Summary
Project Human Tools, also known as Tools, was a secret plan discussed by higher-ranking NERV and SEELE staff. Instrumentality’s goal is to transform all sentient beings into a single super-being, transcending their mortal form and achieving a new evolution for humanity. Gendo, who works with SEELE, has his own secret plan in Instrumentality to reunite with his deceased wife, Yui, demonstrating his lack of concern for others.
Anyone who watched Evangelical Neon Genesis familiar with the term “People Tools Project”. What they are less likely to know is exactly what that means. It’s clear that Instrumentality is some sort of secret plan, but what exactly is it and will they achieve their goal?
The Human Engine Project, commonly referred to as Engine, is a concept discussed primarily by higher-ranking NERV personnel such as Gendo, as well as unknown figures operating SEELE. This plan predates the start of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series by quite a bit and goes back to the original discovery of the existence of Adam and the Angels. The SEELE organization is actually searching for Adam, based on information found in the lost Dead Sea Scrolls that the group secretly obtained. Since the real-life Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the 1940s, it’s possible that SEELE’s plans are much further back than they appear.
‘Tools’ are a new evolution for humanity
The goal of the Tool in Neon Genesis Evangelion is to transcend its mortal form and achieve a new evolution for humanity. The team hopes to achieve this by forming all living organisms into a single super-entity, which will no longer feel lonely or insecure because it contains knowledge and abilities. common to all human civilization. To do this, it is necessary to dissolve what is known as the AT Field, a type of force field that exists in all living things and helps keep their souls as isolated units. A true AT Field can only be broken by other AT Fields, so the main element of the Tool is to find an AT Field capable of simultaneously breaking the AT Fields of all humans on Earth.
Without AT Field, the boundaries between one person’s soul and another’s will fade, as will the distinctions between them. This was visualized in the film End of Evangelion by having the characters “melt” into LCL, the liquid that made up the blood of humanity’s ancestor, Lilith, and was used in the Evangelion input plugs. Like pools of liquid blending together, it is impossible to perfectly separate the souls and return them to their original source.
Gendo’s plans for tools
Gendo Ikari teams up with SEELE to bring back Instrumentality, but he also has his own secret goals. Gendo hopes that Instrumentality will allow him to reunite with his wife, Yui, who was lost during a contact experiment with Lilith years before the series began. Yui’s soul is actually stored inside Unit-01, and the story makes it clear that EVA units are essentially giant humans wearing armor. Gendo hopes that Instrumentality will erase the boundaries between souls, including Yui in EVA Unit-01, allowing him to finally meet her again after a decade of loss. SEELE doesn’t know Gendo has his own plans, but they don’t completely trust him either. It’s unclear what plans Gendo has for humanity beyond Yui; even Shinji doesn’t seem to have his goals in mind. While it gives Gendo a very humane motivation, his plan actually reveals how little he cares for others, willing to throw the world away just to see his wife again. .
When it comes to secret “evil” plans, Evangelical Neon Genesis stands out, because Instrumentality actually happens in End of Evangelion. However, whether SEELE or Gendo actually get what they want is another question.
See also: Spider-Man Creates Neon Genesis Evangelion Marvel Comics Canon
