Among the pantheon of influential anime, Hideaki Anno’s Neon Genesis Evangelion stands out as one of the most intricate and compelling. Renowned for its complex narrative, the series delves deep into psychological exploration while entwining religious symbolism, enough to fill the syllabus of a college course. Yet, these elements merely scratch the surface of the multifaceted world of Evangelion.

The franchise extends beyond the original series, spawning an array of related works, most notably the Rebuild of Evangelion films released between 2007 and 2021. Officially, these films are marketed as a reboot, presenting a distinct storyline. However, a particular line in Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone hints at a more intricate connection to the original series, suggesting a reality for protagonist Shinji Ikari that is more astonishing than previously thought.

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone initially mirrors the first six episodes of the original series almost exactly, with scenes recreated and dialogues preserved. Yet, as the film progresses, subtle deviations begin to surface, differentiating it from its predecessor. A notable divergence is the unexpected early appearance of Kaworu Nagisa, a character who originally does not appear until the 24th episode of the series.

Kaworu’s Easy-to-Miss Line in The First Rebuild Suggests a Strange Reality

For the most part, Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone is a shot-for-shot remake of Neon Genesis Evangelion‘s first six episodes, with even the dialogue of most scenes largely remaining the same. However, in the film’s second half, several differences start to emerge that distinguish its narrative from the original series, including a surprise appearance from Kaworu Nagisa, who doesn’t appear until Episode 24 of the original series.

In his cinematic debut, Kaworu emerges from one of several mysterious coffins on Earth’s Moon, at which point he utters a line that brings the entire timeline of the Evangelion franchise into question. Rather than awaiting orders or acting with the same level of dramatic irony as he did in the original Neon Genesis Evangelion, Kaworu looks toward Earth fondly before uttering:

Although Kaworu doesn’t explicitly name Shinji Ikari (the only character to be called the Third Child in the franchise), the Angel clearly evidences a level of familiarity with both Shinji and his general circumstances that exceeds what should be possible. Admittedly, the Angels are capable of inconceivable feats, but given Kaworu’s human presentation, it seems more like he awoke with knowledge of Shinji than he used abilities to deduce the state of affairs on Earth.

Perhaps even more interestingly, Kaworu’s language — specifically, his use of the words “again” and the phrase “You never change” — suggests that he has memories of Shinji Ikari that predate the events of the first Rebuild film. For this to be true, Kaworu would need to have experienced the story of Evangelion at least once before, and as hard as this may be to believe, there are several hints that suggest this may actually be the case.

Kaworu’s Dialogue Suggests That the Rebuild Films Are a Direct Sequel to NGE

Although the Evangelion franchise’s Rebuild films are often labeled as a reboot of the original franchise, nothing in the canon states that this has to be the case. In fact, there are plenty of hints that suggest the Rebuild films take place after the events of NGE and End of Evangelion, including the aforementioned quote by Kaworu during the events of Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone.

On the note of Kaworu Nagisa, this isn’t the only time that the Angel utters a line suggesting he remembers his experience in the original Neon Genesis Evangelion. During Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, Kaworu prepares for the potential lead-up to the Third Impact, leading him to say:

Again, Kaworu’s language suggests that this is not his first time experiencing these events, eliminating all possibility that his similar quote in the first Rebuild film was a case of unclear language or strange phrasing. Against all odds, it seems as though Kaworu is as cognisant of the fact that his story has restarted as the audience — a theory that is backed up by several other details throughout the Rebuild movies.

In addition to Kaworu’s line, chalk outlines of the Mass Produced EVAs and the bloodstain on the Moon that appear in End of Evangelion can be observed in the events of the Rebuild franchise. All these details combined suggest a causal relationship between the core NGE story and the “reboot” Rebuild films, making them more of a direct sequel than fans expected going into the franchise.

While the implications of these timeline/timeloop shenanigans are incredibly complex, they do create a fascinating throughline between the events of Shinji Ikari’s winding journey. By the conclusion of Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, the pilot of EVA-01 has learned everything he can from his experiences in the Rebuild films — and, if Kaworu is to be believed, also the events of NGE and EoE.