# Evangelion Watch Order

Start with the original 1995 television series, chase it straight into the film The End of Evangelion for its definitive original ending, and only then move through the four Rebuild movies in numbered order — 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and the 3.0+1.0 finale. That path gives you Hideaki Anno's landmark mecha franchise in the way that hits hardest: the raw, foundational story first, then the modern reimagining that riffs on everything you just watched. Evangelion follows a withdrawn teenager pressed into piloting a colossal bio-machine against enigmatic invaders, but its real subject is the fragile people strapped inside the cockpit. The 26-episode series and its 1997 capstone film form one complete arc, and the Rebuild tetralogy then re-tells that arc before veering somewhere entirely its own. Watch them in that sequence and every echo, swerve, and gut-punch in the newer films lands with the full weight of the original behind it.

> The real Evangelion question isn't release order versus timeline — it's whether to begin with the original series or the glossier Rebuild films. Our call: watch the original TV run and The End of Evangelion first, then the Rebuilds. The Rebuild tetralogy opens on familiar ground and then remixes, recasts, and diverges from the source hard, so its boldest swings only pay off if you already know the story it is reacting to. Lead with the original and the new films play like a conversation with a classic you've lived through; lead with the Rebuilds and you spoil the very foundation they were built to subvert.

## The order

1. **[Shinseiki Evangelion](https://hozuna.com/anime/neon-genesis-evangelion)** — TV · 1995 · 26 eps
   The original 1995 television series and the bedrock of the whole franchise — 26 episodes that establish the world, the cast, and the psychological freefall no later entry re-explains, so this is the only real place to begin.
   Streams on: Netflix

2. **[Shinseiki Evangelion Movie: Air/Magokoro wo, Kimi ni](https://hozuna.com/anime/the-end-of-evangelion)** — Movie · 1997 · 1 eps
   The End of Evangelion, the 1997 Air/Magokoro wo, Kimi ni film — the definitive, uncompromising ending to the TV series and the true close of the original story; watch it right after the show.
   Streams on: Netflix

3. **[Evangelion Movie 1: Jo](https://hozuna.com/anime/evangelion-1-0-you-are-not-alone)** — Movie · 2007 · 1 eps
   Rebuild 1.0 (Jo), the 2007 film that reboots the saga as a slick, largely faithful retelling of the series' opening Angel battles — the gentlest on-ramp into the four-film reimagining.
   Streams on: Amazon Prime Video

4. **[Evangelion Movie 2: Ha](https://hozuna.com/anime/evangelion-2-0-you-can-not-advance)** — Movie · 2009 · 1 eps
   Rebuild 2.0 (Ha), from 2009, where the retelling starts breaking away from the original — a new pilot joins the roster and the familiar shape of the story begins to bend.
   Streams on: Amazon Prime Video

5. **[Evangelion Movie 3: Q](https://hozuna.com/anime/evangelion-3-0-you-can-not-redo)** — Movie · 2012 · 1 eps
   Rebuild 3.0 (Q), the 2012 entry and the franchise's sharpest swerve — a major time jump drops Shinji into a ruined, unfamiliar world and the Rebuild timeline splits hard from anything the original told.
   Streams on: Amazon Prime Video

6. **[Shin Evangelion Movie:||](https://hozuna.com/anime/evangelion-3-0-1-0-thrice-upon-a-time)** — Movie · 2021 · 1 eps
   Shin Evangelion (3.0+1.0), the 2021 finale that closes out both the Rebuild tetralogy and the entire saga — the last film to watch and the payoff the whole order builds toward.
   Streams on: Amazon Prime Video

## FAQ

**Where should I start with Evangelion?**

Start with the original 1995 TV series, Neon Genesis Evangelion. It's the foundation the entire franchise is built on, and everything after it — The End of Evangelion and the four Rebuild films — lands harder once you've lived through the original 26 episodes first.

**Should I watch the original series or the Rebuild movies first?**

Original first. Watch the TV series and The End of Evangelion, then move through the Rebuild films in order (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.0+1.0). The Rebuilds start as a retelling and then remix and diverge from the source, so they hit far harder when you already know the story they're reworking — going Rebuild-first spoils the foundation they play against.

**Do I need to watch Death & Rebirth?**

No. Death & Rebirth is a recap film that condenses the TV series, so it's safe to skip entirely. Go straight from the 26-episode series into The End of Evangelion and you'll have the complete original story with nothing missing.

**Where can I watch all of Evangelion?**

There's no single one-stop for the whole franchise. The original TV series and The End of Evangelion stream on Netflix, while the four Rebuild films — 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.0+1.0 — stream on Amazon Prime Video. So you'll split the watch across two services: Netflix for the original, Prime Video for the Rebuilds.

**What are the Rebuild of Evangelion films?**

They're a four-film reimagining of the story — Rebuild 1.0 (2007), 2.0 (2009), 3.0 (2012), and the 3.0+1.0 finale (2021). They begin by retelling the original and then branch into their own continuity, which is exactly why we recommend saving them until after you've seen the original series and The End of Evangelion.