Interested in joining NERV? This Neon Genesis Evangelion watch guide will help new fans approach watching the timeless mecha anime with a notorious opening, iconic characters, and fascinating world.
About Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion started as an anime series releasing in 1995 and would later become a defining step for the mecha genre. The original series suffered some time and money constraints but was able to leave an earthquake in the anime community. This popularity gave them the opportunity to return in full force, animating Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (1997) and The End of Evangelion (1997). Each had a separate conclusion, but both included similar experiences and context that utilized the concluding events. Later on, the huge following it gained would spark the Rebuild movie series, restarting the story from the start.
Follow the world of Tokyo-3, constantly under attack by powerful aliens known as angels. Being studied by NERV, with their commander Gendo Ikari, the only way to fight against the unknown angelic foe is with enormous neural-linking suits known as EVAs. As research into these bible-like entities continues, the main cast begins to pick apart the secrets of the event known as the Second Impact, and the grittier details of their situation.
Watch Shinji Ikari, the shy and timid son of the commander, as he moves into NERV’s housing with Misato Katsuragi, his new drunkard guardian. His sync levels are perfect for the front lines. He pilots EVA Unit 01, the first fully refined EVA. He meets a variety of classmates, from the mysterious Rei Ayanami to the bratty Asuka Langley-Soryu. See how this screwed-up world faces Shinji with challenges, both physically and mentally.
With so many different ways of interpreting Evangelion, there has never been a true sequential way to watch the series. When the Rebuild movies came out retelling the events from the beginning, it utilized the context and events given within the original series, starting with the vision that viewers had seen the previous installments. This meant prospective fans were left to watch the release order:
Evangelion Watch Guide: Release Order
- Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995)
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (aka Evangelion: Death (True)²) (1997)
- 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+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time (2021)
The simplest way to watch Evangelion would be in release order. Many people even recommend it, as it has different pieces of anime history embedded in it. While it isn’t necessarily chronological, it has enough detail so the audience doesn’t get too lost. Watching it in release order is by far the easiest and most user-friendly way to watch it.
Though, there are better ways to adapt to the change in story. Certain films were readapted, given a director’s cut, or incorporated as recaps. For example, 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, and 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, have all since been re-released, with more in-depth director’s cuts. These being 1.11, 2.22, and 3.33, which are special releases of the series with more content.
Chronological Order
But what about chronologically? Many fan setups include pausing a movie in order to watch an episode and then going back. Though it isn’t wrong, it becomes a bit cumbersome when trying to process the detailed, subtextual narrative. So with all this media, and a few mischievous cogs in the release, what is the ideal way to watch Evangelion chronologically? The rest of this Evangelion watch guide can help answer that.
The Neon Genesis Evangelion Series: Episodes 1-24
Inarguably, the start of the franchise begins with the original Neon Genesis Evangelion anime released in 1995. Episodes 1-24 all tell a compelling story with relatable characters, just like any other anime would. Its world is fresh and new, with great animation. Even on a shoestring budget, this anime came out amazing.
It’s within the series that certain pieces of subtext are laid out, defining certain features and metaphors that will be useful in both the ending movie and last two episodes. It’s an efficient series, and begins to lay out a gigantic climax.
The End of Evangelion
This point is where the anime begins to become notoriously confusing. The End of Evangelion is a conclusion, but is closer to the vision that Anno had when compared to the conclusion in the series. It has pieces and scenes hinted at in the original episodes, but now seen through to fruition.
Since certain scenes of this film are utilized in the last two episodes, it’s a good idea to watch the film next. The last two episodes include snippets of events that happen in The End of Evangelion, so it makes sense to have the knowledge beforehand. Since The End of Evangelion was more thorough, these snippets are full scenes in the movie, and provide some context for the final two episodes.
If you want to get very exact, you can pause the movie part way through and watch episode 25 for the most accurate timeline-accurate experience. There is a small credits sequence midway through the film, which lets you know where to stop. Although you can do this, it is much easier to finish the film followed by the final two episodes, as it switches styles and becomes more mentally focused.
Although Death & Rebirth was released before this, it’s just a recap of the series and the first few minutes of The End of Evangelion. The section of recap, without the first 28 minutes of the next film, is known as Death (True)². It essentially serves the same purpose. It is 100% skippable, although it is nice to return to afterwards if you’re still itching for the 90’s anime feel.
The Neon Genesis Evangelion Series: Episodes 25 & 26
The movie helps in decoding these last few episodes. Out of the series, these are by far the most confusing considering the jump from episode 24, but with the context of The End of Evangelion, it’s a little easier to comprehend.
Keep in mind that these last two episodes are less about what’s actually happened to the world and more about the characters’ mental conclusions. The world is not physical, and is instead within the characters’ heads. It’s a little hard to process, but the feelings are more justified with the context of the film. It provides a deeper, more personal ending for the main cast of characters.
Rebuild of Evangelion: 1.11, 2.22, 3.33, and 3.0+1.01
Now the series comes back to a simple answer, with the Rebuild of Evangelion film series. It follows a sequential numerical value, and resets the world with better animation. This film series can be independent, but it is almost a requirement to watch the original series and films to pick up on everything. If you’re just here for some cool mecha fights, it’s a decent starting place to maximize time.
Although the first 3 films released originally as 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0, it’s much easier to get ahold of the director’s cuts: 1.11, 2.22, and 3.33. They add just a little more love into this already mind-boggling series. The only one that seems to break the sequential order is Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time. It serves to start the conclusion of the other films.
After the series and The End of Evangelion, it’s safe to return back to release order. In reality, there’s just one break in the system that ends up confusing prospective fans. Don’t fret, for it’s only one point that can get scary
Where to Watch Evangelion
There’s no truly definitive way to watch Evangelion; it’s a little all over the place. Watching it in release order, chronological order, or even starting from the Rebuild series will not hurt. Yet as the end of the series proves, it can definitely get confusing. Especially when laced with immeasurable amounts of meta-text, it can really seem intimidating. Attempting to organize it in a certain way helps with processing this heavy series, but in reality, it’s all up to personal preference.
The original series Neon Genesis Evangelion, Death (True)², and The End of Evangelion are available on Netflix, in both sub and dub. The director’s cut of some of the previous episodes are listed on Netflix as well, along with a quality redubbing. Though you lose the ending’s rendition of Fly Me to the Moon, it’s by far the easiest and most accessible way to reach the series.
The Rebuild series (Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, and Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time) can be found on Amazon Prime. If the series and previous movie’s aren’t on Netflix in your region, they are also available here, with the exclusion of Death (True)².
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