Best Watch Order For Neon Genesis Evangelion | TheReviewGeek Recommends

Neon Genesis Evangelion Watch Order

Neon Genesis Evangelion is an old-school sci-fi series that was somewhat revolutionary (during its release). Where most sci-fi anime revolving around giant robots focused on action and the robots themselves, this one opted to give fans a deep dive into its human characters’ minds. 

This anime is set in a world where humans fight alien-like entities called Angels. Gendo Ikari, the commander of a mysterious organization called NERV, has his forces create giant mechanized piloting robots called Evangelions to combat this threat. 

One day, Gendo invites his son, Shinji, to his organization’s headquarters. Shinji and Gendo don’t have the best relationship and Shinji’s not the most competent boy on the planet either. Nonetheless, Gendo argues Shinji is the only one who can pilot Evangelion Unit 01. 

Although Shinji would rather opt out of this ordeal, he decides to pilot Evangelion Unit 01 for humanity’s sake. Therefore, we’ll examine Shinji’s battle with his inner demons and Angel enemies. 

Whether you’re a first-timer or someone who wants to revisit this thought-provoking sci-fi tale, fear not. This watch order guide will help you get caught up! 

What’s the chronological release date order of Neon Genesis Evangelion?

Many Japanese Animation Studios worked on the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. These include Gainax Studios, Tatsunoko Productions Studios, Production I.G. Studios, Xebec Studios, Kanaban Graphics Studios, and Khara Studios.

Fun fact, Xebec and Kanaban Graphics Studios worked on an ONA based on Neon Genesis Evangelion. That aside, Neon Genesis Evangelion’s anime consists of 1 season, 6 movies,  1 ONA, and 1 OVA. These were all released between 1995 to 2023.

The current chronological release order for Neon Genesis Evangelion is as follows:

What’s the best way to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion?

Considering how long this anime’s been going on, it could be a hassle to choose what to watch first. Nonetheless, below you’ll find the recommended watch order for this anime. We’ll explain why you can skip most of the content above shortly. 

Recommended Order:

1. Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) – Season 1 of the Neon Genesis Evangelion Series
2. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997) – Movie
3. Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (2007) – Movie
4. Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009) – Movie
5. Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012) – Movie
6. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021) – Movie
7. Evangelion: 3.0 (-46h) (2023) – OVA

Is there any content that can be skipped?

There is. You can skip the Petit Eva: Evangelion@School OVA and Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth movie without issue. However, a special case can be made for the Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth film. The “Death” portion of the film recaps Season 1 but draws out certain segments.

The Rebirth portion of the film covers some early material from the Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion film. While some will say yes and others no, fans can skip the Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth movie. If you want to watch that, we’d recommend watching it after Neon Genesis Evangelion Season 1. 

As for the films that were released after Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion film, fans must watch them. They are a part of Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Rebuild-line of works. They serve as reinterpretations of the original series. Some fans argue they are sequels because of the content they contain. 

For Evangelion: 3.0 (-46h), fans should watch that after Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time to avoid confusion. It covers a particular character’s tale that is crucial to that film. But all in all, anime fans should follow the watch order we provided above. 

We’ve covered the Neon Genesis Evangelion series to a degree on TheReviewGeek for a while via an anime list. However, if you want to check out all our content where we mentioned Neon Genesis Evangelion by name, click here. 

Where can I watch Neon Genesis Evangelion?

Neon Genesis Evangelion is available on Netflix outside of Asian territories. The Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion and Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth films are on there too. Unfortunately, none of the Rebuild films are available on the platform yet. 

Fortunately, Amazon Prime Video has the Rebuild films on their platform, including the 1995 series and Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion film. Sadly, it doesn’t offer the Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth movie. Additionally, both streaming platforms don’t have the Evangelion: 3.0 (-46h) OVA. 

Nonetheless, we’d argue it’d be best for fans to experience Neon Genesis Evangelion on Amazon Prime Video since it has more of the required viewings. We’ll update this portion if another streaming outlet offers the material fans must watch. 

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Have you watched all of Neon Genesis Evangelion? Do you have a better watch order than us? Let us know in the comments below!