Evangelion Unit-02 (Rebuild)

''This article is about the Evangelion from the Rebuild of Evangelion movie series. For the Evangelion from Neon Genesis Evangelion, see Evangelion Unit-02.''

Evangelion Unit-02 (2号機) is an Evangelion unit appearing in Rebuild of Evangelion. It first appears in Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, piloted by Asuka Shikinami Langley, as well as briefly by Mari Makinami Illustrious during the battle against the Tenth Angel.

Profile
Evangelion Production Model-02 (汎用ヒト型決戦兵器 人造人間エヴァンゲリオン 正規実用型 2号機(先行量産型)) is the third Evangelion completed, as well as the first Production Model Evangelion ever made. Unit-02 is also the first Evangelion built specifically for combat against the Angels.

Notable design details will be carried on to the design for the subsequent Eva units, as well as the Unit-00'. The details are the reduced shoulder pylons and the sleeker and simpler chest plate. Unit-02's armor is mainly red, with white and yellow-orange details. The helmet of the unit bears four small green sensors, four nostrils in the middle of its "face" and a crescent-shaped piece on the forehead with four additional nostrils, forming two small horns.

Unit-02 also has a secret code called "The Beast", which is activated by the pilot's voice command. This code gives the unit the ability to shapeshift. Upon shapeshifting, The see-through parts in the Entry Plug turn invisible, and the atmosphere turns red. Unit-02's shoulders and back grows multiple additional released restraints, which are bluish-green cylinders. Unit-02's eyes glow, and the whole body turns into a more bestial look, with some of the armor plates (for example: the chest and torso pieces) merged into the real body of the Unit. Finally, the Unit grows a visible mouth and tongue, with teeth resembling needles. This Unit-02 behaves much bestial than the original, not dissimilar to Unit-01 under the control of the Dummy System.

Critically damaged by the Tenth Angel, it was salvaged.

Features
Due to its status as a "Production Model", Evangelion Unit-02's original capabilities were geared only for direct, conventional combat. As such, while having immense physical capabilities and a potent A.T. Field. As a battle-oriented Evangelion, Unit-02 is shown to be capable of using different equipment fits, like the S-Type Equipment seen during the battle against the Seventh Angel. In addition, the Unit-02 is equipped with two PKN-02.2C Evangelion Custom Close Combat Next Gen Progressive Knife (Unit 02 Special) instead of only one like Unit-01. The shoulder pylons are armed with Evangelion Custom Large Caliber Shortened 6 Shot Nail Gun "Pencil Roc" . The Evangelion is compatible with standard weapons like Type MM-99 209mm AU Assault Rifle, GB-012 Evangelion Custom Electrical Discharge Portable Ordinance "Thunder Spear" or MM-144 Evangelion Custom Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow.

In "The Beast" mode, the strength of the Evangelion has been altered, being able to pierce through multiple layers of the Tenth Angel's A.T. Fields with little effort. The Unit is still able to rip off the Tenth Angel's A.T. Fields one by one despite being severely damaged. However, "The Beast" mode is different from that of Unit-01 as it still relies on the 5-minute internal battery life.

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance
Unit-02 debuts in the second film, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, along with its designated pilot Asuka Shikinami Langley, first battling and elegantly defeating the Seventh Angel using both the S-Type Equipment and the Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow.

Unit-02 is then seen during the battle against the Eighth Angel, deployed alongside Unit-01 and Unit-00. It uses both of its Progressive Knives to destroy the Core of the Angel, killing it in the process. Unit-02 contains the least damage among the three Evas (only sustaining 2.07% damage).

In accordance with the Vatican Treaty, a law stating that no nation can have more than three active Evas. With Unit-03 arriving from North America, Gendo decided Unit-02 would be the mothballed Unit. Unit-02 is then placed into storage under the supervision of the IPEA.

Mari later hijacks Unit-02 to fight the Tenth Angel. Pushing the Eva to the limit, Mari activates Unit-02's Beast Mode which significantly increases its combat ability and gives it a more bestial appearance. However, she is unable to defeat the Angel and Unit-02 is severely damaged, losing its left arm and part of its head.

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon A Time
Evangelion Production Model-02 makes it's last onscreen appearance when Gendo destroys all of the Evangelion Units with the Spear of Gaius piercing Unit-01 and Evangelion 13 to continue the Neon Genesis.

Development
The Evangelion Unit-02 seen in the Rebuild continuity bears several references to the one seen in the Proposal, as it bears two horns. Otherwise, the Unit-02 has more white details than its TV series counterpart.

Trivia

 * According to the designer Takeshi Honda, the shape of the "horns" changed from the series were inspired by Space Battleship Yamato.