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Evangelion Unit-01 (Shogōki: 初号機) is the first non-prototype EVA unit, and is referred to as the "Test Type". It houses the soul of Shinji's mother, Yui Ikari. It is the only EVA to be born from Lilith. Following its going berserker and eating of Zeruel's S² Engine, it was the only Evangelion able to go without umbilical cable until the construction of the Mass Production Evangelions.
Overview
Created in the Third Annex of Gehirn's Artificial Evolution Laboratory in Hakone from 2003 to 2004 and deemed a functional Eva unit in 2014, Unit-01 is piloted by Shinji Ikari (with Rei Ayanami or a Rei dummy plug as backup pilots), and has the best battle record of all the Evangelions. It frequently acts independently (the "berserker" mode), without the instructions of a pilot and without any apparent power source. The Eva will also take action to protect its pilot while sometimes servicing other interests. The Eva's resident soul, Yui Ikari (Shinji's mother), appears to be responsible for such events. Unit-01 is called the "Test Type", perhaps because of the experimental way in which it was created: although Unit-01 seems to be an Adam-derived cybernetic organism like all other Evangelions, it is the sole Eva to have been born from Lilith.
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Evangelion Unit-01's hand exposed
Upon savagely disfiguring the fourteenth Angel, Zeruel, it proceeded to devour the Angel and assimilated its S² Engine, making Unit-01 the first physically complete Evangelion prior to the construction of the Mass Production units. The S² Engine seems to be used only at Unit-01's discretion; after acquiring it, the Eva is still sent into battle with an umbilical cable. Just before Unit-01 absorbed the S² Engine, it used one of Zeruel's arms to regenerate its severed left arm, demonstrating the Angelic ability of regeneration. The Mass Production models were also equipped with NERV-developed S² Engines but it is a common misconception that they also have the ability to regenerate (see entry below).
Unit-01's armor is primarily purple; some components are colored neon green, light blue, orange, and black. The helmet, with its prominent horn and "frill", is vaguely evocative of a ceratopsid dinosaur. The pectoral plates are different from those seen on any other Eva. The humanoid entity beneath the armor has light brown skin, two emerald-green eyes, four small nostrils positioned preorbitally, and red blood.
As a result of Third Impact, at the conclusion of The End of Evangelion, Unit-01 is left floating adrift in space, fossilized and still containing the soul of Yui Ikari, where it will outlast the sun and moon, as an eternal testament that the human race existed.
Rebuild of Evangelion
In the Rebuild of Evangelion series, Unit-01 has more neon green highlights on the head, chest, abdomen, and arms. The knife and its storage mechanism are also redesigned, but most of the armor has not changed. During its fight with Sachiel, an onscreen graphic notes that Sachiel has Blood Type Blue 04 (since it is the fourth Angel) and Unit-01 has blood type Blue A*, likely a reference to the Eva units being derived from Angels. Shamshel and Ramiel are identified as having blood types Blue 05 and Blue 06, respectively. During its fight with Shamshel, the skin of the humanoid entity beneath the armor is revealed to a lighter color than in the series.
On the second film Shinji continues to be Unit-01 pilot, and overall remains much like the first movie however by the climax of the film, Unit-01 displays a slight but important amount of changes; first of all entering a "God Mode" which greatly differs from the "Berserk Mode" used on the series in the same scene.
In "God Mode", Unit-01 recibes a power similar to the usual restoration ability all EVAs and Angels seem to have, but to a greater degree, because when Unit-01 restores its arm back (that was cut by Zeruel energy beam), it glows with bright light and then it turns into AT Field like energy just before it counters Zeruel attacks and later it return to it "arm" shape back to the Evangelion.
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Close-up on Unit-01's face at Near Third Impact in Evangelion 2.0.
This mode also enhances the Unit´s AT Field far beyond the concept treated so far in that when used, it blocks a larger area of protection, almost the entire HQ is defended by this AT Field and later is used for combat purposes which counters Zeruel AT Field and pushes it away several miles away. Another boost of power is that Unit-01 is capable of is performing energy beams through its eyes much like other Angels, but in comparison the beams seem to have more catastrophic results.
Lastly due to Shinji´s desperate desire to be with Rei (who was absorbed by the Angel), Evangelion 01 transcends the boundaries of human condition as stated by Ritsuko that if Shinji keeps on struggling, their humanity will disappear when she sees the Angel halo forming on Unit-01 head.
It's when Unit-01 starts to break through Zeruel´s Core that Shinji and Unit-01 halo turns into a large black hole like ellipse where all forms of matter in the world resides and meld in a form of condensed energy, these boundaries are broken in order to fulfill Shinji´s wishes. These elements starts a Third Impact while Shinji fights his way through the Plug Capsule to Zeruel´s Core to find Rei, this makes Unit-01 break its chest plate revealing its core and eight energy wings sprout out of the Core. As Shinji and Rei are reunited, Unit-01 takes Unit-00 core out of Zeruel's, destroying it and assembling a giant Rei from its remains around it and starts to merge with her when Shinji talks to Rei about her intentions of making him happy while trying to reunite him with his father.
In the end, Ritsuko states that now that the wish of Shinji is fulfilled at the cost of all human life, the Third Impact will begin. However, Unit-01 is pierced from its back to the chest by a Spear when Mark.06 arrived from the moon preventing the events to come.
In the Evangelion 3.0 trailer Evangelion 01 remains incapacitated since it was pierced by the Lance of Longinus with Rei and Shinji still inside its core.
Trivia
- The howl of the Unit-01 is actually the voice of Megumi Hayashibara, Yui Ikari's seiyū, pitched-down.