What Was the First Impact in Evangelion? Complete Timeline Explained

If you've delved into the complex world of Neon Genesis Evangelion, you've probably encountered references to the First Impact. This catastrophic event fundamentally altered Earth's history billions of years ago.

Unlike the more prominently featured Second Impact or the threatened Third Impact, the First Impact remains shrouded in mystery throughout much of the series. Yet it serves as the foundational event that set everything in motion.

Understanding the First Impact is crucial for grasping the deeper mythology of Evangelion. It explains the origin of life on Earth, the existence of the mysterious beings known as Angels, and why humanity faces the existential threat depicted throughout the series.

What Exactly Was the First Impact in Evangelion?

The First Impact refers to the collision between a massive celestial object and Earth approximately four billion years ago. This wasn't an ordinary meteor strike—the impacting object carried something far more significant.

Key Facts About the First Impact:

Occurred during Earth's early formation period
Brought two progenitor entities: Adam and Lilith
Delivered the seeds of all life on Earth
Fundamentally reshaped the planet's surface
Set up the conflict between Angels and humanity

The Origins: Understanding the First Ancestral Race

To truly comprehend the First Impact, we must first understand the beings responsible for creating the seeds of life. The First Ancestral Race, also known as the Progenitors, were an advanced civilization that existed long before Earth harbored any life.

What the First Ancestral Race Created

These beings developed technology to spread life throughout the cosmos by creating powerful entities called Seeds of Life. Each seed possessed the ability to propagate and evolve life on lifeless planets.

The Two Types of Seeds:

Seed Type	Vessel	Progenitor	Life Pattern
Adam-based	White Moon	Adam	Few powerful individuals
Lilith-based	Black Moon	Lilith	Many weaker beings with collective intelligence

The civilization created specific protocols to prevent two seeds from coexisting on the same planet. Each seed traveled aboard a massive spherical vessel called a Moon, equipped with Spears of Longinus to deactivate a seed if it landed on an occupied planet.

Adam and Lilith: The Two Seeds That Shaped Humanity

The First Impact brought two fundamentally different progenitor entities to Earth. Each carried the potential to spawn entirely different evolutionary trees.

Adam: The White Moon's Progenitor

Adam represented one pattern of life—beings with immense individual power. Adam's children, the Angels, embody this philosophy as powerful individual entities.

Adam's Characteristics:

Distinct S2 Engines (perpetual energy sources)
Powerful AT Fields maintaining individual forms
Creates few but extremely powerful offspring
Sealed in dormant state beneath Antarctica
White Moon carried the Spear of Longinus

Lilith: The Black Moon's Progenitor

Lilith represented an alternative approach to life. Rather than creating powerful individuals, Lilith's pattern favored numerous weaker beings with capacity for cooperation.

Lilith's Characteristics:

Generates countless weaker lifeforms
Emphasizes communication and collective intelligence
Created all life on Earth, including humanity
Remained in Black Moon beneath Tokyo-3
Her children lack individual power but build societies

The First Impact damaged the White Moon's systems, causing the Spear of Longinus to activate and seal Adam. Meanwhile, the Black Moon embedded itself beneath what would eventually become Tokyo-3, with Lilith remaining relatively active.

How the First Impact Changed Earth Forever

The collision that marked the First Impact didn't just bring life to Earth. It fundamentally transformed the planet's physical and biological landscape in ways that would echo through billions of years.

Geological Transformations

The impact was catastrophic on a planetary scale. The force would have vaporized rock, created massive pressure waves, and generated tremendous heat.

Physical Changes to Earth:

Reshaped the planet's entire surface
Created massive energy release
Potentially influenced Earth's moon formation
Melted significant portions of the crust
Established two critical impact sites

The Two Impact Sites:

Location	Contents	Significance
Antarctica	White Moon + Adam	Source of Second Impact
Tokyo-3 Region	Black Moon + Lilith	NERV headquarters location

The Connection Between First Impact and Second Impact

While the First Impact occurred billions of years ago, its consequences directly led to the Second Impact. The catastrophic event in 2000 AD serves as recent history in Evangelion's timeline.

What Triggered the Second Impact

The Second Impact wasn't a natural disaster, despite official claims. It resulted from humanity's discovery of Adam in Antarctica and subsequent attempts to study the dormant progenitor.

Chain of Events Leading to Second Impact:

Scientists discover Adam beneath Antarctic ice
Research team attempts to reduce Adam to embryonic state
Experiments disturb Adam's dormant stasis
Partial awakening triggers massive energy release
Catastrophic explosion kills half of humanity

Consequences of Disturbing Ancient Forces

This event was directly connected to the First Impact because it involved disturbing the very entity that arrived during that ancient collision. Adam had remained sealed for billions of years by the Spear of Longinus.

Second Impact's Global Effects:

Killed approximately 3 billion people
Fundamentally altered Earth's climate
Reshaped global geography
Awakened the Angels
Triggered global economic collapse
Led to widespread wars and conflicts

The connection reveals a crucial theme in Evangelion: humanity's arrogance regarding forces beyond comprehension. The organization that would become NERV failed to understand the implications of their discovery.

Angels and Their Purpose: Legacy of the First Impact

The Angels that terrorize humanity throughout Neon Genesis Evangelion are direct consequences of the First Impact. Understanding their origin reveals why they attack humanity.

What Are Angels?

Angels are Adam's children—beings that evolved from the White Moon's progenitor entity. Unlike humanity's vast numbers, Angels appear as unique individuals with tremendous power.

Angel Characteristics:

Feature	Description	Purpose
S2 Engine	Perpetual motion organ	Provides unlimited energy
AT Field	Absolute Terror Field	Maintains individuality and defense
Unique Forms	Each Angel looks different	Represents different evolutionary paths
Individual Power	Vastly stronger than humans	Reflects Adam's life pattern

Why Angels Attack Humanity

The Angels' purpose isn't malicious destruction—they're attempting to reach Lilith to trigger the Third Impact. From their perspective, Earth belongs to Adam's pattern of life.

The Angels' Perspective:

Earth was meant for Adam's children
Humanity represents an aberration
Lilith-based life must be corrected
Reuniting with their progenitor restores natural order
They fight for survival, just like humans

The Spear of Longinus: Weapon from the First Impact

Among the most enigmatic artifacts in Evangelion is the Spear of Longinus. This weapon is intimately connected to the First Impact and the conflict between Adam and Lilith.

Origin and Purpose

The Spear of Longinus accompanied Adam aboard the White Moon during its journey to Earth. Created by the First Ancestral Race, these weapons served as failsafe devices.

Spear of Longinus Functions:

Deactivates seeds on occupied planets
Pierces and seals progenitor entities
Can penetrate any AT Field
Possesses apparent consciousness
Changes size according to need

Collecting the Story: Building Your Evangelion Understanding

For fans seeking to deepen their connection with Evangelion's complex mythology, building model kits and collecting offers a tangible way to engage with the series. These detailed recreations allow enthusiasts to literally construct their understanding piece by piece.

Why Collecting Enhances Understanding

The process of assembling intricate model kits mirrors the viewer's journey through Evangelion's layered narrative. Just as each episode reveals new information about the First Impact, each completed adds another piece to your collection.

Benefits of Building Collections:

Physical representation of abstract concepts
Hands-on engagement with the story
Visual timeline of events
Community connection with other fans
Deeper appreciation for design details

Display cases become personal museums chronicling Earth's cosmic history from the First Impact forward. High-quality collectible capture specific moments from the series.

Organizing Your Collection

Many collectors organize displays chronologically or thematically, creating visual narratives. A collection might progress from representations of the First Impact's aftermath through the Second Impact's devastation.

Collection Organization Ideas:

Theme	What to Include	Story Focus
Chronological	First to Third Impact	Complete timeline
Angel Battles	Eva units vs. specific Angels	Combat progression
Character Focus	Key character moments	Emotional journey
Technology Evolution	Eva development stages	Human advancement

Why the First Impact Matters to the Overall Story

Understanding the First Impact is essential for comprehending Evangelion's entire narrative. This ancient event explains seemingly unrelated plot elements and character motivations.

It Explains the Angels' Motivation

Without knowing about the First Impact, Angels seem like random monsters. Understanding they're fighting to reclaim their world makes them tragic rather than evil.

What the First Impact Reveals:

Angels aren't invaders, they're natives
Humanity is the accidental occupant
Neither side is truly villainous
The conflict is cosmically predetermined
There's no possibility of peaceful coexistence

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the First Impact in Evangelion?

The First Impact was a cosmic collision that occurred approximately four billion years ago. A massive celestial object containing two progenitor entities—Adam and Lilith—crashed into Earth during the planet's early formation period.

This event brought the seeds of all life to Earth and set up the conflict between Angels and humanity that defines the entire series.

How is the First Impact different from the Second Impact?

The First Impact occurred four billion years ago and brought life to Earth through a cosmic collision. The Second Impact happened in 2000 AD when humans disturbed Adam's dormant form in Antarctica, triggering a catastrophic explosion.

The First Impact was an accident of cosmic proportions, while the Second Impact resulted from human arrogance and ignorance.

Why did both Adam and Lilith arrive at Earth?

Earth's arrival of both Adam and Lilith was a cosmic accident that violated the First Ancestral Race's design. Each Moon was supposed to travel to different planets, ensuring only one progenitor per world.

The collision during the First Impact damaged the failsafe systems meant to prevent exactly this scenario, leading to both seeds activating on the same planet.

What is the Spear of Longinus?

The Spear of Longinus is an ancient weapon created by the First Ancestral Race that accompanied Adam's White Moon to Earth. During the First Impact, the Spear activated and pierced Adam, sealing the progenitor in a dormant state for billions of years.

This weapon can penetrate any AT Field and appears to possess semi-sentient properties, making it one of humanity's few effective weapons against Angels.

Are humans descended from Adam or Lilith?

Humans are descended from Lilith, not Adam. All life on Earth evolved from Lilith's genetic material after the First Impact sealed Adam in dormancy.

This makes humans and Angels evolutionary cousins from different progenitors, which explains why they cannot coexist and must fight for planetary dominance.

Why do the Angels attack humanity?

Angels attack humanity because they're attempting to reach Lilith and trigger the Third Impact. From their perspective, Earth belongs to Adam's pattern of life, and humanity represents an aberration that must be corrected.

They're not evil—they're simply following the imperative established by the First Impact billions of years ago, fighting to reclaim what they view as their rightful world.