Neon Genesis Evangelion

Season 1 Episode 24

The Beginning and the End, or "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"

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Episode Summary

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The Beginning and the End, or "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
AIRED:
Shinji is depressed over the ruin of Tokyo-3 and all his friends who have left. A boy appears nearby who reveals himself to be Kaworu, the fifth Child. They become close friends as Kaworu excels at synch ration tests. But as suspected, Kaworu is the final Angel and takes control of Unit-02, with Shinji as the only one who can save humanity from being destroyed.moreless
FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (3)

SUBMIT REVIEW

  • *Spoiler* Here you see a mysterious new pilot appear, asuka has mental breakdown because of her mother. Rei is just a dummy, and Shinji must learn to cope.

    9.8
    By rapzin, Jul 31, 2007
    At the beginning of the episode, Asuka is running to her mother excited about the fact that she is the first Eva pilot, but then she sees her mother hanging from the celling. After that, Asuka is shown taking a bath at a building torn apart by the last angel attack. After they loose Rei's Eva when she self-destructed it and now Asuka, because her mental breakdown, makes her synch rate low not allowing her to synchronize with the eva needs a new pilot. Unexpected Seele sends in a new pilot immediately, Kawarou. Kawarou can alter his synch rate to his pleasing and later we find out that he is in fact the last angel. Before knowing this he grows close to Shinji trying to make him understand life and decisions, but Shinji confuses that for love not knowing what it feels like to be consoled. Shinji learns that Kawarou is an angel and they have the final showdown in the Evas. Kawarou tells Shinji to kill him as the human race are the ones that should live on. After a minute pause Shinji finally crushes Kawarou ending the threat of the angels.moreless

  • Great Job All-Round

    10
    By princess_asuka, Apr 11, 2007
    Personally, this epsiode took Evangelion to a whole new level for me. emotion played a great deal in this epsiode. the music even made it even better. the script and voice actors did a great job. though it lacks on my fav character (Asuka), shinji proved to me that he was a man, not a spin-less little boy. Kaworu was also a favourite of mine. he's mannerism and attitude towards life made him different from rei, who is also quiet quirky. this epsiode of neon genesis evangelion was most properly the best and far more impatical than others. great all-round job.moreless

  • "Will you be my friend?"...some of the greatest words one can ever receive in his life.

    9.5
    By ZaleIsBackAgain, Aug 15, 2005
    SEELE has sent NERV a replacement pilot in Kaoru. Both Kaoru and Shinji meet when Shinji was reflecting. They both instantly became bestfriends, and Kaoru's behaviour towards him is quite odd; it's as if he had known Shinji for so long, which makes Shinji very happy. Though when they had their daily harmonics test, everyone was suspicious that Kaoru was able to have such a high ratio shortly after his arrival. They then mention that Angels are able to increase their ratio at their will, and discover Kaoru is actually the last Angel! With his immense powers as an Angel, he's able to control Asuka's EVA in order to protect himself from Shinji. When Shinji tries piercing his claws at Kaoru, he was shocked to find an AT field protecting him. Kaoru then tells him that every living being has an AT field, and it's the only thing that keeps the soul and body together.



    While Shinji and EVA unit 02 are duking it out, Kaoru proceeded towards Adam in order to initiate third impact. Though to his surprise, the Angel mistaken as Adam within NERV's basement was really Lilith, the second angel! Kaoru then ponders for a couple more seconds, and realizes the true nature of humanity. Shinji was just finishing it up with the EVA, and easily snatched Kaoru within his angry first. But Kaoru requested from Shinji to kill him, and threatened that if he didn't, the human race will cease to exist. However, Shinji thought carefully for a second, because in reality, even though he just met him, he loved Kaoru as a friend, and didn't want his only bestfriend within his life to be killed from his hands. Though he did so anyways after a while of pondering.



    This is one of my favourite episodes throughout the series. When Shinji's loneliness was about to reach its peak, a bestfriend rolls within his life. Even though they hardly know each other, Shinji gladly accepted him. Kaoru even told Shinji he liked him, which was the first time anyone has ever told this to Shinji. I was really confident Kaoru would have been part of the Evangelion team, but sadly, he fell victim to Shinji's might palm, and realized the nature of those who he tries to kill. This is the last best episode in the series, seeing as the next two are disappointments that can make you go physchologically insane or depressed.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

Allison Keith-Shipp

Allison Keith-Shipp

Misato Katsuragi
Amanda Winn Lee

Amanda Winn Lee

Rei Ayanami
Guil Lunde

Guil Lunde

Kouzou Fuyutsuki (I)
Kendra Benham

Kendra Benham

Maya Ibuki (I)
Kyle Sturdivant

Kyle Sturdivant

Kaworu Nagisa (I)
Matt Greenfield

Matt Greenfield

Makoto Hyuga (I)
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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

Rick Peeples

Rick Peeples

Keel Lorenz

Guest Star

Yvonne Aguirre

Yvonne Aguirre

Additional Voice

Guest Star

Erin Rosaire

Erin Rosaire

Additional Voice

Guest Star

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (3)

    • Scenes added to the Director's Cut:

      - All voice-overs redone.
      - Shinji tells Asuka that Kaji is dead.
      - Kaworu's talk with Rei is expanded upon.
      - Gendō's talk with EVA Unit 01 is expanded upon.
      - Kaworu talks with the SEELE council (Misato is viewing Kaworu "talking to himself" through binoculars).
      - Lillith given legs (which was added to the Director's Cut of episode 22 - "Don't Be."

    • After Kaworu begins to breaks through the armour plating with EVA Unit 02, a computer screen shows that the EVA has broken through the 14th armour plating. Above the large numbers, the word partition is spelled incorrectly as partintion.

    • Kaworu reveals that the Angel which NERV holds captive, previously referred to as Adam (the First Angel), is in fact Lilith (the Second Angel). More information.

  • QUOTES (3)

    • (Units 01 and 02 battle hand-to-hand with prog knives in hand, Unit-02 sends Unit-01's knife at Kaworu)
      Shinji: (shocked) You got your own AT field?!
      Kaworu: Yes, or at least, that is what you Lilim call this thing. This is the light of my soul, a sacred territory in which no one may intrude. Don't you Lilim realize that your so-called AT field is merely that wall that encloses your mind!

    • Kaworu: (to Shinji)I'm saying that I love you.

    • Shinji: I have to go to bed now.
      Kaworu: With me?

  • NOTES (3)

  • ALLUSIONS (3)

    • "Und der Cherub steht vor Gott.": Notice that when Kaworu deactivates the lock on Heaven's Door by looking at it, the chorus singing the Ode To Joy has reached the recapitulation of the stanza "Und der Cherub steht vor Gott." This can be translated into English as "and the angel that stands before God," substituting angel for cherub. At that moment, an Angel, Kaworu, having opened the door to Heaven, is standing before what he expects to be "God."

    • Kaworu refers to humans as "Lilim." In Jewish folklore, the Lilim are the messengers of death and deceit, apropos for humanity in general.

    • The music featured in the climactic scene of this episode is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Fourth Movement, "the greatest achievement of the Lilim culture".

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Season 1 Episodes

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Ep 31
Revival of Evangelion
Ep 28
The End of Evangelion
Ep 27
Death & Rebirth
Ep 26
Take care of yourself.
Ep 25
Do you love me?
Ep 24
The Beginning and the E...
Ep 23
Rei III
Ep 22
Don't Be.
Ep 21
He was aware that he wa...
Ep 20
WEAVING A STORY 2: oral...
Ep 19
INTROJECTION
Ep 18
AMBIVALENCE
Ep 17
FOURTH CHILDREN
Ep 16
Splitting of the Breast
Ep 15
Those women longed for ...
Ep 14
WEAVING A STORY
Ep 13
LILLIPUTIAN HITCHER
Ep 12
She said, "Don't make o...
Ep 11
The Day Tokyo-3 Stood S...
Ep 10
MAGMADIVER
Ep 9
Both of You, Dance Like...
Ep 8
ASUKA STRIKES!
Ep 7
A HUMAN WORK
Ep 6
Rei II
Ep 5
Rei I
Ep 4
Hedgehog's Dilemma
 more

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