r/NeonGenesisEvangelion

So I recently finished Neon Genesis, EoE and Rebuild. I watch Neon in about a day or two, watched EoE the day after, and all four Rebuilds in two days. Here’s why I believe Rei 1, controls the time loop and possibly the spin offs as well. Also how Neon, EoE and Rebuild are all connected in the same time line.

1. What gave this away

In 2.0, Rei says she wants Shinji to be warm and fuzzy inside, aka happy. Meaning her actions are to make Shinji happy and to be less scared of piloting the Eva’s. She does this by sacrificing herself during 2.0 and Neon. Trying to stop the angel and making it so Shinji can leave and not pilot Eva 01.

Unfortunately this was part of Gendo’s plan in 2.0 and Neon, since it allowed Adam’s soul to come out of 01, again as seen in Neon and Rebuild.

What also gave this away was the sea being red. Now the sea could just be red from angels and the third impact in rebuild. But doesn’t explain what the moon is red too. I believe that the moon and sea became red from Giant Rei’s death in EoE, with her head causing this to happen, but also letting her witness something.

2. Rei is Lilith

Rei is a clone of Shinjis mother with the soul of Lilith, or at least part of it. She’s programmed to have affection towards him, aka the third child. This is because Shinjis father needs her and him to be together in order to start the third impact, as seen in EoE, Neon and 2.0. However when the third impact occurs, Rei becomes Lilith and starts the human instrumentality project in all timelines.

But I believe that EoE is where the time loop begins and Rei causes this to happen. Mentioned in Rebuild and I believe EoE, Rei becomes a God, with the power of Lilith and Adam, she is able to rewrite time and space, such as activating human instrumentality. However when Shinji rejects this new reality, he of cause makes it so humans can return to earth and the broken world. Rei watches this. Watching from afar on the horizon, she sees him strangling Asuka and her calling him “disgusting”. I believe this is when Rei realises that this is not the ending he wanted. And so the loop begins.

3. Kaworu is Adam

Kaworu is the 3rd and 13th angel. While also having the soul of Adam. He comes after Lilith the 1st angel , and Adam the 2nd angel. As seen in EoE he becomes a part of Rei and is used to comfort Shinji to make the tree of life. However from what he says in both EoE and Rebuild, he to like Rei wants Shinji to be happy and to find happiness.

But he also knows more than Rei, such as who and what SEELE are. That he has repeated his life over and over again. I believe Rei uses this to her advantage, by using him as a pawn to rewrite each timeline. To rewrite the Book of Life and the Dead Sea scrolls.

4. Dead Sea Scrolls and Book of Life

The Dead Sea Scrolls and the book of life are the same. But i think changed at some point. They were originally the Dead Sea scrolls, but thanks to the actions of Kaworu. Was able to change them into the book of life, and write in it that he will see Shinji in every time loop and possibility.

And of cause when the Dead Sea Scrolls change, so do the actions of SEELE and Gendo. As the way an impact can occur changes. The way it happens in EoE and Rebuild are different, but are still an impact, changing the world in one way or another. Even in 2.0 when Shinji causes one with Rei.

5. Rei must follow the rules

So why can’t Rei just change everything and make the perfect world? If she’s able to do all this, what’s stopping her?

I believe that the world and the time line of the Eva’s and Angels, must follow the rules of the Dead Sea scrolls. The scrolls were made by the same gods that made Lilith and Adam, and as such are what the fabric of the universe is made from. Like how atoms bond together, what causes that? Just the law of the universe. Same as the time line, stray too far that line and the universe changes completely, the world changes into something humans can’t live in.

Rei has to follow these rules or Shinji wouldn’t be able to change the world himself in his reality. The universe would be too far broken to fix.

6. The Anti Universe

Shinji doesn’t change the world in his universe, but instead in the Anti Universe, where 01 try’s to make a reality that he can perceive. But this is where he finds Rei.

Long hair, tired, holding a doll of Shinji. In a movie production room, filled with mock Eva’s along the walk, a fake plug and motion capture equipment. This could be Rei from 2.0. It could be Rei trapped inside Lilith from EoE. That is something that I’m not sure on. But she finally found a time line where Shinji was able to change the world and find happiness. While also setting everyone else free from the time loop.

7. Shinji saved Rei forever

Not only does Rei give Shinji the happiness she wanted to give him. But Shinji also takes her sins away, giving her the ability to live a proper life, without the need for LCL, Gendo, Lilith, Adam and the Eva’s. They both break each other free from their sins and the time loop.

8. The spin off and Neon Genesis Ending

Now the original shows ending is completely different from all other endings. Set only inside Shinjis mind, he breaks down and is given a happy ending where everyone is congratulating him for saving the world.

However I believe that this ending happened after EoE, as it might have been Rei’s first attempt at a timeloop. Sure Shinji is happy, but Rei knows that the world he’s now in isn’t one he should be in, since Shinji originally rejected human instrumentality, but in this timeline he never truly sees what happens, nor did the viewers, as it is set solely in his mind.

He never sees Asuka eaten alive. He never becomes the tree of life. He never knows what truly happened to the world. And that is not a lie Rei can give him.

As for any spin offs, it could be clearly stated that Rei was experimenting with any and all outcomes. This covers the slice of life stuff, the games and possibly any future projects.

It’s just Rei trying to make Shinji happy.

TLDR; Rei is god

You gotta think about the context in which EOE came out. It was over a year, after it aired on live tv. Of course people needed a recap. But think, do you really need one when it’s all on Netflix? Probably not. It’s redundant. Yes it’s cool but you wouldn’t tell someone to watch a YouTube recap of A New Hope with the deleted scenes cut in before they watch Empire Strikes back.

I just finished NGE the show, and I've heard there's other media.

What should I watch chronologically?