You'll find a lot of different opinions on this - here are mine.

There are several different scenarios for Third Impact depending on how it
is triggered, who or what is at the center, etc. - Seele's desire was to
merge mankind into an Eva and use it as an ark to ascend to heaven. Adam +
the Lance were their original choice to trigger impact, but losing the lance
changed their tools - They wanted an empty Eva (without human soul) to be at
the center so there would be no deviation from their control. The Eva series
felt a dead Auska and Unit 1 would be a reasonable substitute. Seele is a
death cult and the death of mankind is an acceptable final outcome to them.
However, even when Shinji and Unit 1 become the center, Selle still rejoices
at the end of mankind as it is currently structured. Ultimately they come to
accept Third Impact, even though it does not meet their goals. Although it
wasn't their original scenario, it was acceptable to them.*  The Lance could
regenerate an angel and in their scenario could be used to trigger their
desired Third Impact - the loss of the Lance meant they had to substitute
the empty Eva and the Eva series for  Adam and the Lance.

*When Lorrenz dies you notice that he was filled with wires and devices,
presumably these kept him alive for centuries. I have seen it speculated
that Kiel was the wandering Jew of legend, cursed to live forever until the
messiah returns. I am not sure if this is Anno's intent (still waiting for
Anno to finish the damn manga!), but it would make his justification for
Kiel wanting Third Impact to kill off the human race as reasonable.

Gendo saw the human race as a flawed but independent creation. Internally,
the flaw of mankind is it's separation from others. His vision was to merge
with Adam/Rei/Lillith and guide third impact with his own vision of mankind
reborn (living and dead) merging their souls. Man would be reborn in almost
identical form, but with the living and dead able to communicate (and
various people merged at their cored - this is what Shinji saw when he was
absorbed by his Eva - he could be merged with Misato/rei and Ausaka. At
theior core they would be merged, but could still exist as separate people,
The irony here is that Gendo is more isolated from the human race than
anyone else - a bad role model to base the new human race on! Then again, he
expected to be merged with Yuo after third Impact and that was enough for
him.

To the angels, the human race is actually a flawed form of angel and was not
worth saving - however, Kaworu decided that Shinji was the human best suited
to decide the outcome of third impact.Angel Kaworu (actually "Tabris") could
have wiped everything out without recreating the human race, but chose not
to. Rei/Kowaru/Lillith left it to Shinji to decide the outcome of Third
Impact. there is a lot of speculation about this. I believe that Rei is
saying that Shinji chooses an open reality. Humans could eventually choose
to exist again, they will be able to return to the world. The potential for
both joy and pain will exist.

The Eva series is based on a core engine using Kaworu as the core. The Eva
series kill themselves as part of the ritual required to trigger third
impact.

Think of Eva as a form of a god. Not The God, but an important one. Eva
ultimately represents the immortality of mankind.

Lillith has been inert although with the lance it had regenerated somewhat.
I don't know if you can really say Lillith was alive in any sense that is
understandable, but I guess I see your point. All Humans came from Lillith
so whoever merges with it would be coming home. In another sense, Rei was a
composite clone and Lillith was part of her original material. The "welcome
home" may also be part of the ritual required for Rei/Lillith to ascend.

My opinion and welcome to it.

ten/mark

"Maeglin" <maeglin.lomion@tiscali.it> wrote in message
news:7Wcsb.7215$ZH3.4652@tornado.fastwebnet.it...
> Maybe somebody can explain me.
> During the serie (+ movies) we are presented three kind of endings:
> 1) An angel comes in physical contact with Adam
> 2) Gendou Ikari with embryo of Adam in his body (hand) comes in contact
with
> Lilith
> 3) EVA01 (with S2 engine inside) becomes a new deity by merging with
Lilith
>
> All kind of endings bring to the 3rd Impact, but what is the difference?
And
> what are the three post 3rd Impact scenarios?
> And finally:
> 4) What should had happened if the Seele had not loose the lance of
> Longinus? Why this was not indispensable (to do what)?
> 5) The 3rd Impact happened in the film, is the same wanted by the Seele?
If
> not what was wrong for Seele?
> 6) Why EVA 05 killed themself trapassing their own core with simil-lance
of
> Longinus? That is, why EVA 05 had to die?
> 7) At the end of the serie EVA 01 is a deity (fruit of knowledge [soul of
> Yui] and fruit of Life [S2 engine]: what this implies? And why EVA 01 have
> to merge with
> Adam-Lilith to do 3rd Impact?
> 8) If the soul of Lilith is in Rei (that is "is Rei") how is it possible
> that Lilith awaken and speak mentally with Rei when she approches Lilith?
> Finished.
>
> Thank you.
> Bye
>
>
>
>