Characters in Neon Genesis Evangelion
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This is an index of characters in the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Eva Pilots
The Eva pilots have the title of "The nth Children", where n relates to the order of their discovery in ascending order. Although grammatically incorrect when used in the singular, it is stated to be intentional and correct by Gainax. ADV Films' dubbings of the series and Manga Entertainment's dubbing of the movies, however, translates this as "The nth Child" for lingually aesthetic reasons. The former of the two variants will be used, here.
First Child Rei Ayanami
| Age | 14 (see note 1) |
| Birthday | March 30, 2001 |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Genetic clone of: Yui Ikari Sisters: other Reis (NERV Plug System) Guardian: Gendou Ikari |
| Japanese seiyū | Megumi Hayashibara |
| English Voice actor | Amanda Winn Lee |
Rei Ayanami (綾波レイ Ayanami Rei) is the First Children and pilot of Eva Unit 00. She is socially withdrawn and hardly interacts with anyone, except for Commander Ikari, whom she (Rei II) cherishes. Rei's cool and apparently emotionless personality -- if it can be called that -- garnered the scorn of her schoolmates; indeed, Asuka regards her a "doll." Although she once only communed with Gendou, she and Shinji break the ice after the battle against Ramiel, and as they grow progressively closer, Rei realizes she loves Shinji as much as she does the Commander; but it takes a mortal twist of fate before Rei's admiration for Gendou begins to erode. Technically speaking, Rei is not Gendou's biological daughter, although if Shinji had been a girl Gendou would have named her Rei.
Rei is in fact an artificial creation, one among dozens of genetically identical Rei bodies, which are considered "spare parts"; if one Rei dies, her soul can be transferred to one of her "spare" bodies. Her relationships with people are not forgotten, but it seems that every time she "dies," she loses some of her memories. Only three Rei bodies have actually been used. Rei I, the very first, was apparently created in 2005 and kept hidden in the artificial Evolution Laboratory's Third Annex until 2010, when she was murdered by Naoko Akagi at the age of four or five. Rei II did not seem to appear until sometime in 2014, when she is transferred to Tokyo-3's Class 2-A of Tokyo-3; she later sacrifices herself and EVA-00 to destroy Armisael, the 16th Angel. Rei III, upon encountering Kaworu Nagisa, quickly realizes the truth about herself, which leads to her rejection and betrayal of Gendou and her ascension into Lilith, at which point Rei's existence becomes one with the Source of Life.
An important point about Rei is that she is not strictly human in the traditional sense. Profuse evidence implies that her soul is that of Lilith, the source of non-Angelic Terran life. It is possible that she was created purposely by Gendou after the attempts to recover Yui failed, and he had resorted to planning his own scenario for Instrumentality as the sole means to be with her again. Putting the soul of Lilith into a more easily controlled and influenced vessel -- a human child -- was apparently his planned means of controlling the Instrumentality process and so achieve his own ends. Rei is said to be a clone of Yui, although the pigmentation differences are another source of debate, leading some to suggest that she is "part Lilith." Regardless of whether or not Rei is some kind of hybrid creation, her body seems to be made of the same matter as Lilith's own.
As a pilot, Rei's synchronization ratios are generally average, and not nearly as high as Asuka's or Shinji's. While both Shinji and Asuka synchronize with the souls of their mothers, Rei has no mother, thus the best that can be done is to have her synchronize with herself. Rei I, or some facsimile thereof, appears to be inside the core of EVA-00². During Rei's first synchronization test with the Eva, mental dissonance appeared to result from the contact between Rei and the previous incarnation of herself; the Eva went out of control, and Rei became "more mentally disturbed than expected." This problem, however, seemed to sort itself out. Some fans, however, have speculated that the soul within Rei's Eva is actually that of Naoko Akagi, Rei's would-be "step-mother," as would have been the case had Naoko not strangled Rei I. Evidence comes from EVA-00's attempts to attack Gendou Ikari when placed in berserk mode (see Naoko Akagi for information on her relationship with Gendou) and from the Unit's apparent dislike of its pilot, the girl it once killed.
Rei was named after Rei Hino from Sailor Moon in an unsuccessful attempt by Hideaki Anno to get Kunihiko Ikuhara, director of Sailor Moon, to join the project. It is also a pun, in that "rei" can mean "zero," and Rei is, of course, the pilot of EVA-00 (or Zerogouki). Before the name "Rei Ayanami" was decided upon, she was called Yui Ichijō, after Hikaru Ichijyo from Macross, which Anno worked on.
(1) The timing of Rei's creation indicates that subsequent Rei cannot be fourteen years of age; they were apparently aged artificially.
(2) One critical hint is that Shinji encounters a distorted version of Rei within the Eva during the mutual compatibility experiment, later identified as Rei I during the TV ending's "The Case of Rei Ayanami." Another is during Armisael's attack, when Rei is contacted psychically and considers that it might be "the me within the Eva."
Second Child Asuka Langley Sohryu
| Age | 14 |
| Birthday | December 4, 2001 |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Mother: Kyouko Zeppelin Sohryu Father: "Papa" Step-mother: "Mama" Guardian: Misato Katsuragi |
| Japanese seiyū | Yuko Miyamura |
| English Voice actor | Tiffany Grant |
Asuka Langley Sohryu (惣流・アスカ・ラングレー Sōryū Asuka Rangarī) is the Second Children and pilots Eva Unit 02. She is from Germany, but with an American father and a half-German, half-Japanese mother. Her mother was the head pilot of NERV Germany's Evangelion project. She went mentally insane after a test and honestly believed that Asuka's doll was, in fact, her daughter, to the point that she refused to even acknowledge the real Asuka. She hanged herself and the doll, and from that day, Asuka promised herself that she would never cry again. Asuka's father divorced Kyouko before she became unstable, and later remarried to a woman Asuka refers to as "Mama." Asuka feels no affection towards her.
Like the Japanese aircraft carrier Sohryu, her namesake, Asuka is proud, strong, and has a high opinion of herself, which could be characterized as a superiority complex. She is often violent and offensive of other people's space, especially Shinji's. Her feelings for him are violently suppressed by bossing him around and battering his ego. Asuka acts in this manner because she needs to feed her voracious yet unstable ego. This is also her way of shutting others out of her life, often using her blustering character as an offensive AT Field. Her personality could also be characterized as a kind of identity reinforcement -- she loudly boasts who she is in the hope that no one will ever forget or confuse her for something she's not, a mistake which would effectively warp her identity (as was the case with her mother). Her best friend is her classmate and class representative, Hikari Horaki. Asuka is an exceptional Evangelion pilot. Unlike Shinji, she is proud of being an Eva pilot. She has a strong synchronisation score, although never exceeding the Berserk climax like Shinji's EVA-01. She has a huge crush on Kaji.
Asuka suffers a mental breakdown after she is forced to relive the painful memories of her past by the fifteenth angel, Arael. She loses her will to live and is incapable of piloting EVA-02 again until End of Evangelion, in which she fights against the production model Evas.
Note: In artwork done by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Asuka is typically drawn with blonde hair, not red.
Third Child Shinji Ikari
| Age | 14 |
| Birthday | June 6, 2001 |
| Sex | Male |
| Relations | Father: Gendou Ikari Mother: Yui Ikari Guardian: Misato Katsuragi |
| Japanese seiyū | Megumi Ogata |
| English Voice actor | Spike Spencer |
Shinji Ikari (碇シンジ Ikari Shinji) is the Third Children, who pilots Evangelion Unit 01. He is the son of Gendou and Yui Ikari. Abandoned by his father, Gendou, when he was a toddler, Shinji is socially inept. Forced to be self reliant, he did not mingle with individuals of his age group. People always pitied him, scorning his father for abandoning him in order to focus on using Shinji's mother as an experiment for "Project E." As a result, Shinji is a reclusive character, who often runs away from difficult situations, using escape as a shield; in that way, he contrasts indefinitely from Asuka Sohryu. Yet, they are the same, because they are both trying to escape from those that surround them, effectively preserving their respective identities from outside forces. Shinji became involved in NERV's war against the Angels when he met Captain Misato Katsuragi, the commander of the Evangelion team. She led him unwittingly into joining the battle in Eva Unit One, which has enclosed in it his mother's soul. Thus, Shinji's relationship with his father became downright frigid over the coming months. Fortunately, Shinji manages to build a social life when he creates inseparable bonds with classmates Touji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida, and, if one can call it a friendship, with Asuka, as well. As an Eva pilot, Shinji is very reluctant, but he is given strength by his mother, whose soul is contained in EVA-01. As a result, the Eva reaches Berserk mode -- a state in which the Eva is activated without an apparent energy source -- helping him in his times of need. Shinji had once reached a 400% sync ratio with his Eva, and thus was basically absorbed within it, where he briefly met his mother. Shinji's estrangement from his father and his literally being inside Eva Unit 01, which contains his mother, demonstrates the Freudian Oedipus complex. His attraction to and (unintentional) contact with Rei, who is possibly a clone of Shinji's mother, further cements this psychological aspect of Shinji's character.
Note: Shinji Ikari was named for Gainax co-founder Shinji Higuchi.
Fourth Child Touji Suzuhara
| Age | 14 |
| Birthday | December 26, 2001 |
| Sex | Male |
| Relations | Sister: Unnamed |
| Japanese seiyū | Tomokazu Seki |
| English Voice actor | Brett Weaver (one of several) |
Touji Suzuhara (鈴原トウジ Suzuhara Tōji) is the Fourth Children. Touji's kid sister was injured in the battle between Sachiel and Unit 01, piloted by Shinji Ikari, so he is initially very hostile towards him, but they eventually become amicable. In the same day he becomes a pilot, his Evangelion, Unit 03, is taken over by Bardiel and is destroyed by Unit 01's Dummy Plug. He is severely injured when his Entry Plug is crushed (he dies in the manga). He only chose to pilot the Evangelion to get his sister better medical care in the NERV hospital.
Touji is named after one of the main characters in the novel The Fascism of Love and Fantasy (Ai to Gensou no Fascism) by Ryu Murakami.
Fifth Child Kaworu Nagisa
| Age | 15 |
| Birthday | September 13, 2000 |
| Sex | Male |
| Relations | Brothers: other Kaworus (SEELE Plug System) |
| Japanese seiyū | Akira Ishida |
| English Voice actor | Kyle Sturdivant (original dub)
Aaron Krohn (movies) Greg Ayres ("Director's Cut" episodes) |
Kaworu Nagisa (渚カヲル Nagisa Kaoru) is the Fifth Children, and the 17th Angel. He is sent to NERV by SEELE as a replacement pilot for Unit 02 after Asuka's Synchronization Ratio falls below usability. He acts very kindly, perhaps lovingly, towards Shinji. After he breaks into Terminal Dogma to return to Adam, but discovers the being there is actually Lilith, he permits Shinji to destroy him.
Kaworu is an extremely popular character among fans considering he was only in a single episode, and treated accordingly in later merchadise. His popularity probably relates to the shounen-ai undertones of his relationship with Shinji. This relationship produces much discussion (apologetic and otherwise) about Kaworu's "humanity" and instinct, or how Kaworu was likely Shinji's only experience with unbiased tenderness, and so forth. Later merchandise such as games, manga, and CD dramas touch on the undertones as a point of light humor.
Kaworu's name is the same as the character Kaoru in the Japanese classic The Tale of Genji, but Hideaki Anno has said he did not know this when he created the character. Gainax renders his name in Romaji as "Kaworu," not "Kaoru" as would be given by most romanization schemes. "Kaworu" can be clearly seen on display screens in the series and on the Dummy Plugs of the mass-production Evangelions in End of Evangelion.
NERV Staff
Head Commander Gendou Ikari
| Age | 48 |
| Birthday | April 29, 1967 |
| Sex | Male |
| Relations | Son: Shinji Ikari Wife: Yui Ikari Guardian of: Rei Ayanami |
| Japanese seiyū | Fumihiko Tachiki |
| English Voice actor | Tristan MacAvery |
Gendou Ikari (碇ゲンドウ Ikari Gendō) is head commander of NERV, and responsible for the research done on the Evas and the Human Complementation Project. He is the father of the Third Children, Shinji Ikari. His original surname was Rokubungi, but he changed it to Ikari following his marriage to Yui. At the start of the series, he is the only person having an effective connection to Rei Ayanami.
Although Gendou pretends to follow SEELE's Orders without question, he has his own agenda and tries to outmanipulate the committee. His final outspoken rebellion towards SEELE comes from his desire to initiate Third Impact under his complete control. He implants Adam's embryo in his hand (only shown on Evangelion Death and Rebirth, and the Director's Cut Edition) and tries to merge with Rei to achieve this purpose.
Gendou is a brilliant scientist and politician (the master of puppets in the series), but an extremely cold and distant father towards his son. His last lines in The End of Evangelion reveal his regret and the true motivations for his ruthless behavior.
Deputy Commander Kouzou Fuyutsuki
| Age | 58 |
| Birthday | April 9, 1957 |
| Sex | Male |
| Japanese seiyū | Motomu Kiyokawa |
| English Voice actor | Guil Lunde |
Once a professor of meta-biology at Kyoto University, Kouzou Fuyutsuki (冬月コウゾウ Fuyutsuki Kōzō) is now Deputy Commander of NERV under Gendou. He taught the talented Yui Ikari and bailed Gendou out of jail once during college. He was originally in opposition to Gendou, once calling him a "disagreeable fellow". Yui, however, referred to Gendou as a "cute/sweet person". Apparently, Fuyutsuki holds not just good feelings towards Ikari Yui.
After Fuyutsuki threatened Gendou to expose to the public the massive deception, concerning Second Impact, in 2003 (through his own research), Gendou led him into Central Dogma and revealed to him the incomplete Unit-00. He tempted Fuyutsuki to join him and "create a new future for humankind, together with me". Fuyutsuki accepted this, and started to help Gendou.
Despite Fuyutsuki's initial dislike of Gendou, it is clearly evident that he becomes the closest thing that Gendou has to a confidant in the series. Most likely, it was Yui's hope that the two would become friends.
Captain/Major Misato Katsuragi
| Japanese Name | 葛城ミサト |
| Age | 29 |
| Birthday | December 8, 1986 |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Father: Dr. Katsuragi Owner of: Pen Pen Guardian of: Shinji, Asuka |
| Japanese seiyū | Kotono Mitsuishi |
| English Voice actor | Allison Keith |
Misato Katsuragi (葛城ミサト Katsuragi Misato) is the head operations officer at NERV, initially holding the rank of captain (with a later promotion to major). She chose to have Shinji move in with her rather than letting him live alone. Misato was with her father, leader of the Katsuragi Expedition to Antarctica, during Second Impact. Her father was killed during the incident, but not before saving 14-year-old Misato by placing her in a protective capsule (which looks like an Entry Plug). She has a scar on her chest from the trauma she suffered during the Second Impact. She became mute and non-social for a long time after that event, but apparently tried to make up for that in college when she met Ritsuko. At the time of the series, she is very extroverted (and some would say slightly alcoholic). She exhibits great concern for the Eva pilots under her command.
While on the job, Misato is normally very professional. However when she gets home to her apartment, a much lighter, more careless and carefree side of her personality can be seen. Until Shinji's arrival, her living space was a complete mess. She cannot cook for herself and relies solely on instant food. She also drinks copious quantities of beer, and having one first thing in the morning gets her day started. Following Asuka's arrival in Japan, she too moves in with Misato.
Head Scientist Ritsuko Akagi
| Age | 30 |
| Birthday | November 21, 1985 |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Mother: Dr. Naoko Akagi |
| Japanese seiyū | Yuriko Yamaguchi |
| English Voice actor | Sue Ulu |
Ritsuko Akagi (赤木リツコ Akagi Ritsuko) is NERV's head scientist. She is a lonely, cool and hyperlogical woman who has great affinity for cats and is completely devoted to her work. Along with Gendou and Fuyutsuki, she's the only person at NERV fully aware of the Evas' true nature and the purpose of the Instrumentality Project. Similarly to Gendou and unlike Misato, Ritsuko is willing to sacrifice the Eva pilots if the situation appears to warrant it.
She attended college with Misato and Kaji, and made a close friendship with both of them. Despite their personal connection, Ritsuko hides an enormous amount of information from Misato.
Like her mother, Naoko, she had a lover/puppet relationship with Gendou Ikari. She came to despise Rei due to Gendou's attachment and destroyed all her clones after the appearance of Rei III.
Technician Maya Ibuki
| Age | 24 |
| Birthday | July 11, 1991 |
| Sex | Female |
| Japanese seiyū | Miki Nagasawa |
| English Voice actor | Kendra Benham (original dub)
Amy Seeley (movies) Monica Rial ("Director's cut" episodes) |
Maya Ibuki (伊吹マヤ Ibuki Maya) is a technician at NERV who works very closely with Ritsuko Akagi. Her complementation scene at the End of Evangelion reveals the fact that she is secretly in love with Ritsuko. When Maya's Instrumentality occurs, Ritsuko-Rei-Lilith types "I need you" into Maya's laptop and embraces her. Maya's reversion to LCL comes after an ecstatic gasp of "Senpai!"
First Lieutenant Makoto Hyuuga
| Age | 23 |
| Birthday | February 13, 1992 |
| Sex | Male |
| Japanese seiyū | Hiro Yuuki |
| English Voice actor | Matt Greenfield |
Makoto Hyuuga (日向マコト Hyūga Makoto) is First Lieutenant at NERV and a computer technician. He also secretly loves Misato. In his completion sequence, he is in ecstasy over Misato-Rei-Lilith.
Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba
| Age | 23 |
| Birthday | May 5, 1992 |
| Sex | Male |
| Japanese seiyū | Takehito Koyasu |
| English Voice actor | Jason Lee |
Shigeru Aoba (青葉シゲル Aoba Shigeru) Lieutanant at NERV. He is a nihilist, and plays guitar. In his completion sequence, he cowers in fright from Rei-Lilith, because he does not want completion.
NERV Special Inspector Ryouji Kaji
| Age | 30 |
| Birthday | June 17, 1985 |
| Sex | Male |
| Japanese seiyū | Koichi Yamadera |
| English Voice actor | Aaron Krohn |
Ryouji Kaji (加持リョウジ Kaji Ryōji), while officially employed as special inspector at NERV, secretly works for SEELE investigating NERV's true intentions. He has always been called by his last name, Kaji, rather than his first throughout the series and movies. He is also referred to as "the useless bell that doesn't ring" by SEELE. Kaji appears to have somewhat of a green thumb as he cultivates a watermelon patch close to Nerv HQ. He once seriously dated Misato, but they had long broken up and do not see each other again until she flies out to the UN fleet ferrying Eva-02, along with Asuka Langley Sohryu, to Japan. After he came to NERV, they slowly got back together out of desperation despite Misato's dislike of him.
He is eventually shot and killed by an unknown assailant. The anime series never makes it clear, but a common speculation holds that it was either Misato or some generic security agent of NERV/SEELE. (Evidence for Misato is that after Kaji's shooting scene in the anime, the next thing that is shown is Misato's door, and that she was handed back her gun later. Evidence against Misato is that she has no real motive to kill Kaji and nor does Commander Gendou have any reason to give the order to her instead of another agent. Note that in the manga it is made clear that Misato was not the killer, as the gun used to kill Kaji is clearly of a different type from Misato's.) He remarks that his last assignment, to kidnap the Sub-Commander, was colored red, the color of blood. The Sub-Commander even remarks that this will cost him his life. He is probably Gendou or Gendou's agent, since he commonly meets with Gendou after assignments. He is killed because he finally betrayed SEELE and NERV enough to have them both want him dead.
Kyouko Zeppelin Sohryu (Asuka's Mother)
| Age | 31 |
| Birthday | 1974 |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Daughter: Asuka Husband: "Papa" Soul-carrier: Unit 02 |
| Japanese seiyū | Maria Kawamura |
| English Voice actor | Kimberly Yates |
Kyouko Zeppelin Sohryu (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 EVA-02, the first Production Type (the second and third of which were later produced by the two American branches of Nerv). After participating in EVA-02's Contact Experiment, she became mentally unstable and was submitted to a hospital. Her husband entered an affair with Kyouko's own doctor, which eventually prompted Kyouko's suicide in 2005; and by the time of Kyouko's funeral, the doctor had already become Asuka's stepmother.
Kyouko's soul became entrapped in EVA-02 as a result of the experiment, although how her body remained intact afterwards is a well-disputed mystery.
GEHIRN Staff
Yui Ikari (Shinji's Mother)
| Age | 27, at death. |
| Birthday | March 30th, 1977 |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Son: Shinji Ikari Husband: Gendou Ikari Genetic clone: Rei Ayanami Soul-carrier: Unit 01 |
| Japanese seiyū | Megumi Hayashibara |
| English Voice actor | Amanda Winn Lee |
Yui (碇ユイ Ikari Yui) is Gendou's wife, Shinji's mother, and the soul of EVA-01. According to the "Neon Genesis Evangelion 2" PS2 game, her father was a powerful member of Seele, which explains why she had the backing of this powerful organization. She was a student of metaphysical biology at Kyoto University, where she met her future husband Gendou and her mentor and trusted friend Kouzou Fuyutsuki. Afterwards, she joined Gehirn's Artificial Evolution Laboratory in Hakone, Japan, and played an integral role in Project E.
Despite Fuyutsuki's misgivings, Yui served as the test subject for the Contact Experiment of EVA-01 in 2004, saying that "everything happens as it must". She invited her son Shinji to Gehirn to watch what would be her final moments: Yui "disappeared" during testing -- leaving no body behind -- and was proclaimed dead that same year after efforts to recover her failed. Although Gehirn considered it an accident, it is clear that what happened was Yui's intention. Living on within the Eva, she continues to ensure a "bright future" for Shinji and the rest of humanity, seeing to it personally that Seele's scenario is never entirely fulfilled.
Naoko Akagi (Ritsuko's Mother)
| Age | ??? |
| Birthday | ??? |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | Daughter: Dr. Ritsuko Akagi |
| Japanese seiyū | Mika Doi |
| English Voice actor | Laura Chapman |
Naoko Akagi (赤木ナオコ Akagi Naoko) is Ritsuko's mother. She is the creator of the MAGI computer system and is the former GEHIRN head technician. The MAGI computer is built on three opposing principles from the life of its creator: Naoko as a scientist (Melchior), Naoko as a mother (Balthasar), and Naoko as a woman (Casper). These three aspects are in constant conflict, and together they delegate to form the MAGI's answer. Naoko was involved in a romantic relationship with the recently-widowed Gendou Ikari while working at GEHIRN. However, after Rei I called her an "old hag" and said that Gendou 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 I to death and then committed suicide by plunging from the Command Tower onto the MAGI system. A popular notion among fans is that her soul now resides in EVA-00, which would explain the Eva's reluctance to synchronize with Rei II and the Unit's violents attacks toward Gendou Ikari while in Berserk mode.
Other Characters
SEELE Leader Keel Lorenz
| Age | 64 |
| Birthday | October 5, 1951 |
| Sex | Male |
| Japanese seiyū | Mugihito |
| English Voice actor | Richard Peeples (series) Kyle Sturdivant (movies) |
Keel Lorenz (キール・ローレンツ) is the leader of SEELE.
The inspiration for his name originates from Konrad Lorenz, a zoologist known especially for his research on animal psychology who also, notably, was once a Nazi. He is revealed to be a cyborg in The End of Evangelion. Some fans believe him to be the legendary Wandering Jew, but there no evidence exists to support this claim (in fact, most fans who have researched the assertion have determined that all evidence suggests he can't be the Wandering Jew).
Other Children Candidate Kensuke Aida
| Age | 14 |
| Birthday | September 12, 2001 |
| Sex | Male |
| Japanese seiyū | Tetsuya Iwanaga |
| English Voice actor | Kurt Stoll |
Kensuke Aida (相田ケンスケ Aida Kensuke) is a military buff, Touji's best friend, and a part of the "Other Children", candidates whom are also EVA replacements placed in the same class as Shinji, Touji, Rei, and Hikari. His hobbies include camping in the mountains surrounding Tokyo-3 and playing simulated war reenacting - by himself. Kensuke became Shinji's friend after he picked up Kensuke and Touji up in his Eva during the fight against the Fourth Angel, Shamshel. Kensuke constantly dreams of becoming an Eva pilot. He ceaslessly begs Shinji to pull strings in NERV to be commissioned as a pilot, but Shinji usually sidesteps the matter. It is likely that NERV monitors all of the 14-year-old children in Tokyo-3 constantly, as they are all candidates specifically chosen for their suitability as pilots. Nevertheless, Kensuke enjoys the privileges of being the friend of an EVA pilot; he has fun on the excursion to the UN combined naval fleet during the transportation of Eva Unit 02. And, like Touji, Kensuke has a crush on the beautiful Misato Katsuragi.
Kensuke is named after a main character in the novel The Fascism of Love and Fantasies (Ai to Gensou no Fascism) by Ryu Murakami.
Other Children Candidate Hikari Horaki
| Age | 14 |
| Birthday | February 18, 2002 |
| Sex | Female |
| Japanese seiyū | Junko Iwao |
| English Voice actor | Carol Amerson |
Hikari (洞木ヒカリ Horaki Hikari) is the president of the class Shinji and the other Eva pilots attend. Despite her by the book demeanor, she is in love with Touji Suzuhara, although she is unable to express her feelings to him openly. She also appears to be Asuka's closest female friend. Hikari is named after a character in the novel The Fascism of Love and Fantasies (Ai to Gensou no Fascism) by Ryu Murakami. Her name, and that of her unseen younger sister, Nozomi, and elder sister, Kodama, is also in reference to the names of the trains of the Tokaido Shinkansen line.
Experimental Test Subject Pen2
| Age | 3 |
| Birthday | ??? |
| Sex | Male |
| Relations | Guardian: Misato Katsuragi |
| Japanese seiyū | Megumi Hayashibara |
| English Voice actor | Amanda Winn Lee |
Pen2, or Pen Pen (ペンペン) is a warm water penguin and has a relatively high intelligence. According to the manga, he is the result of a genetics experiment at Misato's former workplace, and she adopted him after the experiment's conclusion rather than watch him be put to sleep. He lives in a custom refrigerator in her apartment, and enjoys taking warm baths and going to hot springs. He is also shown watching TV and reading newspapers. Pen Pen is a key source of comic relief in the series.
Characters from outside of the main series
Mana Kirishima
| Age | 14 |
| Birthday | ??? |
| Sex | Female |
| Relations | ??? |
| Japanese seiyū | Megumi Hayashibara |
| English Voice actor | No English version. |
Mana Kirishima (霧島マナ Kirishima Mana) is the main focus of Girlfriend of Steel, a game that is like an episode of the series. She appears as a transfer student at the Children's school, and becomes the focus of Shinji's interest and Asuka's ire. She also appears in Shinji Ikari Raising Project. Like many Evangelion characters, Mana's family name, Kirishima, is taken from a World War II battleship.
Mayumi Yamagishi
Mayumi Yamagishi (山岸マユミ Yamagishi Mayumi) is the new character introduced in Evangelion 2nd Impression, a Sega Saturn game. In the game, Mayumi is a bespeckled 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.