The Best Episodes Written By Hideaki Anno

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   8.7/10(3 votes)

   #1 - Eternal Interspersion

   S1:E161/15/1999

   The Miyazawa family heads off to meet grandpa... an ill-tempered old man who's got it in for Yukino's father!

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   Writer:Hideaki Anno

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2. 

   8.3/10(3 votes)

   #2 - His Circumstances

   S1:E310/16/1998

   Things have been good between Arima and Yukino for the past few weeks but lately Arima has been acting strange. He's been very distant and it almost seems like he's purposefully ignoring Yukino... what is it that's changed so suddenly?

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   Writer:Hideaki Anno

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3. 

   8.3/10(3 votes)

   #3 - The Rose of Sharon

   S1:E96/4/2025

   Guided by a mysterious message, Machu escapes Sodon and descends alone to Earth in GQuuuuuuX. After crash-landing to Earth, she is rescued by a woman adored as “lady,” who is being held captive in the Kabas estate. Machu decides to escape with her and attempts to flee in the Core Fighter.

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   Writer:Hideaki Anno

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4. 

   8.1/10(37 votes)

   #4 - Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!

   S1:E911/29/1995

   Asuka joins Shinji’s class at school, and moves in with Misato and him in their apartment. As Asuka adjusts to Japan (or rather, everyone else adapts to her...), a new Angel attacks which is capable of splitting itself into two identical copies. EVA-01 and EVA-02 are defeated, and NERV is publicly humiliated. With the Angel in a week-long regeneration period after an N² Mine attack by the JSSDF, Asuka and Shinji must learn to "synchronize" with each others movements combat, in order to defeat it once and for all.

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Hideaki Anno

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5. 

   8.1/10(32 votes)

   #5 - Weaving a Story (2): Oral Stage

   S1:E202/14/1996

   Shinji achieved an unprecedented 400% synchronization ratio with EVA-01 during the battle with Zeruel, to horrible effect. With the EVA having ascended to the status of a living God and Shinji absorbed inside it, Ritsuko unsuccessfully attempts to recover him.

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Hideaki Anno

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6. 

   7.8/10(40 votes)

   #6 - Rei II

   S1:E611/8/1995

   Continuing from the previous episode, the Angel Ramiel is drilling down into the GeoFront to attack NERV HQ directly. After Shinji barely survived a direct confrontation with it, Misato devises a plan to have EVA-00 and EVA-01 defeat the Angel by sniping it from a distance using a positronic rifle which requires the total electric output of Japan to power up.

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   Writer:Hideaki Anno

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7. 

   7.7/10(3 votes)

   #7 - Falling on the Moon

   S1:E85/28/2025

   In the final stages of the One Year War, the Sodon Fleet led by Char launched to stop the Earth Federation forces' operation to drop Solomon Fortress; to protect the lunar city of Granada. Five years later in Granada. Nyaan was there with Kycilia.

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   Writer:Hideaki Anno

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8. 

   7.5/10(2 votes)

   #8 - Yuki's Trouble

   S1:E110/2/1998

   On the first day of high school, Yuki is not perfectly happy as she failed to get the highest score at the entrance examination. Although she does not show her desire, she wants to be the center of attention always. The honor belongs to her classmate, Arima. Yuki feels strong rivalry to Arima. She beats him at the mid-term exam. To her surprise, Arima congratulates her achievement heartily. One day, Arima tells her that he wants to “go steady” with her. Yuki bluntly refuses his proposal. Then, she accidentally reveals her true desire and is terrified by her mistake.

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   Writer:Hideaki Anno

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9. 

   7.5/10(2 votes)

   #9 - Their Secret

   S1:E210/9/1998

   Yukino's inadvertently made a fool of herself in front of Arima and now he's blackmailing her! Getting her to do his work, act as his slave... she's just about at her wit's end!

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   Writer:Hideaki Anno

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10. 

    7.5/10(2 votes)

    #10 - Their Estrangement

    S1:E711/13/1998

    The newest test scores have been posted and Yukino and Arima's scores weren't up to their typical standard.

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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11. 

    7.5/10(2 votes)

    #11 - Her Day

    S1:E811/20/1998

    Arima and Yukino both have the day off from school so they decide to meet up over at Arima's place. But that's not the whole story...

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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12. 

    7.5/10(2 votes)

    #12 - Everything Starts Now

    S1:E1012/4/1998

    The class has sided with the scheming Maho and they all decide to give Yukino the "silent treatment." As time goes on and it appears that things won't change, Yukino knows that she'll have to confront her saboteur and put an end to the harassment... but how?

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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13. 

    7.5/10(2 votes)

    #13 - The Location of Happiness

    S1:E1212/18/1998

    Tsubasa has holed up at Yukino's house and refuses to go home. Tsubasa's father is remarrying and it's been hard for her to come to terms with the idea.

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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14. 

    7.5/10(1 votes)

    #14 - Progress

    S1:E181/29/1999

    Arima's feelings for Yukino are beginning to build up and he knows now, more than anything, he wants to take their relationship to the next level...

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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15. 

    7.5/10(2 votes)

    #15 - 14 Days: Act 6

    S1:E263/26/1999

    The final episode. As tensions rise over Arima's jealous and over-protective nature, Tonami begins to realize that his desire to get Tsubaki to notice him was one born out of an emotion different from hate.

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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16. 

    7.5/10(6 votes)

    #16 - The White Gundam

    S1:E24/16/2025

    Char, an ace pilot of the Principality of Zeon forces, captures the Earth Federation's latest mobile suit Gundam, a key component to their "Operation V," at Side7. From that moment, the tide of war shifts dramatically, ultimately leading to Principality of Zeon’s victory in the One Year War. However, just before the end of the war, Gundam and Char...

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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17. 

    7.4/10(45 votes)

    #17 - Angel Attack

    S1:E110/4/1995

    Shinji Ikari is summoned to Tokyo-3 by his estranged father Gendo, commander of the special agency NERV, to defend the city from a giant Angel by piloting the only weapon capable of battling the monster: Evangelion Unit-01.

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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18. 

    7.3/10(35 votes)

    #18 - Lilliputian Hitcher

    S1:E1312/27/1995

    A routine test involving the EVA pilots turns into a struggle for survival when a wholly new type of Angel appears and spreads inside NERV HQ. This new, computer-like angel threatens to set off the self-destruct for the entire facility, leaving Dr. Ritsuko Akagi in a race against time to save the GeoFront and destroy the Angel.

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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19. 

    7.3/10(43 votes)

    #19 - Rei I

    S1:E511/1/1995

    EVA-00 is finally repaired, and Shinji tries to get to know its enigmatic pilot, Rei Ayanami, better. However, he is confounded because she is extremely insular, has no friends at all, and the entire record of her past has been erased. In the midst of this, a very powerful Angel, the floating monolith Ramiel, attacks Tokyo-3.

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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20. 

    7.2/10(34 votes)

    #20 - Take Care of Yourself.

    S1:E263/27/1996

    Instrumentality continues. The focus is primarily on Shinji now, as he learns to accept the individual’s ability to shape their world, and how the self cannot exist without others to define it.

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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21. 

    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #21 - Please!! Time Enough for Love!

    S1:E57/7/1989

    Kazumi and Noriko return to Earth for their high school graduation. Even though they are still teenagers after all these months in space, the Earth has aged ten years. Noriko meets up with her friend Kimiko, who now has a daughter. The Earth's forces discover that a massive number of alien spaceships are converging into the solar system. Coach has a strategy that involves creating a miniature black hole around Jupiter 2, but he will need Kazumi and Noriko to work together to pilot Gunbuster in order to put his plan into operation. However, Kazumi is having second thoughts as she's fallen in love with Coach and knows of his health situation.

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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22. 

    6.9/10(33 votes)

    #22 - Do You Love Me?

    S1:E253/20/1996

    Instrumentality has begun, and now its inner process, the joining of all souls into one, will be depicted. The episode is primarily driven by dialogue, the background usually complete darkness. White text often appears on a black screen, an omniscient voice questioning the characters.

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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23. 

    6.8/10(33 votes)

    #23 - Weaving a Story (1)

    S1:E141/3/1996

    In the first half of the episode, a clip show is presented to the Human Instrumentality Committee of Seele, reviewing the attacks of all Angels up to this point. The second part includes a poem in which Rei contemplates her own existence, and a cross-compatibility test between Rei's and Shinji's EVAs.

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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24. 

    6.7/10(3 votes)

    #24 - The Story So Far: Part 2

    S1:E151/8/1999

    Arima's absence has been hard on Yukino, but she's not the only one. Asaba's had it tough as well...

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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25. 

    6.5/10(2 votes)

    #25 - Her Difficult Problem

    S1:E410/23/1998

    Confessing your love for someone can be very tricky... and it's not any easier for Yukino!

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    Writer:Hideaki Anno

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