Eva 02

Overview

Evangelion Unit-02 is a human-shaped combat machine from the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. Built at NERV's Third Branch in Germany, it serves as the first official production model designed specifically for real combat, establishing the standard specification for subsequent Evangelion units. It is primarily piloted by Asuka Langley Soryu, known as Shikinami Asuka Langley in the Rebuild of Evangelion film series.

Appearance

Unit-02 features predominantly red armor accented with orange highlights, and its head displays four distinct green eyes. In the Rebuild of Evangelion series, its color scheme is slightly modified and short horns are added to the head. Following heavy combat damage across various battles, it undergoes frequent makeshift repairs using external substitute parts, resulting in multiple altered physical forms.

Abilities

Built for actual warfare, Unit-02 is capable of equipping a wide array of armaments, including the cutter-like Progressive Knife PK-02, a positron rifle, a sonic glaive, a smash hawk, and a needle gun. Additionally, it possesses hidden command codes such as The Beast, which purges the unit's limiters to drastically elevate its physical dynamic capability.

Background

Transported to NERV Headquarters from Germany, Unit-02 scored numerous victories against the Angels. However, severe psychological instability in its pilot rendered it inactive late in the television series, leading to its remote manipulation by Kaworu Nagisa. In the film end, it engaged in a desperate final battle against the Strategic Self-Defense Force and the Mass Production Evangelions. It continues to undergo extensive reconfigurations across the Rebuild films and the spin-off novel ANIMA.

Relationships

Its primary pilot is Asuka Langley Soryu (Shikinami Asuka Langley in the Rebuild timeline). In the original animated series, its core houses the soul of Asuka's mother, Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu. Kaworu Nagisa temporarily controlled the machine during Episode 24, while Mari Makinami Illustrious requisitioned and piloted it during an emergency in the Rebuild films.

Trivia

The unit's animation style differs between the television series and the original theatrical film, transitioning from an acrobatic, streamlined depiction to a heavier, more organic bodily motion. It also frequently appears in crossover video game titles such as the Super Robot Taisen series and Granblue Fantasy.