How to Watch Evangelion in Order

Evangelion is 1 of the astir influential and revered anime bid ever created, with a instrumentality basal that continues to turn with each passing year. If you’re idiosyncratic looking to leap successful for the precise archetypal time, things tin go alternatively daunting quickly, particularly erstwhile you commencement looking astatine each of the titles.

With an archetypal series, a reboot, and a recap, there's plentifulness to observe successful the iconic sci-fi anime. To assistance you get started, I enactment unneurotic my recommended ticker bid for the afloat franchise. Prepare to get successful the robot and acquisition the satellite of Evangelion.

At a Glance: How to Watch Evangelion successful Order

• Neon Genesis Evangelion (series)
• The End of Evangelion
• Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone
• Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance
• Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo
• Evangelion: 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time

If you person each of Eva lined retired successful beforehand of you, here's a speedy look astatine our recommended ticker order. For much accusation connected the bid and its development, scroll on.

What Is Evangelion?

Neon Genesis Evangelion archetypal began arsenic a manga bid successful December 1994. The anime premiered successful October 1995 and aired connected TV until March 1996. The bid was some created and written by Hideaki Anno, with accumulation occurring astatine Studio Gainax. Following the TV anime, Evangelion became incredibly popular, resulting successful the improvement of The End of Evangelion to supply an alternate ending to the series.

Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami successful beforehand of Evangelion Unit-01 successful Neon Genesis Evangelion

Things would extremity present for astir anime series, but Evangelion is thing but that. Hideaki Anno established Studio Khara successful 2006 to retell the communicative of Neon Genesis Evangelion done 4 films referred to arsenic the Rebuild of Evangelion. This retelling spanned 14 years successful total, with the last movie releasing successful March 2021.

Beyond anime, Evangelion has expanded into galore areas astir Japan, including pachinko machines, exclusive merchandise lines, and overmuch more. If you’re aiming to immerse yourself successful Eva for the archetypal time, the anime is the champion spot to bash so.

Which Evangelion Anime Should You Watch First?

Evangelion Unit-01 successful Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone

While determination are 3 antithetic places you tin realistically commencement from, the lone anime you should see starting with is the original: Neon Genesis Evangelion. This was the archetypal introduction successful the series, and arsenic such, it’s the champion spot to commencement overall. The 26-episode anime serves arsenic the ground for some Evangelion: Death(True)² and a ample information of the Rebuild, and is simply a indispensable ticker earlier The End of Evangelion.

Where to Watch the Evangelion Anime

The archetypal Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series, the Evangelion: Death(True)² recap film, and The End of Evangelion are each disposable connected Netflix to ticker successful the United States. The Rebuild of Evangelion, however, is streaming connected Amazon Prime.

If you’re idiosyncratic who enjoys purchasing anime connected Blu-ray, the Crunchyroll Store has the archetypal bid and films, positive the Rebuild disposable for purchase. Distributor GKIDS is presently rereleasing the archetypal 2 films successful the Rebuild series, truthful those are disposable for pre-order close now.

The Best Evangelion Series Watch Order

Asuka Langely Soryu successful Evangelion 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time

1. Neon Genesis Evangelion

As outlined, Neon Genesis Evangelion is the champion introduction constituent for Eva. The 26-episode anime marked a bold and impactful instrumentality connected the salient mecha genre, exploring heavy themes of depression, individuality, religion, and adjacent the conception of evolution.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is 1 of the astir influential anime ever created. Famously, the anime faced immense accumulation issues that led to Anno and the unit down the bid abandoning immoderate aspects of the communicative to guarantee episodes came retired connected time.

2. The End of Evangelion

The End of Evangelion is the eventual decision that wraps up the archetypal TV anime successful a caller way. Originally released successful Japan successful 1997, this movie replaces the past 2 episodes of the anime with wholly caller worldly that reimagines the climax of the bid successful a caller way. The cinematic attack to movie allowed for bigger fights, bolder ideas, and a larger interaction to the viewer. To this day, The End of Evangelion is highly revered arsenic 1 of the champion anime films ever created.

3. Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone

Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone marked the opening of a caller project, the Rebuild of Evangelion. This archetypal movie is rather faithful to the archetypal series, bringing amended animation and a much streamlined communicative to connection caller viewers a accidental to participate the satellite of Evangelion for the archetypal time. Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone specifically follows the events of the archetypal six episodes of the series.

4. Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance

The Third Impact looms, and it's up to Shinji and the others to halt it. The 2nd movie successful the Rebuild of Evangelion was overmuch bolder than the first, bringing signficant changes crossed the committee compared to the archetypal series. New 3DCG exertion antecedently not disposable was besides implemented successful this film. One large alteration was the instauration of Mari Illustrious Makinami, who portion lone appearing concisely successful this film, would play a cardinal relation successful the second 2 Rebuild projects.

5. Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo

Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo is the opening of a wholly caller ending for Evangelion, offering a communicative that is astir wholly detached from the archetypal series. The opening of the movie is acceptable a full 14 years aft the extremity of Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance, and determination are galore caller characters and fights that hap throughout. While the archetypal 2 Rebuild films acceptable the stage, Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo is wherever this task began to basal arsenic a implicit reimagining.

6. Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time

Finally, Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time acts arsenic the eventual decision to the Rebuild of Evangelion. It whitethorn person taken 9 years to release, but the hold was much than worthy it. The movie sits astatine 154 minutes, acting arsenic 1 of the longest animated films ever produced. Thrice Upon a Time puts a fitting bow connected the franchise arsenic a whole, featuring unthinkable fights, satisfying quality progression, and a hopeful connection that volition enactment with viewers agelong aft the credits roll.

The Future of Evangelion

Evangelion 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time

With the Rebuild of Evangelion complete, it’s improbable that Hideaki Anno volition make immoderate further entries successful the series. The merchandise of Evangelion: 3.0+1.11 Thrice Upon a Time was promoted with the slogan "Bye-bye, each of Evangelion" connected posters, indicating that this is the extremity for the franchise. Instead, the aboriginal of Evangelion volition apt dwell of much collaborations, merchandise, and releases of the existing anime. As such, there’s nary crushed to hold astir to ticker the anime for the archetypal time; get started and acquisition 1 of the industry’s best!

Noah Hunter is simply a freelance writer and reviewer with a passionateness for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused connected nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to assorted publishers penning astir the medium.