List of Neon Genesis Evangelion characters: Difference between revisions
Undid revision 147732839 by 68.43.205.27 (talk) that doesn't make sense |
|||
| Line 272: | Line 272: | ||
The TV series gives no direct indication of how Kyoko was able to survive the contact experiment with Unit 02. However, the PS2 game ''Neon Genesis Evangelion 2'' revealed that only the maternal aspect of her soul was absorbed into Unit 02, explaining why she survived but was no longer able to recognize Asuka as her daughter. Also, in ''The End of Evangelion,'' Asuka connects with Unit 02 and recognizes the presence in the Eva as her mother. |
The TV series gives no direct indication of how Kyoko was able to survive the contact experiment with Unit 02. However, the PS2 game ''Neon Genesis Evangelion 2'' revealed that only the maternal aspect of her soul was absorbed into Unit 02, explaining why she survived but was no longer able to recognize Asuka as her daughter. Also, in ''The End of Evangelion,'' Asuka connects with Unit 02 and recognizes the presence in the Eva as her mother. |
||
In the manga, Kyoko and her husband divorced after they were unable to conceive a child and he had an affair. He re-married and had a daughter, while Kyoko visited a sperm bank and was impregnated. She tried to |
In the manga, Kyoko and her husband divorced after they were unable to conceive a child and he had an affair. He re-married and had a daughter, while Kyoko visited a sperm bank and was impregnated. She tried to poison Asuka against her ex-husband's daughter, referring to her as "that girl," but after the contact experiment this dissociation was transferred to Asuka's doll. At one point, Kyoko tried to strangle Asuka. |
||
{{-}} |
{{-}} |
||
Revision as of 03:27, 29 July 2007
This is a list of characters in the Japanese anime Neon Genesis Evangelion and the movies Evangelion: Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion. The characters were designed by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.
Characters' Age and Birthyear
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2007) |
Most of Evangelion 's characters' ages were plotted before broadcasting the TV series, but their birthdays were not settled. After the TV series finished, GAINAX released birthdays which were similar to those of each character's seiyuu, except Rei Ayanami, Toji Suzuhara, Kensuke Aida and Kaworu Nagisa. This time, the characters' birthyears were still not revealed. Adult characters' birthyears were simply calculated from their age, but there was an additional aspect in determining the children's ones.
According to the Japanese educational system, in 2015 second graders of junior high school (eighth graders) are basically made up of children who were born from April 2, 2001 to April 1, 2002. Children's birthyears were set in proportion to this rule. However these birthyears did not change the children's ages of 14 in year 2015. This is the reason why Asuka Langley Soryu and Toji Suzuhara were born in December 2001 and Hikari Horaki was born in February 2002 although all children except Kaworu are 14 in 2015.
Children
In the original Japanese, the Eva pilots were always referred to as "Children," even when referring to an individual pilot; the entries below use this designation. The English translation referred to the individual pilots as First Child, etc.
First Child (Children) Rei Ayanami
Age: 14
Sex: Female
Birthday: unknown
Relations:
- Other cloned vessels of Rei ("spare parts")
Guardian: Gendo Ikari
Source of genetic material: Yui Ikari and Lilith, the Second Angel.
Japanese seiyū: Megumi Hayashibara
English voice actor: Amanda Winn-Lee
Rei Ayanami (綾波 レイ Ayanami Rei) is the First Children, and the pilot of Unit 00. At the start of the series, she is shown to be socially withdrawn, emotionless, and remote, with her only apparent relationship being with Gendo Ikari. As the series progresses, she and Shinji grow closer; Asuka, however, has little to do with her, insulting her by calling her a "doll" or "puppet." Rei and Asuka are in many ways polar opposites, and their contrasts factor heavily into their respective relationships with Shinji. It is eventually revealed that Rei is a vessel for the soul of the Angel Lilith, and was created specifically by Gendo to be used as a tool for accomplishing Instrumentality. Soulless clones of her are kept hidden in the deepest levels of NERV headquarters to be used as the supposed "cores" of the Dummy Plugs.
In The End of Evangelion, Rei usurps control of Instrumentality from Gendo by absorbing Adam into herself and mergeing with Lilith on her own, becoming a god-like being.
Second Child (Children) Asuka Langley Soryu
Age: 14
Sex: Female
Birthday: December 4, 2001
Relations:
- Mother: Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu
Father: "Papa"
Step-mother: "Mama"
Guardian: Misato Katsuragi
Former guardian: Ryoji Kaji
Japanese seiyu: Yuko Miyamura
English voice actor: Tiffany Grant
Asuka Langley Soryu (惣流・アスカ・ラングレー Sōryū Asuka Rangurē) is the Second Children and the pilot of Unit 02. She is of mixed German and Japanese descent, but her nationality is American. Asuka is brash, egotistical, and often verbally abusive (especially to Shinji), and has a very high opinion of her appearance and her considerable skill as an Eva pilot. She also has a fierce desire for independence. Her attitude, however, is a front masking deep-seated insecurities stemming from her traumatic childhood (see entry for Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu below). Asuka is openly infatuated with Ryoji Kaji, but is also attracted to Shinji; however, she cannot properly express her affections. She also deeply dislikes Rei, seeing her as a cold, emotionless doll.
Over the course of the series, Asuka's effectiveness as a pilot dwindles, culminating in a decisive defeat by the Angel Arael. She becomes depressed and ultimately comatose, and is tended in NERV's infirmary until The End of Evangelion. In The End of Evangelion, Asuka is saved from being assassinated and engages and defeats both the JSSDF forces attacking NERV headquarters and the Mass-Produced Evas. However, the MP Evas return to life and destroy Unit 02, ostensibly killing Asuka. At the end of the film, she and Shinji are the last humans on the planet still in physical form.
Third Child (Children) Shinji Ikari
Age: 14
Sex: Male
Birthday: June 6, 2001
Relations:
- Father: Gendo Ikari
Mother: Yui Ikari
Guardian: Misato Katsuragi
Japanese seiyu: Megumi Ogata
English voice actor: Spike Spencer
Shinji Ikari (碇 シンジ Ikari Shinji) is the Third Children and the pilot of Unit 01. He is the son of Gendo and the late Yui Ikari. Abandoned by his father when he was a toddler, Shinji has grown up to be reclusive and withdrawn, choosing to often run away from difficult situations. Over time and with encouragement from Misato, he learns to be less cowardly, more outspoken, and more confident, but his progress is undone near the end of the series. He becomes friends with Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida, something more than friends but not quite anything else with Rei, and enters into a confused love-hate relationship with Asuka. The vicious cycle of his and Asuka's relationship becomes the focal point of Shinji's emotional turmoil, coming to a head near the end of the series and in The End of Evangelion. He struggles to make his father more involved in his life, but gives up hope of reconciliation after the battle against the Angel Bardiel (see Toji's section for details).
In The End of Evangelion, Shinji is saved from assassination by Misato, and is able to leave the GeoFront in Unit 01, only to be forced to become part of Instrumentality by the MP Evas. The merged Rei/Lilith being gives Shinji control of Instrumentality, and Shinji opts to live as a separate human being. At the end of the movie, he and Asuka are the last humans with physical form.
Fourth Child (Children) Toji Suzuhara
Age: 14
Sex: Male
Birthday: December 26, 2001
Relations: Sister (unnamed)
Japanese seiyu: Tomokazu Seki
English voice actor:
Toji Suzuhara (鈴原 トウジ Suzuhara Tōji) is the Fourth Children. Toji is a tough boy, the stereotypical "jock," and is in constant conflict with Asuka. His younger sister was injured in the battle between the third Angel, Sachiel, and Unit 01, and he beats Shinji up soon after for being indirectly responsible. However, after witnessing firsthand the suffering Shinji experiences piloting Unit 01 in the battle against Shamshel, Toji comes to respect Shinji and the two eventually become friends.
Toji's Eva, Unit 03, is taken over by the thirteenth Angel, Bardiel, and is eventually destroyed by Unit 01, which was under the control of the Dummy Plug system. He is severely injured when his Entry Plug is crushed; in the manga, he is killed.
Toji is named after one of the main characters in the novel The Fascism of Love and Fantasy (Ai to Gensou no Fascism) by Ryu Murakami.
Fifth Child (Children) Kaworu Nagisa
Age: 15
Sex: Male
Birthday: September 13, 2000
Relations: None
Japanese seiyu: Ishida Akira
English voice actor:
- Kyle Sturdivant (series)
Aaron Krohn (movies)
Greg Ayres ("Director's Cut" episodes)
Kaworu Nagisa (渚 カヲル Nagisa Kaworu) is the Fifth Children, and the seventeenth Angel, Tabris. He is sent to NERV by SEELE as a replacement pilot for Unit 02 after Asuka's synchronization ratio falls below viability; however, his true purpose is to hasten the Human Instrumentality Project's implementation. He verbally expresses love toward Shinji, though the show's creator denied allegations that Kaworu was homosexual. He breaks into Terminal Dogma to return to Adam and initiate the Third Impact, but upon discovering that the being there is actually Lilith, he implores Shinji to destroy him. After his death in Episode 24, Kaworu is not seen again until The End of Evangelion, where he appears in the beginning and middle of Third Impact.
NERV Staff
Commander Gendo Ikari
Age: 48
Sex: Male
Birthday: April 29, 1967
Relations:
- Son: Shinji Ikari
Wife: Yui Ikari
Guardian of: Rei Ayanami
Japanese seiyu: Fumihiko Tachiki
English voice actor:
- Tristan MacAvery (series and movies)
John Swasey ("Director's Cut" episodes)
Gendo Ikari (碇 ゲンドウ Ikari Gendō) is the commander of NERV. He is responsible for the research done on the Evas, Rei Ayanami, and the Human Instrumentality Project. He is the father of the Third Children, Shinji Ikari, and the guardian of Rei. His original surname was Rokubungi, but he changed it to Ikari following his marriage to Yui. At the start of the series, he is the only person having an effective connection to Rei. As the series progresses, his unscrupulous past is revealed, as is the intensity with which he loved Yui. He also bears a resemblance to director Hideaki Anno.[citation needed]
Deputy Commander Kōzō Fuyutsuki
Age: 60
Sex: Male
Birthday: April 9, 1955
Relations: Unknown
Japanese seiyu: Motomu Kiyokawa
English voice actor:
- Guil Lunde (series)
Michael Ross (movies)
Kōzō Fuyutsuki (冬月 コウゾウ Fuyutsuki Kōzō) is NERV's Deputy Commander and Gendo Ikari's right hand man. Despite his professional bearing and seeming ease of command, he has no military training. He does not especially like Gendo, but he is the closest thing to a confidant that Gendo has in the series. In many episodes, Fuyutsuki may be seen as a sort of external conscience for Gendo; despite his somewhat gruff nature, Fuyutsuki is genuinely concerned for those under his command, but with the knowledge of SEELE's true goals for Instrumentality, he must balance his compassion with Ikari's ruthlessness in pursuing both SEELE's agenda and Ikari's own hidden goal of re-uniting with Yui. Ikari's dependence upon Fuyutsuki is shown by the many times that Fuyutski takes the initiative for action without waiting for direction from Ikari.
In the director's cut of episode 21, it is revealed that he has had some sort of training as a physician, though he has either lost or never acquired a license to practice medicine. There is no indication given during the series of any romantic relationships or of any dependents. In flashbacks, a few of his students and the superior professor at his institute suggest that he be more sociable.
Once a professor of meta-biology at Kyoto University, Fuyutsuki became interested in the research and theories undertaken by Yui Ikari, and became her sponsor and mentor. Shortly thereafter, he was directed by his superiors to initiate a similar arrangement with Gendo Rokobungi. He bailed Rokobungi out of jail, and took him on as a research assistant, although he took an instant disliking to Gendo (thinking of him as a "real bastard" in the Director's Cut) and was stunned when Yui later announced that she and Gendo were getting married. Later, after the Second Impact, Fuyutsuki traveled with Gendo to Antarctica and began to suspect that Gendo and his associates in SEELE were more powerful and dangerous than he originally realized. During this voyage, Gendo revealed that he had taken the name of Ikari. The seeds of doubt planted during that voyage led to Fuyutsuki's discovery in 2003 of the true nature of the events leading up to Second Impact and SEELE's involvement in initiating that catastrophe. After Fuyutsuki threatened to expose the massive deception concerning Second Impact to the public, Gendo led him into the GeoFront and Central Dogma and revealed to him an incomplete prototype Eva. At that point, Ikari asked Fuyutsuki to join him and "create a new future for humankind, together with me." Fuyutsuki accepted this, and started to help Gendo. Whether this agreement was entirely out of idealism or more from self-preservation is not made clear in the series. In The End of Evangelion it is mentioned that SEELE had threatened Fuyutsuki with being 'disappeared'; the implication is that this recruitment may have been a Hobson's choice.
Although Fuyutsuki was never more than a mentor and friend to Yui, it is strongly implied that he was in love with her to some degree, as he was shocked to learn that she was marrying Gendo. In The End of Evangelion Lilith/Rei takes the form of Yui to achieve Fuyutsuki's Instrumentality.
Captain / Major Misato Katsuragi
Age: 29
Sex: Female
Birthday: December 8, 1986
Relations:
- Father: Dr. Katsuragi
Guardian of: Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Soryu
Owner of: Pen Pen
Japanese seiyu: Kotono Mitsuishi
English voice actor: Allison Keith
Misato Katsuragi (葛城 ミサト Katsuragi Misato) is the chief operations officer at NERV, initially holding the rank of Captain (with a later promotion to Major). She is the field commander for the Eva pilots, issuing orders and giving battle strategies. She also acts as Shinji and Asuka's guardian, letting them live in her apartment rather than have them live alone. While she is professional and diligent in her duties, she is a slob and a drunkard while off-duty. She is the only survivor of the Katsuragi Expedition, the scientific study led by her father which triggered the Second Impact; the cross pendant she wears was given to her by her father just before his death. She and Ryoji Kaji were lovers during college, and slowly rekindle their romance over the course of the series. She was also friends with Ritsuko Akagi in college, but their relationship unravels as she learns more about the ultimate goals of NERV and SEELE.
In The End of Evangelion, Misato saves Shinji from JSSDF soldiers and is able to get him to Unit 01 to escape the GeoFront, but is mortally wounded in the effort.
Head Scientist Ritsuko Akagi
Age: 30
Sex: Female
Birthday: November 21, 1985
Relations: Mother: Naoko Akagi
Japanese seiyu: Yuriko Yamaguchi
English voice actor: Sue Ulu
Ritsuko Akagi (赤木 リツコ Akagi Ritsuko) is NERV's head scientist and, along with Gendo and Fuyutsuki, is the only person at NERV fully aware of the Evas' true nature and the purpose of the Instrumentality Project. She is a workaholic and heavy smoker, and has been friends with both Misato and Kaji since college. It is revealed in the later episodes that Ritsuko was romantically involved with Gendo. She feels betrayed by Gendo when she realizes that he was using her, mirroring her mother's tragic fate. As revenge, she destroys the Dummy Plug system. She is shot dead in The End of Evangelion, when she tries and fails to activate NERV's self-destruct mechanism to stop Gendo from initiating Third Impact.
NERV Special Inspector Ryoji Kaji
Age: 30
Sex: Male
Birthday: June 17, 1985
Relations: Unknown
Japanese seiyu: Kōichi Yamadera
English voice actor: Aaron Krohn
Kaji appears to be a triple agent, working as a special inspector for NERV while secretly investigating NERV for the Japanese government, and at times seemingly acting as a cat's-paw both for and against Gendo Ikari and SEELE. During college, he and Misato were lovers, but after having long broken up, they see each other again on the UN fleet ferrying Unit 02 and Asuka to Japan. After he returns to NERV headquarters, Kaji and Misato rekindle their romance following a period of teasing and insults, when Misato confesses that she broke up with him because she realized that he reminded her of her father. He is eventually shot and killed by an unnamed assailant after defying SEELE one time too many, but not before giving Misato information regarding the truth of the Instrumentality Project.
First Lieutenant Makoto Hyuga
Age: Unspecified (about 24)
Sex: Male
Birthday: February 13
Relations: Unknown
Japanese seiyu: Hiro Yuuki
English voice actor:
- Matt Greenfield (series)
Keith Burgess (movies)
Makoto Hyuga (日向 マコト Hyūga Makoto) is a First Lieutenant at NERV and one of the three main computer technicians directly serving under Commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki in the command post of Central Dogma, the others being Aoba and Ibuki. Hyuga at first gives the impression of being something of a nerd, reading manga while on his break time, but is a highly skilled technician. His quick thinking and bravery help save NERV headquarters from the attack by Matarael, and he acts as a spy for Misato, helping her obtain information regarding NERV's machinations. He also arms NERV's self-destruct mechanism at Misato's order during Kaworu's attempt to breach Terminal Dogma. Hyuga states that he couldn't think of a better way of ending his life than being beside Misato. The true extent of his affection towards Misato is shown in The End of Evangelion as Rei/Lilith approaches him during Instrumentality in the form of Misato. Most of the time, Hyuga just seems to have an innocent crush on Misato, which she seems to be aware of but isn't offended by, though it would seem that he is respectful of her relationship with Kaji and does not interfere.
First Lieutenant Maya Ibuki
Age: 24
Sex: Female
Birthday: July 11, 1991
Relations: Unknown
Japanese seiyu: Miki Nagasawa
English voice actor:
- Kendra Benham (series)
Amy Seeley (movies)
Monica Rial ("Director's Cut" episodes)
Maya Ibuki (伊吹 マヤ Ibuki Maya) is a First Lieutenant at NERV and a computer technician who works primarily with Ritsuko Akagi. Her main role during the battles against the Angels is to constantly monitor the Eva pilots’ synchronization ratios and send various emergency commands to the Evas as ordered by Misato or Gendo. In spite of her profession, Maya despises violence of any sort, and is frequently shown becoming nauseous and averting her eyes during battles with the Angels, especially after Unit 01's battles with Bardiel and Zeruel. Notably, in The End of Evangelion, Maya is the only NERV officer who is shown refusing to fight back against the JSSDF invaders. She rejects the gun Aoba hands her to defend herself, saying, "I can't shoot this thing", not because she is unskilled, but because she has never shot it at a human being. Throughout much of the second half of The End of Evangelion Maya is hiding under her desk with her face buried in a pink pillow.
Maya holds Ritsuko in very high regard, and always refers to her as "senpai." In The End of Evangelion, Rei/Lilith penetrates Maya's AT field by assuming the form of Ritsuko and typing "I need you" on Maya's laptop. Maya exclaims "Senpai!", eagerly embraces "Ritsuko," and immediately reduces into LCL. This has led fans to debate whether or not Maya's feelings for Ritsuko have romantic or sexual undertones, in the same manner as the debate over the relationship between Shinji and Kaworu.
First Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba
Age: Unspecified (about 24)
Sex: Male
Birthday: May 5
Relations: Unknown
Japanese seiyu: Takehito Koyasu
English voice actor:
- Jason C. Lee (series and movies)
Vic Mignogna ("Director's Cut" episodes)
Shigeru Aoba (青葉 シゲル Aoba Shigeru) is a First Lieutenant at NERV and a computer technician. At times a stereotypical metalhead, he is a cynical nihilist and plays guitar (he can also sometimes be seen playing air guitar). Of the three technicians seen regularly in Central Dogma, his character is explored the least in the series.
In The End of Evangelion, during Instrumentality, Rei/Lilith appears to him not as any loved one but rather as a bombardment of Reis which forces their way through his AT Field while he cowers in horror under his desk.
GEHIRN Staff
Naoko Akagi
Age: Unspecified
Sex: Female
Birthday: Unknown
Relations: Daughter: Ritsuko Akagi
Japanese seiyu: Mika Doi
English voice actor: Laura Chapman
Naoko Akagi (赤木 ナオコ Akagi Naoko) was Ritsuko's mother. She was the creator of the MAGI system and the former GEHIRN head technician. Naoko was involved in a romantic relationship with the recently-widowed Gendo Ikari while working at GEHIRN. However, after Rei I called her an "old hag" and said that Gendo himself called Naoko that frequently, she realized that he had merely been using her affections to ensure her performance for him. In a fit of rage, Naoko strangled Rei to death and then either committed suicide or was murdered by an unknown assailant. Soon afterward, GEHIRN was disbanded and the organization NERV was formed in its place.
In vol. 10 of the manga, Naoko is shown to commit suicide after killing Rei I. Ritsuko witnesses both Rei's murder and Naoko's suicide.
Yui Ikari
Age: 27 (at the time of her disappearance)
Sex: Female
Birthday: 1977 (day/month unknown)
Relations:
- Son: Shinji Ikari
Husband: Gendo Ikari
Genetic: Rei Ayanami (possibly)
Associated Eva: Unit 01
Japanese seiyu: Megumi Hayashibara
English voice actor:
- Kim Sevier (series)
Amanda Winn-Lee (movies)
Yui Ikari (碇 ユイ Ikari Yui) was a student of genetic engineering at Kyoto University, where she met her future husband Gendo and her mentor and trusted friend Kozo Fuyutsuki. Afterwards, she joined the UN Artificial Evolution Laboratory (the future GEHIRN) in Hakone, Japan, and played an integral role in Project E. She served as the test subject for the Contact Experiment of Unit 01 in 2004, but "disappeared" during testing. Proclaimed to be dead, she lives on as the resident soul inside Unit 01.
Despite her absence from the main story, she is one of the most integral characters in Evangelion. Gendo's entire motivation for going through with SEELE's Instrumentality Project is his longing to be with her again. Shinji is equally affected by his mother. Her absence and Gendo's subsequent abandonment of Shinji is the reason behind his anti-social, non-confrontational nature. At the same time, her maternal protectiveness of Shinji as the soul of his Eva is solely responsible for Unit 01's being the formidable fighter it is.
Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu
Age: 31
Sex: Female
Birthday: 1974 (day/month unknown)
Relations:
- Daughter: Asuka Langley Soryu
Husband: "Papa"
Associated Eva: Unit 02
Japanese seiyu: Maria Kawamura
English voice actor: Kimberly Yates
Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu (惣流・キョウコ・ツェッペリン Sōryū Kyōko Tsepperin), Asuka's mother, was a key scientist in the German division of GEHIRN (what would later become NERV's Third Branch) and the development of Unit 02, the first Production Type (the second and third of which were later produced by the two American branches of NERV). After participating in Unit 02's contact experiment, she became mentally unstable, believing that one of Asuka's dolls was her daughter rather than Asuka, who she referred to as "that girl over there." She was admitted to a mental institution shortly after the experiment. Her husband entered an affair with Kyoko's own doctor, which eventually prompted Kyoko's suicide in 2005; by the time of Kyoko's funeral, the doctor had already become Asuka's stepmother.
The TV series gives no direct indication of how Kyoko was able to survive the contact experiment with Unit 02. However, the PS2 game Neon Genesis Evangelion 2 revealed that only the maternal aspect of her soul was absorbed into Unit 02, explaining why she survived but was no longer able to recognize Asuka as her daughter. Also, in The End of Evangelion, Asuka connects with Unit 02 and recognizes the presence in the Eva as her mother.
In the manga, Kyoko and her husband divorced after they were unable to conceive a child and he had an affair. He re-married and had a daughter, while Kyoko visited a sperm bank and was impregnated. She tried to poison Asuka against her ex-husband's daughter, referring to her as "that girl," but after the contact experiment this dissociation was transferred to Asuka's doll. At one point, Kyoko tried to strangle Asuka.
Other characters
SEELE Leader Keel Lorenz
Age: Unspecified
Sex: Male
Birthday: Unknown
Relations: Unknown
Japanese seiyu: Mugihito
English voice actor:
- Richard Peeples (series)
Tom Booker (movies)
In both the series and the manga, Keel Lorenz (キール・ローレンツ, Kīru Rōrentsu) is the leader of SEELE, represented as SEELE 01 in the monoliths. Among his most defining characteristics are his ancient appearance and the futuristic visor that he wears throughout the series. Little is revealed about him in the series, but he is believed to hold great political power in the UN. He is revealed to be a cyborg when he reduces into LCL during The End of Evangelion. Little else is known about him.
Some fans believe him to be the character from the anti-Semitic legend of The Wandering Jew, but there is no evidence in the series or from any other source to support this claim. News clippings with Lorenz's picture dating 20 years prior to the story show him visibly younger.
The inspiration for his name originates from Konrad Lorenz, a zoologist known especially for his research on animal psychology who also, notably, was once affiliated with the Nazi party.[citation needed]
In the manga, his name is given as Lorenz Kiel.
Kensuke Aida
Age: 14
Sex: Male
Birthday: September 12, 2001
Relations: Father (unnamed) (works for NERV, unknown division)
Japanese seiyu: Tetsuya Iwanaga
English voice actor: Kurt Stoll
Kensuke Aida (相田 ケンスケ Aida Kensuke) is an otaku, a military buff, Toji's best friend, and one of the "Other Children," Eva pilot candidates in the same class as Shinji, Toji, Rei, Asuka, and Hikari. His hobbies include camping in the mountains surrounding Tokyo-3 and playing at simulated war reenacting - by himself. Kensuke solidifies his friendship with Shinji after Shinji saves him and Toji during the fight against the fourth Angel, Shamshel. Kensuke dreams of becoming an Eva pilot and ceaselessly begs Shinji to pull strings in NERV so he can be selected as a pilot, despite Shinji telling him that he has no say in the matter. He also seems oblivious to the intense physical and psychological duress endured by Eva pilots. Nevertheless, Kensuke enjoys the privileges of being the friend of an Eva pilot; he and Toji accompany Shinji on the excursion to the UN combined naval fleet during the transportation of Unit 02. Like presumably every one of Shinji's classmates, Kensuke's mother is deceased. Like Toji, Kensuke has a crush on Misato Katsuragi. He is rarely seen without his camcorder at hand.
Kensuke is named after a main character in the novel The Fascism of Love and Fantasies (Ai to Gensou no Fascism) by Ryu Murakami. He is also similar in appearance to the character Jean, from Hideaki Anno's earlier anime Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water[1].
![[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Nadia-Jean001.png){kind=link}
Hikari Horaki
Age: 13
Sex: Female
Birthday: February 18, 2002
Relations: Sisters: Kodama, Nozomi
Japanese seiyu: Junko Iwao
English voice actor: Carol Amerson
Hikari Horaki (洞木 ヒカリ Horaki Hikari) is the class representative of the class that Shinji and the other Eva pilots attend. Like all of her classmates, she is an unknowing Eva pilot candidate. She has a by-the-book demeanor and takes her responsibilities as "class rep" seriously. Although she frequently bickers with Toji, she reveals to Asuka that she has an enormous crush on Toji but is unable to openly express her feelings to him. She also appears to be Asuka's only friend. After the battle with Arael, Asuka seeks out Hikari and stays with her for an unspecified time. During a late evening she reveals her inner insecurities to Hikari, a testament to their friendship; however, Hikari appears saddened by the hateful words Asuka uses.
Hikari is an accomplished cook who appears to take care of her two sisters. Like presumably every one of Shinji's classmates, Hikari's mother is deceased. No references are made as to whether her father is either.
Like Kensuke, Hikari is named after a character in the novel The Fascism of Love and Fantasies (Ai to Gensou no Fascism) by Ryu Murakami. Her name, and that of her unseen younger sister, Nozomi, and elder sister, Kodama, is also in reference to the names of the trains of the Tokaido Shinkansen line.
Pen Pen
Age: Unspecified
Sex: Male
Birthday: Unknown
Relations: Owner: Misato Katsuragi
Japanese seiyu: Megumi Hayashibara
English voice actor:
- Amanda Winn-Lee (series and movies)
Mandy Clark ("Director's Cut" episodes)
Pen Pen, or Pen² (ペンペン Penpen) is a warm-water Erect-crested Penguin with a relatively high degree of intelligence. He lives in a custom refrigerator in Misato's apartment, enjoys taking warm baths, eating whatever food he can get his hands (or wings) on, and going to hot springs. It is implied that the genetic experiments that were performed on him drastically increased his intelligence, as he is also shown watching TV and reading newspapers. Pen Pen is the series' mascot and key source of comic relief.
According to the manga, he is the result of a genetics experiment at Misato's former workplace, and she adopted him after the experiment's conclusion rather than let him be euthanised.
Incidental Characters
- Asuka's "Papa"
- (Seiyu: Toshihiko Seki) Asuka's father, lost custody during the divorce, regained custody after Kyoko's suicide.
- Asuka's "Mama"
- (Seiyu: Masako Katsuki) Married Asuka's father after the divorce, raised Asuka after Kyoko's suicide.
- "Doll" Asuka
- A doll that Kyoko, Asuka's mother, treated as the real Asuka when she went insane. When Kyoko committed suicide, she also "killed" the doll.
- Shiro Tokita
- (Seiyu: Hōchū Ōtsuka) Team leader for the Jet Alone project.
- Other SEELE Council members
- In addition to Lorenz, the SEELE Council has membership from the USA, UK, France and Russia.
Non-canonical characters
Mana Kirishima
Age: 14
Sex: Female
Birthday: April 11, 2001
Relations: Unknown
Japanese seiyu: Megumi Hayashibara
Mana Kirishima (霧島 マナ Kirishima Mana) is the main focus of Girlfriend of Steel (鋼鉄のガールフレンド Kōtetsu no Gārufurendo), a game that is like an episode of the series. She appears as a transfer student at the Children's school, and becomes the focus of Shinji's interest and Asuka's jealous ire. She is the pilot of another man-made replacement for the Evas, the Trident, whose combat skills are actually on par with the Evangelions', to whom they bear a resemblance in design. She also appears in Shinji Ikari Raising Project (碇シンジ育成計画 Ikari Shinji Ikusei Keikaku). Like many Evangelion characters, Mana's family name, Kirishima, is taken from a World War II battleship.
A shy female character, Mana Kirishima, starts at Shinji Ikari's school and immediately admits to finding him cute. Gradually, a relationship unfolds and they end up going on a date where they kiss. It turns out, however, that she is one of three test pilots of TRIDENT, a new competitor to the Evangelions, similar to Jet Alone (thus the name "Girlfriend of Steel"). Eventually, the other robot goes berserk and the Evas have to destroy it. Throughout the game, Asuka is constantly jealous of Shinji and Mana's relationship, consistent with her widely-speculated romantic feelings for Shinji. Rei is present but plays a rather background role in the story.
The interactivity in most of the game is limited to walking around areas until the next plot event is triggered. However, the one true branch occurs at the end of the game, where the player may choose to focus on Mana, Asuka or Kaji. This choice determines which of the game's three endings are shown. In the Mana ending, Mana is discovered not to have been killed in the battle. Shinji rescues her and brings her back to his apartment. She showers, emerges wearing only a towel, and teasingly asks Shinji if he'd like her to remove it (this is similar to a scene involving Shinji and Asuka in Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's Evangelion manga, in which Asuka actually does remove the towel - revealing that she has on a sleeveless, strapless top and short shorts underneath). In discussion with Misato, however, it is agreed that Mana has to leave Tokyo-3, and she says a tearful goodbye to Shinji.
As noted above, the seiyu for Mana is also the seiyu for Rei (as well as Yui Ikari and Pen Pen). Her lively personality is comparable to the change to Rei's personality in Girlfriend of Steel 2. Also, the idea of Shinji having a "girlfriend" was addressed in the Evangelion manga, where both Shinji and Rei realised that they cared deeply for each other. Tragically, they never expressed this "love" to each other, for Rei detonated Unit 00 in the fight with Armisael (book 10).
Mana can be said to be a melding of Rei and Asuka, as her personality is a blend of Rei's quietness and Asuka's energetic personality. Also, she has red hair, like Asuka, but resembles Rei (short hair, slim build).
Other characters from Girlfriend of Steel
- Musashi Lee Strasberg (ムサシ・リー・ストラスバーグ, Musashi Rī Sutorasubāgu) (Seiyu: Hiro Yuki)
- A test pilot for the Trident alongside Mana Kirishima.
- Keita Asari (浅利 ケイタ, Asari Keita) (Seiyu: Tetsuya Iwanaga)
- A test pilot for the Trident alongside Mana Kirishima.
Mayumi Yamagishi
Sex: Female
Japanese seiyu: Megumi Hayashibara
Mayumi Yamagishi (山岸 マユミ, Yamagishi Mayumi) is the new character introduced in Evangelion 2nd Impression, a Sega Saturn game. In the game, Mayumi is a bespectacled bookworm who somehow has the core of an Angel inside her body. She joins Shinji's class and befriends him, and like many of the Evangelion cast, has a dark history. Her mother apparently committed suicide while Mayumi was a girl (much like Asuka's mother), and toward the end of the game, Mayumi tries to commit suicide when the Angel she's connected with attacks Tokyo-3. Depending on the choices you make in the game, Shinji saves her, and some notable moments from the game include seeing Mayumi sing a karaoke song and running into Shinji in the library.
Miscellaneous NERV technicians
In Shinji Ikari Raising Project, three NERV technicians are named, who may have previously been shown unnamed:
- Kaede Agano (阿賀野 カエデ, Agano Kaede) Seiyu: Ai Shimizu
- Satsuki Ooi (大井 サツキ, Ōi Satsuki) Seiyu: Maria Yamamoto
- Aoi Mogami (最上 アオイ, Mogami Aoi) Seiyu: Yui Horie
Trivia
The Director Hideaki Anno was influenced by Ryu Murakami's war novel Fascism in Love and Fantasy (愛と幻想のファシズム), and many names including Aida and Suzuhara come from this story, which was based on Kanji Ishiwara, a Lieutenant General in Imperial Japan.
Many of the surnames of the characters in Evangelion are named after Japanese warships in World War II.
| Character | Ship class and name | Ship fate |
|---|---|---|
| First Children Rei Ayanami | Fubuki class destroyer Ayanami | Sunk after the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal by the USS Washington on November 15, 1942. |
| Second Children Asuka Langley Soryu | Langley class aircraft carrier USS Langley Sōryū class aircraft carrier Sōryū |
USS Langley wrecked by a Japanese air attack on February 27, 1942, and scuttled by her own escorts. Sōryū sunk at the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942, by dive bombers from the USS Enterprise. |
| Deputy Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki | Akizuki class destroyer Fuyuzuki | Badly damaged, then scrapped and used as a breakwater in 1948. |
| Captain/Major Misato Katsuragi | Unryū class aircraft carrier Katsuragi | Captured, then scrapped in 1947. |
| Head Scientist Ritsuko Akagi | Akagi class aircraft carrier Akagi | Damaged by US air attack at the Battle of Midway and scuttled on June 4, 1942. |
| First Lieutenant Maya Ibuki | Ibuki class aircraft carrier Ibuki Takao class heavy cruiser Maya |
Ibuki was not completed, then scrapped in 1947. Maya was sunk at Battle of Leyte Gulf on October 23, 1944 |
| First Lieutenant Makoto Hyuga | Ise class battleship Hyūga | Sunk in the port of Kure by US planes on July 28, 1945. |
| First Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba | Aoba class heavy cruiser Aoba | Sunk in the port of Kure by US planes on July 28, 1945. |
Characters named after parts of ships
| Character | Part of ship |
|---|---|
| Third Children Shinji Ikari Head Commander Gendo Ikari Yui Ikari |
Ikari (いかり) Anchor |
| GEHIRN Staff Gendo Rokubungi | Rokubungi (ろくぶんぎ) Sextant |
| NERV Special Inspector Ryoji Kaji | Kaji (かじ) Rudder, Helm |
| SEELE Leader Keel Lorenz | Keel |
References
- Template:Ja icon Hideaki Anno's Official Site: Essay Page an essay written by Hideaki Anno explaining Evangelion's character's etymologies.
- Evangelion FAQ V0.5.12.2 (see section 3.4).
- Evangelion Facts (Useless, Tasteless, & Completely Random).
- Evangelion: Death & Rebirth Theatrical Program (Characters).
- NGE2 Classified Information translations of information presented in the NGE2 game for PSP