So, I was wondering, what happens to Rei post-instrumentality?
Based on the evidence, I think that we see post-instrumentality Rei throughout the series - her first mirage-like appearance, and her discussions with Shinji in the personal hell traincar.
So, Rei can continue to communicate with Shinji, at least. But is she capable of returning to the physical world?
This, I'm not so clear on. We see Asuka, who physically died before Third Impact began, come back, but Rei's physical form dies at the very end of instrumentality. So, it could be assumed that she can't come back.
Assuming that is the case, then what would she (and Kaworu, who presumably has the same existence as her now) do? Just exist in some abstract fashion and pop in for a chat every now and then?
Sounds rather boring and lonely... but then again, NGE isn't exactly meant to give us an ideal world...
Rei's Fate
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Rei's Fate
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Re: Rei's Fate
"Realistically," I don't think there's much evidence Rei can come back because she was Lilith and Lilith pretty much died so that everyone else had the chance to be reborn. It's similar to how Kaworu was the final product of Adam. Episodes 24 and 26' seems to have made their deaths pretty explicit. But NGE is all about multiple meanings and spiritual agency, so I suppose we should look beyond the appearances.
Symbolically, I see Rei and Kaworu as yin and yang (inclusive and penetrative) counterparts meant to perform redemptive, then sacrificial roles. Granted, we know far more about Rei's background than Kaworu, but the presentation suggests unblemished, slightly superhuman beings similar to the Angels. In essence they already contain the fundamentals of instrumentality; they are at once connected to everything and beholden to nothing. But NGE's conclusion is first the perversion—through Gendo's rebellion against SEELE—then the rejection of instrumentality by Shinji. For Rei and Kaworu, artificial gods created for SEELE and Gendo, the nature of their life points to the inevitability of their death.
We might be able to conjure a positive interpretation of the ending based on the psychology of the relevant characters. In EoE Rei/Yui says that as long as people have the will to live, they can return. Does this apply to Rei or Kaworu? Based on SEELE and Gendo's scenarios, they evidently possessed neither the mission nor the desire for life. Nor would their creators have wished for this.
In the course of their interactions with Shinji, however, Rei and Kaworu develop an attachment to him. His presence as a valuable other damaged their isolated "instrumental" nature because it gave them greater purpose in life and thus a reason to continue living. It might follow that by disrupting instrumentality, the "imperfect ego" of Ikari Shinji also saved the souls of Rei (Lilith) and Kaworu (Adam) by convincing them to reject their programmed death.
This is quite interesting actually. In NGE, it takes a human, someone living in the world of humans, to provide the gods their means of salvation.
Symbolically, I see Rei and Kaworu as yin and yang (inclusive and penetrative) counterparts meant to perform redemptive, then sacrificial roles. Granted, we know far more about Rei's background than Kaworu, but the presentation suggests unblemished, slightly superhuman beings similar to the Angels. In essence they already contain the fundamentals of instrumentality; they are at once connected to everything and beholden to nothing. But NGE's conclusion is first the perversion—through Gendo's rebellion against SEELE—then the rejection of instrumentality by Shinji. For Rei and Kaworu, artificial gods created for SEELE and Gendo, the nature of their life points to the inevitability of their death.
We might be able to conjure a positive interpretation of the ending based on the psychology of the relevant characters. In EoE Rei/Yui says that as long as people have the will to live, they can return. Does this apply to Rei or Kaworu? Based on SEELE and Gendo's scenarios, they evidently possessed neither the mission nor the desire for life. Nor would their creators have wished for this.
In the course of their interactions with Shinji, however, Rei and Kaworu develop an attachment to him. His presence as a valuable other damaged their isolated "instrumental" nature because it gave them greater purpose in life and thus a reason to continue living. It might follow that by disrupting instrumentality, the "imperfect ego" of Ikari Shinji also saved the souls of Rei (Lilith) and Kaworu (Adam) by convincing them to reject their programmed death.
This is quite interesting actually. In NGE, it takes a human, someone living in the world of humans, to provide the gods their means of salvation.
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