Neon Genesis Evangelion is a wild, emotional rollercoaster that will leave you pondering everything from the meaning of life to why giant robots need so much therapy.
Hideaki Anno didn’t just create a mecha anime; he crafted an edgy, mind-bending journey that challenges what it means to be human—or, in Shinji’s case, how to avoid running away from your problems (and giant monsters).
It’s edgy, it’s deep, and sometimes it makes you question your life choices. But that’s what makes Evangelion legendary!
If you want an anime that blends psychological drama, religious symbolism, and apocalyptic action, this is the ride for you—just don’t expect to leave emotionally unscathed.
1. Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995-1996)
| Title | Shin Seiki Evangelion |
| Episodes | 26 |
| Aired | Fall 1995-Winter 1996 |
In the year 2015, the Angels, huge, tremendously powerful, alien war machines, appear in Tokyo for the second time. The only hope for Mankind’s survival lies in the Evangelion, a humanoid fighting machine developed by NERV, a special United Nations agency.
Capable of withstanding anything the Angels can dish out, the Evangelion’s one drawback lies in the limited number of people able to pilot them. Only a handful of teenagers, all born fourteen years ago, nine months after the Angels first appeared, are able to interface with the Evangelion.
One such teenager is Shinji Ikari, whose father heads the NERV team that developed and maintains the Evangelion. Thrust into a maelstrom of battle and events that he does not understand, Shinji is forced to plumb the depths of his own inner resources for the courage and strength to not only fight, but to survive, or risk losing everything.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (1997)
| Title | Shin Seiki Evangelion Movie: Shi to Shinsei |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Aired | Winter 1997 |
Compilation recap movie for the series. Due to the struggling production of the movie End of Evangelion delaying the film a month before it was set to release, this film was announced to ‘hold fans over’.
Even though it’s just a recap, Death & Rebirth is essential. It retells the entire season up until these final moments, plus new scenes for episodes 21 through 24.
The recut episodes are referred to as “director’s cuts,” and they fill in gaps left by the original broadcast editions of these episodes. Death & Rebirth’s version of episode 22 in particular is a must-see, and should be viewed in place of the original broadcast edition.
2. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)
| Title | Shin Seiki Evangelion Movie: Air / Magokoro wo, Kimi ni |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Aired | Summer 1997 |
NERV faces a brutal attack from SEELE, but with Asuka in a coma, and Shinji in a nervous breakdown, things soon turn into the surreal.
This movie provides a concurrent ending to the final two episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
3. Rebuild of Evangelion (2007-2021)
Evangelion Shin or known as Rebuild of Evangelion is a four-part film series created by Hideaki Anno, serving as both a retelling and reimagining of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion anime.
Released between 2007 and 2021, the Rebuild films start by following the basic plot of the original series but gradually diverge into new storylines, introducing fresh characters, plot twists, and visual updates.
1. Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (2007)
| Title | Evangelion Shin Movie: Jo |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Aired | Summer 2007 |
After the second impact, all that remains of Japan is Tokyo-3, a city that’s being attacked by giant creatures that seek to eradicate the human kind, called Angels.
After not seeing his father for more than eight years, Shinji Ikari receives a phone call in which he is told to urgently come to the NERV Headquarters, an organization that deals with the destruction of the Angels through the use of giant mechs called Evas.
Shinji’s objective is to pilot the Eva Unit 01 while teaming up with the Eva Unit 00 pilot, Ayanami Rei.
2. Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009)
| Title | Evangelion Shin Movie: Ha |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Aired | Summer 2009 |
In the earliest battles against the monstrous Angels, young Eva pilots Shinji and Rei were forced to carry humanity’s hopes on their shoulders.
Now, with the deadly onslaught of the Angels escalating and the apocalyptic Third Impact looming, Shinji and Rei find their burden shared by two new Eva pilots, the fiery Asuka and the mysterious Mari.
Maneuvering their enormous Eva machines into combat, the four young souls fight desperately to save mankind from the heavens—but will they be able to save themselves?
3. Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012)
| Title | Evangelion Shin Movie: Kyuu |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Aired | Fall 2012 |
14 years after third impact, Ikari Shinji awakens to a world he does not remember. He hasn’t aged. Much of Earth is laid in ruins, Nerv has been dismantled, and people who he once protected have turned against him.
Befriending the enigmatic Nagisa Kaworu, Shinji continues the fight against the angels and realizes the fighting is far from over, even when it could be against his former allies.
The characters’ struggles continue amidst the battles against the angels and each other, spiraling down to what could inevitably be the end of the world.
4. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021)
| Title | Shin Evangelion Movie:|| |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Aired | Winter 2021 |
In the aftermath of the Fourth Impact, stranded without their Evangelions, Shinji, Asuka, and Rei find refuge in one of the rare pockets of humanity that still exist on the ruined planet Earth.
There, each of them live a life far different from their days as an Evangelion pilot. However, the danger to the world is far from over. A new impact is looming on the horizon—one that will prove to be the true end of Evangelion.
Finally, the Human Instrumentality Project is set in motion, and WILLE makes one last grueling stand to prevent the Final Impact.
And there you have it, the journey of angsty teenagers with emotional baggage, battling nightmare-fuel creatures while dealing with serious daddy issues.
Whether you’re here for the existential crisis or the giant robot battles, one thing’s for sure: once you finish Evangelion, you’ll never look at anime—or yourself—the same way again.
