| Konnichiwa! I decided to create a thread for for 3.0 and give you some answers, so that some misunderstandings about this film would clear up. http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15909/Worst-Case-Scenario-Ending/ (Worst case scenario ending) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15030/The-Idiot-Ball-in-Q-Lazy-Writing-or-Thematically-Poignant/0/(The idiot ball in 3.0 lazy writing or thematically poignant) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15122/The-Moral-of-Rebuild-The-Virtue-of-Obedience-Split/0/?/ (The moral of rebuilt the virtue of obedience) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/14730/How-is-Shinji-responsible-for-3rd-Impact-Split/0/? (How is Shinji responsible for 3rd impact?) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/14454/Theory-about-Kaworus-intentions/0/ (Kaworu's true intentions) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/14332/Why-didnt-Wille-just-kill-Shinji/0/ (Why didn't Wille just kill Shinji?) http://forum.evageeks.org/post/647840/Was-the-14-year-timeskip-really-necessary-Split/#647840 (Was the 14 year timeskip really necessary?) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15264/Whose-Fault-Is-It-Anyway-Shinji-vs-His-Authorities/0/ (Whose fault is it anyway? Shinji vs his authorities) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/13744/Will-Shinji-Ever-Find-Love-In-The-End/0/ (Will Shinji find love in the end?) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15159/Did-Q-Fail-Thematically/20/? (Did 3.0 fail thematically?) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/13514/Filling-the-gap/0/ (Filling the gap) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/14438/Turned-to-Core/0/ (Turned to core) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/14768/Is-Anno-really-making-it-up-as-he-goes-along/0/ (Is Evangelion's creator Hideaki Anno really making it up as he goes along) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/14677/Should-the-14-Year-timeskip-remain-a-mystery-Split/0/ (Should the 14 year timeskip remain a mystery?) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/14387/Gone-to-Guf-Back-for-Final-Love-Gen-and-Fuyu/0/ (Gendo and Kozo possibly in Guf?) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15570/The-Morality-of-Gendo/ (The morality of Gendo) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15423/Does-Asuka-hate-Shinji-in-Q-Split/0/ (Does Asuka hate Shinji in 3.0?) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15347/Qs-plot-wouldnt-happened-if-Shinji-listend-to-WILLE/0/ (3.0's plot wouldn't happened if Shinji listened to Wille?) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15294/Is-SEELE-really-off-the-table/ (Is Seele really off the table?) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/14507/Gendos-Master-Plan/0/ (Gendo's master plan) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15365/How-is-Shinji-responsible-for-anything-Free-Will-in-NTE/0/ (How is Shinji responsible for anything? (Free will in Rebuilt)) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15228/Shinjis-thoughts-on-Kaworus-death/0/ (Shinji's thoughts on Kaworu's death) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15179/Shinjis-role-and-freedom-in-Final-split/ (Shinji's role and freedom in 4.0) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15635/Mari-is-irrelevant-not-character-bashing/0/ (Mari is irrelevant?) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15652/Your-Brain-will-kill-you-Pulling-the-Spears-and-Realism/ (Pulling the spears and realism) http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/15841/Japanese-Twitter-speculation-of-Biblical-proportions/ (Interesting biblical proportions) -------Did the events of the preview from 2.0 happen during the timeskip?------- Certain events fit into what is seen in 3.0. For example, "Eva-06 descends to Dogma" is something that must have occurred, as Mark.06 is located in Central Dogma as of 3.0. -------How did Misato and others were able to survive the N3rd impact, even thought other people weren't able to?----------- I think that there were no "eye of the storm theory" regarding how Misato and others were able to survive the near third impact. (It would be really bad writing) They survived the TRUE third impact that occurred during the timeskip probably because they were elsewhere. (Misato and others confined by UN in some place, Gendo and Kozo in the mountains.) ------What happened to Rei?--------- She's still trapped inside Eva-01's core.. -------How Shinji was able to come back, but not Rei, from unit-01?----------- Shinji was in the entry plug the whole time, not in the core, because if they were able to extract Shinji from the core, where is Yui and Rei 2? As Kozo stated in 1.0: Rei piloting unit-01 would have been dangerous, because she would have been fused with unit-01. Why was she? Because she is a clone of Yui. (Similar DNA ect. that's why Yui took her) -------There isn't a second Rei clone walking around? Like a ghost...-------- The sudden appearance and disappearance (The scene where Rei is bathing in the LCL tube) heavily implies that the other Rei was not "real" in a traditional sense, and is not meant to indicate the presence of another clone at Nerv HQ. The phenomenon could be related to the Rei that Shinji saw on the street in Evangelion 1.0. --------What about Shinji's classmates and Pen Pen? Are they alive or dead?------- The status of most characters not appearing in the film is simply not provided. Shinji's classmates and Pen Pen, last seen during the 10th Angel attack, are frequently given low prospects by fans: whether they perished in the chaos of that Angel's assault, or possibly (...with probable exception of Pen Pen) were turned into red Evas later.The fate of Toji is rather ominously hinted at (see Toji's shirt) in the film. However, there is nothing concrete preventing some or all of these characters from returning in Final, either. ---------Misato was cheering Shinji on in the last movie. Why's she so cold to him now?-------------- At the end of Evangelion 2.0, Misato was cheering Shinji on and telling him to pursue his own desires... before she grasped the terrible consequences that would result. Once it was clear that Shinji's actions had triggered another Impact, and stirred Misato's own terrible memories of the Second ("Wings?! Just like fifteen years ago!"), her attitude visibly changed. Misato has subsequently had to deal with fourteen years of fallout, and psychologically compensate for, perhaps, feeling partly responsible for it all (by way of being initially "complicit"). Furthermore, she now has a crew to captain, and she cannot show signs of sentiment or weakness. Shinji's status is essentially that of a war criminal; Misato cannot simply go back to treating him as her surrogate son. (SEE MORE ABOUT WILLE'S FEELINGS IN ANOTHER POST) ---------Why can't Shinji synchronize with Eva-01 anymore?---------- It's been suggested that the DSS Choker is responsible. This seems quite possible, given that two of its functions are, in order, "Synchronization Observation" and "Suppression Function." ----------Why do Shinji, Asuka and Mari look the same after 14 years?----------- It is the results from synchronizing with an Eva at a high plug depth. (Curse of Eva) Special note is that during two of the high plug depth incidents, Ritsuko warns that the pilots' humanity is at risk. Asuka achieved high plug depth when the 9th Angel took over Eva-03, and Mari, as well, when she activated Eva-02's Beast Mode. If this idea is correct, then Shinji will also be affected by the "curse", due to reaching the Great Beyond Depth in the battle against the 10th Angel. One's "humanity" being lost through the curse could also tie in to why Asuka refers to humans as "Lilin" and how she has the strength to crack reinforced glass, although there could also be another reason. Curse can't be caused by LCL, because if it prevents aging, why doesn't everyone go LCL bath? --------Did they thought that he was dead?------------- Basically yeah. She and others thought that Shinji was Eva-01 itself(Like Yui was.) before she came back to earth with unit-01. Shinji was pretty much unwanted. --------How did Shinji hear Rei's voice before Mark.09 broke through the hull?------- The echo along with the Wille crew's obliviousness suggests that the words are being projected directly into Shinji's head -- telepathy, if you will. However, it is unclear if the source is Rei Q, or if they are coming instead from Rei 2 inside Eva-01. --------What's going on with Asuka's left eye?-------- The blue, cross-shaped glow is highly reminiscent of the 9th Angel. The Angel was presumably killed by Eva-01, as evidenced by the fact that all visible traces on the plug turned into red fluid and a rainbow appeared, so it is unlikely that the Angel itself survives within Asuka. Ritsuko claims in 2.0, while Asuka is being kept in containment, that "all physiological traces of contamination have disappeared", but this is difficult to reconcile with the blue glow. The need for hex glyphs in the eyepatch directly implies that there is something in Asuka's eye that requires "containment". Possibly, the 9th Angel, prior to its death, intrinsically modified Asuka's makeup, such that the glowing eye represents a permanent physical change as opposed to some kind of "infection". Ritsuko also stated in 2.0, "We cannot rule out the possibility of psychological contamination from the Angel", although it is unknown if this is related. (NOTICE: Glow blue through the fabric at two points in the film: after Shinji's escape from the Wunder and after Asuka activates Eva-02's Beast Mode. Furthermore, the eyepatch appears to be infused with angel-sealing hex glyphs.) -------How did Shinji learn piano so fast?------- The first time Shinji played the piano he didn't do very well, but the second time he suddenly played pretty well. It is possible that some time has passed, that's why he was good during the second time. (Besides, Shinji plays with Kaworu, who most likely corrects Shinji's mistakes.) --------Is it just me, or does something about Kaworu's "truth you desired" speech not add up?------------ Kaworu effectively tells Shinji that he is responsible for everything they see from atop New Nerv HQ. This seems to encompass not only Near Third Impact, but an undisclosed, proper Third Impact, as well. However, as far as we know, Shinji has been inert inside Eva-01 ever since he retrieved Rei and brought her into the entry plug, at the end of Eva 2.0. So, how can Shinji be responsible for everything that we're shown? One speculation is that the Spear of Cassius merely placed Eva-01 into suspension, as opposed to properly stopping the Impact. As a result, whenever the Spear of Cassius was removed, the Impact might have continued, developing into a full-on Third Impact. The chain of causation would ultimately lead back to Shinji's decision to save Rei from the 10th Angel, leaving him responsible, in his way, for everything that followed. -------Why did Kaworu put on the DSS Choker?-------- Implicitly, it was to gain Shinji's trust. Explicitly, he said that it was to shoulder the risk of Eva-13 awakening -- in other words, telling Shinji that if something went wrong and the Eva awakened and one of them would have to die to prevent Fourth Impact, he would be the one to do so. This is exactly what happened; had Kaworu not died as a result of the DSS Choker, Fourth Impact would likely have continued. On a symbolic level, Kaworu's choice injects some heavy-handed Jesus parallels. The DSS Choker is a symbol of Shinji's sin, and Kaworu taking it (and eventually dying as a result) is highly evocative of Jesus taking on the sins of all humanity. -------Why did Shinji agree to pilot Eva-13?-------- Most importantly, Kaworu removed the threat of death by taking the burden of the DSS Choker upon himself. But ultimately, Shinji decided to pilot because he found hope in Kaworu's plan to use the two Spears and restore the world. For Shinji, this represented a chance for redemption, to erase the hatred and fear other people had come to feel toward him, and, perhaps, to get back "his" Ayanami, as well. -------What did Kaworu mean about Rei's soul in Central dogma?-------- On the most literal level, Kaworu's line means that 'the placement of (Rei's) soul differs from the usual condition. "Her soul is somewhere else." If the "usual place" for a soul to be is within one's body, then Kaworu's line could indicate that Rei Q's soul is somewhere other than her body. This could, further, explain why Rei Q could not be used for the double-wielding of the Spears, as Kaworu explains that two souls are required. Following this interpretation, it is unclear if Rei Q is altogether soulless, or if she is somehow "remotely linked" to Rei 2. -------Why was Kaworu sitting in the entry plug doing nothing for so long?------- Initially, he seems to be lost in thought, at the expense of all else. Eventually, however, he can be seen leaning forward and clutching his face, as if ill. He is most likely shocked about the fact that Gendo/Seele tricked him. -------How did Shinji cut off Kaworu's controls?-------- This was probably a contingency placed into Shinji's entry plug by Gendo, with the expectation that Shinji would lose control of himself and desire to lock Kaworu out. The mechanism might be activated based on Shinji's emotional state, with the pulling of the lever merely being a red herring. Another possibility might be the fact that Shinji, in 2.0, was capable of locking Nerv out of the Eva's controls. Hence, what happened with Eva-13 might involve a contingency that is programmed into every Eva. The purpose of this would likely be for circumstances in which Nerv HQ is taken over by an enemy. Allowing the pilots to lock out HQ in an emergency would prevent a hypothetical enemy from being able to remotely shut down the Evas. --------Why couldn't Kaworu get the controls back?----- He just couldn't use his powers to do that. (Possibly because of DSS choker?) His controls came back online after some time had passed. Luckily they came back before 4th impact happened. -------Why does Shinji pull the Spears?----------- -He wanted to restore the world, revive the people, and get "he's" Rei back. -He wanted to make everyone happy, especially Misato. This is frequently considered an "idiot ball" moment. However, it makes sense in the context of the film and given human nature. Shinji had previously expressed his inability to believe in anyone or anything, and, while it seemed for a time that he might be able to believe in Kaworu, Kaworu's abrupt rescinding of the plan probably left Shinji feeling abandoned or betrayed in some way. Shinji's sole reason for piloting Eva-13 was the promise of making things right again, and having this promise suddenly taken away was too much. Frenzied by battle and desperate for redemption, Shinji ignored prudence and retrieved the Spears. He is also easy really to manipulate. Activation 4th impact was somewhat inevitable after his breakdown. (BUT, it didn't happen in the end.) ------What does Kaworu's final speech meant at the end of the film?--------- Notably, these lines: "Even if your soul disappears, your hopes and curses remain in this world. Your will roams the world as information and gradually changes. In time, even your very self is altered." Kaworu seems to be discussing the "memetic afterlife" -- what happens to "you" in the world after your body and "soul" are gone. Everything that is "you" is reduced to information, and even though you can no longer take direct action, you continue to affect the world via the "hopes and curses" you have left behind. The concept of "you" continues to be shaped by the people who remain, possibly into something very different from who you originally were. -------Did Misato end up using the DSS Choker after all?--------- Two options: 1. Yes: Misato activates the choker when the Wunder is unable to pursue Eva-13 due to engine trouble, leaving her out of options. The choker is also set to Misato's personal passcode. 2. No: The choker automatically detects Awakenings and triggered itself. It took so long to actually kill Kaworu because he used his powers to stall the detonation as long as possible. Furthermore, the laws of cinema dictate that any use of the device by Misato would have included an establishing shot -- which is notably absent. --------Why does Mari tell Shinji to help Asuka? / Why is Asuka disappointed that Shinji didn't help her?-------- Elaboration: During Mari's speech to Shinji, she says, "Help the Princess out, at least!" Later, when Asuka comes to retrieve Shinji from his plug, she says, "You brat, Shinji. You didn't come to help me." These lines are considered enigmatic, because Shinji and Asuka are on opposing sides, and there's no particular reason why anyone should expect Shinji to help Asuka at this point. Note that there is not a translation error. Both Mari and Asuka use the verb tasukeru, which means "help"/"save". Speculation: It is possible that Asuka is referring to Shinji refusing to take action against Bardiel in 2.0, which may have indirectly lead to the loss of her left eye. She may also have been referring to her quarantine after the Bardiel battle. It is also possible that she is referring to Shinji not looking for her immediately after his entry plug landed, although since Shinji had no idea what happened to Asuka after Fourth Impact was averted, this is unlikely. Mari may also have been trying to tell Shinji to go and look for Asuka after ejecting, although she may have also been trying to encourage him to try and interact with Asuka, who had treated him coldly thus far. ------What does the final shot of Kaworu (in his school uniform) mean?-------- The shot suggests that Kaworu still exists in some form inside Eva-13, and, by ejecting, Shinji is leaving him behind. Kaworu already told Shinji beforehand that they would meet again. (Maybe in another timeline within rebuilt universe.) -------What happens to Mari after she ejects Shinji from Eva-13?-------- Eva-08 is shown crashing to the ground, arms still glowing. Later the Eva is shown wrapped up in bandages and being recovered by Wille alongside Eva-02. Since Mari did not eject her own entry plug, she was presumably recovered by Wille and is safely on board the Wunder at the end of film. -------Why does Asuka save Shinji at the end? Why does she let Rei tag along/Why Rei comes along with them?---- From an impersonal point of view, the Eva pilots are among Nerv's most important assets. Bringing them back to home base is thus, short of killing Shinji and Rei, the best way to keep them out of enemy hands. From a personal one, Asuka still seems to have lingering sentiments toward Shinji, even if she now seems to regard him more as a bratty child than a potential love interest. Rei comes with them so that she could find the truth about herself. -------Did Rei pick up the SDAT player or not at the end of the film?-------- Two option again: Yes: The SDAT player is a well-established symbolic player in the NTE film series, and it's quite unlikely that it would abandoned at this point. Furthermore, Rei Q picking up the device would tie into Shinji's earlier failed attempt to give it to her. No: The SDAT is overwhelmingly associated with Rei 2's identity. Rei Q begins to establish her own identity the moment she decides to eject her entry plug from Mark.09. Her taking the SDAT would erase this progress, and just make her into another Rei 2. ------Why does Asuka use the word "Lilin" at the end of the movie?------ The term "Lilin" has traditionally been used by Kaworu to denote Homo sapiens as an "Other" -- in other words, something that he is not -- and accentuate his alienness. Asuka using it in the presence of the other pilots, thus, heavily suggests that she considers herself something other than human. ------Where Asuka, Shinji and Rei are headed at the end of the film?------- "To a place of hope." This place might be the place where other humans live. How Shinji finds hope there? I think that Asuka shows that people are still surviving and fighting for peace and that there is still hope for humans, thus Shinji gains hope. (Maybe we see Kensuke and Toji who encourage him) ------Will Shinji pilot unit-01 again?-------- Probably Not. It's too powerful. Wille needs it, and it would just cause new impact. -----Where is Shinji when we first see him? What are those pillars?---- Some sort of prison room. Those pillars are angel-sealing pillars. ------- Shinji failed again, but there is a chance to rebuilt things magically?--------- No. The message of this film was : "You can NOT redo." Shinji has to accept/learn from his mistakes at some point and move on. As harsh as it may sound, life is. ------------What is Wille? Why are they fighting Nerv?------------------- As explained by Misato, Wille is an organization dedicated to the destruction of Nerv and its Evas. Speculation: Implicitly, Wille's greater goal is to prevent future Impact events. They take care to outfit Shinji with the DSS Choker, to prevent his involvement in future Eva Awakenings. When Ritsuko recognizes that Nerv are taking Shinji in priority over Eva-01, signifying his potential as a trigger, she urges Misato to activate the choker. Furthermore, Misato states her intent to keep Fourth Impact in check when she has the Wunder attack Eva-13. -----------How/when was Wille formed?------------------- Speculation: It has been suggested that Mari and Kaji were in the process of forming an anti-Nerv agency during Eva 2.0. The original Eva Q preview also shows Nerv's staff being detained by the UN. If this event still takes place, it is possible that it is followed by a permanent breakaway from Nerv, and a possible fusion, in part or in whole, with the UN forces. Note that Wille have been able to secure a large ocean fleet, and that the color worn by nearly all crew is the same blue as the UN. -------------Why did Wille bring Shinji back from Eva-01?--------------- Wille retrieved Eva-01 in order to use it to power the Wunder. Shinji's presence inside the unit is an undesirable x factor that, according to Ritsuko, is capable of bringing the Eva into an Awakened state. Hence, a Shinji-less Eva-01 is safer and more stable for Wille's purposes. ----------Why didn't Wille just kill Shinji if he's so dangerous?--------------- The most obvious reason seems to be that Misato would not order it. Despite the urging of Ritsuko, she cannot bring herself to detonate the DSS Choker when he escapes with Rei (and it is left ambiguous if she ever activates it later). -----------Is Nerv currently comprised of just Gendo, Fuyutsuki, Rei, and Kaworu? How do its facilities operate?-------------------- The operational parts of the base appear to be largely automated. No other personnel are ever seen, though whether this is because they don't exist at all, or were simply omitted from the film to enhance Shinji's sense of isolation, is unknown. It is, similarly, unknown whether Nerv still possesses functioning Magi supercomputers. ------------Why has the Nerv logo changed?----------------- Both of the Nerv logo variations seen in the previous films have been replaced by an unusual version featuring Tangram-like shapes and four hex glyphs. Close examination shows that this takes precedence over the original logos: the door that opens when Eva-13 is first being deployed has the new logo painted over an older one. Speculation: The new logo is generally thought to distinguish "Neo-Nerv" -- Nerv in its current state -- from before it lost most of its personnel to Wille. -----------Did the UN storm Nerv between films?--------------- Nerv HQ has sustained damage prior to Shinji's arrival there. An old Nerv logo is shown pitted with what look like bullet impact craters, and the old command center is also pitted and destroyed. Moreover, large sections of the base have apparently been flooded with Bakelite. Whether the UN, Wille, Nerv itself, or some other agency is responsible for this damage is unknown. --------Why are Seele and Gendo working together?------------- Kaworu's presence at New Nerv HQ is the yoke forcing Gendo into ostensible compliance with Seele's demands. ----------What's the deal with Seele? Who/what are they?-------------------- Gendo, addressing the group of monoliths, states that they had "changed the form of their souls" and "could have lived for an eternity", and, further, claims, "To advance the evolution of the flock burdened by death, you gave us the gift of civilization." During his speech, we see Fuyutsuki "shut off" the monoliths one by one, and they go from their usual core-like state to a dull gray color. This seems to tie into Gendo's line, "Let death return your souls to where they belong". It would thus seem that the core-like monoliths are Seele's actual physical vessels, apparently containing their souls, and the shutdown procedure "kills" the Seele members in preparation for -- they believe -- Instrumentality. It is unknown if Seele have been monoliths for the entire duration of the film series -- unlike in NGE, their human forms were never shown -- or if it is only a more recent development. Gendo's mysterious line about 'bestowing civilization', taken at face value, seems to imply that the Seele members are thousands of years old. As the monoliths dies, a residual image of a human brain is shown burnt into the remaining dead block. This may be another reference to 2001 in Evangelion. In the 2001 novel, the monoliths are revealed to be beings who have uploaded their consciousnesses into machines. Speculation: Perhaps the monoliths represent a mysterious form of ancient technology. If so, then it might be possible to explain how seven people have survived (in some form) for millennia. However, forging a complete explanation is sufficiently complicated that it's probably for the best that 3.0 does not address it at all. -----------What are Nerv's (Gendo's) goals?--------------- In the film, we see that Gendo tricks Seele into mass suicide, removing them from the picture, and eliminates Kaworu through some form of trickery as well. Eva-13's Awakening was also part of his plan. In terms of long term goals, Gendo says, "We will soon meet again, Yui" while he has the case holding the Key of Nebuchadnezzar at his side. What he is ultimately planning, however, is a near unfathomable question at the moment. -----------Is humanity mostly extinct, or what?-------------------- When Shinji asks what happened to everyone in Tokyo-3, Kaworu's answer begins with the statement, "Mass extinctions are not unusual on this planet." This statement, combined with the seemingly desolate and barren setting of 3.0, has led many to think that humanity is mostly extinct as a result of Third Impact. However, we are not made privy to many locations aside from the Hakone area, which is ground zero of Third Impact and one would not expect to be bustling with human activity. Background dialogue during Wille scenes indicates that they are being supplied from the outside, and these provisions must come from somewhere. Human settlements are directly implied. -------------------What does "BM-03" mean?----------- Unknown. But the designation is shown on one of Shinji's feet, while "S.IKARI??" is written on his other foot. Misato and Ritsuko also express some doubt as to whether Shinji is in fact the original Shinji. BM-03 may have been Wille's temporary designation for an entity they were unsure was Shinji or not. It has been speculated that BM stands for "biomass" or "biological matter/material". ----------What is the Wunder? An Eva? An Angel? What?--------------- Wunder's true nature is currently unknown. As a large skeleton with technology built on top, it is highly reminiscent of the Third Angel, and is frequently speculated to be the 11th Angel. However, it is also, in principle, a giant Evangelion. Its overall profile is similar to a legless Evangelion, complete with pylons, and the bridge (beneath the bird-like head section) is even shaped like an Eva helmet. The crew is arranged on an array called the Hirnstamm Tower, reminiscent of the entry plug interior, which enters a giant "anchoring plug" that fills with LCL. The Wunder even bellows like an Evangelion. It is said that it was used by Adams to travel to earth, and they found it during the timeskip. (Wille stole it at some point) ---------What's the big walled structure that Rei takes Shinji down into?-------------- A ceiling-less "tomb" containing a section of the Geofront, specifically: the ruins of the Nerv HQ pyramid, along with its pool, filled with a red fluid or Bakelite. ---------What's the big tank or "egg" that has "Eva-13" written on it?-------------- It is a biomechanical "womb" used for the construction of Evangelion 13. Later in the film, we see the top cut open and membranes pulled aside, and the fully outfitted Eva pulled out of the steaming fluid within. The structure is nearly identical to the main engine of the AAA Wunder. --------------What's the large structure near Rei's "room"?-------------------- This is where Rei goes to soak in LCL, and was previously seen in Evangelion 2.0. According to the Evangelion 2.0 Complete Records Collection, the facility is known only as "Mysterious Underground Facility (Specialized for Rei Ayanami)." While the set-up resembles the Dummy Plug Plant from the original show, there is no evidence that Rei is connected to the dummy plugs in NTE. (In fact, all Rei references present at the storyboard phase of 2.0 were systematically eliminated for the final version.) Speculation: Rei is frequently suspected of having an intrinsically unstable body. The facility could play some role in temporarily stabilizing her. The set-up might also take backups of Rei's knowledge, memories, etc., so that if one clone dies, the next one doesn't have to start over from scratch. -----------What the heck? Why is Nerv HQ and the Geofront and everything so messed up? Things weren't like this at the end of 2.0!------------------- Indeed, they were not. Although Near Third Impact was stopped, it is heavily implied that another Impact event -- Third Impact proper -- began at some point, resulting in most if not all of the changes we see. Now, to take things on one at a time... --------What's that big spinning moon-thing that Kaworu shows Shinji?------------- The Moon. Firstly, it called 月 (tsuki, "Moon") in both script and storyboard. Second, Rebuild of Evangelion 3.33 shows the work-in-progress cut of the object appearing from behind the clouds, and at one stage the Moon's features are unambiguously visible. -----------So, then, why is it so close to Earth? Why does it have an atmosphere? What's with the red grid? Etc.------------------ Speculation: An as-yet-undisclosed side effect of Third Impact may have altered the Moon's course, with the results we see. The proximity to Earth may have resulted in the Moon becoming enveloped in atmosphere. The red grid may be somehow connected to Lilith, whose skin is flayed in a grid-like pattern. It could also be related to the Nemesis Series, who are seen creating a grid-like cage on a much smaller scale. The Moon, additionally, has giant blood splotches on its near side that were not seen in previous films. It is possible that those four bloodstains are from four Adams who got blasted to the moon after 2nd impact. (The script says that the bloodstain on the moon is from the second impact.) -----------Why are the ruins of Tokyo-3 red?------------------- They have been "turned to core". Precisely how, or what this implies, is unclear. It is thought by fans to be another effect of Third Impact. ------What are the red Evas that are everywhere? (They are Evas, right?)--------- Yes, the script refers to them as "Evas". They are headless copies of Eva-01 in armor, apparently composed of the same "core" material forming the landscape. Kaworu refers to the ones lining the walls of the Main Shaft as "failures of infinity," (Who failed because 3rd impact didn't fully happen) and this has been accepted as an umbrella term for all of them. -------What's the deal with the reverse pyramid on the pole?--------- The inverted pyramid in the sky is called New Nerv HQ. The very top contains the partially entombed ruins of the old Nerv HQ pyramid along with its pool, now filled with red fluid (Bakelite?). The rest of the structure seems to hold many of Nerv HQ's old facilities; they can be matched to locations from the previous two films. The giant pole is more mysterious, but it is possibly the majority of the Main Shaft, having been pulled -- with the Nerv facilities on top -- out of the earth and toward the sky. ------------What's with the red tooth canyon? Or the giant eye?--------------------- During one of the pans of the landscape that Kaworu shows Shinji, a massive canyon framed by anatomically correct teeth and gums can be seen. Furthermore, the pole that holds New Nerv HQ is emerging from the center of what looks like a massive blue iris. There does not appear to be a second "eye." These changes to the landscape are a complete and utter mystery. Speculation: In 1.11, there is a large chamber at Level EEE full of massive, neuron-like structures. Hence, the Black Moon might contain a "brain", making it a "skull" of sorts, and the eye and teeth on the surface furnish it with a "face". Could the face be part of the Black Moon itself? While this idea is evocative, the top portion of the Black Moon appears to have no such features once fully exposed. ----------What are those weird symbols in the new Nerv logo?--------------- Angel-Sealing Hex Glyphs. It has not been determined what the glyphs in the logo mean. ----------Why does Nerv have one of Toji's shirts?----------- While Shinji is brushing his teeth, he notices that his empty food tray is replaced by a fresh shirt. When he puts it on, he comments that it's bigger than the usual fare. He then sees a nametag stitched to the shirt's inside, reading "Toji Suzuhara". Speculation: Toji may have become the pilot of one of the now-missing Eva's during the timeskip. ----------Who (besides Yui and Shinji) is pictured in Fuyutsuki's photo?---------------- The two men resemble no characters that we know. (No -- not even Gendo or Fuyutsuki!) However, the second woman bears a close resemblance to Mari, and could be her mother. If Mari's parents were familiar with Shinji's, this could explain why Mari refers to Gendo as "Gendo-kun" (the -kun suffix here implying a familiarity, e.g. they were part of the same social circle). Some people say that they got "Asuka vibes" from the woman. While there is less evidence supporting the notion that this is Kyoko, or her NTE equivalent, it could still turn out that Mari and Asuka have some kind of familial relation that has yet to be revealed. --------Speaking of that photo... can anyone make out the text on the back?------- The text reads, 第3新東京市 人工進化研究所 EVA本体棟にて, translating to, "Tokyo-3, Artificial Evolution Laboratory, Inside Eva Main Control Building." ----------What's the big crucifix thingy that Fuyutsuki shows Shinji?---------- According to Fuyutsuki, it is a "very early prototype of the Eva control system. It is the same term he uses to describe what Yui becomes. ----------What's the deal with the huge Rei (...Yui?) head?---------------- The head belongs to Lilith. This is demonstrated by the fact that Lilith corpse is missing its head, and that the giant Rei head explodes into LCL at the same time as Lilith's headless body. Furthermore, the Rei head is missing the eyes. Close observation of Lilith's mask in previous films shows that giant bolts are bored into the eyes -- hence, the eyes would be missing if the mask ever came off! We know from the script that the head is shaped after Rei, rather than Yui. ---------What are the symbols on Shinji and Kaworu's plugsuits?-------------- Shinji is lowercase "alpha" (α), while Kaworu is capital "alpha" (A). --------------What are the skulls littering Lilith's chamber?---------------------- Speculation: Because the Failures of Infinity are all missing heads, it seems likely that the skulls were attached to them at one point. How they ended up in giant piles in Lilith's chamber is another matter entirely, though... Lilith's cross is lying on top of the skulls, and Lilith itself is crawling on a pile of them, suggesting that the skulls were in place prior to events involving Lilith. ------------What's the big corkscrew/mushroom/whatever that comes out of the ground at the end of the film?---------------------- The Black Moon. It is probably meant to resemble the Holy Grail more than a corkscrew or mushroom. -----------What's the object inside the Door of Guf?-------------------- Little can be said about it, except that it is vaguely moon-like and is framed by six long tesseracts. Speculation: Since the object lies beyond the Door of Guf, it is possible that it visually represents the Chamber of Guf. ------------Where the heck are Gendo and Fuyutsuki at the end?----------------- Their last seen location closely resembles the bridge of the Wunder. Speculation: It is possible that they have a flying ship of their own. It has been proposed that the entirety of New Nerv HQ is such a ship, and that it mobilized after Eva-13 began to fall, explaining the complete absence of New Nerv HQ from the final shots of the post-Fourth Impact landscape. It has also been hypothesized that New Nerv HQ has been inducted into the space beyond the Door of Guf, due to the fact that the bridge's monitors are active, but displaying nothing but darkness. ------------What's the L Barrier that Asuka refers to?------------------- Near the end of the film, Asuka says, "The L Barrier density is too high here, so they won't be able to come for us. We'll go someplace where the Lilin can pick us up." Speculation: With "L Barrier", Asuka seems to be referring to something that prevents the Wille crew from retrieving her. The "L" likely stands for "Lilin". It is unclear what the range and effects of this barrier are, as the Wunder and its crew are able to enter the vicinity of New Nerv HQ without apparent ill effect. ---------Is there a difference between "Near Third Impact" and "Third Impact"? Did a separate thing called "Third Impact" ever happen?---------------- Kaworu's expositional dialogue to Shinji superficially seems to treat the two terms as synonyms: "Ikari Shinji-kun, once Awakened, Eva-01 opened the Door of Guf and became the trigger for Third Impact. Lilin call it Near Third Impact." In other words: "Something called Third Impact happened, and the Lilin decide to put a 'Near' in front for some reason." However, the film visually establishes innumerable developments that could only have occurred after Eva-01 was frozen by the Spear of Cassius at the end of 2.0, very heavily suggesting that Third Impact eventually did continue. Kaworu's words, therefore, might indicate that Eva-01's Near Third Impact was the initial trigger for the Third Impact that followed. ----------What triggered Fourth Impact, exactly?----------- The Awakening of Eva-13. This seems to have resulted from a combination of Kaworu's "demotion" to Thirteen Angel (Eva-13 starts to go out of control and grow "wings" at that point) and Eva-13's consumption of the Twelfth Angel. --------What would have happened if Kaworu's plan with the Spears had worked?------- Unknown. We are told only that, by using them, "it becomes possible to fix the world". Speculation: Fuyutsuki tells Shinji that rebuilding the world is not easy, and that neither the world nor time can simply be reversed. Accordingly, the two Spears may not have provided a magical quick fix, only enabled the long, slow process of rebuilding. This might be accomplished if Kaworu's plan returned the red earth and oceans to normal; this would not bring back everything that's been lost, but it would give those who are still alive a viable future. It is also speculated that it would have caused dream like state to the world. -------Is Instrumentality different here than it was in the original series?---------- Kaworu refers to the Instrumentality Project as a process by which "Old life is offered in sacrifice, so that new beings blessed with the Fruit of Life may be created." The implication may be that individual humans are uplifted into physical gods through death and rebirth. This is a stark contrast from the original vision of Instrumentality, wherein physical bodies were discarded altogether and humanity's souls forced into a collective existence. ----------Where the heck is Eva-01 in this movie?------------ Eva-01 starts off sealed inside a tesseract-shaped satellite in low earth orbit. After Wille recovers the unit, they use it as the power core of the AAA Wunder, where it stays for the rest of the film. ---------Why wasn't Eva-02 repaired from the 10th Angel fight?----------- Against the 10th Angel, Eva-02 lost its left arm and a large section of the right cranium. In Eva 3.0, we can see that the left arm was never reattached, and the Eva is instead utilizing exchangeable prostheses. Furthermore, the right side of the head appears to be outfitted with a bulky prosthesis. Speculation: Following the 10th Angel's attack, Nerv might not have been in the proper state of organization to conduct repairs on Eva-02, leaving it combat-incapable. Wille's possession of Eva-02 indicates that the unit was, at some point, stolen -- apparently before Nerv got around to making repairs. Furthermore, we might deduce that Wille lacks the resources to repair Evangelions to the extent that Nerv was able. ----What are the things that attack Eva-02 in space? Some kind of Angel?-------- Nope. They're Evangelion Mark.04. -------What about the things that attack the Wunder (Nemesis Series)? Are they Angels?----------- No, they're also Evangelion Mark.04. ---------What is Eva-02 doing to the Wunder's main engine?------------- It bores through the protective metal lid with a heat lance to gain access to the "core-like structure" inside, then inserts the igniter. The reaction causes Eva-02's synthetic arm to "turn to core", which is why Asuka jettisons the limb. (Also, Eva-02's left arm turns into core material) ------How are we at Eva-13 already? Aren't a bunch of units missing?--------- Indeed -- 07, 10, 11, and 12, to be precise. What happened to them is unknown. It is speculated that they came and went during the 14-year timeskip. --------------What happened to Lilith?--------------------- Lilith as last seen in 2.0 was on its cross, with mask in place, legless, and approximately Eva-sized. In 3.0, Lilith is off the cross, crawling on the ground and reaching for something. It has swollen to dozens of times its original size. The head is missing (in fact, is now Rei-shaped and located in the ruins of the Command Center) and a giant white Mark.06 is fused at the hips with the neck stump. The legs are partially regenerated, but all limbs except the right arm terminate in thin spaghetti-like tendrils. Lilith is heavily damaged, the entire surface of the skin flayed in a grid pattern, with exposed ribs, and it has been eviscerated. Kaworu refers to Lilith as a "corpse". Speculation: Lilith had presumably been awakened, and, similarly to EoE, it came down off its cross, dropped its mask, and began to increase in size. The exact events that occurred after this, and their order, is vague, however. A fallen VTOL and other ruined aircraft sighted in Lilith's chamber imply that the JSSDF launched an attack against Lilith, resulting in some of the damage seen. How Lilith was eventually "killed" is unclear. Who decapitated Lilith, and how its head ended up in the Command Center, is unknown. Because Mark.06 is fused with the neck stub, it is frequently suggested as a culprit for the beheading. As for the head's location, it has been suggested that Lilith was "phasing" through the walls a la EoE, and its head was passing through the Command Center when it was removed. However, Lilith would not have been large enough to bridge between Central Dogma and the Command Center, so for this phasing idea to hold water, the beheading would need to have forced Lilith to "snap back" to Central Dogma or something. Alternatively, Lilith was decapitated in Central Dogma, and its head was moved for some reason. We know that Nerv has the capability to move very large objects, whether employing Evas, machinery, or both. --------Why is Mark.06 huge and white?-------------- Mark.06 merged with Lilith while Lilith was in the process of swelling. The merger caused Mark.06 to turn white like Lilith and swell along with it. --------Why did Lilith burst into LCL (?) when the Spears were removed?---------- Speculation: The Spears were somehow holding Lilith's corpse in stasis and preventing it from undergoing image collapse.[Source needed] (And yes, according to the script, Lilith does turn into LCL.) ------What is the 12th Angel? Is it Mark.06, or that giant red blob, or...?-------- The 12th Angel had been trapped inside Mark.06 and is freed when the unit is decapitated by Mark.09's scythe. It seems that Mark.06 (Adam) fused with 12th angel. ------So... what happened to the 11th Angel?-------- The 11th Angel is never mentioned. However, because Mari calls the 12th Angel the "last Angel", it is implied that the 11th was previously dealt with. --------Kaworu was "cast down from 1st to 13th"? What does that even mean?------ It is believed that mankind was supposed to be the last Angel (13th) (In NGE 18th) Thanks to Gendo, Kaworu was turned into 13th angel (Humanity) instead of the whole mankind, that Seele probably intended. -------What does Mari mean when she tells Rei that she'll become the/a Adams' Vessel? --------------- Did Mari mean that Rei would become one with Mark.09 if she didn't leave, or that she would somehow become an "Adams' Vessel" herself? If the former, why not be more clear and say "merge with" instead? Mari's line is the very epitome of vague. ---------Why doesn't a rainbow appear at Kaworu's death?--------- Speculation: (A) He is not completely dead. One hypothesis holds that his soul migrated into Eva-13's core. (B) If the rainbows signify that part of the covenant with Lilith has been fulfilled (itself speculation), then the lack of a rainbow for Kaworu could be because his very manifestation as the 13th was an anomaly -- not part of the covenant. --------What happened to Eva-13?-------- Eva-13 impales itself twice -- seemingly in the core -- with the Spears of Longinus. This seems to weaken the unit, but does not disable it completely, let alone kill it. After Shinji is ejected by Mari, we see Eva-13 revert to its normal purple color, and then fall to the ground. What happens after that is a mystery until Final! ---------How the heck can Eva Unit 8+2 be half 08 and half 02?-------- Elaboration: Wille recovered a nearly intact Eva-08 -- only the arms show signs of damage. Eva-02, alternatively, is reduced to a crushed head and partial torso, with no limbs remaining. The "combined" Eva Unit 8+2 from the end-movie preview has the appearance of being half Eva-02 (on the left) and half Eva-08 (on the right). Speculation: Judging from the recovered units, 8+2 being literally half and half seems unlikely. In-universe, it seems likely that 8+2 is primarily Eva-08, integrated with some key components recovered from Eva-02's remains. The armor would thus be a homage to the fallen Eva-02, rather than a direct reflection of its contributions. Out-of-universe, 8+2 is a homage to NGE's episode 09, "Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!", wherein the "synchronized" Evas 01 and 02 are briefly shown, through split screen, as being one half-and-half Eva. --------What are the gray/green Mark.06s in the preview?---------- Speculation: One idea is that they are revived Failures of Infinity. However, the preview Evas are clearly Mark.06 copies, whereas the Failures are Eva-01 copies, leaving this notion unlikely. They are mostly likely mass-produced Evas that Gendo has been manufacturing at New Nerv HQ. This is evidenced by a brief shot of countless hanging arms and hands in some kind of processing facility. Furthermore, they wield armaments, which would need to have been supplied by humans. -------What happened to the Spear of Cassius?-------- Kaworu expected to find two different kinds of Spears in Central Dogma -- one Longinus-type, and one Cassius-type -- but instead found two Spears of Longinus. Kaworu comments, "Both Spears have morphed into the same shape." This suggests that, by his thinking, the Spear of Cassius had been there, but something occurred that caused it to change into a Spear of Longinus. What, exactly, is an unknown. Speculation: Kaworu's line is frequently disregarded, with many fans believing instead that Gendo must have had Rei swap Spears under Kaworu's nose.It is unclear how this would have even been possible, given the massive lid on Central Dogma that Eva-13 was specifically "designed to break through", but we can't exclude the possibility of a "secret entrance" into Lilith's lair... --------What are the flying drones used by Eva-13?--------- RS Hoppers. -------What weapon is Eva-8+2 using against the Mark.06 copies?--------- The Magoroku Exterminate Sword (Anima redesign), or Magorox for short. ------- Which Eva's are related to Adams? What is Adams vessel? Why doesn't Eva-13/Mark.09 have an A.T field------------ Eva 01: Not one of the Adams, but probably something equal or similar; maybe Lilith's bunshin like she used to be in the series. The reason why Eva-01 is special is most likely because of Yui. (She had a halo during the contact experiment flashback.....) Mark 06: One of the Adams, got blasted up to the moon during Second Impact by a spurt of blood/red seawater. Buried until Seele dug him up and made him into an Evangelion. (to add in, I think Fuyutski's line in 2.0, about 06's construction process being weird, I think he was probably referring to the fact that while normal Evas are grown with their armors/restraints, Mark.06's 'construction' was just putting the armor on an already complete body.) Mark.09: Not one of the Adams, but an Adam's vessel, has something to do with the Wunder. Maybe it is the core taken from Wunder and converted into an Evangelion. I think that Wunders original name was "Adam's vessel" (Adams ship, that four Adams used to come to earth) Eva 13th: Two of the Adams fused into one. It was put in the womb-like thingy in order to fuse the two seperate Adams into one. (Probably "Eva-08" we saw in 3.0 preview was one of four Adams and it got fused with another, thus the end result was Eva-13) Key of Nebuchadnezzar: One of the Adams, or its remains. Speculation about lacking A.T fields: What's with this notion that Adams lack AT Fields? I know it does not apply to NME, but in NGE Adam had an insanely powerful AT Field (Kaworu's AT Field which shuts off everything and creates an impassable barrier when manifested) So why would they lack one in NME? Mark.09 and 13th clearly appears to lack AT Fields (come to think of it, not so sure about Eva-13's case, it does look like it is manifesting an AT Field when Kaworu says something about matching tempos and the Eva breaks through Lilith's barrier) The fact that Eva-13 has two pairs of eyes and arms, and that it has two halos, AND the fact it requires a double entry system (the presence of two souls needed to fully activate the Eva; when Kaworu dies, one pair of eyes close and while the Eva remains awakened, it loses its Godhood), traits that none of the Adams or Evas Impact possessed, also implies that it is two beings rather than one. The fact that it does not exhibit an AT Field is also probably because of this as well. In NGE and NME the presence of two equal AT Fields neutralizes both; that is why when Shinji shuts off Kaworu, the Eva is no longer able to manifest an AT Field. But when Shinji and Kaworu 'match tempos', when the souls of the two pilots synchronize, the Eva becomes a one full entity and is able to manifest an AT Field, an AT Field much powerful than that of regular Evas. The RS Hoppers were added in for defense because Gendo probably guessed Kaworu was eventually going to realize whatever trick he had up his sleeves and stop cooperating. -------------What are "normal" Eva's------------------- Most likely clones of Adams, or Lilith like in the original series. ---------Everything could have prevented if Shinji did not go with Rei at the beginning of the film?----------- Everything could have been avoided (Plot of 3.0) if Mark.09 hadn't come. Even if Shinji refused to come with Rei, she would have taken Shinji by force. Shinji is a critical part of Gendo's plan, so there is no way he would have left him there |
EVAMAAKU14Mar 1, 2014 2:11 AM
| Thank you for this, it cleared a few things up for me. |
| Very much appreciated and good stuff over all. I always view this movie as the "not giving you all the answers, but you should figure out the major points by yourself if you think about it" I really like how it gives that less is more feel. Of course considering the second movie was so shounen and highly praised I guess that's the reason people weren't expecting to use their brains for this movie. |
| you deserve free internet for life |
skudoops said: Well, we don't know what he did exactly. I just guessed for the most part. :P A couple things I'd like to mention. Firstly, I do not think the controls for the EVA came back online for Kaworu. He merely used his power to control the EVA, like he's done before (at least in NGE). skudoops said: This is a good one. Maybe i'll add this as an alternative. :) Secondly, Mark 6's situation is odd. My best guess is that the 12th Angel got to terminal dogma and began the 3rd impact (I believe Karowu said that terminal dogma was the epicenter for the 3rd impact), and as a result Mark 6 was used to to stop it. I think that after lilith's head was severed the 12th infiltrated Mark 6 causing it to start to fuse with lilith's body, and to stop this (and the impact) Mark 6 impaled lilith and itself, shutting down both of them. I believe karowu mentioned something about Mark 6 being designed to be autonomous, so there's most likely no pilot for it. If there were it was likely that it was togami. We'll have to wait 4.0 to get some footage about the 3rd impact. skudoops said: I think this is mentioned in one of my posts.Thirdly there's a chance Mark 9 is Wunder itself (possibly its core?). Why I say this is because they call it the vessel of adams. Vessel in this case is a strange word, and could literally mean the SHIP of the adams. It also bears the same face as wunder, along with the ability to control it even with 01 inside. Not to mention the entire EVA is a core. |
EVAMAAKU14Sep 29, 2013 5:21 AM
| Really good! This helped a lot, thanks. |
| Okay, after searching from many places, I can safely say that there is NOTHING to add to my thread anymore. Final addition I just put is "Worst case scenario ending" link, so make sure to check it out too. |
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