The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where giant monstrous beings known as Angels threaten humanity's existence. The organization NERV, hidden beneath Tokyo-3, has developed giant humanoid machines called Evangelions to combat these threats. The protagonist, Shinji Ikari, is a shy and introverted teenager who pilots the Evangelion Unit-01. He joins a team of pilots, including Rei Ayanami (Unit-00) and Asuka Langley Soryu (Unit-02), under the command of his estranged father, Gendo Ikari.