Episode 26'

Episode Information
Episode #26'
Title 1: まごころを、君に Magokoro o, Kimi ni Yours Sincerely Title 2: I Need You.
Written By	Hideaki Anno
Directed By	Hideaki Anno
First Aired	7-19-1997
Video Release Date	9-24-2002
Angel Appearances	Lilith, Adam
Eva Sorties	N/A
Episode chronology
← Previous	Next →
"Episode 25'"	"(End)"

Synopsis

Realizing that Evangelion Unit-01 has began to move in the Geofront, Gendo tells Rei that the only way for him to see Yui again is through the forbidden union of Adam and Lilith. He inserts his right hand--which has Adam grafted on--into Rei's body to initiate Instrumentality. Meanwhile, Shinji is still screaming over Asuka's death. Powered by Shinji's despair, Unit-01 breaks free of its bindings, which causes the original Spear of Longinus to return from the Moon onto Earth, stopping right at Unit 01's neck.

Seele decides to set Third Impact and Instrumentality into motion by using Unit-01 and its pilot as a medium. The Mass Production Evangelions crucify Unit-01 by opening their S² Engine, and then drag it upwards, towards the outer atmosphere. A massive explosion occurs, which reveals the Black Moon, Lilith's Egg, within the GeoFront.

Aware of Shinji's pain, Rei defies Gendo (saying she is "Not his doll") by absorbing his arm and hovers upwards toward Lilith on her own. Gendo completely loses his composure and begs Rei to wait for him, to which she responds that she cannot because "Ikari-kun is calling". Hovering before Lilith's chest, Rei looks up at its face and declares that she is "home", at which the white giant welcomes her and absorbs her into itself. Gendo can only watch in silent defeat as Lilith, now whole and fully conscious again with her soul returned to her, detaches herself from the cross that held her. Lilith's form then starts changing into that of Rei, and the mask with Seele's symbol melts off her face. She then starts growing rapidly in size as she seeks upwards.

Back in Central Dogma, Hyuga panics as he gets a blood pattern blue reading from just below their position, and a frightened Maya asks if its another Angel, but he answers that the pattern appears to be from a human. Just then Lilith, still quickly growing in size, passes through Central Dogma, but she turns out to be insubstantial, phasing through everything in her way as if she was a ghost. She finally grows to a truly titanic size that allows her to come face to face with Shinji inside Eva-01.

Upon seeing the giant version of Rei, Shinji begins to freak out and scream uncontrollably. As the as the now deformed Eva Series move and begin resonating with her, multiple faces of Rei begin appearing on the Evas, disturbing Shinji further and forcing him to scream, as Unit 01 echos his cries and its core is forced to the surface. He repeatedly says "no more" with his head in his hands, until a familiar voice asks him if he "wants it to stop/Is he giving up?". Looking up in shock with tears in his eyes, Shinji is overjoyed to see Kaworu smiling at him as Rei/Lilith dangles behind him as part of a conjoined body. As Kaworu moves forward to embrace Unit-01, Shinji's eyes close and his ego barrier weakens, and as the Spear of Longinus pierces Unit-01's exposed core, the crucified Unit-01 now turns into a Tree of Life. Fuyutsuki says that because Evangelion Unit-01 obtained the Angel's Fruit of Life and Mankind's Fruit of Knowledge, it has become like God. Furthermore, whether or not Humanity will be saved from Third Impact's fate (Instrumentality) is up to Shinji. The Nerv staff question whether Instrumentality was the right option.

As Kaworu and Rei switch forms and eyes appear on the Tree of Life, there is a close-up shot of Shinji's peaceful face, which gets overlapped by a transparent image of Yui's face as she explains that the Rei he is seeing is from his soul, and is an embodiment of his wish. With his eyes closed, Yui asks him what he wishes for, before an image of a woman clutching her breasts appears and he turns into LCL. The scene ends with the recurring water droplet, as Shinji enters Instrumentality with childish glee.

Instrumentality begins with Shinji seeing himself as a young child on a playground lit by the setting sun. He muses on how he is reminded of the time he learned to play the cello, realizing that he "thought he could find something if he came here". Little Shinji is invited to make a sandcastle with some friends. Eventually, the other children's "Mama" (Misato) arrives to pick them up, and the Shinji is left by the sandbox alone. Sad, he tries to complete the castle (which looks like Nerv Headquarters) by himself as the sun continues to set and dusk settles over the playground. As he regards his completed work a for moment, a fit of anger washes over him and he starts destroying it. After he destroys it, Shinji begins to rebuild the castle, crying.

Asuka's voice angrily interjects with a close-up on her face, saying "even just the sight of you gets on my nerves." A shot follows of Shinji's head and shoulders laying on his back, appearing unclothed with two locks of Asuka's hair draping down over him. Shinji calmly questions "Because I'm like you?". A quick series of Shinji and Asuka saying "Mama" follows: little Asuka crying at her mother's funeral, Asuka's lips during her sleep-talking in Episode 09, and the forfeited Shinji crouching before Unit 01 covered in bakelite in the last episode. Then there's a close-up of Misato bloodied Cross in Shinji's palm, with the voice of Misato bemoaning her failure to become Shinji's mother.

Shinji observes Misato and Kaji during their period in college in which they skipped classes to have sex for a week. Misato presently admits that she probably did things like that to confirm her existence. Asuka exclaims that it's stupid, just lonely adults trying to find comfort in each other, while Ritsuko explains it's nice to feel needed, even if it's only physical and Misato confirms that she is glad to feel like she's meaningful. While Shinji is shown frowning in the background holding Misato's cross as she has sex, he is disgusted and surprised that Misato does such things, to which she replies that sex is a part of her that he never knew, and that reality is painful but "you just have to bear with it".

In a retake of Episode 15, Asuka asks Shinji if they should kiss. Misato interjects with her refusal to lend Asuka her perfume: "That stuff's not for kids!" Asuka nevertheless walks up to she like she did back then, but then she tells him that he doesn't understand anything about her. Shinji says that he does, but Asuka replies with a kick to his leg, saying "Do you think you understand me? Do you think you can save me? That's nothing but your conceited ego!" and finishes by exclaiming that he will never understand. Growing frustrated, Shinji insists that he has always tried to understand her, but it is impossible for him to do so if she never tells him anything, while scenes of Asuka rejecting Shinji throughout the series are shown. In the Personal Hell Traincar, Rei asks Shinji if he really tried to understand and he sullenly says he did.

Misato, Asuka, and Rei stare at Shinji while he glances at Rei.

Calling him stupid, Asuka tells Shinji that she knows he is just using her for comfort, said over the hospital masturbation scenes from earlier, and states "Why don't you do it again, like you always do? I'll be watching you.", implying it is in fact a habit of his. Asuka stands in front of Shinji with her hands on her hips and leg beside him, breasts at his eye level in the Personal Hell Traincar. The redhead goes onto say that if she can't have all of him to herself, she wants nothing from him. Shinji asks why she can't be kind to him, at which Asuka, Rei and Misato superimposed over one another all say they are. Shinji lashes out and calls them liars, saying that they want to keep things ambiguous with their smiles. Rei tells him that people choose to be ambiguous because the truth is often painful and traumatic, but Shinji answers that ambiguity only makes him feel more insecure, and admits to being scared that things keep on progressing as they are. Shinji panics and demands that he be cared for and not left alone. But as the scene concludes Shinji's plea remains unanswered, as Asuka, Rei and Misato stares silently back at Shinji slumping over, his back to them, slowly turning his head to meet their gaze.

In Misato's apartment, Asuka is shown dejectedly sitting at the kitchen table, staring downwards. Shinji walks up to her, telling her that he wants to help her and stay with her forever. Asuka, without looking up, tells him in a bitter voice that if he really wants to help her, then he shouldn't anything or come close to her, because all he ever does is hurting her. Shinji leans in and asks her to help him, and telling her that only she can do it. From underneath her hair, Asuka glares at him and calls him a liar. Getting up from her chair, she begins physically drive him back across the room as she gets increasingly angry, telling him that he is only using her as an excuse and an escape because he's scared of Misato and Rei as well as his mother and father. Shinji continues to beg Asuka for help as she yells at him. She finally pushes him to the floor; angrily saying that he has never loved anyone seriously; that he only cares about himself but can't even like himself. Shinji lays in the hot coffee spilt from the pot he knocked as he fell, burning himself as Asuka stands there and calls him "Pitiful", before he weakly gets up, still begging for help. Growing angry, he begins to throw the table and chairs around while pleading not to be left alone, not to be abandoned, and not to be killed. Coldly staring at Shinji, after a moment, Asuka simply replies "No". Shinji freezes for a moment, before he completely loses control and launches at Asuka's throat with both hands; strangling her in blind anger. Third Impact begins.

Shinji says that he thought the world was supposed to be one without pain and uncertainty him and exclaims that everyone has betrayed him and his feelings. Rei replies that it was wrong of him to think that everybody felt like him, and that he only believed what he wanted to believe. Shinji bitterly says that if nobody wants him or even cares if he exists, then they can all "just die", and it would be better if he himself never existed in the first place, but Rei asks why he is here if that's the case. At this, Shinji hesitates a bit and ask if it's okay for him to be here, but his question is only answered by silence. He screams.

Meanwhile Nerv discovers Shinji's vital signs are near zero and that Lilith's Anti A.T. Field is expanding as she grows even larger. The Doors of Guf open as Lilith and multiple Reis begin collecting peoples' souls. The members of Nerv turn into LCL, seeing the one they love and trust the most (Hyuga: Misato, Aoba: Nobody, Fuyutsuki: Yui, and Maya: Ritsuko) before this happens. The members of Seele also turn into LCL, Keel seemingly content with the scenario of Third Impact being played out, although it's not his.

Within Terminal Dogma, Gendo expresses how long he's been waiting for this moment of being able to see Yui again. Gendo admits that without her at his side, all he can do is hurt Shinji. She smiles at him, asking if he was afraid of Shinji. He replies that he believes nobody can love him, and that he's undeserving of any love. Kaworu appears, and interjects that he was just running away before anybody could betray him, Rei 3 adding that Gendo was afraid so he closed off his heart. Yui turns into Evangelion Unit-01 and picks up Gendo; he asks if this is his punishment. Saying "I'm sorry, Shinji", Unit-01 bites off Gendo's head, inducting him into Pre-Instrumentality. Gendo is shown standing, with his upper half bitten off, as Rei 2 gently picks up Gendo's glasses and all three versions of Rei stand together.

In outer space, the MP Eva series proceed to spear their cores with their replica Spears, causing all the souls to gradually enter Lilith's Doors of Guf. The Tree of Life enters Lilith through a vaginal-looking third eye. Pre-Instrumentality is underway as a barrage of "break-up" lines occur, various women-including Asuka-that Shinji know saying they hate him. The lines end with Asuka calling Shinji a wimp. Misato and Rei calmly tell Shinji that if he hates what's going on so much, he can stop it and run away. Misato asks Shinji if he wants to become one with her (indicating Instrumentality); Asuka adds that she'd rather die than for that to happen.

While live-action footage of a city appears on-screen, Shinji asks Misato, Asuka, and Rei what dreams are. Shinji says he doesn't understand reality and that he doesn't know where happiness is. Rei replies that Shinji is having a dream and that he recreated the world based on his own reality. Shinji asks why he can't dream of being alone and Rei answers that such a dream would simply be a substitute for reality. Asking where his dreams and reality are, Rei says that Shinji's dream is the continuation of reality. Lilith falls backwards as her neck bleeds LCL.

The group photo.

Shinji comes to once more as he lies on his back in orange water, illuminated by the moon. He discovers Rei sitting on top of him and looking down at him, both of them naked and their bodies merged where they meet, within the LCL Sea. Rei explains that this solitary world where everything is united as one is the very world Shinji wished for. Shinji, holding onto Misato's cross, replies that it isn't right. Rei says that if people exist as individuals again, the walls of the heart that separate people could cause possible hurt again. Releasing Misato's cross as he smiles, Shinji says that's alright, before reaching out and grasping at Rei's arm to define their individual bodies. Rei disengages herself from atop Shinji as he holds Rei's hand and thanks her. His head resting in Rei's lap as he holds the cross, Shinji explains how he felt that things were painful, which is why he ran away. But he realized that running away was bad because it was as if nobody including him existed. Kaworu appears, asking Shinji if it's alright that if A.T. Fields hurt him and others again. Shinji says it's alright and asks what Rei and Kaworu are. They reply they're the "hope people can one day understand each other" as well as the word "love". As a group photo of Shinji and the others (minus Gendo and Fuyutsuki) appears on-screen, Shinji says that even though he'll be betrayed and deserted one day, he wants to see them again because his feelings were real.

Bursting out of Lilith's eye, Eva Unit-01 lets out a mighty roar and grows Wings of Light. The Doors of Guf close and Lilith's Black Moon explodes. Lilith's body decomposes, becoming petrified as it lands on Earth. Unit-01 uses an extended version of the Spear of Longinus to petrify the MP Eva Series. The Eva Series land on Earth, as well. The Wings of Light disappearing, Eva-01 becomes petrified herself, as Rei silently stares at her out in Space. Kaworu, Rei, and Yui reassure Shinji: People can restore their bodies as long as they imagine themselves within their own heart. Yui says that as long as the Earth, Moon and Sun exist, everything will be alright.

After the Entry Plug is ejected off-screen, Shinji (now wearing Misato's cross pendent) and his mother say goodbye. Yui caresses his cheek, asking him if he'll be alright. Shinji says that he still doesn't know where to find happiness, but will live on since he's himself. In a flashback to the conclusion of Fuyutsuki and Yui's Episode 21 discussion, Fuyutsuki asks Yui if her real intention behind Eva is for the Eva to become God. Yui replies that that is the case, and how Eva can live forever, along with the human soul within her. Even after the Earth, Moon and Sun are lost, the Evangelion will be eternal proof of humanity's existence. Shinji says "...Goodbye, Mother.".

Shinji sobbing on Asuka during the Final Scene.

END OF EVANGELION ONE MORE FINAL: I need you.

Main article: Theory and Analysis:Final Scene in End of Evangelion

An undetermined amount of time has passed. Half of Lilith's petrified head and some of the petrified Mass Production Eva Series are on a beach near the LCL Sea. Some grave markers have been erected: one has Misato's cross nailed to it, while another grave marker has been kicked down. The moon is shown with a streak of red crossing it and the night sky. Asuka and Shinji lay on the beach slightly apart, with Asuka's right arm fully wrapped in bandages. Hearing a noise, Shinji turns his head to see a ghostly Rei 3 (reminiscent of Episode 01) hovering over the sea facing his direction, and then disappears. Shinji sits up staring at where Rei had been, before looking down at Asuka. Shinji sits up, and looks over to where Rei had been, before looking down at Asuka. The scene then cycles through various shots of the destroyed planet before turning to a shot of Asuka being strangled by Shinji straddled atop her. The shot comes closer to Asuka's face, with a left eye-patch, and neck as Shinji tightens his grip. Silently, Asuka reaches up with her bandaged arm to caress Shinji's cheek. Crying, Shinji begins to sob uncontrollably as she continues looking at the sky for several more seconds before her eyes swing down to look at him coldly. He stops choking Asuka, cries tears onto Asuka's face, and then curls over into a ball. Asuka then looks down at Shinji for the first time before saying "Kimochi warui" Immediately after the phrase, the movie cuts to white with "The End" written in the lower right.

Unused Endings

"Last A"

It starts the same as the actual ending, on a beach with petrified MP Evas. We then see the gravemarkerswith the names of the major characters written on them; there isn't one for Rei. We then see Asuka's, then her foot kicking just one down. The scene continues as in the finalized movie. When Shinji begins to cry, Asuka says "Idiot. No way I'll let you kill me!" The music would begin and the credits would roll horizontally a la Gunbuster and Death. We were to see Eva-01 lying on the Moon, and woman's hair flowing from its broken mask, her face remaining unseen. Behind Eva-01, you could see the red Earth and the Black Moon destroyed. We pass the sun, then go towards the stars. Credits end.

"Last B"

Begins like Last A, but Asuka never shows up. Shinji is lying on the beach holding onto someone's white arm. He says "I'll never see them again. It's better to think of it this way. I'm still alive, so I'll keep on living." He squeezes the hand harder and then sees Rei (like in the episode and Last A). We eventually see that there is nobody lying near Shinji, just a white arm without the rest of the body. We then see the full moon, followed by the ending credits as in Last A.

Extended live-action sequence

The short scene during the Live-Action sequence was actually significantly cut from the initial version. It follows Asuka, played by her seiyuu Yuko Miyamura, in a world without Shinji, with Shinji himself apparently spectating her situation. There is also a version of the movie which included ending credits, using an orchestral version of Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, which also used in the film's live action sequence, as a piano arrangement.

Analysis

Shinji in the Final Scene.

• It can be assumed that Shinji had been alone for a while before Asuka's return in the Final Scene:
  • He's had time to erect gravemarkers.
  • Misato's cross, which is nailed to one, distinctly shows rust from the nail.
  • Petrification of the Mass Production Evangelions as well as Lilith's half head and body parts.
  • Shinji's face is clearly disturbed, contrasting with how he looked in the previous scene.
  • He is surprised not only by the appearance of Rei, but by that of Asuka too.

• See the Sandbox Sequence for more analysis.
• "I need you" may not have originally been a reference to the ending scene; Olivier Hague says (presumably based on the storyboards) that before the extended live-action sequence was cut, the telop "I need you" was placed just after the adult Asuka wakes up

Quotes

• Yui and Rei (Before Shinji turns into L.C.L): "This Rei is from your soul. She's the embodiment of your wish." "What do you wish for?"

• Misato: "I failed to be Shinji's mother after all."

• Fuyutsuki: "The Seed of Life...and the Seed of Wisdom [have been both acquired by Eva Unit 01.] It is [now] equal to God. Will it be an ark to save humanity from the nihil of the Third Impact...or become a demon to annihilate humanity? Our future is up to Ikari's son."

• (Asuka and Shinji during Pre-Instrumentality with Misato occasionally interjecting):
  Asuka: "Do you want to kiss?"
  Misato: "Absolutely not."
  Asuka: "Or are you scared?"
  Misato: "It's not for kids."
  Asuka: "Then, here I go."
  Asuka: "You don't understand anything! Don't get come near me!"
  Shinji: "I do understand."
  Asuka: "You don't understand, stupid! (Asuka kicks Shinji instead of kissing him.) Do you think you understand me?! Do you think you can save me?! That's nothing but your conceited ego! You will never understand!"
  Shinji: "How can I understand? Asuka doesn't tell me anything. You don't tell me anything. You don't say anything. It's impossible to understand!"

• Asuka (to Shinji in Pre-Instrumentality): "If all of you can't be mine, I don't want anything."

• Shinji (to Asuka in Pre-Instrumentality): "I want to help you. I want to be with you forever."

• (Asuka rejects Shinji in Pre-Instrumentality): Shinji: (After Asuka pushes him onto the ground) "Help me. Someone, please...please, help me. Help me. Help me. Help me! (Shinji pushes the table over.) Don't leave me alone! (Shinji picks up a chair and throws it.) Don't abandon me! (Asuka looks frightened for one shot.) Don't kill me!" Asuka: (Coldly staring at Shinji) "No." (Shinji strangles Asuka.)

• (The Black Moon disintegrates in an explosion): Kaworu: "Reality exists beyond your sight. And the dream exist in our reality" Rei: "And the truth is in our heart." (As the Lilith/Rei Super-organism begins to fall apart): Kaworu: "Human souls create their own body." Rei:And new imagination will change the shape and hearts of people. Imagination and creative power will create the future for us, and the flow of time." Kaworu: "People won't change unless they try to change themselves." Rei: "So if you are lost, you have to recover yourself, even if you don't know what to say; even if you are deceived by what others say...if [the liquified people's] hearts can create their own image, they will be able to restore their human bodies." Yui: "It will be alright. All lifeforms have the power to restore themselves and the wish to live. If you decide to live, anywhere can be heaven, because you're alive. There will be chances to be happy everywhere. As long as the Sun, Moon and Earth exist...it will be alright."

• Shinji: "Is it okay for me to be here?"

• Keel: "The beginning and ending share the same moment. Good. Everything's going well."

• Gendo: "So, this is my retribution? I'm sorry, Shinji."

• Shinji and Rei: "Where's my dream?" "The continuation of reality." "Then, where's my reality?" "At the end of your dream."

• Shinji: "I still don't know where to find happiness. But I'll continue to think about whether it's good to be here...whether it was good to have been born. But in the end, it's just realizing the obvious over and over again. Because I am myself."

• Asuka (The final line, spoken in a cold voice): "...Kimochi warui."

See also

• The early drafts of Episodes 25' and 26' include some significant differences, like Shinji masturbating in his room alone, a cut farewell scene with Toji and Kensuke, and a final credits sequence presumably featuring Everything You've Ever Dreamed.
• There is also an extended version of the live action sequence.

References

Episodes & Films
Television Series	Episode 01 | Episode 02 | Episode 03 | Episode 04 | Episode 05 | Episode 06 Episode 07 | Episode 08 | Episode 09 | Episode 10 | Episode 11 | Episode 12 | Episode 13 Episode 14 | Episode 15 | Episode 16 | Episode 17 | Episode 18 | Episode 19 | Episode 20 Episode 21 | Episode 22 | Episode 23 | Episode 24 | Episode 25 | Episode 26
Movies	Death | Rebirth The End of Evangelion: Episode 25' | Episode 26'
Rebuild of Evangelion	Evangelion 1.0 | Evangelion 2.0 | Evangelion 3.0 | Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0