Evangelion watch order: the TV series, The End of Evangelion and the Rebuild films

When to watch The End of Evangelion

Watch it after all 26 TV episodes. The film picks up after episode 24 and ends the story differently from episodes 25 and 26 ^{Wikipedia, Japanese Wikipedia}. GKIDS, which distributes it in North America, says it "was created as an alternative ending to the NEON GENESIS EVANGELION TV series, remaking the final two episodes" ^GKIDS.

Anime News Network's review of the Netflix release says the "ending feels abrupt without End of Evangelion to accompany it" ^{ANN, 2019}. The film came out in Japan on July 19, 1997, and runs 87 minutes.

The director's cut of episodes 21 to 24

Longer versions of episodes 21 to 24 were made for the 1998 Japanese home-video release; in English they're known as the "Director's Cut". They add scenes such as Fuyutsuki's past with Yui in episode 21 ^Wikipedia. Some of the new footage had already appeared in the film Death ^Wikipedia.

On the Japanese tapes and laserdiscs, these four episodes led straight into the two halves of The End of Evangelion, released as episodes 25 and 26 ^{official Blu-ray page}. Either version works, since the longer cuts only add scenes within those four episodes.

Death & Rebirth and Death (True)²: can you skip them?

Yes, if you have seen the series. Neither film adds anything to the story.

Death & Rebirth opened in Japan on March 15, 1997, four months before The End of Evangelion. Death (True)² followed in 1998 as the first half of Revival of Evangelion, whose second half was the finished End of Evangelion ^{Wikipedia, Japanese Wikipedia}.

Rebuild of Evangelion: remake or sequel?

Neither, according to Khara. The official site for the first film says the Rebuild series "is neither a renewal, a remake nor a sequel" ^{official 1.0 site}. Hideaki Anno called the four films "4 new retellings" of the story and said he wanted them to be something "people who have never seen Evangelion can easily adjust to" ^{ANN, 2007}.

1.0 follows the first six episodes closely ^Wikipedia. 2.0 brings in a new pilot, Mari, and from there the story goes its own way ^{official 2.0 site}. 3.0 opens 14 years after the Third Impact ^ANN, and 3.0+1.0 ends the series. You can start with Rebuild, but watching the TV series first is still the better route, because the later films build on it.

Each Rebuild film has several numbered versions. Khara updates the number with each regrade or re-edit, so 1.11, 2.22, 3.333 and 3.0+1.11 are the latest home-video cuts of the four films ^{official version list}. The running times on this page are for those versions.

Evangelion movies in order

All seven films by Japanese release date. The two recap films are optional.

Optional shorts

None of these is part of the main story. Watch them after the films if you want more.

Is there a new Evangelion series?

Yes. Khara announced a brand-new Evangelion series on February 23, 2026, at the close of the franchise's 30th anniversary festival. Yoko Taro, the creator of NieR, is writing it, Kazuya Tsurumaki and Toko Yatabe are directing, and Khara is making it with CloverWorks ^{official announcement, ANN}. As of October 25, 2026, it has no title, format or release date ^{official news}.

Where to watch Evangelion

• The TV series, The End of Evangelion and Death (True)² are on Netflix in the US and the UK, and on the Criterion Channel in the US (JustWatch US, JustWatch UK, checked October 25, 2026). The Criterion Channel added all three on September 1, 2026 ^ANN.
• Netflix announced the deal in November 2018, ending years in which the series was out of print in North America after ADV Films shut down in 2009 ^ANN. Its 2019 release has a new English dub and translation, which ANN's reviewer called "a marked improvement" over the old ADV dub ^{ANN review}.
• The Rebuild films are on neither Netflix nor the Criterion Channel. Prime Video streamed all four starting in August 2021 ^ANN, and in July 2026 they were listed as expiring within 30 days ^{AnimeBlurayUK}. On October 25, 2026, JustWatch still listed 2.0 on Prime Video in the US but had 3.0+1.0 only to rent or buy there, and listed 3.0+1.0 as unavailable in the UK ^{2.0 US, 3.0+1.0 US, 3.0+1.0 UK}.

The Evangelion manga

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the series' character designer, drew a manga version that began before the TV broadcast and ran until 2013, collected in 14 volumes ^{Wikipedia, Japanese Wikipedia}. It is his own take on the story, not the source of the anime: VIZ Media, its English publisher, calls it "Sadamoto's personal interpretation of the Evangelion characters and story" ^VIZ. Its last arc follows The End of Evangelion broadly but has its own ending. VIZ publishes all 14 volumes in English and a five-book omnibus edition.

How long is Evangelion?

Leaving out the recap films and shorts, the TV series, The End of Evangelion and the four Rebuild films add up to about 19 hours. The TV figure comes from Japanese Blu-ray listings, around 23.5 minutes an episode; the films use their official running times.

Evangelion questions

What order should I watch Evangelion in?

Watch the 26 TV episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion, then The End of Evangelion, then the four Rebuild films from 1.0 to 3.0+1.0. That comes to about 19 hours, and you can skip the recap films Death & Rebirth and Death (True)².

Do you watch The End of Evangelion after episode 26?

Watch it after the whole series, but it continues from episode 24. It is a second ending that replaces what happens in episodes 25 and 26, and GKIDS, the North American distributor, calls it an alternative ending that remakes the final two episodes.

Is Rebuild of Evangelion a remake or a sequel?

Khara, the studio behind it, says Rebuild is neither a remake nor a sequel. The four films retell the story from the start with new animation, and from 2.0 on the plot goes its own way.

Can you watch the Rebuild films without seeing the TV series?

Yes. Hideaki Anno said in 2007 that the films were meant for people who have never seen Evangelion. The later films play against what happens in the TV series, so watching it first is still the better route.

Is there a new Evangelion series?

Yes. Khara announced a new Evangelion series on February 23, 2026, written by Yoko Taro and directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki and Toko Yatabe. As of October 25, 2026, it has no title, format or release date.