Evangelion's power system centers on AT Fields — Absolute Terror Fields — the psychological barriers every being projects. Angels have AT Fields of enormous strength. EVA units can neutralize them using their own AT Field output.

AT Fields — The Core Power Concept

An AT Field is literally the physical manifestation of a being's psychological barriers — the "walls of the heart" that keep individuals separate from each other. All humans and all Angels project AT Fields. The stronger the will to maintain individuality, the stronger the AT Field. Angels have AT Fields so powerful that conventional weapons cannot penetrate them — only another AT Field can neutralize one.

Evangelion Units

UnitPilotSpecial Ability
Unit-01Shinji IkariBerserker mode — activates without a pilot and fights autonomously at terrifying power
Unit-02Asuka Langley SoryuHighest synchronized combat performance under controlled conditions
Unit-00Rei AyanamiPrototype — less powerful but Rei's synchronization is uniquely deep

The Human Instrumentality Project

NERV's secret goal: breaking down all AT Fields to merge humanity into a single collective consciousness — eliminating pain, loneliness, and individuality simultaneously. The ultimate "power" in NGE is not combat strength but the question of whether individuality is worth the pain it causes.