Why Revive Evangelion After Its Perfect Conclusion?

Image: Studio Khara

However, the saga is far from over. A fresh Evangelion anime project is currently being developed by Yoko Taro, the visionary mind behind Nier and Nier: Automata. Announced during the franchise’s 30th-anniversary celebration—which featured an exclusive short film centered on Asuka Langley Soryu—the new series is a collaboration between Studio Khara and CloverWorks. Joining Taro is Rebuild veteran Kazuya Tsurumaki, who recently directed Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX. Taro’s profound admiration for Anno’s work is well-documented; the eccentric director has acknowledged that Nier serves as a thematic “retelling” of the seminal anime. “Every project I undertake is shaped by Evangelion,” Taro told Square Enix, highlighting his career-long obsession with existential dread and visceral storytelling.

While this upcoming installment will undoubtedly honor the franchise’s three-decade legacy, Taro and Tsurumaki face a formidable creative challenge. Beyond the fact that Evangelion is intrinsically tied to Anno’s own psyche and personal battles, there is the matter of narrative finality. The conclusion of Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time explicitly broke the series’ cycle of suffering. In this “Neon Genesis,” Shinji Ikari rewrites the fundamental laws of existence, manifesting a world devoid of Evangelions. This act of mercy allows characters like Mari Makinami and Kaworu Nagisa to exist in a reality free from systemic pain, granting the former child soldiers the chance to experience a normal, fulfilling life. It was a masterstroke of catharsis, allowing the cast to finally transcend their predetermined fates.

Image: Studio Khara

While Thrice Upon a Time offered a hopeful resolution, it remains the most somber chapter of the Rebuild series. The film deepens the complex, fractured bond between Shinji and his father, Gendo Ikari. The harrowing experience of confronting one’s parent and recognizing a shared isolation is articulated with brutal honesty. This narrative thread culminates in Gendo’s ultimate sacrifice for his son, a moment that reinforces Shinji’s resolve to dismantle the cycle entirely. By creating a world without Evas, Shinji ensures that no more children are stripped of their agency to answer for the failures of a previous generation.

The sublime and terrifying resonance of 3.0+1.0 feels impossible to duplicate, primarily because it concludes the story so effectively that further continuation seems unnecessary. Yet, Anno’s own tendency to revisit this epic suggests a certain inevitability to its return. In 2024, Anno remarked on his willingness to entrust a future Evangelion sequel to a new creative voice, promising them “a high degree of freedom.” From a commercial perspective, the revival is unsurprising; the series has long been a merchandising juggernaut, with its iconic imagery woven into the fabric of pop culture. Despite this commodification, Anno has rarely compromised his artistic vision, and there is hope that Taro and Tsurumaki will maintain that same integrity.

Image: Studio Khara

Yoko Taro’s narrative prowess and his reverence for the source material provide a strong foundation for optimism. His skill for crafting layered, emotionally devastating stories seems perfectly aligned with a franchise that requires radical reinvention to remain relevant. While Taro might utilize the “loop” formula that Evangelion has explored in the past, he is also uniquely positioned to experiment with abstract, non-linear structures. Whatever his approach, it will almost certainly challenge the finality of Thrice Upon a Time, yet it carries the promise of something truly evocative.

The absence of Anno’s direct hand is a fascinating prospect. The psychosexual subtext of Evangelion—rooted in Anno’s fascination with Jungian and Freudian concepts—is central to Shinji’s character arc. His paralyzing fear of rejection and messy adolescent awakening are fundamental to the series’ DNA, as are the posthumanist implications of the mechs themselves. Can Evangelion retain its identity without these specific fixations? Will it feel authentic when filtered through a different creative lens? These are complex questions with no easy answers.

It remains to be seen what this new era of Evangelion will bring. However, its development signals the start of another cycle of interpretation, offering a new entry point into the franchise’s intricate lore. For those who have followed Anno’s journey for decades, this new series may just be the “Neon Genesis” the franchise needs to evolve once again.

Source: Polygon