Marduk Institute: Difference between revisions

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The '''Marduk Institute''' (マルドゥック機関, ''MARUDUKKU Kikan'')  is, supposedly, the secret selection committee that screens the global population for 14 year old children who would make suitable [[Evangelions|Evangelion]] pilots. In [[Episode 04]] Gendo tells Ritsuko that "According to the Marduk Institute's report, the 4th Children has yet to be found." 
The '''Marduk Institute''' (マルドゥック機関, ''MARUDUKKU Kikan'')  is, supposedly, the secret selection committee that screens the global population for 14 year old children who would make suitable [[Evangelions|Evangelion]] pilots.  


However, [[Ryoji Kaji]]'s investigations in [[Episode 15]]  reveal that the Marduk Institute does not really exist; it is  a dummy organization composed of 108 front companies, and Eva pilots are actually hand-picked by Nerv.     All potential Eva pilots are then transfered to [[Class 2-A]] in Tokyo-3, to keep them on-hand should Nerv require them.   
However, [[Ryoji Kaji]]'s investigations in [[Episode 15]]  reveal that the Marduk Institute does not really exist; it is  a dummy organization composed of 108 front companies, and Eva pilots are actually hand-picked by Nerv. All potential Eva pilots are then transfered to [[Class 2-A]] in Tokyo-3, to keep them safe and on-hand should Nerv require them.   


It's not entirely clear how Children are really picked, i.e. does Ritsuko pick them all by herself?  Do Gendo and Ritsuko select them together?  Does Gendo select them entirely on his own without consultation from Ritsuko?  All of the potential Eva pilots are grouped together in Class 2-A by Nerv to keep them safe and on-hand.  Moreover, in this scene Gendo and Ritsuko are just talking to each other (albeit with Rei standing with them). Gendo and Ritsuko are fully aware of the true nature of selecting Eva pilots, thus when ''essentially'' in "private" (with only Rei to hear them) it should probably be assumed that they were saying the truth.  Thus, has the "Fourth Children" ''actually'' not been "determined" yet?  Eventually, Toji Suzuhara is "selected" as the Fourth Child in [[Episode 17]], but his "selection" is shown to be a sham.  The overall question is:  did Gendo and Ritsuko ''honestly'' not know which of Shinji's classmates would be selected as the next pilot this early in the series, or was he selected to be the Fourth Children years before the events of the series begin?  Shinji synchronizes with Eva 01 because his mother Yui's soul is in it, and Asuka synchronizes with Eva 02 because her mother Kyoko's soul is in it. It takes years to build Evangelion Units.  At what point is an Evangelion Unit imbued with a human soul?  Do they select the most suitable pilot and then use the corresponding soul, or vice-versa? 
The factors for selection are unclear, as is the selection process itself. Whether Ritsuko alone picks the candidates (with or without consulting Gendo), or if Gendo and Ritsuko are involved together remains unanswered. Since Fuyutsuki and Chairman Keel are listed on the board of directors of the phantom companies, they might have a (limited) degree of involvement as well, or at least know the truth about the Marduk Institute.


==Notes==
===Analysis of Gendo's conversation with Ritusko===
*The "Marduk Institute" is really 108 front companies: there are 108 sins in Tibetan Buddhism, and 108 beads on a Buddhist rosary.   
Following Shinji running away from home in [[Episode 04]], Gendo tells Ritsuko that the Fourth Children has yet to be found as per the Marduk Institutes's report. Aside from the fact that this reveals that there is a Third Children who has yet to appear in the story, Asuka and Eva-02, the conversation seems meaningless. Gendo and Ritsuko both know that Marduk is a sham and Nerv picks the pilots itself. Gendo and Ritsuko (with Rei following them) are essentially in private and don't need to make the conversation up.  Thus it is likely true that Toji has yet to be selected, and they must be mentioning the Marduk fiction simply because Rei is present.   


This still leaves at least one question:  When Toji Suzuhara is selected in [[Episode 17]], Ritsuko picks him because a core can be configured for him.  Shinji synchronizes with Eva-01 because his mother Yui's soul is in it, and Asuka synchronizes with Eva-02 because her mother Kyoko's soul is in it. The [[Classified Information (Translation)|Classified Information]] makes it clear that the Pilot/Mother relationship is true for all Evas with the exception of Eva-00, thus Eva-03 contains the soul of Toji's mother.  The timespan of Evangelion construction appears to be over a span of years in case of earlier Evangelions and only a few months for the Mass Production Evangelions. Whether they select the most suitable pilot and then use the corresponding soul, or vice-versa remains unanswered.


{{stub}}
==Notes==
*The "Marduk Institute" is really 108 front companies:  this might be yet another religious reference, as there are 108 sins in Tibetan Buddhism, and 108 beads on a Hindu or Buddhist rosary, with a separate head bead.
**In Buddhism, 108 is also the number of steps or earthly temptations that a man must overcome to attain Nirvana.
**In Hinduism, several powerful Gods and Goddesses have 108 names. In this case, all 108 different names are merely aliases for a single organization: Nerv itself. The Babylonian God Marduk, after whom the organization is named, had fifty names himself.
*In Babylonian Mythology, [http://www.ancientneareast.net/religion_mesopotamian/gods/marduk.html Marduk] was the God who created humans to bear the burdens of life so that the Gods could be at leisure.


[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Religious and Esoteric References]]

Latest revision as of 23:05, 9 September 2011

The Marduk Institute (マルドゥック機関, MARUDUKKU Kikan) is, supposedly, the secret selection committee that screens the global population for 14 year old children who would make suitable Evangelion pilots.

However, Ryoji Kaji's investigations in Episode 15 reveal that the Marduk Institute does not really exist; it is a dummy organization composed of 108 front companies, and Eva pilots are actually hand-picked by Nerv. All potential Eva pilots are then transfered to Class 2-A in Tokyo-3, to keep them safe and on-hand should Nerv require them.

The factors for selection are unclear, as is the selection process itself. Whether Ritsuko alone picks the candidates (with or without consulting Gendo), or if Gendo and Ritsuko are involved together remains unanswered. Since Fuyutsuki and Chairman Keel are listed on the board of directors of the phantom companies, they might have a (limited) degree of involvement as well, or at least know the truth about the Marduk Institute.

Analysis of Gendo's conversation with Ritusko

Following Shinji running away from home in Episode 04, Gendo tells Ritsuko that the Fourth Children has yet to be found as per the Marduk Institutes's report. Aside from the fact that this reveals that there is a Third Children who has yet to appear in the story, Asuka and Eva-02, the conversation seems meaningless. Gendo and Ritsuko both know that Marduk is a sham and Nerv picks the pilots itself. Gendo and Ritsuko (with Rei following them) are essentially in private and don't need to make the conversation up. Thus it is likely true that Toji has yet to be selected, and they must be mentioning the Marduk fiction simply because Rei is present.

This still leaves at least one question: When Toji Suzuhara is selected in Episode 17, Ritsuko picks him because a core can be configured for him. Shinji synchronizes with Eva-01 because his mother Yui's soul is in it, and Asuka synchronizes with Eva-02 because her mother Kyoko's soul is in it. The Classified Information makes it clear that the Pilot/Mother relationship is true for all Evas with the exception of Eva-00, thus Eva-03 contains the soul of Toji's mother. The timespan of Evangelion construction appears to be over a span of years in case of earlier Evangelions and only a few months for the Mass Production Evangelions. Whether they select the most suitable pilot and then use the corresponding soul, or vice-versa remains unanswered.

Notes

  • The "Marduk Institute" is really 108 front companies: this might be yet another religious reference, as there are 108 sins in Tibetan Buddhism, and 108 beads on a Hindu or Buddhist rosary, with a separate head bead.
    • In Buddhism, 108 is also the number of steps or earthly temptations that a man must overcome to attain Nirvana.
    • In Hinduism, several powerful Gods and Goddesses have 108 names. In this case, all 108 different names are merely aliases for a single organization: Nerv itself. The Babylonian God Marduk, after whom the organization is named, had fifty names himself.
  • In Babylonian Mythology, Marduk was the God who created humans to bear the burdens of life so that the Gods could be at leisure.