Neon Genesis Evangelion

Shinji witnesses United Nations forces battling a giant creature named Sachiel , one of a race of monstrous beings known as Angels whose awakening was foretold in the Dead Sea Scrolls . Because of the Angels' near-impenetrable force fields known as Absolute Terror Fields, or simply AT Fields, Nerv's Evangelion bio-mechanical mechas , which are synchronized to their pilots' nervous systems and possess their own force fields, are the only weapons capable of combating and destroying the Angels. Nerv officer Misato Katsuragi escorts Shinji into the Nerv complex beneath Tokyo-3, where Gendo pressures him into piloting Evangelion Unit-01 to fight the Angel. Without training, Shinji is unable to destroy it and Unit-01 suffers cranial damage.

Because of the nervous system synchronization, Shinji is overwhelmed by the pain and loses consciousness, causing the Evangelion to go berserk and savagely kill the Angel on its own. Following hospitalization, Shinji moves in with Misato and settles into life in Tokyo-3. In his second battle, Shinji defeats the Angel Shamshel but runs away afterward, distraught. Misato confronts Shinji, and he decides to remain a pilot.

Shinji and Nerv's crew must defeat the remaining fourteen Angels to prevent the Third Impact, a global cataclysm that would destroy the world. Evangelion Unit-00 is repaired shortly afterward, and Shinji tries to befriend its pilot Rei Ayanami , a mysterious and socially isolated teenage girl. With Rei's help, Shinji defeats the Angel Ramiel . They are joined by Evangelion Unit-02 's pilot, the multitalented, fiery-tempered teenager Asuka Langley Soryu , who is German-Japanese-American.

The three of them manage to defeat several Angels, and as Shinji adjusts to his new role as a pilot, he gradually becomes more confident and self-assured. Asuka moves in with Shinji, and they develop a complicated relationship with each other, which includes confused romantic attraction and a kiss at Asuka's provocation. After being absorbed by the Angel Leliel , Shinji breaks free thanks to Eva-01 acting on its own. He is later forced to fight Evangelion Unit-03 , who has become infected, and its pilot, his friend and classmate Toji Suzuhara , becomes incapacitated and permanently disabled.

Asuka loses her self-confidence following a defeat and spirals into depression, which is worsened by her next fight against the Angel Arael who psychologically attacks her mind. It forces her to relive her worst fears and childhood trauma , resulting in a mental breakdown . In the next battle, Rei sacrifices herself to self-destruct Unit-00 and save Shinji. Misato and Shinji visit the hospital, where they find Rei alive, but claiming she is "the third Rei".

Misato forces the scientist Ritsuko Akagi to reveal the dark secrets of Nerv, the Evangelion boneyard, and the Dummy Plug system, which operates using clones of Rei, who was created using the DNA of Shinji's mother, Yui Ikari . This succession of events leaves Shinji emotionally scarred and alienated from the rest of the characters. Kaworu Nagisa replaces the catatonic Asuka as Unit-02's pilot and befriends Shinji, gaining his trust. He is revealed to be the final foretold Angel, Tabris , and fights Shinji, realizing that he must die to allow humanity to survive.

He asks Shinji to kill him, who hesitates but eventually kills Kaworu; an event that causes him to be overridden with guilt. After the final Angel is defeated, Gendo triggers the "Human Instrumentality Project", a forced evolution of humanity in which the souls of mankind are merged for benevolent purposes. He believes that if unified, humanity could overcome the loneliness and alienation that has eternally plagued them. Shinji's soul grapples with the reason for his existence and experiences an epiphany that he needs others to thrive and to accept himself by seeing a potential Shinji in another reality.

This enables him to destroy the wall of negative emotions that torment him and unite with the others, who congratulate him.