Neon Genesis Evangelion glossary
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This is a glossary of terms from the anime and manga series Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Contents |
Equipment
AT Field
Image:Atfield.jpg AT Field is short for "Absolute Terror Field." At the beginning of the series, the AT field is shown as a barrier that the Angels can use to withstand nearly any conventional assault, a barrier that can only be penetrated by a large enough energy source, like the positron cannon used on Ramiel, the fifth angel, the N² Mine used against the seventh Angel, Israfel, or by another AT field (such as those generated by the Evas). Toward the climax of the series, it is revealed that every being has an AT Field, and that it is the literal wall that separates one's identity from other egos and external reality. It is, then, the cause of loneliness and pain, and can be related to the so-called "Hedgehog's Dilemma" exhibited by main character Shinji Ikari — the fact that some people feel pain from loneliness but also get hurt when approached, and the closer they are to others, the more they are hurt.
At the climax of End of Evangelion, after the Third Impact, the re-awakened Lilith produces a massive anti-AT field that neutralizes the AT fields of all human beings, thus returning them to an undifferentiated state — the Sea of LCL, a primordial soup of sorts.
The AT field is a very existential angst concept. It also bears resemblance to the "morphogenetic field" of Rupert Sheldrake.
Kaworu states that the AT field is the wall that surrounds a person's soul. In mainstream psychology, the Absolute Terror Field is also comparable to the perceived physical (or mental) proximity at which an autistic person or someone similarly affected by conditions of a high ego will panic and become irrational or violent if someone or something that they do not recognize penetrates said proximity. In other terms, it is the threshold of violation of personal space. It would theoretically follow that all humans (and likely most animal organisms) have Absolute Terror Fields of lesser magnitudes. This can be illustrated by issues of trust: most people would not appreciate a total stranger touching them inappropriately or whispering in their ear, since such actions violate a sensibility concerning proximity that is tied directly to how much one trusts the other person.
D-type Equipment
Image:D-Type Equipment.jpg D-type equipment is a thick, heat-resistant armor used for sending Evas into extreme conditions. It resembles an old-fashioned diving suit and is fitted with coolant circulation systems. Unit 02 was equipped with the D-type equipment when it entered a volcano in episode 10. Asuka wears a modified plug suit with expandable thermal insulation in this episode, so the special suit may also be part of the D-type equipment.
Dummy Plug
Image:Tenshizou 10.jpg The Dummy Plugs are artificial pilots. All the regular Eva units are eventually fitted so they can be operated with either the pilot or the Dummy Plug. There are two known types of Dummy Plugs, those with the "personality" of Rei Ayanami and those with the "personality" of Kaworu Nagisa (the latter were used in the Mass Production Evangelions). It is said that they are programmed with operator data collected from their subjects, but others believe that they contain soulless physical clones of Rei and Kaworu. This second belief is supported by a scene in which a large tank filled with clones of Rei floating in LCL is described as "parts for the Dummy Plug system" by Ritsuko. In fact, the two theories are not fundamentally incompatible, since the clones are mindless as well as soulless. The mass-produced Evangelions were equipped with Dummy Plugs in order to avoid the unpredictable behaviour of human pilots.
Entry Plug
Image:Entryplug.JPG Pilots control their Evangelion from within their "Entry Plugs." They are long, cylindrical structures rounded at both ends with a hatch to allow the pilots' entry. After the pilot enters the plug, the plug is filled with the breathable fluid, LCL. Control from within the entry plug for activation of the Evangelion usually consists of voice-commands (in conjunction with mental thought), although this is usually done by those concerned at NERV, remotely. In controlling the movements of the Evangelion, pilots must be able to "synchronize" with it. According to the Evangelion Death & Rebirth Theatrical Program booklet, it says:
The Evangelion are controlled mainly by linking with the cranial nerves of the pilot. Of these, the most important is this A^10 nerve. ... It is associated with higher order brain functions such as memory, cognizance and the execution of movement, and with emotions such as anxiety, fear, happiness and pleasure. In addition, it is also said to play an important role in affection between parent and child, and between lovers.
In practice, the connection is, most importantly, made through the interface headsets placed on the pilot's head, and are picked up from within the entry plug. Also, the plug suit helps in boosting the synchronization rate. Apparatuses found within the entry plug include two distinctly designed hand-triggers which are used for simple, but delicate, finger movement for firearms. The screens that show the external environment surround the pilot and are picked up by cameras located on the Evangelion's head. They also display other information, and are apparently three-dimensional projections.
Jet Alone
Image:Jet alone.jpg Jet Alone is a nuclear-powered, unmanned, super robot created by an independent corporation for the Japanese government with the intention of supplanting the Evangelion units. However, its control systems were tampered with by agents of NERV and the unit's first public demonstration nearly ended in a nuclear disaster. The project remained unsuccessful after the incident.
The name of JA comes from the robot, Jet Jaguar, from the special effects film Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973). Jet Jaguar was a robot whose design was chosen from submissions from the public, and when it was initially announced, its name was Red Alone. Jet Alone is a combination of the two names.
Lance of Longinus
Image:EvaLance.JPG The Lance of Longinus, also referred to as the Spear of Destiny within the anime, is an artifact of great power, and can easily pierce AT fields. It resembles a long red spear (Evangelion-sized) that forks near the middle, the two shafts first twisting around themselves to form a helix and then becoming straight. However, the split ends of the lance are reunited when embedded in a target.
The Lance was used in a "contact experiment" with Adam, which caused the Angel's awakening and the Second Impact. In episode 12, the Lance was recovered from the new "dead sea" to be used to control Lilith. The Lance was used as a last resort weapon to attack the fifteenth Angel, Arael, which was in orbit and outside the direct reach of the Evas or any suitable terrestrial weapons. After being launched by Unit 00, it destroyed the Angel, but reached escape velocity and became lodged in lunar orbit, effectively lost from NERV. It eventually planted itself into the moon's surface; it returned in End of Evangelion, moments before the Third Impact. The Lance is a key piece to the process of Instrumentality.
Artificial versions of the Lance are used as the primary weapon for the mass-production type Evangelion units, and also feature prominently in the Instrumentality.
The name "Lance of Longinus" originally refers to a Christian mythological object, also called the Spear of Destiny, which is supposedly the spear that a Roman soldier (Longinus) used to pierce Jesus Christ's side after he was crucified. In the original Japanese, the weapon was referred to as the "Spear of Longinus." The real name should be Lancea Longini, in the correct Latin form.
LCL
Image:Lcl.jpg LCL is naturally a yellow-tinted, translucent liquid, and is used to mentally link a pilot with the Evangelion and supply oxygen directly to the lungs when breathed. Its properties can be altered when it is electrically charged; this often includes turning the liquid transparent. It also helps in protecting a pilot from mental attacks and physical shocks. The LCL fluid may also be compared to the amniotic fluid in the mother's womb; many of the mother references that the main character has in the story takes place in LCL. Shinji mentions that the cockpit smells of blood when filled with LCL. LCL is the blood of Lilith, the captured second Angel held in Terminal Dogma. This blood comes from Lilith's side which has been pierced by the Lance of Longinus, much like Christ himself. It is often said that the term LCL stands for Link Connection Liquid, but this definition is not directly made in the series, only in the Programme which could be bought at the cinema for End of Evangelion.
In The End of Evangelion, it is shown that all living beings are comprised of LCL, given form as separate entities by their own individual AT Fields. When an individual's AT Field collapses, their body dissolves back into LCL.
MAGI Super Computer System
Image:Eva-Magi.jpg Image:Evangelion-MAGIs.jpg The bio-computer system designed by Dr. Naoko Akagi for GEHIRN. It is divided into three personalities, named after the three traditionally named Magi who, in some versions of the Gospel, visited Jesus at his birth:
- Melchior - Dr. Naoko Akagi as a scientist;
- Balthasar - Dr. Naoko Akagi as a mother;
- Casper - Dr. Naoko Akagi as a woman (the one that betrays her daughter for her lover in the End of Evangelion movie).
The original MAGI (MAGI 01) are located at NERV's First Branch in the Geo-Front, but the various other branches also have their own sets of MAGI supercomputers located in:
- MAGI 02: Matsushiro, Japan (part of the city of Nagano)
- MAGI 03: Berlin, Germany
- MAGI 04: Massachusetts, USA
- MAGI 05: Hamburg, Germany
- MAGI 06: Beijing, China
N² Weapon (a.k.a. N² Mine)
Image:N2 Aerial Mines.png This "non-nuclear weapon" is a "clean" bomb as strong as a nuclear bomb but without all the dangerous radiation and nuclear fallout (though it does produce a significant electromagnetic pulse). The significant explosive force is capable of harming even an Angel; in fact, it is first seen when utilized against the Sachiel during episode 01. However, it only succeeds in causing moderate damage that the Angel proceeded to regenerate. The N² bombs, while considered in several other missions, were only used to harm one other Angel — Israfel, who lost 30 percent of its mass and took six days to recover. Over a dozen aerial N² weapons were deployed against Sahaqiel to little effect, being destroyed before reaching the target. Rei uses an N² mine in an attempt to destroy Zeruel, which only succeeds in damaging her own Eva. One more N² weapon was used in The End of Evangelion to destroy the roof of the Geofront. A little over a thousand were produced, as use of the remaining 992 was considered against Leliel.
Shinji's and Misato's experience with the N² Weapon dropped on Sachiel is consistent with an explosive force of 15-30 kilotons.
It should be noted that production notes of the series refer to the N² bombs as the P-bomb, leading to speculation that it might be some sort of subatomic particle weapon. The translation by ADV Films render the term as "N² Mine."
Progressive Knife
Image:Progressiveknife.jpg Image:Progressiveknife2.jpg A combat knife used by the Evangelions that is stored in the shoulder "wing" of the Eva’s. It works by vibrating particles at an extremely high frequency, which allows it to slice an object at the "molecular level." It has barely any effect, however, on the AT-Fields of angels. It is often referred to as a "prog knife".
Unit 02 has an advanced version, on which once the blade is broken, a button is pressed and another blade is extended from the handle. It resembles a utility knife with a multi-segmented, breakable blade, unlike the giant Bowie knife carried by Unit 01.
- Note: This type of weapon is also used in Metal Gear Solid 2 as the High Freqency blade (HF blade), although it's in the shape of a katana and is of normal size for a human to wield.
S² Engine
The "Super Solenoid Engine" is a limitless source of power originally found in the bodies of the Angels. The S² engines operation is explained through the Super Solenoid Theory which was developed by Dr. Katsuragi, Misato Katsuragi's father. Not much has been said about the theory, but it should be noted that it is not based on the theory of atomic energy, which is concerned with converting matter into energy. Being initially deprived of this kind of engine, the Evas must be always connected to an external power source and can only function for one to five minutes (Depending of the Eva's level of activity) using only their internal battery. Some fans prefer to use the term "S² Organ" over "S² Engine" because it bears a more "organic" feel to the Evas. Ritsuko also refers to it as such at least once in the English version of the series.
An attempt was made to install an S² engine into Unit 04. When the S² engine was activated, the containment fields of the engine broke down and "all the installations involved within a radius of 89km from the center were vanished," resulting in the disappearance of NERV-2 in the US. It is a possibility that it was caused by an act of sabotage. After the incident, SEELE tried to keep the S² engine from being used in the Evas, but their attempts failed when Shinji's Unit 01 acquired one from the consumption of the body of Zeruel, the fourteenth Angel (in episode 19, "Introjection"). This resulted in Unit 01 being considered a "God" by SEELE, which is what the committee did not want. However, when the Lance of Longinus is lost by NERV and Lilith is no-longer usable, Unit 01 became the alternative because of the above. The Mass Production Evas, however, all have S² engines because they were to be part of the Instrumentality project.
Organizations
GEHIRN
NERV's predecessor, located at GeoFront, tasked with the development of Evangelion Units. Branch 3 is located in Germany. Two other Branches are located in USA, and one probably in China. A minor Branch is located in Matsushiro, Japan. (Gehirn is German for "brain.")
Japanese Strategic Self Defense Forces (JSSDF)
The JSSDF is a special branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces formed following the outbreak of Valentine's Day war. The JSSDF are capable of extended overseas deployment and utilize special weaponry, such as the N² mines and the long range positron rifle. The JSSDF throughout the series is shown to be buffer between Angels and NERV or providing ordnance and support to NERV, but in End of Evangelion, the JSSDF are tasked by SEELE, through the UN and Japan, with the duty of invading the NERV Geo-Front, seizing Central Dogma, and stopping Ikari before he can start the Third Impact.
Marduk Institute
The Marduk Institute selects Evangelion pilot candidates ("Children"). Later in the TV series it is revealed that it consisted of fake/stub companies, and is actually controlled by NERV.
NERV
The UN Special Agency NERV (German for "nerve") is an organization led by Gendo Ikari and tasked with defending Earth against the Angels. It was formerly known as GEHIRN, a UN Research Agency.
SEELE
Image:Seele.jpg SEELE are NERV and GEHIRN's secret backers, who wish to implement the Human Instrumentality Project. It consists of twelve prominent people; five of them form The Instrumentality Committee, which directly oversees NERV's progress, officially in the name of the UN. SEELE holds its council meetings in an unusual fashion, instead of the "Old Men" as they are called, meeting physically, it is held like a video conference. However, instead of an image, there is a virtual image of a stone tablet (called a monolith), marked with SEELE, their number, and Sound Only (e.g. SEELE 05, Sound Only). For Instrumentality Committee meetings, they are also video conferences, however, there are no monoliths involved, though various members are portrayed in different colors. SEELE has been around longer than any other human organization, even nations. Not only do they manipulate the world government on the UN, they also have a degree of control over individual nations. (Seele is German for "soul.")
United Nations (UN)
The UN is the world government which funds NERV. The UN of Neon Genesis Evangelion is very powerful, but this is explained by the fact that all countries in the world have joined the UN.
Events
First Impact
The First Impact is the meteor impact that occurred around 4 billion years ago which caused the Moon to split from the Earth, according to the giant impact theory, shown in a document in the seventh episode of the series. It is speculated that the "meteor" in question would be the Black Moon of Lilith, burying itself into the Earth by dislodging an equal amount of mass, thereby creating the White Moon, referred to as the Egg of Adam. The real life speculation is that a planetoid called Theia orbiting at one of Earth's Lagrangian points smashed into Earth I (the planet Earth before the First Impact), causing part of the smashed-together planets to separate and coalesce, eventually becoming the Moon. Some erroneously say that the First Impact was the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event, but there were no dinosaurs 4 billion years ago. Another erroneous speculation is that First Impact was God's destruction of mankind described in the Noah's Ark story, as this appears to fit more with the series in that all the other impacts destroyed most of Humanity, seemingly for its sins; but there were no humans 4 billion years ago.
The First Impact is never shown in the series or movies.
Genesis
Meaning "the beginning" of creation, and is symbolically illustrated in the book of Genesis of the Hebrew scriptures. The phrase of the title, "Neon Genesis" (neo meaning "new"), may suggest the beginning of a restart and/or re-order of creation, which reaches its climax in The End of Evangelion.
Genesis is never shown in the series or movies, nor is it ever referred to directly. However, it is assumed that this event took place.
Second Impact
Image:Secondimpact.jpg The Second Impact is a cataclysm which followed the "contact experiment" conducted on Adam in the South Pole on September 13, 2000. The awakened and injured Angel created a strong anti-AT Field which caused an explosion that melted the Antarctic ice cap and caused a shift of Earth's axis; climate changes and gigantic floods followed. As a result, wars broke out due to scarce food and resources; these conflicts spread all over the world, and were ended on February 14, 2001 by signing what would be later called "The Valentine Treaty." By the end of these events, the human population of earth was halved.
Officially, there was no Adam and no "contact experiment." According to the cover-up, the Second Impact was caused by the impact of a meteorite that was too small (about 4 inches wide) and too fast (95% of the speed of light) to detect. A remarkably detailed description is shown briefly in the series in a text book, though it is highly unlikely that it could all be read within the short period that it was exhibited.
Third Impact
An event precipitated when Ikari Gendo takes Adam inside of Lilith, causing AT-fields to disappear and the subsequent merging of all souls into one. This takes place in the movie The End of Evangelion.
Locales
Antarctica
Antartica was ground-zero for the Second Impact, during which it was destroyed; the continent is now completely submerged in a sea devoid of life, but with pillars of ice protruding through its red surface. Humans cannot survive here, and must be shielded behind thick barriers.
Black Moon
The Egg of Lilith — the empty "egg" from which all human (a.k.a. Lilim) souls originated. Buried beneath the surface of the Earth, it was used by NERV as their base of operations (see GeoFront).
Central Dogma
NERV's pyramid-like control center located inside the GeoFront. Terminal Dogma is directly below it. Central Dogma takes its name from the central dogma of molecular biology, which explains the concepts of translation and transcription of genetic information.
GeoFront (NERV HQ)
A spherical cavern, protected by 22 layers of armored bulk heads, located under Tokyo-3. NERV headquarters is located inside the GeoFront. This is later revealed to be the Egg of Lilith, from which Humanity was born.
NERV-01
NERV-01 is the first North American branch of NERV. It is where Eva Unit 03 was created before being flown to NERV headquarters.
NERV-02
NERV-02 is the second North American branch of NERV. It is located somewhere in the Nevada Desert, possibly at Area 51. It vanished, along with everything else in an 89km radius, when Eva Unit 04's S² Engine was activated.
NERV-03
NERV-03 (also known simply as "NERV-Germany") is the branch of NERV located in Germany. Eva Unit 02 was constructed here, and Asuka apparently trained here with her unit for some time, before both were transferred to the main NERV branch at Tokyo-3 via a UN naval convoy.
Sea of LCL
The Sea of LCL is a world in which there are no AT Fields, human consciousness is not divided between different bodies and the souls of all of humanity reside in a giant sea of primordial soup. It's the theoretical pinnacle of existence (according to SEELE) and ultimate goal of the Human Instrumentality Project.
Terminal Dogma
The deepest level of the NERV Headquarters, where Lilith and the Lance of Longinus are kept. It is ostensibly locked to all but the highest members of NERV (Gendo, Fuyutsuki, and possibly Ritsuko), however Kaji gains entrance and shows Misato its contents shortly before the completion of his final mission.
Lilith is stored here impaled upon a massive red cross (similar to the one Eva Unit 03 is transported on). It is crucified and pierced through the torso with the Lance, much like Jesus. The wound from the Lance has not healed and LCL seems to bleed from it. This has caused a small lake of LCL to form around the cross which functions as the reservoir for NERV's LCL needs.
Tokyo (Tokyo-1)
Tokyo (the original Tokyo, now known as Tokyo-1) is now a partially under-water ruins seen in the series. It was destroyed when the first N² bomb was dropped on it during the war, which broke out as a result of tensions post-Second Impact. An official document on the Second Impact is shown in the series for a brief moment. The Japanese Prime Minister also states in The End of Evangelion that he wants Tokyo-3 to be so utterly destroyed and made completely uninhabitable that "no one can touch it for the next 20 years... like old Tokyo."
Tokyo-2
Tokyo-2 is the capital of Japan, and was built after the Second Impact destroyed Tokyo (Tokyo-1). It was created in the location of today's Nagano.
Tokyo-3
Located above the GeoFront, with buildings that can retract into the ground for safety, and buildings that contain large Evangelion equipment. Tokyo-3 is projected to replace Tokyo-2 as capital of Japan. However, Tokyo-3 was designed to intercept all incoming Angels to Japan. The city is protected with numerous defense missile stations around it. It was built in the location of pre-Impact Hakone.
White Moon
The egg from which all "shito" (Angels) originated, located in Antarctica.
Miscellaneous
Dead Sea Scrolls
The ancient Hebrew manuscripts found in the caves around Qumran between 1947 and 1956. In the series, they are in possession of SEELE, and contain prophecies of future events, including the arrival of the Angels.
Human Instrumentality Project
Template:Main The Human Instrumentality Project is also known as The Human Enhancement Project or The Human Complementation Project.
Though the specifics of the project are largely mysterious and speculative, the Instrumentality Project is an operation initiated by SEELE to instigate an artificial Third Impact in which all human physical life will end and the minds of all humans become united in a single soul. NERV, the Evas, Adam, Lilith, and the Angels, along with Second Impact, all form part of SEELE's skillful maneuvering to achieve this purpose. It could be said to be the project to turn humans into God, which is largely played out in End of Evangelion, before Shinji decides to accept humans apart, and with different AT fields. Metaphorically, this decision could be the "New Beginning" indicated by the series name, Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Lilim
Lilim are the Children of Lilith, i.e. Humanity. Kaworu Nagisa (the seventeenth Angel) often refers to humans/humankind as "Lilim."
NERV Logo
Image:Nervlogo.jpg The NERV Logo is half a fig leaf covering its name, with the motto "God's In His Heaven... All's Right With The World" forming the quarter circle on the bottom. The motto comes from Robert Browning's poem "Pippa Passes."
The fig leaf has covered mans' nakedness in art and sculpture for hundreds of years, symbolically representing the guilt of his original sin. In one interpretation of the logo, man is now making war on the Angels and challenging God himself; mankind no longer feels shame for his sins - so when the fig leaf is pulled back, NERV is revealed.
The logo can also be viewed as a brief summary of NERV's mission - attempting a return to man's original "naked" state by actively fighting back into the Garden of Eden. It may also represent NERV as Humanity's "shield" against disaster. In addition, fig leaves have been associated with covering a sinister plot.
Project E
Project E is the project to create the Evangelion combat machine series that led to the formation of NERV. It's also called the Adam Revival Project.
Tree of Life
Template:Main The Kabbalah refers to the organization of the ten Sephiroth as the Tree of Life.
GAINAX terms
Evangelion Complementation Project
The project behind Renewal of Evangelion, the 10th anniversary new editions of NGE, and tie-in products.
Project EVA
The project to create the TV show. Nearly every anime has an organization called "project," such as that of "Project AKIRA" or "Project D".
Renewal of Evangelion
The reimaging (not reimagining) of Evangelion for perfection on DVD. This edition of NGE is available in the Western World as the Platinum Edition (not the Perfect Collection). It includes the Director's Cut versions of the last sets of episodes, sometimes referred to as the New Production Cut or NPC. Unfortunately for Western audiences, the vast quantity of bonus material to be found in the Renewal boxed set has not been translated into English, and was omitted from the Platinum Edition.
Terms from outside of the main series
Country Crawler / Trident
The Country Crawlers / Tridents are the flight-capable giant robots the Japanese government builds as a backup plan against the EVAs, and are also piloted by 14-year-olds. They are equipped with 100mm chin-mounted cannons (machine guns). The appear in Girlfriend of Steel / Iron Maiden.
F-type Equipment (Ｆ型装備)
F-type equipment appears in the game Evangelion 2. It is made for Unit 01, and features increased mobility, armor, and several added modes of attack. In the episode featuring Jet Alone in the TV series Unit 01 was referenced as being deployed using the F-type Equipment, although it looks no different from the standard armor in this appearance. Closer inspection would reveal that Unit 01 has larger than usual shoulder packs. It can be assumed that F-type Equipment, apart from other uses, offers the Units the ability to operate without the need of being connected via cable. This is demonstrated when Unit 01 was deployed to stop Jet Alone.
JA'
Jet Alone Prime is a further development of the Jet Alone project. This is found in the Evangelion 2 game.
Magoroku Exterminate Sword (マゴロク・エクスターミネート・ソード)
The Magoroku Exterminate Sword is a giant (EVA-sized) sword with a curved blade. Paired with the shorter 'Counter Sword' and commonly seen as an accessory to Unit 01 models and action figures but never shown in the series. It does appear in several games however.
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