Mass Production Evangelion Units
“Mass Production Eva Units” refers to a collection of nine Evangelion Units (Eva-05 to Eva-13) that were produced in secret by SEELE and appear in the End of Evangelion movie. Each unit is nearly identical in appearance and has the same weapons and abilities. Their bodies are similar in form to other Evangelion Units but are colored black and white with accents of orange on their necks and red on their mouths. The main difference between the appearance of a regular Eva unit and the mass-produced units is their heads, as units Evangelion Unit 00 through Evangelion Unit 03 (and likely Evangelion Unit 04, though it is never shown in the original series) all have generally humanoid heads while the mass-produced units’ heads are unnaturally long and eyeless. Each unit is equipped with a long, bladed weapon with a grip in its center. These weapons can turn into replicas of the Spear of Longinus and are able to function similarly to the original.
Mass Production Evangelion Units vs. Regular Evangelion Units
S2 Engine: Putting appearances aside, there are a number of technological differences between the mass-produced Evangelion Units and the Units that preceded them. One of the most prevalent changes is that the mass-produced units are built with an S2 engine, making them able to remain active without the use of power cables or batteries. S2 engines were tested with Evangelion Unit 04, but developmental experiments ended in a catastrophic explosion that destroyed the Unit itself and the entire branch of NERV located in the United States (NERV-2). The implementation of the engine into Evangelion units seems to have been tested further and eventually perfected, as the mass-produced units function properly.
Wings: These units are deployed from a fleet of aircraft that drop the units while still high above the ground. When released, each unit quickly releases a pair of wings that resemble a flying squirrel. These wings are mainly used to glide in the air but are capable of allowing the units to fly to a certain extent. When landing, the wings begin to morph into a more bird-like shape and can slow down a unit’s descent before being folded up back into the units’ main bodies.
Dummy Plug: While most Evangelion Units require a pilot to be activated (with the exception of Evangelion Unit 01, which uses an early prototype of the Dummy Plug system at times), the mass-produced units all use an A.I. Dummy Plug labeled with Kaworu’s name. This implies that this Dummy Plug system is either an improved model that was based on NERV’s prototype (which used A.I. based on Rei) or a completely different system developed by SEELE independently from NERV’s experiments. As these units are not controlled by a pilot, they are capable of taking a considerable amount of damage that would normally incapacitate any pilot. Evangelion Unit 02 is seen brutally slashing, smashing, and piercing various mass-produced units with a variety of weapons, however, as their cores are left intact, each one is still capable of movement afterward.
Mass Production Evangelion Units and the Third Impact
Because SEELE is the organization that developed every one of these units, each unit is programmed to further the secret organization’s goals. In this case, their goal is to cause the Third Impact and cause all lifeforms on Earth to lose their individuality and merge into a single entity. As Evangelion Unit 01 activates and Shinji has a mental breakdown, the mass-produced Eva units begin crucifying Evangelion Unit 01 with their replica Spears of Longinus and carry it higher into the sky. The units then activate numerous Anti-A.T. fields and cause a massive explosion that exposes NERV’s GeoFront as being inside the Black Moon, the vessel that Lilith crashed into the Earth with. The ceremony continues, and the fusion of Rei, the embryonic Adam, and the body of Lilith appears before the Black Moon, which is now floating in space. Meanwhile, the units begin combining their A.T. fields together, allegedly in an attempt to resonate with the massive giant being. Their faces begin to morph into Rei and they impale their own cores with their individual replica Spears of Longinus. This act seems to be the final catalyst of the Third Impact, as all living beings on Earth begin to lose their individual form and their souls begin migrating toward the Black Moon.
Mass Production Evangelion Units in Manga
Mass Production Evangelion Units also make an appearance in the official Evangelion manga created by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. True to the anime series, these Mass Production Units play the same role in carrying out SEELE’s plans to proceed with Third Impact. However compared to the End of Evangelion movie, they are designed with forearm blades similar to a regular Evangelion Unit with a pilot.