A Comparative Study of The Endless Myth and Neon Genesis Evangelion — Mythic Structure and Psychological Apocalypse
The novel The Endless Myth and the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion both explore themes of “God,” “apocalypse,” and the “chosen one.” However, their narrative approaches differ dramatically.
One is a structural myth in which the world is sustained by belief.
The other is a psychological apocalypse centred on the collapse of the self and the Human Instrumentality Project.
This article compares their world-building, protagonists, treatment of divinity, and visions of the end.
World Structure: A Closed Mythic System vs. A World in Collapse
In The Endless Myth, the world is defined and stabilised by myth and faith. Order exists because myth is told and retold. Apocalypse is not merely physical destruction—it is the collapse of meaning itself.
In Neon Genesis Evangelion, the world moves toward destruction through the arrival of the Angels and the Human Instrumentality Project. The end of the world is both an external catastrophe and an internal psychological breakdown.
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The Endless Myth: The end comes when meaning disappears.
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Evangelion: The end comes through the dissolution of the self.
Protagonists: A Fixed Symbol vs. A Conflicted Individual
The protagonist of The Endless Myth, Messiah, is a symbolic figure placed at the centre of a mythic system. He is chosen from the outset and defined by his role. His freedom is secondary to structure.
In contrast, the protagonist of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shinji Ikari, is a deeply conflicted boy who struggles against the very role imposed upon him. He hesitates, retreats, and questions his own worth. The narrative intensely examines his inner turmoil.
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Messiah: A symbol who fulfils a role.
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Shinji Ikari: An individual who suffers under a role.
The Nature of God and Transcendence
In The Endless Myth, God is an absolute being sustained by faith. Divinity is embedded within the world’s structure and becomes fixed through narration.
In Neon Genesis Evangelion, godlike entities such as Adam and Lilith appear, but divinity is ambiguous. Religious symbolism blends with scientific language. God is not a stable centre but a concept open to interpretation.
Different Visions of Apocalypse
In The Endless Myth, apocalypse occurs when myth is lost. Without narrative continuity, the world loses coherence.
In Neon Genesis Evangelion, apocalypse takes the form of Human Instrumentality—an enforced unity in which individuality dissolves. The story questions whether the loss of boundaries between selves is salvation or annihilation.
The former asks how meaning can survive.
The latter asks whether individuality should survive.
Why the Stories Do Not Truly End
The Endless Myth continues through reinterpretation. As long as myth can be retold, the structure endures.
Neon Genesis Evangelion has also been repeatedly reconstructed—through the television ending, The End of Evangelion, and the Rebuild film series. The narrative itself becomes an act of reinterpretation, ending and beginning again.
Conclusion: Structure vs. Self
The Endless Myth and Neon Genesis Evangelion present two contrasting forms of apocalypse:
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A world that cannot escape its mythic structure.
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A self that cannot escape its psychological structure.
One is a story about the persistence of meaning.
The other is a story about the fragility of identity.
Both confront the concepts of “God” and “the end,” yet they ultimately explore different dimensions of human existence—structure and consciousness.
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