It Took 30 Years, But Neon Genesis Evangelion Finally Has the True Ending it Always Deserved

One of anime’s most iconic and lasting franchises, Neon Genesis Evangelion, celebrated its 30th anniversary at a days-long event in Tokyo last month, where fans were treated to behind-the-scenes looks at production materials and other grand displays. In a shocking twist, a new Evangelion anime was announced, but not before the exclusive screening of a new short by Hideaki Anno.

Anno, the series’ creator whose own lore has fascinated fans for decades, said his goodbyes to Evangelion with the 2021 film, Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time. However, the director had one more story to tell, and did so in a 15-minute short film that focused on Unit 02’s pilot, Asuka.

The short, as it turned out, offered one more ending to a series already famous for its numerous endings, and it may just be Evangelion‘s most satisfying conclusion to date.

Evangelion’s New 30th Anniversary Short Offers Yet Another Ending to the Series

The Comedic Short Film Is Hideaki Anno’s Latest Vision for Evangelion

More surprising than the fact that Hideaki Anno returned for one final Evangelion production, is the comedic approach the series creator took with the short film. Evangelion has always been known for its highly psychological, often disturbing dives into the psyches of its characters, yet the 30th Anniversary short proved a lighthearted affair.

In the film, Neon Genesis Evangelion‘s Asuka Langley Soryu, alongside the Rebuilds’ Asuka Shikinami Langley, complains about never having been given the chance to be the star of the story. To which, Shikinami suggests using the “Shinji Ikari Method” of closing her eyes, and dramatically opening them to imagine a new plot line in which she’s the focus.

Asuka does just that, being transported to a series of different scenes that either end horribly wrong, or that she deems unsatisfying, often criticizing the Rebuild version of herself. In the final scene, however, the comedic tone gives way to a scenario in which Shinji extends his hand to Asuka, causing her to imagine a future in which the two get married and start a family.

She rejects that scenario, instead choosing to fight for and earn that future on her own. As she walks away, “Komm Süsser Tod”, from 1997’s The End of Evangelion begins to play, before the short film cuts to a title card reading, “27.” The final scene suggests that the short was Instrumentality from Asuka’s perspective, ending just before her and Shinji wake up on the beach.

30 Years Later, Evangelion Has Finally Given Asuka Her Own, Satisfying Conclusion

There’s a lot to love about Evangelion‘s new short film, especially for long-time fans of the series who grew up and spent ample amounts of time with its characters. Aside from Shinji, Asuka is the pilot viewers spend the most time watching, and she arguably suffers through more hardship than any other character in the original show and 1997 film.

Now, fans finally have the chance to experience Asuka’s very own ending, and its light-hearted tone is a perfect, overly sweet send-off to her character. Evangelion is set to return in a new anime written by NieR‘s Yoko Taro, though it’s unknown whether the original cast will star in the series. Should the franchise move on with new characters, the short film should be enough to leave fans satisfied.