Setting aside the original TV series ending—which most fans think was awful—Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion felt a bit…bittersweet. As intriguing as this movie was—especially if you see the religious themes within—most fans just felt like it didn’t answer all their lingering questions and shafted some of their personal favorites like Misato Katsuragi and Rei Ayanami. Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time fixes this by not only giving fans a happy ending but also one that shows the fate of most of the series favorites.

After the epic final battle between Shinji and Gendou Ikari—a truly great father and son duel—Shinji gets his wish to reset the world but with the removal of one big element, the Eva Units. This reset the world and we see an adult Shinji with series newcomer Mari talking on a train platform. In the distance, fans also will notice an older Rei and Kaworu showing they have been reborn in this new world as well. Yes, they might not all be showing they know one another but having these characters alive and well shows the others most likely are alive and healthy as well. Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time ends on a desperately needed happy note and its an ending that feels geared towards Evangelion fans.

The Evangelion franchise has made otaku worldwide beg for wikis and fan explanations. Each entry unleashed more religious themes and for those unversed in those fields…it can be a bit daunting. We’ve seen many fans struggle to sell Evangelion to non-fans because of its complex nature. Thankfully, with Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time ending like it did, we think these final four movies can be approached by both fans and newcomers alike with little issue. Though, don’t be alarmed when you run into a million terms and need wikis for all of them.

Want to know the true beauty behind Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time? It actually has an ending that feels like the series has ended! Out of the three versions of Evangelion, Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time does what the others really didn’t…it came to an end! We don’t need to think if Asuka and Shinji will repopulate the world or if Shinji was just having a fever dream in the last episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time wraps up neatly and puts a smile on our faces.

Now, we know most of you Eva fans will believe that Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time makes it so the series has no room to go anywhere else. Shinji’s final wish removes the Evangelion Units which, in turn, removes the Angels and the need for NERV and Gendou’s mission to revive his wife. Yet, if you’re a true fan of the Evangelion franchise, then you know there are several spin-offs and numerous ways the series could restart.

Don’t believe us? Then we turn to one of the newer light novel spin-offs in the form of Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA which retells the events of the anime—the TV series—but with a different series of events unfolding. It’s quite possible that ANIMA could end up being a TV anime in the near future—which we hope for—or even a series of movies! The beauty of Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time’s ending is that it gives Hideaki Anno—the creator behind the Evangelion series—room to make even more of this beloved series!