in "the end of evangelion", rei finally defies gendo forwardly and separates with him (after absorbing adam) to merge with lilith and start instrumentality on her own. seeing that all his plans to be reunited with yui have come to nothing, gendo begs rei to return to him; she refuses. after instrumentality is started, gendo confronts specters of the various reis as well as kaworu and yui herself. gendo confesses that he is afraid of the "invisible bonds" formed by those around him, and that he was afraid to confront his son after yui's death. a vision of unit 01, with much of its armor missing is seen holding gendo in much the same manner as kaworu in episode 24; the real unit 01 is at that moment within the tree of life, and still fully armored. gendo states that "...this is my retribution", and the spectral unit 01 bites off his torso as he utters his final words: "forgive me, shinji." the camera then shifts back to terminal dogma, where the lower half of gendo's body is seen, still standing, with his torso severed.