The halo, and plug depth

[wjr]

Hi everyone, I just saw Rebuild HD on youtube, and couldn't help thinking about the halo.

So far my opinion is the halo is associated with the plug-depth: in rare instances, when the pilot is achieving a certain insane amount of synch rate with the eva unit, the plug dives further into the core - not in a physical sense, as it would become an eva-chestburster, but in a metaphysical way, sort of like electromagnetic pulsation. Then it is possible a mini black-hole be created directly behind in the same direction where the plug is diving - which happens to be above the head, creating a god-like appearance. This actually reminds of a jet exhaust fume, created behind an ultra-powerful engine.

And for a moment it looks like there is another eva unit that also possesses the halo, and the pilot descends from the moon. I guess the pilot also has an unbelievable reading of synch rate.

BTW, this is what I consider Evangelion at its best - mixing science-fiction with quashi-religious metaphor. No other series come even close to Evangelion in this creative literature department.

What do you think?

[Jornophelanthas]

Angels also tend to show haloes (or at least the Fourth Angel in 1.0), mostly while they are activating some kind of high energy power.

Also, I can recommend watching the first Neon Genesis Evangelion series, because it will tell you something about Kaworu Nagisa (Unit-06's pilot) and his synchronisation rate. (He only appears very near to the end.) Note that the reason for it could well be different in Rebuild.

Also note that the NGE series placed heavy importance on the concept of "synchronisation rate", while Rebuild only mentions it once or twice, while "plug depth" is entirely specific to Rebuild.

What I can say about plug depth, is that it does appear to indicate physical proximity of the entry plug to the Evangelion's core. At multiple times during Rebuild 2.0, it is suggested what happens when plug depth gets too high: the pilot starts to lose his/her human shape. Basically, the pilot's physical body starts to dissolve in the entry plug's LCL, which I suspect is also the blood-like liquid that fills the Angels' cores and the red oceans.

- Asuka's plug in Unit-03 is drawn in far too deep by the Angel. We do not know the effects of this yet. I do believe that the moment Asuka starts floating inside her entry plug as her controls disappear, shows us that she is losing her physical shape, and her soul is drawn into the Angel.

- Mari's plug in Unit-02 is drawn in to a dangerous level by Beast mode. We see her eyes start glowing green, and her face is morphed to match Unit-02's bestial expression (wide mouth, big teeth, glasses losing their original shape). I believe this is not an animation quirk, but actual fluidity of her human shape. Mari is able to recover afterwards, though.

- Rei, after being absorbed into the 10th Angel's core is shown as a naked, luminescent entity. I believe this is her soul without her physical body, as her body dissolved inside Unit-00's core as it was assimilated into the Angel's core.

- As Shinji goes berserk inside Unit-01, his eyes glow red. As his plug depth rises to the highest level seen so far, way beyond safe levels (once he starts to claw his way through the Angel's core towards Rei), he becomes a similarly naked luminescent white body as Rei. This indicates that he lost his physical shape (probably without realizing it, and certainly without caring about it) and is purely a soul reaching out toward Rei's.
As he saves her, he pulls her into Unit-01's core. It remains to be seen if (and in how much time) Shinji and Rei will be able to reshape their physical bodies inside Unit-01's entry plug.

- Kaworu's plug depth in Unit-06 appears to remain within normal levels, as he is not seen to "liquify" or dissolve into a luminescent white soul, even though the Evangelion shows a halo. However, Kaworu is far from your typical human (He can survive in the moon's atmosphere!). Add to this that we know from Gendo's and Fuyutsuki's trip to the moon that Unit-06 is constructed far differently from the rest of the Evangelion series.
It is a "true god" rather than a "false god". What this means is subject for speculation. (Personally, I believe that Unit-06 is Lilith put into an Evangelion suit, while the "Lilith" beneath Tokyo-3 is actually something else.)

And yes, I believe it is no coincidence that all the main pilots are shown losing their human shape at some point during Rebuild 2.0. (I don't count Kaworu yet, because he has barely had any screentime so far. Also, it remains to be seen how human he even is.)

[Kendrix]

I think the Halo is connected tho the Eva's "Godly/angel-like" aspects - They are created from Angels.
Shinji unlocked his Eva's God-like Powers, and Kaworu can probably use those of EVA 06 as easily as he can move his own Hands. (If certain things from the old series carry over to Rebuild - which seems likely since he isn't even wearing an interface Headset.)

What could be connected to plug depht are the glowing eyes. (Shinji's glow red when he goes God!Mode, Mari's glow green when she reaches a "negative plug depht" and Asuka's glow blue for a Moment when she is "pulled inside".
The 'glowing eyes collor' either depends on the EVA or the Pilot - I don't think a certain color is accossiated with a certain Depht, since Shinji's stay red all the time while his plug Depht comes gradually closer and closer to the far end of the scale.

[SaltyJoe]

Basically, the pilot's physical body starts to dissolve in the entry plug's LCL, which I suspect is also the blood-like liquid that fills the Angels' cores and the red oceans.

A quick note: too lazy to post pics, but LCL and Angel Blood are not the same. At the beginning of 1.0, we can see Shinji's Plug being filled up with an orange colored liquid that is later shown to be oozing from Lilith, just as in the TV series. This stuff is distinctly different from Angel Blood, and is identified as LCL by Nerv staff.

Also, it is worth nothing that Beast Mode didn't feature a halo at any point. Between this and the other oddities of the Beast, i'm under the impression that Mari's human form wasn't compromised in the same way as with the other pilots (Kaworu is yet again a different case).

Furthemore, Shinji's eye and skin color turning red and white respectively in what seems to be a permanent way suggests to me that there is more to "loosing human form" than simple LCL-ification (i hereby declare that to be a word). It is pretty peculiar that out of all the major characters, Shinji is the only one who doesn't appear in the trailer for 3.0. It may very well be that these changes are not purely metaphysical as the majority of fans seem to believe.

[Azathoth]

It is pretty peculiar that out of all the major characters, Shinji is the only one who doesn't appear in the trailer for 3.0.

Sure he does, he's the purple one with the spear stuck through his ass.

[Jornophelanthas]

Sure he does, he's the purple one with the spear stuck through his ass.

Are you confusing Shinji with Unit-01, or are you saying Shinji (and Rei) became one with Unit-01 and actually is the Evangelion?

@SaltyJoe:

If this is true, then my opinion that "Lilith" is actually Adam, and Unit-06 is actually Lilith might be incorrect.

Regarding Beast Mode: Mari was said to have negative plug depth, suggesting that abandoning all human nature is the direct opposite of the godliness associated with the halo. This means Mari's human form was compromised in a different way than Shinji's and Rei's, and probably Asuka's too. That doesn't mean it wasn't compromised.

[Azathoth]

Are you confusing Shinji with Unit-01, or are you saying Shinji (and Rei) became one with Unit-01 and actually is the Evangelion?

Unit 01 is his body for the time being, every bit as much as it's Rei's or Yui's. There is strong reason to believe that the body that climbed into Unit 01's entry plug no longer physically exists in there.

Regarding Beast Mode: Mari was said to have negative plug depth, suggesting that abandoning all human nature is the direct opposite of the godliness associated with the halo.

I believe that's Shinji - or at least he reaches The Great Beyond-depth, which seems to be much the same thing.

[Kendrix]

I believe that's Shinji - or at least he reaches The Great Beyond-depth, which seems to be much the same thing.

Mari definitely does neither liquify nor have a halo. And she still needed power/the clock was still running. She basically just released the limiters and entered the unsafe level of synchronization required to control an unrestrained production-model-Eva.
Mari merely entered a potentially dangerous zone, Shinji went much, much farther, way beyond "potential" Danger - Notice how his form is 'flame like' at the backside but sharp/discernable at the front that he needs to hug/talk to Rei. That shape we see in the "blue light scenes" seems to be sustained by his will, the physical body should be LCL at that point.
I guess they'll have their fun in 3.0 trying to get TWO ppls worth of molecules puzzled together in Q...

[Eva 04]

Angels also tend to show haloes (or at least the Fourth Angel in 1.0), mostly while they are activating some kind of high energy power.

Also, I can recommend watching the first Neon Genesis Evangelion series, because it will tell you something about Kaworu Nagisa (Unit-06's pilot) and his synchronisation rate. (He only appears very near to the end.) Note that the reason for it could well be different in Rebuild.

Also note that the NGE series placed heavy importance on the concept of "synchronisation rate", while Rebuild only mentions it once or twice, while "plug depth" is entirely specific to Rebuild.

What I can say about plug depth, is that it does appear to indicate physical proximity of the entry plug to the Evangelion's core. At multiple times during Rebuild 2.0, it is suggested what happens when plug depth gets too high: the pilot starts to lose his/her human shape. Basically, the pilot's physical body starts to dissolve in the entry plug's LCL, which I suspect is also the blood-like liquid that fills the Angels' cores and the red oceans.

- Asuka's plug in Unit-03 is drawn in far too deep by the Angel. We do not know the effects of this yet. I do believe that the moment Asuka starts floating inside her entry plug as her controls disappear, shows us that she is losing her physical shape, and her soul is drawn into the Angel.

- Mari's plug in Unit-02 is drawn in to a dangerous level by Beast mode. We see her eyes start glowing green, and her face is morphed to match Unit-02's bestial expression (wide mouth, big teeth, glasses losing their original shape). I believe this is not an animation quirk, but actual fluidity of her human shape. Mari is able to recover afterwards, though.

- Rei, after being absorbed into the 10th Angel's core is shown as a naked, luminescent entity. I believe this is her soul without her physical body, as her body dissolved inside Unit-00's core as it was assimilated into the Angel's core.

- As Shinji goes berserk inside Unit-01, his eyes glow red. As his plug depth rises to the highest level seen so far, way beyond safe levels (once he starts to claw his way through the Angel's core towards Rei), he becomes a similarly naked luminescent white body as Rei. This indicates that he lost his physical shape (probably without realizing it, and certainly without caring about it) and is purely a soul reaching out toward Rei's.
As he saves her, he pulls her into Unit-01's core. It remains to be seen if (and in how much time) Shinji and Rei will be able to reshape their physical bodies inside Unit-01's entry plug.

- Kaworu's plug depth in Unit-06 appears to remain within normal levels, as he is not seen to "liquify" or dissolve into a luminescent white soul, even though the Evangelion shows a halo. However, Kaworu is far from your typical human (He can survive in the moon's atmosphere!). Add to this that we know from Gendo's and Fuyutsuki's trip to the moon that Unit-06 is constructed far differently from the rest of the Evangelion series.
It is a "true god" rather than a "false god". What this means is subject for speculation. (Personally, I believe that Unit-06 is Lilith put into an Evangelion suit, while the "Lilith" beneath Tokyo-3 is actually something else.)

And yes, I believe it is no coincidence that all the main pilots are shown losing their human shape at some point during Rebuild 2.0. (I don't count Kaworu yet, because he has barely had any screentime so far. Also, it remains to be seen how human he even is.)

The fourth angel wasnt the only one shown to have a Halo. Sachiel had one and so did Ramiel. And in 2.0,the 8th angel had one as well. So did the 3rd angel. The only angels that didnt have one would be the 7th,9th and 10th. Just thought I'd point this out.

[Jornophelanthas]

The fourth angel wasnt the only one shown to have a Halo. Sachiel had one and so did Ramiel. And in 2.0,the 8th angel had one as well. So did the 3rd angel. The only angels that didnt have one would be the 7th,9th and 10th. Just thought I'd point this out.

Thank you. I didn't have this information with me as I wrote the post.

(Also note that "Sachiel" is the Fourth Angel in Rebuild. Since none of the Rebuild Angels are named, I am using quotes to indicate they are not officially named this way.)

I should repeat, though, that the theme of the haloes in Rebuild is something I do not fully understand. I mean, I get the allusion to Christian divinity, but not its meaning within the story, or its explanation in-universe (if there is ever going to be one).

---

@Kendrix:
Mari does not liquify, but her features do lose some humanity/consistency while Unit-02 is in beast mode. (No normal human being in Evangelion has a mouth that wide.) Since this is described as "negative plug depth" by the tech crew, I am assuming tihs is the opposite of Shinji's "plug depth ratings exceeding" [i.e. too high in the positives] "safe values by far".
(loose paraphrases)
Also, I believe the term "negative plug depth" was also used to refer to Asuka inside Unit-03. I need to look this up, though.

[Eva 04]

Thank you. I didn't have this information with me as I wrote the post.

(Also note that "Sachiel" is the Fourth Angel in Rebuild. Since none of the Rebuild Angels are named, I am using quotes to indicate they are not officially named this way.)

I should repeat, though, that the theme of the haloes in Rebuild is something I do not fully understand. I mean, I get the allusion to Christian divinity, but not its meaning within the story, or its explanation in-universe (if there is ever going to be one).

---

@Kendrix:
Mari does not liquify, but her features do lose some humanity/consistency while Unit-02 is in beast mode. (No normal human being in Evangelion has a mouth that wide.) Since this is described as "negative plug depth" by the tech crew, I am assuming tihs is the opposite of Shinji's "plug depth ratings exceeding" [i.e. too high in the positives] "safe values by far".
(loose paraphrases)
Also, I believe the term "negative plug depth" was also used to refer to Asuka inside Unit-03. I need to look this up, though.

Damn. I forgot the number's were changed in Rebuild. But you still get what I mean though.

[Ornette]

Bardiel (9th) has a halo right before jumping towards Eva-01.

[Kendrix]

@Kendrix:
Mari does not liquify, but her features do lose some humanity/consistency while Unit-02 is in beast mode. (No normal human being in Evangelion has a mouth that wide.) .

When was that? Screenshot plz.
i don't recall anything like that, but I might've missed it.

[Jornophelanthas]

When was that? Screenshot plz.
i don't recall anything like that, but I might've missed it.

I'm not capable of creating screenshots from Rebuild. However, multiple instances of Mari fighting the 10th Angel after Beast Mode has been engaged shows her with a wide-toothed grin, mirroring Unit-02's monstrous jaws.
These are the most significant moments:

1. Right after Unit-02 drops on all fours, roars, and drops its cable to charge the Angel. (borderline case)
In the next few cockpit shots, Mari appears to be more human. However:
2. Right after we see Unit-02 assist Rei and Unit-00 by biting through the Angel's AT Field*.
3. As Mari yells: "Just once more!", her face looks blurred, fluid, and asymettrical, in the shot right before one of the lenses of her glasses cracks in a close-up of her eye**.

As a final remark, it's my impression that whenever an Evangelion pilot's eyes start to glow (whether it's in green, red or blue), it signifies the pilot's soul (or in Mari's case, perhaps the soul inside Unit-02, if any) manifesting in the entry plug more strongly than the physical body does.
i.e. If you see glowing eyes, what you see is likely to be more soul than flesh.

* This would make the best screenshot, by the way.
** It's her left eye, for the left-eye-right-hand theorists out there).

[Eva 04]

Bardiel (9th) has a halo right before jumping towards Eva-01.

Really? I've never noticed that.

[Ornette]

[Azathoth]

To some extent, there's a correlation between the halo and flight: Sachiel and Bardiel only manifest theirs when levitating (possibly this goes for Tunnel also? can't recall), and of course Kaworu's magical flying Eva has one...and not long after Unit 01 picks up its halo, it starts floating too.

[Eva 04]

To some extent, there's a correlation between the halo and flight: Sachiel and Bardiel only manifest theirs when levitating (possibly this goes for Tunnel also? can't recall), and of course Kaworu's magical flying Eva has one...and not long after Unit 01 picks up its halo, it starts floating too.

I think it goes for Tunnel as well since it starts floating when it uses it to prevent something from falling on top of it.

[Reichu]

"plug depth" is entirely specific to Rebuild.

The idea of "plug depth" is present in the original show, albeit as a sort of non-emphasized bit of gobbledygook.

:does some frame-by-frame scoping for halos:

BTW, since plug depth has no correlation with halos, shouldn't this be two separate topics now?

[Assasinate]

yeah i noticed about that, but when sachiel levitates, i didnt seen any halo in him, what ive seen to him is some kind of an aura explosion and then he floats already...