Bardiel

''This article is about the character from Neon Genesis Evangelion. For the character from the Rebuild of Evangelion movie series, see Ninth Angel.''

Bardiel (バルディエル) (Hebrew: ברדאל) is the 13th Angel, which infects and takes over Evangelion Unit-03. Although not considered one of the strongest Angels, Bardiel has a significant impact on the main cast, specifically Shinji, due to its actions causing NERV to make Unit-01 destroy it and leave Shinji, almost killing Toji (in the manga, actually resulting in Toji's death).

Profile
The form that Bardiel originally took, when it was hiding in a thundercloud, is not seen but is assumed to be similar to the fungus-like growth on Unit-03. Somewhat similar to Ireul's control over the Simulation Bodies, the fungus-like Bardiel-infection spread into the Evangelion's systems, revealing itself when Unit-03 was activated at the secondary NERV testing facility at Matsushiro. The infected Eva set off an explosion, partially destroying the base, and then proceeded towards Tokyo-3.

Bardiel is capable of spreading its infection beyond the Eva under its control, such as when it tried to spread to Unit-00 by seeping infected ooze out of Unit-03's arm. The presence of the Entry Plug and/or the Pilot seems to be necessary for the Angel to effectively control an Evangelion, since Bardiel physically prevented the Entry Plug from being ejected. That the Dummy System-controlled Unit-01 went specifically for the Entry Plug (which bled after being crushed) implies that a substantial portion of the Angel, presumably the portion of the Angel in control of the Eva, was located within the Entry Plug - the theory is further supported in Evangelion 2.0 when NERV systems identify the substance around the Entry Plug as "Core-like". Whether or not Bardiel had direct contact with Toji Suzuhara is not directly stated, although probable (in the Manga, it is actually shown that Toji was directly infected by the Angel).

Bardiel is shown to be capable of mutating its host Eva, shown both with Unit-03's ability to leak infectious ooze and extend its arms to amazing lengths, instantaneously increasing them to nearly twice as long as an Evangelion is tall.

History
Unit-00, Unit-01 and Unit-02 were all deployed against the infected Unit-03, which was now re-classified as the 13th Angel. Bardiel succeeded in attacking and incapacitating Unit-02 when Asuka was distracted. Unit-00 succeeded in gaining a position from which it could attack from behind, but Rei hesitated to fire and possibly kill Toji, who was still trapped inside the infected Eva's entry plug. Her hesitation allowed the Angel to react to Unit-00's presence by making the infected Eva backflip and pin Unit-00 to the ground. The Bardiel-infection then began oozing out of Unit-03's arm and onto Unit-00's left arm, in an attempt to spread the infection. However, NERV acted quickly and remotely severed its left arm with internal explosive charges, leaving the still-synchronized Rei writhing in pain. Bardiel did not press its attack on the downed Unit-00 and continued to advance.

Bardiel then encountered Unit-01. With Shinji totally unwilling to fight and risk killing the human pilot trapped inside Unit-03, the infected Eva attacked Unit-01, knocking it down on its back before extending its mutated arms to strangle Unit-01. Pinned against a mountain, with Shinji refusing to fight despite being in danger of being killed himself, Gendo Ikari ordered that pilot control over Unit-01 be cut and the Dummy System be activated. Under the Dummy System's control, Unit-01 reached berserk-like power levels and strangled the Angel-infected Eva in turn, breaking Unit-03's neck in little time. With Bardiel's host body crippled, the Angel was no longer capable of physical attack. The crippled Eva was thrown to the ground, its skull smashed in and its body ripped apart, until the infected Eva's entry plug was crushed, and along with it, the last of Bardiel.

Trivia

 * The lightning display in the thundercloud as well as the similarity of Toji's usual attire to Bardiel's host body, Unit-03, foreshadows (along with just about every other hint) that he is to be the pilot and that he will be in grave danger.
 * Bardiel is named after the angel of fog in Christian mythology; fittingly, it first appears in a cloud and its true form (outside of a possessed Eva unit) is never seen.
 * Bardiel's status as the Thirteenth Angel in the original anime may reference the superstition of thirteen being an unlucky number; Bardiel's possession of Unit-03 and the aftermath of its battle (Shinji indirectly maiming Toji through the Dummy Plug) marks the beginning of a series of increasingly traumatizing events that drive most of the characters to near-insanity and facilitate the Third Impact.

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