Neon Genesis Evangelion, one of the most successful and lasting anime franchises in history, celebrated its 30th anniversary last month at a special event in Tokyo, where fans were given exclusive looks at never-before-seen production materials and exclusive projects. To the surprise of pretty much everyone in attendance and around the world, an all-new anime was announced.
The currently untitled anime will be a collaboration between Studio Khara and CloverWorks, and will become the franchise’s first TV series since 1995’s Neon Genesis Evangelion. In the three-plus decades since their debut, Shinji, Asuka, and Rei have headlined a quadrilogy of ‘rebuild’ films, while appearing on any and all pieces of merchandise a fan could imagine.
The story, or stories, of Evangelion‘s iconic trio have come to three distinct conclusions to this point, the last of which saw creator Hideaki Anno say, “bye-bye, all of Evangelion.” Now, it appears his goodbye didn’t quite mean what fans thought. The next era of Evangelion will begin soon, and will need to come with major changes, starting with the cast.
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Through the original Neon Genesis Evangelion, The End of Evangelion, and Evangelion 3.0+1.0, fans have seen the psychological coming of age story of Shinji Ikari and the Eva pilots come to multiple conclusions. The last film, which was Hideaki Anno’s final send-off to the creation that’s haunted him most of his life, was meant to put the children’s story to a definitive end.
Now, Evangelion is set to return with its first anime production without the overseeing eye of Hideaki Anno. Instead, the upcoming series will be written by Yoko Taro, the widely celebrated and enigmatic creator behind the Drakengard and NieR video game franchises. The series will mark a new era for Evangelion, and as such, should come with major changes.
Most important, and most controversial, would be the series’ need to move on with a new cast of characters in the spotlight. For the past 30 years, Shinji, Asuka, and Rei have remained at the heart of the series, and rightfully so. The characters themselves are Evangelion. None of what the series set out to do or has done would have been possible without them.
However, three decades is a long time to spend with the same characters battling the same creatures while experiencing the same character arcs. Neon Genesis Evangelion has always been a reflection of its creator, and without Hideaki Anno, following the definitive conclusion that was Evangelion 3.0+1.0, it’s time to let the original children rest.
Evangelion‘s new era will be ushered in by Yoko Taro, who himself has admitted to leaning on the beloved franchise for inspiration, especially in the creation of 2017’s NieR: Automata. In 2024, he said:
“The work I was most inspired by is Neon Genesis Evangelion. I thank you for praising NieR: Automata’s story, but really it’s just a retelling of Evangelion, so there isn’t much originality to it…”
The series’ influence can be found throughout Yoko Taro’s video game work, and he now has the chance to bring his own Evangelion-inspired vision to the franchise. More than 10 years on from the in-world events of the show, it’s imperative he’s given a chance to establish his Evangelion as its own separate story, and would benefit from introducing a new story and new characters.
Evangelion Needs to Embrace Change as It Enters Its New Era
In the rebuild timeline of events, Evangelion‘s characters are written as being perpetually trapped as their teenage selves, nodding to Anno’s inability to move on from the story that made him a world-famous director. At the film’s end, Shinji and company have broken free from Evangelion‘s curse, and are finally depicted as grown adults.
The final film was meant to bring Evangelion to its end, allowing Hideaki Anno, the fans, and the characters themselves to finally move on. For the fans, at least, it seems moving on will be somewhat difficult with a new anime in the works. But, the new era of Evangelion itself, moving on by focusing on new characters experiencing a new story, will keep the franchise in line with what the rebuilds set out to do.
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In adopting a format similar to Mobile Suit Gundam, which frequently branches into alternate universes and isolated stories, Evangelion can continue for decades to come. Being unable to move on from the original children will only keep it stuck in the seemingly endless loop that trapped its creator and characters for decades.
Neon Genesis Evangelion is set to return to TV screens for the first time in over 30 years, and though few details have been made public aside from a short teaser trailer, fans have expressed both excitement and concern about the franchise’s new direction. A path to long-term success is clear, but it remains to be seen whether Evangelion can truly move on.
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Megumi Ogata
Shinji Ikari
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Megumi Hayashibara
Rei Ayanami