Second Impact

Lore & Background

In the aftermath, the United Nations scrambled to maintain order while secret factions like SEELE maneuvered behind the scenes. The disaster accelerated technological development, specifically in bio-weaponry and energy sources derived from the entity's remains. This led directly to the creation of the Evangelion units and the establishment of NERV as a paramilitary force. For those who lived through it, Second Impact became known simply as 'The Day' or 'The Catastrophe,' haunting survivors with memories of fire rising from the frozen south.

Reader's Guide

Secret organizations like SEELE gain influence by controlling information about the entity's nature and its connection to Angels. The Ikari family becomes deeply involved in containment efforts, leading to the development of Evangelion technology. Ultimately, Second Impact sets the stage for the Angel attacks that define the main series.

Did You Know?

• The first Angel, Adam, was discovered in Antarctica and its contact experiment caused the Second Impact fifteen years before the series.
• The name 'Arqa' for ancient ruins at the bottom of Nerv refers to a Kabbalistic concept from the Tree of Life, not a level of the Jewish underworld.
• Animator Mitsuo Iso proposed that the Angels and Gendo unite at the Tree of Life in the final episode, with Angels as sperm fertilizing the Arqa egg.
• The Angels' red core was compared to Ultraman's Color Timer by writer Virginie Nebbia.