Naoko Akagi was Ritsuko’s mother. She was the creator of the MAGI system and the former GEHIRN head technician. The MAGI computers were built on three opposing principles of the life of its creator: Naoko as a scientist (Melchior), Naoko as a mother (Balthasar), and Naoko as a woman (Casper). Moreover, her personality (”divided” into these three principles) has been implanted into the MAGI’s organic computer, so that the system can think like a human being. These three aspects are in constant conflict, and together they delegate to formulate decisions and judgments on behalf of NERV and the government of New Tokyo-3.Naoko was involved in a romantic relationship with the recently-widowed Gendo Ikari while working at GEHIRN.

However, after Rei I called her an “old hag” and said that Gendo himself called Naoko that frequently, she realized that he had merely been using her affections to ensure her performance for him. In a fit of rage, 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.

Age
Unspecified

Sex
Female

Blood Type
Unknown

Birthday
Unknown

Relations
Daughter: Ritsuko Akagi

Japanese seiyuu
Mika Doi

English voice actor
Laura Chapman

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Yui’s background is not covered in the series, but according to the “Neon Genesis Evangelion 2″ PS2 game, her father was a powerful member of SEELE, which explains why she had the backing of this powerful organization. She was a student of genetic engineering at Kyoto University, where she met her future husband Gendo and her mentor and trusted friend Kouzou Fuyutsuki. Afterwards, she joined UN Artificial Evolution Laboratory (future GEHIRN) 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 arguably 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.

While Yui is not exactly an important character on her own, it is her relationships with those around her that make her key to the entire series.

Gendo’s love for her is his entire motivation for going through with SEELE’s Instrumentality Project. He misses her so longingly that he goes through with SEELE’s plan in the hopes that, after being implemented, he would be able to be one with Yui 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 Unit 01 is solely responsible for EVA-01’s being the formidable fighter it is. Also, it can be argued that Shinji’s relationship to his Eva is a physical manifestation of the Freudian Oedipus Complex: he longs for contact with his mother to the point that he wants to be inside her, however this is contradicted by how at times it seems he has some disdain for Unit 01, as a weapon, and most of his resentment towards his father is based on other aspects of their relationship. Nonetheless, it has been proven through The End of Evangelion and by Gainax itself that the only reason Shinji and Gendo acted the way they did is because they wanted to be with Yui again.

Age
27 (at the time of her disappearance)

Sex
Female

Blood Type
Unknown

Birthday
1977 (day/month unknown)

Relations
Son: Shinji Ikari
Husband: Gendo Ikari
Genetic: Rei Ayanami (possibly)
Associated Eva: Unit 01

Japanese seiyuu
Megumi Hayashibara

English voice actor
Kim Sevier (series)
Amanda Winn-Lee (movies)

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Kyoko Zeppelin Sorhyu, 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.

Age
31

Sex
Female

Blood Type
Unknown

Birthday
1974 (day/month unknown)

Relations
Daughter: Asuka Langley Sohryu
Husband: “Papa”
Associated Eva: Unit 02

Japanese seiyuu
Maria Kawamura

English voice actor
Kimberly Yates

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In both the series and the manga, Keel Lorenz 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.

In the manga, his name is given as Lorenz Kiel.

Age
Unspecified

Sex
Male

Blood Type
Unknown

Birthday
Unknown

Relations
Unknown

Japanese seiyuu
Mugihito

English voice actor
Richard Peeples (series)
Tom Booker (movies)

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Kensuke Aida 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.

Age
14

Sex
Male

Blood Type
A

Birthday
September 12, 2001

Relations
Father (unnamed) (works for NERV, unknown division)

Japanese seiyuu
Tetsuya Iwanaga

English voice actor
Kurt Stoll

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Hikari Horaki 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.

Age
14

Sex
Female

Blood Type
AB

Birthday
February 18, 2001

Relations
Sisters: Kodama, Nozomi

Japanese seiyuu
Junko Iwao

English voice actor
Carol Amerson (series)

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Pen Pen, or Pen² 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.

Age
Unspecified

Sex
Male

Blood Type
Unknown

Birthday
Unknown

Relations
Owner: Misato Katsuragi

Japanese seiyuu
Megumi Hayashibara

English voice actor
Amanda Winn Lee (series and movies)
Mandy Clark (”Director’s Cut” episodes)

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Credits: List of characters in Neon Genesis Evangelion

Webmaster’s note: The information here is a mix of different definitions from wikipedia editors.

Rei Ayanami is the First Children, and the pilot of Evangelion Unit 00. She is shown to be socially withdrawn and hardly interacts with anyone. Rei’s cool, silent and emotionally-stunted personality has garnered the scorn of her schoolmates; Asuka calls her a “doll” or “puppet.” Clones of her, which lack souls, are kept hidden under the NERV building to be the supposed “cores” of the Dummy Plugs. Although she once only associated with Gendo, she and Shinji break the ice after the battle against Ramiel, and grow progressively closer for a while. In the manga version, Rei grows a lot closer to Shinji than in the anime.

Physically and genetically, her appearance has some importance in the series. It is readily apparent that Rei is the diametric opposite of Asuka, not only in terms of personality, but also physically. Asuka is outspoken, extremely emotional, and violent; Rei is the opposite of Asuka on all these major accounts. Asuka has red hair and blue eyes, while Rei has red eyes and blue hair. This color switch between the characters may also relate to the difference between how they are seen by others and what their true feelings are. However, the lead character designer has said that Rei’s coloration was intended to make her look “more distinct,” so this color inversion may simply be a coincidence. Another theory may also be hybridization; speculation is that Yui’s remains were mixed with that of Lilith to create the rei clones.

Rei’s mysterious background has led fans to develop multiple theories of just what exactly went into creating her. Gendo Ikari first introduced her to the NERV staff as an “acquaintance’s child” whom he is temporarily taking care of. The Red Cross Book states that Rei was created from the “salvaged remains” of Yui after her death in 2004. There is evidence shown to support the Red Cross Book: Shinji Ikari tells her that he thinks she’d “make a good mother,” and later compares Gendo’s manipulation of her to his manipulation of Yui; they are also shown to have a physical resemblance. .In episode 24, Kaworu mentions that he and Rei are “the same.” This statement was expanded in the “director’s cut” of the episode, in which Kaworu goes on to say that he and Rei are human vessels for the souls of Adam and Lillith, respectively. Hybridization between Lilith’s genetic material and Yui’s might account for Rei’s pale complexion and unnaturally red eyes, that, unlike that of genetic albinos, do not betray photosensitivity (Rei is never seen wearing any sunglasses to protect her eyes in daylight or bright interior light as those suffering from the condition of albinism often must). There’s certainly some connection between them: both have red eyes, pale skin, and light hair, and while the NERV Dummy Plugs contain Rei clones, SEELE’s Evas use Kaworu-powered Dummy Plugs. Kaworu is the seventeenth Angel, and Rei demonstrates Angelic powers later in the series. Further, in Lilith/Rei’s ascension after Lilith had subsumed Rei, as the giant being raises her head to face Shinji in EVA 01, Lilith/Rei’s eyes are initially seen as glowing red spheres deep in the back of empty, black eye sockets, to be quickly replaced by Rei’s eyes after blinking.

It is hinted that Rei died twice; in the series, this stems from the fact that Rei herself says “I think I’m the third one,” shortly after her death when Unit 00 self-destructed, an event that she could not remember. The first Rei is shown to have died as a small girl at the hands of Dr. Naoko Akagi for revealing carelessly (or perhaps in an intentional set-up by Gendo Ikari) to Naoko that Gendo called her a “useless old hag.” The explanation is that her soul and most of her memories are transferred to one of the clones every time she dies, which then takes the preceding Rei’s place as if she had not died at all.

Age
14

Sex
Female

Blood Type
Unknown

Birthday
March 30th, 2001

Relations
Other cloned vessels of Rei - the “spare parts”
Guardian: Gendo Ikari
Source of genetic material: Yui Ikari and Lilith,
the Second Angel.

Japanese seiyuu
Megumi Hayashibara

English voice actor
Amanda Winn Lee

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Asuka Langley Sorhyu is Second Children, who pilots Evangelion Unit 02. She is from Germany, but with an American father and a half-German, half-Japanese mother. Her mother, Kyoko Zeppelin Sorhyu, went insane after an Eva-related experiment and began to believe that a doll that resembled Asuka was, in fact, her daughter, to the point that she refused to even acknowledge the real Asuka. Kyoko Zeppelin Sorhyu committed suicide on the very day that Asuka was chosen to become an Eva pilot. On that day, Asuka promised herself that she would never cry again. This event gives her an innate hatred of dolls and all things that she perceives to be doll-like, especially Rei. Asuka’s father later remarried a woman for whom Asuka feels no affection. Asuka feels the need to verbally and sometimes physically lash out at everyone around her, except to her sole friend, Hikari, and her unrequited crush, Kaji, who is Misato’s ex-boyfriend and more than twice Asuka’s age. On her better days, however, she can be quite cheerful and friendly.

As a pilot, Asuka greatly fears being inadequate, often venting by lashing out at Shinji and Rei. Asuka says that she would rather die than be saved by the skill of another pilot. Her pride and recklessness affects her performance: she grows jealous of NERV’s special treatment of its best Eva pilot, causing a massive drop in synchronization rate. Eventually, Asuka loses all functional synchronization with Unit 02. In her third-to-last battle in the series, she suffers massive emotional damage as her Eva loses both arms and its head to the fourteenth Angel, Zeruel. She is only saved from death by Central Dogma’s split-second decision to undo her remaining neural connections with the Eva. Her synchonization rate drops below viable levels after she is attacked by the fifteenth Angel, Arael. Due to her inability to pilot the Unit 02 again, she finds herself useless and enters a cycle of deep depression ultimately leading to her becoming comatose, and is tended in the 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.

Age
14

Sex
Female

Blood Type
O

Birthday
December 4, 2000

Relations
Mother: Kyoko Zeppelin Sorhyu
Father: “Papa”
Step-mother: “Mama”
Guardian: Misato Katsuragi
Former Guardian: Ryoji Kaji

Japanese seiyuu
Yuko Miyamura

English voice actor
Tiffany Grant

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Shinji Ikari is the Third Children, who pilots Unit 01. He is the son of Gendo and the late Yui Ikari. Abandoned by his father, Gendo, when he was a toddler, Shinji often ran away from difficult situations. As a pilot, he panics easily and reacts very poorly to unexpected events. Over time and with encouragement from Misato, he learns to be less cowardly, more outspoken, and more confident, but his progress is all undone when he is forced to kill the only person who ever openly expressed love toward him. His only friends are Toji and Kensuke, but he apparently cares about Rei more than even he realizes, although everyone around him seems to think that his feelings are obvious. Despite his rapport with Rei, Asuka is a sexual presence in his life, and is ultimately shown to be a figure of great emotional importance to him as well. Though not immediately apparent, their relationship is a powerful driving force for both characters throughout the series. Their confused, back-and-forth emotional interchanges are a source of considerable guilt and tension for both parties. While Asuka is attracted to Shinji, she is afraid to admit to being dependent on anyone; so instead of expressing affection, she teases Shinji (often with sexual overtones), hoping to “provoke” him into initiating a closer relationship. Significantly, she gives him his first kiss (supposedly out of boredom, though the Director’s Cut makes clear that the kiss meant a lot more to her than she lets on). However, due to his own emotional issues, Shinji is unable to recognize Asuka’s actions for their true intent, and is only confused and hurt by her flirting mixed with abuse. Since Asuka is constantly heaping him with accusations and blame, his most natural response is to withdraw and hide himself, both emotionally and literally. To make matters worse, Asuka only finds herself more and more frustrated by Shinji’s failure to respond to her advances, and in turn only abuses him more and more harshly, which only makes him withdraw further, thus continuing the vicious cycle. Their tense relationship reaches a breaking point toward the end of the story; when Asuka’s stress finally causes her to degrade into a completely withdrawn state, Shinji tries to comfort her, only to be coldly rejected. Later on, when Asuka has further been reduced to a comatose state and Shinji has also suffered incredible mental duress, he goes to her bedside to beg for help, only to end up masturbating over her partially nude (and comatose) body. Wracked with guilt and completely lost to his own self-hatred, he enters a completely withdrawn state, not unlike Asuka’s earlier on. Ultimately, when Shinji chooses to reject Instrumentality, he finds that Asuka to be the only other person on Earth, and they painfully reconcile.

Age
14

Sex
Male

Blood Type
A

Birthday
June 6, 2001

Relations
Father: Gendo Ikari
Mother: Yui Ikari
Guardian: Misato Katsuragi

Japanese seiyuu
Megumi Ogata

English voice actor
Spike Spencer

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Toji Suzuhara 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.

Age
14

Sex
Male

Blood Type
B

Birthday
December 26, 2000

Relations
Sister: Unnamed

Japanese seiyuu
Tomokazu Seki

English voice actor
Brett Weaver
Joe Pisano
Michael O’Connor

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Kaworu Nagisa 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.

Age
15

Sex
Male

Blood Type
Unknown

Birthday
September 13, 2000

Relations
Brothers: other Kaworus (SEELE Dummy Plug System)

Japanese seiyuu
Akira Ishida

English voice actor
Kyle Sturdivant (series)
Aaron Krohn (movies)
Greg Ayres (”Director’s Cut” episodes)

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Credits: List of characters in Neon Genesis Evangelion

Webmaster’s note: The information here is a mix of different definitions from wikipedia editors.