Theory and Analysis:Evangelion "2.5"
![]() |
"We've seen it. The proof of its construction was very useful." |
![]() |
They say a picture is worth a thousand words... |
![]() |
"Making something... Nurturing something is really great. You can see and learn so many things from the process." |
Evangelion "2.5" is the title given by the fanbase for the events that take place between Evangelion 2.0 and Evangelion 3.0, in the Rebuild of Evangelion continuity.
When Evangelion 3.0 came out in 2012, there was a lot of discussion about the absence of preview scenes in the film itself, this being much more focused on events 14 years after the final film ended. Over the time, some of the staff's allegations have made it clear that these are discarded ideas for a movie, which might not even have Shinji present. This article aims to theorize and discuss the events of the time-skip, which may be the origin of Wille, village-3, Kredit etc.
The Preview
"Eva-01 is frozen with Shinji and Rei still trapped inside. The fortress city is abandoned. Nerv personnel are held in confinement. Eva-06 is dropped into Dogma. The quickening Eva-08 and its pilot. And finally, the children fated to meet are gathered at last. Where will this story of people wishing to live lead?"
(under construction)
Thrice upon a Time
In a scene of Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0 that is indicative of what happened during the 14-year timeskip, Kaworu and the elder Kaji speak to each other. Kaworu is dressed in the same Nerv commander uniform as Gendo and the Bethany base commander, with Kaji in the same vice-commander uniform as Fuyutsuki and the Bethany base vice-commander. Kaworu, whom the elder Kaji calls "Commander Nagisa", agrees to go to the settlement where the younger Kaji farms. Indicating that they supposedly became friends during this period.
(under construction)
The Time-Skip period
The information below is indexed by Szmitten, and is an exercise of logical imagination about a chain of events consistent with the universe presented in the films. It is subject to change.
After 2.0
Immediately after Near Third Impact, Gendo and Fuyutsuki disappear. SEELE promotes Kaworu and Kaji to Commander and Vice-Commander believing them to be their agents, but are actually working independently against them, themselves already or gradually becoming allies to each protect the people they care about. They are able to simultaneously feign loyalty and protect NERV personnel by having them rounded up by UN/JSDF/SEELE-proxies and confined to aircraft carriers located at the Marine Research Institute, which Kaji has close ties with. Hex pillars and an exclusion zone is put around Eva-01, and Tokyo-3 is abandoned.
Kaworu and Kaji are able to negotiate the release of NERV staff by allowing deeper UN/JSDF/SEELE-proxy military supervision, strict measures including banning Kaworu from being both pilot and Commander (the DSS choker is invented initially for use on him), the autonomous or dummy plug conversion of Mark.06, completion of a dual entry Eva-08, low priority on repairing Eva-02, and no attempts to revive or recover the triggers of Near Third Impact: Eva-01 and Shinji.
With the situation relaxed somewhat, Kaji quietly founds WILLE and uses his position to find secrets and reroute NERV and EuroNERV assets to it. Kaworu learns of Kaji's watermelons. Four Rei (Tentative) clones are introduced by SEELE, and have one-on-one private meetings with at least Kaworu and Mari. Kaji and Misato's romance rekindles in earnest and they become intimate. Asuka recovers and is released with a hex pillar in her eye to contain the 9th Angel.
The 11th Angel appears and is dealt with in some capacity. Misato becomes pregnant and tells Kaji any time after this.
Insurrection and Third Impact
The 12th Angel appears, and narratively Unit-08 has to be made inactive in some way so that it can't prevent its merger with Mark.06 and its subsequent descent into Dogma. During or prior to this, Kaji mobilises WILLE's insurrection against NERV, which is now operating completely under SEELE's will. Violence erupts, gunfire, the lake outside headquarters is filled with bakelite, and WILLE members wear blue armbands to identify themselves. Wunder is either hijacked here or prior.
After Mark.06 descends, it removes the Spear of Longinus from Lilith, reviving her soulless body. Mark.06 merges with and beheads Lilith. This causes the Doors of Guf to open and rain giant skulls into the bottom of Dogma. Crucifixes appear on the land and coreification begins, and humans start turning into headless red Evangelions. Lilith's head, somehow now appearing with Rei's face, ends up above in the command center. NERV headquarters rises into the sky, and the headless red Evas assemble towards it, plugging Dogma's shaft. The Moon approaches Earth and begins to bleed along gridlines.
Meanwhile, Kaji, who has been shot in the arm in the crossfire, acquires the Spear of Cassius from Eva-01 (which remains dormant) and a VTOL aircraft. With no Evangelions to stop Mark.06, Kaji decides to sacrifice himself to stop Third Impact before it wipes all life on Earth. At some point, Kaji "saves" Kaworu, literally or figuratively, but Kaworu never sees Dogma's interior. Kaji bids Misato his goodbyes, and she, Ritsuko, and the other survivors leave (probably by air to avoid becoming Failures of Infinite. Future Village-3 inhabitants need a method of survival too).
Kaji enters Dogma and dies in a crash. Somehow, this results in the Spears of Cassius and Longinus through Lilith's and Mark.06's cores in an unknown configuration or order of entry, but which ultimately stops Third Impact.
(Since Near Third Impact and Third Impact are both referred to as having occured 14 years ago, and that Kaji Jr is nearly 14, and the discovery of pregnancies typically being in the first trimester, all of the above has to happen within 3-9 months (probably 6) after the end of Evangelion 2.0.)
Aftermath
Later, Gendo and Fuyutsuki rebrand NeoNERV and constructs three ships and Evangelions: the Mark.04 Nemesis Series, the Mark.07 series, and Evangelions Mark.09-12 and 13. Dogma is sealed. Kaworu remains at NERV with at least one surviving Rei (Tentative) as the coreified limbless Eva-01 is launched into orbit. The next 14 years consist of battles between WILLE and NERV and the support of Village-3 via Kredit.