What's the Correct Order to Watch Evangelion?

Anime expert Grant Cunningham shares how to watch the Evangelion saga

Co-authored by Grant Cunningham and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: February 10, 2026 Fact Checked

Evangelion Watch Order

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What is Evangelion?

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Evangelion Anime & Movies

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Chronological Order

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Skippable Movies

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Where to Watch

Are you ready to take the plunge and explore one of the most iconic anime series of all time? We’ve got you covered! Neon Genesis Evangelion is a beloved anime from the 1990s, and a beloved film series from the 2000s—there are two different Evangelion timelines to explore. We talked to anime expert Grant Cunningham to help us put together a proper Evangelion watch order list for newcomers to follow, complete with a breakdown of each entry and additional info on what you can afford to skip. Let’s take a look!

In What Order Should You Watch Evangelion?

Anime expert Grant Cunningham recommends watching Evangelion in the chronological order that it was released:

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995 - 1996)
Evangelion: Death(True)²/ Death and Rebirth (1997, optional)
The End of Evangelion (1997)
Evangelion 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone (2007)
Evangelion 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance (2009)
Evangelion 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo (2012)
Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021)

Section 1 of 6:

How to Watch Evangelion in Order

Cunningham says it’s best to watch Evangelion in release order.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Grant Cunningham
Anime Expert

Expert Interview} Start with the 26-episode series Neon Genesis Evangelion. There are actually a couple of different places you could start from, since part of the series is actually a retelling of the old content, but watching in release order is generally agreed-upon by fans as the best overall way to experience Evangelion. Here’s your Evangelion release order:^{[2]
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- Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995 - 1996)
- Evangelion: Death(True)²/ Death and Rebirth (1997, optional)
- The End of Evangelion (1997)
- Evangelion 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone (2007)
- Evangelion 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance (2009)
- Evangelion 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo (2012)
- Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021)
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Grant Cunningham is an anime expert based in Greensboro, North Carolina. He goes by @essgeecie on social media and has over 270,000 followers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

Section 2 of 6:

What is Evangelion?

Evangelion is a manga and anime created by Hideaki Anno. The Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise is set in a fictional, sci-fi alternate universe in which a cataclysmic explosion threw the Earth off its axis, killing billions. Years later, beings called “angels” begin to threaten the remnants of humanity, and a special paramilitary unit of pilots is assembled to control gigantic mechanical robot-warriors called “Evangelions.”^{[3]
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Richard Moore
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- Cunningham says that what makes Evangelion so special is that it appeals to a wide audience. “There’s something for everybody,” he says, including drama, romance, action, art, and cinematography—although he cautions that it does have more mature, adult themes.^{[4]
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- After the end of the original Evangelion series, Anno established Studio Khara to make a retelling of the story. Thus, the Evangelion franchise remains very popular among anime fans.
- The word “evangelion” refers to the Christian gospel. It’s derived from the Ancient Greek euangélion, meaning “good news.”

Section 3 of 6:

The Evangelion Anime & Movies: Full Breakdown

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Neon Genesis EvangelionNeon Genesis Evangelion is the show that started it all: a 26-episode anime series that tells the story covered in the Evangelion manga.^{[5]
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Richard Moore
Anime Expert

Expert Interview} It’s famously one of the most influential anime series ever made, even decades after its production! As the first entry in the Evangelion series, it’s a solid foundation for new viewers to watch before moving on to End of Evangelion and the Rebuild.^{[6]
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- Because NGE encountered major production issues, creator Hideaki Anno was forced to cut certain elements of the original narrative.
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Evangelion: Death(True)²/ Death and RebirthEvangelion: Death(True)²/ Death and Rebirth, also more simply called Evangelion: Death and Rebirth, is a two-part installment in the Evangelion franchise. The first part, Death, is a recap of the first 24 episodes of the NGE anime, with additional animations included. The second part, Rebirth, is an all-new animation that was later included in The End of Evangelion as well.
- In the years since its release, Death and Rebirth has been re-edited and re-released multiple times.
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The End of EvangelionThe End of Evangelion is a movie that formally concludes the Neon Genesis Evangelion series, while also providing an alternate ending to the anime. It essentially replaces the last two episodes (25 and 26) of the anime, creating a more epic and cinematic experience for viewers.
- Cunningham says that the end of the Evangelion series was somewhat controversial, so the creator wrote a new ending for it and released it as The End of Evangelion.^{[7]
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- The End of Evangelion earned critical acclaim, and is recognized as one of the greatest animated films of all time—so it’s not one to miss!
In 2007, Hideaki Anno and Studio Khara launched the “Rebuild of Evangelion,” an ambitious, 4-film project that started with Evangelion 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone. The movie is largely faithful to the original anime series, covering the events of the first 6 episodes.^{[8]
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Evangelion 2.22 You Can (Not) AdvanceThe second Evangelion Rebuild movie is much more of a departure from the original series, making big changes to many aspects of the plot. Additionally, Studio Khara used new 3DCG (3D computer graphics) technology to create their animations, making for a better animation quality than previous entries.
- While making 2.22, Hideaki and Studio Khara decided to turn their movie project from a trilogy into the 4-part series we have now.
Evangelion 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo presents a totally new, reimagined version of events from the original series. It’s set 14 years after the previous movie and involves many brand-new characters (not to mention events that didn’t happen in the old anime or manga series). It sets the stage for the next movie, which offers a brand new ending for the franchise.
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Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a TimeEvangelion 3.0 + 1.0 is a complete reimagining of the end of Evangelion, also serving as the conclusion to the Rebuild of Evangelion movie series. At 154 minutes long, it’s one of the longest anime films ever made—and it’s worth watching! It earned critical acclaim for its writing, character progression, animation, and deeply meaningful themes.^{[9]
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- While the Blu-ray versions of the Rebuild movies have full titles, the original releases were actually titled 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.0 + 1.0.
- The changed decimal numbers (1.0 to 1.11, and so on) represent the most up-to-date version of the movie. Updated versions include extra scenes and better visuals, among other things.

Section 4 of 6:

Can you watch Evangelion in chronological order?

Evangelion’s release order is also largely chronological. Basically, there are two main versions, or timelines, of Evangelion—the original series and the Rebuild. So, by watching Evangelion in release order, you’re also watching the original series chronologically, and then watching the Rebuild chronologically.
- The only adjustment you could make is to watch the first hour of The End of Evangelion before episodes 25 and 26 of NGE.
- However, it’s definitely easier to just watch the NGE series and then The End of Evangelion in its entirety.

Section 5 of 6:

Can you skip any Evangelion movies?

Evangelion: Death and Rebirth is skippable. As mentioned above, the first part of the movie, Death, is a recap—so if you’ve watched the first 24 episodes of the NGE anime, you don’t need to watch this. Although Rebirth isn’t a recap, it’s basically the first third of The End of Evangelion, which means it’s easier to just watch NGE and then move right on to that movie, skipping Death and Rebirth.
- If you’re wondering about any filler episodes or movies, Death and Rebirth is still the only entry in the series that could be considered “filler.”
- All other episodes and movies are pretty crucial to the plot, so there’s nothing more to skip!

Section 6 of 6:

Where to Watch Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion is available to watch on Netflix. Thankfully, it’s not too hard to find the old Neon Genesis Evangelion series; all episodes can be streamed from Netflix (with a subscription), as well as the follow-up movie, The End of Evangelion. When you’re ready to move on to the Rebuild movies, you can stream them all on Amazon Prime.
- Thrice Upon a Time was advertised as the last entry in the Evangelion franchise (not just the Rebuild). So, it’s unlikely that you’ll be seeing any new Evangelion content in the near future.