Neon Genesis Evangelion

Shinji Ikari is called to Tokyo-3 by his distant father, Gendo, who leads the organization NERV, and is asked to pilot Evangelion Unit-01, the only weapon available, to protect the city from a massive Angel attack.

Shinji awakens in the hospital with no recollection of the previous night's battle against an Angel. After being rejected by his father, Shinji is taken in by Misato to live with her. That night, the memories of the fight return to him.

Shinji Ikari starts at his new school in Tokyo-3 and struggles with the attention that comes with being an Evangelion pilot. Touji Suzuhara, whose sister was injured during Shinji's battle with an Angel, harbors resentment toward him. A new Angel attacks, forcing Shinji to pilot EVA-01 once more.

Misato reprimands Shinji for disobeying her during a recent Angel encounter, leading him to flee in emotional distress. After spending several days wandering Tokyo-3, Shinji must decide whether to continue as an EVA pilot or abandon his life there.

Shinji attempts to understand Rei Ayanami, the mysterious pilot of the newly repaired EVA-00, but finds her emotionally distant and shrouded in secrecy, with no known history or personal connections. Meanwhile, a formidable Angel in the form of the massive monolith Ramiel launches an attack on Tokyo-3.

Following a near-fatal encounter with Angel Ramiel, Shinji and the NERV team attempt a long-range attack using a powerful positronic rifle, powered by Japan's entire electrical grid, as EVA-00 and EVA-01 target the Angel drilling toward NERV headquarters.

Ritsuko explains the origins of Second Impact and NERV's mission to Shinji. Misato and Ritsuko observe a demonstration of Jet Alone, a rival military robot, which malfunctions and becomes unstable. Shinji uses EVA Unit 01 to rescue Misato and help her input the shutdown code before the robot triggers a nuclear meltdown.

Misato takes Shinji, Touji, and Kensuke aboard a large UN naval convoy transporting Evangelion Unit-02 and its pilot, Asuka Langley Souryuu, to Japan. Accompanying Asuka is Misato's former boyfriend, Ryouji Kaji, leading to tense interactions and reunions. The group faces an emergency when the fleet is attacked by a massive aquatic Angel.

Asuka joins Shinji's class and begins living with him and Misato, as she adjusts to life in Japan. When a new Angel capable of splitting into two identical forms attacks, it defeats EVA-01 and EVA-02, causing a major setback for NERV. During the Angel's regeneration period following an N² Mine attack, Asuka and Shinji must learn to synchronize their movements in battle to have a chance of defeating it.

The EVA pilots are disappointed when they learn they must remain in Tokyo-3 for an emergency training exercise instead of attending their class trip to Okinawa. A new Angel is discovered in a cocoon-like state deep inside Mount Asama's volcanic magma.

A citywide power outage in Tokyo-3 halts operations just as an Angel emerges, forcing personnel to manually activate the EVAs to defend against the threat.

Misato is promoted to Major, but the occasion is quickly overshadowed by the sudden appearance of a massive Angel in Earth's orbit. With Gendo and Fuyutsuki absent, Misato and the three pilots must confront the deadly threat before it crashes into Tokyo-3.

During a standard evaluation, the EVA pilots face an unexpected threat when a new, technology-like Angel infiltrates NERV headquarters. The Angel's presence triggers the facility's self-destruct sequence, forcing Dr. Ritsuko Akagi to work urgently to prevent catastrophe and eliminate the intruder.

The episode begins with a retrospective presentation to the Human Instrumentality Committee, summarizing the attacks of all previous Angels. It then shifts to Rei reflecting on her identity through a poetic monologue, followed by a test measuring the compatibility between her and Shinji's Evangelions.

Multiple key characters at NERV engage in personal activities on what appears to be an ordinary day—Misato and Ritsuko attend a wedding, Shinji and Gendo visit Yui's grave, and Asuka goes on a date—though these events subtly set the stage for significant developments.

Shinji outperforms Asuka in a synchronization test, irritating her. Soon after, the EVAs respond to a strange apparition, and EVA-01 is pulled into an enigmatic black mass emerging from beneath it. As plans are made to recover the trapped unit, Shinji begins a journey through his own subconscious.

A NERV facility in Nevada is destroyed in a major incident, prompting headquarters to plan the deployment of a new Evangelion unit in Japan. Meanwhile, Shinji is unaware that he has been chosen as the Fourth Child to pilot it.

Evangelion Unit-03, shipped from the United States, is subjected to an activation test, but the experiment takes a dire turn when it is revealed to be infected by the Thirteenth Angel. NERV deploys other EVA units to confront the Angel-infused weapon, despite the danger it poses to the pilot inside.

Shinji, devastated by Touji's near-fatal injury caused by his own EVA, decides to quit piloting and abandon Tokyo-3. His plans are interrupted when a powerful new Angel launches a massive attack at the moment he is about to depart. Faced with the crisis, Shinji is compelled to reevaluate his decision.

Shinji reaches an extraordinary 400% synchronization ratio with EVA-01 during a battle against Zeruel, causing the unit to transform into a godlike entity and merge with him. Efforts by Ritsuko and others to extract Shinji from within the EVA prove unsuccessful.

Kouzou Fuyutsuki is taken into custody by Seele, who are deeply concerned about the aftermath of the previous Angel battle. As he is questioned, his role in the founding of Nerv is revealed through a series of flashbacks, along with key details about the backgrounds of several major characters. Meanwhile, Ryouji Kaji begins a personal quest to uncover the truth behind the events surrounding the Angels and Nerv.

Asuka's synch rate continues to decline following her loss to the Fourteenth Angel, Zeruel, and her growing tensions with Rei, Shinji, Misato, and Ryouji intensify. Her emotional instability reaches a peak as she confronts the Fifteenth Angel, Arael, forcing her to confront painful memories from her past.

Asuka struggles with severe emotional distress following a psychological assault by Arael and is unable to operate her EVA when the Angel Armisael attacks. The Angel begins merging with EVA-00 and threatens to do the same to EVA-01, leading Rei to make a self-sacrificing attempt to protect Shinji, though she later appears to have survived.

Shinji, avoiding confrontation with Misato and Rei, flees once more and meets Kaworu Nagisa, the new pilot for EVA-02. Kaworu's warm and approachable nature offers Shinji emotional support, though questions arise regarding his exceptional synchronization skills.

The episode portrays the progression of Instrumentality, a process unifying all souls into a single entity, through minimal action and dialogue-heavy scenes. Much of the episode takes place in darkness, with white text and an omniscient voice challenging the characters' perspectives.

The episode continues the Instrumentality storyline, with Shinji at the center as he begins to understand the power of individuals to influence their reality. He also starts to grasp the idea that personal identity is shaped through relationships with others.