Theory and Analysis:Third Impact (NTE)

At the end of Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance, we see the event known as Near Third Impact come to a conclusion. However, in the follow-up film, Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo, countless developments appear to have taken place sometime during the 14-year interim. A good case can be made that a proper Third Impact occurred off-screen. However, we must first take a look at what we know.

Near Third Impact

Eva-01 is awakened to a pseudo-evolved state by Shinji's desire to save Rei. Soon after the Eva makes contact with the 10th Angel's core, the Door of Guf opens. After fusing with the soul of Rei and the remains of the 10th Angel, Eva-01 is elevated to the god-like state of Radiant Giant. The center of Tokyo-3 is demolished and the surface divided by a cross-shaped fissure, the middle of which is lifted up toward the Door. Ritsuko says that old life will perish in order to usher in the new, and that the world is coming to an end.

Shortly thereafter, Mark.06 disables Eva-01 with the Spear of Cassius. The Door of Guf vanishes and Eva-01 reverts to its original state. Apocalypse has been, it seems, averted.

Note: Immediately before Eva-01 is first shown as the Radiant Giant, there is a quick cut to Lilith, still on its cross in a visibly shaking Central Dogma. The meaning of this cutover is unknown.

14 Years Later

Fourteen years later, the very landscape has changed dramatically. Determining precise cause and effect is difficult, so we must first compile a set of observations.

Landscape Changes

Landscape Changes

Pyramid in the Sky

• All is Red

The entire Hakone vicinity has a glittering red consistency, and has been transformed to core material, down to houses and their contents. There are no signs of trees or other life; areas not built up heavily by humans appear to be, essentially, barren waste.

• Facial Features

Surrounding the cross-shaped fissure formed at Near Third Impact, there is now what appears to be a giant blue iris. Close by, there is a massive fissure lined by anatomically correct teeth and gums.

• No Ashinoko

Ashinoko (Lake Ashi) was present for Near Third Impact at least up to the point that Tokyo-3's center was destroyed and the Door of Guf began to expand. There is no sign of the lake in the current landscape.

• Mysterious Moon

There was nothing unusual about the Moon at the end of the second film. Now, the Moon is unusually close to Earth, possesses an atmosphere, is covered in massive "blood" splotches previously unseen, and is enveloped by a suspended(?) red grid.

• Red Evas

Inert red Evas, the Failures of Infinity, litter the outskirts of Tokyo-3, and appear to be coming out of the buildings themselves. Most or all of them appear deformed in some way. All are headless.

• No Geofront

At the end of 2.0, the Geofront had been exposed to the sky Near Third Impact. However, in 3.0, there is no trace of a subsurface Geofront level whatsoever.

• Pyramid in the Sky

From the center of the cross-shaped fissure, there is an immense pole with an inverted pyramid on top. This pyramid, "New Nerv HQ", contains the partially entombed remains of the Nerv HQ pyramid and its pool, along with many -- or all? -- of the Nerv HQ facilities seen in previous films.

Within New Nerv HQ

Within New Nerv HQ

TOP: Old HQ Pyramid. BOTTOM: Rei Head in ruined old command center.

• Old Nerv HQ
  On top of the inverted pyramid, tall walls with no ceiling entomb the ruins of the old Nerv HQ pyramid. The pool appears to have been sealed completely with bakelite.

• Command Center
  The ruins of the command are home to Lilith's disembodied head upon a pedestal of Failures of Infinity. Unlike the Failures in Tokyo-3, these Failures are perfectly formed save for their missing heads and red color, and can be seen to be copies of Eva-01.

• Pits
  A massive pit of undisclosed location holds countless damaged tanks. Another one is full of Eva pallet rifles.

Inside Central Dogma

• Main Shaft

The walls of the lower shaft are lined with countless Failures of Infinity. It appears that a cylindrical cut has been made through them -- hence, the Failures probably formed a complete blockage at one point, and something cleanly bored through the middle. The barrier to Lilith's chamber straddles the Failure-covered section of wall.

• Lilith's Chamber

The bottom of Lilith's chamber is partly covered by hills of giant, human-shaped skulls, and partly by a pool of red LCL. Lilith's cross has fallen onto the skulls and appears to be stained with blood.

Lilith itself is free of the cross, several times its original size, and crawling atop one of the skull piles. Lilith's entire surface is flayed with grid-shaped cuts, it has been disemboweled, and ribs are exposed. The head is missing, and a giant white Eva Mark.06 is fused at the hips with the stub. Mark.06 is impaled by a Spear of Longinus that is is grasping -- whether frozen in the process of impaling itself, or frozen trying to pull it out --, which continues out of 06's back and into Lilith. A second Spear of Longinus behind Mark.06 impales Lilith alone.

Amongst the skulls on the floor, a fallen JSSDF VTOL can be seen. Additional aircraft can be seen in a fissure in the ceiling.

Other Observations

• Spear of Cassius

Eva-01 was impaled by the Spear of Cassius at the end of 2.0, but what happened to it afterward? A couple of details suggest that, at some point, it was removed from the Eva. Firstly, Kaworu expected to find the Spear of Cassius in Central Dogma. Second, Eva-01 is able to awaken in outer space, which would presumably not be possible if it were still impaled.

• Epicenter of Third Impact

Kaworu refers to Lilith's chamber as the epicenter of Third Impact.

• 12th Angel

When the Spears are removed from Lilith and Mark.06, the latter is revealed to have the 12th Angel inside it.