Ryoji Kaji

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Ryoji Kaji
加持 リョウジ
Rank / Title	-------------------
Affiliation(s)	Nerv, Seele, Japanese Government
National Heritage	Japanese
Relations	Misato Katsuragi (lover)
Age	30
Birthday	06/17/1985
Seiyū	Koichi Yamadera
Voice Actor	(English): Aaron Krohn (TV and films), J. Michael Tatum (Rebuild) (Italian): Francesco Prando (French): Patrick Laplace (German): Marcel Collé

Ryoji Kaji is a triple agent, working for Nerv, Seele, and the Japanese Government. He and Misato Katsuragi were lovers when they were in college. Some time after their breakup, Kaji began working for Nerv in Germany, where he met Asuka Langley Soryu. Although a triple agent, he has been said to have his own agenda, to "search for the truth". Since returning to Japan, he has tried to get close to Misato once again.

Character Summary

Arrival in Japan

Main articles: Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10

Kaji's first appearance on the series is in episode 8 "Asuka Strikes", where he accompanies Asuka in her dispatchment to Tokyo-3 (and unbeknowsnt to most people, to bring the sample of Adam to Gendo among other reasons). He enters the bridge uninvited, and reminded of such by the captain, casually commenting to Misato that "[she] is as gallant as ever" in his typical easy-going demeanor. In response Misato seems very surprised, shocked, and displeased to see him. When Misato questions him on what he is doing here, he answers that he is accompanying Asuka and is on a bussiness trip from Germany. Afterwards Kaji, Misato and the children are inexplicably all on the ship's lunchroom together, where everyone except Kaji seems to be displeased with the situation to some degree. Kaji teasingly asks if Misato's got a boyfriend, to which she sullenly replies that it's none of his business. Kaji seems to be completely unfazed by Misato's attitude and response, and calmly asks Shinji if he lives with Misato, and upon hearing confirmation asks if she "still toss and turns in bed" with a completely straight face and a confident smirk. After the smug satisfaction of having successfully predicted Misato's reaction, he lets Shinji know is "pretty famous" on his circles, citing the data of his first battle agaisnt Sachiel. He then tells Shinji that "Luck is a part of your destiny. It's your talent." and gets up from the table.

Afterwards, he asks Asuka her opinions on "Mister Shinji Ikari", to which she replies that she finds him boring and expresses dissapointment at at the Third Children. Kaji once again points out that Shinji's sync ratio was well over 40% in combat, which surprises Asuka. On his part Shinji comments that he found Kaji "pretty lively and funny", apparently having caused a positive impression on the lad. Moments after the start of Gaghiel's attack, Kaji observes from afar with a grave demeanor and says to himself "So an AT field can't be penetrated with this kind of firepower." while holding a un-specified red colored object in his hands. Eventually he's on a phone conversation with Gendo, observing the battle situation from what seems to be his room, where there is some sort of suitcase and travelling bags in the center of the room. Some time after finishing the phone conversation with Gendo (the conclusion of which he doesn't seem very pleased with), he prepares to take-off in a Yak-38 custom plane saying that he "got something to deliver". He tells Katsuragi to "take care of the rest of this", in a similar way to how Gendo tells Fuyutsuki to "take care of the rest".

Investigation on Nerv and re-encounter

Main articles: Episode 11, up to Episode 14

Relationship with Misato and Shinji

Main articles: Episode 15, Episode 16

Cynical father figure

Main articles: Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19

Final operations and last stand

Main articles: Episode 20, Episode 21

Profile

At first glance, Ryoji Kaji (almost exclusively addressed by his family name) appears to be one of the more well-balanced characters in the series, with an amicable, teasing manner and a wry smirk. While there’s little that could truly refute that, Kaji keeps guarded enough about his own past and motivations that one is left unsure about a lot of things.

He has a philosophical side, one that leans towards pessimism about human interaction, but also of support for the individual capacity to take action. In Kaji's view, people can’t really understand themselves, perhaps not even each other, and completely understanding people is impossible. This might relate to the bleaker themes of the series, though Kaji himself presents it with a slight smile.

Kaji also is negative about the relationships between the sexes, stating that there is a river dividing men and women, one deeper than the ocean. Though some might read this particular belief as an accurate observation of human nature, it still fits with the rest of Kaji’s views of human interaction in general.

Kaji has a melon patch which he enjoys taking care of, remarking on how much can be learned from nurturing something, and that it was a place where he’d like to be when he died. When Shinji visits him at the melon patch, Kaji says that knowing pain makes it easier to be kind to others, which was different from being weak.

Kaji is killed at the end of Episode 21 by an unseen shooter. Presumably a Seele agent.

Kaji's Relationship with Misato

Kaji, shortly after he and Misato began dating

Kaji originally had a relationship with Misato before the series took place, but Misato broke up with Kaji after realizing how much like her father he was, though Misato’s descriptions of her father as an emotionally weak workaholic seem to be the opposite of Kaji’s personality. Perhaps there was a hidden side to Kaji, or to Dr. Katsuragi. During the course of the series, both characters meet up again, sharing wry remarks with each other and even come back together for a time, as is shown in Episode 15 onward. Kaji's relationship with Misato may have been more distant than it appeared. When Kaji became aware that rescuing Fuyutsuki from Seele would be his last assignment, he left a message on her answering machine saying, “If I ever get to see you again, I'll say the words I wasn't able to say eight years ago”. Also, they always refer to each other by their family names. Kaji also tries to get Misato to accept the decisions she made in her past, but is less than successful.

Kaji's Relationships with Other Characters

Kaji seems to flirt with Ritsuko at the beginning of Episode 09, which might confuse some first-time viewers into thinking they have a romantic past together. However, nothing revealed during the rest of the series ever implies that Kaji was seriously flirting with Ritsuko, and specifically flashbacks in Episode 21 to when Kaji, Misato, and Ritsuko were in college do not suggest anything of the kind. Kaji is merely "fooling around" here, as he was when he flirted with Maya Ibuka later in the series. (in a more overt example of the "casual guy" mildly flirtatious attitude he exudes in many other episodes of the series) quite possibly to arouse jealousy out of Misato on purpose to tease her. Kaji ignores Asuka’s infatuation with him, believing that Asuka is too young.

Shinji looks up to Kaji as a sort of mentor, and accepts behavior in him that he would disapprove of in other characters. For instance, in Episode 08 when Kaji asks him about Misato's sleeping habits, implying that Shinji and Misato might be in a sexual relationship and simultaneously implying that he is intimately familiar with these habits as well, Shinji just laughs. If anyone else asked him that same question he would probably have stuttered with embarrassment, barely able to get out a denial.

In episode 19, it's Kaji who convinces Shinji to fight, telling the temporarily ex-pilot during the attack by Zeruel that only he can pilot, and he must make that choice for himself, and consider everything so he will have no regrets, thus encouraging Shinji to return.

In Rebuild

SPOILER WARNING! This article or section contains spoiler information from Evangelion media that has been recently released and/or is of limited distribution. Do not read any further if you do not want to spoil your experience of said media.

Kaji is seen in Evangelion 2.0 at Bethany Base along with Mari and brings Gendo an object called Nebuchadnezzar's Key. He appears to be working as a multiple agent for Nerv, Seele, and at least one other, as-yet-unknown party, and is involved with Mari and her own mysterious plans. While in the Geofront, he "fools around" with Shinji and asks him to protect Misato, since he can't do so on his own. When the abortive Third Impact is initiated, Kaji seems to understand the implications of the event and anticipates trouble from Seele.

Kaji in Other Media

In Sadamoto's Manga

Unlike the anime, which is silent about Kaji's past before he met Misato, Sadamoto's Manga has a Kaji backstory chapter, in which we learn that he was in a post Second Impact gang of looters, and when captured he betrayed his friends to their deaths.

In the Manga version of Kaji's death scene, he is portrayed as being already wounded, and instead of saying, "Hi, you're late!", he says "Try to aim better this time". Kaji's assailant in the manga wears white gloves and has an open collar, implying that Gendo might be the culprit. In the anime this scene ends with the fatal gunshot, but in the manga it continues to show Kaji's long dead gang coming for him. While we won't know for sure this is the case until the final manga stages are published, he is almost certainly seeing them the same way other characters see Yui, Misato, or Ritsuko during Third Impact. That is, this is probably Sadamoto's way of preparing us for Kaji's participation in Instrumentality.

The manga includes a chapter in which Kaji tells Shinji that Gendo is being backed by an ancient organization called Seele, and that Gendo and Seele both have agendas beyond defeating the Angels.

Manga Notes

• In Sadamoto's Manga, Kaji is depicted driving a Lotus Elan 1600 S1.

Notes

• "Kaji" literally means "Rudder", fitting with the nautical theme naming of the series.
• The given name "Ryoji" is only heard when Kaji is refered to by his full name. Even Misato, his ex-girlfriend, uses his family name, calling him "Kaji-kun" (including later on when she isn't mad at him).
• "Ryoji" is derived from the given name of Ryoji Sadawa, the hero of Minako Narita’s manga Aitsu.

References

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