Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the best anime ever made. There are a lot of reasons for that: the deconstruction of the mecha genre, the action, the symbolism, the dialogue—the list goes on. The series is filled with treasure troves of quirky one-liners, clever zingers, and thought-provoking soliloquies that will lead to contemplating life and its very essence.
Evangelion runs the gamut on all subjects: life, death, philosophy, nihilism, and morality. And with each theme it explores, viewers witness incredible takes on these matters. This is even more of a reason why Evangelion is the best; it isn’t afraid to explore any area.
10 “I Mustn’t Run Away.” — Shinji Ikari
Shinji Ikari, the protagonist of Evangelion, chants this mantra to himself throughout the series. It reflects where the young EVA pilot has come from and what he has experienced—namely, a life of abandonment.
But Shinji has learned from his past and his tenure as an EVA pilot proves this. He’s determined not to make the same mistakes that he has made in the past. When things get tough, and they certainly do, Shinji perseveres and does not choose to give up.
9 “Sometimes You Need A Little Wishful Thinking To Keep On Living.” — Misato Katsuragi
Misato has the most impressive and profound bits of wisdom of any character in Neon Genesis Evangelion, partly because she is much wiser than her age and questionable behavior would suggest. She understands what Shinji doesn’t: that it’s hard being an adult.
She understands what Ritsuko doesn’t: that life cannot just be hard-boiled and examined through a strictly rational lens. You need to have fun and be playful. Being overly rational ultimately led to the creation of the EVAs, for better or worse.
8 “Your Truth Can Be Changed Simply By The Way You Accept It. That’s How Fragile The Truth For A Human Is.” — Kozo Fuyutsuki
Commander Fuyutsuki was one of the most underrated characters in all of Evangelion. He was older, wiser, and more content in his ways than his future boss Gendo Ikari. Only one episode shows anything resembling a backstory into his life.
Fuyutsuki reflects on how fragile the characters in the show are, and humans in general. Fuyutsuki had enough poise and sophistication to understand how easy it was for humans to fall off the grid and how easy it could be to change their negative ways.
7 “It Is Simply The Duty Of The Elite To Protect The Ignorant Masses.” – Asuka Langley
Asuka Langley Soryu was one of a kind. Brash, arrogant, jealous, but gifted and seriously damaged, she was certainly a multi-faceted character. For “the elite to protect the masses” encapsulates her worldview. She is better than everyone, and everyone is better off because of her.
While technically this may be true due to her role as an EVA pilot, what lies beneath everything Asuka says is a deep yearning for longing and acceptance. She just wants to be liked, wanted, and loved. While she does eventually gain acceptance, she’s sadly unable to notice.
6 “Congratulations!” — The Entire Cast
This a fun one. Yes, admittedly, it’s a bit tongue-in-cheek. The entire cast of Evangelion congratulating Shinji. On what, exactly? Accepting instrumentality? Or rejecting it? That’s for the viewer to decide, ultimately.
But, it is not entirely glib to say that what Shinji ultimately needed was encouragement and appreciation for the work that he did, the trials that he went through, and the turmoil serving as an EVA pilot brought upon himself. It was nice to hear everyone, whom Shinji thought hated him, show their love and support.
5 “Acts Of Men Are Better Than Acts Of God.” — Misato Katsuragi
Misato is conflicted throughout most of Evangelion. Part of her loves NERV and is proud of the work that they do in potentially saving humanity. On the other hand, she knows something is amiss at NERV, and that she has not been getting full disclosure to the inner workings of her company.
She is ambivalent. Surely it’s better, she thinks, to put the fate of the world in humanity’s hands, i.e. NERV, than that of the Angels. But, she must realize that after a certain point, the EVAs have become near God-like, anyway.
4 “Part of Growing Up Means Finding Away To Interact With Others While Distancing Pain.” — Misato Katsuragi
Once again, Misato Katsuragi demonstrates her wisdom. As the de-factor mother figure to Shinji, she gets at the heart of his major roadblock: Shinji Ikari’s hedgehog dilemma, his fear to interact with others without getting hurt.
At nearly 30 years of age, Misato understands that living alone is nearly impossible. In order to live a fruitful life, people must learn to interact, even at the expense of getting hurt. For better or worse, Shinji did learn a lot about growing up and what it takes to overcome fear, perhaps thanks to Misato.
3 “Mankind’s Greatest Fear Is Mankind Itself.” — Gendo Ikari
Gendo Ikari, head of NERV and chief instigator of the human instrumentality project, hits the hammer on the head when discussing human nature. He sums up all of the reasons humanity gets into wars, meaningless arguments, and strife.
While viewers later learn that Gendo’s reasoning behind his machinations were more personal, his fear of mankind seemed as a legitimate basis for the EVA operations. In the end, however, it seemed as if the EVAs and instrumentality were concocted to evade that fear of humanity by never being apart.
2 “Since The Heart Feels Pain So Easily Some Believe Life Is Pain.” — Kaworu Nagisa
Many times throughout the show, it certainly feels like life is only pain for characters like Shinji. And what show demonstrates that idea better than Evangelion? The show is filled with pain, suffering, and misery, and it often seems that pain is all our protagonists have in their lives.
The sweet moments of levity and comic relief are much needed in this otherwise somber show, but they do not take away from the fact that life, for most people, is pain. Fortunately, the characters are strong enough to persevere.
1 “Anywhere Can Be A Paradise As Long As You Have The Will To Live.” — Yui Ikari
Yui Ikari speaks these words to Commander Fuyutsuki, then her professor, and perfectly encapsulates the essence of Evangelion. No matter how hard it may be—for Shinji, Asuka, Rei, Misato, or even every person in the world—they can find happiness and meaning as long as they try.
Fittingly, it was the woman behind the EVAs who understood this best. Shinji and friends search the entire series for this type of understanding that Yui demonstrates. And they eventually find it in an uplifting, promising, and controversial, ending. These words are motivation for everyone going through tough times.
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