List of Neon Genesis Evangelion characters

This is a list of characters in the anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

Neon Genesis Evangelion and the movies Evangelion: Death and Rebirth

Evangelion: Death and Rebirth

is the first movie in the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. It consists of two parts, Death and Rebirth, respectively. It was released, along with the follow-up, The End of Evangelion, in response to the success of the TV series and a strong demand by fans for another ending...

, The End of Evangelion

The End of Evangelion

is a 1997 Japanese animated science fiction film written and directed by Hideaki Anno along with Kazuya Tsurumaki; it ended the anime releases in the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise until the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy remakes were announced in 2006....

and the Rebuild of Evangelion

Rebuild of Evangelion

Rebuild of Evangelion, known in Japan as , is a Japanese animated film series and a remake of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series. It is being produced by Studio Khara and KlockWorx in partnership with Gainax...

tetralogy. The characters were designed by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto

is a Japanese character designer, manga artist, and one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio. Before the studio was founded under the official name , he served as animator on the second animated project, the Daicon IV opening animation...

Creation and conception

According to director Hideaki Anno

Hideaki Anno

is a Japanese animation and film director. Anno is best known for his work on the popular anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. His style has come to be defined by the touches of postmodernism that he injects into his work, as well as the thorough portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotions,...

, Evangelion was an attempt to make all perspectives into one, creating characters that represent different things to different viewers to make it impossible for everyone to arrive at a single theory. To some viewers, the characters are psychological representations, while to others, they are philosophical, religious, historical, and even themselves.

Anno was influenced by Ryu Murakami's war novel , and the names "Toji Suzuhara", "Kensuke Aida", and the surname "Horaki" 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

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

Most of Evangelions 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 seiyū

Seiyu

Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...

, except Rei Ayanami, Toji Suzuhara, Kensuke Aida and Kaworu Nagisa. This time, the characters' birth years were still not revealed.

Adult characters' birth years 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 birth years were set in proportion to this rule. However these birth years 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, despite all children except Kaworu are 14 in 2015.

Children

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

Rebuild of Evangelion

series, the expression "(n)th Children" is not used. Instead, the pilots are referred to as , , or .

Shinji Ikari

is the Third Child and the pilot of Unit 01. Megumi Ogata

Megumi Ogata

is a female seiyū and singer from the Tokyo Metropolitan area. As a singer, she goes by the name em:óu. She attended Tōkai University, but left due to lack of interest. She is also best known for voicing Sailor Uranus, Kurama and Shinji Ikari....

voices him in the Japanese series, and Spike Spencer

Spike Spencer

Charles Forrest "Spike" Spencer is an American actor best known for dubbing Japanese anime films. He is best known for roles in ADV Films dubs of Neon Genesis Evangelion , Martian Successor Nadesico , and Excel Saga . He has also performed voice acting for radio, especially commercials...

in the English adaptation. 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 akin to a sibling relationship

Agape

Agape is one of the Greek words translated into English as love, one which became particularly appropriated in Christian theology as the love of God or Christ for mankind. In the New Testament, it refers to the fatherly love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God; the term...

with Rei, and enters into a confused love-hate relationship

Love-hate relationship

A love–hate relationship is an interpersonal relationship involving simultaneous or alternating emotions of love and hate. This relationship does not have to be of a romantic nature, and may be instead of a sibling one...

with Asuka.

Rei Ayanami

is the First Child, and the pilot of Unit 00. She is voiced by Megumi Hayashibara

Megumi Hayashibara

is a Japanese voice actress, singer, radio personality, and lyricist from Tokyo. She is currently affiliated with Aksent. Her nicknames include: Megu-san, Megu-nee, Bara-san, Kakka, and Daijin...

in the Japanese series, English version by Amanda Winn-Lee

Amanda Winn-Lee

Amanda Beth Winn Lee is an American voice actress, writer and ADR director who works mainly on anime dubs. She was the voice of Mimiru in .hack//SIGN, Rally Vincent in Gunsmith Cats, Yohko Mano in Devil Hunter Yohko, Momiji Kushinada in Blue Seed, and was featured most notably as Rei Ayanami of...

in the TV series and films, and by Brina Palencia

Brina Palencia

Brina Michelle Palencia is an American voice actress, singer, and ADR director who works for Funimation Entertainment. She has provided voices for a number of English language versions of Japanese anime films and television series.Apart from her adult female voices, she has been cast in younger...

in the Rebuild of Evangelion series. At the start of the series, she is shown to be socially withdrawn, seemingly emotionless, and remote, with her only apparent relationship being with Gendo Ikari. As the series progresses, she and Shinji grow closer 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 and as replacement bodies for Rei if she should die.

Asuka Langley Soryu

is the Second Child and the pilot of Unit 02. Yuko Miyamura

Yuko Miyamura

' is a Japanese voice actress, actress, J-pop singer and director of audiography. Her married name is ', although she still works under her maiden name. Miyamura was born in Kobe, and graduated from the theater division of the Tōhō Gakuen College of Drama and Music. Her pet name is '...

voices her in the Japanese series, and Tiffany Grant

Tiffany Grant

Tiffany Lynn Grant is an American voice actress and script writer who is known for her English-dubbing work with the former ADV Films on such anime films and television series as Neon Genesis Evangelion, in which she voiced the character Asuka Langley Soryu...

in the English adaptation. She is of mixed German and Japanese descent, but her nationality is German. 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. Asuka is openly infatuated with Ryoji Kaji, but is also attracted to Shinji; however, she cannot properly express her affections. In Rebuild of Evangelion

Rebuild of Evangelion

series, her name is changed to Asuka Langley Shikinami (式波) and ranked as captain of Euro airforce.

Toji Suzuhara

is the Fourth Child. In the Japanese series he is voiced by Tomokazu Seki

Tomokazu Seki

is a Japanese voice actor. He formerly worked for Haikyou and is now the head of Atomic Monkey.-About:Some of his most notable roles include Shinichi Chiaki from Nodame Cantabile, Gilgamesh from Fate/stay night, Rob Lucci from One Piece, Gundam characters Domon Kasshu and Yzak Joule, from G Gundam...

, and the English voices are Brett Weaver

Brett Weaver

Brett A. Weaver is an American voice actor working with ADV Films, Funimation Entertainment, OkaTron 5000, and Seraphim Digital. He is known for his roles in the English-language dubs of anime series. He currently lives in Austin, TX with his wife, E.K...

, Joe Pisano, Michael O'Connor and Justin Cook

Justin Cook

Justin Ryan Cook is an American Producer, Voice Actor, Line Producer, ADR Director, and Engineer who works for Funimation Entertainment and OkraTron 5000...

. 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, apologizes to Shinji for beating him up (his sister was angry at him for beating him up and demands him to apologize), and the two eventually become friends. In the Rebuild of Evangelion films, he does not pilot Unit-03; instead Asuka pilots Unit-03.

Reviewer Kenneth Lee has criticized the character development of Toji:

"What's even more unsatisfying is the fate of Touji - in the previous few episodes, Touji is brought into the limelight: Chosen as the Fourth Children to pilot Unit 04, we see him develop a relationship with Hikari, then we see his painful, shocking crippling by an uncontrollable Unit 01. And then we see nothing. What was originally a stunning coup by director Anno in creating a 'heroic tragedy' of sorts for a secondary character that the audience can sympathize with, turns out to be merely a cheap 'disposable' element used to further the plot. Touji, Kensuke and Hikari are bastardized by Anno, being turned from likable supporting characters into nothing in a matter of a few seconds."

Kaworu Nagisa

is the Fifth Child, and the seventeenth Angel, Tabris. He is voiced by Akira Ishida

Akira Ishida

Akira Ishida is a prolific male seiyū born in Nisshin, Aichi, Japan.He was a part of Mausu Promotion from 1988 until March 2009...

in the Japanese version. In the English version he is voiced by Kyle Sturdivant in the anime, Aaron Krohn

Aaron Krohn

Aaron Christopher Krohn is a former Texas-based voice actor who primarily worked on the properties of ADV Films. Aaron was formerly a voice actor but he has since moved to New York City and is currently working as a stage actor.His most well known role is that of Ryoji Kaji on the hugely...

in the films, Greg Ayres

Greg Ayres

Gregory Scott Ayres is an American voice actor who works for anime series at Funimation Entertainment, ADV Films, Seraphim Digital, and OkraTron 5000. He has provided voices for a number of English language versions of Japanese anime films...

in the "Director's Cut" episodes, and Jerry Jewell

Jerry Jewell

Jerry Dean Jewell is an American actor, Singer, and voice actor who works for Funimation Entertainment...

in the Rebuild of Evangelion series. 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 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, Kaworu is not seen again until The End of Evangelion, where he appears in the beginning and middle of Third Impact.

Mari Illustrious Makinami

is an Evangelion pilot introduced in Rebuild of Evangelion

Rebuild of Evangelion

s second installment Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance. She is voiced by Maaya Sakamoto

Maaya Sakamoto

is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actress, and voice actress. She made her debut as a voice actress in 1992 as the voice of Chifuru in the anime series Little Twins, but is more well known for her role as Hitomi Kanzaki in the hit anime series The Vision of Escaflowne...

in the Japanese version and by Trina Nishimura

Trina Nishimura

Trina Nishimura is an American voice actress who works for anime series at Funimation Entertainment. She has provided voices for a number of English language versions of Japanese anime films, TV Series and OVAs.-Anime:* AM Driver - Cathy...

in the English version.

Mari is the confident and eccentric pilot of the Provisional Evangelion Unit-05, which differs drastically from previous incarnations, featuring four mechanical "legs" that end in wheels and a lack of hands which have been replaced with a jousting lance and "claw". Because of its unique design, Mari pilots her Eva wearing a helmet-like contraption, and her plugsuit is equipped with several attachments that connect to tubing that apparently helps her in moving the Evangelion. Even while piloting Unit-02, her plugsuit features a 5 on the back, symbolizing that she is the pilot of Unit-05. She seems to have poor vision, wearing glasses at all times and having difficulty finding her glasses when she drops them from the collision with Shinji while parachuting.

Mari's designation amongst the other Children has yet to be revealed, though she is once referred to as "Problem Child". She self-destructs Unit-05 to defeat one of the Angels in the film's opening, but manages to escape unharmed. During the film's climax she steals Unit-02 to battle the 10th Angel. Unable to defeat the Angel, she finds Shinji and tells him to escape. Shinji, seeing the destruction, makes up his mind about fighting. As Unit-02's power goes out, Shinji runs to Nerv HQ. She has a fondness for LCL, making a comment to Shinji, "You smell good... Smell of LCL." She also differs from the other pilots as she takes things in great strides as a pilot, even the immense pains of being attacked while synced with a EVA, falling on Shinji while using a parachute, smiling when the 3rd impact seems inevitable, and even singing a song in Unit-05 when about to fight an Angel.

In the preview of the 3rd Rebuild movie, she is seen taking off her glasses while in confinement. She is also shown in a private conversation with an unknown character.

Sadamoto designed her to look British, and added glasses as a 'simple yet effective way to set her apart from the other characters'

The June 2010 issue of Newtype (magazine)

Newtype (magazine)

is a monthly magazine publication originating from Japan, covering anime and manga . It was launched by publishing company Kadokawa Shoten on March 8, 1985 with its April issue, and has since seen regular release on the 10th of every month in its home country...

ranked Mari #1 in its monthly top-10-character survey.

Gendo Ikari

is the commander of Nerv. He is voiced by Fumihiko Tachiki

Fumihiko Tachiki

is a Japanese voice actor and narrator.-Career:Formerly a blues singer and known for his low voice, Tachiki is best known as the narrator for the pre-fight movies for Pride Fighting Championships and currently for Dream...

in the Japanese version. In the English version films and episodes he is voiced by Tristan MacAvery, and John Swasey

John Swasey

John Swasey is an American actor, voice actor, ADR Director, and Script Writer who works at Funimation Entertainment, ADV Films, Seraphim Digital, and OkraTron 5000...

in the "Director's Cut" episodes and the Rebuild of Evangelion series. He is responsible for the research done on the Evas, Rei Ayanami, and the Human Instrumentality Project. He is the father of the Third Child, 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. It later reveals that he was behind the second impact and he wanted to create a world where he be god and try to bring his dead wife back to life.

Kozo Fuyutsuki

is Nerv's Deputy Commander and Gendo Ikari's right hand man. He is voiced by Motomu Kiyokawa

Motomu Kiyokawa

is a Japanese actor and seiyū from Kanagawa Prefecture. He is affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society.-Voice roles:*The Big O *BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger...

in the Japanese series. His English voice actors are Guil Lunde

Guil Lunde

Guil Lunde is an American voice actor, mainly specializing in anime English dubs. Mostly, he is a contract voice actor for ADV Films.-Anime cast in:* Battle Angel - Dr...

in the series, Michael Ross in the films, and Kent Williams

Kent Williams (voice actor)

Kent Williams is an American actor and voice actor who works for anime series at Funimation Entertainment. He has provided voices for a number of English language versions of Japanese anime films.-Anime:...

in the Rebuild of Evangelion series. He does not especially like Gendo, but he is the closest thing to a confidant that Gendo has in the series.

Once a professor of meta-biology at Kyoto University

Kyoto University

, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...

, 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. Later, after the Second Impact, Fuyutsuki traveled with Gendo to the ruins of Antarctica, and began to suspect that Gendo and his associates in Seele were more powerful and dangerous than he originally realized. In 2003, Fuyutsuki discovered for himself the true nature of the events leading up to Second Impact and Seele's involvement in initiating that catastrophe. Gendo led him into the GeoFront and Central Dogma, and asked Fuyutsuki to join him in "creating a new future for mankind."

During a flashback scene in The End of Evangelion, Fuyutsuki mentions that Seele had threatened to make him "disappear", implying that his recruitment may have been extortionary. Although Fuyutsuki was never more than a mentor and friend to Yui, it is 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.

Misato Katsuragi

is the chief operations officer at Nerv. Kotono Mitsuishi

Kotono Mitsuishi

is a prolific Japanese voice actor from Tokyo. As a young girl, Mitsuishi lived in Nagareyama, Chiba. Mitsuishi graduated from high school in 1986, and entered the Katsuta Voice Actor's Academy. While attending the academy, she began working part time as an elevator girl in the Sunshine 60 building...

voices her in Japanese, and Allison Keith

Allison Keith

Allison Keith is an American actor and voice actor who is best known for her English-dubbing work with ADV Films on such anime movies and television series as Neon Genesis Evangelion, in which she voiced the character Misato Katsuragi...

in English. In the series, she initially holds the rank of Captain, with a later promotion to Major; in the first new movie in the Rebuild of Evangelion

Rebuild of Evangelion

project, she holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and then Colonel in the second movie. She is the field commander for the Eva pilots, issuing orders and giving battle strategies as well as handling some bureaucratic matters. She is also 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 TV series.

Ritsuko Akagi

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. Yuriko Yamaguchi

Yuriko Yamaguchi (voice actor)

is a Japanese voice actress who was born in Osaka. Previously a member of Vi-Vo, Yuriko is currently freelance. She is most known for the roles of Nico Robin and the second voice of Nurse Joy . Her hobby is overtone singing. Her nickname is "Yuruko"...

voices her in Japanese, Sue Ulu

Sue Ulu

Sue Ulu is an American voice actress specializing in English voice dubs for anime. She is best known for voicing the role of Dr. Ritsuko Akagi in the English dub of Neon Genesis Evangelion. She also has performed local theater in the Houston, Texas area. She moved to Los Angeles in 1999 to pursue...

in the English series, and Colleen Clinkenbeard

Colleen Clinkenbeard

Colleen Smith Clinkenbeard is an American voice actress, Line Producer, ADR Director, and Script Writer who works for Funimation Entertainment, ADV Films, and OkraTron 5000. She has provided voices for a number of English language versions of Japanese anime films and series, most notably, Monkey D...

in the English Rebuild of Evangelion series. She is a workaholic and heavy smoker, and has been friends with both Misato and Kaji since college. She is also romantically involved with Gendo., but feels betrayed by Gendo when she realizes that he was using her in the same way that he used her mother. 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.

Ryoji Kaji

appears to be a triple agent, working as a special inspector for Nerv (Internal Affairs) 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 - in addition, he appears to have his own personal agenda independent of any organization, searching for the "truth" behind Nerv, Seele and the Human Instrumentality Project. During college, he and Misato were lovers, but broke up at Misato's insistence. Years later, they are reunited 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 his employers one time too many, but not before giving Misato information regarding the truth of the Instrumentality Project. His Japanese voice actor is Kōichi Yamadera

Koichi Yamadera

is a Japanese voice actor, actor, tarento, narrator, master of ceremonies and impressionist from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school, and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's...

, and his English voice actors are Aaron Krohn

Aaron Krohn

for the original TV series and movies, and J. Michael Tatum

J. Michael Tatum

John Michael Tatum is an American voice actor, ADR Director, and Script writer who works for anime series at Funimation Entertainment and OkraTron 5000...

in the Rebuild of Evangelion series.

Makoto Hyuga

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 Matariel, and he acts as a spy for Misato, helping her obtain information regarding Nerv's machinations. The true extent of his feelings for Misato is shown in The End of Evangelion as Rei/Lilith takes the form of Misato during Instrumentality and passionately kisses him; his body reverts to LCL. Hiro Yuuki is his Japanese voice actor. His English voice actors are Matt Greenfield

Matt Greenfield

Matt Greenfield is the American co-founder of the now-defunct ADV Films. Originally an avid fan who ran an anime club in Houston, Texas with John Ledford , he and Ledford founded ADV Films in 1992. ADV Films began as an importer of anime, marketing primarily to the existing network of anime fans...

in the series, Keith Burgess

Keith Burgess

Keith Burgess is an American voice actor. He voiced Akuma in Street Fighter Alpha: The Movie, including Street Fighter Alpha: Generations. He also loaned his voice in the two anime movies Evangelion: Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion, including Karas: The Prophecy. He was a staff member...

in the films, and Mike McFarland

Mike McFarland

Michael Charles McFarland is an American voice actor, ADR Director, Script, and Line Producer at Funimation Entertainment. He also did work with ADV Films, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, New Generation Pictures and Okatron 5000...

in the Rebuild of Evangelion series.

Maya Ibuki

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 nauseated and averting her eyes during battles with the Angels. In The End of Evangelion, Maya is the only Nerv officer who is shown refusing to fight back against the JSSDF invaders. Maya holds Ritsuko in very high regard, and always refers to her as "senpai

Senpai

and are an essential element of Japanese seniority-based status relationships, similar to the way that family and other relationships are decided based on age, with even twins being divided into elder and younger sibling...

" in the original anime; The End of Evangelion heavily implies that Maya is actually in love with Ritsuko. Rei/Lilith penetrates Maya's AT field by assuming the form of Ritsuko. Maya exclaims "Ritsuko!/Senpai!", eagerly returns "Ritsuko"'s embrace, and immediately reduces into LCL. She is voiced by Miki Nagasawa

Miki Nagasawa

is a female Japanese voice actress born in Hokkaidō and raised in Fukushima. Formerly affiliated for Haikyo, she is now affiliated with Atomic Monkey.-Anime:* After War Gundam X as Perla Ciss* Akihabara Dennou Gumi as Kamome Sengakuji...

in the Japanese series. Her English voice actress are Kendra Benham during the series, Amy Seeley in the films, Monica Rial

Monica Rial

Monica Jean Rial is an American voice actress, ADR Director, and Script Writer who works for Funimation Entertainment, ADV Films, Seraphim Digital, and OkraTron 5000...

in the "Director's Cut" episodes, and Caitlin Glass

Caitlin Glass

Caitlin Tiffany Glass is an American voice actress and ADR director. While still a college student, Glass was hired by Funimation Entertainment while on a tour of the studio. Her first roles were bit parts on Case Closed until she landed the role of Hiyono Yuizaki in Spiral...

in the Rebuild of Evangelion series.

Shigeru Aoba

is a First Lieutenant at Nerv and a computer technician. At times a stereotypical metalhead, he is a cynical nihilist

Nihilism

Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...

and plays guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

(he can also sometimes be seen playing air guitar

Air guitar

Playing air guitar is a form of dance and movement in which the performer pretends to play rock or heavy metal-style electric guitar, including riffs, solos, etc. Playing an air guitar usually consists of exaggerated strumming and picking motions and is often coupled with loud singing or lip-synching...

). 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 and screams in horror under his desk. In the Japanese series he is voiced by Takehito Koyasu

Takehito Koyasu

is a Japanese voice actor.-Career:Koyasu is part of the voice actor quartet Weiß consisting of Weiß Kreuz voice castmates Shinichiro Miki, Tomokazu Seki, and Yuuki Hiro...

. His English voice actors are Jason C. Lee in the series and films, Vic Mignogna

Vic Mignogna

Victor Joseph "Vic" Mignogna is an American Anime Award winning voice actor and musician who has done voice work for many anime series, movies, and video games...

during the "Director's Cut" episodes, and Phil Parsons

Phil Parsons

Phil Parsons , is a former NASCAR driver and owner of MSRP Motorsports . He is also the younger brother of the late 1973 Winston Cup champion and former NBC/TNT commentator Benny Parsons. Years later, he returned to the Busch Series, where he enjoyed modest success...

in the Rebuild of Evangelion series.

Naoko Akagi

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 committed suicide. Soon afterward, Gehirn was disbanded and the organization Nerv was formed in its place. In vol. 10 of the manga

Neon Genesis Evangelion (manga)

is a long-running manga series by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and published by Kadokawa Shoten. It began in the February issue of Shōnen Ace in December 1994. It consists of 13 volumes, each composed of several "stages" or chapters...

, Naoko is shown to commit suicide after killing Rei I. Ritsuko witnesses both Rei's murder and Naoko's suicide. Her Japanese voice actress is Mika Doi

Mika Doi

, née is a veteran voice actress who was born in Sendai.-Anime:* Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple * Air Master * Aura Battler Dunbine * Canvas 2 ~Niji Iro no Sketch~...

, and her English voice actress is Laura Chapman

Laura Chapman

Laura Chapman is an American voice actress working with ADV Films and Seraphim Digital Studios, known for her roles in the English-language dubs of anime series....

Yui Ikari

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 the E Project. She served as the test subject for the Contact Experiment of Unit 01 in 2004, but "disappeared" during testing. Though proclaimed dead, a part of her (her "soul") lives on within Unit 01. Her Japanese voice actress is Megumi Hayashibara

Megumi Hayashibara

is a Japanese voice actress, singer, radio personality, and lyricist from Tokyo. She is currently affiliated with Aksent. Her nicknames include: Megu-san, Megu-nee, Bara-san, Kakka, and Daijin...

, who also voices Rei. Her English voice actresses are Kim Sevier

Kim Sevier

Kimberly Robertson, a.k.a. Kim Seiver, is an American voice actress. She has done voice work for ADV Films-Roles:* Blue Seed - Moe Fujimiya, Reiko Kanbayashi* Burn Up W - Chisato* Dirty Pair Flash - Yuri...

in the series, Amanda Winn-Lee in the films, and Stephanie Young

Stephanie Young

Stephanie Young Brehm is an American voice actress who works for anime series of Funimation Entertainment. She has provided voices for a number of English language versions of Japanese anime films.-Anime:* AM Driver - Paf Shining...

in the Rebuild of Evangelion series.

Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu

, 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). She was the subject of the Contact Experiment with Unit 02, but during the experiment her soul bonded with the EVA, causing severe mental damage to Kyoko. She became mentally unstable, believing that one of Asuka's dolls was her daughter rather than Asuka. 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.

In the manga, Kyoko and her husband were unable to conceive a child, and divorced after he had an affair. He re-married and had a daughter, while Kyoko visited a sperm bank

Sperm bank

A sperm bank, semen bank or cryobank is a facility that collects and stores human sperm mainly from sperm donors, primarily for the purpose of achieving pregnancies through third party reproduction, notably by artificial insemination...

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.

Kyoko's maiden name refers the surname of Ferdinand von Zeppelin

Ferdinand von Zeppelin

Ferdinand Adolf Heinrich August Graf von Zeppelin was a German general and later aircraft manufacturer. He founded the Zeppelin Airship company...

, a German manufacturer often associated with the rigid airship

Zeppelin

A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...

and the namesake of the nearly completed Nazi aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin

German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin

German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin was the lead ship in a class of two carriers ordered by the Kriegsmarine. She was the only aircraft carrier launched by Germany during World War II and represented part of the Kriegsmarine's attempt to create a well-balanced oceangoing fleet, capable of...

. Her first name, "Kyoko", also comes from that comic's character Kyoko Aoi (葵今日子, Aoi Kyoko), from which the character Asuka is also named. Her Japanese voice actress is Maria Kawamura

Maria Kawamura

, better known by the stage name , is a Japanese voice actress. Kawamura is a freelancer and was a former affiliate of Arts Vision.On November 8, 1991, she married Japanese manga artist Mamoru Nagano, of Five Star Stories fame...

, and her English voice actress is Kimberly Yates.

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. At some time between Second Impact and 2015, most of his body below the neck was replaced with cybernetic implants. Although he uses his visor to see, production drawings show that he still has eyes. The inspiration for his name (and, arguably, his character) originates from Konrad Lorenz

Konrad Lorenz

Konrad Zacharias Lorenz was an Austrian zoologist, ethologist, and ornithologist. He shared the 1973 Nobel Prize with Nikolaas Tinbergen and Karl von Frisch...

, a zoologist known especially for his research on animal psychology. In the manga, his name is given as Lorenz Kiel. He is voiced by Mugihito

Mugihito

, better known by his stage name of is a Japanese voice and stage actor from Musashino, Tokyo. He is employed by Media Force. Mugihito was formerly credited under his birth name and also...

in the Japanese series. His English voice actors are Richard Peeples during the series, Tom Booker in the movies, and Bill Jenkins in the Rebuild Of Evangelion series.

Kensuke Aida

is an otaku

Otaku

is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...

, 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 distress endured by Eva pilots. Nevertheless, Kensuke enjoys the privileges of being the friend of an Eva pilot. Like Toji, Kensuke has a crush on Misato Katsuragi. He is rarely seen without his camcorder at hand. In the PS2

PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...

Battle Orchestra

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Battle Orchestra

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Battle Orchestra is a fighting video game produced by BROCCOLI. The game features Eva units and Angels from Neon Genesis Evangelion battling each other. The game is a side-scrolling 2D fighting game with fully 3D rendered backgrounds and environments, similar to the Super...

game, Kensuke is the appointed pilot to the EVA Unit 04, wearing a green plugsuit. He is voiced by Tetsuya Iwanaga

Tetsuya Iwanaga

is a Japanese voice actor. As of April 1, 2009, he is affiliated with maxmix.-Notable voice roles:*Kensuke Aida in Neon Genesis Evangelion*Makoto Mizuhara in El-Hazard*Imaichi in Fancy Lala*Tomite in Fushigi Yūgi...

in Japanese, Kurt Stoll in the English adaptation, and Greg Ayres

Greg Ayres

in the Rebuild of Evangelion series.

Hikari Horaki

is the class representative of the class that Shinji and the other Eva pilots attend. 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. 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 dead. However, no references were ever made as to whether her father is, either. Her given 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. In a Gainax artwork picture she is shown in an orange plugsuit as the pilot for EVA Unit-05. She is also featured in a live action deleted scene in The End of Evangelion. She is voiced by Junko Iwao

Junko Iwao

is a Japanese voice actress who has also released several CD albums as a J-pop singer. Her most notable role is in Cardcaptor Sakura providing the voice to Sakura's best friend, Tomoyo.-TV Anime:*.hack *.hack//Roots...

in Japanese, by Carol Amerson in the English adaptation, and Leah Clark

Leah Clark

Leah Clark is an American theatre actress, voice actress, ADR Director, and Script Writer who works for Funimation Entertainment and OkraTron 5000...

in the Rebuild of Evangelion series.

Pen Pen

is a "hot spring penguin" and Misato's pet. He lives in a custom refrigerator in Misato's apartment, enjoys taking warm baths, eating whatever food he can get, and going to hot springs

Hot Springs

Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...

. He also appears to have a relatively high degree of intelligence, as he is also shown watching TV and reading newspapers. He is voiced by Megumi Hayashibara

Megumi Hayashibara

is a Japanese voice actress, singer, radio personality, and lyricist from Tokyo. She is currently affiliated with Aksent. Her nicknames include: Megu-san, Megu-nee, Bara-san, Kakka, and Daijin...

in the Japanese series. His English voice actors are Amanda Winn-Lee during the series and movies, Mandy Clark

Mandy Clark

Mandy Clark is an American voice actress, primarily noted for her role as Tomo Takino in the English-language dub of Azumanga Daioh. She auditioned for ADV Films in the year 2000 without prior drama training, and landed her first episode role in Excel Saga. She went on hiatus from voice acting...

in the "Director's Cut" episodes, and Monica Rial

Monica Rial

Monica Jean Rial is an American voice actress, ADR Director, and Script Writer who works for Funimation Entertainment, ADV Films, Seraphim Digital, and OkraTron 5000...

in the Rebuild of Evangelion series. In the manga, he is the result of a genetics

Genetics

Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....

experiment at Misato's former workplace, and she adopted him after the experiment's conclusion rather than let him be euthanised

Animal euthanasia

Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...

. His wingtips have retractable claw

Claw

A claw is a curved, pointed appendage, found at the end of a toe or finger in most mammals, birds, and some reptiles. However, the word "claw" is also often used in reference to an invertebrate. Somewhat similar fine hooked structures are found in arthropods such as beetles and spiders, at the end...

s, which normal birds do not have.

Mana Kirishima

is the main focus of Girlfriend of Steel

Girlfriend of Steel

, also known as Neon Genesis Evangelion: Iron Maiden, is a video game based on the Gainax anime/manga series Neon Genesis Evangelion, released officially only in Japan.-Releases:...

, 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 somewhat more on par with the Evangelions', to whom they bear a resemblance in design compared to the Jet Alone robot. 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. She is voiced by Megumi Hayashibara

Megumi Hayashibara

is a Japanese voice actress, singer, radio personality, and lyricist from Tokyo. She is currently affiliated with Aksent. Her nicknames include: Megu-san, Megu-nee, Bara-san, Kakka, and Daijin...

.

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.

Other characters from Girlfriend of Steel

(Seiyu: Hiro Yuki

Hiro Yuki

is a Japanese voice actor.He is part of the voice actor quartet Weiss which also consists of Weiss Kreuz voice castmates Tomokazu Seki, Takehito Koyasu, and Shinichiro Miki....

) (Seiyu: Tetsuya Iwanaga

Tetsuya Iwanaga

)
These two boys are test pilots for the Trident alongside Mana Kirishima.

Mayumi Yamagishi

is the new character introduced in the Sega Saturn

Sega Saturn

The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...

game Evangelion 2nd Impression. 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). She is voiced by Kyoko Hikami

Kyoko Hikami

is a Japanese voice actress who was born in Kobe. She is part of the voice actress trio Furil which also consists of Wedding Peach voice castmates Yūko Miyamura and Yukana Nogami.-Notable voice roles:*Sudou in Atashinchi...

Miscellaneous Nerv technicians

In both the game and manga of , three new female Nerv technicians are introduced: Seiyu: Ai Shimizu

Ai Shimizu

is a Japanese voice actress who is employed by Haikyou. She also has a career as a singer an signed to Lantis. She has released 14 singles and four albums. She covered Yumi Matsutoya's "Toki o Kakeru Shōjo" as the B-side of her first single "Angel Fish" in 2003...

Seiyu: Maria Yamamoto

Maria Yamamoto

is a Japanese voice actress and singer.-Voice actress roles:Maria Yamamoto's roles as a voice actress include the following.* Amazing Nurse Nanako, as Nanako* Cinderella Boy, as I Lyan Rain* Chance Pop Session, as Nozomi Kaihara...

Seiyu: Yui Horie

Yui Horie

is a popular Japanese singer and voice actress. She is sometimes affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans.She hosts a radio show called and is the founding member of the singing group, Aice5. She is also a member of the band Kurobara Hozonkai, with the name YUIEL...

Reception

The character designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto

have also contributed to the popularity of Evangelion. Sadamoto's attractive designs of the three main female leads, Asuka, Rei and Misato, led to extremely high sales of merchandise (especially of Rei, the "Premium Girl"), and they have been immortalized in the dōjinshi

Dojinshi

is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels. Dōjinshi are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry. The term dōjinshi is derived from and . Dōjinshi are part of a wider...

community,

Animage: Anime Grand Prix awards

The various characters of Neon Genesis Evangelion have been occasionally awarded placement in the Anime Grand Prix, an annual reader's choice award contest hosted by Animage

Animage

is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine which Tokuma Shoten began publishing in July 1978. Hayao Miyazaki's internationally renowned manga, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, was serialized in Animage from 1982 through 1994...

magazine.

19th Annual Anime Grand Prix (1996)

The following results were published in Animage (June, 1996), volume 228, shortly after the conclusion of the original broadcast.

Creation and conception

Children

Shinji Ikari

Rei Ayanami

Asuka Langley Soryu

Toji Suzuhara

Kaworu Nagisa

Mari Illustrious Makinami

Gendo Ikari

Kozo Fuyutsuki

Misato Katsuragi

Ritsuko Akagi

Ryoji Kaji

Makoto Hyuga

Maya Ibuki

Shigeru Aoba

Naoko Akagi

Yui Ikari

Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu

Keel Lorenz

Kensuke Aida

Hikari Horaki

Pen Pen

Mana Kirishima

Other characters from Girlfriend of Steel

Mayumi Yamagishi

Miscellaneous Nerv technicians

Reception

Animage: Anime Grand Prix awards

19th Annual Anime Grand Prix (1996)

See also