Neon Genesis Evangelion is a Genre-Busting franchise created by Hideaki Anno, originally as an anime series. The series was produced by Studio Gainax from 1995 to 1998 and is currently owned by Studio Khara from 2007 onwards.
Set in 2015, the franchise follows the story of the Three Children as they seek to defend the human civilization from the monstrous Angels, and has expanded from the small screen to video games, literature, audio plays and much more.
Since its inception, Neon Genesis Evangelion has grown into one of the most well-known franchises in anime history, becoming a pop culture phenomenon ever since.
The original anime continuity
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: The original anime series, which ran over a course of 26 episodes from October 1995 to March 1996.
- Evangelion: Death and Rebirth: Feature-length film released in March 1997. Consists of the titular two parts:
- "Death", which is essentially a Clip Show using material from episode 1-24 with some entirely new scenes added in. Some of these scenes were later included in the "Director's Cut"/"Revival" version of the anime.
- "Death" was later re-released individually in two director's cut versions: Death(true) (aired on Japanese TV; removed most of the new footage) and Death(True)2 (puts some of the removed footage back in.)
- "Rebirth", which consists of a work-in-progress version of the first 25 minutes of The End of Evangelion.
- "Death", which is essentially a Clip Show using material from episode 1-24 with some entirely new scenes added in. Some of these scenes were later included in the "Director's Cut"/"Revival" version of the anime.
- The End of Evangelion: Feature-length film released in July 1997. Consists of alternative versions of the anime's episodes 25 and 26. Whether it is meant to replace or complement the original ending remains a hotly debated issue in the fandom. The usually agreed best choice is to watch the Director's Cut of the series and follow it along with End.
- Revival of Evangelion: Feature-length film released in March 1998. Essentially a redux version of Death and Rebirth, it consists of Death(True)2 and the entirety of The End of Evangelion.
Other anime continuities
- Rebuild of Evangelion, a retelling consisting of four new animated movies. First arriving in 2007 in Japanese cinemas and finishing on March 2021 after being held off for so long, Rebuild is a reimagining of the series serving as an Alternate Continuity to the original anime.
- Petit Eva: Evangelion@School, a Super-Deformed comedic parody which has most of the principal cast (including Unit 01 and three Reis at once) in silly hijinks around the high school.
- The episodes until You come to me., evangelion-Another Impact (confidential) and Neon Genesis IMPACTS of Japan Animator Expo.
Manga adaptations
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: The manga version, written and drawn by character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, which tells the same story as the anime but with a number of changes. It finally finished its run in June 2013,note after starting out as promotion material for the upcoming anime back in December 1994.
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days, a High School AU manga built off the "alternate universe" sequence at the end of the anime; it retells the original story in a Lighter and Softer fashion. Based on the Visual Novel Girlfriend of Steel 2, which aside from its title had absolutely nothing to do with the first.
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: Campus Apocalypse (aka Gakuen Datenroku), another High School AU manga; this one involves a Catholic school setting, the Evangelions as Empathic Weapons instead of actual mechas, aspects of Norse mythology, and body-swapping Angels.
- Shinji Ikari Raising Project, another High School AU manga; this one is based on a video game of the same name. Six words: Lighter and Fluffier and Unwanted Harem.
- The Shinji Ikari Detective Diary, an AU where Shinji seeks out private eye Kaji and ends up working with his assistant Kaworu to solve a case.
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legend of the Piko Piko Middle School Students
Light novel adaptations
- Evangelion -ANIMA-, a Light Novel series set in 2018 in an alternate continuity where Third Impact never happened. It's been described as if Anno made Evangelion like a Gundam show. It contains (among other things) Evas duking it out in space, three Reis (again), and Fanservice.
Visual novel adaptations
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel (also known as Iron Maiden), a Visual Novel released in 1997 in the style of an episode. This adaptation introduced Canon Foreigner Mana Kirishima, who went on to reappear some years later in Shinji Ikari Raising Project.
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel 2, another Visual Novel released in 2005. Despite its title, it is not a direct sequel to the first Girlfriend of Steel but more of a
Spiritual Successor which takes place in the Alternate Universe from the anime's Episode 26. It later got adapted into the Angelic Days manga. - Neon Genesis Evangelion: 2nd Impression, a Visual Novel with several parts styled like an episode each. Introduced Canon Foreigner Mayumi Yamagishi, a Shrinking Violet described by fans as the female equivalent of Shinji.
Video game adaptations
- Neon Genesis Evangelion, a 1999 Japan-only Nintendo 64 game that mostly consists of a fighting game between Evas and Angels.
- Neon Genesis Evangelion 2, a 2003 Japan-only PlayStation 2 game, which received a PlayStation Portable re-release in 2006. Unlike its predecessor, it's best described as an Adventure Game with RPG Elements, though it also has Dating Sim and Raising Sim gameplay elements. Mostly notable for its Bonus Material, the "Classified Information" archive, which expands quite a bit on the series' backstory and the franchise's mythos.
- Shinji Ikari Raising Project, a 2004 Japan-only Windows game. A Life Simulation Game set in the "alternate universe" seen at the end of the TV series. The basis of the manga of the same name.
- Detective Evangelion, a 2007 Japan-only PlayStation 2 Adventure Game taking place in an Elseworld, wherein Shinji is a teenage Private Detective hired by NERV to solve a series of supernatural murders. Notable for not only its rather bizarre plot, but also for featuring all of the original cast reprising their roles.
- Misato Katsuragi's Reporting Plan, a 2009 Japan-only game for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable about Misato acting as a newscaster for NERV. The game's service shut down in 2010.
- City Shrouded in Shadow, a 2017 Crossover for PS4 with Godzilla, Gamera, the Ultra Series, and Patlabor.
- Eva Dawn, a 2018 3D Action RPG for Android and iOS.
- Super Robot Wars — although Eva is never the sole focus of a game, Evangelion content has played a critical role in multiple major releases, most prominently the first and final games of the Alpha series and often incorporates extended universe material.
- Shinji and Good Friends, a series of card and puzzle computer games.
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: Battle Orchestra, A side scrolling fighting game produced by Broccoli, with an original story based loosely on the original series.
- Petit Eva: EVANGELION@GAME, a spinoff of the Petit Eva parody manga series, developed by Bandai Namco Games. This game features a variety of simple puzzles, and is aimed at younger players.
- Evangelion: Jo, based on the movie Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone. It features similar conversation and life simulator gameplay to that of Neon Genesis Evangelion 2, as well as Evangelion mech battles made primarily from quick time events.
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: Ayanami Raising Project, a simulation game created by Gainax and BROCCOLI.
- Evangelion Battlefields, a smartphone game based on the Rebuild of Evangelion universe. Introduces another Canon Foreigner pilot named Kotone Suzunami to the franchise's universe as well as a new instructor named Hitomi Amagi, who serves as the game's tutorial character.
Audio play adaptations
- Evangelion: After the End: A light-hearted Self-Parody of the show released in December 1996. It features the main cast as Animated Actors, trying to pitch script ideas for a new series.
Ride
- Godzilla vs. Evangelion: The Real 4-D: A Universal Studios Japan attraction that pits the EVA pilots (the Rebuild versions specifically) against Shin Godzilla.
Online adaptations
- Transformers Mode "EVA": A crossover between Transformers and Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo. It is a set of illustrated short web novels that was released in four parts between May 23, 2014 and November 25, 2014.
