Bardiel

Overview

Bardiel is an Angel appearing in the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, designated as the Thirteenth Angel in the original animated television series, the Eighth Angel in the manga adaptation, and the Ninth Angel in Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance. Characterized as a parasitic organism with a microscopic, slime-mold-like structure, it infects Evangelion Unit-03 during an activation test in Matsushiro, completely hijacking both the mecha and its pilot to attack NERV.

Appearance

Bardiel's true form is an indistinct, slime-mold-like entity. In action, it manifests by hijacking Evangelion Unit-03, taking on the visual appearance of the mecha itself. During combat, it mutates Unit-03 by stretching its arms to extraordinary lengths roughly equal to the mecha's height and secretes a sticky white infectious fluid across its surface. In later events, a surviving remnant resides within Shikinami Asuka Langley's left eye, kept dormant beneath an eyepatch fitted with an Angel-sealing hex pillar.

Personality

Lacking human emotions or verbal communication, Bardiel operates through relentless parasitic and predatory instincts. It exhibits opportunistic covertness, remaining completely undetected during aerial transport and waiting for the activation experiment to awaken. Once active, it attacks opposing Evangelion units with ruthless aggression, attempting to contaminate or strangle them without hesitation.

Abilities

As a parasitic organism, Bardiel can infect physical matter, alter its properties, and enhance the physical capabilities of biological host bodies. Upon infiltrating Evangelion Unit-03, it takes absolute control of the unit and its entry plug. In battle, it extends Unit-03's arms over vast distances to execute surprise attacks from beneath the ground. Additionally, it secretes a sticky white infectious liquid capable of corroding and contaminating opposing Evangelions. It also possesses the ability to remain dormant within a host organism for extended periods.

Background

Infiltrating Evangelion Unit-03 during its transport from NERV's American branch, Bardiel awakens during a startup test at Matsushiro in Nagano Prefecture, causing a massive explosion and seizing control of the unit. It swiftly overpowers both Unit-00 and Unit-02 before targeting Unit-01. When Shinji Ikari refuses to strike back, Gendo Ikari activates the Dummy Plug system, whereupon an automated Unit-01 brutally dismembers Unit-03 and destroys the Angel. In the Rebuild of Evangelion films, where Shikinami Asuka Langley pilots Unit-03, a fragment of Bardiel survives inside Asuka's left eye until its seal is removed in Evangelion: 3.0+1.0, where Gendo Ikari exploits it to trigger Human Instrumentality.

Relationships

In the television series and manga, Toji Suzuhara is the pilot of Unit-03 who becomes trapped inside the entry plug upon Bardiel's takeover. In the Rebuild of Evangelion films, Shikinami Asuka Langley fills this role, suffering contamination and subsequently retaining a remnant of the Angel inside her left eye. During combat, Bardiel disables Rei Ayanami's Unit-00 by infecting its arm and nearly chokes Shinji Ikari's Unit-01, before being brutally destroyed by Unit-01 under the command of Gendo Ikari via the Dummy System.

Trivia

Bardiel takes its name from the Judeo-Christian angel of hail and mist, often identified with Barakiel, meaning 'lightning of God.' In Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, the violent destruction of the infected Unit-03 is famously paired with the gentle children's song 'Kyou no Hi wa Sayounara' sung by Megumi Hayashibara, creating a chilling contrast that resonated deeply with viewers. Notably, both its TV series designation as the Thirteenth Angel and its Rebuild designation as the Ninth Angel feature numbers traditionally viewed as bad omens.