internal battery.
A mostly-intact S² Engine is obtained from the corpse of Shamshel and sent to Germany for further study by the Third Branch's Energy Analysis Unit.[3] After the S² Engine is restored, NERV's Second Branch in Nevada undertakes an experiment to install it into Unit-04, which results in the disappearance of the Eva, related facilities, and everything and everyone else within an 49-kilometer radius, swallowed by a Sea of Dirac.[4]
Despite the loss of the restored organ, the research data is preserved in Germany. The project continues, ultimately producing nine Mass Production Evangelions outfitted with artificial S² Engines.[5]
A berserk Unit-01 is eventually able to obtain an S² Engine from the Angel Zeruel by physically devouring the organ and assimilating it as its own.[6] According to SEELE, this acquisition makes Unit-01 an "absolute being" and the living embodiment of a god.[7] The S² Engine is said to be the only thing (aside from, presumably, a soul) required to "complete" an Eva and bring it to a level of existence equal to Adam's.[8]
An intact S² Engine is never seen in the show, although it is known to be double-helical in structure, much like DNA.[8] (Regular solenoids are shaped like spirals.)
The name comes from Dr. Katsuragi's Super Solenoid Theory.[9] He had intended to create an actual device ("S² Engine") based on the principles established with his theory and verified with Adam's power source, but this never came to be.[8][10]
Why the name "engine" was applied to what is unarguably a flesh-and-blood organ[6] is never stated. It appears consistent with the show's tendency to disguise the inherently biological with terms of mechanical connotation. Incidentally, written with different kanji, 器官, "kikan" does mean "organ", providing a bit of wordplay that doesn't translate into English.
"Fruit of Life" is considered an alternate term for "S² Engine",[8] and exists in contrast with Fruit of Knowledge. According to Fuyutsuki, Unit-01 had attained power equal to that of a god's upon acquiring both Fruits.[11] The Fruit of Life is a reference to Tree of Life of Genesis, the fruit of which was said to bestow immortal life.
Core
A core (コア) is a red, spherical organ possessed by all Angels and Evangelions, serving as the primary power organ. In Angels and some Evas, the core contains an S² Engine, as well. The core is (typically) the only vital point of Angels and Evas; unless it is sufficiently damaged, these entities can receive inordinate amounts of damage without truly dying. In those Evas that do not possess an S² Engine, the core still serves as the primary power organ, but it is only capable of supplying limited power without an S² Engine.
A core is very hard and somewhat resistant to damage, though a solid strike from a Progressive Knife is enough to destroy one. Physically, cores are actually fairly brittle, and when damaged shards chip off and the core fractures, visually behaving like crystalline material.
The core appears to uniformly serve as a container for the soul of the Angel or Eva. This is the reason it is the only true vulnerable point of an Angel; so long as the Core exists, the Angel can still project it's A.T. Field and therefore repair any damage to its physical body.
In humanoids such as Adam, the Evas, and Sachiel—and even Zeruel and Israfel—the core lays exposed in the solar plexus region. (Lilith, alternatively, has no exposed core. Being outside of Adam's "family", she may not possess one at all.) The organ is positioned variously in other Angels.
Leliel's unusual nature results in what appears to be a flat (rather than spherical) glowing core within three-dimensional space. Ireul presents another odd case in being a collection of many microscopic entities: Is there one "shared" core, or does each individual possess its own? The nature of the cores possessed by the amorphous Bardiel and Armisael is also unknown.
For Yui and Kyoko's Contact Experiments and Eva piloting, the ventral end of the Entry Plug is inserted into the core. According to preparations made prior to Yui's Contact Experiment, a cylindrical cavity is excavated to permit the accommodation of the plug (21'). Eva cores also seem to generate their own supply of LCL (20, 23', 26').
Unit-01 uniquely possesses two to four small core-like structures that are situated around her main core. Since it is implied that NERV can alter or even manufacture cores (or some form of) the smaller cores might be artificial inserts, for purposes unknown. One suggestion is that the small cores around the main core serve as a complementary purpose, or as a backup to the main core.
At Second Impact, a black circle or ellipse appears in Adam's solar plexus region, apparently smaller in size than the core itself (OP, 12). Possibly related, a dark circle (sphere?) manifests within Unit-01's core shortly before she fuses with the Spear of Longinus (26').
First Ancestral Race
The First Ancestral Race (第一始祖民族、Dai'ichi Shiso Minzoku), usually abbreviated as "FAR," are ancient, extraterrestial progenitors of life. They were likely a humanoid species with hyper-advanced technological capabilities. The First Ancestral Race was responsible for the creation of the Seeds of Life, their Moons, the Lances of Longinus, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. They are also the ultimate source of life for both humans and the Angels.
The First Ancestral Race were inhabitants of an unknown world within the Milky Way Galaxy billions of years ago. It is possible that they were the first intelligent life in the Milky Way. At some point, their world faced imminent destruction, and their species confronted extinction.
However, in the face of termination, the members of the First Ancestral Race took measures to ensure the preservation of their legacy. They sent seven progenitor life forms, called Seeds of Life, to spread life descended from themselves in specified planets across the galaxy. Each Seed was imbued with the soul of a member of the First Ancestral Race, and placed aboard a carrier vessel known as a "moon." Each Seed was accompanied by a Lance of Longinus, which can control and incapacitate a seed in case of any exigencies. This included enforcement of a rule implemented by the First Ancestral Race that only one Seed of Life could populate a given planet.
The surviving members of the First Ancestral Race were united into seven singular life forms, each of which boarded a "moon" carrier. Presumably the members of the First Ancestral Race were reduced to their souls, and collected within the Chambers of Guf aboard each "moon" carrier. These souls would await rebirth on another world, meaning that both humans and the Angels possess the souls of members of the First Ancestral Race.
The First Ancestral Race are also the authors of the what are known as "Dead Sea Scrolls." A copy of the Scrolls was placed in each "moon" carrier transporting a Seed of Life. The Scrolls are, essentially, a manual detailing the functionality of the Seeds of Life and the Spears of Longinus. They also contained prophecies about future events that would occur in the event that a Seed of Life is awakened.
Since the First Ancestral Race are the ultimate creators of humans, as well as Angels, they could be considered "gods" from the perspectives of both.
Mecha
Current Affairs
The story of Evangelion in Habatake Go! is mostly over. Gendou and SEELE's plan failed. Asgard put a stop to them once and for all. So here's the current state of things.
- Gendou Ikari and Kozo Fuyutsuki have vanished off to parts unknown.
- As far as Asgard is aware, Gendou had dealings with Unsichtbar and no one else, but he remains M.I.A.
- The Evangelion Program and everyone involved is wanted by the United Nations for trial and investigation.
- The Children and Dr. Akagi are safely in asylum on Asgard, but currently unable to return home, due to being wanted fugitives.
- SEELE's power has fallen quite a bit, but there is no lead towards them.
- The World was not turned into delicious Tang-- err, LCL. Humanity prevails and the Angels are gone.