User talk:ObsessiveMathsFreak/Shinji Ikari ReEdit

Shinji Ikari
碇 シンジ
Rank / Title	Third Children (Rebuild): Third Boy
Affiliation(s)	Nerv
National Heritage	Japanese
Relations	Yui Ikari (mother), Gendo Ikari (father), Rei Ayanami (clone of mother)
Age	14
Birthday	06/06/2001
Seiyū	Megumi Ogata
Voice Actor	(English): Spike Spencer (Italian): Daniele Raffaeli (Brazilian): Fábio Lucindo (French): Donald Reignoux (Spanish): Victor Ugarte (German): Hannes Maurer

Shinji Ikari is the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-01, is the main protagonist of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Much of the story of Evangelion centres around Shinji's personal struggles, with piloting Eva, and with his relationships with others.

Character Summary

Early Years

Shinji as an Infant

Shinji is the only child of his father Gendo Ikari, and mother Yui. He was born in 2001, in the year after after Second Impact. His name was chosen by Gendo. At the age of 3, he witnessed his mother's "death" in her Contact Experiment with Eva-01. A year or so later, while still very young, he was abandoned by his father Gendo, and sent away to live with a Teacher("Sensei").

Arrival in Tokyo-3

In 2015, Shinji is summoned to Tokyo-3 by his father Gendo, now the Commander of Nerv. On the way, Shinji encounters the 3rd Angel Sachiel and is rescued by Misato Katsuragi, who then brings him down into Geofront and Nerv Headquarters, and then to Eva-01's hanger to meet his father. There Shinji is asked to pilot Unit-01 and fight the Angel. Shinji initially refuses; but after an injured Rei is brought in as a substitute, and after Eva-01 rescues him from falling debris, Shinji resolves Not to run away, and agrees to pilot the Evangelion.

Shinji's fight against the Angel goes badly until Eva-01 sustains critical damage, and afterwards goes berserk. In its berserk state, Unit-01 defeats Sachiel. Shinji suffers temporary amnesia, waking up later in Hospital, where later has silent encounters with both Rei, and his father. He only recalls the battle later in a flashback.

Arrival in Tokyo-3

After this first battle, Shinji is taken in by Misato, who becomes his guardian. The two live together in Misato's apartment, along with Pen Pen. Shinji becomes the designated pilot of Eva-01. He undergoes training for this role, under Ritsuko and Misato, but is under-enthused.

Shinji is assigned to school in Class 2A, alongside Rei, and with Kensuke, Hikari and Toji as classmates. Toji, whose sister was injured during the Sachiel fight, gives Shinji a beating in school, blaming the Eva pilot for his sister's condition.

Three weeks after the first attack, the fourth Angel, Shamshel, attacks Tokyo-3. Shinji sorties in Eva-01, but the battle goes poorly for Nerv when Shinji loses his nerve to fight and is tossed into a mountainside by Shamshel, almost killing Toji and Kensuke who have snuck out to watch the battle. To save their lives, Misato orders Shinji to let the pair into Eva-01's entry plug. Once aboard, Toji and Kensuke witness Shinji's struggles and suffering as he disobeys Misato's order to retreat, and fights and defeats Shamshel. Toji is overcome by guilt.

Hedgehog's Dilemma; Shinji runs away from home

Hedgehog's Dilemma

Following the battle, Shinji is ubraided by Misato for ignoring her orders. Though he agrees to continues piloting, he takes time off school, and after five days runs away from home, leaving behind a letter for Misato along with his Nerv security card.

Shinji spends a whole day riding around the Tokyo-3 loop line train, listening to his SDAT. At night he sleeps in a theatre, and the next day, takes a bus to the country, and wanders the mountains overlooking the city, eventually coming to cliff-edge at a famous suicide site.

As night falls, Shinji continues his wanderings and bumps into Kensuke who is out camping by himself. The two spend the night inside Kensuke's tent, but in the morning Nerv security agents arrive to take Shinji into custody. He is brought before Misato; but while he agree to pilot Eva-01 to please others, Misato rejects this attitude and tells him to leave.

Shinji's is taken to a train station to be shipped out of Tokyo-3. There he meets Toji and Kensuke, who have heard he was to leave. As an act of contrition, Toji begs Shinji to strike him, as payback for Shinji's earlier beating. The trio briefly bond.

The train arrives at the station, but upon recalling Misato's words of support, Shinji does not board. As the train pulls away, Shinji sees Misato, who has rushed to the station. They reconcile at the station.

Shinji and Rei

Shinji and Rei

Shinji is taken by Misato and Ritsuko to observe the disposal of Shamshel's remains. There he observes the burns on Gendo's hands, and learns of Gendo's rescue of Rei during the Eva-00 activation experiment. Later Shinji is stunned when he observes Gendo and Rei talking cordially together.

While having dinner with Misato and Ritsuko in Misato's apartment, Shinji is asked by Ritsuko to deliver a security card to Rei. Shinji goes to Rei's dilapidated apartment complex, and enters her even more dishevelled room. There he discovers his father's glasses, and as he tries them on, a naked Rei silently emerges from her bathroom, leading to a very awkward situation.

And embarrassed Shinji follows an unphased Rei to work and is eventually able to deliver her security card. On the long escalator down, Shinji tries to talk to Rei about piloting Eva-00. But when the conversation turns to Gendo, and Shinji's disapproval of him, Rei silent rounds on Shinji and slaps him in the face.

Following Rei's successful reactivation of Eva-00, the fifth angel Ramiel appears and approaches Tokyo-3. Shinji sorties, but Eva-01 is immediately blasted by Ramiel's powerful energy beam and barely escapes destruction. Shinji is hospitalised for several hours. He is woken by Rei who informs him that they are both to participate in Operation Yashima. Shinji is reluctant, but when Rei declares that she can take his place, he changes his mind. Just before the operation begins, the pair talk again about Rei's reasons for piloting.

During Operation Yashima, Shinji uses the JSSDF's re-purposed Automated Positron Rifle and all the electrical power in Japan to defeat the angel. After Eva-01's first shot misses, Shinji is defended from Ramiel's counterattack by Rei in Eva-00. Shinji's second shot destroys the angel, but Eva-00 is badly melted. Shinji rushes to rescue Rei, in a parallel to Gendo's earlier rescue. On finding her safe, Shinji is tearfully overwhelmed; Rei is confused, but on Shinji's suggestion she -- reminded of Gendo -- breaks into a deep smile.

Shinji and Asuka

Shinji and Asuka

Shinji continues to live with Misato and pilot Eva-01, becoming more comfortable with his life in Tokyo-3, though is still ignorent of many of its mysteries. He is eventually informed by Ritsuko of the true details of Second Impact, and that the official story is a cover-up. When Shiro Tokita's J.A. unit is sabotaged and threatens to destroy a populated area, Shinji pilots Eva-01 to assist Misato in her attempts to board and disable J.A. before it explodes.

Shinji is taken by Misato to meet the Pacific Fleet as it escorts Evanagelion Unit 02 (and Adam) to Tokyo-3. There he encounters Eva-02's pilot, Asuka, who is less than impressed with Eva-01's pilot. He also meets Kaji for the first time. When the sixth angel Gaghiel attacks the fleet, Shinji and Asuka both board Eva-02 to battle it, but end up falling into sea where the Eva's B-Type equipment makes combat impossible. Following Misato's plan to sink two battleships right down the angel's maw, Shinji and Asuka are able to focus their thoughts enough to get Eva-02 to force open Ramiel's mouth leading to its destruction. The pair break their own Synchronisation records in the process.

On arrival in Tokyo-3, Asuka is assigned to school in Class-2A with Shinji and the rest. When the seventh angel Israfel attacks, Eva-01 and Eva-02 are dispatched to defeat it before it makes landfall. However, when Israfel splits into two parts, Shinji and Asuka are humiliatingly defeated, and the angel is temporarily halted by the [[UN] with an N² bomb.

Based on a plan of Kaji's, Misato decides to have Asuka live with herself and Shinji so that the two can learn to work with the perfect unison required in order to defeat the Angel. The arrangement starts off poorly, with Shinji and Asuka resenting their living arrangements and matching dance outfits. However, when Misato threatens to replace Asuka with Rei, Asuka resolves to work harder at her unison with Shinji, and their performance imporves. On the night before the battle, Asuka sleepwalks onto Shinji's futon; he attempts to kiss her, but stops but after she calls in her sleep for her mother, after which Shinji realise Asuka is just a child too. The next day, their unison perfected, Shinji and Asuka sortie in Eva-01 and Eva-02, and successfuly defeat Israfel with a simultaneous attack on both of its cores. The plan is a complete success, apart from the Evas ending up in a heap and the pilots bickering over whose fault it was.

Shinji in Tokyo-3

Shinji in Tokyo-3

During the summer, Shinji, Asuka and Rei are required to miss the school trip on account of their piloting duties. During Nerv's operation to attempt to capture the eighth angel Sandalphon, Shinji's serves as backup while Asuka descends into a magma pit. The operation fails, though the angel is later destroyed. Asuka and Eva-02 are almost lost, but Shinji leaps into the magma in Eva-01 to save them both. Afterwards, Misato takes the pair to a nearby hot-spring.

Just before the blackout at Nerv, Shinji tries to call Gendo to inform him of an upcoming Parent-Teacher meeting in school. Gendo dismisses this, telling Shinji that all such responsibilites have been delegated to Misato, and not to bother him with such matters again. During the blackout, Shinji, Asuka and Rei have to manually infiltrate Nerv HQ, discovering along the way that the ninth angel Matarael is attacking the base. Once inside, Shinji learns that his father has been working to manually prepare the Eva's for launch, in the belief that the pilot's would arrive. All three Evangelions sortie under emergency power, and work together to defeat the angel.

Shinji and Asuka continue to live with Misato. Shinji's synchronisation with Eva-01 continues to imporve much to Asuka's annoyance. When Kensuke notices that Misato has been promoted to Major, the children throw a party for her at the apartment, though Shinji is a little unused to being around so many people. He asks Misato why she joined Nerv; she claims to have forgotten, but later reveals that she joined Nerv to both avenge her father, and in part to break free of his spell.

While Commander Gendo is absent from Nerv, Tokyo-3 is attacked from orbit by the 10th angel Sahaquiel, which jams all communications and threatens to destroy Tokyo-3 by falling on it like a giant bomb. Misato orders the city evactuated, and all three Evangelions again sortie in order to catch the Angel as it falls. With a burst of speed, Eva-01 catches the angel first and holds it in place until Eva-00 and Eva-02 arrive to dispatch it. After the battle, Gendo personally praises Shinji by name for his actions. Later while out eating Ramen, Shinji reveals to Misato that he pilots Eva to hear such words from his father.

Shinji takes part in the autopilot tests with the simulation bodies, along with Asuka and Rei in the Pribnow Box. During the tests, the 11th angel Ireul infiltrates the Pribnow Box and attacks. Shinji and the other pilots are evacuated, as Nerv deals with the angel without using the Evangelions.

Shinji later takes part in an interchangeability test, and he tries to pilot Eva-00 for the first time. During the test Shinji feels the presence of something trying to dive into his mind, after which Unit-00 again goes berserk, trying to attack the control room. Shinji wakes later in hospital, apparently remembering nothing of the incident.

Shinji and Gendo

The anniversary of Yui's Death is coming up, and Shinji is due to visit her graveside with his father. While Class 2A are cleaning their schoolroom, Shinji stares intently at Rei while she wrings a cloth. Later in an elevator, Shinji tries to ask Rei what Gendo is like, but she claims not to know. When Rei asks Shinji why he was staring earlier, he says that the way she was wringing the cloth was like a mother. Later in Misato's apartment, Shinji reflects on Gendo, and Misato tries to encourage him for his graveside visit the next day.

The next day, Shinji and Gendo visit Yui's graveside marker to lay a wreath of flowers. Shinji has not been there in three years, having run away on the last occasion. Gendo and Shinji converse about Yui, how there is no body at the graveside, and how Gendo has destroyed all pictures of her, but keeps everything in his heart. A Nerv VTOL arrives to collect Gendo, and Shinji catches a glimpse of Rei on board. As Gendo makes to depart, Shinji calls out to say he was glad to have spoken with his father today; Gendo responds briefly and the pair depart seperately.

Later at home in Misato's apartment, Shinji places his cello. Asuka arrives home and applauds his performance. Shinji tells her that he first started on his Teacher's instruction, and continues because no-one ever told him to stop.

During the evening, while Misato stays out late with Kaji, Asuka asks Shinji if he wants to kiss, saying she is bored, and eventually manages to persuade Shinji to agree. The pair kiss, but Asuka holds Shinji's nose until he turns blue and has to break off. Asuka runs off to the bathroom, and washes out her mouth declaring that kissing is not a great way to pass time. Kaji arrives home with a drunken Misato, Asuka becomes downcast on smelling Misato's perfume, but tells Shinji she is so because she kissed him.

Shinji synchronisation results continue to improve until eventually he passes Asuka to gain the highest synchronization ratio. He is congratulated by Misato, but Asuka is secretly enraged. Shinji confidence improves so much, that later when the 12th Angel Leliel attacks, Shinji decides not to wait for back up from Eva-00 and Eva-02, and attacks Leliel without support in Eva-01. When the Angel's spherical form turns out to be an illusion, Eva-01 is sucked into the Angel's "shadow" as Shinji screams for help.

Shinji is trapped "inside" the Angel, within the Dirac Sea, cut off from outside communication as the Eva's power supply and life support systems slowly begin to give out. As more time passes. the LCL purification system fails, and Shinji is overwhelmed by the smell of blood and panics, banging on the entry plug and calling out for help from Misato, Asuka, Rei, Ritsuko and even Gendo.

Still trapped in Leliel, Shinji finds himself in a Dreamscape, faced by a younger boy in a dusk-lit train carraige. A voice, pesumably the boy's, forces Shinji to confront his relationships with others and in particular with his father. Shinji is forced to recall his abandonment by Gendo, and memories of the scandal surrounding Yui's death. Shinji wakes in the entry plug, finding life support systems have now completely failed, believing this is the end. As he gives in Shinji sees a vision of a long haired woman in the entry plug, who he presumes is his mother Yui, and also sees a vision or memory of his mother from the past.

As Nerv prepare to destroy Leliel with their remaining Eva's and 992 N^2 mines, to everyone's shock, Leliel's shadow suddenly splits open, and despite being completely without power, a berserk Eva-01 tears it ways out of the Angel's upper sphere, bellowing amidst sprays of blood. Shinji's entry plug is opened by a tearful Misato, relieved to find him still alive. Shinji later wakes in hospital, with Rei at his bedside, and is surprised when she mentions the very same words heard from Yui in the entry plug.

Misato later refuses to allow Shinji to be interrogated by The Committee about his time inside the Angel. The committee asks whether the Angel attempted to communicate, but Misato claims that nothing in Shinji's report suggests this.

When Evangelion 04 and Nerv's Second branch in Nevada are destroyed, Shinji remains uninformed, both about the incident, the impending arrival of Eva-03 to Tokyo-3, and the selection of the Fourth Child. Shinji's life continues as normal in Class 2A, with the rest of his classmates. When Toji is asked to deliver a printout to an absent Rei, he asks Shinji to accompany him. The two travel to Rei's Apartment, finding no-one home upon entering. When Shinji decides to clean her room, Toji remarks on what a different impression he has of Shinji now than when they first met. When Rei returns, surprised that Shinji has cleaned her room, she awkwardly thanks him, later reflecting that she has never done so with Gendo.

When Shinji comes upon Misato and Kaji in Nerv HQ, he is invited by Kaji to drink tea. While sitting on a bench in the Geofront Shinji express some disappointment in Kaji's lack of seriousness. Kaji decides to show Shinji something special, and takes him to a secret garden patch in the Geofront where Kaji has been growing melon plants. While Kaji waters the plants, the two discuss what can be learned from such expieriences, and about Shinji's knowledge of suffering.

While at school, Toji is asked by Ritsuko to become the Fourth Child, and Pilot of Eva-03, though the others remain unaware of this. Shinji learns from Kensuke that Eva-03 is coming to Japan, and will be tested in Matsushiro, and that Eva-04 and Nerv second branch have been destroyed, none of which Misato has told Shinji anything of. When Misato is about to depart for the test, Shinji puts these questions to her, and tries to ask her about the selected pilot, but is interrupted by Kensuke, who has arrived at the apartment to (unsuccessfully) beg to be selected as the pilot.

Later at home, Shinji and Asuka are being looked after by Kaji while Misato is away. Shinji tires to learn the pilot's identity from Asuka, but she refuses to tell him. That night, Shinji tries to ask Kaji what his father Gendo is like, as Kaji is frequently with Gendo. Kaji tells Shinji that the Vice Commander is most often with Gendo. The two also discuss Misato.

Crisis

The next day during its activation test at Matsushiro, Eva-03 is taken over by the 13th angel Bardiel, and Misato and Ritsuko are caught up in the explosion. Commander Gendo assumes tactical control of Nerv, and orders Shinji, Asuka, and Rei to sortie in their Evangelions, and to intercept Eva-03/Bardiel, which is advancing on Tokyo-3. When Asuka and Rei are both defeated by Bardiel, Shinji is left alone to face the Angel in Eva-01.

However, Shinji is unable to fight when faced with the prospect of having to consequently kill the pilot who is still trapped inside. Bardiel, facing no resistance, proceeds to begin to throttle Eva-01. Despite Gendo's attempts to get him to fight, Shinji refuses, preferring to die himself rather than kill another person.

Gendo then orders Eva-01's control switched over to the Dummy System. Control is switched, and Shinji is left powerless to stop Eva-01's actions as the dummy system proceeds to destroy Eva-03 and Bardiel in a particularly brutal fashion. Over Shinji's pleas for Gendo to stop, Eva-01 tears out and crush Eva-03's entry plug in its right hand. Later, Shinji discovers that the pilot was indeed Toji, when he sees him being removed alive but severly injured from the smashed entry plug.

Upon returning Eva-01 to Nerv HQ, an Shinji seals himself inside Eva-01, threatening to destroy Headquarters and demanding that Gendo explain himself. Gendo orders the LCL pressue in the plug to be maximised, and Shinji is knocked unconscious. While recovering in hospital alongside Shinji, Toji apparently witnesses Shinji and Rei in the dreamscape train, arguing over Shinji's actions and his relationship with Gendo.

Shinji is imprisoned is subsequently brought before Gendo in handcuffs to explain his insubordination. Shinji declares that he no long wants to pilot an Eva anymore, and that he wishes to leave Tokyo-3 and return to live with his teahcer. Gendo allows this, telling Shinji he is disappointed to find him running away, and that they are unlikely to meet again. Shinji states that this is his intent.

Misato takes Shinji to a train station to depart, and reveals to him that all of his classmates in Class-2A where potential Evangelion pilot candidates. While Misato offers to maintain his Nerv security pass and security card, Shinji asks her not to, saying he will never pilot Eva-01 again. Misato is struck by how frankly he is speaking.

Before Shinji can leave, Tokyo-3 is attacked by the 14th angel Zereul, and Shinji is lead to a civilian shelter. Meanwhile, Eva-01 refuses to accept commands from either Rei or the Dummy Plug system, and Nerv is left to face the Angel with only Eva-02 and a damaged Eva-00. Asuka sorties in Eva-02, but is defeated by Zeruel. Eva-02's severed head crashes into Shinji's evacuation shelter, forcing the civilians out into the Geofront. Once outside Shinji meets Kaji at his garden patch, and learns that if the Angel makes contact with Adam in Terminal Dogma, all humanity will be destroyed in Third Impact. Shinji witnesses Rei make a desperate Sortie in a damaged Eva-00, detonating an N2 mine, but to no effect, with Eva-00 being subsequently struck down. Kaji reminds Shinji that only he can pilot Evangelion, and tells him to make his own decisions about what to do next.

As the attack continues, Shinji runs down to Eva-01's hanger in order to pilot again. At the hanger, he encounters Gendo, standing over the Eva-01 as in their first encounter. When Gendo asks why Shinji has come, Shinji replies that he is the pilot of Eva-01.

Zeruel penetrates Nerv HQ and Central Dogma and almost destroys the Command center before being stopped just in time by Shinji in Eva-01. The angel severs Eva-01's arm, but Shinji manages to get Misato to use the Evangelion Launch System to move the fight out into the Geofront. But before Shinji can win, Eva-01 runs out of power. As Zeruel proceeds to methodically smashes at Eva-01's now defenceless core, Shinji desperately pleads with the Eva to move, so that no-one else will die. At his final scream, Eva-01 suddenly awakens, stopping Zeruel's attacks and wrenching off part of the Angel to restore its severed arm. Eva-01's synchronisation rate is revealed to have reached over 400%, and Shinji is later found to have vanished inside the entry plug, having been absorbed by Eva-01. Only his plug suit remains.

Shinji spends 30 days trapped inside Eva-01 while Nerv comes up with a salvage plan to rescue him. Nerv surmised that Shinji is alive, but his matter is dissolved in the LCL inside the entry plug. Meanwhile, Shinji expieriences an extended dreamscape in which he examines his relationship with Gendo, Yui, and his reasons for piloting Eva-01. After 30 days, Nerv attempt to salvage Shinji, but the attempt fails due to Shinji's own reluctance to return. The entry plug opens, spilling out the LCL containing Shinji's former matter and plug suit. Howver, Shinji is still alive, now fully absorbed into Eva-01. He experiences a flashback to his early infancy, remembering his mother. As Misato weeps, cradling the empty plugsuit, Shinji is reconstituted, intact and alive, out through Eva-01's exposed core.

Descent

Shinji returns to duty, but Eva-01 is placed under lockdown by Gendo, to satisfy The Committee. Shinji also returns to Misato's apartment, but home life becomes difficult. After Kaji's death, Misato breaks down crying after hearing Kaji's Kaji' last message on her answering machine. Though Shinji hears her crying, he is unable to do or say anything, and retreats to his room, realising he is still a child.

Shinji's relationship with Asuka also begins to break down. When Arael attacks from orbit, Eva-02 and Asuka are mentally attacked and incapaciated. Shinji asks to sorties in Eva-01 to rescue her, but Gendo refuses, maintaining the lockdown, and instead has Rei use the Lance of Longinus to destroy the Angel. Asuka is infuritated that she had to be rescued by Rei.

When Armisael attacks, Eva-00 is infected by the angel, and Asuka is unable to synch with Eva-02 to mount a rescue. As Eva-00 and Rei continue to be taken over, Gendo lifts the lockdown on Eva-01, and Shinji is allowed to sorties to rescue Rei. The rescue fails when Armisael attempts to take over Eva-01 as well, and to prevent this, Rei inititates Eva-00's self destruct, which destroys the Angel, Evangelion 00, and apparently herself. Shinji is stunned. Later he tells Misato that though he is sad, he finds himself unable to cry, and when Misato tries to comfort him, he refuses her contact. Upon learning that Rei is "alive", Shinji rushes to the hospital, noticing that his father is not there. He tells Rei that he is relieved she is alive, and thanks her for saving him from the angel, though Rei does not remember doing so.

Shinji later recieves a call from Ritsuko, informing him that his movements are no longer restricted. Shinji is lead to Terminal Dogma, and there witnesses Misato surprise Ritsuko at gunpoint. Ritsuko then leads the three on a tour of Nerv's secrets in Terminal Dogma. Ritsuko shows Shinji and Misato Rei's birthplace, and also the Eva Graveyard where she reveals to Shinji that he witnessed his mother's dissappearance during her contact experiment with Eva-01. When the three reach the Dummy system, Ritsuko reveals the tank of floating Rei's, and gives a monologue on the secrets of the Nerv and the Evangelions. After this Ritsuko destroys the floating Rei's, and asks Misato to kill her. Misato refuses, causing Ritsuko to break down. Shinji witnesses the entire event.

Shinji and Kaworu

Afterwards, Shinji reflects on the connection he has felt between Rei and his mother Yui. Further developments leave Shinji friendless and alone after Toji and Kensuke leave Tokyo-3, Asuka runs away from home, and as he can no longer face either Misato or Rei. While contemplating this, Shinji first meets Kaworu Nagisa who is humming a tune by the lake shore. Kaworu is quick to befriend Shinji, and reveals immediately that he is the Fifth Child. Following synchronisation tests, Kaworu meets Shinji who is loitering outside Central Dogma, as he is reluctant to return to Misato's Apartment. Kaworu invites Shinji to bathe in the Nerv public baths. In the baths, Kaworu tells Shinji that while his avoidance of contact with others means he will not be betrayed or hurt, it also means he will always be lonely. Kaworu touches Shinji's hand, and declares that he admires Shinji's sensitive nature, and that he even loves Shinji. Having nowhere else to go, Shinji later stays in Kaworu's room for the night. At Kaworu's prompting, Shinji begins discusses his life before coming to Tokyo-3, and his feelings about Gendo. Shinji wonders why he is doing so; Kaworu declares he may have been born to meet Shinji.

Later when Kaworu seizes Eva-02, taking it down to Terminal Dogma, Shinji is ordered to pursue in Eva-01. Shinji initially cannot believe that Kaworu is an Angel, and regards Kaworu as having betrayed his trust like Gendo. During the pursuit, Shinji tries to persuade Kaworu to stop but is forced to grapple with Eva-02, and witnesses Kaworu's AT Field in action. He also witness the effects of Rei's AT Field. Kaworu reaches Terminal Dogma, finding Lilith. Shinji defeats Eva-02 and, seizes Kaworu in Eva-01's hand. Kaworu, having decided not to proceed with his original plans, tells Shinji choosing that choosing to die the only absolute freedom there is, and asks Shinji to kill him, so that humanity will not be destroyed. Shinji hesitates for a long time, but eventually crushes Kaworu in Eva-01's hand. Afterwards, at the lake shore, Shinji tells Misato that Kaworu was the one who should have survived instead of himself.

The End of TV

Shinji spends the majority of EoTV in an extended Dreamscape.

Profile and Relationships with Other Characters

See Shinji (Profile)

Shinji is a complicated, damaged, but compassionate individual. The death of his mother, and especially his abandonment by his father have left Shinji with difficulties in his relationship with others, and with himself.

Relationships

With his Father

See Gendo and Shinji (Relationship)

Gendo and Shinji have one of the most complicated, and central relationships in all of Evangelion. The relationship is ostensibly one of mutual distance, but underlying feelings -- positive and negative -- remain.

With Misato

See Misato and Shinji (Relationship)

Misato is Shinji's guardian during his time in Tokyo-3, and also his commanding officer. Her status as adoptive parent is always in conflict with other aspects of their relationship.

With Asuka

See Asuka and Shinji (Relationship)

Asuka is one of Shinji's love interests, but the pair tend to have a very complicated personal and professional relationship.

With Rei

See Rei and Shinji (Relationship)

With Kaji

See Kaji and Shinji (Relationship)

With Kaworu

See Kaworu and Shinji (Relationship)

Toji, Kensuke and Hikari

See Shinji and Toji (Relationship)

See Kensuke and Shinji (Relationship)

See Hikari and Shinji (Relationship)

Shinji in Other Media

See Shinji Ikari (Rebuild Character)

See Shinji Ikari (Manga Character)

In other Eva-based Manga

The Shinji Ikari Raising Project manga portrays Shinji as acting more like his manga counterpart since he's more confident about himself. Shinji here also is something of a pervert, which goes along with Shinji's personality in the possible world sequence of Episode 26 as well as Girlfriend of Steel 2 video game Shinji.

In the Girlfriend of Steel 2 manga, however, Shinji acts like his anime self, to the point where he doesn't have the perverted side of his personality that the Girlfriend of Steel 2 video game Shinji has. He also still acts shy and introverted around others, although he's friendly.

Trivia and Notes

• "I mustn't run away" ("Nigecha dameda!" in Japanese) becomes a trademark line delivered by Shinji starting in Episode 1. According to Hideaki Anno, this was the phrase that came to him that inspired him to keep working on and finish Evangelion.

• XTC is the name found on the back of Shinji's shirt in Episode 22, which refers to a band in the real world by the same name. This New Wave band covers many of the themes that are associated in Evangelion. See example, Making Plans for Nigel.

Sadamoto showing how to draw Shinji.

• According to an interview with Yoshiyuki Sadamoto featured in volume 2 of the manga, Shinji’s design is a male version of Sadamoto’s design for Nadia, the title character from Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, which Hideaki Anno also directed.

• In Episode 16, it's revealed that Shinji doesn't know how to swim.

• Shinji's birthday is the same day as his seiyu Megumi Ogata. This is a trait that can be found in several of the Evangelion characters, Rei Ayanami being an exception.

• The two songs usually played on Shinji's SDAT are: Track 25 for "You are the only one" and Track 26 for "Blue Legend", respectively. The songs are from "Lilia from Ys", an image album for the "Ys" RPG series. The Vocalist is Kotono Mitsuishi, Misato's seiyu. However, Episode 02 has two Eva BGM pieces playing, while Episode 23 has a different vocal song for Track 25 instead.

Theories in Brief

Theory and Analysis:Shinji and Asuka's Relationship

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