[New Tokyo-3 Public Middle School 1]
A middle school in New Tokyo-3. Eva pilots such as Rei Ayanami, Shinji Ikari, and
Asuka Langley Sohryu also attend this school. They are all enrolled in 2-A, but this
is because all the students in this class are candidates to be Children. Their
classmate, Toji Suzuhara, is also selected to be the Fourth Child when Eva Unit-03 is
transferred to the authority of Japan. Within NERV, it is referred to as "Code
707," and it is located halfway up a mountain near Eva dispatch Gate 20.
[Progressive Knife]
The close-quarters combat weapon that is standard issue for the Evangelions. It is
normally stored in the shoulder and is ejected and used when necessary in combat.
The abbreviated name is prog knife. Unlike an ordinary knife, which cuts apart the
target object with its hardness and sharpness, the prog knife uses a blade made of
particles oscillating at high frequency and seperates and severs any matter it comes in
contact with at a molecular level. From Unit-02 and onwards, a box cutter-type (even
if the blade is damaged, it can be made useful again by pushing out more of the blade) is
adopted for the units.
[S2 Engine]
Abbreviation for Super Solenoid Engine. A solenoid is a cylindrical coil that
produces magnetic power on the inside when electricity is run through it. It is
called this because it can be explained by the S2 Theory, which Dr. Katsuragi advocated.
It is thought to be the power source of the "giant of light" that was
discovered at the South Pole, and the Angels that were later discovered had this same
engine. According to calculations, if this engine were to be installed on an
Evangelion, it would increase the activation time to infinity. Because of this,
experiments on installing an S2 Engine on an Eva were being repeated everywhere, but it
brought about the tragic result of Branch 2 in America vanishing. However, Eva
Unit-01 used a completely different method, that of directly preying upon an Angel, and
succeeded in obtaining a S2 Engine.
[S2 Theory]
Abbreviation for Super Solenoid Theory. It is a theory that Dr. Katsuragi had
advocated since before the Second Impact, but when it was first published, it was
ridiculed as being far too outrageous. However, with the discovery of the First
Angel, Adam, it would be proven to be correct without any further work. Furthermore,
its proponent, Dr. Katsuragi, led an expedition to the South Pole when the Second Impact
occured, in which he died.
[Second Impact]
The great disaster that struck humanity on September 13, 2000 A.D. Due to natural
disasters such as floods and volcanic eruptions, as well as civil wars that broke out
afterwards, half of the world's population died. Since it is the greatest calamity
since an asteroid struck Earth (the Giant Impact) 4 billion years ago, it is called the
Second Impact. To the general populace, it has been explained that the cause was a
massive meteor hitting Mount Markham in Antarctica. However, in reality, it occured
as a result of SEELE, Gendo, and the others trying to minimize the damage by restoring the
First Angel, Adam, to its egg form before the other Angels awakened. The weather
patterns of Earth after the Second Impact were greatly changed, and Japan has lost its
seasons.
[SEELE]
A mysterious organization that had been formed prior to the Second Impact. It has a
great deal of influence, such as in the establishment of Special Duty Organization NERV
and the advancement of the Human Instrumentality Project. As their cover-up of the
true facts surrounding the Second Impact shows, their power surpasses even that of Japan
and the U.N. It seems the Human Instrumentality Project and the accompanying Project
E are also being executed according to SEELE's script. Incidentally, seele means
soul in German. All the names of the organizations related to SEELE, such as Gehirn
and NERV, are derived from German.
[SEELE's Crest]
The strange crest that has seven eyes drawn over an inverted triangle. The same
pattern was also drawn on the mask which covered Lilith's face. Perhaps it is
related to the almighty god Yahweh written of in the Old Testament who is supposed to have
seven eyes. Incidentally, the number 7 is an important in the Kabbalistic mysticism
of the Christian and Judaic faiths, symbolizing completeness (seven planets, the seven
days it took to create the world, the seven holes in the human head, which is the center
of the microcosm, etc.). In addition, in the "Book of Revelation" in the
New Testament, the number 7 appears frequently with mention of seven golden lampstands,
seals, plagues, angels, spirits, etc.
[Spear of Longinus]
The giant spiral spear that was thrust into Lilith's chest. It seems it was
originally found at the South Pole. Its tip is split in two, but when it is thrown,
the two converge to impale its target. On the occasion of annihilating the Fifteenth
Angel Arael, Unit-00 threw it into satellite orbit to bring down the Angel on Commander
Gendo Ikari's orders. It continued to fly straight and eventually comes to the moon.
It becomes irretrievable. Furthermore, Longinus is the name of the soldier
who impaled Christ with a spear when he was crucified, the relics of which are preserved
in the church of St. Augustine in Rome.
[Special Duty Ogranization NERV]
A supra-legal organization that reports directly to the U.N. They investigate Angels
in order to prevent the Third Impact before it happens. However, it is actually an
organization for advancing the Human Instrumentality Project. It was formed in 2010
in the form of transferring all authority from Gehirn, which had been the investigative
organization for the Human Instrumentality Committee. The headquarters in the city
of New Tokyo-3 is a fortress city, built with intercepting Angels in mind, and possesses
multiple Multipurpose Humanoid Decisive Weapon Synthetic Human Evangelions as well as
military might that is not to be underestimated. However, it has been forced to
cutback on antipersonnel combat provisions due to various reasons, such as budgetary
concerns. Even those who work there know nothing of NERV's true nature, to say
nothing of what the general populace knows. The commander is Gendo Ikari, the vice
commander is Kouzou Fuyutsuki. It is an international organization that has branches
in Germany as well as America. Incidentally, nerv means nerve in German. The
logo consists of the word "NERV" written with a passage taken from the 19th
century poet Robert Browning's "Pippa Passes," "God's in his heaven.
All's right with the world." And there is the graphic of a fig leaf.
Needless to say, the fig leaf is what Adam and Eve covered themselves with after partaking
of the Fruit of Knowledge, symbolizing the original sin of man.
[Strategic Self Defense Force]
An organization that reports directly to the Ministry of Defense, which was begun when the
opportunity arose when China and Vietnam clashed militarily over the Nansa Islands in
2003. All parts of the Self Defense Force, ground, naval, and air, had been
incorporated into the U.N. Forces, making the Strategic Defense Force the one and only
military under the direct command of the Nation of Japan. It is composed of such
units as infantry, tanks, and aircrafts, which are simply more advanced versions of the
old military and is more suited for antipersonnel purposes such as capturing cities and
doing mop-up operations, rather than fighting Angels. They are also equipped with N2
weapons and BC weapons (biochemical weapons), and their military might should not be taken
lightly. The English designation is JSSDF "Japan Strategic Self Defense
Force." It is also often abbreviated as Strategic SDF.
[Terminal Dogma]
The region on the lowest level of Central Dogma. It is a singular place, flooded
with L.C.L. and with pillars of salt scattered about. Within Dogma, there is a door
called Heaven's Door and beyond it is Lilith, restrained, crucified upon a red cross.
Even within NERV, those permitted to enter are limited to a handful of people,
which include the Commander and the Vice Commander. It is conceivable that this
place is the target of the Angels' attacks. They had long prevented an Angel from
intruding, but the humanoid Angel Kaworu Nagisa finally managed to get inside.
Incidentally, terminal dogma is a fictional term. Generally speaking, the term
"terminal" has various meaning as a noun, such as "station,"
"final stop," "word ending," and "computer terminal."
If it is literally interpreted as an adjective, "terminal dogma" would mean
"the doctrine of the end."
[Third Impact]
The predicted large-scale calamity following the Giant Impact and the Second Impact.
It is said that it will occur when Adam comes into contact with an Angel and that
it will be of such a scale that it will wipe out humanity. The public explanation is
that Special Duty Organization NERV and the Evangelions are for preventing this Third
Impact before it happens.
[Tree of Life]
As written in the Old Testament, one of God's trees growing in the center of the Garden of
Eden along with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It is also the symbol of the
esoteric Judaic mystical ideology, "Kabbalah." The figure consists of 10
circles and 22 sccriptures, and can be read for deep meaning in various ways: as a guide
to meditation, a map to becoming aware of the deep mysteries, or as the planned history of
mankind. The 10 circles are called Sephirah and each has an attribute: Kether
(crown), Chochmah (wisdom), Binah (understanding), Chesed (mercy), Gevurah (severity),
Tiphareth (beauty), Netzach (victory), Hod (majesty), Yesod (foundation), and Malkhuth
(kingdom). The "Tree of Life" is sometimes depicted as a real tree and as
an "upside down tree" at that. Just as various components branch out and
grow from one root, the fact that all was created by God, the almighty lord, is
superimposed by doing this. "Kether" at the top is God and from there, as
it branches out, various elements are born and finally, it reaches the world of man,
"Malkhuth."
Kabbalah means "that which is received" and its deepest mysteries are meant to be granted by the almighty lord, and it cannot be attained through training or studying. There was once someone arrogant, who thought to single-handedly understand the deepest mysteries, to control its powers by himself, and tried to take the place of God. However, he incurred the wrath of God and was cast down to Earth. It is said that his name was Lucifer. In Neon Genesis Evangelion, this image appears in the opening sequence was well as in Commander Gendo Ikari's office.
[Umbilical Cable]
The cable for the Evangelion to be supplied with external power. As energy to stay
active, the Eva expends a vast amount of electric power and it requires an external power
source in addition to the interanl battery, since it lasts for only about 5 minutes.
It is a supply unit that is essential to extending the Eva's active time.
Armament buildings all over New Tokyo-3 are equipped with these cables, and as a
battle progresses and shifts, the Evas move by switching cables. Incidentally the
term "umbilical cable" refers to the "umbilical cord." Just as a
baby receives nourishment through the umbilical cord, the Evangelion obtains the energy
needed to stay active through the umbilical cable.
[U.N. Forces]
Short for United Nations Forces. It was formed up again after the large-scale civil
war that followed the Second Impact. It brought the armies of both the Eastern and
Western camps under its command, but it was completely powerless in battle against Angels.
Organizations such as the Artificial Evolution Laboratory and Special Duty
Organization NERV are affiliated with the U.N., but in reality, the U.N. has almost no
authority over them, and SEELE determines how they are operated.