The Lore of Evangelion

Summary

This video delves into the deep lore of *Neon Genesis Evangelion*, unraveling the history before the events of the series. It covers the origins of humanity's creation through the first ancestral race, the two impacts, the rise of Angels and the fruit of Life, and the conflict between these beings and humanity. The script explores the secret organization Zeal's dangerous pursuit of human evolution and the creation of the Evangelions to combat the Angels. With themes of scientific ambition, loss, and the quest for godhood, the story uncovers the tragic events leading up to the Second Impact and the desperate race for instrumentality in a world on the brink of destruction.

Takeaways

• 😀 The lore of Evangelion reveals a deep history of the first ancestral race that created humanity as we know it, originating from moons carrying seeds of life across the galaxy.
• 😀 The first ancestral race created seven moons, each carrying a unique seed designed to spread life on different planets, but with a fail-safe weapon (the spear) to avoid conflicts between the different types of life.
• 😀 Adam, the first ancestor, landed on Earth in Antarctica, and created the Angels, a form of life with unlimited energy and immense physical strength, marking the first form of life on Earth.
• 😀 The second moon, Lilith, crashed on Earth in what is now Japan, and its life form interacted with Adam's creations, triggering a massive extinction event known as the First Impact.
• 😀 Humans emerged as the dominant life form on Earth, inheriting the 'fruit of knowledge,' giving them the power of reasoning, logic, and scientific exploration, but also causing conflict and war.
• 😀 As humans advanced, they uncovered the secrets of the white moon (Adam's resting place) and began research into the origins of humanity, guided by an ancient organization called Zeal.
• 😀 Zeal, a secret organization, sought to combine Angel and human life to create a godlike being capable of initiating 'Instrumentality,' a form of utopian human unity, even at the cost of committing a grave sin.
• 😀 The first contact experiment with Adam by Zeal's research team triggered a cataclysmic event, which became known as the Second Impact, drastically altering Earth's climate and causing mass casualties.
• 😀 The Second Impact resulted in the creation of an embryo form of Adam, and the formation of a new being, Katsu Nagisa, who was both Angel and Lilith, fulfilling Zeal's long-term goals.
• 😀 In the aftermath of the Second Impact, global conflict broke out, leading to nuclear exchanges, the collapse of nation-states, and the formation of the United Nations as a global power.
• 😀 The creation of Evangelion mechas began in Japan in 2004, as a response to the resurgence of Angels. However, Gendo Ikari's personal tragedy, including the loss of his wife Yui, deeply impacted his decision-making, especially regarding his son, Shinji.

Q & A

What is the significance of the first ancestral race in the script?

The first ancestral race is crucial as they are the creators of humanity as we know it. They populated worlds within the galaxy and sent moons containing 'Seeds of Life' to other planets, ensuring the continuation of life even after their civilization collapsed. They also created the Dead Sea Scrolls, which contain guidelines for managing these moons and preventing catastrophic conflicts.

What was the purpose of the Spear added to each Moon?

The Spear served as a fail-safe to prevent conflict between the seeds of life from different moons. If two moons containing different life forms were on the same planet, the Spear would stop one from proliferating its life, to prevent a race war and ensure the survival of only one form of life.

How did Adam's descent lead to the creation of angels on Earth?

Adam's 'Seed of Life' on Earth spread a form of life that was not human, but rather Angels. These Angels were incredibly powerful and diverse, each with unique abilities, including the 'Fruit of Life' which granted them unlimited energy and immense strength.

What caused the extinction of many Angels on Earth?

The first impact, caused by the arrival of the black moon (Lilith), led to a mass extinction of Angels. This impact wiped out much of the Angel life on Earth, while leaving the humans to repopulate the planet. The collision also caused a chain of events that prevented further angel proliferation.

What are the two fruits mentioned in the script, and how do they differ?

The two fruits are the 'Fruit of Life' and the 'Fruit of Knowledge.' The Fruit of Life, associated with the Angels, grants unlimited energy and immense physical strength. The Fruit of Knowledge, associated with humans, grants the ability to reason, think critically, and understand the laws of the universe, though it lacks the boundless energy of the Angels.

What role did Zeal play in the development of human evolution?

Zeal, an ancient and secretive organization, played a pivotal role in advancing human evolution. They were obsessed with human instrumentality, the merging of all Lilith-based life into a single being, believing it would lead to a Heaven on Earth. Their ultimate goal was to unite the human race with Angel life, creating a powerful, godlike entity.

What was the First Contact experiment, and why was it so dangerous?

The First Contact experiment involved attempting to awaken Adam, an ancient entity, by removing the Spear from its vessel in Antarctica. This action triggered catastrophic energy spikes, which created a chain reaction leading to the Second Impact, a cataclysmic event that caused massive loss of life and permanent changes to Earth’s environment.

How did the Second Impact affect the world?

The Second Impact, caused by the First Contact experiment, led to a massive explosion that reduced Adam to an embryo, while triggering tsunamis and global flooding that killed over 2 billion people. It also plunged the world into a chaotic nuclear war, further decimating the population and destabilizing nations.

What was the purpose of Tokyo 3, and how did it relate to the events described in the script?

Tokyo 3 was built on top of the remains of the black moon, Lilith's vessel. It was intended to be a fortified city to defend against the Angels' invasion, as the city sat over key elements of the ancient power struggle between humanity and the Angels. It also served as the headquarters for Zeal's experiments and plans to bring about human instrumentality.

What was the outcome of Project E and how did it relate to Gendo and Yui?

Project E involved the creation of Evangelion mechas from Adam’s genetics to fight the Angels. However, during an experiment where Yui Ikari became integrated with one of the Evangelions, she disappeared, leaving Gendo to spiral into grief. His obsession with recreating her led him to create clones (Rei), but they were unable to truly replace Yui.