Evangelion Fourteenth Angel Zeruel

Zeruel is a Child of Adam and is referred to as the Fourteenth Angel named after "the Angel of Strength." He appears in Episode 19 of the Evangelion anime series.

Physical appearance

Zeruel is arguably one of the deadliest Angels, as he wields a variety of incredibly powerful weapons. With his incredible destructive power, Zeruel becomes the first Angel to infiltrate NERV solely through brute force. His AT field is also powerful enough to levitate himself into the air. His body is approximately the size of an Evangelion Unit and is very stout. Compared to average human proportions, Zeruel's legs are incredibly short. Zeruel's arms are flat and folded like paper when not in use, but when unfolded, they can extend several times the length of his body and be manipulated at will. Zeruel's core is also clearly visible near the center of his body, but he is able to produce a blanket to protect him when he is in danger.

Remarkable abilities

• Crossed Arms: When at rest, Zeruel's flat arms are folded and do not extend beyond his core. When using his arms to attack an opponent, they unfold as if made of paper and extend, at a minimum, the entire length of Zeruel's body. These arms, however, can be extended to cover an incredible distance. Additionally, they make for incredible piercing and slashing weapons. Zeruel uses them to slice and pierce Evangelion Units with seemingly little effort. They are also flexible enough to be wrapped around an opponent, as seen when he picks up Evangelion Unit 01 by the head and throws it aside. While durable, these arms are not indestructible and can be torn or even cut like cloth with enough force.

• Energy Beam: If his arms weren't enough, Zeruel can fire energy beams with destructive power that may be comparable to Ramiel's Beams. With a single blast, this Angel destroys eighteen of NERV's twenty-two layers of defense. Multiple beams can also be fired in rapid succession, allowing the Angel to penetrate the underground facility at a speed unseen by any other Angel. Each blast is also powerful enough to expose Unit 01's core, though it is unknown whether or not it can physically destroy the core.

Battle and defeat

Zeruel is spotted levitating in the air and quickly begins attacking Tokyo-3. The attack begins with a beam attack that burns through nearly all of NERV's armor layers. As it appears to be only a matter of time before the Angel infiltrates the facility, Asuka and Evangelion Unit 02 are sent to wait for the target inside the GeoFront and open fire on them at the first opportunity. Bullets and missiles prove ineffective, however. The Angel deploys its arms and quickly severs both of Unit 02's arms and follows up with another blow to the head, incapacitating both the unit and its pilot. With Shinji quitting being an Evangelion pilot due to the battle with Bardiel , NERV attempts to have Roi pilot Evangelion Unit 01 with a Dummy Plug as a backup, but the unit rejects them both and refuses to activate. Meanwhile, Shinji discovers the aftermath of the battle between Zeruel and Evangelion Unit 02. Ryōji is also nearby, watering his melon field. The two talk, and Ryōji says that watering his melons is the only thing he can do now and hints to Shinji that, while Ryōji can do little more than wait for his death, there is something else he can do.

Before Shinji can act, a wounded Evangelion Unit 00 appears on the battlefield with an N2 bomb in hand, seemingly in an attempt to sacrifice itself and destroy the Angel. Rei is able to break through Zeruel's resilient AT field, but he manages to protect his core at the last moment. While Unit 00 is still standing after the explosion, Zeruel attacks it with his bendable arms, rendering the unit inoperable. The Angel continues to push deeper into NERV in an attempt to make contact with " Adam " (whom Kaworu later identifies as Lilith ). He heads towards the facility's command center and begins charging an energy blast, but is intercepted by Shinji in Evangelion Unit 01 before he can fire it. Blows are exchanged between the two giants, and Shinji manages to gain the upper hand. However, before he can deliver the final blow, Unit 01 runs out of energy. Zeruel begins his counterattack by firing a beam powerful enough to expose the Eva unit's core and striking it with his arms. Before its core is destroyed, Unit 01 reactivates and goes berserk. Although Unit 01 has gone berserk before, this instance appears to be much more intense. Unit 01 displays incomprehensible amounts of brute force, completely decimating Zeruel with a single blow of its hand. The berserk unit also exhibits a much more primitive demeanor, as it begins walking on all fours toward the Fallen Angel to devour its core. With its core effectively destroyed, the Fourteenth Angel is killed.

Zeruel in other media

The fourteenth angel Zeruel plays a significant role in the Evangelion Reconstruction 2.0 film as the tenth angel. Compared to the anime, the battle is staged similarly in the Geofront. However, it is Mari Illustrious Makinami who first engages Zeruel as the pilot of Evangelion Unit 02, along with Rei and Unit 00. The battles include Mari using secret codes to drive Unit 02 mad, and Rei and Unit 00 being devoured by Zeruel. The conclusion of the battle is the most significantly different with Shinji in Evangelion Unit 01 intervening, defeating Zeruel and beginning the process of initiating Third Impact.