‘Goodbye, All of Evangelion’ Actually Means ‘Hello, to More Evangelion’

Gizmodo · Feb 23, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Neon Genesis Evangelion, a series that has managed to end itself in some form or another at least four different times, will do so again. Timed with the climax of a series of celebrations for the franchise’s 30th birthday, Khara announced that a new Evangelion anime has entered production. The roster behind the new endeavor is, unsurprisingly, incredibly interesting. The series, developed by Kara in collaboration with CloverWorks (perhaps best known for the mecha series Darling in the Franxx, itself following in the trend of Evangelion and its psychosexual explorations), will be scripted by Yoko Taro, best known for his work on the Nier games, a franchise itself deeply interested in the kinds of influences Evangelion also heavily plays with, exploring and playing with metatext as it examines identity, grief, and more. Kazuya Tsurumaki and Toru Yatabe, who worked on the Evangelion rebuild movies, and perhaps yet still further of import here, were both heavily involved in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, an entry in that mecha franchise also playing with the legacy of its original self. Aside from a mention of series creator Hideaki Anno—who seemingly said goodbye permanently to Evangelion with the release of the final rebuild film, Thrice Upon a Time, only to return to it once more for a short film released as part of the 30th anniversary—it’s perhaps the exact kind of production talent you would want if there were to be a new Evangelion series in the first place. If there should be a new Evangelion series in the first place, that is. New "Neon Genesis Evangelion" ANIME SERIES NEW TRAILER Written by Yoko Taro Directors: Kazuya Tsurumaki & Toko Yatabe Music: Keiichi Okabe Animation Production: CloverWorks x Kharapic.twitter.com/bwDsMY5WYV — d0nut2x (@d0nut2x) February 23, 2026 After all, where does a franchise go after it’s come to the conclusion that happiness can only be found by destroying itself and letting its own characters be free? Evangelion has already played with the concept of reliving itself and imagining alternate outcomes, from End of Evangelion‘s adversarially grim extrapolation of the original anime’s surrealist end to the aforementioned Rebuilds’ metatextual take of liberating its own characters from cyclical generations of trauma by destroying the Evangelion itself, both the mecha and the symbol it has come to represent in popular culture. The idea of another show opening that closed door is something to be treated with a great deal of cynicism and intrigue simultaneously. Evangelion is, of course, no stranger to franchise commodification. As artful as it has become about engaging with the very idea of becoming a ceaseless reinvention of itself over the past 30 years, it’s also perhaps only rivaled by the likes of Star Wars when it comes to brazenly slapping its characters and iconography over everything, from chip bags to sporting gear to luxury eyewear, and then some. That Evangelion could end, and thus so could the merchandise, is something few involved in the business side of Khara would be willing to contemplate after 30 years, so the news of a continuation is perhaps as inevitable as the fandom heckling that Eva just can’t be allowed to commit to one of its endless farewells. And yet, perhaps it is having its proverbial cake and eating it here. Presumably beyond having a blessing, it’s important to note Anno’s lack of direct involvement in this new series. If the new Evangelion is the project of a team that doesn’t include him in a significant creative capacity, then it is, at the very least, something that Evangelion has yet to do over those 30 years of reinvention: imagine what it can truly look like without its creator. The bulk of the Evangelion we’ve had to this point is the product of Anno’s direct relationship to the series that has defined, and will continue to define, his legacy for generations to come. Something that is allowed to exist as part of it, in conversation with it, but is the creative seed of another creator and creative team, allows us to ponder the question of what Evangelion can look like removed from Anno’s foibles and musings and what it can look like when it is not also about Anno grappling with his relationship to his own work after all these years. It’s that potential that makes this new Evangelion feel most in line with the climax of the Evangelion Rebuilds in Thrice Upon a Time, even as that movie tried to put a definitive end on Evangelion as we and Anno alike knew it. In conversation with the Evangelion and endings that came before, Thrice‘s ultimate thesis—beyond Anno, through Shinji, letting Evangelion go—is about using the healing of your own trauma to uplift and support others to do so as well, that the hope of self-actualization is something to be shared communally, rather than left as a personal journey. Maybe the point is that, should there have to be a new Evangelion—because there will be a new Evangelion—it is only befitting that it be a new beginning, from new creators, to hash out their own relationship with the franchise and find some healing with it. Time will tell what the new show becomes, but if there’s any franchise that can prove there’s a way to find new meaning in re-engaging with itself—and to engage with new perspectives to find that meaning—it’s Evangelion. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.