Evangelion Units

Formally known as Multipurpose Humanoid Decisive Weapon Synthetic Lifeform Evangelion, these units were constructed over the course of fourteen years as a result of research conducted by Gehirn. Construction costs for a single Evangelion Unit are said to be astronomical, and their official U.N. sanctioned purpose is to protect mankind from the Angels.

The Evangelion Units are not the stereotypical combat robots found in some mecha shows. In fact, as the series progresses, it becomes evident that these units are not machines at all, but rather bio-mechanical constructs, or synthetic life forms. Although lacking a will of their own, the Evangelion Units are essentially humans in the form of Angels, and can be considered living entities in the service of NERV.

Evangelion Units 00-04 are assigned under the command of NERV Headquarters located beneath New Tokyo-3 in Japan, which also guards Adam, Lilith, and the Lance of Longinus (key components of the Human Instrumentality Project).

The Evangelion Units are said to be the only weapons capable of defeating the Angels. This is primarily due to their unique ability to generate and neutralize AT Fields. Despite their awesome power as weapons however, they are limited to pilots born just following the Second Impact (fourteen-year-old children).

Operating on electricity, an Evangelion Unit relies on external power supplied to it through an Umbilical Cable, which is connected to power sockets located in designated Armament Buildings scattered throughout New Tokyo-3.

Mass-production Evangelion Units 05-13 are powered by the revolutionary S² Engine, supplying them with an infinite amount of power without the use of an Umbilical Cable. Unlike their previous counterparts, these units are all identical in design, and with their white-winged appearance they resemble Angels. Operated by Dummy Plugs, they are under the direct control of SEELE, and were created exclusively for the purposes of the Human Instrumentality Project.

The name Evangelion is derived from 'Eva', German for Eve, the wife of Adam in the Old Testament, and 'Evangel', the English term for gospel.

Analysis

• Mythology of the Evangelion Units
  The concept behind the Evangelion Units is an allusion to the creation of Eve from Adam's flesh in the Old Testament of the Bible (see Adam and Lilith Mythology). In the series the Evangelion Units are constructs created by man from the flesh of Adam, the First Angel, who embodies the image of God (the Bible says God created Adam in his own image). The only exception to this is Evangelion Unit-01, which was created from the flesh of Lilith, the Second Angel, the rebellious first wife of Adam.