Secrets of Evangelion

One of the most appealing aspects of Evangelion is the constant referal to cultural, mythological, religious and metaphysical ideas. This page is devoted to shedding light on these sometimes elusive references that make the series more enjoyable. Be forewarned though, this page inheritly contains spoilers.

Evangelion relies heavily on religious influences throughout the series. Most obviously, this is seen by the title Neon Genesis Evangelion. Although the actual Japanese translation for Shin Sheiki Evangelion would be The Gospel of the New Century, the translation Neon Genesis works just as well. Evangelion comes from the Greek Euangelion ( eu = good, angel = messenger or message) which, when translated becomes Evangelion, as eu is equal to ev. Obviously, the title is not the only portion of the series that stems from religion. During the opening credits, we see the Tree of Life and Jacob's Ladder.

On the ceiling of Gendo's office is the Systema Sephiroticum written in 1653 by the German priest Athanasius Kircher. The Systema Sephiroticum is a diagram of the achievements that must be made before one may evolve to the next level.

The name of the computer system that runs Tokyo-3 is called the Magi. This is, of course, a reference to the 3 Magi that visited Christ after his birth. Instead of bearing three different gifts, the Magi are the three parts of the personality of their creator Dr. Naoko Akagi: Herself as a Mother, Herself as a Scientist and Herself as a Woman.

In the movies, Dr. Akagi initiates the 666 Protection Program to protect the original Magi from the atack undertaken by Seele and the other Magi computers around the world. 666 is of course the Number of the Beast according to Revelation. 6, the number of Satan, repeated 3 times, one of the holy numbers, making it a number of great power. The weapon used to kill the 15th Angel and which keeps Lilith from regenerating fully is known as the Lance of Longinus. For those not well versed in Christian history, Longinus was the centurian present at the crucifixion, who ran his spear into Christ to check to see if he was still alive. Hitler sought this spearhead as a source of religious power during the second world war and his zeal to create the perfect race. In a similar fashion, it is an escential part of bringing humanity to the next level. References to the Garden of Eden occur throughout the series. Adam is the first Angel, the second Angel-but the first one discovered-is Lilith who, according to Jewish tradition, was Adam's first wife. The nickname for the Evangelions, Eva is the German word for Eve. Keel Lorenz, head of Seele, is constantly refered to as the "old man". The general theory is that he is actually the Wandering Jew who, because of his disrespect to Christ on his way to Calvary, was condemned to walk the earth until Armageddeon. The Wandering Jew Theory is not fact, but merely an idea that adds to the mystery of this series. When Second Impact occured, the rising water from melted Antartica cause a flood very similar to the Great Flood in numerous religions. Seele's source for all their knowledge of the Angels comes from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Most of the Dead Sea Scrolls is the Old Testament (minus the book of Esther), but not all of the scrolls have been examined. Perhaps these pieces hold the key to Evangelion?

Christianity is not the only religion that was used for references in Evangelion. The Marduke Institute who finds the pilots for NERV is named after the Babylonian god Marduk. Marduk was the head god and made man to do the work of the gods. He was the one who caused the flood and was known as the "justice bringer" and "the lord of pure incantations". While angels are usually associated with Christianity, many of the names of the Angels come from various religions.

1st Angel - Adam
Adam was the first Angel but the second one found. Adam came in search of Lilith, whom humanity had imprisoned. He was captured by NERV and reduced to embryo size. The energy released by this action caused the Second Impact. In theology, Adam has been called "the bright Angel" and the "second Angel". It is also written that when Adam was created, he reached from "earth to frimament", explaining his size.

2nd Angel - Lilith
As stated above, Jewish tradition places Lilith as the first wife of Adam. She later left the Garden and met up with either Cain or Satan and spawned the demons and evils of the world. The Evangelions are created from Lilith, perhaps the reason her legs are missing? Lilith's blood lies all around the area where she is crucified. This blood is the LCL(Link Connection Liquid) that is used in the entry plugs of the Evas. The Lance of Longinus appears to slow Lilith's regeneration of her lost legs.

3rd Angel - Sachiel
Sachiel is the first Angel we meet in the series, although he is the thrid Angel. Sachiel means "covering of God" and is one of the only Angels who possesses the cross-shaped explosions.

4th Angel - Shamshel
Shamshel has tentacles of energy that mess up anything in their path. His name means "light of day".

5th Angel - Ramiel
The first bad-ass angel, Ramiel attacks anything that comes within a certain range. In ancient texts, Ramiel is the "presider over true visions" and "chief of thunder". This is exhibited by the shiny diamond shape and high-density energy weapon.

6th Angel - Gaghiel
This monsterous Angel doesn't do much to live up to its job as guardian of 6th Heaven.

7th Angel - Israfel
Israfel was the angel of "resurrection and song" in certain religions. This is evident by the fact that Israfel can regenerate and the battle to defeat it was put to music.

8th Angel - Sandalphon
Besides lending its name to footware, this was the "Angel of Glory and Prayer". Sandalphon was discoverd while still in development. When discovered, the embryo appeared to have the look of prayer.

9th Angel - Matarael
Matarael attacked Tokyo-3 during a blackout. He was the "Angel of rain" and this is apparent by the fact that he cries acid tears that fall on NERV headquarters.

10th Angel - Sahaquiel
Sahaquiel is the "ruler of the sky". He appears above the earth and begins dropping parts of himself in an attempt to fall on NERV.

11th Angel - Ireul
This organic computer Angel infiltrates NERV headquarters and attempts to blow up the Magi. Its name has no real historical value.

12th Angel - Leliel
Leliel is the "angel ruler of the night". The actual Angel is over 600M wide but only 3 nanometers thick. An inverted AT field allows the Angel to create a Sea of Dirac. The Sea of Dirac is named after computational physicist Paul Dirac and deals with quantum mechanics. Inside the Angel is nothing but white noise. Its shadow is the object that appears above the city.

13th Angel - Bardiel
Bardiel was the "angel of hail" and took possesion of Eva-Unit 03 during a storm while being transported to Japan. This angel proceeded to attack the other Evas and was destroyed using the dummy-plug system.

14th Angel - Zeruel
Zeruel was the first Angel to break through to NERV HQ. His name can mean "set over strength" and he proved it. He made short work of nearly destroying Unit-00 and Unit-02. He was only defeated when Unit-01 went berserk. Zeruel was devoured by the rampaging Unit-01 and Shinji was absorbed. Zeruel is also the first Angel since Sachiel to use cross-shaped explosions.

15th Angel - Arael
Arael was the first Angel that looked like the angels of theology. Hovering high above the earth, Arael used light to violate Asuka's mind. Only when Unit-00 used the Lance of Longinus, was the Angel destroyed. The bird-like shape of Arael could be due to the history of the name. Arael is the "prince over the people of the birds". Arael is better known by its second name Uriel or the Angel of Death.

16th Angel - Armisael
Armisael is the "angel of the womb". This might explain the double-helix shape of the Angel's body. This Angel attacks by infecting its victims. Rei sacrifices Unit-00 to save Shinji and the others and succeeds in destroying the Angel.

17th Angel - Tabris
The final Angel comes to NERV in the form of Kaworu Nagisa, the fifth child. Born on the exact day of Second Impact, Kaworu can control the Evas without being inside of them. Tabris was the "angel or genius of free will". In the end, he exercises this free will by allowing Shinji to kill him.

In ancient Israel, a group existed called the Pharisees. Most of their time was spent in discussion and copying the Tora, but they did something worth mentioning on this page. Of the two main religios sects, the Pharisees were the ones that believed in Angels and Demons. They even went so far as to name and classify some of them. The other thing is that they were the only group to stay together after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD. Thus most of their writings and beliefs survived to help influece future religions and scholars that were to come. The scholars of the middle-ages considered it their duty to classify all the angels and other spiritual beings. This can be seen through the Barons of Hell.

1st Baron of Hell - Unit-00
This first Baron was said to have a featureless face except for one large eye.

2nd Baron - Baron of Darkness - Unit-01
The Baron of Darkness had a large horn and numerous gnashing teeth.

3rd Baron - Unit-02
The third Baron had a blood-red face with four eyes and two mouths.

4th Baron - Unit-03
The fourth Baron was characterized by having a body black as pitch and abnormaly long arms.

Now that most of the religious connections have been examined, we can finally move on the cultural and other connections.

In the battle against the 5th Angel Ramiel, Misato names the operation Operation Yashima. In 1185, Yashima was the site of a major victory in the Genpei War. The soldiers of the Heike Clan were camped out near the sea. The Genji Clan appeared suddenly and managed to defeat the Heike Clan with little trouble.

All of the corporations in Evangelion use German names. Seele(soul) is the head of the Instrumentality Project and has major influence. Nerv(nerve) stemmed from Gehirn(brain or mind) and eventually took over. There is a constant power struggle between the remnants of Gehirn and Seele, similar to the power struggle that takes place within each one of us.

The one thing that allows the Evangelions to defeat the Angels is the AT Field. AT stands for Absolute Terror. When Shinji is fighting the 17th Angel, Kaworu tells him that the AT Field is the "holy region" that no evil can penetrate.

Besides the AT Field, the only other physical characteristic that all Angels have in common is the S2 Organ. The red sphere located in the center of most Angels, the S2 allows the Angel to power itself, similar to a heart. Except for Evas 05-13, the only time one of these is seen in the Evangelions is when Zeruel is fighting Unit-01. After some of Unit-01's armor is ripped off, we can see an S2 organ that is not functioning yet. Zeruel begins beating on the organ and eventually Shinji hears a heart begin to beat. In another similarity to a heart, most of the Angels are killed as a result of the destruction of the S2 organ.

This next section deals with information that some people just don't catch while watching the series and also some information available only in the movies.

Rei Ayanami is actually the clone of Shinji's mother Yui Ikari. Some support for this comes directly from scenes in the series. During the flashback episodes, we see Dr. Naoko Akagi just after she has completed the Magi system. A very young Rei comes in and begins to call Dr. Akagi names. During these taunts, Dr. Akagi sees Yui's face as she is choking Rei. Well before this, she sees the face of Yui super-imposed over Rei's when meeting for the first time. Years later, Shinji is watching Rei as they clean up the classroom. Later he observes that the way she wrung out the rag was very mother-like. Rei becomes embarrased at this observation. Several times while Shinji is in the hospital toward the end of the series, Rei talks to him with phrases a mother would use. Rei also becomes enraged when Shinji says that he has no faith in his father's work and slaps him across the face. Right before Rei II dies, she says that she must sacrifice herself so that Shinji may live. This action is something that a mother might do to protect her child.

Rei has three incarnations in human form and one extra one during the movies. Rei I is created sometime close to Shinji's birth. It seems that the clones must grow like normal humans, based on the number of clones available. If it was possible to grow the clones at any age, such a large number of reserve Rei clones would not be necissary. Rei I is killed by Dr. Akagi soon after the completion of the Magi and before her suicide. Rei II is then put in place to replace Rei I. She lives for nine to ten years and is the Rei that Shinji knows. She sacrifices herself and Unit-00 to kill the 16th Angel. Rei III is put into place after Rei II's death. Her purpose is only to cause the Third Impact, though she is instrumental in helping Shinji defeat the 17th Angel. It is important to note that Rei is not unaware of her legacy and situation. She works constantly with Gendo and Ritsuko to perfect the dummy-plug system.

Rei's fourth incarnation occurs because she is part Angel. We see this when she produces an AT Field during Shinji's battle with Kaworu. In the movie End of Evangelion Rei joins with Lilith to start the Third Impact. She then grows wings and ushers in the end of mankind. Rei has undergone a constant struggle with the remains of the Yui's personality and the one developing to make her an individual. In the movie, her full personality presents itself when she refuses to follow Gendo's wishes.

Each Eva is a living creature without a soul. This explanation is given to justify how the pilots can control them. In reality, the Evas do have a soul within them. Our first evidence for this comes when Unit-01 protects Shinji in the first episode. Throughout the series, Unit-01 moves without his control. In fact, Units 00-02 each move once in a while without the pilot's command or control.

Well, that's the end of my Evangelion FAQ page right now. If you have any questions about the series or the movies that I did not answer E-mail me at [email protected]

Unit-00 actually Dr. Naoko Akagi
Confused? Think about how Unit-00 attacks the cage where Ritsuko and Gendo are. It also refuses to synch with Shinji, the son of the man who abandoned her.

Unit-01 actually Yui Ikari
This is not much of a surprise. There are clues throughout the series that allude to this.

Unit-02 actually Asuka's mom
This is not revealed until the movies. Asuka is repeating that she doesn't want to die when we hear a voice telling her that she will live. Asuka eventually realizes that her mother is with her in the Eva.