Pen Pen
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Age | Unknown |
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Birthday | Unknown |
Seiyū | Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese) |
Pen Pen (sometimes Pen-Pen or Pen²) is Misato's pet, a warm-water penguin, who lives in a second freezer she keeps in her apartment. She apparently took him with her when she left her previous job.
There does not seem to be a direct real-world equivalent to the species of penguin that Pen Pen is. Pen Pen clearly possesses retractable claws (three on each "hand"), which no living bird species actually have. The closest equivalent to Pen Pen seems to be an Erect-crested Penguin. He also appears to have noticeably increased intelligence; watching television, reading newspapers, taking baths in hot springs, eating human food and drinking beer, and it seems to be subtly hinted that he has a near-human understanding of events around him. All of this suggests that Pen Pen is a new species, created through advanced genetic experimentation.
The manga adaptation of the series by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (not actually set in the same continuity as the series) does provide a more in-depth explanation of Pen Pen when he is introduced. In the manga, Misato explains to Shinji that Pen Pen was created as a test animal through genetic experimentation at a research lab she used to work at. When the experiment concluded Misato adopted Pen Pen, rather than let him be euthanized.
It is never stated how long ago Misato acquired Pen Pen.
After Evangelion Unit-00 self-destructs and destroys a large swath of Tokyo-3, much of the city is evacuated. Misato sadly sends Pen Pen away from Tokyo-3 to make sure that he will be safe, sending him to live with Hikari Horaki's family.
Notes
- Pen Pen is often the source of comic relief in episodes, and is often used as the (more or less) "mascot" of the series in promotional material.
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 |