Rank the episodes!

[BrikHaus]

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[The Lincolnshire Poacher]

26. 7 - A Human Work
25. 10 - Magma Diver
24. 11 - The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still
23. 12 - "She said, "Don't make others suffer for your personal hatred."
22. 14 - Weaving a Story
21. 1 - Angel Attack
20. 2 - The Beast
19. 3 - A Transfer
18. 17 - Fourth CHILDREN
17. 13 - Lilliputian Hitcher
16. 5 - Rei I
15. 25 - Do you love me?"
14. 8 - Asuka Strikes!
13. 4 - Hedgehog's Dilemma
12. 9 - "Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!"
11. 6 - Rei II
10. "WEAVING A STORY 2: oral stage"
9. 26 - "Take Care of Yourself"
8. 15 - "Those women longed for the touch of others' lips, and thus invited their kisses."
7. 18 - Ambivalence
6. 16 - Splitting of the Breast
5. 23 - Rei III
4. 21 - "He was aware that he was still a child."
3. 24 - "The Beginning and the End, or "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
2. 22 - Don't Be.
1. 19 - Introspection

I think is how it goes for me. By the way, episodes 20-24 are in Director's cut format.

[Heromaster111]

Worst Episode: 10 / Magma Diver
FUCK THIS EPISODE. It's worse than Jet Alone. At least Jet Alone had some development by showing what the world thought of Nerv, not to mention reference to the Eva series. This episode has nothing but bad boob jokes and FAT Asuka.

Well Mamgadiver is one of my favorite tracks on the OSTs that's a plus

[FrostyS]

Episode 9 is my favorite humorous one. I love the dialogue in Episode 15, but 24 is just beyond brilliance all because of the final moments between Shinji and Kaworu. "Knockin on Heaven's Door" FTW

[NickFury90]

1. EoE

2. 19

3. 22

4. 18

5. 16

6. 15

7. 11

8. 9

9. 6

10. 8

11. 24

12. 13

13. 21

14. 6

15. 23

16. 12

17. 5

18. 3

19. 2

20. 1

21. 7

22. 10

23. 4

24. 14

25. 10

26/27. 25 or 26, doesn't matter, hate 'em both quite a lot.

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

23. 4

WHAT? That's not at the bottom of your list? ;)

As for me, I really can't rate ALL of them. It changes for me depending if I've seen any new ideas or motifs displayed in the episode that I did catch before.

With that being said, I really liked Asuka Strikes!, Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win (<--most entertaining music montages in the series), Ambivalence, Introjection, Weaving a Story 2: oral stage, Don't Be, Rei I, II, & III and Take Care of Yourself (all director's cuts). End of Evangelion was really cool, but I still don't know how to feel about it's ending.

[NickFury90]

23. 4

WHAT? That's not at the bottom of your list? ;)

That probably speaks to how much I dislike those last few ranked episodes. I missed 17, which was mostly set-up for the epicawesomesauce that was 18, so that would probably be closer to the bottom.

[Hotaru]

23. 4

I'm amazed, Nicky...considering you hate episode 4 so much....

My Favorite: Dont be/And he was aware that he was still a child.

Least Favorite: Weaving a story.

[phantom5623]

Its pretty hard to rate all of them so ill just stick with a top ten list. It gets to hard to rate some of them cause none are really bad...just not amazing.

1+2. EoE+EoTV- Ive never read watched or seen anything thats changed how i think quite as much EoE. I never expected something THAT GOOD from an anime(especially since I didn't even know this series was popular until after I watched it) Both endings really fit together well IMO and theyre really great when watched together.

3. 23- Something about the Reiquarium scene still gives me nightmares

4. 21- Finally explained wtf is the motivation for whats going on.

5. 22- Asuka was my least favorite character the first time I saw the show, and instead of just killing her off like I wanted Anno decided it would be better to give her a good mindfuck. Good Stuff.

6. 16- This was when i realized this series wasnt just a monster of the week mecha show but something bigger, and from then on I couldn't look away.

7. 19- It had explosions, evas eating angels, and for some reason watermelons. Everything you need for a great show.

8+9. 5+6- Best of the first half of the series by far. Got into Rei's character well and had some great action at the end.

10. 24- Adding a character with this much depth this late in any other show would probably end up ruining it, but Kaworu was just what Eva needed to completely destroy any hope for Shinji. And that Ode to Joy scene was simply amazing.

[TheCarkolum]

28 - Ep 10. Rewatching this episode I realised how bad, forgettable and uninspiring it was. Lava is like juice! What?
27 - Ep 26. A rushed, redundant and pointless episode. Makes it even worse the fact that this is the last one. The Congratulations sequence is pretty cringe, and the school setting is a waste of time. Besides, 25 already covers the ground this tries to cover. Not a fan at all.
26 - Ep 14. I used to think this was the worst episode, but the Rei's poem is too much perfect to handle. Apart from that, just a lazy recap.
25 - Ep 24. Most overrated episode by far. Can't believe people love it so much. As an angel, Kaworu is boring. As a character, is even more boring. His relationship with Shinji was pretty laughable, maybe I'm alone in this one but... Also notice that this episode is one of the most senseless of the entire show, so many things that don't make sense... Kaworu needed to appear before in the show. And I know what Anno is trying to go for, like a mesianic figure that tries to be the ultimate messenger, but honestly I think this episode is a mistake.
24 - Ep 17. The prelude to Bardiel, as an episode, it's not so good. Everybody hiding the truth to Shinji felt more of a plot device than anything. Still, it's passable, I cannot complain too much.
23 - Ep 7. Not a very important one, but it has sparks here and there. It's fun, and full of irony, and Misato is badass. Dunno, I liked it.
22 - Ep 25. Ok, so this is vastly superior than episode 26, and it shows a nice introspection of the characters and the reasons to complement themselves. Still, it uses several reused footage and it's not among the best episodes.
21 - Ep 12. It's a fun episode. It doesn't have too much character development, and the strategy of beating Sahaquiel is done better in the Rebuilds, but I enjoyed it.
20 - Ep 16. The shadow angel. Great design. The Dirac sea, fascinating concept. The relationship between Asuka and Rei, neat. But I have to say that the scenes with Shinji were a bit redundant, so...
19 - Ep 18. The Bardiel one. Overrated? yeah, a little bit. But an important one.
18 - Ep 3. This episode I think it's better than it seems. It shows the real struggle of Shinji, and it's the first time he faces real difficulties.
17 - Ep 5. It's a prelude to ep. 6. So is good, but nothing compared to 6.
16 - Ep 20. This episode is dense, and dramatic, and the scene with Kaji and Misato is gold. But THE TRAIN SEQUENCES.
15 - Ep 13. A really underrated one. Watching an Angel being beaten through Ritsuko skills is refreshing, and a risky choice. And it works. Besides, it has a strange cyberpunk atmosphere to it.
14 - Ep 11. Ok the Angel is not so cool, but the concept of the episode and its characters is what makes it stand out. Besides, it's the only episode where Rei, Asuka and Shinji had a warm moment at the end.
13 - Ep 4. Shinji trying to run away, and his first moment of dealing with reality. It's a clever episode.
12 - Ep 15. This is a great one. So much character development, and the revealing of Lilith. So good.
11 - Ep 19. A truly iconic one, and a really important one. The cracks through the characters start to grow bigger and bigger, and in this episode, it really shows.
10 - Ep 8. Asuka strikes! And boy she does! She changes the full scope of the show. It introduces Kaji, Adan, and the strategy to beat the Angel is fun. Besides, it is probably the funniest episode. It has the perfect tone.
9 - Ep 2. A great opener to the series. Full of energy, world building, subtle moments. Sachiel works perfectly as the first Angel. What more can I say?
8 - Ep 1. A great opener to the series. Full of energy, world building, subtle moments. Sachiel works perfectly as the first Angel. What more can I say?
7 - Ep 26'. Even with its flaws, I feel like this was the culmination of everything. Everything is grand , full-scale, and visually wondrous.
6 - Ep 21. A truly important episode. If this episode were placed before, or after, it wouldn't work. Also, the editing is perfect. Not only works as a series of flashbacks, but also intercuts to the characters in the present, and everything falls into the right place and it feedbacks itself. Amazing episode.
5 - Ep 25'. Perfect pacing, editing, character struggle, drama, everything is coming to an end and you can feel it. The only flaw I can think of is the recycled sequence from ep. 13. Besides of that, every second is worth it.
4 - Ep 6. The Angel is cool. The fight is cool. Rei is cool, and Shinji does the right thing with her. The moment she smiles you smile with her, as you know that she finally begins to have any clue to socially behave.
3 - Ep 9. This episode and ep 6 are neck to neck. I decided to put this one above because I think that the strategy of beating Israfel is more clever. Besides, this is the episode of Asuka and Shinji. They face each other, their opposite personality, and they struggle to overcome it. It's a foreshadowing of the whole relationship. The dancing sequence is short, straight to the point and perfect as it is. It wall-to-wall fun, and wall-to-wall clever.
2 - Ep 22. What a devastating episode. The episode should be titled "Asuka", as It's basically a study of her mind and the way the Angel breaks her? God.
1 - Ep 23. Equally as good as 22, but with Rei instead. The better episodes.

[UrsusArctos]

Holy thread necromancy, Batman!

Funny, to think that nobody's really tried going back to this time capsule of a thread in all these years. I gave up on any intention of ranking any episodes a long time ago, although I agree that Magmadiver (Episode 10) is by far the worst. I see what they were trying to pull off with the origins and lifecycle of the Angels, and the whole "operation to attack an Angel inside a volcano" business, but the finished product is a disgrace to NGE.

I do have personal preferences for Episode 08, because it's what naval nerds dream of, and Episode 13, which is a fantastic reference to The Andromeda Strain, both the Michael Crichton novel and the 1971 movie adaptation.

14 - Ep 13. A really underrated one. Watching an Angel being beaten through Ritsuko skills is refreshing, and a risky choice. And it works. Besides, it has a strange cyberpunk atmosphere to it.

Agreed! It merges cyberpunk elements like the Magi along with the pre-cyberpunk elements from Andromeda and does so exceedingly well. Understand what Episode 13 is based off of, and you've understood a key element of the show's hidden, barely-glimpsed at backstory.

[Blockio]

Yeah, that is quite the necro.

I personally don't mind Magmadiver *as* much, I think it's fine, but definitely on the weaker side; my favorite would probably have to be 06, just by virtue of how bloody fun Operation Yashima is

[Kendrix]

Am I the only one who didn't like ep 9 that much? Too comic-relief-y & tropey for me personally.

Likewise I don't think the first 2 hold up that much, they were still sort of finding their footing

Now it's largely agreed that most everything from 15 to 24 was gold & for once I'm content to agree with the crowd there.
The ones i'd say are underrated would be ep 11 the original ep 25, and especially ep 3, mostly for the solid philosophy stuff in these.

[TheCarkolum]

Am I the only one who didn't like ep 9 that much? Too comic-relief-y & tropey for me personally.

It's funny because people praise ep. 8 so much, and I just think that ep. 9 is a more refined version of ep 8. Besides of that, I don't see the problem of being "comedic". Ep 8 is also comedic and I think it holds up as one of the best. To me, the happy arc of Eva is equally as good as (if not better than) the sad arc.

[UrsusArctos]

The happy arc is a stroke of genius. Had things stayed dark throughout, nobody would have cared due to the onset of Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy aka the Eight Deadly Words ("I don't care what happens to those people"). By lightening things up, Anno got us to learn more about and care more about the characters, so that we really felt it when the hammer came down.

Likewise I don't think the first 2 hold up that much, they were still sort of finding their footing

Having been drawn to this site by the intense commentary for the first two episodes and seeing the level of detail that went into them, I beg to differ. Those two episodes are superb and chock-full of little things that pay off over the course of the series (the infamous Big Irony Bomb included), and there are a few shots in them, like the shot of Eva-01 standing still in the darkness as Sachiel approaches it, that are absolutely magnificent.

[robersora]

^
what's the Big Irony Bomb, lol.

[Zusuchan]

^ It refers to Misato's actions in ep. 23. In ep. 2, Misato jokes about having sex with Shinji, but says she sure-as-hell ain't gonna do it. But in ep. 23, she offers herself to Shinji. This is referred to as the Big Irony Bomb for whatever reason.

At least, I think that's how it goes.

[Arcadia's legacy]

The happy arc is a stroke of genius. Had things stayed dark throughout, nobody would have cared due to the onset of Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy aka the Eight Deadly Words ("I don't care what happens to those people"). By lightening things up, Anno got us to learn more about and care more about the characters, so that we really felt it when the hammer came down.

This may be off-topic, but your statement has me wondering, how does a show like Hellsing Ultimate get away with being dark from start to finish and still be of a quality comparable to Eva?

[OKOptimistic]

I only watched EVA for the first time in October so I still have vague memory of events and don't understand some basic plot points. But I will vouch for the pilot as the best episode because watching it for the first time was amazing. The one where the other organization built a nuclear-powered EVA was the first time it felt like a TV series instead of a biblical story. That and the Asuka lava episode. I thoroughly enjoyed the Angel hacking Balthasar episode so I guess that would be 2.

[BernardoCairo]

I believe that, by this point, everyone knows how a tier list works. So, I made one (it is simple to understand and intuitive).
About the list itself, I think that it is self explanatory. So, there are only three episodes that I would like do adress here
22 - Easily the best one in the series, in my opinion. Never before had I seen a segment in which anxiety and self deprecation were so well represented. Asuka is my favorite character and I see myself a lot in her. So, watching this episode made me feel very uncomfortable. I remember my brother begging me and my stepfather to stop watching after this one hahahaha!
7 - The most underrated episode from the series, in my opinion. We see a lot of world building in this one. I love how it explores things like: how Nerv behave towards its competitors (both officially and behind the curtains), how Nerv's budget works and how it affects the rest of humanity (beyond the boundaries of Tokyo-3). All of this makes the world of Evangelion seem more real. It also dives a lot in Shinji and Misato's relationship. That's great, because it establishes everything up before Asuka's first appearance (who comes in and twists a lot the dynamics between these characters).
21 - One of the best showings the series has to offer. It focus itself on a great character and, just like episode 7, helps to convey many things that make up the rules of this world. It caught me off guard and it was pleasant to watch.