The Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series features an extensive cast of characters created by Hideaki Anno and designed by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.
Shinji Ikari is the series' protagonist, a young child who is summoned to pilot the titular mecha. Throughout the series, he is joined by fellow pilots Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Soryu.
As the main theme of the anime, the Gainax studio chose the problem of interpersonal communication, insisting in particular on that between different generations, such as parents and children.[1] The aim was to create a series that reflected on the incommunicability of contemporary Japanese society, considered to be in ruins.[2] The director of the series, Hideaki Anno, an otaku since his youth, fell into depression after the conclusion of Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water[3] and poured his personal into Neon Genesis Evangelion because of this, making it a reflection of his feelings:[4]
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.
— Hideaki Anno[5]
For each character, he took cues from a part of his personality,[6] stating, "All the characters of Evangelion are me".[7] Shinji, for example, was modeled and conceived as a mirror of his self, "both the conscious and unconscious part".[8][9] Furthermore, according to the director himself, Kaworu Nagisa and Gendo Ikari represent his shadow, that is, the dark, unconscious side of an individual's psyche.[10][11] According to Kazuya Tsurumaki, assistant director of the series, the autobiographical intent could also be detected in the female protagonists and secondary characters, such as Misato Katsuragi, Rei Ayanami, and Ryoji Kaji: "Every character is ultimately the same. On the surface, different “seasonings” have been used, but inside [the characters] really are very similar".[12] Anno also pointed out that Shinji and the other main characters are not to be considered a mirror of his personal experience only, but a reflection of all the other members of the series' creative staff as well.[13]
It's strange that Evangelion has become such a hit - all the characters are so sick!
In 1993, which was 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 Kikakusho (企画書).[15] Much of them were already outlined, despite differences in script.[16] Despite the general indications, Anno did not follow a well-defined plan for the development of the protagonists, improvising as the episodes passed and following his instincts, as in a "live performance".[17] The original project also included a character that never appeared in the final version of the product, a girl similar to Rei but with dark hair named Yui Ichijō.[18]
The blood type and date of birth of each character were almost always made to match those of the corresponding voice actor. The only exceptions regarding birthdays are represented by Toji, Kensuke, Kaworu, and Rei, whose date is never explicitly revealed in the original series.[19] For the names, however, Anno took inspiration in most cases by the nautical world, borrowing some of them from ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II, while others were taken from comic book characters or even the novel Ai to gensō no fascism (愛と幻想のファシズム, "The Fascism of Love and Fantasy") by Japanese writer Ryu Murakami, from which the names Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida come from.[20][21] As character designer of the series, Gainax chose Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, who had already worked with Anno in Nadia. One of the indications that he was given was to develop a design with a "relatively subdued appearance"[22] and he conceived them all giving them immediately distinguishable features and silhouettes, trying to reflect as much as possible the interiority of each of them.[23] Initially, Anno proposed to insert a girl as the protagonist, following the footsteps of the previous works of Gainax GunBuster and Nadia, but Sadamoto was hesitant about the idea, not understanding "why a girl would want to pilot a robot". At his suggestion, the main character became a boy and Asuka was downgraded to the role of co-protagonist.[24]
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Anno began working on Neon Genesis Evangelion with the idea that the setting and characters would change and evolve as the story progressed, trying to imprint his own feelings into the plot.[5] He continued to rely on his own personal experience and avoided depicting what are often called "human dramas", perceiving the task as very difficult, and preferred to call Evangelion a "documentary" rather than a drama.[26] Around the third and fourth episode he set the goal of surpassing in development and psychological depth what was achieved by other television series. In particular, the first episodes focused on Shinji's relationship problems and his constant attempts to get closer to Rei in "Rei I" and "Rei II".[27] The creative staff, however, felt dissatisfied with the result, considered too heavy.[28] In order to give a different impulse, the irreverent and exuberant character of Asuka was inserted in the eighth episode ("Asuka Strikes!"), cause and center of many comic and typically adolescent situations.[29] In the following episodes, the protagonists, despite their communication difficulties, were portrayed with the lightness typical of comedy, following a conventional sci-fi anime scheme. Thanks to the intervention of the episode's scriptwriter, Shinji Higuchi, known for the humorous and light-hearted character of his works,[30][31] the characters' development became more and more positive:[32] in the following episodes, Misato is able to open up to Shinji and talk to him about her painful past,[33] Asuka shows a sweeter and more caring character, the cold commander Ikari helps his subordinates and praises his son for the results obtained.[34][35]
The last episodes would have closed the circle of events and concluded the protagonists' journey; in the conclusion originally planned by the staff there would have been a scene in which the cold commander Gendo, separating from his son, would have said "Live!" (生きろ, Ikiro), similar to the ending of Gainax studio's previous work, The Secret of Blue Water, in which Captain Nemo, Nadia's father, utters the same phrase before sacrificing himself.[36] During the first broadcast of the series, however, the director began to lash out at animation fans, accusing them of being excessively closed and introverted; for this reason, he changed the atmosphere of the second half of the anime, making the narrative even darker and more introspective. This change of direction was also reflected in the development of the protagonists. While suffering numerous criticisms, Anno decided to make the propositional characters of Asuka and Toji undergo physical and psychological violence, considered unsuitable for a television product in a protected time slot like Evangelion.[37][38] As reported by Michael House, native English translator for Gainax at the time, at the beginning he had the idea to end 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 work he realized that this could not be done in a credible way; Anno would have failed in his intent, creating characters too closed and problematic.[39] Asuka, for example, at the beginning was inserted to lighten the tone of the series, and only in the course of the work it was decided to pay attention to her inner fragility.[40] At the same time, breaking a taboo of Japanese television, he dedicated ample space to the sexuality of the protagonists, inserting in the twentieth episode a sequence of implicit sex, with a long off-screen shot of Misato making sounds of pleasure in bed with her lover, Kaji.[41] The director declared that he wanted to show the audience, and especially children, how sex and violence are an integral part of human life.[42]
In the fourteenth episode of the series, he wanted to investigate Rei Ayanami, whom he felt he had not adequately investigated and with whom he felt less affinity than the other characters. Running out of ideas, an acquaintance of his lent him a book on mental illness.[43] Since then, he tried to include more and more concepts borrowed from psychology and psychoanalysis.[44] The main theme of the episodes thus became the deepening of the human interiority[45] and reflections on interpersonal communication were carried out through different streams of consciousness of the protagonists.[46][47] Shinji in particular was deepened through internal monologues, as in the sixteenth[48][49] and twentieth episodes.[50][51] The last episodes also suffered from the tight production schedule and the episodes were made in a short time, in order to meet the deadlines. In the twenty-fifth episode, the protagonists undergo a psychoanalytic session in a dark theater, retracing their childhoods through numerous flashbacks.[52] By rewriting the script from scratch Anno focused only on the psychology of the main characters[53] and Shinji in particular,[54][55] completely abandoning the main plot and without offering a clear conclusion to the narrative plot of the anime.[56][57] He thus tried to deliver a message and criticism to the otaku world and to himself, as a long-time otaku.[58]
In the Japanese dialogue for the original anime, the Eva pilots were always referred to as "Children", even when referring to an individual pilot. The English translation referred to the individual pilots as First Child, etc. In the Rebuild of Evangelion series, 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").
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Main article: Shinji Ikari |
Voiced by: Megumi Ogata,[59] Ryūnosuke Kamiki (adult) (Japanese); Spike Spencer (ADV, Movies and Rebuild),[60] Casey Mongillo (Netflix)[61] (English)
Shinji Ikari (碇 シンジ, Ikari Shinji) is the only son of Gendo Rokubungi and Yui Ikari.[62] Following the untimely loss of his mother, who disappeared in a mysterious accident before his eyes, his father entrusted him to a guardian. Once he reaches the age of fourteen, his parent calls him back to Tokyo-3 city to assume the role of Third Child, a pilot assigned to command the Eva-01. Shinji, because of the abandonment suffered, feels strongly unwanted[63] and, as said by Hideaki Anno, "abandoned the attempt to understand himself", convincing himself that he is a completely useless individual, shy of human contact and unable to commit suicide.[5] Compared to the stereotypical hero of a traditional mecha anime, he is devoid of energy, closed towards others, and characterized by a pessimistic attitude.[64][65] After moving to Tokyo-3 he begins to form relationships that have the merit of influencing him positively, especially thanks to the other pilots, his classmates[66] and other members of the Nerv, such as Misato Katsuragi, his superior and legal guardian, and Ryoji Kaji.[67]
For his writing, the staff used psychological concepts, such as Freudian theory on the oral stage,[68][69] the porcupine's dilemma,[70][71] and the splitting of the breast.[72][73] His characterization has been compared to that of Amuro Ray, the protagonist of Mobile Suit Gundam, and Japanese otaku. Other critics associated the character with the youth and climate of 1990s Japan, shaken by the Tokyo subway sarin attack operated by the Japanese sect Aum Shinrikyō, the Great Hanshin earthquake, and the bursting of the Japanese asset price bubble,[74][75] and interpreted him as a messianic figure[76][77] Unreality Magazine's Nick Verboon described Shinji as "one of the most nuanced, popular, and relatable characters in anime history".[78] The character has had a mixed response from anime and manga publications.[79][80] Comic Book Resources' Angelo Delos Trinos wrote, "No anime character inspires as many polarized takes as Shinji".[81] Although his complexity was praised[82][83] and generally considered realistic,[84][85] he was criticized for his insecurity and weakness.[86][87] Shinji's characterization in the spin-offs and the Rebuild of Evangelion films, however, received more positive comments[88] for his more self-confident personality and the optimistic tone of its development.[89][90][91]
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Main article: Rei Ayanami |
Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara[92][93] (Japanese); Amanda Winn-Lee (ADV, Movies and Amazon Prime Video Rebuild), Brina Palencia (Funimation Rebuild), Ryan Bartley (Netflix)[94] (English)
Rei Ayanami (綾波 レイ, Ayanami Rei) is the pilot assigned to command Evangelion Unit 00 as First Child. Her date of birth is unknown.[95] She is a taciturn and shy girl who mechanically carries out any order given to her by her superiors, even if it is particularly cruel. It seems that she is committed to the fight against the Angels as if it were the only point of connection between her and other people, making it her only reason for living. She limits contact with others to a minimum;[96] the only exception in this is represented by Gendo Ikari, to whom she seems to open her heart.[97] Rei is a clone artificially created from the genes of Yui Ikari, Gendo's wife; every time a Rei dies she is replaced by a new specimen, a factor that gives rise to her awareness of always being replaceable in case of death. In the course of the events, she slowly makes friends with Shinji, her colleague at Nerv and classmate, a relationship that makes her discover emotions and helps her to acquire greater awareness of herself and her identity.[98]
According to Winn-Lee, behind Rei's cold and aloof appearance, there is a "small spark of humanity", but it is overshadowed by her low self-esteem;[99] she also stated: "She knows she's expendable, but the thing is, she's still human".[100] The character of Rei has been compared by critics to Virgin Mary,[101] Pinocchio,[38][102] and a "Great Bad Mother trying to take in her son". Anno originally conceived of her as a representation of his unconscious mind[103] and a girl suffering from schizophrenia. He requested Sadamoto to give her the likeness of "a bitterly unhappy young girl with little sense of presence".[104] The character design was also inspired by Paul Gallico's novella "The Snow Goose" for its creation.[105] Writer Patrick W. Galbraith described her as "the single most popular and influential character in the history of otaku anime".[106] Rei has received a positive reception, and has appeared even decades after the series first aired in popularity polls about the best anime characters.[107][108][109] Her role in Rebuild was especially appreciated, and reviewers commented positively on her development and gradual process of self-awareness.[110][111][112]
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Main article: Asuka Langley Soryu |
Voiced by: Yūko Miyamura[113] (Japanese); Tiffany Grant (ADV, Movies and Rebuild), Stephanie McKeon (Netflix)[114] (English)
Asuka Langley Soryu (惣流・アスカ・ラングレー, Sōryū Asuka Rangurē, IPA: [soːɾʲɯː asɯ̥ka ɾaŋɡɯɾeː]) is the pilot assigned to command Evangelion Unit 02 as the Second Child.[115][116] She is a red-haired, blue-eyed Japanese-German girl, raised and educated in Germany.[117] A child prodigy, already graduated from college at the age of fourteen and enthusiastic about her role as a pilot, she suffers from a pronounced inferiority complex towards the male sex, yearning to reach or surpass its image.[118] With the people she has just met, she proves to be authoritarian[119] and, although she has a natural spontaneity, she suffers from mental problems, which, added to excessive self-love, make her lose the ability to pilot her Evangelion in the second half of the series. At first, she is emotionally attracted by her colleague Shinji Ikari, but as events progress, she starts to develop an ambivalent feeling of love and hate towards him.[120] In the final episodes of the anime, she matures a deep self-loathing and begins to feel anxiety at the idea of being alone,[121] in a framework similar to separation anxiety disorder.[122] In the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy, her name is changed to Asuka Langley Shikinami and she is given the rank of Captain in the European Air Force.
Critics and official publications about the series have linked the character to psychological disorders and defense mechanisms, such as masculine protest, reaction formation, repression,[123] and narcissistic personality disorder.[124] Website Otaku Kart described Asuka as "one of the most popular female characters in anime history".[125] She maintained a high ranking in every popularity poll of the series[126][127][128] and has appeared in surveys to decide the most popular anime characters in Japan.[129][130] The character received a divided reception. Critics took issue with her hubris and her personality, judging these as tiresome and arrogant; others appreciated the series's realism and her complex psychological introspection.[131][132]
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Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki[133][134] (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 (Rebuild), Johnny Yong Bosch (Netflix) (English)
Toji Suzuhara (鈴原 トウジ, Suzuhara Tōji) is a 2-A student at the first municipal middle school in Tokyo-3.[135] At first, he shows strong animosity towards Shinji, holding him directly responsible for an accident that affected his younger sister during the clash between the third angel and Unit 01;[136] in the third episode, he even goes so far as to beat him up, throwing two punches at him just before the arrival of the fourth angel, Shamshel. However, after witnessing the fight firsthand, he feels a lot of guilt for his actions[137][138] and becomes genuinely concerned about Shinji, despite the proud character that prevents him from showing his feelings openly.[139] Although he considers himself a tough guy and flaunts a strong character, he hides an honest, generous, and introverted side.[140] His humane approach and expansive character have a positive influence on Ikari, as well as on all the other Children.[141] In the second half of the series, he is chosen as Fourth Children, as the qualified subject and pilot assigned to lead the Eva-03.[142] Toji accepts the task assigned to him on the condition that his sister is transferred to the hospital at Nerv headquarters.[143] During his activation experiment, however, Unit 03 goes out of control, infected by the angel Bardiel. The Eva clashes with 02 and 00, defeating them without difficulty, and then engages in a hand-to-hand fight with 01, a fight that has as its resolution its destruction. While escaping death, Toji loses his left leg.[144][145]
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Main article: 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, sent to Nerv as a replacement pilot for Unit 02 following Asuka's psychological breakdown.[146] He immediately befriends Shinji Ikari, towards whom he has a sincere and unconditional affection, and then reveals himself as the seventeenth and final Angel, Tabris. He penetrates Nerv headquarters in an attempt to reunite with the first Angel, apparently kept in the deepest level of the base, but, after discovering that the being locked in the Terminal Dogma is the second Angel Lilith, he asks Shinji to kill him.[147] He was born on September 13, 2000, the same day as Second Impact.[148][149]
Critics have compared the character to Jesus Christ for his sacrifice,[150] Devilman' Ryo Asuka[151] and Kaoru, a character from the science fiction movie Summer Vacation 1999 (1988).[152][153] Evangelion Chronicle magazine linked his name to Tabris, Angel of Free Will, and Cahor, spelled in Japanese as Kahoru (カホル), referred to as the Angel of lies and deceit, a detail that the publication relates to his deceptive anthropomorphic features.[154] The character, originally conceived by Gainax as a cat controlling a boy, was supposed to appear in the series' twenty-second episode.[155] Although Kaworu only appeared in one episode, the character was popular with audiences and animation enthusiasts[156] and topped popularity polls.[157][158][159] Anime News Network's Kenneth Lee disliked his ambiguity, his lack of clarity, and the homoerotic undertones of his relationship with Shinji;[102] others reviewers praised it and enjoyed his personality.[160][161] His role in the Evangelion 3.0 (2012) movie also attracted positive comments by critics.[162][163]
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 a character introduced in the film Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009), the second installment of the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy. Apparently originally from England, she is a pilot of the European branch of Nerv. She first appears as a pilot assigned to Evangelion Unit 05, and then fights aboard Asuka's Eva-02.[164]
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Main article: Gendo Ikari |
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 the supreme commander of the Nerv,[165] husband of Yui Ikari, and father of Shinji, with whom he has a difficult relationship. He carries out the Adam Project and the Human Instrumentality Project.[166] Cold, pragmatic, and calculating man, he keeps a distant attitude towards all his subordinates; only Fuyutsuki seems able to understand his thoughts.[167] His attitude leads him to use any means to achieve his personal goals, embarking on a romantic and sexual relationship with first Dr. Naoko Akagi and then his daughter Ritsuko; he pursues the Instrumentality Project in the hope of being able to meet his wife, Yui, who died years before in a mysterious accident, again and be reunited with her. He also plays the role of the main antagonist in the Rebuild of Evangelion, and in particular in Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021), the last installment of the series.
The character, originally conceived as a modern version of Victor Frankenstein,[168] is inspired by the personal experiences of the series' staff members, reflecting the absent and emotionally detached Japanese father figure.[169] Neon Genesis Evangelion director Hideaki Anno's father and his abusive behavior were also an influence on Gendo;[170][171] the director also took inspiration from psychoanalytic concepts for its development, especially the Freudian Oedipus complex. Gendo managed to rank in several polls about the most attractive male characters,[172][173][174] but he also attracted negative opinions from reviewers,[175][176] who criticized his abusive[177][178] and manipulative ways.[179] His role in Rebuild has been received more positively,[180] especially in the final installment.[181][182][183] His figure has also been described as "one of the most easily recognizable images of anime on the internet";[184] his joined hands pose, named Gendo pose by fans, has been parodied by subsequent anime and manga.[185][186][187]
Voiced by: Motomu Kiyokawa (Japanese); Guil Lunde (ADV), Michael Ross (films, Amazon Prime Video Rebuild), Kent Williams (Rebuild), JP Karliak (Netflix) (English)
Kozo Fuyutsuki (冬月 コウゾウ, Fuyutsuki Kōzō) is the deputy commander of the special agency Nerv. After obtaining the professorship as a teacher of metaphysical biology at Kyoto University in 1999, he met Yui Ikari, a promising student of the same institute;[188] in the same period he met her boyfriend, Gendo, towards whom he is immediately suspicious. After the Second Impact, he begins to work as an unaccredited doctor to help displaced persons and refugees. He is then called by the United Nations to conduct a formal investigation into the event and he meets Gendo again, reinforcing the suspicions he already had about him. He begins to think that he and a mysterious organization named Seele may be responsible for the catastrophe and the death of billions of people. In 2003 he continues to investigate the matter on his own; having arrived at the Artificial Evolution Laboratory, he threatens to go public with the truth he has discovered, but Ikari leads him to a place named Central Dogma, where he meets Dr. Naoko Akagi and learns the name of the association in which they both secretly operate, the Gehirn. Ikari asks Fuyutsuki to collaborate with him to build the new history of mankind, an invitation which, for unknown reasons, he accepts.[189] He later became Ikari's sidekick.[190][191]
Although he shares the basic objectives of the Nerv, he occasionally shows that he does not approve of its means.[192] He has a balanced character and does not panic in dramatic situations.[193] Despite his role as a deputy, Fuyutsuki maintains an affectionate personality and a humane approach towards his subordinates, including the pilots.[194] In the movie The End of Evangelion, during the Instrumentality of Mankind, a vision of Yui Ikari appears to him and he welcomes her smiling;[195] he serenely watches the process while waiting to be able to see again the woman, whom he never stopped loving.[196][197] His name comes from the Akizuki-class destroyer of the same name.[21] According to Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the characters of Gendo and Fuyutsuki are respectively based on Ed Straker and Alec Freeman of the television series UFO.[24]
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Main article: Misato Katsuragi |
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[198] and Shinji's guardian.[199][200] Due to a series of childhood emotional traumas, she has developed a frivolous and exuberant personality, flaunting an extroverted attitude and leading a sloppy and messy lifestyle. Her affectionate personality sometimes causes her to prioritize her human feelings over her duty as a Nerv employee, and her job position provokes conflict in her and causes her to have to make difficult choices. In the Rebuild saga, she plays the role of captain of the Wille, an organization created to destroy the Nerv.
For the character, the staff took insipration by Fujiko Mine of Lupin III, Japanese writer Aya Sugimoto,[201] and Usagi Tsukino of Sailor Moon, with whom she shares the same voice actress.[202][203] Mitsuishi described her as an insecure and lonely woman who tries to hide "the darkness and loneliness she harbors deep in her heart".[204] Writer Dennis Redmond speculated that Misato may be based on Nadia Arwol from The Secret of Blue Water, while Akio Nagatomi of The Animé Café compared her to Kazumi Amano from Gunbuster.[205][206] The character has ranked high in popularity polls[207][208] and has generally received a positive reception. Reviewers appreciated her tenacity, endearment, and psychology, deeming her realistic and underrated.
Voiced by: Yuriko Yamaguchi (Japanese); Sue Ulu (ADV and films), Colleen Clinkenbeard (Funimation Rebuild), Erica Lindbeck (Netflix), Mary Faber (Amazon Prime Video Rebuild) (English)
Ritsuko Akagi (赤木 リツコ, Akagi Ritsuko) is the head of the first section of the technology department at Nerv headquarters, and one of the main architects of the development of Evangelion units.[209] In 2005, during college, she met Misato Katsuragi, with whom she became friends,[210] and her boyfriend Kaji, towards whom she felt a strong sense of annoyance.[211] After completing her studies at Tokyo-2, she joined the Gehirn Research Center in 2008 as the head of Project E.[212] Following his transfer to the special agency Nerv, he began to be responsible for the management of the Magi supercomputer.[213] Here she comes into close contact with her mother's lover, Commander Ikari, learning secret information precluded to almost all other members of the organization.[214][215]
She is a rational woman with a strong sense of discipline and detached judgment. She finds it difficult to reconcile all these sides of her character, often a source of violent emotional contrasts.[216] She shows great determination and cold-bloodedness, and, even towards longtime friends, she hesitates to talk about herself. However, despite her rational and reserved appearance, she proves to be a sensitive, expressive, and passionate woman. At the beginning of her university career, she dyes her hair blonde, to differentiate herself from her mother Naoko.[217] She eventually falls in love with the same man like her, namely Ikari, with whom she enters into a secret romantic relationship and to whom she offers all her scientific skills and body. She harbors jealousy towards Rei, the center of the commander's attention, and over time she goes into reckless acts of revenge against him, feeling used and betrayed.[218] In The End of Evangelion, no longer able to manage her feelings of love and hate, she attempts to destroy the Nerv headquarters, uttering the phrase "Mom, do you want to die with me?". However, the Casper computer, in which Naoko's personality as a woman is imprinted, refuses the command to self-destruct. Ritsuko thus ends up being killed by a gunshot from Commander Ikari.[219] Newtype magazine compared her to previous Anno characters, such as Kazumi Amano from Gunbuster and Electra from Nadia.[220]
Voiced by: Kōichi Yamadera (Japanese); Aaron Krohn (ADV and films), J. Michael Tatum (Funimation Rebuild), Greg Chun (Netflix), Sean Burgos (Amazon Prime Video Rebuild) (English)
Ryoji Kaji (加持 リョウジ, Kaji Ryōji) is a member of Nerv's Special Investigations Department.[221][222] During college, he meets Ritsuko Akagi and Misato Katsuragi, with whom he enters into a romantic relationship and cohabitation, which are broken off two years later.[223][224] Once he joins the Nerv he is transferred to Germany and appointed guardian of Asuka. In 2015 he travels with the girl to Japan, where he meets again his former university friends. During the trip he carries in absolute secrecy the embryo of the first Angel, Adam, and delivers it to Commander Ikari.[225][226] For him, he sabotages the so-called Jet Alone, a robot built by Nerv's rival chemical industry community. Kaji works at the Investigations Department of the Japanese Government Ministry of Internal Affairs[227] and is also assigned by Seele to monitor Ikari. From all of this, it is clear that he is a spy in the pay of three different organizations. The commander also seems to benefit the most from his presence, although he is aware of his double game.[228]
Although the motive for his actions remains unknown,[229] Kaji tries to shed light on the truth about Nerv's real objectives.[230][231] After the battle against the Angel Zeruel, betrayed by one of his informants, he is assassinated by a third man and leaves the results of his investigation to Misato. About the real identity of his murderer, some theories arose immediately among the fans of the series: starting from some sequences of the twentieth episode, many of them thought that the responsible was Misato, who takes a gun in the scene before his murder. However, the hypothesis was denied by main staff,[232] for which the responsible would be found among the members of Seele or in the secret services.[233] To avoid misunderstandings of this kind, some scenes of the director's cut version of the series were changed.[51][234] For the realization of the character, the authors were inspired by Captain Foster from the television series UFO.[235]
Voiced by: Hiro Yūki (Japanese); Matt Greenfield (ADV), Keith Burgess (films), Mike McFarland (Rebuild), Daniel MK Cohen (Netflix), Joe Fria (Amazon Prime Video Rebuild) (English)
Makoto Hyuga (日向 マコト, Hyūga Makoto) is one of the main Nerv operators who, from the command bridge, follows and controls all operations of Eva units.[236] He assists Major Misato Katsuragi in the strategic planning of the battles against the Angels.[237] Makoto has a friendly, kind, and compassionate nature. Despite his friendliness, Makoto does not hesitate to speak his mind and is not intimidated even in front of his superiors. Compared to his colleagues, he is more confident with Major Katsuragi, thanks to his skills and his ability to gather secret information. On some occasions, he launches himself into rash actions and seems to have feelings for Misato.[238] Despite the fact that his secret love is not reciprocated and he is aware of it, he continues to assist her and launch into dangerous actions to help her. In The End of Evangelion, during the Human Instrumentality, Misato appears to her and a mixed expression of terror and pleasure is visible on his face.[239] His last name is taken from the Imperial Japanese Navy battleship of the same name. As for the name, Hideaki Anno declared that he doesn't remember exactly why Makoto, tracing however a possible influence of the novel Shinsengumi Keppuroku by Ryōtarō Shiba.[21]
Voiced by: Miki Nagasawa (Japanese); Kendra Benham (ADV), Amy Seeley (films, Amazon Prime Video Rebuild), Monica Rial (Director's Cut), Caitlin Glass (Rebuild), Christine Marie Cabanos (Netflix) (English)
Maya Ibuki (伊吹 マヤ, Ibuki Maya) is one of the three main technical operators in the Operational Command Center at Nerv Headquarters. Her main task is to report the synchronicity rate of the pilots. Being directly involved in Project E, Maya is subordinate to Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, towards whom she feels a sense of veneration; she faithfully carries out the directives she gives her, but although she is a diligent and competent assistant, she seems to suffer from emotional immaturity, so much so that she is accused of excessive idealism by Ritsuko herself. Her scrupulous character makes her feel a feeling of total aversion towards the system known as the Dummy System, which she considers inhuman.[240] In addition, during bloody wartime confrontations, she feels revulsion or vomits. In the course of the series, several hints suggest that the girl gradually matures something more than just professional respect towards her senpai: from simple professional admiration Maya develops a desire towards her superior, which then turns into sapphic love.[241][242] For the names Maya and Ibuki, Anno took inspiration from two cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, as well as a commander present in the Return of Ultraman series.[21]
Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (Japanese); Jason C. Lee (ADV and films, Amazon Prime Video Rebuild), Vic Mignogna (Director's Cut), Phil Parsons (Rebuild), Billy Kametz (Netflix) (English)
Shigeru Aoba (青葉 シゲル, Aoba Shigeru) is, along with Makoto Hyuga and Maya Ibuki, one of the three technical operators of the Operations Command Center at Nerv Headquarters.[243] Shigeru is a realistic person, extremely professional at work, and emotionally detached. He is not in the habit of talking about himself or his private life and does not hang out with his colleagues, although he has good relations with them. At work, he shows great calm and cold blood.[244] Shigeru is a big music fan and plays the guitar.[245][246] In The End of Evangelion, during the Human Instrumentality, he is terrified by the sight of so many Rei Ayanami. While his colleagues serenely transform into LCL, an expression of terror is visible on his face and Rei does not take on the appearance of any loved ones. The event has long been a source of interpretation. According to the book The Essential Evangelion Chronicle, an official volume dedicated to the Evangelion franchise, this would be because Shigeru "has never loved another person".[247] His last name comes from the Japanese Imperial Navy cruiser of the same name; the name Shigeru, on the other hand, was chosen to create a pun with Aoba Shigereru, a 1974 Japanese film directed by Kihachi Okamoto.[21]
Voiced by: Tetsuya Iwanaga (Japanese); Kurt Stoll (ADV and films), Greg Ayres (Rebuild), Benjamin Diskin (Netflix), Alejandro Saab (Amazon Prime Video Rebuild) (English)
Kensuke Aida (相田 ケンスケ, Aida Kensuke) is one of the students in class 2-A of the first municipal middle school in Tokyo-3. Gifted with strong dialectical skills,[248][249] he is an ardent fan of military life[250] and often plays survivor games when he is alone in the middle of the countryside.[251] Like his other classmates Shinji Ikari, Toji Suzuhara, Rei Ayanami, and Hikari Horaki, he is motherless.[252] Some of the dialogue in the seventeenth episode suggests that his father is part of the Nerv administration, either in the research department or in the general affairs division. Together with the rest of the school, he moves to another place after the destruction of Tokyo-3.[253]
Voiced by: Junko Iwao (Japanese); Carol Amerson (ADV), Kimberly Yates (films, Amazon Prime Video Rebuild), Leah Clark (Rebuild), Abby Trott (Netflix) (English)
Hikari Horaki (洞木 ヒカリ, Horaki Hikari) is the 2-A class head of Tokyo-3 Municipal Middle School.[254][255] She has an older sister, Kodama, and a younger sister, named Nozomi. Hikari has a seemingly grumpy, rigid, and rule-abiding character, hiding a sweet and patient side: towards her sisters and friends in particular she proves to be caring and attentive to their needs.[256] She constantly taunts and reprimands her partner Toji Suzuhara, probably to hide and repress a feeling of love towards him. Among all the girls of 2-A, she is the only one who can approach Asuka. In the last episodes of the series, her companion goes through a serious emotional breakdown and Hikari remains close to her, hosting Asuka in her house, showing her a sincere and unconditional affection until the end.[257] For the character's surname Anno took inspiration from Murakami's novel Ai to gensō no fascism;[21] the names of his two sisters, Kodama and Nozomi, are taken from high-speed trains of the Tokaido Shinkansen line.[258]
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. A world-renowned scientist, at some unspecified time she becomes a member of the Gehirn research center, and as such learns the truth about Second Impact and the Eva creation project. Naoko embarks on a secret relationship with the Gehirn's commander-in-chief, Gendō, while he is still married to his wife Yui.[259] In 2008, he succeeded in completing the fundamental theory of the Magi System supercomputer, which was completed two years later.[260] In the three Magi biocomputers she developed, she digitally transcribes the main aspects of her personality: as a woman, as a scientist, and as a mother.[261] With time she realizes that she is exploited by Commander Ikari for her talent as a scientist and researcher, but she ignores the truth and continues the relationship.[262] In 2010, Gendō arrives at the base with a child resembling Yui named Rei Ayanami. On the evening of her visit, Rei gets lost in the Gehirn's control room and runs into Naoko, whom she addresses by calling her "old hag", and then confesses to her that it was Gendō who called her that. In Rei's face, the woman recognizes her rival's features, and in a fit of rage and violent emotion, she strangles her and then commits suicide[263][264] by crashing into the Caspar computer.[265] For the character's name, Hideaki Anno took inspiration from an old elementary school company of his.[21]
Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese); Kim Sevier (ADV), Amanda Winn-Lee (films), Ryan Bartley (Netflix) Stephanie Young (Rebuild) (English)
Yui Ikari (碇 ユイ, Ikari Yui) is Shinji's mother and Gendo's wife.[266] In 1999, as a bright student at Kyoto University, she met Professor Fuyutsuki and discussed research on artificial evolution with him. In the fall of the same year, she became romantically involved with Gendo Rokubungi, getting married, much to Fuyutsuki's disappointment. Later she works with her husband at the Laboratory for Artificial Evolution. In 2004, at the age of twenty-seven, she willingly proposes herself as a guinea pig in an experiment of activation of Unit 01. During the test, for reasons never clarified, she loses her life under the eyes of Gendo, the other members of the Laboratory, and her son Shinji.[267] The woman is absorbed by the humanoid and her body disappears into thin air. All attempts to recover her prove unsuccessful and the case is dismissed as an accident, but becomes public knowledge.[268] In the last episodes of the series and in The End of Evangelion, however, it is revealed that the accident was the result of her deliberate choice.[269][270] Her soul is kept inside the unit and she is occasionally able to help her son by controlling its movements. Yui's spirit makes that in The End of Evangelion her son finds the courage to choose his future and that of the whole humanity, rejecting the Instrumentality.[271] The name Yui was chosen by Hideaki Anno because it is similar to Rei's name; while Rei (零) means "zero", "nothingness", Yui (唯) can be translated as "only one".[21]
Voiced by: Maria Kawamura (Japanese); Yvonne Aguirre (ADV), Kimberly Yates (films) (English)
Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu (惣流・キョウコ・ツェッペリン, Sōryū Kyōko Tsepperin) is the mother of Asuka Langley Soryu. Born in 1974, at an unspecified date she entered the German division of the Gehirn research center, future Nerv. In 2005 she was subjected to a contact experiment with Unit 02,[272] of which she had promoted the construction.[273] During the test, however, suffers mental contamination, coming out psychologically destroyed. Hospitalized, she becomes unable to recognize Asuka and speaks to a cloth doll believing that it is her daughter.[274] In the meantime, her husband begins an affair with another scientist.[275] Shortly afterward, Asuka is chosen as Second Child and pilot of Unit 02; the little girl, believing that the event could somehow induce her mother to recognize her again, runs to her hospital room, finding her body hanging from the ceiling.[276] It is assumed that a part of her soul, or her maternal side, remained enclosed within Eva-02.[277] For the names Zeppelin and Sōryū, staff took inspiration by two warships, one German and the other Japanese, while for the name Kyōko they took inspiration from a character in a comic book by Shinji Wada.[21]
Voiced by: Mugihito (Japanese); Rick Peeples (ADV), Tom Booker (films), Bill Jenkins (Rebuild), D. C. Douglas (Netflix) (English)
Keel Lorenz (キール・ローレンツ, Kīru Rōrentsu) is the president of the Human Instrumentality Committee and the secret organization Seele.[278] Multiple cybernetic components are grafted into his body, allowing him to still possess vital energy despite his long age. He secretly manipulates the fate of the world to see the Third Impact materialized.[279] For the name of the character, the authors were inspired by biologist Konrad Lorenz;[21] in the presentation document of the series, his name should have been Konrad, while his age was explicitly specified in sixty-seven years.[280]
Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese); Amanda Winn-Lee (ADV and films), Mandy Clark (Director's Cut), Monica Rial (Rebuild), Cherami Leigh (Netflix) (English)
Pen Pen, or Pen² (ペンペン, Penpen) is a small pet penguin and companion animal of Misato Katsuragi. The animal belongs to the so-called new breed of hot springs;[281] Pen-Pen is most likely the result of some biotechnology experiment and has a serial number on its collar, BX 293A. He seems to have a high IQ, which allows him to bathe himself,[282] understand the language of humans, read the newspaper[283] and live independently inside Misato's apartment. In the last episodes, he is moved to a country house with the Horaki family.[284] Yoshiyuki Sadamoto designed the character to meet the staff's request to include a being that could serve as the series mascot. Because of the setting, that is Hakone, a town known for its hot springs, at first it was thought to be a monkey, but the idea was discarded because it was considered unattractive.[285] Pen-Pen could be inspired by Mister Pen-Pen (Ｍｒ．ペンペン), a genetically modified penguin that appeared in a 1986 anime.[286][287]
Voiced by: Hōchū Ōtsuka (Japanese); Rob Bundy (English)
Shiro Tokita (時田シロ, Tokita Shirō) is an executive of the Community of United Chemical Industries of Japan, mainly responsible for the construction of the Jet Alone, a humanoid robot developed specifically to compete with the Nerv's Eva, of which he is privy to much secret information thanks to espionage operations.[288] He appears only in the seventh episode of the series, in which he openly mocks the competitors' capabilities and ridicules the Evangelions in front of the project manager, Ritsuko Akagi.[289][290] During the activation experiment, the Jet Alone, against all his predictions, goes out of control, threatening an atomic crisis. After initial hesitation, Tokita gives Captain Misato Katsuragi the secret access code to activate the stop command.[291] For the character's name, Anno drew from Murakami's Ai to gensō no fascism;[292] the seventh episode also names two men named Manda and Yasugi, whose names are borrowed from the same novel.[21]
In Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012), the third installment of the Rebuild of Evangelion series, a new organization named Wille (German for "will") is introduced, created to destroy Nerv and led by Misato Katsuragi.
Voiced by: Sayaka Ōhara (Japanese); Krishna Smitha (English)
Sumire Nagara (長良スミレ, Nagara Sumire) is in charge of the anti-gravity system of a flying ship called AAA Wunder. She is a dark-skinned girl in her twenties or thirties, with long brown hair, pulled back into 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. Ōhara tried to give her an interpretation that would make her a sort of older sister; in fact, she described her as a strong woman who has had to face hard times and several losses of loved ones and who leads the ship's crew following Misato's footsteps. According to the voice actress, she also betrays her most secret emotions through her facial expressions, choosing her words calmly and wisely.[293]
Voiced by: Akio Ōtsuka (Japanese); Greg Dulcie (English)
Koji Takao (高雄コウジ, Takao Kōji) is one of Wille's engineers, responsible for the engine ignition sequence of the Wunder ship. He presents himself as a man of robust build, balding, and with a goatee combined with a black mustache. Takao is an acquaintance of Kaji and thanks to him he has come into contact with Misato. His name is inspired by that of a class of four heavy cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, used for the Pacific War. In the original version, he is played by Akio Ōtsuka. Ōtsuka had already dubbed a character from a Hideaki Anno series, namely the Nemo from Nadia, and described Koji as an efficient businessman who made his way in his field.[294]
Voiced by: Anri Katsu (Japanese); Aaron Roberts (English)
Hideki Tama (多摩ヒデキ, Tama Hideki) is a young engineer, Takao's colleague on Wunder. Skinny and with thick black hair, he is shy and reserved; during operations, he always keeps manuals under his hand for reference. His name derives from that of the cruiser of the same name used in World War II. In the original version he is played by Anri Katsu, who was commissioned by Anno to convey weakness and humanity in the character. Katsu described him as a guy who takes his time, who used to follow the rules and is a bit of a coward, but still manages to do his duty in times of danger and has been trained to do the bare minimum.[295]
Voiced by: Mariya Ise (Japanese); Tia Ballard (English)
Midori Kitakami (北上ミドリ, Kitakami Midori) is one of the engineers serving on the AAA Wunder. She is a thin girl with pink hair, lazy and timid. Her control panel is covered in sticky notes. Her name is taken from the Japanese cruiser in service from 1920 to 1945. In the original version, she is played by Mariya Ise. Ise described Midori as a modern girl, unwilling to do difficult things and use formal tones with her superiors. Anno asked her to make her look like a girl from the Yidori generation, born at the turn of the eighties and nineties.[296]
Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese); Felecia Angelle (English)
Sakura Suzuhara (鈴原 サクラ, Suzuhara Sakura) is one of the members of the Wille. First briefly introduced in Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, but without having lines of dialogue, Sakura is Toji's younger sister. She has a deep sense of admiration for Misato, whom she takes as her role model; she is a kind, simple, and sunny girl.[297]
In the video game Detective Evangelion (名探偵エヴァンゲリオン, Meitantei Evangerion), released for PlayStation 2 in 2007 by Broccoli and based on the spin-off manga Detective Shinji Ikari, three Nerv operators who never appeared in the original series appear: each of them oversees one of the computers of the Magi System and all together reflect the aspects of Naoko Akagi's personality contained in the machines.
Voiced by: Ai Shimizu[298]
Kaede Agano (阿賀野 カエデ) is a simple woman with short light brown hair.[299] She has a strong sense of family, is kind and is a good cook;[300] she is in charge of Baltashar, in whom Dr. Akagi's maternal side is reflected.[298]
Voiced by: Maria Yamamoto[298]
Satsuki Ōi (大井サツキ), a sensual Russian-Japanese woman with long hair[301] and a vice for vodka. She lives alone and drinks a lot to forget her loneliness.[302] She is responsible for Casper, Naoko's feminine side, and Shinji's sensitivity improvement program.[298]
Aoi Mogami (最上アオイ), a bespectacled girl, intelligent and straightforward,[303] in charge of Melchior, which contains Naoko as a scientist, and Shinji's intelligence enhancement program.[298]
The game also features several other characters who are brutally murdered and whose case Shinji Ikari investigates:
Also appearing in the game are the Shirase (白瀬市長), mayor of Neo Tokyo-3, a man named Kokubunji (国分寺), director of a facility called Kichijoji Bowl, and Dr. Hideaki Katsuragi (葛城ヒデアキ), Misato's father and head of the research group responsible for Second Impact.[307]
The Neon Genesis Evangelion characters proved 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 massive use for merchandise items.[308] The series stood out for years in the Anime Grand Prix, the large annual polls conducted by Animage magazine. 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 among the female ones.[309] 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 (fourty-seventh) among the female characters.[310] In 1998 Shinji and Kaworu maintained their placement, while Rei, Asuka, and Misato dropped to fifth, sixth, and twelfth.[311] For several years, some of them also appeared in the magazine's monthly rankings, such as Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Maya.[157][207]
The protagonists also appeared in Newtype magazine's polls, even years after the first airing;[312][313][314] from August to October 2009 they were among the most popular among the magazine's readers,[315][316] both in the male and female category.[317] The following year, in March 2010, Newtype named Rei the most popular female character of the 1990s and placed Shinji and Kaworu first and second in the male category.[318]
With Evangelion, Anno has infused the de riguer futuristic hardware and attractive cast with a depth of characterisation often lacking in recent science fiction films .... Anno often deconstructs the main casts' mental states, via abstractly presented interrogations within each character's mind. Re-opening hidden emotional wounds from the past and uncompromisingly addressing their personality flaws, 'Evangelion' offers a fascinatingly complex character study that is rare indeed, especially in popular animated entertainment.
–Justin Wu (The Artifice)
The characters from Neon Genesis Evangelion divided the critics. Peter Harcoff of the webzine The Anime Critic, for example, didn't like Shinji's weak personality and Asuka's grumpy one, but praised the relationships built between the characters and their motivations.[319] Even the website Anime Planet, critical of some aspects of the series, expressed words of praise for the characters,[320] while Movie Rapture, while generally judging their personalities and design positively, showed that it did not admire Rei and Shinji.[321] Raphael See of T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews also found their characterization irritating and cliché, pointing out that he had seen similar personalities in previous anime.[322] Of the same mind was his colleague Tim Jones, who disdained the psychology of the various protagonists, all of whom had tragic pasts and relationship problems, with the exception of Kaji.[323]
An implicit sex scene in the twentieth episode aroused some controversy, given the afternoon broadcasting time slot of the series,[324] and the last two episodes, completely focused on the psychological depth and inner monologues of Shinji, raised further controversy and polarized the opinions of critics.[325] For anthropologist Lawrence Eng, the ending would not give a sense of closure for most of the characters, and "for many loyal fans of Evangelion, this was a betrayal on Anno's part".[57] Vice.com's Ricardo Conteras, while not finding the conclusion incomprehensible, still described it as incongruent with what the protagonists faced throughout the rest of the series.[326] Anime director Yoshiyuki Tomino also criticized Evangelion and rebuked the work's producers, guilty, in his opinion, of not trying to entertain or endear themselves to the audience", trying to show "that everybody is sick" and hopeless instead: "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".[327]
Other reviewers and journalists expressed words of praise for the characterization of the protagonists,[329][330] which they considered complex and realistic.[331][332] According to Kotaku's Rita Jackson, "it's not fun to spend time with these characters", given the strong emotional pressure and anguish that they are forced to suffer, and, while "sometimes characters feel more like mouthpieces for Anno’s thoughts about society than actual characters", she still appreciated the "brilliant" work of the writer.[333] Morgan Lewis of the webzine VG Culture HQ stated that "none of the characters are black and white" and "all of them are screwed up beyond belief"; he also called Shinji the most layered character, explicitly stating that Evangelion is not suitable for an inattentive audience.[334] A similar opinion was given by Anime News Network's Nick Creamer, according to whom one of the strengths of the anime lies in the fact that no protagonist is caged into a simple narrative role, as "Evangelion portrays the mindsets of its characters with empathy and nuance".[335] According to Matthew Perez of Anime Reign magazine, "the characters are by far the most hated aspect of Neon Genesis Evangelion"; while noting how many are initially archetypal and stereotypical, Perez praised their realism and judged some of them to be the "most well made in anime to date".[336]
For writer Andrea Fontana, Evangelion would be "a true sociological and psychological treatise", of which he praised the introspective insight of its protagonists and the underlying message of learning to be oneself.[337] Equally positive were the reviews from Comic Book Resources authors. Ajay Aravind praised the personalities of Rei, Misato, and Yui; Anthony Gramuglia called the various protagonists "incredibly complicated and fascinating";[338][339] Reuben Baron appreciated the characters' three-dimensionality and exploration of trauma, but criticized the fan service and sexualization of the teenage ones.[340] Global Comment's Landon Wright expressed a similar opinion, criticizing the depiction of nudity without narrative necessity.[341] Other writers at Comic Book Resource described the female characters as strong, determined, and independent, considering the series ahead of its time.[342][343] Anime News Network's Martin Theron of praised Sadamoto's "distinctive" character design.[344] Allen Divers, another editor at Anime News Network, stated, "The characters and storyline of Evangelion would give Sigmund Freud complexes".[345] Fellow reviewer Matt Jong also appreciated the development, calling it "provoking",[346] and Paul Fargo, another reviewer for the webzine, praised the tragic nature and psychological depth of the second half of the series, especially in the director's cut version of the home video editions.[347]
According to the Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Unofficial Guide, 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 six hundred different items made to celebrate the event.[348] The characters were used for T-shirts,[349] access-dateries,[350] posters,[351] and watches.[352] Action figures became the most popular items, particularly Rei's;[353] books featuring her image on the cover also sold quickly and the media named her "the Premium Girl".[354] When Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth was released in 1997, the UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. company put on the market coffee cans with the characters of the series,[355] selling four hundred thousand cases, equivalent to about twelve million cans; to these figures must be added those for the release of Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone ten years later (2007), when another three hundred thousand cases were bought, for about nine million cans.[356] In 1997, a series of books dedicated to the various protagonists of the series was published:[357] Rei,[358] Asuka,[359] Shinji[360] and Kaworu,[361] along with two artbooks titled Photo File Eve,[362] about the female protagonists only, and Photo File Adam, dedicated to the male characters.[363] In the same year was also published a catalog containing articles about the series and the characters titled E Mono; in it were also listed some dōjinshi, that is unofficial comics made by fans.[364]
Neon Genesis Evangelion protagonists appeared and were used, as well as in video games based on the original animated series, in media not belonging to the Evangelion franchise, such as Monster Strike,[365] Super Robot Wars,[366] Tales of Zestiria,[367] Puzzle & Dragons,[368] Keri hime sweets, Summons Board,[369][370] Puyopuyo!! Quest,[371] Line Rangers,[372] Unison,[373] MapleStory,[374][375] Valkyrie Connect,[376][377] Ragnarok Online,[378][379] The Battle Cats[380] and in an official Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion crossover episode.[381]
The protagonists of the series appeared on the covers of magazines specializing in anime and manga, such as Animage or 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 imposed itself in the dōjin market,[382][383] attracting male and female audiences in equal measure.[384][385] The Artifice's Justin Wu attributed the success to several factors, such as Sadamoto's design and the open-ended nature of the product, characterized by obscure points and facts left to the interpretation and imagination of viewers; according to him, Neon Genesis Evangelion was a watershed for the history of merchandise, which became an important market to focus on.[386] For Newtype magazine, after the success of the anime "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".[387] Such a high trade in figures, trading cards, and similar products would be the origin of the moe phenomenon, in which the audience's attention is focused on empathy and attraction to the characters rather than the plot. According to critic Pier Francesco Cantelli, "it is impossible to take a tour of Akihabara without coming across at least one poster depicting its protagonists"; he also compared the Evangelion franchise to the popularity of Star Wars in the United States of America.[388]
The success of the series' protagonists was also studied by leading researchers. Japanese sociologist Shinji Miyadai, among others, reported instances of college students identifying with Shinji or Asuka;[389] according to essayist Satomi Ishikawa, such episodes would be a reflection of "how influential the impact of this particular anime was" for Japanese youth at the time. Ishikawa noted how in the years after the series aired it gained great popularity, giving rise to the expression "Eva phenomenon," and how many fans saw themselves in the protagonists. The central element and the reason of so much attraction to Evangelion would be what in Japanese is called jibun sagashi (自分探し, "self-seeking"),[390] a theme that then aroused empaty in the youth, who saw their problems in Shinji and Asuka.[391] The work became associated with the concept of "adult children", initially developed by U.S. psychologists and then the focus of Japanese media attention in the late 1990s.[392]
As a result of the success of the series, the sekaikei genre, whose plots combine the theme of apocalyptic crisis with the sentimental comedy of school settings, spread and became popular; the love stories of the protagonists of such works are also directly related to the fate of the whole world.[393] Several representatives of this genre were inspired by Anno's series, oriented mainly on the psychology of the characters and their relationships rather than on the plot itself, becoming one of the main motifs of Japanese subculture. The same neologism sekaikei was often replaced by the expression "post-Evangelion syndrome". Critics for example have identified sekaikei elements in Voices of a Distant Star, She, the Ultimate Weapon, Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu,[394] Your Name.[393] and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, interpreted as a parody of it.[395] Rei is considered particularly popular and influential,[396] having inspired several heroines who came later[397][398] and contributed to the spread of the kuudere stereotype, seemingly cold, apathetic, and mysterious characters.[399][400] Asuka, Shinji,[401] Misato[402] and Gendo[403] also inspired artists, characters in other animated series, video games, or comics that came later. Asuka is considered an influential example of a tsundere protagonist: grumpy, short-tempered, and authoritarian but with a tragic past behind her and deep motivations behind it.[404][405] According to Comic Book Resources's Timothy Donohoo, Rei and Asuka are two heroines "extremely important to the development of modern anime writing". For The Washington Post's Gene Park, a considerable portion of cyberculture is rooted in the success of Evangelion, popular on 4chan and other sites on the net; fans of the series, divided between Asuka and Rei, according to Park have generated waifu wars, a phenomenon in which users of various blogs and websites clash to determine with different arguments which heroine is the most attractive.[406] Maria R. Rider of Ex.org noted how Gainax's series had inspired Gasaraki's character design, and particularly that of Miharu, who is similar to Rei.[407] Rurouni Kenshin's author Nobuhiro Watsuki compared Yukishiro Tomoe to Rei;[408] he also used Yui as the visual model for Honjō Kamatari's face.[409]