NME/Rebuild's Soul splitting and cores.

[Carling]

All I want to know is why Mari can control EVA-02? Unless it's to do with her plug-suit or something...

[Azathoth]

All I want to know is why Mari can control EVA-02? Unless it's to do with her plug-suit or something...

The Eva soul rules no longer apply in Rebuild, as has been stated elsewhere.

[Mr. Tines]

as has been stated elsewhere.

Not so much stated as inferred when we don't even get a Yui appearance during the final fight scene in 2.x to indicate a significant presence.

[Sailor Star Dust]

Not so much stated as inferred when we don't even get a Yui appearance during the final fight scene in 2.x to indicate a significant presence.

Yui seems to be an/the exception because Gendo says "Why? Why are you rejecting me, Yui?!" when the Dummy System fails before Rebuild-Shinji shows up to pilot again.

The implication there (so far it seems) is that she was waiting for Shinji. And some of the things Eva-01 was doing (similar to Asuka's actions in the final battle in EoE), I have a hard time believing it was just Shinji's actions making the Eva move (espeically the fact the Eva seemed to be doing its own thing while Shinji started crawling to Rei/brought her back.)

As an aside, you should at least check 2.22 out when it becomes local, at least for the visuals.

[gwern]

Yui seems to be an/the exception because Gendo says "Why? Why are you rejecting me, Yui?!" when the Dummy System fails before Rebuild-Shinji shows up to pilot again.

I'd point out that this is the best interpretation to take because it cuts cleanly through the whole morass TV+EoE left us with - the mother-soul theory just didn't work no matter how much work was put into it (cf. Yamaga being clueless when asked who's in 00).

But with 2.0, we can just say 'oh, 01 is special because Yui arranged to be sucked into it; all the rest are just random souls and can synch with random people'. (We only need to make 01 exceptional; IIRC, there is currently zero evidence Kyoko is in Unit-02.)

[Ramiel²]

Didnt someone pointed allready out that the Core is probably relied to the Soul connection of the Pilot?

We clearly see how unit-02 Core is removed before unit02 goes into sleepmode.

Makes sense imo.

[Killer Bee]

But with 2.0, we can just say 'oh, 01 is special because Yui arranged to be sucked into it; all the rest are just random souls and can synch with random people'. (We only need to make 01 exceptional; IIRC, there is currently zero evidence Kyoko is in Unit-02.)

This seems likely to me. Shikinami obviously doesn't have the same past as Sohryu, and Kyoko might still be alive for all we know. Also, Rei was originally going to be the test pilot for Unit-03, and they didn't have any problem letting Shikinami do it instead. Mother!Soul theory is dead in the water when it comes to Rebuild.

Unit-01 is just speshul.

[tomrule123]

The Eva soul rules no longer apply in Rebuild, as has been stated elsewhere.

WHAT?! Sorry about that, but that's the first time I heard of this. So it now makes sense about Mari using EVA 02.

[Sachi]

I'm with Ramiel² here. It's clearly shown that Unit-02's core is removed, and Mari could have easily stuck in her own core to pilot it with.

Makes sense to me.

[Seele00TextOnly]

...

[Sachi]

Maybe if she's not a human.

Is she?

But seriously now, she's already proved she can bypass Nerv's security to the point where she can literally hijack an Eva. I don't think a spare core would be a problem for her.

[Seele00TextOnly]

...

[Killer Bee]

But seriously now, she's already proved she can bypass Nerv's security to the point where she can literally hijack an Eva. I don't think a spare core would be a problem for her.

Eh... isn't it true that they had Rei slated to be the test pilot for Unit-03, and then changed it to Asuka at the last second so Rei could have her dinner party? I'd say that pretty much proves it doesn't matter who pilots the Evas. Yui is just temperamental. And re-inserting Unit-02's core, which is right freaking there next to it, would be a hell of a lot easier on Mari than finding a spare, assuming spare cores even exist.

[Nonoriri]

I'm wondering why the core was even taken out in the first place, if it was a security measure then that certainly didn't stop Mari at all. If it was just protocol for the core to be separated just because that's kinda weird but reasonable.

Rei piloting Unit-03 might be easily adjusted for due to her Lilith habitant body (which is some orders of magnitude more plausible than the oft quoted split soul nonsense) but is as likely as Unit-01 being the only Eva with a mothers soul in it (Which would be the oddest/most arbitrary change between the original and Rebuild thus far)

[Seele00TextOnly]

...

[AuraTwilight]

I like the idea of Mari having magical powers.

[Sachi]

To an extent, but this does not mean they couldn't have prepared a separate core for Rei. Besides, Misato was going to decide between Rei and Asuka who would pilot, and Asuka volunteered, so there were no last second changes.


It's true we never see the core leave the room, but then again, we never see the core much at all after it's pulled out of Unit-02.

This is the last shot we see of it:



After this, we don't know what happened to the core. It wouldn't make much sense to keep it right next to the cell, being that it would make it so anybody could put it back. I think it's more likely that the core was taken to a storage room or something, and locked away until Unit-02 was given clearance to operate again.

However, if my theory of interchangeable cores is correct (simply meaning that you can take the core out of an Eva, and replace it with another one in order to pilot it), then Mari could have brought in her own core and plugged it into Unit-02. In fact, this doesn't seem too far-fetched. It's already clear she's getting help from some source, whether it be inside or outside, or both; Kaji, we know, is one of them. She had to make it past Intelligence somehow, and Kaji is a likely candidate for dealing with them.

[Seele00TextOnly]

...

[Sailor Star Dust]

Okay, some (all?) of this is rehashed discussion in my effort of trying to make sense of all this. Please bear with me.

Eva-02 being put under lock-down for the Vatican Treaty:



Eva-02 being taken out of lock-down when Mari hijacks it:



Mari during teh hijacking, apparently after doing simulator training in the Eva (or about to?). Actually, maybe this isn't Eva-02 and just a simulator. Either way:



As mentioned by SaltyJoe in another thread, Kaji is nowhere to be seen during the Zeruel battle until 3I occurs. And with Mari's babbling about entering Japan covertly and implications that BOTH she and Kaji are spies (working within the same group but with their own goals? At least as dialogue so far has shown us: "I'm hesitant about including an adult/child in my plans."), it's very possible that Kaji and/or Mari's contacts in Japan helped Mari swap in her own core to make Eva-02 (and Beast Mode?) work for her.

Although Eva-05 was destroyed at the film's start, maybe the core was somehow salvaged (hell, if souls in NGE-verse can be salvaged and merged and split....cores should be too in either universe, I'd assume.) and or Mari is able to pilot using various cores.

Regarding Eva-02, it has been assumed with the shot of the core removed that it was placed within Eva-03 which is why Asuka could pilot. (I know we see that shot of Eva-02's core being taken out, but do we see it entering into Eva-03, or is that just the natural assumption?)

And even in 1.11, we have this line of Ritsuko's when Shinji refuses to pilot (before Rei's brought out): Ritsuko: Convert Unit-01's core unit configuration to L-00 Type and prepare to re-activate! Techie: Roger. Discontinuing current operations. Preparing restart. Initiating re-activation.

Of course, whether or not cores have anything to do with the souls of the Eva is debatable, but they very well could. With the exception of Eva-01/Yui, the other units have been given the standard "just" robots treatment even if ALL the Evas still have resident souls. (If this is the case, the reasoning for that could be build-up that their robots even though shock and horror they're all really giant humans blah blah blah regarding new fans.)

But why the hell would Eva-01 AND Eva-00 go berserk if there aren't resident souls within all the Evas still?

On the other hand, it's also very possible that the Eva units are "just" robots this time around, with the exception of special snowflake Eva-01 who has Yui inside (2.22 Gendo shouting at Yui during the Dummy Plug insertion scene, 1.11 Fuyutsuki's concern of Rei within Eva-01 lol Third Impact? lol Yui and Rei merge??).

[SpearofLonginus]

Did the EVAs even have cores in the TV series? Or was it just souls?