<P> Despite this, by the 18th episode, it had become enough of a sensation that Eva - 01's violent rampage "is criticized as being unsuitable on an anime show that is viewed by children", and the 20th episode would be similarly criticized for the offscreen depiction of Misato and Ryoji having sex . With this popularity came the first merchandise, "Genesis 0: 1" (containing the first two episodes). Beginning a trend, it sold out . When the series finale aired, the story apparently remained unresolved: Third Impact and the Human Instrumentality Project are implied to have begun or even finished, but the episodes focus largely on the psychology of the characters, leaving deeply unclear what actually happens . The End of Evangelion was meant to replace or complement the original episodes 25 and 26, in order to better explain the events of the ending . </P> <P> Each episode has two titles: one is the original Japanese title, and the second is an English title that was chosen by Japanese studio Gainax itself . Most often, the official English title is not a direct translation of the Japanese title . For example, the direct translation of the Japanese title of episode 2 is "Unfamiliar Ceiling", but the English title is "The Beast". Sometimes, however, the two titles are either similar or exactly the same, as was the case with episode 10, "Magmadiver". Many tracks on the original soundtracks are named after the English episode names in which they are first used . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> No . </Th> <Th> Episode title </Th> <Th> Director </Th> <Th> Writer </Th> <Th> Original airdate </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> "Angel Attack" "Shito, shūrai (Angel Attack)" (使徒 、 襲来) </Td> <Td> Kazuya Tsurumaki </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno </Td> <Td> October 4, 1995 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> In 2000, the first disastrous contact with the mysterious beings known as Angels resulted in the global cataclysm referred to as the Second Impact, which wiped out half of the human race . To defend humanity against future Angel attacks, the United Nations established the NERV organization in Tokyo - 3 to develop giant bio-mechanical mecha known as Evangelions. 15 years later in 2015, the Angels have finally returned, and the untested Evangelions can only be piloted by specially selected 14 - year - olds . Shinji Ikari, estranged son of the director of NERV, Commander Gendo Ikari, arrives in Tokyo - 3 and is dragooned into piloting Evangelion Unit 01 to fight the Angel, Sachiel, which is attacking the city . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> "The Beast" "Mishiranu, tenjō (Unfamiliar Ceiling)" (見知らぬ 、 天井) </Td> <Td> Kazuya Tsurumaki </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Yōji Enokido </Td> <Td> October 11, 1995 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Shinji wakes up in the hospital, unable to remember the fight against the Angel the night before . Gendo wants nothing to do with him, so NERV's head of operations, the young and attractive Colonel Misato Katsuragi, becomes his legal guardian . Settling into life in Misato's apartment, he eventually recalls the furious battle . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> "A Transfer" "Naranai, denwa (The Phone That Never Rings)" (鳴ら ない 、 電話) </Td> <Td> Hiroyuki Ishido </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Akio Satsukawa </Td> <Td> October 18, 1995 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Shinji begins school at Tokyo - 3 and meets classmates Toji Suzuhara, Kensuke Aida, and Hikari Horaki . Toji resents Shinji because his sister was badly injured in Shinji's first fight against the Angel Sachiel . Another Angel, Shamshel, appears, and Shinji must defeat it . Shinji is pushed to his mental limit during the battle, going berserk during the last seconds, engaging the Angel in close combat and savagely disabling it . Afterwards, he is devastated by the emotions he experienced during the battle . Toji, witnessing the toll Shinji's life as a pilot puts on him, decides to let go of his resentment . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> "Hedgehog's Dilemma" "Ame, nigedashita ato (Rain, After Running Away)" (雨 、 逃げ出し た 後) </Td> <Td> Tsuyoshi Kaga </Td> <Td> Akio Satsukawa </Td> <Td> October 25, 1995 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Overstressed from being made an Evangelion pilot, the previous fight with Shamshel, and fighting with Misato, Shinji runs away from home, soon encountering Kensuke in a field . Shinji is soon recaptured by NERV and reluctantly accepts to resume piloting EVA Unit 01, but Misato states that if he cannot have the right attitude then he should quit being a pilot . She forces his resignation, and after saying goodbye to his classmates Shinji prepares to leave Tokyo - 3 by train . However, at the last minute both Shinji and Misato have an epiphany that gives them a deeper understanding of each other . Shinji does not board his train to leave Tokyo - 3 and decides to stay . Misato welcomes him back . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 5 </Th> <Td> "Rei I" "Rei, kokoro no mukō ni (Rei, Beyond the Heart)" (レイ 、 心 の む こう に) </Td> <Td> Keiichi Sugiyama </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Akio Satsukawa </Td> <Td> November 1, 1995 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Evangelion Unit 00 is finally repaired after it went berserk during the experiment it was in before the events of the first episode . Shinji tries to get to know the pilot of Unit 00, Rei Ayanami, better but finds that she is incredibly insular, has no friends, and records of her past have been erased . A new and powerful Angel arrives: Ramiel, a floating monolithic metal diamond with a powerful particle beam blast which nearly kills Shinji in Unit 01 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 6 </Th> <Td> "Rei II" "Kessen, daisan shin Tōkyō - shi (Decisive Battle in Tokyo - 3)" (決戦 、 第 3 新 東京 市) </Td> <Td> Hiroyuki Ishido </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Akio Satsukawa </Td> <Td> November 8, 1995 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The Angel Ramiel is boring down through the upper layers of Tokyo - 3 to reach NERV headquarters in the geofront below . Possessing a strong beam attack and the strongest AT field ever observed, a direct assault by an Evangelion would meet with failure . A plan ("Operation Yashima") is devised in which Shinji in Unit 01 will use an advanced prototype positron rifle to shoot Ramiel from outside its target zone, which must use the entire electrical output of Japan in order to operate, while Rei in Unit 00 shields Unit 01 . Shinji's first shot misses while Ramiel retaliates with its energy beam, but Rei steps in front of Unit 01 to shield him . The shield is quickly worn down by the Angel's attack, and Shinji just barely manages to fire the second shot in time, destroying the Angel as Unit 00 is almost destroyed . He then comes out of his Evangelion to open the hatch's to Rei's, finding her alive and crying with relief . When Rei shows her confusion at not knowing how to respond, Shinji just tells her to try smiling . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 7 </Th> <Td> "A Human Work" "Hito no tsukurishimono (A Human Work)" (人 の 造り し もの) </Td> <Td> Keiichi Sugiyama </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Yōji Enokido </Td> <Td> November 15, 1995 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, NERV's chief scientist, explains to Shinji more of the classified real nature of Second Impact, the Angels, and the mission of the Evangelions to defeat them . A rival organization of NERV builds a prototype giant robot, Jet Alone, meant as an alternative to the Evangelions, which this new robot line will supersede . Unlike the Evangelion units, which rely on external or limited battery power, the Jet Alone has an on - board nuclear reactor and can thus function indefinitely without external power . However, during the first public test of Jet Alone, it goes out of control and starts marching toward a nearby city with its reactor building to a meltdown . Shinji keeps the robot at bay in his Evangelion while Misato gets inside and attempts to shut down the reactor, only to find out that the apparent threat of a meltdown was staged by an act of sabotage . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 8 </Th> <Td> "Asuka Strikes!" "Asuka, rainichi (Asuka Arrives in Japan)" (アスカ 、 来 日) </Td> <Td> Kazuya Tsurumaki </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Yōji Enokido </Td> <Td> November 22, 1995 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Misato brings Shinji and his friends Toji and Kensuke on a flight to a United Nations carrier battlegroup which is transporting Evangelion Unit 02 and its fiery German pilot, Asuka Langley Soryu, to Japan . Escorting Asuka to Japan is Misato's old friend, Ryōji Kaji . In the middle of some awkward introductions and reunions, a massive aquatic Angel, Gaghiel, begins attacking the fleet, and Asuka determines that she will fight it using Unit 02, by playing "hopscotch". However for both due to their unfriendly meeting, she takes Shinji with her . The Angel drags Unit 02 underwater, and Misato devises a plan to kill it by lodging two sunken battleships in its mouth and then firing all weapons into it . By cooperating, Asuka and Shinji pull off the plan and the Angel is killed, and it is revealed that both Shinji and Asuka broke their synchronization records . Kaji is seen delivering Adam to Gendo, and Asuka transfers to Shinji's class . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 9 </Th> <Td> "Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!" "Shunkan, kokoro, kasanete (Moment and Heart Together)" (瞬間 、 心 、 重ね て) </Td> <Td> Seiji Mizushima </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Akio Satsukawa </Td> <Td> November 29, 1995 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Asuka moves into Shinji and Misato's apartment where he and Misato live . As Asuka adjusts to Japan, the Angel Israfel attacks . After apparently being defeated, Israfel splits into two identical copies and defeats both Units 01 and 02 . In desperation the UN takes the drastic step of dropping an N2 bomb on the Angel, temporarily disabling it and giving NERV six days to find a way to defeat it . They determine that both parts of the Angel must be defeated perfectly simultaneously, so Misato puts Shinji and Asuka in a training regimen which has them spending as much time together as possible in order to synchronize their actions to pull off a coordinated dual attack set to a timed dance routine . Asuka and Shinji do not take well to such close conditions however, and the training is almost deemed a failure . Nevertheless, Shinji and Asuka eventually learn to put aside their differences and are able to pull off the routine almost flawlessly, destroying the Angel . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 10 </Th> <Td> "Magma Diver" "Magumadaibā (Magmadiver)" (マグマ ダイバー) </Td> <Td> Tsuyoshi Kaga Hiroyuki Ishido </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Akio Satsukawa </Td> <Td> December 6, 1995 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The Evangelion pilots (save for Rei) are excited about their upcoming class trip to Okinawa, but they are upset to learn that they cannot leave Tokyo - 3, since they have to be on standby in case of an Angel attack . A dormant Angel, Sandalphon, is discovered in an embryonic stage nesting deep in the magma of an active volcano, and in the hopes of gaining greater insight into the Angels, Asuka is sent to capture it by lowering Unit 02 into the magma, while it wears a special giant coolant suit for protection . However, the Angel soon awakes and advances beyond its embryonic stage, forcing Asuka to battle Sandalphon while deep beneath the surface of the magma . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 11 </Th> <Td> "The Day Tokyo - 3 Stood Still" "Seishishita yami no naka de (In the Still Darkness)" (静止 した 闇 の 中 で) </Td> <Td> Tatsuya Watanabe </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Yōji Enokido </Td> <Td> December 13, 1995 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The electrical power in Tokyo - 3 is completely cut off as a result of sabotage by parties unknown, trapping most NERV personnel inside, and worse, trapping all three Evangelion pilots outside of the base . A new Angel, Matarael, appears and begins to burn its way down to NERV headquarters by using a corrosive acid attack, and everyone inside must struggle to power up the Evangelions, as the pilots try to make their way back into Central Dogma through a maze of closed corridors and air ducts . The pilots then enter their Evas and go into battle . After traversing more vents and passageways, they come face to face with the Angel . Asuka defends Shinji and Rei from Matarael's corrosive acid, while the other two pilots retrieve Shinji's rifle . Shinji then uses the rifle to destroy the Angel . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 12 </Th> <Td> "She said,' Don't make others suffer for your personal hatred ."' "Kiseki no kachi wa (The Value of Miracles)" (奇跡 の 価値 は) </Td> <Td> Hiroyuki Ishido </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Akio Satsukawa </Td> <Td> December 20, 1995 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> A massive Angel, Sahaquiel, appears in Earth's orbit, well beyond the reach of the Evangelions, and launching several N2 bombs at it has no effect . The Angel attacks by dropping small pieces of itself onto Earth below, calibrating its aim: once it has zeroed in on Tokyo - 3, the main body of Sahaquiel will fall to Earth in a massive kamikaze attack to destroy Tokyo - 3 . All three Evangelions are deployed at once in a race to reach the Angel before it hits, hold it back by projecting their own AT fields, and destroy it . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 13 </Th> <Td> "Lilliputian Hitcher" "Shito, shinnyū (Angel Invasion)" (使徒 、 侵入) </Td> <Td> Tensai Okamura </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Mitsuo Iso </Td> <Td> December 27, 1995 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The pilots are undergoing a synchronization test directed by Ritsuko deep within NERV headquarters when a new Angel, Ireul, appears within the base itself, being initially mistaken for corrosion . This Angel is actually a collection of millions of microscopic organisms, which interact to create a living biological computer circuit . Ireul infects NERV's computer network, and then infiltrates two of the three Magi supercomputers that control the base before Ritsuko is able to set up a firewall to slow its advance . Ritsuko comes up with a scheme to use the Angel's rapid adaptive ability against it and force it to evolve into a benign state, but must race to implement the program before the Angel gains control of the base's self - destruct . After successfully pulling off the plan and destroying the Angel, Ritsuko gives Misato some insight about the Magi's workings, relaying the story of how her mother based its design on her own personality . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 14 </Th> <Td> "Weaving a Story" "Zēre, tamashii no za (Seele, the Throne of Souls)" (ゼーレ 、 魂 の 座) </Td> <Td> Masahiko Ohtsuka Ken Ando </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno </Td> <Td> January 3, 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The first half of this episode is a clip show, in the form of a report by Seele reviewing Gendo's actions, summarizing the first season of episodes and the story up until this point . In the second half, Ritsuko conducts an experiment to determine if pilots can be switched between the Evangelions they normally pilot . Rei can synchronize with Unit 01 fairly well, but when Shinji attempts to synchronize with Unit 00, it goes violently berserk inside of the base, in a manner identical to the failed activation test that took place before Shinji's arrival in Tokyo - 3 . As before, Unit 00 attacks the hangar's observation booth, smashing the window . However, Rei was standing at the window instead of Gendo, as was the case in the first test, causing Misato Katsuragi to wonder if Unit 00 was trying to kill Rei . Meanwhile, Ritsuko feels that Unit 00 was trying to attack Ritsuko herself . At the end of the episode, Rei uses Unit 00 to bring the Lance of Longinus recovered from Antarctica to the deepest level of NERV's base, Terminal Dogma . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 15 </Th> <Td> "Those women longed for the touch of others' lips, and thus invited their kisses ." "Uso to chinmoku (Lies and Silence)" (嘘 と 沈黙) </Td> <Td> Naoyasu Habu </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Akio Satsukawa </Td> <Td> January 10, 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Kaji begins to make clandestine investigations into NERV's dark secrets, after which he, Misato, and Ritsuko attend a wedding . Meanwhile, Rei and Shinji stay after class to clean up while Asuka goes on a blind date . Shinji meets Gendo at his mother's grave . Later that night, at Misato's apartment, Asuka kisses Shinji, which nearly suffocates him . Misato finds out that Kaji is a spy, but he shows her that NERV is hiding things from her . He shows her what he believes to be Adam, the first Angel, which is being kept in NERV headquarters . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 16 </Th> <Td> "Splitting of the Breast" "Shi ni itaru yamai, soshite (In sickness unto death, and ...)" (死に 至る 病 、 そして) </Td> <Td> Kazuya Tsurumaki </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Hiroshi Yamaguchi </Td> <Td> January 17, 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> A new and extremely bizarre Angel, Leliel, appears in the sky over Tokyo - 3, apparently a black and white sphere . All three Evangelions move in to attack, but Shinji's attack is useless, and he along with Unit 01 are absorbed into a growing shadow that has engulfed the city . Ritsuko determines that Leliel exists on a higher dimension of existence, which can only be explained by mathematical concepts . The shadow on the ground, described as being 600 meters wide but only three nanometers thick, is the actual body of the Angel, and the sphere in the sky is its true shadow . Fearing that Unit 01 has been completely lost, NERV prepares to drop all of its remaining N2 bombs into the Angel, hoping that this will destroy Leliel even though it could easily kill Shinji as well . While trapped in Leliel, Shinji goes on an introspective mental journey . As the battery power completely drains and life support runs out in Unit 01, Shinji suddenly feels a ghostly woman embracing him, and he realizes that she is his mother . Outside Leliel, Misato and Ritsuko witness Unit 01 violently tear its way out of Leliel's shadow, thereby killing the Angel . Shinji is recovered alive and well, but his experiences inside the Angel have left him deeply unsettled . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 17 </Th> <Td> "Fourth Child" "Yoninme no tekikakusha (The Fourth Child)" (四 人目 の 適格 者) </Td> <Td> Minoru Ohara </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Shinji Higuchi </Td> <Td> January 24, 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Disaster strikes unexpectedly when NERV - 02, NERV's second branch base in Nevada, mysteriously disappears in a flash, resulting in the loss of everything in a radius of eighty - nine kilometers and thousands of people . The incident coincided with an experiment to install an S2 engine, capable of giving an Evangelion an unlimited power supply, into Evangelion Unit 04, one of the two new Evangelions which have recently finished construction in the United States . Panicking after the accident involving Unit 04, the United States government demands that Evangelion Unit 03, built in NERV - 01, NERV's first branch base in Massachusetts, be removed from its soil as quickly as possible . As Unit 03 is about to arrive in Tokyo - 3, Toji Suzuhara becomes the new pilot for it . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 18 </Th> <Td> "Ambivalence" "Inochi no sentaku o (The Choice of Life)" (命 の 選択 を) </Td> <Td> Tensai Okamura </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Shinji Higuchi </Td> <Td> January 31, 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Unit 03, being transported from the United States to Japan via airplane, flies through a microscopic Angel disguised as an odd cloud, infecting Unit 03 . During Toji's first synch test, Unit 03 goes berserk and mutates into the Angel Bardiel . Possessing both the power of an Angel and the form of an Evangelion, Unit 03 destroys the test facility and advances toward Tokyo - 3 . All three Evangelions are sortied against Bardiel, but the Angel rapidly defeats both Unit 02 and Unit 00 . Although Shinji does not know that Toji is trapped inside Bardiel, he refuses to use Unit 01 to attack it, wanting to try to save the pilot . As Unit 03 attacks Unit 01, Gendo orders that Shinji be cut off from control of Unit 01 and that Unit 01's dummy plug autopilot system be activated . Under the control of the dummy plug, Unit 01 savagely attacks Bardiel, tearing the possessed Evangelion to shreds and crushing its entry plug . After the battle, the already emotionally devastated Shinji is even more horrified as he sees Toji being taken from the wreckage of the entry plug . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 19 </Th> <Td> "Introjection" "Otoko no tatakai (A Man's Battle)" (男 の 戰 い) </Td> <Td> Masayuki </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Akio Satsukawa </Td> <Td> February 7, 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Shinji, horrified and emotionally devastated by the battle between Unit 01 and Bardiel and witnessing Toji's near - death, as well as Gendo's indifference to the situation, quits NERV for a second time . However, as he is leaving Tokyo - 3, the Angel Zeruel appears and easily defeats the other Evangelions . After speaking with Kaji, who reveals the truth as to why the Evas are necessary to combat the Angels, namely to prevent them from making contact with Adam and thereby trigger the Third Impact which will result in the annihilation of mankind, Shinji returns to NERV just before the Angel penetrates NERV headquarters and engages the Angel in Unit 01 . The Angel succeeds in overpowering Unit 01 as its batteries expire and blasts away the Evangelion's chest armor, revealing a core identical to those of the Angels . As the Angel attacks Unit 01's core, Shinji pleads with the Evangelion to start working again . Unit 01 goes "berserk", re-engages and defeats the Angel, and then tears apart and eats the Angel's corpse, absorbing its S2 engine in the process . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 20 </Th> <Td> "Weaving a Story 2: oral stage" "Kokoro no katachi, hito no katachi (Shape of Heart, Shape of Human)" (心 の かたち 人 の かたち) </Td> <Td> Masahiko Ohtsuka </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno </Td> <Td> February 14, 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> During the climax of the massive fight against the Angel Zeruel, Shinji achieved a 400% synchronization ratio with Unit 01, a level thought impossible . However, because of this, Shinji has merged with the Evangelion, and his body has reverted to LCL inside the entry plug . Over the course of thirty days, as Unit 01 stands immobile in its hangar, Ritsuko struggles to come up with a way to restore Shinji . Meanwhile, Shinji's consciousness goes on an introspective odyssey while merged with Unit 01 in which he comes into contact with the soul of his mother, Yui Ikari . After speaking with Yui, Shinji is "reborn" from Unit 01's exposed core . Later that evening, Misato and Kaji resume their love affair . During their meeting, Kaji hands her a chip which details all his findings from spying on NERV, telling her it might be his last gift to her . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 21 </Th> <Td> "He was aware that he was still a child ." "Nerufu, tanjō (The Birth of NERV)" (ネルフ 、 誕生) </Td> <Td> Hiroyuki Ishido (TV) Shunji Suzuki (DC) </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Akio Satsukawa </Td> <Td> February 21, 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Deputy Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki is kidnapped and interrogated by Seele, who are outraged that in its last battle Unit 01 absorbed the S2 engine from an Angel into its body, so that it no longer requires an external power source and can now function indefinitely . Meanwhile, Kaji goes AWOL to try to find out the truth about NERV . As Fuyutsuki is interrogated by Seele, he recounts in flashbacks how he first met Gendo and Yui, the dark events surrounding Second Impact, and how NERV and the Evangelion project were born . Flashbacks also reveal the history of Misato, Ritsuko, and Rei . Fuyutsuki is rescued by Kaji, and Fuyutsuki warns him that Seele will want him dead now . That evening, Kaji is shot by an unseen assassin . Misato receives a voicemail from Kaji, in which he urges her to continue his search for the truth about NERV, and from its nature she deduces that he is dead and breaks down in grief . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 22 </Th> <Td> "Don't Be ." "Semete, ningen rashiku (At Least, Be Human)" (せめて 、 人間らしく) </Td> <Td> Akira Takamura (TV) Kazuya Tsurumaki (DC) </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Hiroshi Yamaguchi </Td> <Td> February 28, 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> After being defeated yet again by an Angel, Asuka's synchronization ratio continues to drop, affecting her ability to pilot Unit 02 . Flashbacks reveal Asuka's tragic childhood, which shaped her current abrasive personality . A new Angel, Arael, appears in Earth's orbit, well outside the range of any Earth - based weaponry, including the Evangelions . Asuka is told that she will be Rei's backup for the confrontation with the Angel . Infuriated, she launches herself and confronts Arael on her own . However Arael uses a telepathic attack which forces Asuka to relive traumatic events from her past, causing such mental distress that Asuka completely loses synchronization and Unit 02 shuts down . Gendo orders Rei to retrieve the Lance of Longinus and then use it against the Angel . The Lance succeeds in penetrating Arael's AT field and destroys it, but the Lance achieves escape velocity and enters a lunar orbit . Asuka is again angered by her defeat, worsened by her hatred of Rei . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 23 </Th> <Td> "Rei III" "Namida (Tears)" (涙) </Td> <Td> Shoichi Masuo (TV) Masayuki (DC) </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Hiroshi Yamaguchi </Td> <Td> March 6, 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Following the last Angel's assault on her mind, Asuka sinks into clinical depression . The next Angel, Armisael, attacks, and attempts to merge itself with Unit 00, causing it to make contact with Rei's mind, as past Angels did with Shinji and Asuka . In order to save Shinji, Rei self - destructs Unit 00 in order to destroy Armisael . Rei is revealed to be "recovered" after a supposed near - death experience . Seele, wanting to get to the bottom of the incident, subjects Ritsuko to a humiliating interrogation with Gendo's consent . Wanting revenge on Gendo, Ritsuko betrays him by revealing several dark truths to Shinji and Misato about the Evangelions and Rei, particularity that the latter is but one of several backup clones . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 24 </Th> <Td> "The Beginning and the End, or' Knockin' on Heaven's Door"' "Saigo no shisha (The Final Messenger)" (最後 の シ 者) </Td> <Td> Shoichi Masuo (TV) Masayuki (DC) </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno Akio Satsukawa </Td> <Td> March 13, 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> As Asuka's depression has grown to the point that she is reduced to catatonia, Seele sends Kaworu Nagisa to NERV in order to be the replacement pilot for Unit 02 . At first Shinji and Kaworu bond and quickly become friends . However, it is soon revealed that Kaworu is in fact the final Angel and has been sent to merge with Adam in Terminal Dogma at the bottom level of NERV headquarters . Kaworu commandeers Unit 02, and Shinji engages it with Unit 01 in a fierce fight while in free - fall as they descend to Terminal Dogma . Kaworu reaches the Angel in Terminal Dogma as Shinji defeats Unit 02, but realizes that the Angel is not Adam but Lilith . Realizing it is the way things are meant to be, he then implores Shinji to kill him to prevent humanity from being destroyed . Shinji hesitates, but finally kills Kaworu . Later, traumatized by the day's events, Shinji tries to talk to Misato, but she is too distracted by her own struggles to be of comfort to him . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 25 </Th> <Td> "Do you love me?" "Owaru sekai (A World That's Ending)" (終わる 世界) </Td> <Td> Kazuya Tsurumaki </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno </Td> <Td> March 20, 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The Human Instrumentality Project begins, merging the souls of humankind into a single entity . Shinji, Rei, Misato, and Asuka struggle with their reasons for existence . Shinji discovers that he has created a solitary existence for himself, a world in which he alone can exist . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 26 </Th> <Td> "Take care of yourself" "Sekai no chūshin de "ai" o sakenda kemono (The Beast that Shouted "I" at the Heart of the World)" (世界 の 中心 で アイ を 叫ん だけ もの) </Td> <Td> Masayuki Kazuya Tsurumaki </Td> <Td> Hideaki Anno </Td> <Td> March 27, 1996 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The Human Instrumentality Project continues as humankind attempts to complete its existence . Shinji continues to struggle with the impact of his personal existence, and eventually views a world (resembling a light - hearted, comedic high school setting) in which he is not an Evangelion pilot . Shinji, now understanding that his existence is not fixed, destroys the constrictive shell which he had formed around himself . He is met by all of the other characters from the series, who applaud and congratulate him, and, in response, he thanks them all . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> No . </Th> <Th> Episode title </Th> <Th> Director </Th> <Th> Writer </Th> <Th> Original airdate </Th> </Tr>

How many episodes are there in neon genesis evangelion