Evangelion Unit-01 (NTE)
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"When Aoba called B Wing's construction sloppy he hadn't seen anything like THIS!" |
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"Making something... Nurturing something is really great. You can see and learn so many things from the process." |
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They say a picture is worth a thousand words... |
| Evangelion Unit-01 | |
| エヴァンゲリオン初号機 | |
| Model Type | Test Type |
|---|---|
| Nation of Origin | Japan |
| Affiliation | Nerv (Eva:1.0 and 2.0) Wille (Eva:3.0+1.0) |
| Pilot(s) | Shinji Ikari |
| Debut | Eva:1.0 |
| Status | Vanished in the Negative Universe |
Of course, Eva-01 again plays the central role as the Eva piloted by protagonist Shinji Ikari. In Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, which covers up through Episode 06 of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Eva-01's role is nearly identical that of the the original. The scene in which the Eva shields Shinji from the falling lights is absent, and we are not shown its exposed face this time. However, we learn of Yui's presence in the Eva much earlier, and Eva-01's face is briefly revealed in an easily-missed shot while it is being outfitted with the G-Type Sniping Equipment.
Eva-01's return in Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance advances her role even further, and raises new questions about her nature. As in the original, Eva-01 takes part in the Sahaquiel operation and attacks Eva-03, but this time she displays a considerably greater strength and ferocity under the control of the Dummy System. In the battle against Zeruel, she demonstrates totally new abilities as she appears to shift into an almost godlike state above and beyond the usual "berserk" mode: manifesting a halo, regenerating limbs, manipulating her A.T. Field, and shooting powerful beams from her eyes. Eva-01 destroys Zeruel with its eye beams, and as she absorbs the Angel's Core, she begins to metamorphose, but is stopped by Eva-06. For more information, see Eva Pseudo-Evolution.
Eva-01 is barely seen in Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo, except for one shot in a monitor on the interrogation room in the AAA Wunder, serving as the vessel's power source. Shinji has been recovered from the Eva's entry plug and reconstituted, but Yui and Rei appear to remain absorbed. The Eva does not play any active role and remains inside the Wunder at the end of the movie. It should be noted that the exact manner in which the Wunder utilizes Unit-01 is unknown, but that it is somehow capable of harnessing the powers within it. The Unit is also seen at the beginning of the film for a brief time inside the Tesseract, and Awakens again for 12 seconds to destroy the first set of Nemesis Series drones. The Eva then returns to her slumberous state as she falls into the atmosphere.
As with the other Evas, Eva-01's design has been modified for Rebuild of Evangelion. Its proportions are more humanlike and less exaggerated, and the pylons are greatly reduced in size. The color scheme has been altered, using a concept created by Ikuto Yamashita (see below) that had been considered for the original series, with luminous green added to the helmet, chest, and waist, along with a blue "pelvic boot" and modified shoulder decals. Judging from the scene during the Shamshel battle where Eva-01's hand coverings are burnt off, its skin is now a significantly lighter tone.
The nature of Eva-01 in Rebuild is a mystery. In the original series, the Eva had several moments where it seemed genuinely human, such as the battle against Leliel, with more animated and lively movements. In Rebuild, however, the Eva seems somewhat mechanical and more controlled than free - until the Eva "awakens" in 2.0 when it walks similarly to Eva-03 and appears to feel pain.
