What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedNeon Genesis Evangelion
Series · 1995
If you loved Neon Genesis Evangelion, start with Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997) — a film from the same story. Below: 3 books, 3 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Neon Genesis Evangelion across media.
What hooked you in Neon Genesis Evangelion was the way the crushing weight of apocalyptic survival forces adolescent trauma to the surface.
Start with the source
Adaptation
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion
Film · 1997
Adaptation
EVANGELION: DEATH (TRUE)²
Film · 2026
Adaptation
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth
Hideaki Anno · Film · 2026
Books on the same thread
Attack on Titan 1
Hajime Isayama · Book · 2012
Explores: Existential dread, Humanity vs. monsters, Political corruption.
Like Neon Genesis Evangelion, this story centers on humanity’s desperate struggle against giant, mysterious invaders, grounding its high-stakes dystopian survival in the visceral, existential dread of its young protagonists.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Hayao Miyazaki · Book · 2004
Shares a thread with Neon Genesis Evangelion: Coming-of-Age.
This narrative mirrors the environmental and psychological gravity of Neon Genesis Evangelion, exploring how a young protagonist navigates the political and existential consequences of a fractured, post-apocalyptic world.
Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card · Book · 2013
Explores: Child Soldiers, Alien Invasion, Moral Ambiguity.
You will recognize the heavy burden placed upon child soldiers in Neon Genesis Evangelion within this story, which focuses on the moral ambiguity and sacrifice of youth during war.
Films on the same thread
Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time
Film · 2021
Shares 3 threads with Neon Genesis Evangelion: Existentialism, Trauma, Mecha.
As the conclusion to the rebuild series, this film directly addresses the unresolved trauma and existential identity crises that defined the original experience of watching Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance
Masayuki · Film · 2009
Explores: Existential Angst, Psychological Trauma, Coming of Age.
This installment deepens the psychological exploration found in Neon Genesis Evangelion, highlighting the intense parental abandonment and existential angst that define the lives of the young Evangelion pilots.
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone
Kazuya Tsurumaki · Film · 2007
Shares 3 threads with Neon Genesis Evangelion: Existentialism, Trauma, Mecha.
This film provides a modernized, focused entry point into the core conflict of Neon Genesis Evangelion, emphasizing the intersection of adolescent trauma and the mechanical defense of humanity.
Podcasts on the same thread
Anime Grind
Podcast
Explores: Personal Growth, Goal Setting, Positive Mindset.
If the persistence of characters in Neon Genesis Evangelion resonated with you, this podcast offers a framework to apply that same level of dedication to your own personal goals.
The Realignment
The Realignment · Podcast · 2026
Explores: institutional change, populism, technological disruption.
The systemic instability and societal shifts explored here echo the dystopian political tensions that serve as the backdrop for the personal psychological battles found in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What order should I watch the Neon Genesis Evangelion movies in?
You should begin with the 1995 Neon Genesis Evangelion television series. Following the series, you can watch the films in the order of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth, Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion, and finally EVANGELION: DEATH (TRUE)².
Is Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion a continuation of the television series?
Yes, Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion serves as a cinematic conclusion to the original 1995 Neon Genesis Evangelion television series. It provides a definitive ending to the story of the bio-mechanical Evangelion weapons and humanity's fight against the returning Angels.
How long is the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series?
The original Neon Genesis Evangelion television series aired in 1995. It details the struggle of humanity using bio-mechanical weapons against the Angels after the remnants of mankind moved underground. The series serves as the foundational source material for the subsequent films like The End of Evangelion.
Are EVANGELION: DEATH (TRUE)² and Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth the same?
No, they are distinct film entries in the franchise. Both are separate movie adaptations released in 2026 that follow the events established in the original 1995 Neon Genesis Evangelion television series, which depicts the apocalyptic return of the Angels and the deployment of the Evangelion units.