Character from Neon Genesis Evangelion by Hideaki Anno / Gainax
The Thirteenth Angel — a parasitic entity that infected Eva Unit-03 and turned Toji's first sortie into the moment NERV crossed a line it could never uncross.
Bardiel is the Angel that breaks Shinji. It infects Unit-03 during transfer from NERV's secondary facility at Matsushiro, hiding in a thundercloud. When the infected Eva activates with Toji inside, Bardiel takes control and marches toward Tokyo-3. Shinji refuses to fight because his friend is inside. Gendo activates the Dummy System, and Unit-01 — running on Rei's thought patterns — systematically dismembers Unit-03 and crushes the entry plug with Toji inside. Toji survives but loses his leg. Shinji, forced to watch his body destroy his friend, quits piloting. Bardiel's true horror isn't the Angel itself but what NERV does to defeat it: it reveals that the adults will sacrifice the children without hesitation.
Original form unseen — hid in a thundercloud. Manifests as a fungal-like infection spreading through Eva Unit-03's systems, visible as dark organic growths. When controlling Unit-03, the Eva's eyes show red veins. The infected Eva moves in an inhuman, puppet-like manner.
Also known as: Thirteenth Angel, Bardiel