The Japanese anime television series Neon Genesis Evangelion has an extensive cast of characters that were created by Gainax. The show's protagonist is Shinji Ikari, a teenage boy whose father Gendo recruits to the shadowy organization Nerv to pilot a giant, bio-machine mecha called an Evangelion and fight against beings called Angels.
The character designs were drawn by the artist, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, who designed each character to be easily identifiable from their silhouette. The personalities were based on that of Hideaki Anno, the show's director and main scriptwriter. Many of the heroes in the second half of the series suffer trauma or physical violence that exacerbates their anxieties and fears, and the episodes give ample space to their inner monologues, in which they question the meaning of their actions and lives. This narrative choice culminates in the two final episodes, whose narrative pivots on Shinji's streams of consciousness; the finale, however, does not clearly conclude the plot.
In Japan, the characters received favorable audience reception, becoming the subjects of merchandise and winning popularity polls. Critics had mixed feelings about their psychological exploration; some reviewers appreciated their complexity and depth and praised Anno's script, but others found the characters to be stereotypical or problematic, and disliked the insistence on their weaknesses and characterization. The show's last two episodes proved to be controversial, since the plot is eclipsed by moments of introspection. Neon Genesis Evangelion characters, especially Rei Ayanami, also inspired later anime series, creating or helping to spread new stereotypes in Japanese animated productions.
Contents
Conception
The studio Gainax studio chose interpersonal communication as the main theme of Neon Genesis Evangelion, insisting on portraying inter-generational relationships, such as those between parents and children. The studio wanted to create a series that reflects on the lack of communication in contemporaneous Japanese society, which was considered to be in ruins. As noted by writer Alexandre Marine, Gainax's movie Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise (1987) portrayed young people unable to integrate into society. The director of the series, Hideaki Anno, an otaku since his youth, experienced depression after the conclusion of his previous anime series, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, and poured his emotions into Neon Genesis Evangelion, making it a reflection of his feelings:
I tried to include everything of myself in Neon Genesis Evangelion – myself, a broken man who could do nothing for four years. A man who ran away for four years, one who was simply not dead. Then one thought. "You can't run away," came to me, and I restarted this production. It is a production where my only thought was to burn my feelings into film. I know my behavior was thoughtless, troublesome, and arrogant. But I tried. I don't know what the result will be. That is because within me, the story is not yet finished. I don't know what will happen to Shinji, Misato or Rei. I don't know where life will take them. Because I don't know where life is taking the staff of the production.
For each character, Anno took cues from a part of his personality, stating that: "All the characters of Evangelion are me". Shinji, for example, was conceived as a mirror of his self: "both the conscious and unconscious part". According to him, moreover, Kaworu Nagisa and Gendo Ikari represent his shadow, the dark, unconscious side of an individual's psyche. Kazuya Tsurumaki, assistant director of the series, stated that the autobiographical intent can also be detected in the female protagonists and secondary characters, such as Misato Katsuragi, Rei Ayanami, and Ryoji Kaji, saying, "Every character is ultimately the same. On the surface, different 'seasonings' have been used, but inside [the characters] are very similar". Anno also said Shinji and the other main characters are not to be considered only a mirror of his personal experience but a reflection of the other members of the series' creative staff as well. According to him, "It's strange that Evangelion has become such a hit – all the characters are so sick!"
In 1993, about two years before the series aired, the production studio established a temporary lead on the creation of the characters in a presentation document titled New Century Evangelion (tentative name) Proposal (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン (仮) 企画書, Shinseiki Evangelion (kari) kikakusho; Proposal). Much of them were already outlined, despite differences in script. Anno did not follow a well-defined plan for the development of the protagonists; he improvised as the episodes passed and following his instincts, as in a "live performance". The original project also included a girl character named Yui Ichijō who was similar in appearance to Rei but had dark hair; this character never appeared in the final version of the show.
Development
Anno began working on Neon Genesis Evangelion with the idea the setting and characters would evolve as the story progressed. He continued to rely on his personal experience and avoided depicting "human dramas", perceiving the task as difficult; he thus preferred to represent Evangelion as a "documentary" rather than a drama. While working on the third and fourth episodes, he set the goal of surpassing other television series in development and psychological depth. The first episodes focus on Shinji's relationship problems and his constant attempts to approach Rei in "Rei I" and "Rei II". The creative staff felt dissatisfied with the result, considering it too heavy. To give a different impulse to the second part of the series the irreverent, exuberant character Asuka was inserted in the eighth episode, "Asuka Strikes!", which is the center of many comic and typically adolescent situations. In the following episodes, despite their communication difficulties, the show's protagonists are portrayed with the lightness typical of comedy following a conventional, science-fiction anime scheme. The episode's scriptwriter Shinji Higuchi, who is known for the humorous and lighthearted character of his works, intervened and the characters' development became more positive. In the following episodes, Misato opens up to Shinji and talk to him about her painful past; Asuka shows a sweeter and more-caring character, the cold commander Ikari helps his subordinates and praises his son.
The last episodes would have closed the story and the protagonists' journey; for the ending the writers originally planned a scene in which Gendo would have said "Live!" (生きろ, Ikiro) to his son Shinji, similar to the ending of Gainax's earlier show The Secret of Blue Water, in which Captain Nemo utters the same phrase before sacrificing himself. During the first broadcast of the series, Anno responded to animation fans with anger, accusing them of being excessively closed and introverted; for this reason, he changed the atmosphere of the show's second half, making the narrative even darker and more introspective. This change of direction is reflected in the protagonists' development. While being criticized, Anno decided to make the characters Asuka and Toji undergo physical and psychological violence, which was considered unsuitable for a television show in a protected transmission time.
According to Michael House, native English translator for Gainax, at the beginning Anno had the idea of ending the anime with a scene of Shinji smiling and with the full maturation of the characters, who would be able to establish healthier relationships, but towards the middle of the show, he realized this could not be done in a credible way. Anno would have failed in his intent, creating characters who were too closed and problematic. Asuka, for example, was initially inserted to lighten the tone of the series, and only as the show progressed it was decided to pay attention to her inner fragility. At the same time, breaking a taboo of Japanese television, Anno focused on the sexuality of the protagonists, inserting in the twentieth episode a sequence of implicit sex that includes a long, off-screen shot of Misato making sounds of pleasure in bed with her lover Kaji. The director said he wanted to show the audience, and especially children, how sex and violence are an integral part of human life.
Pilots
In the Japanese dialogue for the original anime, the Eva pilots are referred to as "children", even when referring to an individual pilot. The English translation refers to the individual pilots as First Child, etc. In Rebuild of Evangelion, the expression "(n)th Children" is not used; instead, the pilots are referred to as Ichibanme no tekikakusha (一番目の適格者, "The First Qualified Person/Candidate"), Dai Ichi no Shōjo (第一の少女, "First Girl"), Sanninme no kodomo (三人目の子供, "Third Child"), or Dai San no Shōnen (第三の少年, "Third Boy").
Shinji Ikari
Voiced by: Megumi Ogata, Ryūnosuke Kamiki (adult) (Japanese); Spike Spencer (ADV, Movies and Rebuild), Casey Mongillo (Netflix) (English)
Shinji Ikari (碇 シンジ, Ikari Shinji) is the only son of Gendo Rokubungi and Yui Ikari. Following the early death of his mother, who disappeared in a mysterious accident, his father entrusted Shinji to a guardian. Once Shinji turns fourteen, Gendo calls him back to the city of Tokyo-3 to assume the role of the Third Child, a pilot assigned to command Eva-01. Because of his abandonment, Shinji feels unwanted and, according to Hideaki Anno, "abandoned the attempt to understand himself", convincing himself he is useless. Anno also described him as shy of human contact and unable to commit suicide. Compared to the stereotypical heroes of traditional mecha anime, he is devoid of energy, withdrawn, and pessimistic. After moving to Tokyo-3, Shinji begins to form relationships that influence him positively, especially with other pilots, his classmates, and members of Nerv, such as Misato Katsuragi, his superior and legal guardian, and Ryoji Kaji.
While writing Shinji, the show's writers used psychological concepts such as Freudian theories of the oral stage, the porcupine's dilemma, and the splitting of the breast. His characterization has been compared to that of Amuro Ray, the protagonist of Mobile Suit Gundam, and Japanese otaku. Anime critics associated the character with the youth and climate of 1990s Japan, which was impacted by the Tokyo subway sarin attack, the Great Hanshin earthquake, and the bursting of the Japanese asset price bubble, and interpreted him as a messianic figure.
Unreality Magazine's Nick Verboon described Shinji as "one of the most nuanced, popular, and relatable characters in anime history". Anime and manga publications gave Shinji a mixed reception. Comic Book Resources' Angelo Delos Trinos wrote, "No anime character inspires as many polarized takes as Shinji". Although his complexity was praised and generally considered realistic, his insecurity and weakness were criticized. Shinji's characterization in the spin-offs and the Rebuild of Evangelion films, however, was positively received because of his more self-confident personality and the optimistic tone of his development.
Asuka Langley Soryu
Voiced by: Yūko Miyamura (Japanese); Tiffany Grant (ADV, Movies and Rebuild), Stephanie McKeon (Netflix) (English)
Asuka Langley Soryu (惣流・アスカ・ラングレー, Sōryū Asuka Rangurē; IPA: [soːɾʲɯː asɯ̥ka ɾaŋɡɯɾeː]) is a fiery pilot who is assigned to command Evangelion Unit 02 as the Second Child. She is a red-haired, blue-eyed, German-Japanese-American girl who was raised and educated in Germany. Asuka is a child prodigy who graduated from college at a young age; she is brave, positive, and enthusiastic about her role as a pilot, but has a pronounced inferiority complex towards males. Asuka appears to be authoritarian towards recent acquaintances. Although she has a natural spontaneity, she suffers from mental problems, which alongside her excessive self-love, causes her to be unable to pilot her Evangelion in the series' second half. Asuka is attracted to her colleague Shinji Ikari, but over time she starts to develop ambivalent feelings towards him. In the anime's final episodes, Asuka develops a deep self-loathing and begins to feel anxiety at the idea of being alone, in a framework similar to separation anxiety disorder. In the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy, Asuka is renamed to Asuka Langley Shikinami and given the rank of Captain in the European Air Force.
Critics and official publications about the series have linked Asuka to psychological disorders and defense mechanisms such as masculine protest, reaction formation, repression, and narcissistic personality disorder. She maintained a high ranking in every popularity poll of the series and has appeared in surveys of the most-popular anime characters in Japan. Despite this, Asuka received mixed reception. Some critics took issue with her hubris and her personality, judging these as tiresome and arrogant; others appreciated her realism and complex psychological introspection.
Rei Ayanami
Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese); Amanda Winn-Lee (ADV, Movies and Amazon Prime Video Rebuild), Brina Palencia (Funimation Rebuild), Ryan Bartley (Netflix) (English)
Rei Ayanami (綾波 レイ, Ayanami Rei) is a pilot assigned to command Evangelion Unit 00 as the First Child. Her date of birth is unknown. Rei is a taciturn, shy girl who mechanically carries out orders from her superiors, even if they are cruel. She is committed to fighting against the Angels, as if it is the only connection between her and other people and her reason for living. Rei minimizes contact with others; the only exception being Gendo Ikari, to whom she is more open. Rei is a clone created from the genes of Yui Ikari, Gendo's wife; every time Rei dies, she is replaced by a new clone, and she is aware of being replaceable. As the show progresses, Rei slowly befriends Shinji, her colleague at Nerv and classmate, discovering human emotions and acquiring greater self-awareness.
According to Winn-Lee, behind Rei's cold and aloof appearance is a "small spark of humanity" that is overshadowed by her low self-esteem; Winn-Lee also said Rei "knows she's expendable, but the thing is, she's still human". Critics have compared Rei to the Virgin Mary, Pinocchio, and a "Great Bad Mother trying to take in her son". Anno originally conceived of Rei as a representation of his unconscious mind and a young, female schizophrenia sufferer. He asked Sadamoto to give Rei the likeness of "a bitterly unhappy young girl with little sense of presence". Sadamoto also took inspiration from Paul Gallico's novella The Snow Goose. Writer Patrick W. Galbraith described Rei as "the single most popular and influential character in the history of otaku anime". Rei has received a positive reception, and has appeared in popularity polls about the best anime characters decades after the show's first broadcast. Her role in Rebuild was especially appreciated; reviewers praised her development and gradual process of gaining self-awareness.
Toji Suzuhara
Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki (Japanese); Joe Pisano (ADV, episodes 3–18), Michael O'Connor (ADV, episodes 19 and 20), Brett Weaver (ADV, episode 26, films and Amazon Prime Video Rebuild), Justin Cook (Funimation Rebuild), Johnny Yong Bosch (Netflix) (English)
Toji Suzuhara (鈴原 トウジ, Suzuhara Tōji) is a student of class 2-A at the first municipal middle school in Tokyo-3. At first, he shows strong animosity towards Shinji, holding him responsible for an accident that affected his younger sister during the clash between the third Angel, Sachiel, and Unit 01; in the third episode, he assaults Shinji before the arrival of the fourth Angel, Shamshel. However, after witnessing the fight, Toji feels guilt for his actions and becomes concerned about Shinji, despite pride that prevents him from openly showing his feelings. Toji considers himself to be a tough guy and projects a strong character, but hides an honest, kind, and introverted side. His humane approach and expansive character have a positive influence on Ikari and the other Children. In the series' second half, Toji is chosen as the Fourth Child, the qualified subject and pilot assigned to command Eva-03. Toji accepts the task assigned to him on the condition his sister is transferred to the hospital at Nerv's headquarters. However, during its activation experiment, the Angel Bardiel infects Unit 03, who goes out of control and clashes with and defeats 02 and 00; it then engages in a hand-to-hand fight with 01 that causes its destruction. Toji survives, but loses his left leg. In the manga adaptation, Toji is killed instead of being injured. In the Rebuild films, Asuka test pilots Unit-03 instead of Toji. As shown in the final installment, he marries Hikari and has a child with her.
Kaworu Nagisa
Voiced by: Akira Ishida (Japanese); Kyle Sturdivant (ADV), Aaron Krohn (films), Greg Ayres (Director's Cut), Jerry Jewell (Funimation Rebuild), Clifford Chapin (Netflix), Daman Mills (Amazon Prime Video Rebuild) (English)
Kaworu Nagisa (渚 カヲル, Nagisa Kaoru) is the Fifth Child, who is sent to Nerv as a replacement pilot for Unit 02 following Asuka's psychological breakdown. Kaworu befriends Shinji Ikari, towards whom he has a sincere and unconditional affection, and then reveals himself as the seventeenth and final Angel Tabris. Kaworu infiltrates Nerv's headquarters in an attempt to reunite with the first Angel Adam, but after discovering that the second Angel Lilith is locked in the Terminal Dogma, he asks Shinji to kill him. Kaworu was born on September 13, 2000, the same day as the Second Impact.
Critics have compared Kaworu to Jesus Christ for his sacrifice, Devilman's Ryo Asuka, and Kaoru, a character from the science-fiction movie Summer Vacation 1999 (1988). Evangelion Chronicle magazine linked his name to Tabris, the Angel of free will, and Cahor (Japanese: Kahoru (カホル)), who is referred to as the Angel of deceit, a detail the publication relates to his deceptive, anthropomorphic features. Gainax originally conceived Kaworu as a cat that controls a boy, intended to appear in the series' twenty-second episode. Although Kaworu only appears in one episode, he remains popular with audiences and animation enthusiasts, and topped popularity polls. Anime News Network's Kenneth Lee disliked Kaworu's ambiguity and lack of clarity, and the homoerotic undertones of his relationship with Shinji; others reviewers praised it and enjoyed his personality. Kaworu's role in the film Evangelion 3.0 (2012) also drew positive comments from critics.
Mari Illustrious Makinami
Voiced by: Maaya Sakamoto (Japanese); Trina Nishimura (Funimation), Deneen Melody (Amazon Prime Video) (English)
Mari Illustrious Makinami (真希波・マリ・イラストリアス, Makinami Mari Irasutoriasu) is introduced in the film Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009), the second installment of the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy. Mari is originally from England and is a pilot for Nerv's European branch. In her first appearance, Mari is assigned to Evangelion Unit 05 and fights aboard Asuka's Eva-02. Mari was created at the request of Toshimichi Ōtsuki, the original series' producer, to introduce a new female character for the Rebuild series and attract new audiences. Anno decided not to meddle in the creation of Mari to avoid replicating the other main characters. He entrusted Mari's development to Kazuya Tsurumaki, a member of Khara. Mari's concept went through numerous revisions because neither Anno nor the other writers knew what kind of female hero they wanted to create, and were undecided until the deadline. Mari's character design was entrusted to Sadamoto, who wanted to differentiate her from other Evangelion protagonists, and took inspiration from various sources, including Space Battleship Yamato, UFO, and a character played by Yui Aragaki in My Boss My Hero (2006).
Mari received mixed reception from critics. Some reviewers thought she was excessively sexualized, and considered her role irrelevant and insignificant; others praised it, finding her a good alternative to the other characters. In Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, Mari's character was deepened with additional details, which drew attention and further mixed evaluations; several critics complained about the lack of explanations about her nature, finding her underdeveloped and wasted; others appreciated her battle scenes, her psychology, and her role in the show's finale.
Supporting characters
Nerv staff
Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki (Japanese); Tristan MacAvery (ADV and films), John Swasey (Director's Cut and Rebuild), Ray Chase (Netflix) (English)
Gendo Ikari (碇 ゲンドウ, Ikari Gendō) is Nerv's supreme commander, husband of Yui Ikari, and father of Shinji, with whom he has a difficult relationship. Gendo conducts the Adam Project and the Human Instrumentality Project. He has cold, pragmatic, and calculating mannerisms, displaying a distant attitude toward his subordinates; only Fuyutsuki seems to understand his thoughts. Gendo's attitude leads him to use any means necessary to achieve his personal goals, embarking on romantic and sexual relationships with Dr. Naoko Akagi and her daughter Ritsuko. Gendo leads the Instrumentality Project in hopes of reuniting with his wife Yui, who died in a mysterious accident years ago. Gendo is also the main antagonist of Rebuild of Evangelion, and in particular Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021).
The character was originally conceived as a modern version of Victor Frankenstein; he was inspired by the personal experiences of the series' staff members, reflecting the absent and emotionally detached Japanese father figure. Neon Genesis Evangelion director Hideaki Anno's father was also an influence on Gendo; Anno also took inspiration from psychoanalysis concepts, especially the Freudian Oedipus complex. Gendo ranked in several polls about the most attractive male characters, but reviewers also had negative opinions of him; they criticized his abusive and manipulative ways. Gendo's role in Rebuild has been more positively received, especially in the final installment. His image has also been described as "one of the most easily recognizable images of anime on the internet"; his joined-hands pose, which fans named the Gendo pose, has been parodied in subsequent anime and manga.
Voiced by: Kotono Mitsuishi (Japanese); Allison Keith (ADV, Movies and Rebuild), Carrie Keranen (Netflix) (English)
Misato Katsuragi (葛城 ミサト, Katsuragi Misato) is the captain of the Nerv Operations Department and Shinji's guardian. Due to her childhood trauma, she has developed a frivolous, exuberant, and extroverted personality and leads a sloppy, messy lifestyle. Misato's affectionate personality sometimes causes her to prioritize her human feelings over her duty as a Nerv employee, and her job provokes internal conflict and causes her to make difficult choices. In the Rebuild saga, Misato is the captain of Wille, an organization created to destroy Nerv.
Classmates
Voiced by: Tetsuya Iwanaga (Japanese); Kurt Stoll (ADV and films), Greg Ayres (Funimation Rebuild), Benjamin Diskin (Netflix), Alejandro Saab (Amazon Prime Video Rebuild) (English)
Kensuke Aida (相田 ケンスケ, Aida Kensuke) is a student in class 2-A of the first municipal middle school in Tokyo-3. Kensuke has strong dialectical skills, is a fan of military life, and often plays survivor games when he is alone in the countryside. Like his classmates Shinji Ikari, Toji Suzuhara, Rei Ayanami, and Hikari Horaki, Kensuke is motherless. Some dialogue in the seventeenth episode suggests that his father is part of the Nerv administration, either in its research department or general affairs division. Along with the rest of the school, he moves to another place after Tokyo-3 is destroyed.
Voiced by: Junko Iwao (Japanese); Carol Amerson (ADV), Kimberly Yates (films, Amazon Prime Video Rebuild), Leah Clark (Funimation Rebuild), Abby Trott (Netflix) (English)
Hikari Horaki (洞木 ヒカリ, Horaki Hikari) is the head of class 2-A at Tokyo-3 Municipal Middle School. She has an older sister named Kodama and a younger sister named Nozomi. Hikari is grumpy, rigid, and rule-abiding but hides a sweet, patient side; she is caring and attentive to the needs of her sisters and friends. Hikari constantly taunts and reprimands her partner Toji Suzuhara, likely to repress her feelings of love towards him. Among the girls of 2-A, Hikari is the only one who can approach Asuka. In the series' final episodes, Hikari's companion goes through an emotional breakdown and Hikari remains close to her, hosting Asuka in her house, and showing her sincere and unconditional affection until the end. For the character's surname, Anno took inspiration from Murakami's novel Ai to gensō no fascism; the names of her sisters, Kodama and Nozomi, are taken from high-speed trains of the Tokaido Shinkansen line.
Other characters
Voiced by: Mika Doi (Japanese); Laura Chapman (ADV and films) (English)
Naoko Akagi (赤木 ナオコ, Akagi Naoko) is the mother and colleague of Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. Naoko is a world-renowned scientist and a member of the Gehirn Research Center, and knows the truth about Second Impact and the Eva creation project. Naoko embarked on a secret relationship with Gendo, Gehirn's commander-in-chief, while he was married to Yui. In 2008, Naoko completed the fundamental theory of the Magi System supercomputer, which was completed two years later. In the three Magi biocomputers she developed, she digitally transcribed the main aspects of her personality; as a woman, as a scientist, and as a mother. Naoko later realized that Gendo was exploiting her for her talent as a scientist and researcher. but ignored the truth and continued the relationship. In 2010, Gendo arrived at the base with a child named Rei Ayanami, who resembles Yui. On the evening of her visit, Rei gets lost in Gehirn's control room and runs into Naoko, whom she calls an "old hag", which Gendo also called her. Naoko recognizes Yui's features in Rei's face, and in a fit of rage, she strangles Rei and then commits suicide by crashing into the Caspar computer. For the character's name, Hideaki Anno took inspiration from an old elementary-school company of his.
Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese); Kim Sevier (ADV), Amanda Winn-Lee (films, Amazon Prime Video Rebuild), Stephanie Young (Funimation Rebuild), Ryan Bartley (Netflix) (English)
Yui Ikari (碇 ユイ, Ikari Yui) is Shinji's mother and Gendo's wife. In 1999, when she was a student at Kyoto University, she met Professor Fuyutsuki and discussed research on artificial evolution with him. Later that year, she became romantically involved with Gendo, whom she married, to Fuyutsuki's disappointment. Later, Yui works with her husband at the Laboratory for Artificial Evolution. In 2004, at the age of twenty-seven, Yui willingly proposed herself as a subject in an experimental activation of Unit 01. During the test, Yui was killed in front of Gendo, the other members of the laboratory, and her son Shinji. Yui was absorbed by the humanoid and her body disappeared. Attempts to recover her were unsuccessful, and the case was dismissed as an accident but became public knowledge. In the series' final episodes and in The End of Evangelion, however, it is revealed that the accident was the result of Yui's deliberate choice. Her soul is kept inside the unit, and she is occasionally able to aid Shinji by controlling its movements. In The End of Evangelion, Yui's spirit gives Shinji the courage to choose his future and that of humanity, rejecting Instrumentality. Hideaki Anno chose the name Yui because it is similar to Rei's name; while Rei (零) means "zero" or "nothingness", Yui (唯) can be translated as "only one".
Other media
Rebuild of Evangelion
In Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012), the third installment of the Rebuild of Evangelion series, a new organization named Wille ([ˈvɪlə], German for "will") is introduced. Wille was created to destroy Nerv and is led by Misato Katsuragi.
Voiced by: Sayaka Ōhara (Japanese); Krishna Smitha (Funimation), Rebeka Thomas
(Amazon Prime Video) (English)
Sumire Nagara (長良スミレ, Nagara Sumire) is in charge of the anti-gravity system of an airship called AAA Wunder. Sumire is a dark-skinned woman in her twenties or thirties, with long brown hair worn in a ponytail. Her name derives from the class of light cruisers used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. In the original dubbing, she is played by Sayaka Ōhara, who tried to portray her as an older sister. She described Sumire as a strong woman who has endured difficulties and the deaths of several loved ones. According to the character's voice actress, she betrays her most-secret emotions through her facial expressions, and chooses her words calmly and wisely.
Voiced by: Akio Ōtsuka (Japanese); Greg Dulcie (Funimation), Jake Eberle (Amazon Prime Video) (English)
Koji Takao (高雄コウジ, Takao Kōji) is one of Wille's engineers and is responsible for the engine ignition sequence of the Wunder ship. Koji presents himself as a man of robust build; he is balding, and has a goatee and a black mustache. Koji is an acquaintance of Kaji, through which he has come into contact with Misato. His name is derived from a class of four heavy cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy that were used in the Pacific War. In the original anime, Koji is played by Akio Ōtsuka, who had earlier dubbed the character Nemo in Nadia; he described Koji as an efficient businessman who made progress in his field.
Voiced by: Anri Katsu (Japanese); Aaron Roberts (Funimation), Scott Golden
(Amazon Prime Video) (English)
Hideki Tama (多摩ヒデキ, Tama Hideki) is a young engineer and Takao's colleague on Wunder. He is skinny, has thick, black hair, and is shy and reserved; during operations, he keeps manuals under his hand for reference. The character's name is derived from that of the Japanese World-War-II-era cruiser of the same name. In the original anime, Hideki is played by Anri Katsu, who Anno commissioned to convey weakness and humanity in the character. Katsu described Hideki as a man who takes his time; he used to follow rules and slightly cowardly, but still performs his duty in times of danger, and has been trained to do the bare minimum.
Detective Evangelion
In the video game Detective Evangelion (名探偵エヴァンゲリオン, Meitantei Evangerion) (2007), which was released for PlayStation 2 by Broccoli and is based on the spin-off manga Detective Shinji Ikari, three Nerv operators who do not appear in the original series appear; each of them oversees one of the computers of the Magi System, and each reflect the aspects of Naoko Akagi's personality contained in the machines.
Voiced by: Ai Shimizu
Kaede Agano (阿賀野 カエデ) is a simple woman with short light brown hair. She has a strong sense of family, is kind and is a good cook; she is in charge of Baltashar, in which Dr. Akagi's maternal side is reflected.
Voiced by: Maria Yamamoto
Satsuki Ōi (大井サツキ), a sensual, Russian-Japanese woman with long hair and a liking for vodka. Satsuki lives alone and drinks alcohol to forget her loneliness. She is responsible for Casper, Naoko's feminine side, and Shinji's sensitivity-improvement program.
Voiced by: Yui Horie
Aoi Mogami (最上アオイ), a bespectacled, intelligent, and straightforward girl, is in charge of Melchior, which contains Naoko as a scientist and Shinji's intelligence enhancement program.
The game also includes several other characters who are brutally murdered and whose case Shinji Ikari investigates:
Natsuko Kako (加古ナツコ), the first victim, a fourteen-year-old girl who attends Neo Tokyo-3 Middle School.
Kyōko Nachi (那智キョウコ), second victim, a twenty-nine-year-old teacher at Neo Tokyo-3 Middle School.
Erika Kashii (香椎エリカ), third victim, a twenty-seven-year-old woman and member of the Nerv forensic department.
Evangelion Battlefield
Evangelion Battlefields (エヴァンゲリオンバトルフィールズ, Evangerion Batorufiiruzu) is a mobile game that was released for the operating systems iOS and Android on April 2, 2020. The game allows players to command and fight with various Evangelions. It was produced by Khara studio, and released by Mobcast and Takara Tomy Arts. The game introduces two new female characters:
Kotone Suzunami (涼波コトネ) is a cheerful, fourteen-year-old girl who is Shinji's new fellow pilot. She is used to referring to her classmates with the Japanese honorific term senpai and is voiced by Megumi Han.
Hitomi Amagi (天城ヒトミ) is a twenty-seven-year-old woman who is introduced as both a Nerv worker and a mental health counselor; in the second season of the title, she becomes a playable character. Hitomi is voiced by Mai Nakahara.
Neon Genesis Evangelion RPG: The Nerv White Paper
Neon Genesis Evangelion RPG: The Nerv White Paper (新世紀エヴァンゲリオンRPG NERV白書) is a tabletop role-playing game that was published by Kadokawa Shoten in 1996. The game is set during the events of the classic series, and introduces new characters and Angels.
Commander Nikolayev (ニコラーエフ 司令官?) is the head of the Nerv's Russian section. Nikolayev is seemingly friendly, amiable, and well-mannered but in reality, with this positive attitude, he could only be stonewalling the Nerv headquarters and concealing his true character.
Marie Vincennes (マリイ・ヴァンセンヌ?) is a fourteen-year-old girl who was born in the United States; she is a prodigy with a Ph.D. who is called by Nerv on July 7, 2005, to help advance the science of the Evangelion programs. Despite having a kind voice and good manners, Marie is self-centered and arrogant. During a welcome party dedicated to her at Misato's apartment that is attended by the main members of the organization, Marie does not bond with anyone but the penguin Pen-Pen, whom she hugs at the end of the party. Feeling she is treated as an outsider, Marie sells some of the technologies she developed to the CIA, who had contacted her previously. Following the killing of two American agents and an accident that is caused by her inventions, she realizes her mistake and confesses everything after a hospitalization. Maire tells members of the Nerv she has inserted a chip containing the program to cancel the modifications to the Evangelion's cockpits she introduced in Pen-Pen's collar. Once the danger is averted, Marie is shipped to China and assigned the development of the Eva-08. At the end of the game. Marie greets the Nerv members at Hakone Yumoto station, saying, "See you, my friends".
Secret of Evangelion
Secret of Evangelion (シークレット オブ エヴァンゲリオン, Shīkuretto Obu Evangerion) is a PlayStation 2 video game that was developed by West One and published by Jinx on December 21, 2006. It is set between the events of the final episodes of the television anime and The End of Evangelion, and features thirty scenarios and ten endings.
Kyōya Kenzaki (剣崎キョウヤ) is a member of the first section of the Nerv's investigation department. He is the protagonist of the game; he is twenty-nine years old, projects a calm, shrewd attitude, and constantly wears sunglasses. Kyōya faithfully performs his duties, is not afraid of death, and maintains cordial relations with other people. He has known Misato, Kaji, and Ritsuko since his college days. At the beginning of Secret of Evangelion, Kyōya is tasked with delivering the Eva-04 to the Nerv headquarters but he encounters mysterious accidents, terrorist attacks, and a conspiracy within the organization. His design was handled by Shunji Suzumi, a staff member of the original series.
Hitomi Kaga (加賀ヒトミ, Kaga Hitomi) is a scientist in Nerv's first science department; she is a brilliant but absent-minded and clumsy. Kyōya has a degree in metaphysical biology and participates in Project E along with Ritsuko Akagi, becoming involved in the development of the Eva, and the creation of the Dummy System and Dummy Plug. Hitomi plays a central role in an operation to retrieve Shinji Ikari, who is trapped inside an Evangelion unit.
Mana Kirishima
Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara
Mana Kirishima (霧島 マナ, Kirishima Mana) is introduced in the 1997 visual novel Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel, which was published by Bandai and is set just before the thirteenth episode of the anime series. Mana is a shy, gentle, fourteen-year-old girl with reddish-hair, who is from the town Akune. She moves to class 2-A of the middle school of Tokyo-3, and immediately attracts the attention of her male classmates, especially Shinji. Shinji and Mana immediately establish a close friendship; Shinji is attracted by Mana's straightforward behavior and approaches her despite the accusations from Asuka, who is jealous and thinks Mana is a spy who wants to exploit Shinji for her own purposes.
Mana immediately treats Shinji as her boyfriend and the two, after advice from Kaji, have their first date. It is later discovered Mana actually is a spy under the orders of a rival company to Nerv, and is assigned as a pilot of a mecha called Trident, along with two men named Musashi Lee Strasberg (ムサシ・リー・ストラスバーグ) and Keita Asari (浅利 ケイタ). At one point in the game, the mecha goes out of control and the three Nerv pilots are tasked with shooting it down. Depending on the options chosen by the player, different endings (in which Mana moves to another city, dies in combat, or joins Nerv) are offered. The character's name comes from the Japanese battleship Kirishima. In addition to Girlfriend of Steel, Mana appears in the manga Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project and in Petit Eva: Evangelion@School.
Mayumi Yamagishi
Voiced by: Kyōko Hikami
Mayumi Yamagishi (山岸マユミ, Yamagishi Mayumi) is introduced in the video game Shinseiki Evangelion: 2nd Impression (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン 2nd Impression), which was released by Sega-AM2 in 1997 for Sega Saturn. Mayumi is a shy girl with long, black hair and glasses who moves into 2-A at Tokyo-3 Municipal Middle School. The game revolves around Mayumi's increasingly close relationship with Shinji, who seems to have feelings for her. Mayumi is a diligent student and has a passion for singing and reading. Following the appearance of an Angel called the "Original Angel", it is discovered Mayumi guards the enemy's core inside her body, which is its only weakness. In one of the video game's scenarios, Mayumi asks Shinji to kill her and then attempts to commit suicide but Shinji saves Mayumi, who transfers to another school after the battle is over.
Nene Matsukaze
Nene Matsukaze (松風ネネ) is introduced in the visual novel Shinseiki Evangerion Gaiden 2: Ningyō-tachi no utage (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン外伝2 〜人形達の宴〜), which Tin Machine released on May 30, 2006. Nene is a new student in class 2-A at Tokyo-3 Middle School; she constantly carries around a teddy bear, which she believes contains a spirit named Sandy. Nene's design came from a contest Gainax held to create a fan-designed character to be featured in a video game.
Cultural impact
Popularity
According to Allegra Frank and Aja Romano of Vox, in Japan, Evangelion "spawned countless anime tropes", and "it remains common to see characters like Shinji, Rei, and Asuka appear in advertisements or pachinko parlors throughout Japan, and the series' iconography remains widely recognizable in the country". According to Frank, outside Japan "Evangelion's characters are well-known, beloved and memed by anime fans". The Neon Genesis Evangelion characters were immediately popular with Japanese audiences, appearing at the top of popularity charts. According to the website Sora News 24, they enjoy "eternal popularity", as evidenced by their frequent use for merchandise items. The series appeared for years in the Anime Grand Prix, a large, annual poll Animage magazine conducts. In 1996, Shinji and Gendo occupied the second and sixteenth place among the most-popular male characters; Rei, Asuka, and Misato were the first, third, and eighth, respectively, among the female ones. In 1997, the rankings saw Shinji (first), Kaworu (second), Kaji (tenth), Gendo (fourteenth), Toji (forty-fourth), and Fuyutsuki (fifty-seventh) among the male characters; and Rei (first), Asuka (fourth), Misato (eighth), Maya (nine-teenth), Ritsuko (twenty-seventh), and Hikari (forty-seventh) among the female characters. In 1998 Shinji and Kaworu maintained their placement, while Rei, Asuka, and Misato dropped to fifth, sixth, and twelfth, respectively. Some of the characters appeared in the magazine's monthly rankings for years, such as Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Maya.
The protagonists also appeared in Newtype magazine's polls, even years after the show's first airing; from August to October 2009 they were among the most popular among the magazine's readers, both in the male and female categories. In March 2010, Newtype named Rei the most-popular female character of the 1990s, and placed Shinji first and Kaworu second in the male category.
Critical response
The characters of Neon Genesis Evangelion divided critics. Peter Harcoff of the webzine The Anime Critic did not like Shinji's weak personality and Asuka's grumpiness but praised the relationships between the characters and their motivations. The website Anime Planet was critical of some aspects of the series but praised the characters. THEM Anime Reviews's Raphael See found their characterization irritating and clichéd, saying he had seen similar personalities in previous anime. See's colleague Tim Jones, disdained the psychology of the protagonists, all of whom have tragic pasts and relationship problems, with the exception of Kaji.
An implicit sex scene between two characters in the twentieth episode caused controversy considering the show was broadcast in an afternoon time-slot, and the last two episodes completely focus on the Shinji's psychological depth and inner monologs, which raised further controversy and polarized the opinions of critics. For anthropologist Lawrence Eng, the ending does not give a sense of closure for most of the characters, and said, "for many loyal fans of Evangelion, this was a betrayal on Anno's part". Vice.com's Chia Conteras, while not finding the conclusion incomprehensible, described it as incongruent with what the protagonists faced through the rest of the series. Anime director Yoshiyuki Tomino also criticized Evangelion and rebuked the show's producers for not trying to "making fun for or gaining the sympathy of the audience", and instead trying to show "that everybody is sick" and hopeless. According to Tomino, "I don't think that's a real work of art ... I think that we should try to show people how to live healthier, fuller lives, to foster their identity as a part of their community, and to encourage them to work happily until they die. I can't accept any work that doesn't say that".
Other reviewers praised the characterization of the protagonists. According to Kotaku's Rita Jackson, "it's not fun to spend time with these characters", given the strong emotional pressure and anguish they are forced to suffer, and while "sometimes characters feel more like mouthpieces for Anno's thoughts about society than actual characters", she appreciated the writer's "brilliant" work. Morgan Lewis of the webzine VG Culture HQ stated, "none of the characters are black and white" and "all of them are screwed up beyond belief"; he called Shinji the most layered character, stating Evangelion is not suitable for an inattentive audience. A similar opinion was given by Anime News Network's Nick Creamer, according to whom one of the anime's strengths is the fact no protagonist is trapped in a simple narrative role; Creamer said, "Evangelion portrays the mindsets of its characters with empathy and nuance". According to Matthew Perez of Anime Reign magazine, "the characters are by far the most hated aspect of Neon Genesis Evangelion"; he noted many are initially archetypal and stereotypical. Perez praised the characters' realism and judged some of them to be the "most well made in anime to date".
Merchandise
According to Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Unofficial Guide, which was written by Kazuhisa Fujie and Martin Foster, the anime's release "ignited a boom in merchandise unprecedented in a country already awash with such goods", with over 600 items being made to celebrate the event. The characters were used for T-shirts, access-dateries, posters, and watches. Action figures became the most popular items, particularly those of Rei; books featuring her image on the cover also sold quickly and media named her "the Premium Girl". When Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth was released in 1997, the UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. company marketed coffee cans with the characters of the series, selling 400,000 cases—about twelve million cans; after the release of Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone in 2007, another 300,000 cases containing about nine million cans were sold. In 1997, a series of books dedicated to the show's protagonists was published; Rei, Asuka, Shinji and Kaworu, along with two artbooks titled Photo File Eve, about only the female protagonists, and Photo File Adam, dedicated to the male characters. In the same year, a catalog titled "E Mono" containing articles about the series and the characters was published; it also listed some dōjinshi—unofficial comics made by fans.
According to critic Pier Francesco Cantelli, "it is impossible to take a tour of Akihabara without coming across at least one poster depicting [the show's] protagonists"; he also compared the success of the Evangelion franchise to the popularity of Star Wars in the United States. Neon Genesis Evangelion protagonists also appear in video games based on the original animated series and media not belonging to the Evangelion franchise; these include Monster Strike, Super Robot Wars, Tales of Zestiria, Puzzle & Dragons, Keri hime sweets, Summons Board, Puyopuyo!! Quest, Line Rangers, Unison, MapleStory, Valkyrie Connect, Ragnarok Online, The Battle Cats and an official crossover episode of Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion.
Legacy
The protagonists of Neon Genesis Evangelion appeared on the covers of magazines specializing in anime and manga, such as Animage and Newtype, and the anime became the most-discussed product of the Japanese animation industry. Since the broadcast of the first episode at Comiket conventions, it appeared in the dōjin market, attracting male and female audiences in equal numbers. The Artifice's Justin Wu attributed the characters' success to several factors, such as Sadamoto's designs and the open-ended nature of the product, which is characterized by obscure points and facts that are left to viewers' interpretation and imagination; according to him, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a pivotal event in the history of merchandise, which became an important market. According to Newtype magazine, after the anime's success, "hordes of otaku fllooded Akihabra in search of the enigmatic Rei Ayanami, and companies realized for the first time that catering to the geek crowd could be very profitable ... Akihabara itself has transformed from an 'electric town' famous for household appliances to the geek paradise it is today". Such a high trade in figures, trading cards, and similar products began the moe phenomenon, in which the audience's attention is focused on empathy and attraction to the characters rather than the plot. According to scholar Patrick Galbraith, Neon Genesis Evangelion began a massive growth in anime that focused on cute girls, causing the fanzine and figure markets to grow tenfold due to viewers' emotional response to the characters, with "[e]ntire fanzine conventions ... committed to the series and its characters".
Journal AsianScape described the representation of Evangelion's characters as "possibly the most innovative and influential aspect" of the series, with the presentation of characters with deep, psychic traumas and alienation. Game Developer's Brett Fujioka wrote, "Eva turned hackneyed anime tropes and archetypes on their heads through its characters ... [Anno's] psychologically malcontent characters resonated with Japanese youth at the time". Leading researchers also studied the characters' success. Japanese sociologist Shinji Miyadai, among others, reported instances of college students identifying with Shinji or Asuka; according to essayist Satomi Ishikawa, such episodes are a reflection of "how influential the impact of this particular anime has been" for Japanese youth at the time. Ishikawa noted in the years after the series aired, it became very popular, giving rise to the expression "Eva phenomenon", and many fans saw themselves in the protagonists. The central element and the reason for so much attraction to Evangelion is in Japanese called jibun sagashi (自分探し; "self-seeking"), a theme that aroused empathy in the youth, who saw their problems in Shinji and Asuka. According to Ishikawa, Neon Genesis Evangelion became associated with the concept of "adult children" that was initially developed by U.S. psychologists and became the focus of Japanese media attention in the late 1990s.