Neon Genesis Evangelion/Recap/Episode 24 The Final Messenger

A young Asuka is running home. She is happy because she has been selected as an Eva pilot and wants to tell it to her mother, believing everything will now be okay. She opens the door to her home, only to discover her mother hanging in a noose from the ceiling. With the sound of a slap, the narrative cuts back to the more recent past, as Shinji angrily and desperately tries to tell Asuka that Kaji is dead and won't be coming back. With a face twisted in utter disbelief she accuses him of lying.

Back in the present, Asuka lies naked in a bathtub in a ruined and abandoned house on the outskirts of Tokyo 3, with her clothes neatly folded on a chair beside her. She weakly mutters that with a synch rate of 0 she has nothing left to live for. A Section 2 agent then enters the ruin and asks, "Are you Asuka Langley Soryu?"

Inside the headquarters, Hyuga gets a phone call about the recovery of Asuka. Misato comments that it is usual for Section 2 to loose track of someone and then being unable to find them for a whole week, and since the finding of Asuka coincide with the arrival of the Fifth Child, she speculates that they did it on purpose.

Back in the apartment, Shinji concludes that there definitely is a connection between Rei, his mother, and the strange presence in Unit 01, but he can't figure out what his father is planing to do with them.

Gendo now appears before Ritsuko in her holding cell. She laments the recent death of one of her cats, but he ignores her condition and ask her why she destroyed the Dummy System. She angrily answers that she "destroyed Rei", and tells him to do "whatever you want with my body!" Gendo coldly states "You disappoint me", and she answers that he had no expectations of her to begin with, before he leaves.

Shinji watches the sunset over the lake that now covers the ruins of Toyko 3. He realizes that he has no one he can talk to. Touji and Kensuke has been evacuated to some place else, he doesn't know where Asuka is, and he finds himself unable to face Misato or Rei, being too scared of both. He then hears someone humming Beethoven's Ode to Joy, and discovers a strange gray haired boy sitting on a chunk of debris nearby. The boy calls song "the greatest achievement of the Lilim culture" and reveals that he already knows who Shinji is. He introduces himself as Kaworu Nagisa, the Fifth Child, and insists right from the get-go that Shinji calls him by his first name. This display of openness makes Shinji blush.

Sitting in her car Hyuga gives Misato what little information he could find on Kaworu. He was send directly by the Committee and his background is just as blank as Rei's, the only thing that is written down is a birthday, the same day as the Second Impact. Misato concludes that he is obviously planing something.

The next day, Kaworu participates in a synchtest. He scores an abnormal high sych rate with Unit 02, even without replacing the core of the Eva, which only raises Misato's suspicion of him.

After the test Kaworu meets up with Rei, who instantly and uncharacteristically becomes suspicious of him. He tells her "You're the same as I am", and refers to the fact that they both have taken the form of Lilim. But apparently Rei doesn't know know what he is talking about. Gendo is informed in his office by Fuyutsuki that Kaworu has made contact with Rei, and that the Magi is working hard to come up with information on him.

Back at the apartment, Misato is alone. He notices that Shinji hasn't returned home, and realizes that she has failed as a guardian.

At the Central Dogma station, Shinji is waiting for Kaworu. Kaworu arrives and aks why he is hanging around, and he tells him that he hasn't felt like going home recently. Kaworu then asks him to accompany him in the showers, where they can talk more. Shinji agrees hesitantly.

Sitting in the public bath, shares his musings on the nature of mankind with Shinji, finding the paradox of people's need for companionship and their fear of getting to close too others interesting, and makes several advances towards him, which shocks and embarrass Shinji, but he doesn't shy away from Kaworu. Kaworu eventually asks him if he want to stay the night at his apartment, and tells him that he holds him in high regard and that he is delicate like glass. Shinji asks what it means, and Kaworu answers: "It means, I love you."

SELEE gathers for another meeting. They have realized that Gendo has turned Nerv against them, and declares that they must get the facility back at any cost.

Gendo talks to Unit 01, he addresses it is as "Yui" and tells her that "our wish will be fulfilled." A shot of his ungloved hand reveals the embryonic Adam fused with his flesh.

Misato tells Pen-Pen that life in Tokyo 3 has gotten too dangerous, and that she will send him to live with Hikari's family.

Inside Kaworu's apartment, Shinji has settled for sleeping on the floor. Kaworu asks if they should switch places, but Shinji tells him that is fine where he is. He starts telling Kaworu about his problems, wondering all the way why he is sharing them with him. Kaworu smiles sincerely, and tells him: "I might have been born to meet you."

The next morning Kaworu goes to the lake shore. Several SEELE monoliths appears and starts briefing him on his mission, telling him that Gendo is trying to acquire the power of God and must be stopped, and that as the spawn of Adam he must remove mankind, the spawn of Lilith, from Earth. Meanwhile Misato spies on the meeting from a mountain some distance away. Unable to see the monoliths, it appears to her as if Kaworu talks to himself. At one point Misato notices that Kaworu looks directly at her, but dismisses the possibility. Meanwhile Kaworu finishes the briefing and laconically comments "All will be as the Lilim direct it."

Misato meets up with Hyuga again. Through data he has stolen off Maya, it is revealed that Kaworu can apparently alter his synchrate as he sees fit. Misato decides that her best possibility for some answers comes from Risuko and visits her in her cell. Risuko warns her that the conversation will be recorded, but she doesn't care and demands answers. Risuko then tells her that the Fifth Child is very possibly the last Angel.

Kaworu now stands in the Eva holding cage. He starts levitating upwards, and comes face to face with Unit 02, and says "Come with me, Adam's alter ego and servant of the Lilim", and the Evas eyes lights up and it starts moving.

Alarms and confusion breaks out in the control room as Unit 02 starts smashing through the barriers down the shaft to Terminal Dogma. It is quickly confirmed that Asuka still lies sedated in the hospital, so it is concluded that the Fifth Child must behind it. A blue pattern is detected, and Gendo and Fuyutsuki are shocked by this, not expecting SEELE to actually send an Angel to the Geofront. Gendo concludes that SEELE is once again trying to advance the prophecy. Meanwhile SEELE expects Gendo to send Unit 01 to solve the problem, and hopes that it will succeed, as it will help their scenario. Gendo tells the personnel that the 17th Angel must be kept out of Terminal Dogma at means necessary.

Shinji now sitting in Unit 01, refuses to believe that Kaworu is an Angel. But Misato tells him that it is the truth and sends him out. Descending down the shaft he curses Kaworu, accusing him of betraying him, just like his father. He catches up with him, and Kaworu starts attacking him with Unit 02. During the fight Kaworu shares more of his musings on mankind and their strong urge to survive, and tells Shinji the nature of AT Field, revealing that humans also generates them, and that is what keeps them separated from each other.

Meanwhile Misato and Hyuga prepare the base for self-destruct, declaring it to be better option than Third Impact.

Down in the shaft Shinji and Kaworu has reached the last barrier to Terminal Dogma. Kaworu then creates the strongest AT Field ever recorded to smash the barrier. This also knocks out electronic equipment in the area out, disabling the self-destruct mechanism. The fighting Evas lands in the pool of LCL at the bottom, while Kaworu continues to move towards his goal. Shinji tries to stop him, but is held back by Unit 02. Kaworu now opens Heavens Door, the last barrier to the room of the crucified giant.

Suddenly an AT Field of equal power to Kaworu appears which channels it out, but it is not a blue pattern. It is revealed to be generated by Rei, who has descended through another shaft.

Kaworu now stand face to face with the crucified giant and identifies it as Adam, wondering if he really wishes to merge with it and destroy all of mankind, before he suddenly realizes that the giant is actually Lilith.

Shinji and Unit 01, having defeated Unit 02, now enters the room. He grabs Kaworu who does not resist. Kaworu thanks Shinji for stopping him, he then explains that it is his "destiny to continue to live, even if it may result in the destruction to humanity", but if Shinji kills him, humankind may go on living. He takes a look up at Rei and smiles before turning back to Shinji explaining that in the end only one form of life can exist on Earth, and tells him to erase him from this world, while thanking him for giving his life meaning. After hesitating for a long time, Shinji obliges with Kaworu's wish and crushes him in Unit 01's hand.

Later Gendo watches as the blood is washed of Unit 01's hand. Rei stands beside him, in the place of Ritsuko.

At the lakeshore, Shinji is in sorrow over the death of Kaworu, telling Misato that he was the only one who ever told him that he loved him. He wishes that Kaworu had survived instead of him. Misato tells him that Kaworu with his wish to die willing gave up his survival and chose a false hope instead, and that Shinji therefore was in his right to kill him. Utterly crush, Shinji asks her "...How can you be so cruel?"