Neon Genesis Evangelion is considered to be one of the most groundbreaking and influential anime series that truly pushes the boundaries of the type of storytelling that’s possible in an anime series. Neon Genesis Evangelion tackles staggering questions about the nature of existence and what it means to be happy, yet it’s all filtered through a mecha series with giant robots.
Evangelion explores deeply flawed characters and tells a gripping, challenging story, but it’s also full of many exciting fights between the Evangelions and the dangerous Angels that attack the Earth. Neon Genesis Evangelion finds an effective balance between the existential drama and the intense robot action, and some of these battles are still benchmarks for the mecha genre.
10 Shinji's First Evangelion Fight With Sachiel Still Hits Hard
Sachiel is the very first Angel that an Evangelion goes up against in combat in the series, and it's still a very memorable moment for both Shinji and the series. Sachiel is properly intimidating as the audience's introduction to Angels, both in terms of the amount of damage that it can resist and the way in which it attacks Unit-01. Shinji struggles with his first official Evangelion fight, but the Eva's own instincts kick in to keep Shinji afloat. A desperate Sachiel tries to wipe out Unit-01 along with it, but the mecha survives and demonstrates the Evangelion’s power.
9 Gaghiel Forces Eva Unit-02 To Take A Dive
Part of the fun with the first handful of fights in Neon Genesis Evangelion is that they all feature a different environment or gimmick that’s central to the battle. Gaghiel is an underwater Angel that shows that the Evangelion are a mecha that isn’t just restricted to fighting on land. The fight against Gaghiel also marks Asuka’s first fight in the series, and it’s a fantastic introduction to her fiery character and powerful Evangelion. It’s a welcome change of pace and stands out more than other environmental fights, like Sandalphon in the magma.
8 Bardiel Infects Unit-03 & Puts Shinji In An Impossible Situation
Neon Genesis Evangelion gets increasingly more despondent the longer that it goes on, and one of the first brutal sins that Shinji struggles with involves Unit-01’s fight against the 13th Angel, Bardiel. Bardiel is an Angel that infects Evangelions to make them attack their own.
Shinji is locked in combat with the infected Unit-03 but refuses to kill it since there’s a person inside. His insolence causes Gendo to trigger the override function and force Unit-01’s hand. Shinji becomes even more traumatized when he learns that the Unit-03’s pilot is Toji Suzuhara, his friend.
7 Shinji & Asuka Feel The Rhythm Against The 7th Angel, Israfel
One of the most entertaining and unusual Evangelion fights in the series is the battle that Shinji and Asuka engage in with Israfel, the 7th Angel. Israfel splits into two halves that need to be destroyed in unison. This battle strategy causes Shinji and Asuka to spend a great deal of time to perfectly synchronize with each other and engage in a perfectly timed and choreographed dance number to eliminate the Angel. The actual fight is only a little longer than a minute, but it’s a breathtaking sequence that’s some of Neon Genesis Evangelion’s best work.
6 Asuka’s Finest Moment Is When Unit-02 Takes On A Pack Of The Eva Series
The End of Evangelion is a staggering conclusion to what’s already a challenging mecha series. The concluding film doesn’t hold back, and it features the world in ruin and many dangerous developments, like the mass-produced Eva Series, which are used to battle the Evangelion. An exhaustive battle pits Asuka in her Unit-02 against a whole crowd of the Eva series monsters. Asuka is brutal to the beasts, but they’re just as vengeful towards her. It’s a testament to Asuka’s character and her undying dedication. It becomes the beating heart of the film.
5 The Angel Tabris Corrupts Shinji’s Humanity Through Its Defeat
Shinji faces a tremendous amount of pain and grief during his time as an Evangelion pilot, but by far his most grueling battle and decision is his fight against the Angel, Tabris. What makes Tabris such an obstacle is that it's actually Kaworu Nagisa, the new friend that Shinji has made.
Shinji is forced to manually crush Tabris to prevent another Armageddon from coming into play. Shinji's pain, Kawou's resolve, and the emotional use of "Ode to Joy" as the background music all make this battle stand out, even if it's not heavy in action.
4 Unit-02 Engages “Beast Mode” Against The Ayanami Series’ Mark.09 Eva
The third Rebuild of Evangelion film gets its share of criticism, but it's full of amazing visuals and some of the most grueling battles from the entire franchise. The final moments of the film see Asuka and company rapidly trying to prevent Fourth Impact from occurring after the Ayanami clone-piloted Evangelion Mark.09 attacks the AAA Wunder. Desperately, Asuka enacts the "Beast Mode" protocol with Unit-02, and it viciously transforms and rips off the Mark.09's head in a brutal display. Asuka ultimately has to eject and self-destruct, but it's a thrilling battle.
3 All Three Eva Units Are Needed To Defeat The Intergalactic Sahaquiel
Neon Genesis Evangelion deserves credit for the creative angles that fuel each of the different Angels. Sahaquiel is a gigantic Angel that exists outside of the Earth’s atmosphere in space and has weaponized and expanded its AT Field. Saahquiel barrels its body towards the Earth and plans to take out Tokyo-3 along with it. NERV implies quick thinking that makes use of Eva Units-00, 01, and 02 and it’s a rare occasion where they’re able to work together and overcome the problem. This triumphant moment is even more powerful in the 2.22 Rebuild of Evangelion feature.
2 Armisael Invades The Minds Of Eva Units-00 & 01
All of the Angels in Neon Genesis Evangelion have highly unconventional designs, but Armisael is definitely one of the strangest and that’s part of the reason that it’s able to so successfully elude the Evangelion pilots. Armisael is a powerful and transformative fiber that’s able to indoctrinate Eva Unit-00 and infect Rei’s mind. It’s a highly painful experience that forces Shinji and Unit-01 to spring into action, but they’re afflicted in a similar fashion. Rei has to turn to drastic measures to defeat the Evangelion, but the psychological damage that it causes still lingers.
1 Eva-01’s Fight Against Zeruel Unveils Evangelion’s True Nature
Zeruel is an Angel that Shinji faces still relatively early in his Evangelion pilot career. Zeruel fares better than most Angels do with their mission to reach Central Dogma, only Shinji’s Eva Unit-01 is able to intervene in a terrifying manner. Unit-01 loses power, and Shinji ostensibly becomes useless in its shell. It’s at this point that Unit-01 triggers its “Berserker” mode where it viciously consumes the Angel. It’s a horrific moment for everyone involved and the first time it’s clear that the Evangelion are actually living creatures that are being restrained.
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