Studio Khara Reveals Early Script Draft of ‘The End of Evangelion’

Studio Khara has recently shared a rare glimpse into the creative process behind The End of Evangelion, the first film for Hideaki Anno‘s Neon Genesis Evangelion. The studio posted a part of an early script draft online through the official Evangelion X account. The draft, consisting of 18 pages, was revealed through Khara’s official channels and offers fans a look at how the film’s climactic narrative was initially conceived. According to reports, the material was not a finalized script but rather a provisional internal draft, written before the story was refined into its final form.

The excerpt itself, a rough plot outline from the 18th page of the film’s last half, offers a fascinating look at an abandoned version of the ending scene involving protagonists Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Sohryu. Director Anno noted that the draft was a chaotic, incomplete concept, commenting that he “had an idea for the ending, but I couldn’t bring it together, so it remains extreme and chaotic.” The scene describes Shinji making graves for those who died, with Asuka’s grave ruined. The dialogue includes surreal lines such as, “You can live forever if you’re with the Eva,” and culminates in an exchange that mirrors the final scene of the released film: Shinji choking Asuka, who softly caresses him and says, “There’s no way I’d let you kill me.”

Khara’s decision to publish this material reflects the studio’s ongoing engagement with Evangelion’s legacy. In recent years, the company has revisited the franchise through the Rebuild of Evangelion films, culminating in Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time in 2021. By sharing archival drafts, Studio Khara not only deepens appreciation for the creative challenges behind The End of Evangelion but also invites audiences to reflect on the series’ enduring impact. For longtime fans, the draft serves as both a historical artifact and a reminder of how Evangelion’s themes of identity, despair and renewal were shaped through a complex and evolving production process.