Evangelion Unit-01 Takes Over Hard Rock Cafe for New Limited-Edition Collab Collection
Image by Charlotte Davis
Evangelion has teamed up with Hard Rock Cafe for a new merchandise collaboration that combines the iconic anime’s characters and Evangelion Unit-01 with the American restaurant chain’s rock-inspired fashion and accessories.
The new “Evangelion x Hard Rock Cafe Unit-01 Logo Collection” features six products alongside original artwork of Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, and Asuka Langley created especially for the collaboration.
Originally broadcast in 1995, Neon Genesis Evangelion follows Shinji Ikari and a group of teenage pilots recruited by the secretive organization NERV to operate giant biomechanical machines known as Evangelions, defending humanity against mysterious enemies called Angels.
Created by Hideaki Anno, the series became one of the most influential anime productions of its era, eventually inspiring the four-part Rebuild of Evangelion movie series, which concluded with Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time in 2021.
The franchise celebrated its 30th anniversary in October 2025, with celebrations continuing throughout 2026 through events such as the three-day EVANGELION:30+ festival at Yokohama Arena, which featured live performances and the first official Eva Kabuki production.
More recently, Evangelion teamed up with JR Central for a special Shinkansen collaboration, featuring an original voice drama that sends Shinji and his fellow pilots on a school trip tied to the anniversary celebrations.
Image by Charlotte DavisHard Rock Cafe is best known for its American-style restaurants and extensive collection of music memorabilia, with its adjoining Rock Shops selling branded clothing and collectibles that often feature designs unique to each location.
For the Evangelion collaboration, Hard Rock Cafe has reworked its classic circular logo using Unit-01’s purple and green coloring, creating a new design that appears throughout the clothing and accessories.
The accompanying illustration imagines a Hard Rock Cafe operating in Tokyo-3, with Shinji, Rei, and Asuka standing outside the restaurant against the city’s futuristic skyline.
Shinji is seen wearing a new collab exclusive Unit-01 logo T-shirt, with Rei and Asuka dressed in Hard Rock Cafe’s regular logo apparel, showing the three pilots enjoying some time away from their usual duties at NERV.
The collection covers everything from a premium Unit-01 sukajan jacket and T-shirts to smaller accessories and souvenirs, with several items featuring designs unique to individual Rock Shops:
- “Evangelion Unit-01 Logo T-Shirt” – ¥9,570 (approximately $61 / £46).
A short-sleeved T-shirt featuring Unit-01 behind the Hard Rock Cafe logo, available in white, gray, and black depending on the store, with sizes ranging from S to XXL.
- “Evangelion Unit-01 Logo Cap” – ¥5,940 (approximately $38 / £28)
A black baseball cap with purple detailing on the brim and a green-and-purple Hard Rock Cafe logo inspired by Unit-01.
- “Evangelion Unit-01 Sukajan Jacket” – ¥66,000 (approximately $420 / £314)
A black-and-silver Japanese souvenir jacket featuring Evangelion and Hard Rock Cafe branding on the chest, with a large purple-and-green Unit-01 logo covering the back, available in sizes S to XXL.
- “Evangelion Collaboration Pin Badge” – ¥3,080 (approximately $20 / £15)
A limited-edition collectible badge featuring a different design for each of the six Hard Rock Cafe locations, with production limited to 500 pieces.
- “Evangelion Unit-01 Logo Magnet” – ¥3,080 (approximately $20 / £15)
A decorative magnet combining Evangelion imagery with Hard Rock Cafe branding.
- “Evangelion Unit-01 Logo Shot Glass” – ¥1,980 (approximately $13 / £9)
A souvenir glass featuring the collaboration logo and Hard Rock Cafe location branding.
Fans looking to collect the different T-shirt colors will need to visit specific Rock Shops, with white available in Tokyo, Ueno Station Tokyo, Kyoto and Universal CityWalk Osaka, gray in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka Namba and Universal CityWalk Osaka, and black in Ueno Station Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto and Osaka Namba.
Every purchase from the collection will also come with an exclusive illustrated shopping bag featuring the new Evangelion artwork, available while supplies last.
The Hard Rock Cafe collaboration joins other recent Evangelion fashion releases, including an official AVIREX flight jacket collection inspired by Unit-01, Unit-02 and Mark.06, as well as EVANGELION:95’s vintage-style clothing range featuring artwork from the original anime.
Image by James RichardsonThe Evangelion x Hard Rock Cafe merchandise will be sold through Hard Rock Cafe’s Rock Shops in Tokyo, Ueno Station Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto, Osaka Namba, and Universal CityWalk Osaka.
Sales of the “Evangelion Unit-01 Logo Collection” will begin on November 3, 2026, with the Yokohama-exclusive pin badge arriving in early November and the shot glass following in mid-November.
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