Theory and Analysis:Rei Ayanami (In-Depth)
- In-depth page split from the Rei Ayanami article.
Rei's name
The following table details a few ways Rei Ayanami's name can be spelt and their meanings in English.
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Rei's design and character
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, one of the founding members of Gainax and the character designer for the television series created Rei.
Sadamoto speaks in an interview, which was published in volume 2 of the official manga, about the sources of inspiration and the influences that shaped Rei's design.
| “ | The first time you see Rei, she is all bandaged up. The group Kinniku Shojo Tai has a song called Hotai de Masshiro na Shojo [The Girl White with Bandages]. When I heard that song, an image popped into my mind; I thought, "I'd like to draw a girl like that," and then I drew Rei from that image. | „ |
Further into the interview Sadamoto says the following.
| “ | I played around with this character I called "Ukina." She came from a story I wrote a long time ago for NewType magazine called Koto no Oni [The Orge on the Desert Isle]. You take Ukina, give her shaggy, bobbed, wolf-like hair, and it's Rei. Really, I just played with her a bit -- with the way the eyes are drawn. The basic character is the same. Her character was locked in as translucent -- like a shadow, or the air. The kind of girl you can't touch. The girl you long for, but there is nothing about her that you can hold. | „ |
In the same interview Sadamoto tells us why Rei has red eyes.
| “ | There were two things that went into the decision to make her eyes red: one is the fact she didn't have enough outstanding features, and the second is from a business standpoint, the makers of the Eva computer game wanted her differentiated from the other characters. | „ |
In the Der Mond artbook another interview is printed where Sadamoto talks about the characters generally, and makes mention of Rei's place in relation to them.
| “ | I designed the characters so that their personalities could be more or less understood at a glance. For example, even the color and length of the hair expresses personality. I thought that Asuka would occupy the position of an "idol" in the Eva world, and that [Asuka and] Shinji should be just like the relationship between Nadia and Jean. And then I set Rei as the opposing "Ying" portion. It was my idea to have her wrapped in bandages. | „ |
We also learn from Der Mond that Rei was at some point in the pre-production stages of the show called Yui Ichigo.
Another side to the story in Rei's character design lies further back in the pre-production stages of the series when she had much darker hair and lacked her characteristic red eyes.
- See Proposal, pages 21 and 24.
In terms of Rei's character Hideaki Anno is quoted as saying the following during the May '07 issue of The Atlantic Monthly.
| “ | Rei is someone who is aware of the fact that even if she dies, there'll be another to replace her, so she doesn't value her life very highly. Her presence, her existence, "ostensible existence," is ephemeral. She's a very sad girl. She only has the barest minimum of what she needs to have. She's damaged in some way; she hurts herself. She doesn't need friends. | „ |
In the same interview Anno explains why he thinks Rei, and other characters like her, are popular in Japan.
| “ | Anno understands the Japanese national attraction to characters like Rei as the product of a stunted imaginative landscape borne of Japan's defeat in the Second World War. Japan lost the war to the Americans. Since that time, the education we received is not one that creates adults. Even for us, people in their 40s, and for the generation older than me, in their 50s and 60s, there's no reasonable model of what an adult should be like. | „ |
Anime
Rei has few possessions. Rei possesses her school uniform which consists of a dark green pinafore with long shirt and a red ribbon, along with a hospital gown which she sleeps in (see End of Evangelion). Rei has a standard school satchel that is organised neatly as opposed to Asuka's. Rei has a pair of white plimsoll shoes that she wears to school and a pair of brown slippers that she wears in her apartment. Rei owns white socks but is never seen wearing them. Rei owns predominantly white underwear but also possesses mauve and beige coloured underwear. Rei has five books on top of her dresser, all of which are heavily indexed with pieces of paper suggesting her extensive study of them, the same dresser where Rei places Gendo's glasses when she does not have them on her person.
Rei is disinterested in school, seemingly spending the majority of the school day looking out the window, yet Rei can read German and has an interest in genetics which she reads books about during the school lunch break. One of the books we see her reading in episode 8 contains illustrations of RNA/amino acid translation codons and a plasmid. Toji says Rei has had no friends at school since she started during the 7th grade. Rei is often absent from Class 2-A later in the series as she spends more and more time in the Dummy Plug Plant.
Gendo's glasses act for Rei as a security blanket, helping her through the Eva-00 activation experiment. Rei cherishes Gendo's glasses as they act as a symbol for someone caring about her well being (even while Gendo's actions to save Rei can be interpreted very differently), which Shinji Ikari chips away at in the series, most notably when he cleans her apartment and Rei says "thank you", words which she realises she has never used, not even with Gendo.
Rei's activation history with Eva-00 is peppered with disaster. It took Rei seven months for her to first synchronise with her Eva. Despite this Rei is charged with the job of piercing Lilith with the recovered Spear of Longinus, she is also charged with destroying the Angel Armisael with the Spear of Longinus. Rei also knows of true nature of the Project E better than any of the other Children. Rei, in comparison to Asuka, is much better informed as to layout of Nerv and the Geofront judging from Episode 11. Rei is well informed on Nerv's operational procedure compared to the other Children.
Rei dislikes eating meat. Series creator Hideaki Anno as well as Nadia from Gainax's previous work Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water are known for being vegetarians.
Episodes
Rei appears in episodes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
Rei is sortied in Eva-00 in episodes: 6, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, 23
Episodes 1 to 8
Episode 1
Rei being badly injured and in pain, to the extent where she couldn't even sit up, from the activation experiment with Eva-00 prompts Gendo Ikari to summon his long-abandoned son, Shinji Ikari, to Tokyo-3 to pilot Evangelion Unit-01 to fight against the Angel Sachiel.
Episode 2
Rei is wheeled pass Shinji on a bed marked with the number 008, mirroring episode 1, in Nerv's hospital. Rei looks at Shinji angrily as she passes, Shinji says nothing.
Episode 3
Rei receives an emergency call from Nerv that the Angel Shamshel is approaching before the air-raid alarm of Tokyo-3 sounds.
Rei has crutches propped up against her school desk in this episode but isn't seen using them.
Episode 4
In Episode 04 we learn that Rei is likely composed of particle-wave matter judging from the spectrum scan that Ritsuko performs on her. The spectrum scan is similar to the wave-pattern scan of Shamshel that Ritsuko shows Shinji and Misato. In the image of the scan we can also see markings across Rei's body that are also present on Eva-01. See image to right.
Rei being composed of particle-wave matter is further reinforced during End of Evangelion when she re-grows her own arm a la Eva-01.
During the preview for episode 5 Misato says:
| “ | Misato: Rei Ayanami limits her association with others as much as possible. The only one she seems to open up to is Commander lkari. Shinji is at a loss to understand how this girl can be closer to his own father than he is. | „ |
Episode 5
Rei lives alone in apartment 402. Her apartment is part of a large block of apartment buildings on the western edge of Tokyo-3 that is in the process of being demolished.
During Episode 05 it becomes patent just how little Rei values her own personal space and comfort. Shinji walks into her apartment and falls on top of Rei as she is naked, it should be kept in mind that during this scene is the first time they actually spoke to each other. Shinji, later in the same episode, tries to apologise to Rei. Rei is only roused when Shinji speaks disparagingly about his own father, and slaps him. Rei from here on is often seen during Shinji's psychedelic sequences as questioning him about his father, often defensively.
During episode 5 we learn what Shinji's classmates think of Rei and that she has had no friends since starting school.
| “ | Toji: Come to think of it, she hasn't had any friends since she started here in the seventh grade.
Kensuke: There's just something about her that makes her hard to approach. Toji: She's probably just got a lousy personality. |
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Ritsuko says Rei is like Shinji's father in that Rei is a nice girl, but that she is "not very adept at living".
Rei, during the beginning of the series, seems happy only when she is with Gendo, who opened the super-heated Entry Plug hatch with his bear hands to make sure Rei was alive after the failed activation experiment with Eva-00. Rei treasures a pair of Gendo's glasses that were warped and cracked by the heat of the LCL during this incident. Rei takes Gendo's glasses with her into the Entry Plug during the re-activation experiment which helps to calm her and thus the re-activation experiment is successful. After the re-activation is complete Rei tilts her head back in the plug and a number of air bubbles escape her mouth, this indicates that Rei had held her breath throughout the entire activation experiment, showing how nervous she was. The only other time we see bubbles issuing from a pilot's mouth in the entry plug is during episode 1, where Shinji tries to hold his breath when the plug is first filled with LCL. Rei also takes Gendo's glasses with her into the Entry Plug prior to the fight with Ramiel, as she believed she was going to die during the battle.
Rei smiles as she recalls when Gendo came to her aid during the failed activation experiment as she puts on her plugsuit in changing room R-0.
Rei curiously watches Eva-01 as it is prepared for combat against Ramiel.
During the preview for episode 6 Misato says:
| “ | Misato: Shinji is saved, but his injuries cause him to act spoiled. Rei pushes him away. | „ |
Implying that Rei knows that Shinji is trying to get her sympathy by acting weak and Rei rejects his attempts.
22 days prior, Rei participated in Eva-00's activation experiment in Test Facility 2. When the process of synchronization reached phase 3, approaching the absolute borderline, Eva-00 suddenly went berserk and the entry plug was auto-ejected. Rei was badly injured as a result of the ejection of the entry plug, her left arm and eye being damaged. This damage is mirrored in Eva-01 during the fight with Sachiel.
Episode 6
Rei waits for Shinji to recover in Nerv's Central Hospital, she has Gendo's glasses on her lap.
Rei retrieves the Self Propelled Positron Cannon in Eva-00.
Rei briefs Shinji on Operation Yashima. When Shinji says he doesn't want to pilot Rei challenges him by saying Ritsuko can re-write Eva-01's data files, Rei's intention to get Shinji to pilot in this scene is made more clear in the official manga.
Rei describes her reason for piloting an Eva as "a bond," not just to Gendo, but "with all people".
Rei smiles at Shinji, pan up to moon.
Episode 7
Rei appears briefly in this episode in class 2-A when Misato Katsuragi shows up for Shinji's parent-guardian teacher meeting.
Episode 8
Episode 8 is the only episode in the entire TV series in which Rei doesn't appear.
Episodes 9 to 16
Episode 9
Rei really doesn't like being disturbed while reading! Asuka introduces herself to Rei in an obnoxious way and Rei doesn't take too kindly to her. Rei glares angrily at Asuka as she introduces herself.
| “ | Asuka: Hello! You must be Rei Ayanami, the pilot of the prototype. I'm Asuka! Asuka Langley Sohryu. I'm the pilot of Eva Unit 02. Let's be good friends!
Rei: Why? Asuka: Because it'd be convenient, in lots of ways. Rei: If I'm ordered to, I will. Asuka: Talk about odd. |
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Rei's line "if I'm ordered to, I will" is Rei essentially saying "the only way I'm ever going to be friends with you is if I'm forced to."
In this episode Rei is seen reading a book written in German that contains an illustration of a plasmid.
Episode 10
Rei appears at the start of this episode in a white swimsuit.
Rei offers to take Asuka's place as pilot of Eva-02 when Asuka is too embarrassed to pilot it. This implies Rei can synchronise with any of the current Evangelions.
Episode 11
There are a number of funny moments between Rei, Asuka and Shinji during episode 11. Rei eventually takes over the role of leading the Children to the Cages after Asuka leads them around in a large circle.
Here, Asuka summarises her thoughts about Rei.
| “ | Asuka: This First Child is scary! She's the type who will do anything to accomplish her objectives. In other words, a self-righteous bitch. | „ |
Rei voices one of her iconic lines at the end of this episode.
| “ | Rei: Man has always feared the darkness, carving away at it with fire. | „ |
Episode 12
During episode 12 we learn that Rei doesn't like eating meat. Rei orders "garlic ramen with no roast pork," giving us a rare glimpse into what Rei enjoys eating!
Rei shouts at Asuka to bring her A.T.F. to maximum, the only other time Rei shouts during the TV series is during episode 16 when Shinji is absorbed into the Angel Leliel.
Episode 13
The Children do not feature heavily during this episode. We yet again see Rei's unabashedness at being naked.
The Angel Ireul in this episode attacks Rei's simulation body first.
Episode 14
Rei has a tendency to speak in universal, rather than personal, terms, possibly reflecting the origin of her soul. One of the best examples of this occurs during the second half of Episode 14 with a monologue that has Rei exploring her character and the nature of Creation. For one interpretation of Rei's monologue see the Rei's Monologue page.
During this episode the unit interchangeability tests between Eva-01 and Eva-00 allow Project E to begin work on the Dummy Plugs, which the vessels of Rei in the Dummy Plug Plant are said to be a central component of.
When Eva-00 goes berserk in this episode it appears to Misato to be trying to attack Rei herself, but Ritsuko Akagi believes that it was actually after her.
At the end of this episode Rei is seen carrying the recovered Spear of Longinus to Terminal Dogma.
Episode 15
Shinji openly voices his thoughts about Rei reminding him of his mother, and her potential for being a good mother in the future. Rei blushes from this comment and nervously looks around. Rei may be blushing because she is embarrassed by Shinji's comment that she'd make a good housewife, and so implying that Shinji would like her as a housewife, or, judging from her nervous glance, that Shinji is getting "too close to the truth" for comfort.
Rei in this episode displays an acute sense that she shares with Kaworu (as seen in Episode 24 D.C.) of being able to tell when she is being watched judging from her line:
| “ | Rei: You've been looking at me all afternoon because you wanted to ask me that? | „ |
At the beginning of this episode Gendo mentions to Kozo that Project E has begun work on the Dummy Plugs, which the soulless Rei vessels in the Dummy Plug Plant are said to be a central component of.
At the end of the this episode Rei is seen in the Dummy Plug Plant for the first time.
Episode 16
During episode 16 Rei appears very concerned that Shinji has been absorbed into Leliel.
Rei gets ticked off by Asuka badmouthing Shinji and questions Asuka's motivations for piloting an Eva.
Episodes 17 to 24
Episode 17
Rei appears briefly alongside Gendo discussing school, Rei mentions she will be spending some time with Ritsuko Akagi, this is possibly in relation to the Dummy Plug project.
During this episode it is revealed that the Dummy Plug prototype has been completed.
Rei is embarrassed by Shinji cleaning her room for her, and reflects on her first use of the words "thank you" to someone else. This episode marks the first overt instance of Rei becoming more alienated from Gendo.
| “ | Rei: Thank you... Words of gratitude. Words I've never used. I'd never even said them to him. | „ |
Episode 18
Rei approaches Toji Suzuhara after learning that he will be the pilot of Eva-04. Toji illuminates Rei to that she may care about Shinji.
| “ | Toji: Oh, Ayanami, if you're lookin' for Shinji, he ain't here. [...] You don't usually care 'bout people.
Rei: Really? I'm not sure I understand. Toji: The one you care about's Shinji. Rei: Do I? You may be right. Toji: Yeah, you do. |
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Rei hesitates in destroying Eva-04 because she knows Toji is in it.
Episode 19
Rei voices her concern for Ikari's health to Asuka and the subject of dreams (see End of Evangelion) come up. Rei doesn't seem to know what a dream is, or at least isn't familiar with the term in it's usual sense.
Rei questions Shinji defensively about his father as he dreams. Toji is also present in the same space and wonders what he's doing there, suggesting people who have piloted Evangelions all have some connection to that space.
Eva-01 rejects Rei and the separate Dummy Plug of her thought patterns during this episode.
Rei attempts to destroy the Angel Zeruel with an N2 mine, badly damaging her Eva in the process.
Episode 20
Rei appears briefly in this episode at the start with the line "I'm still alive," is Rei disappointed that she is still alive?
Rei features heavily during Shinji's psychedelic sequence will absorbed in Eva-01.
It is revealed that Gendo named Rei with that name because his wife, Yui, would have named the daughter they might have had Rei.
Episode 21
Rei I appears as a child of five years in the year 2010 during this episode 21. Gendo Ikari accompanied Rei I on a tour of Gehirn's facilities and the GeoFront. Gendo may act as Rei's guardian during the show. Rei I is introduced to Naoko and Ritsuko Akagi within the superstructure under Tokyo-3 by Gendo Ikari, who introduces her to them as the "daughter of a friend." Naoko Akagi notes the physical similarity between Rei I and Yui Ikari, which is especially evident in her younger form.
The night before Gehirn was dissolved and became the 1st Branch of Nerv Rei I had become lost and encountered Naoko on the bridge of the Command Center. Rei I, after rejecting Naoko's help called her an "old hag", and told her that Gendo himself called her that in private; that Gendo's relationship with Naoko was a fraud and he was simply just using her. In a fit of frustration and rage, Naoko strangled and killed Rei I. Naoko then committed suicide by throwing herself onto Balthasar (which she described as "herself as a mother" earlier in the same episode), one of the three Magi supercomputers below the top tier of the Command Center.
Episode 22
Rei reveals her knowledge about the Evangelions to Asuka.
| “ | Rei: The Eva won't move unless you open your heart.
Asuka: Are you saying that my heart is closed?! Rei: Yes, the Evas have souls. Asuka: Those puppets?! Rei: You should know that. |
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Rei also says another one of her iconic lines during this episode.
| “ | Rei: I am not a puppet. | „ |
Preview for episode 23.
| “ | Misato (OFF): Eva Unit 00 is possessed and violated by an Angel. Rei chooses death of her own will in order to protect Shinji
from the Angel's corrosion. She disappears along with New Tokyo-3, turning into light and heat. Next time: "Tears" |
„ |
Episode 23
When her mind and body are penetrated via bio-fusion by the Angel Armisael during Episode 23, Rei was made to truly feel and examine the loneliness and sorrow that are said to be "the form of her heart". Immediately after this Rei shed tears for the first time in her life. Rei II self-destructs Eva-00 using MODE: D of the Dummy System, paving the way for Rei III in the second half of Episode 23.
A disheveled room in the Third Annex of the Artificial Evolution Laboratory is said during Episode 23 to have been the place where Rei I was "born". This room has a resemblance to the apartment Rei II later lives in, as Shinji comments upon during Episode 23, see image to left. The Artificial Evolution Laboratory is located deep within in the bowels of Central Dogma in which Project E began.
In this episode it is revealed that the soulless Rei vessels in the Dummy Plug Plant are "the core of the Dummy System."
Ritsuko says that Rei's subconscious is composed of "water and light."
It is very probable that part of the soul of "Rei Ayanami" (actually, the soul of the Angel Lilith) from Rei I was used as the soul inside of Eva-00. This may explain the difference in personality between Rei I and Rei II, as Rei II was "missing" parts of her soul/personality. A corollary of this theory is that after Eva-00 was destroyed, the fraction of the soul of Rei/Lilith taken for use in Eva-00 was reunited with the whole. This would explain why Rei III is more emotional than Rei II (crying when she returns to her room, when Rei 2 only cried for the first time right before her death), and is no longer totally obedient to Gendo Ikari (going so far as to break Gendo's glasses from Episode 05 which Rei II cherished), her loyalty leaning more towards Shinji.
Episode 24
| “ | Rei: Why am I here? Why am I alive again? For what? And for whom? The Fifth Child... That boy... I feel as if he's the same as me. Why? | „ |
Rei III discovers she possesses the soul of Lilith as evidenced by her actions in this episode. Rei III produces an AT Field strong enough to block out all subatomic particles and electromagnetic radiation, including light.
End
Episode 25 & 26
The Case of Rei Ayanami, in combination with Rei's Monologue gives us the best window into Rei's character, motivations, and world-view.
When the three Reis confront each other during Instrumentality they question how all of them can simultaneously be Rei Ayanami and Rei II replies that's merely because others call them Rei. Are the three Rei's separate from each other? How much of a role does Rei I and Rei II play in Rei III's actions?
Rei I cuts right to the heart of the matter.
| “ | Rei I: No, you are a person whose false soul was created by the human named Gendo Ikari. You're nothing but an object living a lie, pretending to be a person. See? There's a dark part of your heart inside you that you can see nothing of, that you know nothing of. That's where the real you is. | „ |
The dark place in Rei's heart that Rei II and III are not aware of is likely Lilith. Rei II and III reject Rei I's assertion and say that they came to be Rei by the bonds they have made with other people, the bonds that have shaped them over the course of time.
| “ | Rei I: But the real you is somewhere else. You just don't know it. Because you don't want to see it. You're just avoiding it without realizing it.
[...] You're afraid of ceasing to exist. You're afraid of being erased from everyone's hearts. |
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Rei I plays a pivotal role during the last two episodes as a harbinger of the unpleasant truth for Rei II and III. Rei II and III have built their conceptions of their identity upon the "the thing others call Rei Ayanami" yet Rei I states that is not their true identity, and that II and III are merely afraid that they will lose their identity and the bonds that have shaped that identity, Rei II and III's response to this is quoted below:
| “ | Rei III: No, it makes me happy. Because I want to die. What I desire is despair. I want to return to nothingness.
Rei II: But I can't. I cannot return to nothingness. He won't let me return. Rei III: He won't let me go back yet. Rei II: I existed because he needed me. Rei III: But it's over now. He's not going to need me anymore. He's going to abandon me. I thought I had wished for that day to come, but... Now, I am afraid. |
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Rei II wants to return to nothingness through death, yet Gendo continually brings her back into another vessel each time she dies until his plan comes to fruition, yet Rei III is now afraid of that happening. Rei III wishes for her world and her interactions with others to continue, yet her actions in End of Evangelion speak of her acceptance of her fate until Shinji triggers something in her mind.
End of Evangelion
Rei III turns away from Gendo and towards Shinji Ikari at the last moment in End of Evangelion, passing the ability to decide the fate of all souls involved in Instrumentality to him. Rei's definite betrayal of Gendo is first marked when Rei III destroyed the glasses that Rei II cherished. For speculation on Rei's relationship with Gendo see Rei's relationship with Gendo.
In either case Rei's fate was the same: to bring Lilith's soul "home". Though the image of Rei appeared in various forms during Third Impact, it is unclear how much of the Rei that was formed by interactions with the Lilim survived in Lilith, and whether it was Rei or Lilith interacting with Shinji during Instrumentality.
Rei I is seen for the last time when all three Rei stand together at the site of Gendo's death during End of Evangelion.
Rei shares her blue hair with Eva-01, the only offspring of Lilith, as we see towards the end of End of Evangelion.
Manga
In the manga adaptation by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Rei's character comes off as being a much warmer and more open, at least with regards to Shinji. Her initial reaction to Shinji is largely the same as in the anime, but she soon becomes Shinji's romantic interest. It is very clearly implied that Rei is romantically interested in Shinji, asking him to hold her hand more than once.
Unique to the manga, she pilots Eva-01 against Sachiel and loses, her injuries being a direct result of the defeat.
Shinji shows revulsion towards Rei after her death and sudden resurrection, as well as after seeing the soulless copies of her in the Dummy Plug Plant.
Shinji, at this point, still has romantic feelings towards Rei. Since the manga is not complete as of this writing, it remains unknown how her relationship with Shinji will play out.
Stages
Stages 1 to 4
Stages 5 to 8
Stages 9 to 12
End
Notes
- Rei II and III's height is 145cm.
- List of all pages and resources relating to Rei:
