How on Earth could Asuka...

[DiscoUkulele]

...survive her fight with Eva-01?

If she wasn't crushed to death when it chomped down on her entry plug, it seems like she would have plummeted to her death. :(

Granted, I'm sure that applies to Touji, too (being crushed pretty high in the air by Eva-01's hand).

[SaltyJoe]

Plot hax.

Regarding the heigth issue: Shinji got into direct control of Unit-01 after the Dummy System deactivated, so it is possible that he took the Plug out of "his" mouth and gave it to the medical staff who just... happened... to be there. Yeah.

[esselfortium]

So that something even more soul-crushing can happen later, instead, probably :(

[Eva4Dummies]

And remember that Asuka's plug depth went off the chart, and the plug was crushed by the middle sooo....Asuka is ALIVE!! ;)

[roblucci01]

In regards to the entry plug falling out of Unit-01's mouth thus killing Asuka, don't forget, Rei's entry plug fell from a higher depth in episode 5/ 1.0 when
Unit 00 went berserk. If Rei was able to survive that accident, it seems Asuka would be able to do the same. If the teeth just *happened* to miss Asuka, thats another plausible explanation for her living

[AuraTwilight]

She didn't survive. They CLONED HER!!!

[Eva4Dummies]

They CLONED HER!!!

Really? Then who do you think had the idea of making a pirate out of her!!

SPOILER: Show

[Gendo'sPapa]

She survived so her death can be truly brutal in 3.0.

[Great Genius Shinji-Sama]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't kill my Asuka-Sama!!!!!! Think of all the fans Anno-Sama would loose by killing off one of if not the most beloved characters in the franchise!!!

Although, as follishly naive as this wish is seeing how it is Eva were talking about after all, I really dont want anyone short of Gendo to get the axe.

[NAveryW]

Considering her plug depth and the way Unit 01 bit down, her body should have been crushed. At the very least her legs would be gone; if the Asuka in 3.0 is not a clone or regenerated in some way, it is indeed impossible for her to have survived with only a need for an eyepatch.

[Soul Fire]

Considering her plug depth and the way Unit 01 bit down, her body should have been crushed. At the very least her legs would be gone; if the Asuka in 3.0 is not a clone or regenerated in some way, it is indeed impossible for her to have survived with only a need for an eyepatch.

The plug depth was really low so all she would have needed to do was to huddle at the very end of the plug all scrunched up. It isnt impossible that she could have survived normally. Further more we have already been shown a scene where Ritsuko is in discussion as to wether she has been contaminated or not. I think that this, without a doubt rules out her being a clone dont you think. She obviously isnt a clone. Misato and Co knew quite early on that Asuka was not dead as well where as with Rei in the series she was not notified until a fair period of time after which had it been the case with Asuka, would have indicated a cloning process.

[Sailor Star Dust]

It's Eva. It's anime. This shouldn't come as a surprise that she somehow survived, considering she probably WILL die in an more brutal way if 3I ends up occurring.

[Evafan]

considering she probably WILL die in an more brutal way if 3I ends up occurring.

Cooome oooon happy ending!

Edit: It isn't like Eva to just do something "for the sake of the story" at least not often, so I'm sure there's a concrete expalantion, hopefully revealed in the next movie.

[SaltyJoe]

Edit: It isn't like Eva to just do something "for the sake of the story" at least not often

LOL.

Well, if she does kick the bucket, i hope it will be more "blaze of glory" rather than "helpless victim".

[CtHuLhU]

How could it be? Just look at this accurate depiction of Asuka's incident.
[URL=http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/2309/jetasuka.jpg][/URL]

[trueno_twentyone]

my bitter judgement to this is that she may have survived physically, but her mental state could be, probably, most likely to be unstable, but somehow she snaps out of it and continue to terrorize Shinji and force him to make bentou for her everyday.

[DEMOLITION D+]

They CLONED HER!!!

Really? Then who do you think had the idea of making a pirate out of her!!

SPOILER: Show

Apparently Anno has been talking with Hideo Kojima.

Her new name is Solid Asuka

[Teague]

bedoop bedoop
"Asuka, do you think love can bloom on the battlefield?"
"Ante baka! Can't you see I'm shooting down mooks. Go hide in the closet or something. I'll listen to you whine when my life isn't in danger!"

[wonderluster]

They CLONED HER!!!

Really? Then who do you think had the idea of making a pirate out of her!!

Gendo.

[EdZ]

The falling problem isn't too hard to solve. The pilots have survived similar massive shocks while inside the EVAs before, probably due to being immersed in LCL. Liquid suspension has been used to cushion against massive g-forces since back in the old Lensman novels. Assuming that the plug didn't drain entirely before hitting the ground, there would probably be enough LCL left inside to prevent fatal injury from the impact.
Remember that Rei didn't die when her plug fell from an even greater height inside the activation chamber.