Evangelion Unit 01 (Eva Unit-01)
Evangelion Unit 01 (often abbreviated as Eva-01) is the second functional Evangelion Unit to be produced and is designated as a “test” Unit. It is the first Unit that was specifically designed for battling Angels and was also the first Unit deployed to do so in the pilot episode of the original series. Throughout the series, it is made quite clear that Eva-01 is a unique case among Evangelion Units, as it displays abilities that no other units show and seems to be treated with favoritism among the top leaders at NERV and SEELE. The protagonist of the Evangelion series, Shinji Ikari, is the designated pilot for Eva-01, but it can also be piloted with a Dummy Plug. It might be possible that Rei Ayanami can pilot it as well, as Gendo Ikari orders her to pilot it when Shinji hesitates after being asked to do it himself.
Description
Eva-01 is colored mainly with purple and has green accents (these green accents are also more prominent in the Rebuild design of the unit). It, like all other main Units other than Eva-00, also has long shoulder pylons that are both a part of the unit’s restraining armor and a means of storing weapons, namely its Progressive Knife. A distinct upper and lower law can also be seen separating to reveal a mouth when the unit goes berserk. This Unit’s most unique physical trait, however, is likely its long, singular horn that is found growing out of its forehead.
Although it has a number of unique physical characteristics, Eva-01 seems to have a number of other abilities at its disposal that no other units can seem to do. The most notable of these abilities is the unit’s capability to move on its own. In the first episode of the original series, the Angel Sachiel starts its attack above NERV HQ and causes rubble to fall from the ceiling of the underground facility that threatens to land right on top of the protagonist, Shinji. Eva-01, without a pilot, moves on its own to protect the protagonist. This is not the only instance of this happening, however. In The End of Evangelion, Eva-01 is submerged in “bakelite”, a red liquid that can set incredibly quickly in order to stop a berserk Evangelion Unit from moving. This leaves Shinji at a loss of what to do, as he cannot get inside of the Unit in its current condition. Again, the Unit seems to move on its own and breaks free of the bakelite. The cause of this unusual trait is unknown, but it is possible that it is due to the connection of the Eva’s donated soul and its pilot. As every Eva unit requires a donated soul to function properly, it should go without saying that Eva-01 is no exception. It is confirmed that Shinji’s mother, Yui Ikari is the original owner of the soul inside of this particular Unit. Since Eva-01 and Shinji share such a close connection, it is possible to argue that Eva-01 moving on its own is just the remnants of his mother trying to protect him. This argument could also explain why Eva-01 goes berserk during combat after its power runs out so often.
Unlike all of the other Evangelion Units, which are all essentially beings cloned from the First Angel Adam’s body, it is stated that Eva-01 has some connection to the Second Angel Lilith instead, although the nature of the connection is somewhat ambiguous. In the original Japanese dub of The End of Evangelion, Eva-01 is referred to as “Lilith no bunshin” (リリスの分身) (the term “bunshin” can be interpreted as “another self”, “child”, and “alter ego”, among other similar meanings), whereas Kaworu calls Eva-02 “Adam no bunshin”. Since all other Eva Units are made from Adam’s body, it is possible that Eva-01 was made just like the other Eva Units, but used Lilith’s body as a base rather than Adam’s. Another interpretation is that it was simply a way to refer to Eva-01 as being a substitute for Lilith in the Third Impact.
Notable Battles in the Evangelion Anime
With the Twelfth Angel Leliel: The “battle” with this Angel is rather strange, as there is very little combat in it. That said, it is quite important when discussing Eva-01. Although Shinji’s haste resulted in him and Eva-01 being transported into Leliel’s pocket dimension, this mishap resulted in the protagonist beginning to realize that his mother’s soul was inside of Eva-01. Immediately after this realization, right before the Unit’s life support systems fail, a berserk Eva-01 breaks through the Angel and he survives the ordeal. This exchange sheds some light on some of the aspects of the creation of Eva Units as a whole and strengthens the idea that Yui is the reason behind the unit going “berserk”.
With the Fourteenth Angel Zeruel: This Angel is shown to be capable of completely overpowering all of the other Eva Units, though Eva-01 seems to be able to hold its own ground for a decent amount of time. That is, until its internal battery runs out of power, rendering it incapacitated. At this point, Shinji pleads to the Unit to move again - and it complies. In this berserk state, the Unit makes quick work of Zeruel and even begins devouring it. This leads to Eva-01 being the first Unit to obtain an S2 engine, a feat that also turns it into the trigger that begins the Third Impact in The End of Evangelion movie.