Evangelion Unit-01 (Rebuild)

This article is about the Evangelion from the Rebuild of Evangelion film series. For the Evangelion from Neon Genesis Evangelion, see Evangelion Unit-01.

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Evangelion Test Type-01汎用ヒト型決戦兵器 人造人間 エヴァンゲリオン 試験初号機
Model Type	Test Type
Pilot	Shinji Ikari Dummy System
Soul	Yui Ikari
First Appearance	Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone

Evangelion Test Type-01 (エヴァンゲリオン 試験初号機(しげんしょごうき), Evangerion Shiken Shogōki^?) is an Evangelion unit appearing in the Rebuild of Evangelion film series. It was introduced in Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, and was piloted by Shinji Ikari.

Profile

Official name

Multipurpose Humanoid Decisive Weapon, Artificial Human Evangelion Test Type-01 (汎用ヒト型決戦兵器 人造人間エヴァンゲリオン 試験初号機, Hanyō Hitogata Kessen Heiki Jinzō Ningen Evangerion Shiken Shogōki^?, lit. "General-Purpose Humanoid Battle Weapon Android Evangelion Test First Unit")

Evangelion Test Type-01 is the first non-prototype Evangelion unit ever made. While its armor is very similar in structure to the one of the prototype, Evangelion Unit-00, it has several features which make this Evangelion the first to be properly able to battle an enemy.

Unit-01's armor is mainly purple with numerous glowing green details throughout its body. Other components are colored golden yellow, gray and black. The diamond-shaped shoulder parts of the armor also glow. Its distinctive helmet, with its prominent horn and oversized chin, makes the Eva dinosaur-like in appearance, almost evocative of the Ceratopsidae family of dinosaurs.

The Core of the Eva is located of its chest. It is protected by both a dedicated black plate and the chest plates of the armor. The latter's are very different from those seen on any other Eva, while being very reminiscent of the armor of the Unit-00. They have a protrusion on each side of the chest which moves along with the Evangelion, allowing both smooth movements and maximum protection of the Core.

The Unit-01 is also the first Evangelion to be equipped with shoulder pylons. Later Production Models have these much smaller in size.

The humanoid entity beneath the armor has a very light, almost white, skin. Its blood is identified as type "Blue A*", a reference to the Evangelion being derived from Angels.

Features

The Evangelion Unit-01, being a "Test Type" Eva, has numerous features which are in trial stage and, therefore, are seen refined in later Evangelions.

Another feature of the Unit-01, although it is more because of the nature of the soul inside the EVA (i.e. a mother wanting to protect her child), is the Berserk Mode, a mode where the EVA acts independently and without any apparent external power source. However, this feature is only demonstrated once in the battle against the Fourth Angel.

The Unit-01 is also equipped with the Dummy System, or DMYSYS, a special system which makes the Evangelion completely autonomous, and makes the Evangelion behave in a more bestial fashion.

The last of its major features is its ability to awaken. In this form, all of the glowing green details and yellow (with the exception of the neck part) turns red, the Unit-01 gets a halo and its A.T. Field possibilities are greatly enhanced, far beyond the concepts previously seen (as seen when it grows an A.T. Field-made arm to replace its severed left arm). The awakening of the Unit-01 eventually leads up to its transformation into a winged, three-eyed Giant of Light, suspiciously looking like one of the Adams.

Weapons

PKN-01C Progressive Knife

The first feature introduced with the Unit-01 is the Progressive Knife. Stored in its left shoulder pylon is a single PKN-01C Progressive Knife, a close-quarter combat weapon which is folded when stored. It is similar in both design and capabilities to a Evangelion-sized combat knife. The progressive knife is also used only once throughout Rebuild of Evangelion, in the battle against the Fifth Angel.

Type MM-99 209mm AU Assault Rifle

A gigantic rifle.

EM-226 Evangelion Portable Revolving Multi-Barrel Machine Gun

A multi-barrel machine gun used in the battle against the Fifth Angel; the caliber of each bullet is 440mm.

2nd Experimental High Power Self-Propelled 460mm Positron Cannon

Compatibility with the equipments, like the G-Type Equipment, an equipment to better use the Positron Cannon against the Sixth Angel.

History

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone

Unit-01 as it appears in Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone

In Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, the role of Unit-01 in the film is the same as that in the original TV series.

During its fight with the Fourth Angel, an onscreen graphic notes that the Fourth Angel has Blood Type Blue 04 (since it is the fourth Angel) and Unit-01 has blood type Blue A*, likely a reference to the Evangelion units being derived from Angels. The Fifth Angel and the Sixth Angel are identified as having blood types Blue 05 and Blue 06, respectively. During its fight with the Fifth Angel, the skin of the humanoid entity beneath the armor is revealed to be a lighter, more human-like color than in the original TV series.

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Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance

In Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, Shinji continues to be Unit-01's pilot, and overall remains much like the first film. In the battle against the Eighth Angel, Unit-01 sustains the most damage among Unit-00, Unit-01 and Unit-02, with a damage value of 68.4%. The Dummy System is also seen first deployed against the Ninth Angel, making the Unit more animalistic when activated. Finally, during the battle against the Tenth Angel, Unit-01 shows visible rejection actions when Gendo fails multiple times, inserting the Dummy System entry plug into the Evangelion.

By the climax of the film, Unit-01 displays an important amount of changes; first of all entering an "Awakened state" which greatly differs from the "Berserk Mode" used on the TV series in the same scene.

In this state, Unit-01 receives a power similar to the usual restoration ability all Evangelions and Angels seem to have, but to a greater degree, because when Unit-01 restores its arm back (that was cut off by the Tenth Angel's energy beam), it glows with bright light and then turns into A.T. Field-like energy just before it counters the Tenth Angel's attacks and later it returns to its "arm" shape back to the Evangelion.

Close-up on Unit-01's face at the Near Third Impact in Evangelion 2.0

This mode also enhances the Unit´s A.T. 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 A.T. Field and later is used for combat purposes which counters the Tenth Angel's A.T. Field and pushes it 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 save Rei (who was absorbed by the Tenth Angel), Evangelion Unit-01 transcends the boundaries of human condition as stated by Ritsuko that if Shinji keeps on struggling, he may not be able to revert to a human again when she sees the Angel halo forming on Unit-01's head. The synchronization rate between Shinji and Unit-01 at this moment is between (or has exceeded) 250% and 400%.

It is when Unit-01 starts to break through the Tenth Angel's Core that Shinji and Unit-01's 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 start a Third Impact while Shinji fights his way through the Plug Capsule to the Tenth Angel´s Core to find Rei, and 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's Core out of the Tenth Angel's, destroying it and assembling a giant Rei from its remains around it. It then starts to unite with her when Shinji talks to Rei about her intentions of making him happy (not to make him pilot an Eva again) while trying to reunite him with his father.

In the end, Ritsuko states that, since 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 the Spear of Cassius when Mark.06 arrived from the Moon preventing the events to come. Unit-01 returns to its original form.

In the preview scene, Evangelion Unit-01 is said to remain incapacitated since it was pierced by the Spear of Cassius with Rei and Shinji still inside its core.

Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo

Yui willingly being absorbed into Unit-01's Core

Evangelion Unit-01 appears during the first six minutes of Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, trapped inside the Tesseract.

After Asuka screams for help, Unit-01 shoots its eye beams from inside the Tesseract and destroys the Code 4B with ease, staring at Asuka before falling to Earth. During the remainder of the film, the Eva unit is used as the AAA Wunder's energy reactor and as the master of the Wunder, not appearing in visible form but its silhouette can be seen for a few seconds on a computer screen detailing the Wunder schematic with block-shaped restraints on it marked with the number "666".

The Unit-01 is also seen when Fuyutsuki explains to Shinji how his mother, Yui Ayanami, was involved in its creation and completion.

Evangelion Mark.09 attempts to hijack the AAA Wunder to retrieve Unit-01 during the climax of the film.

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon A Time

In Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon A Time Evangelion Unit-01 is first seen when Gendo Ikari attacks the AAA Wunder, its limbs cut and the rest of its body corified. It is later taken by Gendo as he retreats with Evangelion 13 into the Minus Space. Later, Shinji is able to assume control thanks to Rei.

The unit, reactivated, completely repaired by itself and piloted by Shinji, takes a Spear of Longinus which then morphs into a Spear of Cassius as it fights against Evangelion 13. Later during Instrumentality, Unit-01 is almost pierced by the Spear of Gaius before Yui ejects her son, and along with Gendo inside the Evangelion 13, they begins the Neon Genesis, after which both units vanish.

Other Media

Transformers Mode “EVA”

Unit-01 was called into action by Misato to deal with the Angel-possessed Starscream dubbed Angel-scream. The Autobot leader Optimus Prime scans it and takes on its characteristics, size and colors, much to Misato’s surprise. However, Angel-scream would attack both Unit-01 and Optimus Prime with his Null Rays, but the Autobot leader would use himself to shield the EVA from Angel-scream’s Null Rays. It gets disabled in the process, leaving Optimus to face Angel-scream all alone.

Development

Concept design by Ikuto Yamashita

Evangelion Unit-01 remains similar to the its anime counterpart, both in behavior and in design. However, it is more closer to the original color scheme proposed by Ikuto Yamashita for the original TV series back then, bringing back the green armor around the torso, use of red in the chest, shoulders and pylons, the change of coloring in the chest and codpiece for a darker gray. Its design is, however, altered from Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone to Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance: the hexagonal details on the shoulders of Unit-01 are changed to pentagon-shaped details, a extra green stripe in the arms, darker gray in the chest and codpiece and the same design was maintained since in the theatrical film series.

The background song in the scene when Unit-01 brutally attacks the Ninth Angel is called "Kyou no Hi wa Sayounara". Different from "The Beast" in the same scene in the original TV series, the song seems to bring a message which this day is the day that Shinji and Asuka "say goodbye". Indeed, in 2.0, Shinji has not seen Asuka from the battle against the Ninth Angel onwards on screen. Shinji probably has thought that Asuka was killed by Unit-01 when the unit bites through the entry plug (which in reality, Asuka is just severely injured and needs to be quarantined due to the Angel's infection, and is not seen any more in the film). Shinji is outraged by Gendo's use of Unit-01 to "kill" Asuka and prompts Shinji to revenge by first attempting to destroy NERV Headquarters, then swears not to pilot an Evangelion again in front of Gendo. The combination of the ending of the song and the rainbow scene, however, generates a peaceful feeling.

The background music in the climax of Evangelion 2.0: Unit-01's Awakening, is called "Sin from Genesis". this song is a modified version of "The Beast" in the original TV series. The atmosphere created by the new version is more catastrophic, and the pace is also slower. The modifications in tone may correspond to the modifications to Unit-01's awakening state and Shinji's determination to save Rei. The upcoming background song used is called "Tsubasa wo Kudasai" (Please Give Me Wings), which symbolizes Shinji's desire to save Rei.

Photo by minnano EVA-FAN

In 2010, during the Kamakura Bonbori Festival, Hideaki Anno illustrated in his bonbori lantern EVA:01α/TEST・TYPE. The Alpha in this illustration is the only usage of it for Unit-01 so far, since there are no other variations like Unit-02 and Unit-08 which uses it.