Spear of Cassius
ItemThe Spear of Cassius is one of the great spear artifacts of the Rebuild of Evangelion films, a dark red double-helix weapon distinguished from the Spear of Longinus by its defined head and green gem. Framed as the spear of hope, it halts Near Third Impact and returns to decide the saga's final duel.
Overview
Early materials for Evangelion: 2.0, including the script and the film's Complete Records Collection, label the artifact simply as a spear; the Cassius name attaches later. It counts among six spears that reached Earth alongside the Adams and Lilith during the first two Impacts. Its double-helical shaft and deep red coloring mirror the Spear of Longinus, but a shaped spearhead housing a slim green gem sets it apart.
The name traces to Gaius Cassius Longinus, the Roman senator and general remembered for his part in the plot against Julius Caesar, a figure whose name also echoes Longinus, the soldier of Christian tradition said to have pierced Christ. Promotional art for Evangelion: 3.0 and a Mark.06 action figure render the spear black or dark gray rather than its onscreen red, a discrepancy with no official explanation.
Function
The spear's defining act is termination. During Near Third Impact, Evangelion Mark.06 drives it into Evangelion Unit-01, cutting off the cataclysm and freezing the Eva's transformation into an energy being. In Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 its recreated form carries the title spear of hope, standing opposite the Spear of Longinus, the spear of despair. Kaworu holds that the two spears working in unison could rebuild a destroyed world, and their eventual fusion with Evangelion Imaginary clears the way for Additional Impact.
A related weapon exists in the ANIMA continuity: the Spear of Lucretius, which can pull an Evangelion out of an energy state or bisect energy beings, wielded by Shinji rather than used against him.
Notable Users
The spear first appears shrouded at the lunar Tabgha Base before Mark.06 employs it to end Near Third Impact in Evangelion: 2.0. In Evangelion: 3.0, Kaworu leads Shinji down into Terminal Dogma expecting to recover both Cassius and Longinus from Lilith's corpse, only to find, to his confusion, two identical Spears of Longinus waiting.
In the final film Shinji, aboard Unit-01 within Minus Space, wrests one of the Longinus spears away from Evangelion 13 and remakes it into a new Spear of Cassius. He and Gendo duel with their respective spears until Shinji chooses to give his up and end the fight, after which both weapons merge into Evangelion Imaginary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Spear of Cassius in Evangelion?
The Spear of Cassius is one of the great spear artifacts of the Rebuild of Evangelion films, a dark red double-helix weapon with a defined head and green gem that distinguishes it from the Spear of Longinus. Framed as the spear of hope, it halts Near Third Impact and returns to decide the saga's final duel.
What is the difference between the Spear of Longinus and Cassius?
The Spear of Cassius shares Longinus's double-helical shaft and deep red coloring, but its shaped spearhead houses a slim green gem that Longinus lacks. Symbolically, Cassius represents hope while Longinus represents despair.
What does the Spear of Cassius do?
In Evangelion: 2.0, Evangelion Mark.06 drives the Spear of Cassius into Evangelion Unit-01, cutting off Near Third Impact and freezing the Eva's transformation into an energy being. Its recreated form later fuses with the Spear of Longinus into Evangelion Imaginary, clearing the way for Additional Impact.
Who uses the Spear of Cassius?
Evangelion Mark.06 wields the Spear of Cassius against Evangelion Unit-01 during Near Third Impact. In the final Rebuild film, Shinji Ikari remakes a Spear of Longinus into a new Spear of Cassius and duels Gendo with it aboard Unit-01.
What color is the Spear of Cassius?
The Spear of Cassius is dark red with a distinctive green gem in its spearhead, though promotional art for Evangelion: 3.0 and a Mark.06 action figure render it black or dark gray instead, a discrepancy with no official explanation.
Sources & Information
Looking for more on Spear of Cassius? The Neon Genesis Evangelion Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.
View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Anime based on the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series, manga, and official materials. Neon Genesis Evangelion was created by Hideaki Anno, published by Kadokawa, and animated by khara and Gainax. All rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion and its characters belong to their respective owners. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
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- Created byHideaki Anno
- Published byKadokawa
- Animated bykhara
- Animated byGainax
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