The Psychological Complexity of Neon Genesis Evangelion

Anime has been around for a while and has become a fresh platform for arthouse vibes, avant-garde ideas, philosophy, and literature. Some series can go toe-to-toe with high art or academic studies thanks to their intense, thought-provoking themes. One of the best examples? Neon Genesis Evangelion. It is the biggest anime franchise in existence, with endless debates and theories from fans and academics. Directed by Hideaki Anno, who previously worked with Hayao Miyazaki, the series aired in Japan in 1995 and in the US in 2000. It has recently been streamed on Netflix.

The show delves into Anno’s struggle with depression, mixing in elements like post-nuclear Japan, postmodernism, psychoanalysis, and religion. However, do not let that fool you into thinking this is anything special in art—it is still easy for audiences to grasp. One feature is multiple endings, spin-offs, and remakes, which only add fuel to the fire of interpretation.

For this discussion, we will stick to Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion, skipping the remakes. These two are the heart of the story and the best way to understand what makes it so iconic.

Honestly, the plot of Neon Genesis Evangelion is packed with so much wild lore that it is almost hard to believe. However, here is a quick rundown of the main subplot: The series centers on Shinji Ikari, a student chosen to pilot a giant biomechanical robot to fight alien-like creatures called Angels that are attacking the post-disaster city of Tokyo-3. His father, Gendo Ikari, was a figure in a government program called NERV, which was created to deal with these attacks.

Shinji has issues with his father, but he is forced to face the situation when Gendo tells him to take on a big responsibility. Gendo blackmails Shinji, threatening to send Rei Ayanami—the First Child and injured pilot—to fight in his place. Shinji eventually steps up and takes Rei’s place, becoming the Second Child and pilot of an Eva unit.

The series really shines when it digs into psychological dilemmas, especially in how it reflects Anno’s personality. Scholars have labeled it as deeply personal, full of layers tied to psychoanalysis. From the get-go, it dives into concepts inspired by Sigmund Freud, with episode titles and soundtracks like Oral Stage and Separation Anxiety. But the biggest focus? Oedipal issues.

The Tokyo-3 setting brings some strong psychological undertones, starting from the first episode. The characters deal with emotional burdens, especially Shinji and his father. Shinji’s shy and withdrawn nature stems from the loss of his mother and being abandoned by his father. On the other hand, Asuka has a mental disorder and her mother’s suicide, which has made her have a tough and rough personality for her pain. Piloting Unit 02 becomes her way of validation and pride in her accomplishments.

Misato’s psychological struggles stem from her father’s abandonment when she was a child. After her father’s death during the Second Impact, she went into exile for several years. In the therapy episode near the end of the series, Misato admits that she is attracted to Kaji but also scared of him. He reminds her of her father, and their complicated relationship reflects Freudian themes, mixing in with Shinji’s image of his mother.

Overall, Neon Genesis Evangelion delves deep into psychoanalytic ideas, presenting complex characters who battle their inner demons and past traumas.

On the other hand, Ritsuko struggles. She witnessed her mother having an affair with Gendo, which led to her mother’s suicide and left Ritsuko with mixed feelings about Gendo. In the final two therapy episodes, the tone is very subdued, focusing on Shinji as he introspects and questions his existence. Responding to an invisible voice, he tries to understand the psychological side of what it means to build and be human. He is overwhelmed by feelings of worthlessness, but he also fears being judged by others if he does not pilot the Eva.

Aside from Shinji, Anno also shows Asuka and Rei as deeply introspective characters whose struggles are intertwined. Asuka comes to realize how much her past, especially her mother’s impact on her, has held her back and made her jealous of Shinji. She constantly questions her worth, even wondering if she is just “trash.”

Rei, on the other hand, shows very little emotion throughout the series, focusing solely on fulfilling her purpose, even if it means sacrificing herself. However, when she accepts Shinji and sees herself as a human being (even though she is a clone of Shinji’s mom), she finds peace. Rather than feeling hopeless, she is willing to sacrifice herself to save Shinji.

In the last episode, both Asuka and Shinji experience similar pain but react in different ways. In the famous “Congratulations” scene, Shinji eventually realizes he cannot have a meaningful life without Eva, but he also learns to accept himself and find happiness in another life. The light at the end of the tunnel varies depending on how you interpret the series.

Freud’s idea of the ego defense mechanism is all about the mind protecting itself from feelings like depression, anxiety, and guilt. Freud came up with the theory, but his daughter, Anna Freud, built on it. Some examples of these defense mechanisms include repression, regression, projection, displacement, reaction formation, rejection, denial, and sublimation.

Freud also believed that the stages of psychosexual development, like the oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital stages, were key to shaping a person’s personality. Successfully navigating these stages is super important because failing to do so can lead to fixations that stick with someone into adulthood.

In Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shinji uses defense mechanisms from start to finish. At first, he tries to build positive relationships with others, but when things fall apart—especially with his father—he gets really depressed. To deal with his guilt and the pressure from his superego, he uses different defense mechanisms to survive. At first, he denies reality and wants to escape from it.

Next, he starts apologizing all the time, even when he has not done anything wrong, which is a form of undoing behavior. Then, he projects his feelings onto his dad, blaming him for everything instead of taking responsibility himself. After that, he displaces his frustration onto Asuka, even acting out in inappropriate ways, like masturbating over her unconscious body. Finally, he turns to aggression, piloting the Eva even though he hates being a pilot.

Shinji’s use of defense mechanisms shows just how deep and complex the psychological themes in Neon Genesis Evangelion really are.

Besides defense mechanisms, Shinji also deals with fixation, especially when it comes to the psychosexual stages, like the genital stage and the Oedipus complex. He seemed to have a good experience with the oral and anal stages, where he had positive interactions with his mother, Yui, like breastfeeding and cuddling during the oral stage and nurturing during the anal stage.

However, Shinji’s fixation starts at the phallic stage, after his mother dies and his father, Gendo, abandons him to be raised by his teacher. Gendo only sends money but never visits Shinji. He only sees his father once, a year after his mother’s death, at her grave.

Sadly, Shinji has no memory of his mom since she died when he was very young, and his dad never told him anything about her. With his father gone and no real family, Shinji’s stuck with his Oedipus complex. He is so conflicted that he cannot bring himself to visit his mother’s grave for three years because of his dad’s hate.

The family reunion in the first episode happens when Gendo forces Shinji to pilot the Eva and sends him to the city. From the phallic stage onward, Shinji’s fixation affects how he interacts in the genital stage. He has a hard time connecting with people like Rei, Asuka, Misato, and Kaworu, especially when it comes to relationships with girls.

The second major psychological theme in Neon Genesis Evangelion is its religious symbolism. The show draws heavily from Christian themes, Kabbalism, Gnosticism, and Islam. Anno explores big ideas like the nature of evolution, the existence of God, and how it all affects humanity.

Tsurumaki, the assistant director, mentioned that they used Christian themes and symbols mainly to give the show a unique twist, so it was not just another series about giant robots fighting. They did not mean for it to have any real religious significance, and it was not supposed to be controversial. However, Anno disagrees, saying the show is meant to be open to different interpretations.

The Angels in Neon Genesis Evangelion are based on the angels from the Old Testament, most of whom share the same names. The key Angels are Adam, the first angel, and Lilith, the second. In the Bible, Adam was the first human created by God, while Lilith comes from Jewish folklore, where she was Adam’s first wife and the second human created by God.

Lilith is shown stabbed and crucified with a spear called the Lance of Longinus, the same one used to pierce Jesus Christ’s side during His crucifixion, according to the Gospel of Nicodemus. Eva, or Eve, came from Adam’s rib. In Evangelion, Adam is first identified as the “Angel” and the source of the name.

The Angels come to Earth to reunite with Adam and bring about the Third Impact, which would destroy humanity. Kaworu says that humans are the creatures of Lilith and calls them “Lilin.” In every scene where an Angel is defeated, there is an explosion in the shape of a Christian cross.

The supercomputers at NERV, called the Magi, are named Melchior, Balthasar, and Casper, which are the names of the three wise men who visited Jesus in Bethlehem, as mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew. The Marduk Institute is a cover organization for NERV that is responsible for selecting young pilots for the Evangelion units. Marduk is the name of the main Babylonian God and the patron god of Babylon. The Sephiroth tree, mentioned in the opening sequence and seen in Gendo’s office, also plays a role.

At the end of the series, Neon Genesis Evangelion not only shows how an individual can regenerate a newly created world but also makes humanity immortal, freeing them from biological and psychological limitations and allowing them to re-embrace the happiness of Eden. When the TV series wrapped up, it sparked much controversy. Critics and fans were upset, especially since it shifted from the mecha action and futuristic themes of the early episodes to much self-indulgent psychoanalysis.

However, the series’ deconstruction of the characters and central story actually aligns with Anno’s approach to the apocalypse as a rite of passage, where the messianic hero’s role and humanity’s journey are key. Shinji’s personality acts as a mini-apocalypse, symbolizing humanity’s desire to reunite with the divine after its fall from grace. The references to apocalyptic themes, both cyclical and linear, go beyond just clues to understand the story.

Throughout the series, symbolism and motifs repeat, slowly revealing hidden, mystical meanings. Jewish numerology influences Evangelion’s approach to transcendence and revelation, while Christianity shapes the action and story. For example, the apocalyptic group SEELE (which means “soul” in German) is behind the creation of NERV. Their logo is a seven-eyed symbol arranged in an inverted equilateral triangle. SEELE operates in secret with 12 members, following apocalyptic prophecies found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The mysterious seven-eyed symbol also appears when Misato reveals Adam, the massive upper body of a crucified Angel found in Antarctica. It is stored in Terminal Dogma, a high-security underground vault beneath the NERV headquarters. Adam represents the Christian apocalypse as described by John of Patmos, and the number seven keeps popping up as an apocalyptic theme.

Lilith is the “mother” of humans and Adam’s first wife. The previous secrets about Adam were just surface-level false prophecies meant to hide Adam’s real location. In an old Hebrew myth, Lilith was Adam’s first wife before Eve and was created from the same dust as Adam by God.

Even though Adam came from dust, Lilith left him and the flesh, choosing to be with demons until they created the Lilin. Kaworu, the Last Angel, calls Shinji the representative of all humanity. It suggests that the Angels see humans as descendants of the fallen and corrupted Lilith.

In the final sequence of the original series, Kaworu opens a high-security safe in Terminal Dogma called Heaven’s Door. He is shocked to discover that Lilith is actually the embodiment of Lilin. The series retells a Genesis myth about transcendence, apocalypse, and disaster in a postmodern, spiritual way.

As for the messianic beliefs, NERV’s artificial intelligence supercomputer, which controls the defense systems, is called Magi. It is made up of three separate but interconnected systems, as mentioned before. The name “Magi” comes from the three sages who brought gifts to honor the birth of the Messiah. The prophetic path, connecting the apocalyptic narrative, is represented by the Systema Sephirotica. This system describes the creation of Kabbalistic Judaism as an inverted tree of life, showing the path from the material world to the spiritual realm.

Similarly, SEELE also uses two opposing charts aimed at eternal enlightenment. Both groups follow an ancient plan of apocalyptic divination. They push a predetermined agenda involving a doomsday battle against the Angels, creating the power of a terrestrial god called Eva.

Gendo, Akagi, and Fuyutsuki, under the guise of NERV and SEELE, hide Sephirotik’s plan to use the organization to engineer a mode of human transcendence through complementation.

One of the key aspects of religiosity in the series relates to the victims of mass or popular Japanese culture. Japan recognizes the presence of religious and mythical themes like animistic Shintoism and Buddhism’s selflessness. When looking at history, post-war Japanese anime has deep ties to a sacred and secular apocalypse triggered by the two atomic bombs. These bombs ended the Pacific War, destroying Nagasaki and Hiroshima—an event that became a recurring theme in all of Japan’s animated, TV, and film works from the late 1950s onward.

Japan’s rapid postwar industrialization, along with the constitutional democracy introduced during the occupation, sped up modernization and the economic boom of the ’80s, which all helped bring manga and anime back into the spotlight. In this context, Neon Genesis Evangelion reflects a radical transformation and a deep dive into Japanese society over the last two generations, presenting a new apocalyptic vision.

The series shows a society going through major changes, from chaotic destruction to a future on the edge of total annihilation, and then finding freedom from oppression to achieve eternal harmony. It leads to the rebirth of both society and the individual through an apocalyptic event.

The series works as a grand narrative of legitimacy and captures a wide audience in the postmodern era of the ’80s, challenging early assumptions about its time.

The final big theme in Neon Genesis Evangelion is existentialism, which focuses on the individual. In this series, the individual represents not just an abstract idea but real human life. Western philosophy mostly focuses on fundamentalism, seeing the individual as part of a relationship, while existentialism flips this around and starts with the individual.

Existentialism examines the meaning of life through the individual’s actions and values authenticity. It is about finding what is important to the person’s life. In modern terms, it is a protoform of philosophy, with Søren Kierkegaard being one of the first to be considered an existentialist.

Kierkegaard believed in God but argued that just believing in God was not enough to give life meaning. Instead, meaning comes from how people orient themselves and act. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide how they react to the idea of God. By having faith, the individual shows confidence in themselves, and in turn, God can act independently.

In his book The Sickness unto Death, Kierkegaard mentions that not embracing oneself can lead to a kind of spiritual death. Despair is a key theme in Shinji’s reactions to events in Neon Genesis Evangelion. Existential despair is about constantly feeling unsatisfied with one’s life and struggling to find purpose or meaning, along with a crisis of self-identity. Understanding who you are becomes a central theme in the protagonist’s perspective.

In Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shinji is unhappy and does not know what he wants or why he should do anything, especially working with his father. This confusion makes him take action when prompted, even admitting that he plays the violin just because no one tells him to stop. He relies on others to make decisions so he can avoid making choices for himself. In the end, he cannot bring himself to care about making decisions because he does not want any particular outcome anymore.

One of the key ideas in existentialism is “bad faith,” where people, under pressure from social forces, act inauthentically, always hoping for something instead of just living for themselves. While it does not always mean people are trying to deceive, it highlights the importance of living authentically. Existentialist, poststructuralist, and ethical writers often question how possible or even good it is to live authentically. Still, this idea of thinking critically about life continues to hold weight in philosophy.

In the context of Neon Genesis Evangelion, existential desperation is not just a weakness. A good example is when Shinji finds himself in a hopeless situation. It ties back to existentialism by focusing on the anxiety that comes from realizing we have choices to make.

The reality is that individuals have to make their own decisions and find meaning on their own. There is no ultimate guide telling people what to do. Whether or not any choice truly belongs to the individual, humans always feel despair when making such decisions. Isolation comes from realizing that the individual does not know how to react.

Fundamentalism is a key part of existentialism and helps shape the idea of radical freedom. Even if people believe someone is telling them what to do, they are still responsible for deciding whether or not to follow that guidance. There are always countless decisions to make, and the uncertainty surrounding these choices causes anxiety. Neon Genesis Evangelion explores this ambiguous reality of choice, which creates anxiety for each character.

Radical freedom, though, does not offer a purely positive view because of the responsibility that comes with living for oneself and facing endless choices. Following Kierkegaard’s theory, Shinji reflects on his existence, struggles with his identity, and questions his place. Asuka, on the other hand, represents an endpoint, showing vanity, arrogance, and an inability to understand the importance of love and dependency.

In The End of Evangelion, both characters seem better off after the Third Impact. Shinji, when given the chance to let go of his burdensome sense of self, starts to recognize his value. Asuka, despite her previous emptiness, finally shows some affection for him after she wakes up. It does not mean they have solved all their problems or that they will not face more struggles in the future, but it shows both of them moving toward a more realistic view of themselves, knowing they are the last survivors—something the audience is aware of.

According to Anno, the series explores how humans would react or move forward if they wanted to discover and understand God’s absolute reality. In a way, the series shows how events unfold, almost revealing the idea of divinity. However, by reducing God to just another tool for human use, there is nothing in that possibility that gives life its true meaning.

Kierkegaard believes that proving the existence of God is impossible. Instead, he argues that humans need to make an existential leap of faith towards belief. Even if humans accept God’s existence, it does not automatically give life meaning. When it comes to radically accepting God’s existence, the series interestingly contrasts with Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of the death of God. Nietzsche’s idea is that humans stop relying on religion to give meaning to their lives—it is almost like a symbolic death of God when we realize we can no longer depend on God’s existence.

However, the series flips the idea of divinity. It portrays the transcendental world as a scientific light that gives value by its nature. For example, SEELE tries to unite humanity with God, but whether the purpose is good or bad does not automatically give life inherent meaning. It all depends on the individual’s understanding of their place in the world.

The last sequence of The End of Evangelion shows an impressionistic image of consciousness. Analyzing this endless scene is both easy and hard since theories beyond psychoanalysis and existentialism only scratch the surface. Still, the scene quickly grabs the viewer’s attention, presenting a beautiful depiction of a new Adam and Eve as a hybrid embodiment of love and pain born from the bloody angel. This composition serves as a haunting reminder, urging the audience not to turn away from it. Longing remains like a prayer, and piles of corpses blanket the ocean of death.

The beauty of life continues to unfold, but this idea is extremely complex in the simplistic picture and study of Neon Genesis Evangelion. However, the series understands that in a world gone mad, the best thing any individual can do is try to be human. Unlike hedgehogs, who cannot warm each other because of their spines, humans dare to step ahead of time and ask, “If they can, why can’t we?”

The series conveys messages that change with each interpretation and are deeply personal to each individual.

References

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