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{{Character Infobox
{{Character Infobox
| name        = Dr. Katsuragi
| name_r      = Dr. Katsuragi
| name_k      = 葛城博士
| image        = [[Image:12 C006 dr-k.jpg|260px|Dr. Katsuragi]]
| image        = [[Image:12 C006 dr-k.jpg|260px|Dr. Katsuragi]]
| age          = Unknown
| affiliation = [[Gehirn]]
| birthday    = Unknown
| heritage = [[Japan|Japanese]]
| seiyu       = N/A
| relations = [[Misato Katsuragi]] (daughter)
| seiyu = N/A
}}
}}


The mysterious '''Dr. Katsuragi''' (葛城博士) is [[Misato Katsuragi|Misato]]'s father, a dedicated and brilliant scientist up until his death on September 13, 2000 (the day of [[Second Impact]]). He is seen (scarcely) only during a brief flashback in [[Episode 12]].  
The mysterious '''Dr. Katsuragi''' (葛城博士, ''Katsuragi-hakase'')<ref>Dr. Katsuragi's full name is never revealed in the canon. Like his daughter, his surname is derived from the eponymous [[Warships_of_Neon_Genesis_Evangelion#IJN_Katsuragi.28.E8.91.9B.E5.9F.8E.29|aircraft carrier]].</ref> is [[Misato Katsuragi|Misato]]'s father, a dedicated and brilliant scientist up until his death on September 13, 2000 (during [[Second Impact]]). His only on-screen appearance was in [[Episode 12]]'s brief flashback sequence.
 
==Professional Life==
 
Dr. Katsuragi's exact field is unknown, although theoretical physics or energy research are possibilities. His work eventually resulted in the publication of the Super Solenoid (or S²) Theory in 1999<ref name=chronicle>''[[Evangelion Chronicle]]''.</ref>, which appears to have been poorly-received by the scientific community.<ref name=e21>''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]''. [[Episode 21]]'.</ref> He hoped to utilize the principles established by his theory to create a device (the "[[S² Engine]]") capable of generating limitless amounts of energy — a perpetual motion machine, effectively.<ref name=ci>''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion 2]]''. [[Classified Information (Translation)#S² Engine|Classified Information. S² Engine.]]</ref><ref name=chronicle/>
 
He was a member of the organization [[Gehirn]]. When and why he joined are unknown <ref>According to Misato in [[Episode 15]], her father was a member of [[Nerv]]. However, she seems to have been simplifying, as Nerv didn't exist until the year 2010. ''Evangelion Chronicle'' confirms that Dr. Katsuragi was, in fact, attached to Nerv's precursor organization, [[Gehirn]], which Misato herself joined prior to 2010.</ref>. In 2000, funded by [[Seele]] and with the cooperation of the [[United Nations]], he led the eponymous [[Katsuragi Expedition]] to [[Antarctica]] for the ostensible purpose of acquiring "proof" for his theory. This was obtained "inadvertently" by the expedition's discovery of the humanoid entity designated "[[Adam]]", whose innate energy source ultimately proved to operate in accordance with the S² Theory. Dr. Katsuragi's ideas vindicated thus, Adam's own "[[S² Engine]]" was utilized in the continuing effort to create an artificial one.
 
Katsuragi and the scientists beneath him were thought of poorly by [[Keel Lorenz]], who believed they were so "caught up in their dogma, they [lost] their grip on reality", and only sought self-satisfaction through the "joy of discovery" and the control brought by understanding.<ref name=e21/> Considering this, and the fact that Dr. Katsuragi remained at the base (rather than departing with [[Gendo Ikari|Gendo]] and [[Keel Lorenz|Keel]]), he was in all probability unaware of the [[Contact Experiment]]'s "true" function — one which held no regard for the lives of the research team — and Seele's intentions in general.


==Personal Life==
==Personal Life==


Dr. Katsuragi was totally consumed by his research, eventually coming to ignore his wife and his daughter, Misato.  Misato would later say that she felt her father was like a big child running away from his adult responsibilities, that he was too "sensitive and delicate" to face interacting with his family and other people outside of his work, and he became detached from reality. When Katsuragi's wife left him, he was shocked, but did not try to stop her and admitted that the failure of their marriage was his own fault.  Misato felt that her mother had made the right decision. Still, Katsuragi took his daughter with him on his research expedition to Antarctica to study the Angel [[Adam]], and when Second Impact occurred he sacrificed himself to save Misato's life by putting her in the last remaining survival pod.
Katsuragi was a man who became utterly consumed by his work, eventually coming to completely neglect his responsibilities as a husband and a father. As a result, his wife was "always crying" in his absence, and Misato experienced a joyless childhood of being a "good girl" who helped shoulder the burdens her father left behind.<ref name=e25>''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]''. [[Episode 25]].</ref> While Dr. Katsuragi was commonly perceived as being "sensitive and delicate", Misato rejects this notion, believing him to be no more than a weak and child-like person who ran away from reality. At length, Katsuragi's wife resolved to divorce him, with Misato fully backing the decision. This development shocked Katsuragi, and the young Misato mocked him, feeling he had "brought (the situation) upon himself".<ref name=e12>''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]''. [[Episode 12]].</ref>
 
While Katsuragi presumably did not have primary custody of Misato, she was nonetheless present at the UN Base in Antarctica, where her father's research team was located. Why she was there — e.g., if Katsuragi forced her to accompany him despite the wishes of Misato and her mother, or if something happened to his ex-wife, after which he accepted custody — is a complete unknown.
 
On September 13, 2000, the research team performed an experiment on Adam that went awry. Katsuragi escaped from the site<ref>In the classified UN footage prefacing Episode 21’ and [[Evangelion: Death|DEATH]], there is a lingering shot of a tattered, blood-stained glove caught on some fencing. This appears to be the missing part of Dr. Katsuragi's left-hand glove, indicating that he had abandoned his team by that point, shortly before Adam surfaced.</ref> with Misato so that he might deliver his daughter to her best chance for survival. He and Misato were evidently caught in some kind of explosion, and, judging from Katsuragi's level of injury relative to Misato, it is possible that he used his own body to shield her from harm. In spite of his extensive wounds, he stayed alive long enough to place his daughter within the only intact escape capsule available.<ref name=e12/>


==Research==
Before he died, he passed a pendant in the shape of a Greek [[cross]] on to Misato.<ref name=e12/>  No elaboration whatsoever is provided as to what this object meant to its original owner, although Misato kept it as a memento of him, and it functions as a versatile symbol throughout the course of the series.


Dr. Katsuragi was researching his controversial [[S² Engine]] Theory, a "Super Solenoid" device capable of harnessing nearly unlimited power.  This resulted in him working with the mysterious [[Seele]] organization, and leading the expedition to Antartica to study Adam and her S² Engine, and carry out the "Contact Experiment" with Adam involving the [[Spear of Longinus]].
==Other Continuities==


It is not entirely clear if Dr. Katsuragi knew as much about what the contact experiment with Adam would result in, as Gendo and Chairman Keel did. Certainly, Katsuragi knew a grew deal about Adam. However, it is unknown just how involved in Gendo and Keel's plans he was. Katsuragi may not have known that Second Impact would result from the contact experiment (as Gendo did), or he may have thought that he had the situation under control. It does seem that after Adam awoke and was about to initiate Second Impact, Katsuragi tried as hard as he could to lessen the effects of the explosion.  Whether Katsuragi knew that Seele's actions were based on prophesies in the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] also remains a mystery.
{{expand}}
 
===[[Neon Genesis Evangelion (manga)|Manga Adaptation]]===
 
After he places Misato into the capsule, he tells her, "Take care of Mom for me." He doesn't appear to be injured in this version, making the "sacrifice" aspect more explicit.
 
===[[Rebuild of Evangelion]]===
 
Misato's father appears in a flashback to Second Impact in [[Evangelion 2.0]] and is identified by Gendo as "Dr. Katsuragi" in [[Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0]]. He and Misato watch the [[Wings of Light|wings]] of the [[Adams]] stretch up toward the sky. He places Misato in the escape capsule and passes his pendant off to her before being blown away by a shock wave. In [[Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0]] but Gendo names him as the person who had theorized the existence of the [[Eva Imaginary]] and seems highly reliant on his work to make [[Additional Impact]] come to fruition. As a result of the omission of the S2 engine and its related theory from the Rebuild of Evangelion movies, Dr. Katsuragi's role is somewhat nebulous and open to much speculation. Misato speaks of him as a weak man "consumed by his dream" and his motivations in orchestrating [[Second Impact]] are a matter of speculation, theorizing and analysis.
 
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|image1  = [[Image:Eva2-22 C0402D comp.jpg|thumb|left|Witnessing wings of Adams with Misato.]]
|image2 = [[Image:Eva2-22 C0402H.jpg|thumb|right|Misato's father with pendant.]]
|image3  =
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{{-}}
 
===[[Detective Evangelion]]===
 
The game gives him the first name "[[Hideaki Anno|Hideaki]]". He also appears older in the game than he does in the anime.
 
[[File:Detective_Evangelion_Hideaki_Katsuragi_03.png|thumb|none|250px|Dr. Katsuragi's appearance in the game]]


==Notes==
==Notes==
*Dr. Katsuragi's full name is never revealed in the canon for either Neon Genesis Evangelion or the Rebuild of Evangelion movie tetralogy. Like his daughter, his surname is derived from the eponymous [[Warships_of_Neon_Genesis_Evangelion#IJN_Katsuragi.28.E8.91.9B.E5.9F.8E.29|aircraft carrier]]. While the [[Detective Evangelion]] game gives him the given name "Hideaki", the game's blatantly non-canonical nature, completely different premise from the TV show or the movies, and non-involvement of Hideaki Anno or other production staff makes the canonical status of that name very dubious at best.
*Although he is completely silent in the original Japanese version, ADV chose to have him vocalize in their English language dub.
*[[:Image:Full-op C234 adam-spear.jpg|An image of Adam]] being excavated within the White Moon is included in the pre-[[Renewal of Evangelion|Renewal]] version of [[Episode 23]]’ and the [[01 Test-Type DVD|Full-Length Opening]] video compiled by [[Masayuki]]. Three figures stand in the foreground with their backs to the camera, and it is possible that these are actually (from left to right) Keel, Gendo, and Dr. Katsuragi.
*While Dr. Katsuragi is regarding Misato for the last time, a drop of his blood falls and spatters onto her cheek. This is probably intended to represent a "tear of blood".
*Katsuragi's final moment with Misato is directly paralleled in [[Episode 18]] when Misato wakes up and finds [[Ryoji Kaji|Kaji]] by her side.
** The situation as a whole is also heavily mirrored with Misato and [[Shinji Ikari|Shinji]] in [[Episode 25'|Episode 25’]]: Misato, who is heavily wounded and on the brink of death, entrusts Shinji with the Greek cross and places him into an enclosed space that offers the best promise of getting him to safety. Shutters close before he can truly say good-bye. Once he is out of sight, Misato collapses; shortly before she can perish from blood loss, she's killed by an explosion.
** Further parallels can be found between the deaths of Dr. Katsuragi and Eva-02 (Kyoko Soryu Zeppelin); [http://forum.evageeks.org/post/123645/More-you-never-see-this-stuff-just-once/#123645 see here]. Both absentee parents more committed to the pursuit of science than to their parental responsibilities, who ultimately end up finding redemption in crisis -- sacrificing their own bodies in an attempt to shield their children from harm.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Related Articles==
*[[Misato Katsuragi]]
*[[Katsuragi Expedition]]
*[[S² Engine]]
*[[Adam]]


*Dr. Katsuragi is completely silent during his brief appearance. (ADV, however, chose to have him vocalize in their English language dub.)
*A lingering shot of a tattered, blood-stained glove features in the classified footage shown at the beginning of Episode 21'. This is, in fact, the missing part of Dr. Katsuragi's left-hand glove.
*Dr. Katsuragi seems to stare at his left hand the moment before he collapses. Combined with the bloody glove and the closeup of his lascerated hand, this would make three instances of attention being drawn to that particular hand.
* It has been suggested that Dr. Katsuragi himself served as the donor for the [[Contact Experiment]] with Adam. ''See:'' [[Theory & Analysis: Kaworu's Origins]].


{{stub}}
{{Character List}}
{{Character List}}
[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Evangelion Characters]]
[[Category:Evangelion Characters]]

Latest revision as of 02:50, 23 May 2024

Dr. Katsuragi
Dr. Katsuragi
葛城博士
Affiliation(s) Gehirn
National Heritage Japanese
Relations Misato Katsuragi (daughter)
Seiyū N/A

The mysterious Dr. Katsuragi (葛城博士, Katsuragi-hakase)[1] is Misato's father, a dedicated and brilliant scientist up until his death on September 13, 2000 (during Second Impact). His only on-screen appearance was in Episode 12's brief flashback sequence.

Professional Life

Dr. Katsuragi's exact field is unknown, although theoretical physics or energy research are possibilities. His work eventually resulted in the publication of the Super Solenoid (or S²) Theory in 1999[2], which appears to have been poorly-received by the scientific community.[3] He hoped to utilize the principles established by his theory to create a device (the "S² Engine") capable of generating limitless amounts of energy — a perpetual motion machine, effectively.[4][2]

He was a member of the organization Gehirn. When and why he joined are unknown [5]. In 2000, funded by Seele and with the cooperation of the United Nations, he led the eponymous Katsuragi Expedition to Antarctica for the ostensible purpose of acquiring "proof" for his theory. This was obtained "inadvertently" by the expedition's discovery of the humanoid entity designated "Adam", whose innate energy source ultimately proved to operate in accordance with the S² Theory. Dr. Katsuragi's ideas vindicated thus, Adam's own "S² Engine" was utilized in the continuing effort to create an artificial one.

Katsuragi and the scientists beneath him were thought of poorly by Keel Lorenz, who believed they were so "caught up in their dogma, they [lost] their grip on reality", and only sought self-satisfaction through the "joy of discovery" and the control brought by understanding.[3] Considering this, and the fact that Dr. Katsuragi remained at the base (rather than departing with Gendo and Keel), he was in all probability unaware of the Contact Experiment's "true" function — one which held no regard for the lives of the research team — and Seele's intentions in general.

Personal Life

Katsuragi was a man who became utterly consumed by his work, eventually coming to completely neglect his responsibilities as a husband and a father. As a result, his wife was "always crying" in his absence, and Misato experienced a joyless childhood of being a "good girl" who helped shoulder the burdens her father left behind.[6] While Dr. Katsuragi was commonly perceived as being "sensitive and delicate", Misato rejects this notion, believing him to be no more than a weak and child-like person who ran away from reality. At length, Katsuragi's wife resolved to divorce him, with Misato fully backing the decision. This development shocked Katsuragi, and the young Misato mocked him, feeling he had "brought (the situation) upon himself".[7]

While Katsuragi presumably did not have primary custody of Misato, she was nonetheless present at the UN Base in Antarctica, where her father's research team was located. Why she was there — e.g., if Katsuragi forced her to accompany him despite the wishes of Misato and her mother, or if something happened to his ex-wife, after which he accepted custody — is a complete unknown.

On September 13, 2000, the research team performed an experiment on Adam that went awry. Katsuragi escaped from the site[8] with Misato so that he might deliver his daughter to her best chance for survival. He and Misato were evidently caught in some kind of explosion, and, judging from Katsuragi's level of injury relative to Misato, it is possible that he used his own body to shield her from harm. In spite of his extensive wounds, he stayed alive long enough to place his daughter within the only intact escape capsule available.[7]

Before he died, he passed a pendant in the shape of a Greek cross on to Misato.[7] No elaboration whatsoever is provided as to what this object meant to its original owner, although Misato kept it as a memento of him, and it functions as a versatile symbol throughout the course of the series.

Other Continuities

"Making something... Nurturing something is really great. You can see and learn so many things from the process."
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Manga Adaptation

After he places Misato into the capsule, he tells her, "Take care of Mom for me." He doesn't appear to be injured in this version, making the "sacrifice" aspect more explicit.

Rebuild of Evangelion

Misato's father appears in a flashback to Second Impact in Evangelion 2.0 and is identified by Gendo as "Dr. Katsuragi" in Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0. He and Misato watch the wings of the Adams stretch up toward the sky. He places Misato in the escape capsule and passes his pendant off to her before being blown away by a shock wave. In Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0 but Gendo names him as the person who had theorized the existence of the Eva Imaginary and seems highly reliant on his work to make Additional Impact come to fruition. As a result of the omission of the S2 engine and its related theory from the Rebuild of Evangelion movies, Dr. Katsuragi's role is somewhat nebulous and open to much speculation. Misato speaks of him as a weak man "consumed by his dream" and his motivations in orchestrating Second Impact are a matter of speculation, theorizing and analysis.

Dr. Katsuragi in Rebuild
Witnessing wings of Adams with Misato.
Misato's father with pendant.


Detective Evangelion

The game gives him the first name "Hideaki". He also appears older in the game than he does in the anime.

Dr. Katsuragi's appearance in the game

Notes

  • Dr. Katsuragi's full name is never revealed in the canon for either Neon Genesis Evangelion or the Rebuild of Evangelion movie tetralogy. Like his daughter, his surname is derived from the eponymous aircraft carrier. While the Detective Evangelion game gives him the given name "Hideaki", the game's blatantly non-canonical nature, completely different premise from the TV show or the movies, and non-involvement of Hideaki Anno or other production staff makes the canonical status of that name very dubious at best.
  • Although he is completely silent in the original Japanese version, ADV chose to have him vocalize in their English language dub.
  • An image of Adam being excavated within the White Moon is included in the pre-Renewal version of Episode 23’ and the Full-Length Opening video compiled by Masayuki. Three figures stand in the foreground with their backs to the camera, and it is possible that these are actually (from left to right) Keel, Gendo, and Dr. Katsuragi.
  • While Dr. Katsuragi is regarding Misato for the last time, a drop of his blood falls and spatters onto her cheek. This is probably intended to represent a "tear of blood".
  • Katsuragi's final moment with Misato is directly paralleled in Episode 18 when Misato wakes up and finds Kaji by her side.
    • The situation as a whole is also heavily mirrored with Misato and Shinji in Episode 25’: Misato, who is heavily wounded and on the brink of death, entrusts Shinji with the Greek cross and places him into an enclosed space that offers the best promise of getting him to safety. Shutters close before he can truly say good-bye. Once he is out of sight, Misato collapses; shortly before she can perish from blood loss, she's killed by an explosion.
    • Further parallels can be found between the deaths of Dr. Katsuragi and Eva-02 (Kyoko Soryu Zeppelin); see here. Both absentee parents more committed to the pursuit of science than to their parental responsibilities, who ultimately end up finding redemption in crisis -- sacrificing their own bodies in an attempt to shield their children from harm.

References

  1. ↑ Dr. Katsuragi's full name is never revealed in the canon. Like his daughter, his surname is derived from the eponymous aircraft carrier.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Evangelion Chronicle.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Neon Genesis Evangelion. Episode 21'.
  4. ↑ Neon Genesis Evangelion 2. Classified Information. S² Engine.
  5. ↑ According to Misato in Episode 15, her father was a member of Nerv. However, she seems to have been simplifying, as Nerv didn't exist until the year 2010. Evangelion Chronicle confirms that Dr. Katsuragi was, in fact, attached to Nerv's precursor organization, Gehirn, which Misato herself joined prior to 2010.
  6. ↑ Neon Genesis Evangelion. Episode 25.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Neon Genesis Evangelion. Episode 12.
  8. ↑ In the classified UN footage prefacing Episode 21’ and DEATH, there is a lingering shot of a tattered, blood-stained glove caught on some fencing. This appears to be the missing part of Dr. Katsuragi's left-hand glove, indicating that he had abandoned his team by that point, shortly before Adam surfaced.


Related Articles


Characters
Main characters: Shinji Ikari | Rei Ayanami | Asuka Langley Soryu
Nerv staff: Misato Katsuragi | Gendo Ikari | Ritsuko Akagi | Kozo Fuyutsuki | Ryoji Kaji | Maya Ibuki | Makoto Hyuga | Shigeru Aoba
Classmates: Toji Suzuhara | Kensuke Aida | Hikari Horaki
Other characters: Kaworu Nagisa | Yui Ikari | Naoko Akagi | Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu | Dr. Katsuragi | Mr. Langley | Keel Lorenz | Pen Pen
Rebuild of Evangelion: Asuka Shikinami Langley | Mari Makinami Illustrious | Sakura Suzuhara | Ryoji Kaji (Jr)
Miscellaneous: Minor Characters | Minor Characters (Rebuild) | Extracanonical Characters
Theory and Analysis: Name Origins (Warships) | Designs | Relationships | Profiles
Resources: 2015: The Last Year of Ryohji Kaji


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