Evangelion Fifteenth Angel Arael

Arael is a Child of Adam and is referred to as the Fifteenth Angel and "Angel of Birds." He appears in Episode 22 of the Evangelion anime series.

Physical appearance

This angel, like Sahaquiel , is first spotted well above Earth's atmosphere, but rather than orbiting the planet, it is able to remain in a fixed location. This should be impossible by normal standards, as objects in orbit usually orbit Earth. This angel resembles a large, bird-like creature composed of light. Multiple pairs of wings can be seen, though it is possible that these wings are non-functional, as Arael is never seen moving despite its ability to maintain a fixed location within Earth's orbit. Its wings and glowing body give this angel the most angelic appearance compared to a standard depiction of an angel, but there is nothing holy about Arael. This angel is capable of launching extremely long-range, non-physical attacks that affect the mind of its target. These attacks are targeted and can be directed at an individual, as seen when it only attacks Asuka . Rather than causing physical damage, Arael causes mental damage, though the means by which she does this are unclear. While her incredibly bright body obscures many of the finer details of Arael's design, her core appears to be located between her two shorter wings, which are closest to her body.

Remarkable abilities

• Psychological Attack: From high above Earth, Arael launches a beam of light that strikes Asuka and causes both Evangelion Unit 02 and its pilot to go into a panicked frenzy. NERV analyzes the beam of light but finds little information other than that it is similar to an AT field. Although it appears simply as a beam of light, it can apparently pass through matter, as Asuka, the pilot inside Unit 02, is the Angel's target. Using this attack, Arael can forcefully enter the minds of those affected and read their thoughts. This causes physical pain to the target. Once Arael has successfully infiltrated a target's mind, he appears to have access to all of their memories, whether forgotten or repressed. Arael can also force a target to relive these memories in their own mind. Although uncertain, it is possible that Arael can also interact with his target while infiltrating their mind. Targets are aware that the Angel is trying to enter their minds, though there is little they can do to defend themselves.

• AT Field: Arael's AT field is used to defend against what would normally be incredibly powerful attacks. It is fully capable of blocking a projectile similar to a positron rifle, which is the same type of weapon that defeated Ramiel (although the beam fired at that angel was at a much closer range). The only known weapon capable of piercing Arael's AT field is the Spear of Longinus.

Battle and defeat

Similar to Leliel , Arael seems to appear out of nowhere, but at a much greater distance. NERV orders Evangelion Unit 00 to target the Angel from an incredible distance with a rifle similar to the one used by Evangelion Unit 01 to defeat Ramiel. None. Evangelion Unit 02 is tasked with acting as backup for Unit 00, but Asuka goes against orders and charges in first in an attempt to prove she is still capable of piloting Unit 02. Misato allows this but only does so to give Asuka one last chance. This haste quickly becomes Asuka's undoing, as no one expected Arael to be capable of launching a psychological attack, especially at such a long distance. This attack causes Asuka, and thus Unit 02, to panic, causing it to fire all its bullets frantically and completely miss the Angel. Arael continues her attack on Asuka and begins showing her (and, consequently, the audience) memories of her childhood that she has tried to leave behind. Forcing Asuka to relive her traumatic childhood completely incapacitates her, leaving Unit 00 as the only functioning unit capable of attacking. Roi attempts an attack on the Angel, but its AT field is simply too powerful and the attack is deflected. With no other options left, Gendo Ikari orders Rei to retrieve the Spear of Longinus from Terminal Dogma. Evangelion Unit 00 throws the staff like a javelin and it rips through Arael's AT field and pierces her body, rendering her annihilated. The Spear continued to pass through Earth's gravitational pull as it entered a lunar orbit. It eventually lands on the moon, inaccessible to NERV.

Arael in other media

The fifteenth angel Arael makes an appearance in the manga adaptation of Evangelion created by illustrator Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. In the manga, Arael is classified as the tenth angel, not the fifteenth. The battle and resulting defeat in the manga are similar to those in the anime series. The significant difference is that in the manga, after being mentally tortured by Arael, Asuka ends up in a comatose state.

Arael has not appeared in any of the Evangelion Rebuild films to date.