How to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion in order: Anime series and movies

Evangelion always stood out from other anime by its complicated interpretations of Japanese and Western ideology, and integration of biblical references. That said, the impassioned multi-layered storytelling seems to have also gone into a release of peculiarly titled films that have come out since the original series aired – making it all a little tough to follow for newcomers as to what's canon and what isn't.

Thankfully, this quick and easy guide will how to watch the whole of Neon Genesis Evangelion in chronological order.

How to watch Evangelion in order

From the original 1995 anime to the various numbered movies, the right chronological order to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion in is as follows:

1. Neon Genesis Evangelion (episodes 1-26)
2. Evangelion: Death(True)²/ Death and Rebirth
3. The End of Evangelion
4. Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone
5. Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance
6. Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo
7. Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time

The initial Neon Genesis Evangelion series, available on Netflix, tells the whole original story as expected, followed by the Death movie retelling events with some new scenes drawn in. Responding to the controversy of the anime's final two episodes, The End of Evangelion was made as a feature-length remake to the final chapter of the story.

Evangelion: Death(true)2 is essentially the same as Death and Rebirth — both being recaps of the anime with those new scenes, so you don't have to worry about getting anything mixed up between the two. Although, Death(true)2 is the only version available on Netflix.

Later on, starting from the late 2000s, the numbered "Rebuild" Evangelion movies started coming out. Titled with numbers 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.0+1.0, these are essentially modern retellings of the original series by Evangelion's creator, Hideaki Anno.

The additionally confusing part though, is that those films had their titular numbers tweaked again on home release to reflect them being extended director's cuts: 1.11, 2.22, 3.33, and 3.0+1.01 respectively.

What Evangelion episodes or movies are filler?

While we believe none of the episodes from the anime are skippable filler, the Evangelion: Death(True)² movie is optional viewing in our opinion. Although the film features some new scenes along with a recap of the series' events, anything new ends up being covered in The End of Evangelion anyway.

The Death film is still on Netflix anyway if you feel like giving it a try to get your own opinion, but don't feel like you need to watch it if you're operating on limited time.

How to watch Evangelion in the UK

To start your chronological watch, all 26 episodes of the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime, the Evangelion: Death (True)² film, and The End of Evangelion film can all be watched on Netflix.

Back in late 2018 and 2019, respectively, Netflix acquired the worldwide rights for streaming the series and both movies, so it's likely that will be the only streaming service for the foreseeable future where you can watch them legally. Keep in mind, though, the English version of the show is a newer dub made especially for Netflix, with the original by ADV Films not being available.

Interestingly, the numbered 1.11, 2.22, 3.33, and 3.0+1.01 Rebuild of Evangelion movies are available to watch on Amazon Prime Video, not being involved in Netflix's exclusivity deal. While it might be frustrating that you need to access two different streaming services to access all of an anime franchise to watch it in the right order, the newer Evangelion films can at least be currently viewed at no extra cost if you have an Amazon Prime membership.

Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find out what else is on.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10, PLUS a £10 John Lewis and Partners voucher delivered to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.