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how to watch evangelion in order

To watch Evangelion in order, start with the original TV series and its ending movie, then move on to the Rebuild film series as a separate, alternate retelling. Most guides and fan discussions agree that release order is the best way to experience the story without confusion.

Core watch order (recommended)

This is the straightforward path almost everyone suggests for a first watch.

  1. Neon Genesis Evangelion – TV series, episodes 1–26.
  1. The End of Evangelion – theatrical movie that serves as a darker, alternate ending to the series.
  1. Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone – Rebuild movie 1, a retelling of the early TV episodes with new animation.
  1. Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance – Rebuild movie 2, starts to diverge more from the original story.
  1. Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo – Rebuild movie 3, pushes the story into a very different direction.
  1. Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time – Rebuild movie 4, final conclusion to the Rebuild timeline.

What to skip (or treat as optional)

Some titles are mostly recap and not essential for a first watch.

  • Evangelion: Death & Rebirth / Death(True)²
    • Largely a recap of episodes 1–24 with some new or re-edited scenes.
* The “Rebirth” portion overlaps with the first part of _The End of Evangelion_ , so many guides say you can skip it and go straight from the TV series to _End of Evangelion_.

Simple vs “fancy” watch orders

There are more complicated sequences discussed in forums, but they are not necessary and often just confuse newcomers.

  • Simple (best for first-timers):
    • Episodes 1–26 → The End of Evangelion → Rebuild movies (1.11, 2.22, 3.33, 3.0+1.01).
  • Overcomplicated (usually not recommended):
    • Some people suggest: episodes 1–24 → first half of End of Evangelion → episodes 25–26 → rest of End of Evangelion for a “parallel” experience of the endings.
* Even detailed guides and fan comments tend to call this unnecessary for a first watch.

Release order vs timeline

Most people advise watching in release order rather than trying to patch together some strict internal chronology.

  • The original TV series + End of Evangelion form one complete story.
  • The Rebuild films are essentially a separate, modernized reinterpretation that starts similarly then diverges, so it works best after you know the original.

Quick HTML table version

Here is the recommended order in HTML table form, as requested:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Step</th>
      <th>Title</th>
      <th>Type</th>
      <th>Required?</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>1</td>
      <td>Neon Genesis Evangelion (Episodes 1–26)</td>
      <td>TV series</td>
      <td>Yes</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2</td>
      <td>The End of Evangelion</td>
      <td>Movie</td>
      <td>Yes</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>3</td>
      <td>Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone</td>
      <td>Movie (Rebuild)</td>
      <td>Yes (for Rebuild)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>4</td>
      <td>Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance</td>
      <td>Movie (Rebuild)</td>
      <td>Yes (for Rebuild)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>5</td>
      <td>Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo</td>
      <td>Movie (Rebuild)</td>
      <td>Yes (for Rebuild)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>6</td>
      <td>Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time</td>
      <td>Movie (Rebuild)</td>
      <td>Yes (for Rebuild)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Optional</td>
      <td>Evangelion: Death(True)² / Death &amp; Rebirth</td>
      <td>Recap movie</td>
      <td>Optional</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR:
Watch the 26-episode TV series, then The End of Evangelion , then the four Rebuild films (1.11, 2.22, 3.33, 3.0+1.01); treat Death(True)² / Death & Rebirth as optional recap material.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.