# Evangelion Watch Order Begin with the original 1995 television series, then follow it immediately with the film The End of Evangelion, which supplies the definitive ending to the original story. After that, watch the four Rebuild movies in numbered order: 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and finally 3.0+1.0. This sequence lets you experience Hideaki Anno's landmark mecha franchise from the raw work that established it through the modern reimagining that responds to what came before. Evangelion follows a withdrawn teenager forced to pilot a colossal bio machine against enigmatic invaders, though the fragile people in the cockpits are its real concern. The 26 episode series and its 1997 capstone film make up one complete arc. The Rebuild tetralogy retells parts of that arc before heading in a completely different direction. Seeing the original first gives the newer films' echoes, surprises, and painful turns the context they need to hit properly. > Fans mainly disagree over whether newcomers should begin with the original series or with the more polished Rebuild films, rather than over release order versus timeline order. We recommend watching the original television run and The End of Evangelion first, followed by the Rebuilds. The Rebuild tetralogy starts on familiar ground, then remixes the material, recasts parts of it, and departs sharply from the source. Its biggest choices work best when you already know the story it is responding to. With the original behind you, the new films feel like a conversation with a classic you have already experienced. Starting with the Rebuilds reveals the foundation that those films were designed to challenge before you can encounter it on its own terms. ## The order 1. **[Shinseiki Evangelion](https://hozuna.com/anime/neon-genesis-evangelion)** (TV · 1995 · 26 eps) Start with the original 1995 television series, the work that everything else in the franchise builds upon. Across 26 episodes, it introduces the world and cast before carrying them into a psychological collapse that later entries never fully explain again. Watching it first gives you the context every film assumes. Streams on: Netflix 2. **[Shinseiki Evangelion Movie: Air/Magokoro wo, Kimi ni](https://hozuna.com/anime/the-end-of-evangelion)** (Movie · 1997 · 1 eps) Continue with The End of Evangelion, the 1997 film also titled Air/Magokoro wo, Kimi ni. It delivers the definitive and uncompromising ending to the television series, bringing the original story to its true conclusion. Watch it as soon as you finish episode 26. Streams on: Netflix 3. **[Evangelion Movie 1: Jo](https://hozuna.com/anime/evangelion-1-0-you-are-not-alone)** (Movie · 2007 · 1 eps) Next is Rebuild 1.0 (Jo), the 2007 film that restarts the saga with a polished and largely faithful retelling of the television series' opening Angel battles. Its familiar material makes it the natural first step into the four film reimagining after you complete the original story. 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) Follow it with Rebuild 2.0 (Ha), the 2009 film where the new version begins to pull away from the original. A new pilot joins the roster, while familiar events start taking different shapes and pushing the story elsewhere. This is where the Rebuild continuity begins asserting itself. 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) Then watch Rebuild 3.0 (Q), the 2012 film that makes the franchise's sharpest turn. A major time jump leaves Shinji in a ruined world he barely recognizes, and the Rebuild timeline separates decisively from the story told by the original series. It depends directly on the changes set up in 2.0. 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) Finish with Shin Evangelion (3.0+1.0), the 2021 finale. This last film completes the Rebuild tetralogy and closes the entire saga, drawing together the ideas and character arcs developed across the preceding entries. It belongs at the very end because it supplies the payoff that this full viewing order has been building toward. Streams on: Amazon Prime Video ## FAQ **What should I watch first in Evangelion?** Begin with Neon Genesis Evangelion, the original 1995 television series. Its 26 episodes establish the story that supports the rest of the franchise. The End of Evangelion and all four Rebuild films have much greater impact once you have experienced that original run first. **Is it better to begin with the original series or the Rebuild movies?** Begin with the original. Watch the television series and The End of Evangelion, then continue through Rebuild 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.0+1.0 in that order. The Rebuilds initially retell the source before remixing it and moving into their own continuity. They have much greater impact when you recognize what they are changing. Watching the Rebuilds first also gives away parts of the foundation that they were made to play against. **Is Death & Rebirth required viewing?** No. Death & Rebirth condenses the television series into a recap film, so you can skip it without losing any part of the story. Move directly from the full 26 episode series to The End of Evangelion. Together, those two entries give you the complete original story. **Which services have the complete Evangelion franchise?** No single service carries the whole franchise. Netflix streams the original television series and The End of Evangelion. Amazon Prime Video streams the four Rebuild films: 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.0+1.0. You will need Netflix for the original story and Prime Video for the Rebuilds. **What are the Rebuild of Evangelion movies?** They are a four film reimagining of the story: Rebuild 1.0 from 2007, 2.0 from 2009, 3.0 from 2012, and the concluding 3.0+1.0 from 2021. The films begin by retelling the original material, then split off into a continuity of their own. That shift is why they belong after the original series and The End of Evangelion in this order.