Angels (Adam's Children)
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"Making something... Nurturing something is really great. You can see and learn so many things from the process." |
Adam’s children refers to those Angels who are “born of” Adam. This collective grouping has no unique canonical name, although the phrase “Adam’s children” was used by Misato in a preliminary draft for Episode 25’.
In Neon Genesis Evangelion, Adam's children encompass the Third through Seventeenth Angels. The first thirteen are Adam’s natural offspring, upon whom this article will focus. Adam’s last child, Tabris, is the result of an experiment in which Lilin genes were infused into Adam. (It is unknown whether Tabris is an imperfect clone of the Lilin donor, born from Adam’s flesh, or a genetic hybrid who superficially looks like a Lilin.)
Nature
Despite being segregated into separate “Angels” (Third, Fourth, etc.), Adam’s children essentially comprise a single race of humanity – one possible variation upon a theme. (The Lilin are another.) They are described as “humans who cast aside human form”. Accordingly, they appear to begin life as humanoid entities, developing embryologically in perhaps the same way as Adam or an Eva would. Going by Sandalphon, the Angels develop inside oblong objects resembling eggs, compared in the show to a chrysalis. After developing to an indeterminate point[1], the Angel's human form is “rejected”. Immediately prior to hatching (again, going by Sandalphon's precedent), the Angel undergoes a spontaneous metamorphosis into its so-called "adult form", then emerges from its "chrysalis".
How the form is selected and its structure determined is entirely unknown. The A.T. Field appears to play some role in Angel metamorphoses. Taken together with what is said about the role of the A.T. Field elsewhere in the show, this implies that perhaps each Angel’s form is a tangible manifestation of its self-image. That is, where Lilin are more or less constrained to a common form, and must express their individuality in subtler ways, Adam’s children can simply be whatever they imagine themselves to be.
The genetic pattern of Shamshel is reported to possess a 99.89% similarity to that of humans (Homo sapiens). While no comment is made on Shamshel’s brethren, this similarity can be deduced to apply universally to the group. In Sadamoto’s manga, the same percentage is applied to the Evas, implying, at least in Sadamoto’s view, the same genetic origins, which would be Adam. Of note here is that metamorphosis has no apparent effect on the Angels’ biological blueprints, indicating that it must operate on a more metaphysical level.
Common Characteristics
While each of Adam’s children has a form unique to itself, there are many traits common to or prevalent among the group. (Some of these, in turn, can be found in other so-called "Angelic" lifeforms, such as the Seeds and Evas.)
A.T. Field
All of Adam’s children have souls and, hence, A.T. Fields. Their A.T. Fields are much more powerful than those of LCL-based lifeforms, giving them various paranormal, especially psychokinetic, abilities. Common utilizations include barriers ("force fields"), levitation, and metamorphosis.
See Also: A.T. Field
Blood
Blood is observed for many of Adam’s children, including: Sachiel, Ramiel, Leliel, Bardiel, Zeruel, Arael, and Armisael. It is red in all instances save for Sachiel, whose is blue (albeit changed in Rebuild to adhere to the norm). It is unclear why, or how, Angels whose forms seem to preclude the possession of circulatory systems possess blood. On one level, it might be considered a visceral reminder of their intrinsically human nature.
In the Rebuild continuity, the Angels dissolve into a red fluid resembling blood when their cores are destroyed, attributed to the collapse of their A.T. Fields.[2] This is possibly an analogue to LCL.
Blood Type
Most register “Blood Type Blue”. “Orange” is seen on some rare occasions (Leliel's spherical shadow and Eva-03 parasitized by Bardiel; Armisael cycles between orange and blue when it first appears). What “Blood Type” actually refers to is unclear.
See Also: Blood Type
Core
The core is a spherical red organ containing the soul and S² Engine. Observed in nearly all of Adam’s children. This feature derives from Adam.
See Also: Core
Energy Projection
Several Angels demonstrate an ability to harness energy to trigger explosions or generate focused energy beams / energy-based projectiles. Angels possessing eyes -- Sachiel, Israfel, and Zeruel -- involve them in the energy projection process, although it's not entirely clear how this works. (I.e., if the eyes actually emit the energy, or if they simply act as a "focal point" of some sort.)
Both Sachiel and Zeruel are capable of projecting the infamous cross-shaped explosions. Eva-01 and Eva-02 appear to have the same ability, suggesting that it perhaps "runs in the family".
Regeneration
Most Angels are capable of enduring vast amounts of physical damage. As long as an Angel's core and S² Engine is intact, it can theoretically regenerate the damaged tissue, given enough time.
S² Engine / Fruit of Life
Possessed by all of Adam’s children. The source of their theoretically limitless motive energy. Despite the name, the S² Engine appears to be organic in nature.
See Also: S² Engine
Origins
How Adam generated its offspring is completely unknown. Explanations can be as disparate as "pieces of Adam blown off at Second Impact grew into the various Angels" to "Adam laid the Angels' eggs billions of years ago, but didn't give them souls until the day of Second Impact, when they were scattered by the explosion". The proposed theories have varied pros and cons.
Whether the Angels existed in some form prior to September 13, 2001, or only came into being on that very day, it doesn't seem to be any coincidence that Adam opened its Doors of Guf on Second Impact (implying the release of souls), and its children began to "appear" fifteen years later.
See Also: Angels' Origins.
Motivations & Psychology
The cues in the show itself regarding the Angels intentions are varied and ambiguous. Some of them lend the common impression that the Angels are trying to return to Adam, in automaton-like manner, although the Angels' behavior is hardly consistent enough to support this. One explanation of their motivations, found in the Classified Information states, "Some of them were trying to access Lilith and reset all life, some of them had nothing in mind, and some were trying to recover their progenitor Adam."
Adam's children are generally uncommunicative, and the forms they take tend to be inexpressive, with the result that we have little insight into their thoughts. However, some is provided by Leliel, Arael, and Armisael, who engage the Eva pilots in forms of communication. Some of the Angels also provide some insight into their psychology through their behavior, such as Sachiel and Zeruel.
See also: Angel Psychology.
References
- ↑ In episode 10, Ritsuko says that Sandalphon hatched sooner than expected, leaving the “norm” unknown.
- ↑ Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone:
- (observing the crater of "blood" left by Sachiel's self-destruction)
- Ritsuko: "The collapse of the Angel's A.T. Field was more destructive than we predicted."
- Ibuki: "This blood is like a lake from hell... It reminds me of the Second Impact."
| Angels |
| Angels (general) |
| First and Second Angels (Seeds of Life): Adam | Lilith |
| Third to Seventeenth Angels (Adam's Children): |
| Sachiel | Shamshel | Ramiel | Gaghiel | Israfel | Sandalphon | Matarael | Sahaquiel |
| Ireul | Leliel | Bardiel | Zeruel | Arael | Armisael | Tabris |
| Eighteenth Angel: Lilin |
| Rebuild of Evangelion: ?Adams? | Lilith | 3rd Angel | 4th Angel | 5th Angel | 6th Angel | 7th Angel | 8th Angel | 9th Angel | 10th Angel | 11th Angel | 12th Angel | 1st/13th Angel |
| Other: Extracanonical Angels |
