Here's the best watch order for Neon Genesis Evangelion (2024)

Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most iconic anime series of all time. The seminal series from visionary animator Hideaki Anno started out in the '90s, and uses giant, fighting mechs to tell an intense, psychological tale that touches on depression, philosophy and religion that the anime community has been talking about for decades.

There's a reason why Evangelion is one of the most celebrated animes of all time, and if you love anime it's a series you really should experience for yourself. If you're not sure where to start, then our Evangelion watch order is here to help.

We'll explain the best way to watch Evangelion from start to finish, including when to watch the original series as well as the End of Evangelion and Rebuild movies.

Evangelion watch order

Here's the best watch order for Neon Genesis Evangelion (3)

The best watch order for Evangelion is the release order, so start with the original series, then watch End of Evangelion and finish it off with the Rebuild films. If you want to streamline your viewing, you can skip Death(true)² which has an alternate cut known as Death & Rebirth. Both of these films are recap movies for the OG series, but add in a few new scenes.

The Rebuild films, which are the most recently released entries in the Evangelion franchise, essentially work as remakes, reboots and sequels all at the same time. These movies - which began with You Are (Not) Alone - significantly change the events of the original anime, and also act as a follow-up, capping off a story that has taken almost three decades to craft. It's similar to what Square Enix is doing to Final Fantasy 7 with the ongoing FF7 Remake project, and you'll get the most out of the Rebuild movies if you watch the original Evangelion animes first.

Here's our recommended watch order for Neon Genesis Evangelion:

  • Episodes 1 to 26 (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
  • Evangelion: Death(true)²
  • 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+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time

How to watch Evangelion

Here's the best watch order for Neon Genesis Evangelion (4)

To watch Evangelion in its entirety, you need access to both Netflix and Prime Video. Netflix has every episode of the original series, along with Death(true)² and The End of Evangelion. Prime Video, meanwhile, is where you can watch all of the Rebuild movies. Netflix is priced from $6.99 a month whereas Prime Video is available from $8.99 a month, or as part of an Amazon Prime membership which is $14.99 a month.

Netflix no longer offers free trials, but if you want to try out Prime Video you can sign-up for an Amazon Prime trial. The Prime trial gives you free access for 30 days. If you're thinking of buying the Rebuild movies individually, instead of streaming them, there is one important thing to point out.

There are two different versions of each Rebuild film. Evangelion 1.0, Evangelion 2.0, Evangelion 3.0 and Evangelion 3.0+1.0 are the original theatrical cuts, while Evangelion 1.11, Evangelion 2.22, Evangelion 3.33 and Evangelion 3.0+1.01 are basically director's cuts and add in some extra scenes. If you have a choice between the two, it's better to watch the extended versions.

Watch on YouTube

That's it for our Evangelion watch order. For more anime content, check out our guide to the Solo Leveling anime - which is one of the most hotly anticipated new shows on the horizon. If you're looking for something else to watch, then Netflix might have put out the most important anime of the year. Or, if you want some old-school anime goodness you'll be pleased to know you can watch the influential Paprika entirely for free.

Here's the best watch order for Neon Genesis Evangelion (2024)

FAQs

Here's the best watch order for Neon Genesis Evangelion? ›

The best watch order for Evangelion is the release order, so start with the original series, then watch End of Evangelion

End of Evangelion
The End of Evangelion is a 1997 Japanese anime apocalyptic science fiction film written by Hideaki Anno, directed by Anno and Kazuya Tsurumaki, and animated by Gainax and Production I.G.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › The_End_of_Evangelion
and finish it off with the Rebuild films. If you want to streamline your viewing, you can skip Death(true)²
Death(true)²
The second section, Evangelion: Rebirth, consists of approximately 24 minutes of entirely new animation that would eventually form the first third of the alternate ending film The End of Evangelion, released four months later as the second stage in the Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth project.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Neon_Genesis_Evangelion:_...
which has an alternate cut known as Death & Rebirth.

What is the right order to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion? ›

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone. Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance. Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo. Evangelion:3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time.

What episodes of Evangelion can I skip? ›

The original 26 episodes of the animated series, followed by “The End of Evangelion.” You can skip “Evangelion Death (True)2” unless you're really into clip shows. It's an interesting artifact but inessential to the overall narrative.

Can I skip Evangelion: Death and Rebirth? ›

This DVD contains a short overview of the series, followed by the first bit of The End of Evangelion. If you don't want to sit through the series (shame on you), you'll want to see the first half of this before watching the End of Evangelion, but otherwise it's not really worth the money.

Are the Evangelion movies just recaps? ›

The Theatrical Edition films of Neon Genesis Evangelion consist of summary versions of episodes 1 to 24, and has two installments that a create a different ending from the original Neon Genesis Evangelion.

What is the true Evangelion ending? ›

The film, according to Japanese critic Manabu Tsuribe, ends at the moment when Shinji recognizes Asuka as a being separate from himself, the Other who can never be completely internalized by consciousness, rejecting Instrumentality.

Do I need to watch Neon Genesis before End of Evangelion? ›

So, that makes it quite easy: watch all 26 episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Then, you'll need to complete Shinji's story with the feature-length End of Evangelion movie (also on Netflix).

How to watch Evangelion correctly? ›

Evangelion watch order

The best watch order for Evangelion is the release order, so start with the original series, then watch End of Evangelion and finish it off with the Rebuild films. If you want to streamline your viewing, you can skip Death(true)² which has an alternate cut known as Death & Rebirth.

How many hours does it take to finish Evangelion? ›

Product information
Run time13 hours
Number of discs‎5
Media Format‎DVD
Actors‎Casey Mongillo, Carrie Keranen, Stephanie McKeon, Ryan Bartley, Clifford Chapin
Studio‎SHOUT! FACTORY
6 more rows

Can a 13 year old watch End of Evangelion? ›

Amazing film, good for 14 and up or mature 13 yr old.

If you're still worried about it, it's easily skippable and you won't miss anything important to the film other than emphasizing the main character's self-loathing. Other than that, it's relatively tame except for animated violence.

Are there two endings to Evangelion? ›

Neon Genesis Evangelion's endings are all very distinct, but come together to paint a picture of Shinji's growth in an intricate and unique way.

Did Shinji reset the world? ›

Shinji says farewell to Rei, deciding upon a complete reset of the world, a "Neon Genesis", without Evangelions. Gendo and Yui sacrifice themselves to spare Shinji from doing so himself, bringing back all humans who were transformed in the Near Third Impact and restoring the world.

Is Evangelion Death true canon? ›

Death & Rebirth consists as canon too as it does not actually contradict anything in the series and is instead just a retelling, not unlike Episode 14's montage. See Death's string quartet scenes.

What order should I watch the Evangelion movies? ›

These names are incredibly cumbersome but here we go – first it's “Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone” (2007), followed by “Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance” (2009), then “Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo” (2012) and finally “Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time” (2021).

What does Evangelion mean in English? ›

Evangelion refers to the gospel in Christianity, translated from the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον (euangélion, Latin: evangelium) meaning "Good News". Evangelion may also refer to: Gospel account. Gospel Book.

Did Netflix change Evangelion outro? ›

The streaming platform replaced "Fly Me to the Moon," the song used during the credits of every episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion, with another piece of music from the show's score: "Hostility Restrained." The track was also replaced in certain scenes where it was used as background music.

Which Evangelion series is first? ›

The first film Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone was released in Japan on September 1, 2007, with Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance and Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo released on June 27, 2009, and November 17, 2012, respectively.

Is Neon Genesis Evangelion a must watch? ›

This is, quite simply, a masterpiece. What starts out as a simple "save the world" mecha story evolves into a shocking and powerful psychological drama full of conspiracy, dysfunctional characters, and some of the most harrowingly emotional and painful fight scenes ever.

Is Evangelion 1.0 just a recap? ›

Rebuild 1.0 is for the most part a retelling of the first six episodes of the original series. However, many important points have been changed; as some minor changes as well.

Is Death and Rebirth just a recap? ›

The first section, Evangelion:Death, is a 're-cap' editing together scenes from the first 24 episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion in the form of a clip show, along with additional animation created after the show's original broadcast.

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