Third Impact

Third Impact is the event, as predicted by the Dead Sea Scrolls in the possession of Seele, which will usher in a new stage of evolution and existence. Third Impact is the culmination of the Human Instrumentality Project.

The event is termed "Third Impact" in reference to "Second Impact", when Adam was partially awakened by Seele's Katsuragi expedition. "Second Impact" itself was so termed due to the ruse that it was a meteorite impact.

There are actually several alternate versions of "Third Impact", with different outcomes. Also, some versions can be achieved through several alternate scenarios. Roughly, the potential versions of Third Impact which could occur are:

• The Angels' version -- Achieved by an Angel reuniting with Adam or Lilith in Tokyo-3. This would elevate Angels to the next level of evolution, leaving them as the dominant race of Earth and causing the extinction of their evolutionary rivals, the human race.
• Seele's version -- Seele wanted to initiate Third Impact to bring about Instrumentality. They would use an Anti A.T. Field that would neutralize the A.T. Fields that separate human beings from each other, causing all of humanity to revert into a giant ocean of LCL, and freeing their souls. All the souls of Earth would then be collected inside Lilith and her egg. This could be achieved through several alternate scenarios involving the Mass Produced Evangelions, the Spear of Longinus, Lilith or Evangelion Unit-01 as Lilith's substitute. When this was completed, the destruction of the Spear of Longinus as well as the Mass Produced Evas would ensure that the process would never be undone and mankind's souls would be forever united as one being.
• Gendo Ikari's version -- Gendo Ikari wanted to reunite with his wife Yui Ikari, whose soul was trapped inside of Evangelion Unit-01. It is not entirely clear what the full scope of Gendo's version of events would entail for the rest of the human race (in all probability, all he cared about was Yui). However, judging from Gendo's comment at the beginning of The End of Evangelion to Seele that "destruction creates nothing", it is possible that Gendo's version of Third Impact would not have been as destructive for the human race as a whole. As Gendo's full plan was ultimately not realized, it can not be determined with certainly exactly what would have happened. Gendo's version of Third Impact involved the use of (at least) Rei Ayanami (a modified clone of Yui Ikari which served as a vessel for the soul of Lilith), Lilith, and Adam (which he had fused to his hand), and probably merging himself with Lilith and Adam.

• The version of Third Impact that actually happened -- Third Impact occurs during the climax of The End of Evangelion, when Gendo initiates his version of Third Impact. The embryonic Adam in Gendo's hand fuses with Rei, however Rei then rejects Gendo and merges with Lilith, thus achieving the "forbidden union of Adam and Lilith". This combined Rei/Adam/Lilith hyper-being, along with the Mass Production Eva series, the Lance of Longinus, and Eva Unit 01, proceeds to create an "Anti-AT Field" which spreads across the globe, reverting all of humanity to LCL. This is clearly not what Gendo had intended, and the Seele council seemed fairly content with the outcome (even if it had not happened quite as they had planned). However, at the end of the story Shinji Ikari rejects Instrumentality, and returns to Earth to live as an individual despite the pain this would inevitably entail, and the Rei/Adam/Lilith being dies. This leaves everyone the choice to leave the ocean of LCL hyper-being, and go back to living as individuals, though only Shinji and Asuka are shown to be still alive. Thus, Third Impact did not ultimately result in Instrumentality because Shinji rejected it.