Evangelion's new anime series should draw from the secret Asuka story

Let Asuka Soryu finally get her due, as she does in an anniversary-event short very few fans have seen

Evangelion is back! The big 30th-anniversary event celebrating the franchise also ushered it into a new generation by announcing an upcoming Evangelion anime series written by Nier: Automata’s Yoko Taro. During the celebration at Yokohama Arena, Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno unveiled a new short starring Asuka Langley Soryu — but it may never get an actual public airing. Although nothing is known about the new Evangelion series, I hope it delves into some of the possible futures presented in the short, so Asuka can finally get the closure she deserves from a happy ending.

The new short opens with Shoryu and her Rebuild of Evangelion universe counterpart, Asuka Shikinami Langley. The two stand on-screen and talk about their lives. Soryu eventually demands a happier ending. For those who don’t remember, she died during the film End of Evangelion, and was resurrected after the Human Instrumentality Project failed. She woke up with Shinji Ikari’s hands around her throat. Shikinami begins guiding Soryu through different “what if” scenarios, including one where she and Shinji fight Angels together and eventually go on a date.

After sifting through these possible realities, Soryu settles on one in which she and Shinji are older and have a child. But then she decides against it and accepts her original ending, before the scene fades into a musical reminiscent of Death & Rebirth, a compilation film recounting the series' events.

The short is very much in line with the overall themes of the original series Neon Genesis Evangelion and its sequel, End of Evangelion, emphasizing acceptance and emotional closure. Although many characters in Evangelion eventually get satisfying endings to their arcs, Soryu never had the luxury. She gets another chance as Asuka Shikinami, as this short highlights, but she ultimately becomes a unique individual beyond a mere Soryu doppelgänger. She deserves a proper ending in something like a series or film. Her story shouldn’t be exploited as part of exclusive event footage, which is then locked away for the rest of its days.

We have no clue what Taro’s story could cover beyond whatever this ominous-looking trailer is attempting to convey. But he should expand on the story told in the anniversary-event short. The ending to Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, the fourth and final film in the Rebuild universe, definitively rejects escapism and embraces reality, despite the pain that comes with it. That makes for a powerful, lasting message. It would be a shame for Taro, the first person other than Hideaki Anno himself to take control of this franchise, to do something different that jeopardizes these established themes.

Fans cherish every version of Asuka, but many still want closure for the original since she’s been denied it for so long. If this anniversary short never surfaces again, let it stand as proof of concept. And if Taro is truly taking the reins, perhaps the future of Evangelion’s multiverse can honor its past by finally letting Asuka Langley Soryu rest.