Neon Genesis Evangelion The End Of Evangelion | -1997-

Following the conclusion of the TV series, fans expressed intense frustration regarding the abstract and psychological ending of Episode 26. Director Hideaki Anno decided to create a film that would provide a definitive, physical ending to the narrative, effectively remaking the final two episodes from an external perspective.

The film is split into two distinct "episodes," mirroring the structure of the TV show:

By: Senior Editor, Anime Archives

Publication Date: May 7, 2026

In the pantheon of animated cinema, there are films that entertain, films that inspire, and films that haunt. Then, sitting alone on a cold, industrial throne at the intersection of all three, is Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997).

To the uninitiated, the title is a mouthful of jargon. To the initiated, it is a trigger for visceral memory—the screech of a Mass Production Eva, the sticky warmth of liquefied orange Fanta, or the crushing silence of a beach with a single, bloody kneecap. Twenty-nine years after its theatrical release (and several decades of discourse later), The End of Evangelion remains the definitive cinematic punctuation mark on the 20th century’s anxieties about intimacy, depression, and the shape of the human soul. neon genesis evangelion the end of evangelion -1997-

This article is a deep dive into the production, the plot, the psychology, and the legacy of the film that answered the question: What happens when the creator hates you, loves you, and asks you to choke a girl?

With Unit-01 ascending, the Third Impact begins. The Mass Production Evas form the Tree of Life (Sephirot) using Unit-01 as the core.

The film draws heavily on Freudian and Jungian psychology. The concept of the "AT Field" (Absolute Terror Field) is redefined not just as a physical shield for the Evas, but as the metaphysical barrier that separates individual minds. The film posits that the pain of separation is the price of existence.

Upon release, the film was met with shock, confusion, and polarized reactions. Many fans were expecting a traditional "hero saves the day" ending, only to receive a grim psychological study. However, over the decades, the film has been reevaluated as a masterpiece.

The End of Evangelion is the feature-length alternative ending to the landmark anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. Released in 1997, it directly replaces the notoriously abstract and controversial final two episodes of the original TV series (Episodes 25 & 26). While the TV ending focused on the internal psychological resolution of its main characters, The End of Evangelion depicts the same period of time but as a catastrophic, visceral, and visually stunning apocalypse. Following the conclusion of the TV series, fans

The film is darker, more brutal, and more uncompromising than much mainstream animation. It blends hyper-detailed mechanical combat with abstract, avant-garde sequences: long, static shots; jump cuts; Biblical and psychoanalytic iconography; and sudden shifts from visceral realism to hallucinatory collage. Sound design and music (including Shiro Sagisu’s score and carefully placed silence) intensify emotional disorientation.

Shinji wakes up on a blood-red beach. The ocean is LCL. Lilith’s decapitated head lies on the shore, bleeding a black rainbow. The sky is a smeared Earth and moon.

And then, he sees her.

Asuka Langley Soryu is lying next to him. She is bandaged. One eye is covered. She looks dead. But she is alive.

Shinji kneels over her. He begins to cry. He apologizes for everything—for the hospital, for running away, for wishing her dead. He then begins to choke her. He is angry. He wants her to reject him again, to give him an excuse to hate humanity once more. With Unit-01 ascending, the Third Impact begins

But Asuka does not fight back. She reaches up. With her one good hand, she gently strokes his cheek.

And Shinji stops. He collapses, sobbing.

Asuka, looking down at the pathetic boy, mutters the film’s final line of dialogue. It is a whisper, almost swallowed by the tide.

"Kimochi warui."