- 5/24/2025
From intense mecha battles to deeply psychological moments, join us as we explore the most impactful scenes from this groundbreaking anime series! Our countdown includes epic fights, emotional breakthroughs, and unforgettable character moments that defined this revolutionary franchise. Which of Shinji's screw ups left the biggest impact on you?
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the Top 20 Greatest Moments
00:10in the Evangelion Franchise.
00:1620 Get in the Ava, Shinji After being right in the middle of a war zone
00:23between the Angel Satchel and the UN forces, Shinji manages to get to NIRV headquarters
00:29thanks to Misato.
00:31Without knowing why exactly he was called there, his estranged father Gendo suddenly appears
00:36and skips all the pleasantries, telling Shinji that he must pilot the Giant Ava Unit-01.
00:46To the surprise of no one, Shinji does what any sane person would do and immediately declines,
00:52leading to Gendo proclaiming that he has no use for his son.
00:59The manipulation doesn't stop there, though, as they quickly wheel in a heavily injured
01:04Rei to take on the role.
01:06This obvious guilt-tripping results in Shinji relenting and being thrown right into the deep
01:11end against a dangerous foe.
01:14Number 19 Ava Unit-0 Goes Berserk
01:18Considering the fact that Evangelion are essentially giant artificial humans that need to be piloted
01:23by teenagers, there was bound to be plenty of hiccups in the creation process.
01:28Twenty-two days prior to the events of the first episode, we're shown an activation test
01:33of the Ava Unit-0.
01:35Partway into it, things go awry, and the Evangelion suddenly goes out of control, breaking away
01:41from its bindings.
01:48Despite their best efforts to abort the experiment, Unit-0 starts to punch the protective glass
01:53right where Gendo is standing.
02:04It only begins to calm down once the entry plug containing Rei bursts out, causing Gendo
02:09to finally show some semblance of humanity.
02:14Number 18 Kaji's Death
02:16As a triple agent, it was hard to gauge where Kaji's allegiances truly lied, so it comes
02:22at no surprise that his final moments were steeped in mystery.
02:28The show refreshingly doesn't bash you over the head with the revelation and instead trusts
02:32the audience is smart enough to pick up on the fact that Kaji's personal motivations
02:37led to his life being snuffed out by an unknown assailant.
02:45The only thing that hurts more than the sound of a gunshot going off is the final recorded
02:49message that Kaji left for Misato.
02:57Number 17 Asuka goes Angel Mode
03:00During the final confrontation between Vilae and Nerv, Asuka attempts to attack Unit-13 while
03:06piloting Unit-02.
03:07However, just as she's about to strike, her Ava turns rogue and puts up its own AT field,
03:14preventing her from striking.
03:21With no other options, Asuka removes her eyepatch, unleashing the 9th angel within and transforming
03:27Unit-02 into a new angel-like state.
03:30With this, she's able to go beyond her limits, easily breaking through the AT field.
03:41Unfortunately, as is often the case whenever Asuka does something extremely cool, things
03:51immediately go south when it's revealed to be a trap.
04:01Number 16 Ava Unit-0 uses the Spear of Longinus.
04:06As the 15th angel, Ariel is unique in the fact it flies all the way up in Earth's orbit, well
04:12above any range that the Evangelions can attack.
04:18After Asuka fails to snipe the angel, Rey's attempt also proves meaningless when the Positron
04:24rifle's power level is far too low to penetrate its AT field.
04:32This leads to Gando ordering Rey to use the ever-important Spear of Longinus, who hurls
04:37it into the sky at an incredible distance, going right through its AT field to strike down
04:42and defeat the angel.
04:48As we get towards the end of the original series, tensions between the cast are at their highest
05:03point, and nowhere is it more apparent than this awkward confrontation between Asuka and
05:08Rey in the elevator.
05:10Some suggest that this scene was the result of the show's budget drying up, but for our money,
05:15it's an absolute masterclass on how to do so much with very little.
05:24The long drawn-out scene adds a sense of both tension and discomfort as, despite not saying
05:30anything at first, we can sense the frustration from Asuka.
05:34Of course, the scene does eventually come to a boiling point, with Asuka snapping and slapping
05:46Rey.
05:46After spending most of the series with just Shinji, Asuka, and Rey as the EVA pilots, Shinji's
06:01fellow classmate and friend, Toji, was set to become the fourth child.
06:05Sadly, this wasn't meant to be, as during his first sync test with Yuna-03, the EVA is
06:11infected by an angel, resulting in it going berserk.
06:17With Bardial advancing towards Tokyo-03, Shinji refuses to attack it when he realizes another
06:30human being is inside, even if he dies.
06:33Gendo immediately orders the dummy plug to take over, causing Yuna-01 to tear the angel apart.
06:39When the gruesome display is finally over, it's at last revealed to Shinji who exactly was
06:53inside, further contributing to his downward spiral.
06:58While many of the characters in Evangelion manipulate Shinji for their own personal gain,
07:09Kauru seems to be the only one who has consistently looked out for him.
07:16That was perhaps best illustrated here in Evangelion 3.0, when he and Shinji were assigned to pilot
07:22unit 13.
07:23Earlier in the movie, Shinji, under orders from Misato, had been equipped with an explosive
07:29collar that is said to go off if he steps out of line.
07:32Kauru, in an act of selflessness, removes the collar from Shinji's neck and places it on
07:37his own.
07:47This would ultimately be his undoing, then Shinji once again has to suffer watching one
07:52of his closest allies be horrifically killed.
08:07Moments of genuine levity in Evangelion are few and far between, so when they do happen,
08:13it's a breath of fresh air.
08:21Episode 9 has both Asuka and Shinji working together to defeat an angel, with the pilots
08:26needing to be perfectly in sync to take down Israfel.
08:30After a pretty fun episode that shows early hints of Asuka and Shinji's turbulent potential
08:35romance, the final battle is one of the few rare moments when Evangelion grants Shinji and
08:41Asuka a definitive win.
08:50Considering what happens later in the series, it's nice to see Shinji and Asuka almost get
08:54along for a change.
09:10Describing Neon Genesis Evangelion's TV conclusion as divisive is an understatement, and the final
09:17congratulations scene is no exception.
09:30Even if End of Evangelion tends to be preferred, the anime's abstract final two episodes provide
09:35a fascinating and in-depth exploration of Shinji's psyche, as the protagonist gradually grows to
09:42appreciate himself.
09:55The final scene of all the characters showing up to give Shinji a stunning ovation is iconic,
10:01if not necessarily universally loved, and has definitely itched its place in anime history.
10:07It's not the ending the fans wanted, but the one Shinji definitely needed.
10:20Withdrawn and hard to read, Rei presents an enigmatic figure for the majority of the TV series.
10:28Created specifically to play a role in the third impact, all incarnations of Rei are treated as tools
10:38by Gendo, with the clones seldom being allowed to express any emotions. After the angel armor sail
10:45takes over Ava 00 and Rei, the pilot begins to understand her own emotions and decides to make the
10:51ultimate sacrifice to save Shinji. Rather than the sacrifice, this moment is important because Rei
11:07directly defies orders and gains autonomy, something that very few characters in NGE accomplish.
11:13After seven episodes of the reluctant Shinji and aloof Rei, Evangelion was crying out for some energy
11:27to be injected from somewhere. As it so happened, Jiminy had the perfect person for the job.
11:34Asuka arrives on the scene like a hurricane, loud, threatening, and with a gust of wind.
11:47While the pilot's opening scene is primarily played for laughs, Asuka instantly leaves an impact
11:53on the series, serving as the perfect counter to Shinji's timidness.
12:04Rebuild 2.0, meanwhile, opts to give Asuka an introduction that features a lot less fan service
12:10and a lot more badass.
12:21Along with boasting and awesome design, Ramiel is undoubtedly among the most dangerous angels
12:27encountered by the Ava pilots, and comes painfully close to killing Shinji.
12:34Up until this point, Shinji and Rei had maintained their distance from each other,
12:39but defeating Ramiel mandates the two work together to stand any hope of victory. With Ramiel coming
12:45very close to penetrating near the headquarters, and Shinji having almost no room for error,
12:51the fight itself is incredibly intense, and the payoff more than lives up to the hype.
13:01The episode also ends with a touching moment between the two pilots,
13:05even if Rei's backstory does retroactively undermine this scene's sweetness.
13:217. Shinji FINALLY CONFRONTS HIS FATHER
13:24It's truly hard to describe the gravity of this scene for fans who had been watching the series
13:29since day one. Many of us thought we'd never see these two sort things out, but everything changed
13:40when the Rebuild movie series made it clear that they were more than just retellings,
13:45leading to Shinji finally confronting his father one-on-one in the finale. After it quickly becomes
13:51apparent to Shinji that duking it out with his father was not the answer, Gendo makes clear all of
13:56his intentions, and the two finally make peace. If there weren't tears in your eyes when you saw
14:06Gendo finally embrace his son, you better check your pulse.
14:17Initially starting out as an action-heavy retread of the original series, Rebuild of Evangelion begins
14:23to deviate considerably by the end of the second film.
14:26With Rei swallowed by the tenth angel and all hope appearing lost, Shinji temporarily taps into his
14:41inner shounen hero, fuses with Yuna-O-1, receives a power-up, and seemingly saves the absorbed pilot.
14:48In most other anime, this would be Shinji's moment of triumph. However, Evangelion is a franchise like
15:02no other. In the sequel movie, it is revealed along with not really saving Rei, Shinji's Gurren Lagann
15:08moment nearly brings the fourth apocalypse and destroys a large section of Tokyo 3.
15:18Asuka vs Mass-Produced Ava's
15:29Not a single character gets off easily in Evangelion, and Asuka spends the last stretch of episodes
15:34spiraling out of control while trying to sustain a facade of confidence. By end of Evangelion,
15:41Asuka is a shell of a person, but the 14-year-old girl manages to find the resolve to take on
15:46Selay's mass-produced Evangelions. The battle is vicious from the start, with Asuka dismantling
15:59the knockoffs without too much trouble. When things are suddenly looking up, Ava-02 runs out of power,
16:10and the seemingly defeated mass-productions begin to move again. Asuka, someone so desperate to be
16:17loved and seen as special, is eaten by soulless mass-assembled nobodies.
16:264. Human Instrumentality
16:29Achieved through the event known as Third Impact, Human Instrumentality basically means that all human
16:35souls return to Lilith, the second angel responsible for creating life on Earth, and be unified as one
16:42being. Third Impact is finally triggered during the end of Evangelion, and damn does it leave an
16:51impression. Putting aside context, the image of a massive ray towering over the Earth while absorbing
16:58all of humanity's souls is simply an unforgettable sight. Surreal, grim, and epic, Third Impact distills
17:13Neon Genesis Evangelion's strange awesomeness into a single moment.
17:213. Shinji's Future
17:23If there's one person in all of Evangelion that deserves a happy ending,
17:27it was Shinji. After every PTSD-inducing battle, every bit of manipulation from adults,
17:35and every tantrum from Asuka, Shinji was finally afforded the seemingly happy life he earned.
17:47Now, in a world where Evangelion no longer exists, we're introduced to a Shinji who has finally grown up.
17:54Following an intimate moment with Mari, the two set off in the real world. Like a lot of Evangelion,
18:00this is a deeply personal moment from Anno, who reflects his own struggles with mental health,
18:05and breaking through them with the person who he loves.
18:082. Kaoru's Death
18:10Evangelion's final few episodes are virtually non-stop torture, the one exception being a couple of scenes
18:17of camaraderie between Shinji and the mysterious fifth child, Kaoru.
18:33Ultimately, Kaoru is revealed to be both the first and final angel, leaving Shinji no choice but to
18:39kill the one person who seems to truly understand him. While it has been coming for a long time,
18:44this is the moment that truly breaks Shinji. Up until this point, Shinji is primarily following
18:54orders and could at least distance himself slightly from most of the casualties. However,
18:59even if the situation necessitated taking drastic measures, the pilot actively makes the choice to kill Kaoru.
19:301. Ava Yuna-O-1, The Beast
19:33Whenever Shinji has an impressive moment in Neon Genesis Evangelion, more often than not,
19:39there is a catch. While fighting the 14th Angel, which utterly destroys Asuka and Rei, Shinji runs out of power.
19:52In order to save everyone, the protagonist unleashes a Berserk Mode,
19:57which greatly increases Yuna-O-1's power but pries control away from Shinji.
20:06While Shinji's determination and willingness leads to victory, this can only be achieved by the
20:12pilot basically losing himself to the Ava. Blending vicious mecha action and psychological drama,
20:19this moment is Evangelion in a nutshell.
20:27What's your favorite Evangelion moment? Let us know in those comments below!
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