List of characters in Neon Genesis Evangelion
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This is a list of characters in the Japanese anime Neon Genesis Evangelion and the movie The End of Evangelion.
Contents |
Eva Pilots
In the original Japanese versions of Neon Genesis Evangelion, the Eva pilots have the title of "The nth Children," where n relates to the order of their discovery in ascending order. Although grammatically incorrect when used in the singular, it is stated to be intentional and correct by Gainax.
ADV Films' dubbings of the series, VIZ Media's translation of the manga, and Manga Entertainment's dubbing of the movies, however, translates this as "The nth Child" for linguistically aesthetic reasons. The latter of the two variants is used in this and other Evangelion-related articles.
First Child Rei Ayanami
| Age | 14 |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Other cloned vessels of Rei - the "spare parts" Brother: Kaworu? |
| Japanese seiyū | Megumi Hayashibara |
| English voice actor | Amanda Winn Lee |
Template:Main Rei Ayanami (綾波レイ Ayanami Rei) is the First Child, and the pilot of Unit 00. She is socially withdrawn and hardly interacts with anyone. Rei's cool and emotionally-stunted personality has garnered the scorn of her schoolmates; Asuka calls her a "doll" or "puppet." Clones of her, which lack souls, are kept hidden under the NERV building to be the supposed "cores" of the Dummy Plugs. Although she once only associated with Gendo, she and Shinji break the ice after the battle against Ramiel, and grow progressively closer for a while.
Physically and genetically, her appearance has some importance in the series. It is readily apparent that Rei is the diametric opposite of Asuka, not only in terms of personality, but also physically. Asuka is outspoken, emotionally extreme, and violent; Rei is the opposite of Asuka on all these major accounts. Asuka has red hair and blue eyes, while Rei has red eyes and blue hair. This color switch between the characters may also relate to the difference between how they are seen by others and what their true feelings are. However, the lead character designer has said that Rei's coloration was intended to make her look "more distinct," so this color inversion may simply be a coincidence.
Rei's mysterious background has led fans to develop multiple theories of just what exactly went into creating her. Gendo Ikari first introduced her to the NERV staff as an "acquaintance's child" whom he is temporarily taking care of. The Red Cross Book states that Rei was created from the "salvaged remains" of Yui after her death in 2004, in spite of the popularized 2001 birthdate (derived from the character's seiyū). There is evidence shown to support the Red Cross Book: Shinji Ikari tells her that he thinks she'd "make a good mother," and later compares Gendo's manipulation of her to his manipulation of Yui; they are also shown to have a physical resemblance. In episode 24, Kaworu mentions that he and Rei are "the same." This statement was expanded in the "director's cut" of the episode, in which Kaworu goes on to say that he and Rei are human vessels for the souls of Adam and Lillith, respectively; however, since at least part of the information SEELE gave him is known to have been inaccurate (the location of Adam's body, for instance), there's no way to know how much credence to give to this statement. There's certainly some connection between them: both have red eyes, pale skin, and light hair, and while the NERV Dummy Plugs contain Rei clones, SEELE's Evas use Kaworu-powered Dummy Plugs. Kaworu is the seventeenth Angel, and Rei demonstrates Angelic powers later in the series (though only after her fusion with the sixteenth Angel, Armisael, allowing the possibility that the powers came from Armisael).
It is generally believed that Rei died twice; in the series, this stems from the fact that Rei herself says "I think I'm the third one," shortly after her suspected death when Unit 00 self-destructed, an event that she could not remember. The first Rei is thought to have died as a small girl at the hands of Dr. Naoko Akagi for revealing carelessly (or perhaps in an intentional set-up by Gendo Ikari) to Naoko that Gendo called her a "useless old hag." Naoko's tone of voice after supposedly killing her would seem to confirm this. The theory is that her soul and most of her memories are transferred to one of the clones every time she dies, which then takes the preceding Rei's place as if she had not died at all. This was reported by the Red Cross Book, although it is considered by a minority of fans to be a questionable source of information since Gainax has had to correct it for a number of errors.
Second Child Asuka Langley Soryu
| Age | 14 |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Mother: Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu Father: "Papa" Step-mother: "Mama" Guardian: Misato Katsuragi Former Guardian: Ryoji Kaji |
| Japanese seiyū | Yuko Miyamura |
| English voice actor | Tiffany Grant |
Template:Main Asuka Langley Soryu (惣流・アスカ・ラングレー Sōryū Asuka Rangurē) is the Second Child and pilots Unit 02. She is from Germany, but with an American father and a half-German, half-Japanese mother. Her mother, Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu, went insane after an Eva-related experiment and began to believe that an Asuka-like doll was, in fact, her daughter, to the point that she refused to even acknowledge the real Asuka. Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu hung herself on the very day that Asuka was chosen to become an Eva pilot. On that day, Asuka promised herself that she would never cry again. This event gives her an innate hatred of dolls and all things that she perceives to be doll-like, especially Rei. Asuka's father later remarried a woman for whom Asuka feels no affection. Asuka feels the need to verbally and sometimes physically lash out at everyone around her, except to her sole friend, Hikari, and her unrequited crush, Kaji, who is Misato's ex-boyfriend and more than twice Asuka's age. On her better days, however, she can be quite cheerful and friendly.
As a pilot, Asuka greatly fears being inadequate, often venting by lashing out at Shinji and Rei. Asuka says that she would rather die than be saved by the skill of another pilot. Her pride and recklessness affects her performance: she grows jealous of NERV's special treatment of its best Eva pilot, causing a massive drop in synchronization rate. Eventually, Asuka loses all functional synchronization with Unit 02. In her second-to-last battle, she suffers massive emotional damage as her Eva loses both arms and its head to the fourteenth Angel, Zeruel. She is only saved from death by Central Dogma's split-second decision to undo her remaining neural connections with the Eva. Her synchonization rate drops below-viable levels after she is attacked by the fiftheen Angel, Arael. Due to her inability to pilot the Unit 02 again, she finds herself useless and attempts suicide. Failing again, she falls comatose, and is tended in the NERV's infirmary until REBIRTH.
In Rebirth, Asuka is saved from assassination by NERV, being placed inside her Eva and dropped seventy meters below the surface of the lake in the underground crater. She awakens to the sound of battle and, despite her previous feelings of inadequacy, combats and takes out the nine SEELE Eva in less than three minutes, proving (albeit briefly) that she is indeed the most competent Eva pilot.
Third Child Shinji Ikari
| Age | 14 |
| Sex | Male |
| Birthday | June 6, 2001 |
| Relations | Father: Gendo Ikari Mother: Yui Ikari Guardian: Misato Katsuragi |
| Japanese seiyū | Megumi Ogata |
| English voice actor | Spike Spencer |
Template:Main Shinji Ikari (碇シンジ Ikari Shinji) is the Third Child, who pilots Unit 01. He is the son of Gendo and Yui Ikari. Abandoned by his father, Gendo, when he was a toddler, Shinji often runs away from difficult situations. As a pilot, he panics easily and reacts very poorly to unexpected events. Over time and with encouragement from Misato, he learns to be less cowardly, more outspoken, and more confident, but his progress is all undone when he is forced to kill the only person who ever openly expressed love toward him. His only friends are Toji and Kensuke, but he apparently cares about Rei more than even he realizes, although everyone around him seems to think that his feelings are obvious. Despite his rapport with Rei, Asuka is a sexual presence in his life. Asuka gives him his first kiss (out of boredom, though the Director's Cut makes clear that the kiss meant a lot more to her than she lets on), and in the beginning of the second movie, it is Asuka's comatose body that Shinji masturbates over. Also, it is Asuka who is on the beach with him at the end in a possible allusion to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve.
Fourth Child Toji Suzuhara
| Age | 14 |
| Sex | Male |
| Relations | Sister: Unnamed |
| Japanese seiyū | Tomokazu Seki |
| English voice actor | Brett Weaver (one of several) |
Template:Main Toji Suzuhara (鈴原トウジ Suzuhara Tōji) is the Fourth Child. Toji is a tough boy, the stereotypical "jock," and is in constant conflict with Asuka. Toji's kid sister was injured in the battle between the third Angel, Sachiel, and Unit 01, piloted by Shinji Ikari, and he beats Shinji up soon after for being indirectly responsible. However, after witnessing firsthand the suffering Shinji experiences piloting Eva in the battle against the fourth Angel, Shamshel, Toji comes to respect Shinji and the two eventually become friends.
In the same day he becomes a pilot, Unit 03, his Evangelion, is taken over by the thirteenth Angel, Bardiel, and is destroyed by Unit 01, which was under the control of the Dummy Plug system. He is severely injured when his Entry Plug is crushed, leaving him crippled. He only chose to pilot the Evangelion to get his sister better medical care in the NERV hospital. In the manga, Toji is killed during Unit 01's assault on Unit 03.
Toji is named after one of the main characters in the novel The Fascism of Love and Fantasy (Ai to Gensou no Fascism) by Ryu Murakami.
Fifth Child Kaworu Nagisa
| Age | 15 |
| Sex | None (appears male) |
| Relations | Brothers: other Kaworus (SEELE Dummy Plug System) Sister: Rei Ayanami? |
| Japanese seiyū | Akira Ishida |
| English voice actor | Kyle Sturdivant (original dub) Aaron Krohn (movies) Greg Ayres ("Director's Cut" episodes) |
Template:Main Kaworu Nagisa (渚カヲル Nagisa Kaworu) is the Fifth Child, and the seventeenth Angel, Tabris. He is sent to NERV by SEELE as a replacement pilot for Unit 02 after Asuka's synchronization ratio falls below viability. SEELE actually sent Kaworu to hasten the Human Instrumentality Project, as the seventeenth Angel. He verbally expresses love toward Shinji, though the show's creator denied allegations that Kaworu was homosexual. He breaks into Terminal Dogma to return to Adam and initiate the Third Impact, but upon discovering that the being there is actually Lilith, he implores Shinji to destroy him he is then crushed by Eva Unit 01's hand.
NERV Staff
Head Commander Gendo Ikari
| Age | 48 |
| Sex | Male |
| Relations | Son: Shinji Ikari Wife: Yui Ikari Guardian of: Rei Ayanami |
| Japanese seiyū | Fumihiko Tachiki |
| English voice actor | Tristan MacAvery (original dub) John Swasey ("Director's cut" episodes) |
Template:Main Gendo Ikari (碇ゲンドウ Ikari Gendō) is the head commander of NERV. He is responsible for the research done on the Evas, Rei Ayanami, and the Human Instrumentality Project. He is the father of the Third Child, Shinji Ikari, and the guardian of Rei. His original surname was Rokubungi, but he changed it to Ikari following his marriage to Yui. At the start of the series, he is the only person having an effective connection to Rei Ayanami. As the series progresses, his rather unscrupulous past is revealed, as is the intensity with which he loved his late wife, Yui.
Deputy Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki
| Image:Fuyutsukieva.jpg | |
| Age | 58 |
| Sex | Male |
| Japanese seiyū | Motomu Kiyokawa |
| English voice actor | Guil Lunde (series) Michael Ross (movies) |
Once a professor of meta-biology at Kyoto University, Kozo Fuyutsuki (冬月コウゾウ Fuyutsuki Kōzō) is now Deputy Commander of NERV under Gendo. He taught the talented Yui Ikari and bailed Gendo out of jail once during college. He was originally in opposition to Gendo, once calling him a "disagreeable fellow." Yui, however, referred to Gendo as a "cute/sweet person." Fuyutsuki apparently holds more than just good feelings towards Yui Ikari.
After Fuyutsuki threatened to expose Gendo to the public, regarding the massive deception concerning Second Impact, in 2003 (through his own research), Gendo led him into Central Dogma and revealed to him the incomplete Unit 00. He tempted Fuyutsuki to join him and "create a new future for humankind, together with me." Fuyutsuki accepted this, and started to help Gendo.
Despite Fuyutsuki's initial dislike of Gendo, it is clearly evident that he becomes the closest thing that Gendo has to a confidant in the series. Most likely, it was Yui's hope that the two would become friends. Before reverting to LCL during Instrumentality, Fuyutsuki witnesses an image of Yui which appears to float down to embrace him.
Captain/Major Misato Katsuragi
| Age | 29 |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Father: Dr. Katsuragi Guardian of: Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Soryu, Pen Pen |
| Japanese seiyū | Kotono Mitsuishi |
| English voice actor | Allison Keith |
Template:Main Misato Katsuragi (葛城ミサト Katsuragi Misato) is the head operations officer at NERV, initially holding the rank of Captain (with a later promotion to Major). She chose to have Shinji move in with her rather than live alone. Misato was with her father, leader of the Katsuragi expedition to Antarctica, during the Second Impact. Before her father's death, he placed 14-year-old Misato in a protective capsule (reminiscent of an Entry Plug) which saved her life. She has a deep scar on her chest from the trauma of the Second Impact, and became mute and refused social interaction for several years after that event. While grateful to her father for saving her life, she also admits to hating him, as he devoted his life to his work and neglected her and her mother. She always wears a cross pendant which her father put around her neck before sealing the protective capsule.
After her period of mute catatonia, her personality changed when she began to attend college, where she became more social and talkative (Ritsuko, whom she met in college, commented that she talked so much as if she was attempting to "make up for lost time"). At the time of the series, she is very extroverted (and some would say alcoholic). This is mainly as a result of her being always a bridesmaid and never a bride, which worsened when Kaji dies, the only man she had ever loved. She exhibits great concern for the Eva pilots under her command; indeed, she is something of a surrogate mother to Shinji. The End of Evangelion, however, adds another layer to the relationship between Misato and Shinji. In one scene of End of Evangelion, Misato kisses Shinji and tells him that when he comes back, "they'll do the rest." By pushing him to pilot the Eva, Misato saves Shinji's life and causes the Human Instrumentality Project to advance. Misato dies just after she sends Shinji away, and was cognizant of that.
Head Scientist Ritsuko Akagi
| Age | 30 |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Mother: Dr. Naoko Akagi |
| Japanese seiyū | Yuriko Yamaguchi |
| English voice actor | Sue Ulu |
Template:Main Ritsuko Akagi (赤木リツコ Akagi Ritsuko) is NERV's head scientist. The daughter of Naoko Akagi, the developer of the MAGI supercomputers, she is a lonely, cool and intelligent woman who has great affinity for cats and is completely devoted to her work. In flashbacks, it is revealed that she was one of Misato's first friends following the Second Impact. Ritsuko was also friendly with Kaji, and jokingly flirted with him, which is often misinterpreted by fans as evidence of their past romance. Additionally, she is a natural brunette who bleaches her hair. Along with Gendo and Fuyutsuki, she's the only person at NERV fully aware of the Evas' true nature and the purpose of the Instrumentality Project. Similarly to Gendo and unlike Misato, Ritsuko is willing to sacrifice the Eva pilots if the situation appears to warrant it. It is revealed in the later episodes that Ritsuko was romantically involved with Gendo Ikari. She feels betrayed by Gendo when she realizes that he was using her, mirroring her own mother's tragic fate. As revenge, she destroyed the Rei Dummy Plug system. She was shot dead at the end of The End of Evangelion, when she tried to launch the self-destruct to stop Gendo from initiating the Third Impact. She failed when Casper, the third MAGI computer which contained Naoko Akagi's personality as a woman, overrode the command. She was then shot and killed by Gendo.
NERV Special Inspector Ryoji Kaji
| Age | 31 |
| Sex | Male |
| Japanese seiyū | Kōichi Yamadera |
| English voice actor | Aaron Krohn |
Template:Main Kaji, while only being a special inspector, secretly works for SEELE investigating NERV's true intentions. He is always called by his last name, Kaji. During college, he had a serious relationship with Misato, but after having long broken up, they see each other again on the UN fleet ferrying Unit 02 and its pilot, Asuka Langley Soryu, to Japan. After he returns to NERV headquarters, Kaji and Misato rekindle their romance following a period of teasing and insults, when Misato confesses that she broke up with him because she realized that Kaji reminded her of her father. He is eventually shot by an unnamed assailant. The identity of the killer is never revealed and remains one of the biggest mysteries of the series. Many assumed that Misato killed Kaji, but Anno himself stated that it was not Misato who killed him. In the manga adaptation however, it is implied that Commander Ikari is personally responsible.
First Lieutenant Makoto Hyuga
| Image:Hyuga.jpg | |
| Age | Unspecified |
| Sex | Male |
| Japanese seiyū | Hiro Yuuki |
| English voice actor | Matt Greenfield (series) Keith Burgess (movies) |
Makoto Hyuga (日向マコト Hyūga Makoto) is First Lieutenant at NERV and a computer technician. He is something of a nerd, reading manga while on his break time, but is a hard worker, nonetheless. He also appears to harbor a deep crush for Misato, as Lilith approaches him during his implementation in the form of Misato.
First Lieutenant Maya Ibuki
| Image:Mayaeva.jpg | |
| Age | 24 |
| Sex | Female |
| Japanese seiyū | Miki Nagasawa |
| English voice actor | Kendra Benham (original dub) Amy Seeley (movies) Monica Rial ("Director's cut" episodes) |
Maya Ibuki (伊吹マヤ Ibuki Maya) is a technician at NERV who works primarily with Ritsuko Akagi. Her main role during the fights with the Angels is to constantly monitor the Eva pilots’ synchronization ratios and send various emergency commands to the Evangelions as ordered by Misato or Gendo. Her implementation scene during the The End of Evangelion movie has been read by many fans as a revelation that she is secretly in love with Ritsuko. When Maya's Instrumentality occurs, Lilith (in the form of Ritsuko) types "I need you" into Maya's laptop and embraces her. Maya's reversion to LCL comes after an ecstatic gasp of "Senpai!" However, this scene is the only one that alludes to her possible feelings towards Ritsuko, and its intention is not clear.
First Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba
| Image:Aoba.jpg | |
| Age | Unspecified |
| Sex | Male |
| Japanese seiyū | Takehito Koyasu |
| English voice actor | Jason Lee (original dub) Vic Mignogna ("Director's cut" episodes) |
Shigeru Aoba (青葉シゲル Aoba Shigeru) is a Lieutenant at NERV. A stereotypical metalhead, he is a nihilist and plays guitar (he can also sometimes be seen strumming an air guitar). In his implementation sequence, Lilith forces her way through his AT Field by bombarding him with a wall of Reis. She supposedly takes this tactic with his implementation either because he is staunchly opposed to the concept of Instrumentality, even though Lilith could have taken the form of Maya Ibuki (his view of her as love interest is mentioned in one of the trading card games). Alternatively, some fans feel Lilith had to force her way through his AT Field in this manner due to his nihilism; because of which there was no one he loves or trusts enough to let his guard down.
Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu
| Image:Kyoko.jpg | |
| Age | 31 |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Daughter: Asuka Langley Sohryu Husband: "Papa" Soul-carrier: Unit 02 |
| Japanese seiyū | Maria Kawamura |
| English voice actor | Kimberly Yates |
Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu (惣流・キョウコ・ツェッペリン Sōryū Kyōko Tsepperin), Asuka's mother, was a key scientist in the German division of GEHIRN (what would later become NERV's Third Branch) and the development of Unit 02, the first Production Type (the second and third of which were later produced by the two American branches of NERV). After participating in Unit 02's contact experiment, she became mentally unstable and was admitted to a mental institution. Her husband entered an affair with Kyoko's own doctor, which eventually prompted Kyoko's suicide in 2005; and by the time of Kyoko's funeral, the doctor had already become Asuka's stepmother.
Kyoko's soul seems to have become trapped in Unit 02 as a result of the experiment, although how her body remained intact afterwards is a well-disputed mystery. Many speculate that her losing her soul during the GEHIRN experiments is the reason for her mental instability.
GEHIRN Staff
Naoko Akagi
| Image:Naoko.jpg | |
| Age | Unspecified |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Daughter: Ritsuko Akagi |
| Japanese seiyū | Mika Doi |
| English voice actor | Laura Chapman |
Naoko Akagi (赤木ナオコ Akagi Naoko) was Ritsuko's mother. She was the creator of the MAGI Super Computer system and the former GEHIRN head technician. The MAGI computers were built on three opposing principles of the life of its creator: Naoko as a scientist (Melchior), Naoko as a mother (Balthasar), and Naoko as a woman (Casper). These three aspects are in constant conflict, and together they delegate to formulate decisions and judgments on behalf of NERV and the government of New Tokyo-3. Naoko was involved in a romantic relationship with the recently-widowed Gendo Ikari while working at GEHIRN. However, after Rei I called her an "old hag" and said that Gendo himself called Naoko that frequently, she realized that he had merely been using her affections to ensure her performance for him. In a fit of rage, Naoko strangled Rei to death and then apparently committed suicide by plunging from the command tower onto the MAGI system. Soon afterward, GEHIRN was disbanded and the organization NERV was formed in its stead.
A popular theory among fans is that her soul now resides in Unit 00, which would explain the Eva's reluctance to synchronize with Rei as well as the Unit's violent attacks toward Gendo Ikari while in "berserk" mode, as seen in episode 5. (In addition, as Unit 00 seemingly attacks Gendo Ikari, Ritsuko Akagi thinks that it may have in fact been trying to attack her. The subtext is that Naoko would attack Ritsuko for sleeping with Gendo.) However, since Naoko's actual death is never seen and the only evidence of her death is a chalk outline of her corpse amid bloodstains (seen in episode 21), some fans have suggested that her death may have been accidental (e.g. falling off the Command Tower out of shock) or that another person (possibly Gendo) had thrown her off. However, in the manga, Naoko's death is explicitly shown and the narrative notes dryly that of all the GEHIRN staff moved over to NERV except for her.
Another theory is that her soul has been transformed into MAGI as well as her personality, and that is the reason for his "behavior" during the self-destruction in The End of Evangelion initiated by Ritsuko to prevent Third Impact. MELCHIOR decides like Naoko as scientist and does not want to initiate Third Impact in such a cruel way. That's why it votes for the self-destruction. BALTHASAR decides like her as mother and wants to protect her daughter from Third Impact. That's why it also votes for the destruction. But CASPER decides like Naoko as a woman, who doesn't want to be killed by self-destruction. That's why it votes against the destruction. Although another theory on why the MAGI do not agree with self-destruction is because Naoko as a woman still loves Gendo, CASPER-3 votes against the other two, thus 'choosing her lover over her own daughter.'
Yui Ikari
| Age | 27 (at the time of her disappearance) |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Son: Shinji Ikari Husband: Gendo Ikari Genetic: Rei Ayanami (to a degree) Soul-carrier: Unit 01 |
| Japanese seiyū | Megumi Hayashibara |
| English voice actor | Kim Sevier (original dub) Amanda Winn-Lee (movies) |
Template:Main Yui's background is not covered in the series, but according to the "Neon Genesis Evangelion 2" PS2 game, her father was a powerful member of SEELE, which explains why she had the backing of this powerful organization. She joined GEHIRN's Artificial Evolution Laboratory in Hakone, Japan, and played an integral role in Project E.
Other characters
SEELE Leader Keel Lorenz
| Image:Keel.jpg | |
| Age | Unspecified |
| Sex | Male |
| Japanese seiyū | Mugihito |
| English voice actor | Richard Peeples (series) Tom Booker (movies) |
In the series, Keel Lorenz (キール・ローレンツ) is the leader of SEELE. Among his most defining characteristics are the futuristic visors that he wears throughout the series, which some fans have interpreted to mean that he is blind. He is also ancient in appearance and from what little is said about him in the series, he is believed to be a figure of a great political power in the UN. Little else is known about him and is vastly up to interpretation. His body is also shown to be supported by a myriad of artificial components when he dissolves into LCL.
Some fans believe him to be the legendary Wandering Jew, but there is no evidence in the series or from any other source to support this claim. Others believe him to be Longinus, the blind Roman soldier who lanced Jesus on the cross and was condemned to eternal suffering. This would explain how he knew about the nature of the Lance of Longinus, and his ire after its loss in defeating the fifteenth Angel. However, no evidence (apart from the blindness of both of these men) supports this theory.
The inspiration for his name originates from Konrad Lorenz, a zoologist known especially for his research on animal psychology who also, notably, was once a Nazi.
Kensuke Aida
| Image:Kensuke.gif | |
| Age | 14 |
| Sex | Male |
| Japanese seiyū | Tetsuya Iwanaga |
| English voice actor | Kurt Stoll |
Kensuke Aida (相田ケンスケ Aida Kensuke) is a geek, a military buff, Toji's best friend, and a part of the "Other Children," candidates who are also Eva replacements placed in the same class as Shinji, Toji, Rei, and Hikari. His hobbies include camping in the mountains surrounding Tokyo-3 and playing simulated war reenacting - by himself. Kensuke became Shinji's friend after Shinji picked him and Toji up in his Eva during the fight against the fourth Angel, Shamshel. Kensuke constantly dreams of becoming an Eva pilot. He ceaselessly begs Shinji to pull strings in NERV to be commissioned as a pilot, but Shinji has no say in the matter. It is likely that NERV monitors all of the 14-year-old children in Tokyo-3 constantly, as they are all candidates specifically chosen for their suitability as pilots. Nevertheless, Kensuke enjoys the privileges of being the friend of an Eva pilot; he has fun on the excursion to the UN combined naval fleet during the transportation of Unit 02. Like Toji, Kensuke has a crush on Misato Katsuragi.
Kensuke is named after a main character in the novel The Fascism of Love and Fantasies (Ai to Gensou no Fascism) by Ryu Murakami.
Hikari Horaki
| Image:Hikari.jpg | |
| Age | 14 |
| Sex | Female |
| Japanese seiyū | Junko Iwao |
| English voice actor | Carol Amerson |
Hikari Horaki (洞木ヒカリ Horaki Hikari) is the president of the class that Shinji and the other Eva pilots attend. Despite her by-the-book demeanor, she has a crush on Toji Suzuhara, although she is unable to express her feelings to him openly. She also appears to be Asuka's only friend.
Hikari is named after a character in the novel The Fascism of Love and Fantasies (Ai to Gensou no Fascism) by Ryu Murakami. Her name, and that of her unseen younger sister, Nozomi, and elder sister, Kodama, is also in reference to the names of the trains of the Tokaido Shinkansen line.
Pen Pen
| Image:Penpen.jpg | |
| Age | Unspecified |
| Sex | Male |
| Relations | Guardian: Misato Katsuragi |
| Japanese seiyū | Megumi Hayashibara |
| English voice actor | Amanda Winn Lee |
Pen Pen, or Pen² (ペンペン) is a warm-water Erect-crested Penguin with a relatively high degree of intelligence. According to the manga, he is the result of a genetics experiment at Misato's former workplace, and she adopted him after the experiment's conclusion rather than watch him be euthanised. He lives in a custom refrigerator in her apartment, enjoys taking warm baths, eating whatever food he can get his hands (or wings) on, and going to hot springs. He is also shown watching TV and reading newspapers. Pen Pen is a key source of comic relief in the series.
Incidental Characters
- "Mama" Sohryu
- "Papa" Sohryu
- "Doll" Asuka
Characters from outside of the main series
Mana Kirishima
| Image:Manaeva.jpg | |
| Age | 14 |
| Sex | Female |
| Japanese seiyū | Megumi Hayashibara |
| English voice actor | No English version. |
Mana Kirishima (霧島マナ Kirishima Mana) is the main focus of Girlfriend of Steel, a game that is like an episode of the series. She appears as a transfer student at the Children's school, and becomes the focus of Shinji's interest and Asuka's ire. She also appears in Shinji Ikari Raising Project. Like many Evangelion characters, Mana's family name, Kirishima, is taken from a World War II battleship.
Mayumi Yamagishi
Mayumi Yamagishi (山岸マユミ Yamagishi Mayumi) is the new character introduced in Evangelion 2nd Impression, a Sega Saturn game. In the game, Mayumi is a bespectacled bookworm who somehow has the core of an Angel inside her body. She joins Shinji's class and befriends him, and like many of the Evangelion cast, has a dark history. Her mother apparently committed suicide while Mayumi was a girl (much like Asuka's mother), and toward the end of the game, Mayumi tries to commit suicide when the Angel she's connected with attacks Tokyo-3. Depending on the choices you make in the game, Shinji saves her, and some notable moments from the game include seeing Mayumi sing a karaoke song and running into Shinji in the library.
Miscellaneous NERV technicians
In Shinji Ikari Raising Project, three NERV technicians are named, who may have previously been shown unnamed:
- Kaede Agano (阿賀野カエデ Agano Kaede)
- Aoi Mogami (最上アオイ Mogami Aoi)
- Satsuki Ooi (大井サツキ Ōi Satsuki)
Trivia
Many of the surnames of the characters in Evangelion are named after Japanese warships in World War II.
Characters directly named after WWII naval vessels
| Character | Ship class and name | Ship fate |
|---|---|---|
| First Child Rei Ayanami | Fubuki class destroyer Ayanami | Sunk after the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal by the USS Washington on November 15, 1942. |
| Second Child Asuka Langley Soryu | Langley class aircraft carrier USS Langley Soryu class aircraft carrier Soryu | USS Langley wrecked by a Japanese air attack on February 27, 1942, and scuttled by her own escorts. Soryu sunk at the battle of Midway on June 4, 1942, by dive bombers from the USS Enterprise. |
| Deputy Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki | Akizuki class destroyer Fuyuzuki | Badly damaged, then scrapped and used as a breakwater in 1948. |
| Captain/Major Misato Katsuragi | Unryu class aircraft carrier Katsuragi | Captured, then scrapped in 1947. |
| Head Scientist Ritsuko Akagi | Akagi class aircraft carrier Akagi | Damaged by US air attack at the battle of Midway and scuttled on June 4, 1942. |
| First Lieutenant Maya Ibuki | Ibuki class heavy cruiser Ibuki | Captured, then scrapped in 1947. |
| First Lieutenant Makoto Hyuga | Ise class battleship Hyuga | Sunk in the port of Kube by US planes on July 28, 1945. |
| First Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba | Aoba class heavy cruiser Aoba | Sunk in the port of Kube by US planes on July 28, 1945. |
Characters named after parts of ships
| Character | Part of ship |
|---|---|
| Third Child Shinji Ikari Head Commander Gendo Ikari | Ikari (いかり) Anchor |
| GEHIRN Staff Gendo Rokubungi | Rokubungi (ろくぶんぎ) Sextant |
| NERV Special Inspector Ryoji Kaji | Kaji (かじ) Rudder, Helm |
| SEELE Leader Keel Lorenz | Keel |
References
- Template:Ja icon Hideaki Anno's Official Site: Essay Page an essay written by Hideaki Anno explaining Evangelion's character's etymologies. A translated version is available here.
- Evangelion FAQ V0.5.12.2 (see section 3.4).
- Evangelion Facts (Useless, Tasteless, & Completely Random).
See also
Template:Neon Genesis Evangelionde:Charaktere aus Neon Genesis Evangelion fr:Fiches des personnages (Evangelion) ja:新世紀エヴァンゲリオンの登場人物 zh:新世紀福音戰士人物