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.
Summary
Birth and Naming
Shinji is Gendo's only child with Yui. While Shinji is inside Eva 01, he hears a memory of Yui and Gendo discussing what their child will be named. Gendo chose the name "Shinji" for a boy, and "Rei" for a girl.[1]
Abandonment
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Gendo abandoned Shinji some time after Yui disapeared into Eva-01, sending him to live with his "sensei". A recurring visual associated with this an image of a young Shinji, crying next to a train line. During a dreamscape inside the angel Leliel, this image is expanded on with one of Gendo walking away from the platform, his back to Shinji, suggesting that this was the place where Gendo personally abandoned Shinji.[2]
Additionally, in the Leliel dreamscape, Shinji is accused of running away from the relationship himself. It is suggested that the young Shinji's own reaction to Gendo's trial for Yui's murder was a factor in their poor relationship.[3] During the his dreamscape inside Eva 01, Shinji openly accuses Gendo of having killed Yui[4].
Subsequent to this abandonment, Gendo and Shinji did appear to make yearly visits to Yui's grave on the anniversary of her "death". On the last of these -- three years before the series begins -- Shinji ran away from the graveside and did not meet Gendo again[5].
Reunion in Tokyo-3
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Shortly after the Eva 00 Accident, with Rei incapacitated, Gendo summon's Shinji to Tokyo-3 to act as a backup pilot.
On his arrival at Nerv HQ, when Misato asks Shinji for his ID card, Shinji hands her the letter Gendo sent. All of the printed words on the letter have been erased with black highlighter, replaced with a handwritten message in the same from Gendo which reads "COME -- Gendo Ikari". Moreover, Shinji has scribbled over Gendo's words in red pen and torn up the paper out of frustration at his father, later taping the pieces back together(Perhaps after getting a load of Misato's picture!).
Later, while he is inside Eva 01, it is revealed that Shinji's original intention in coming to Tokyo-3 was to tell Gendo that he hated him[6].
Following Sachiel's attack, Shinji is brought to Eva-01's Cage to meet his father, who is standing above in the control room. Gendo orders Eva 01 to sortie. When it becomes clear that Shinji is the intended pilot, he still asks Gendo why he has been summoned, after his previous abandonment, and with no prior notice. Gendo explains that he has need of Shinji now, and that Shinji will be shown how to pilot, but when Shinji persists in declaring that he is unable, Gendo loudly issues an ultimatum: Pilot the Eva now -- or leave. Shinji is stunned by this, and afterwards cannot muster the courage to pilot.
Gendo ascertains the situation, then orders Rei to pilot Eva 01, as her "spare" Shinji is "unusable". Shinji, recalling his abandonment, concludes that he was not needed all along.
Shinji eventually does agree to pilot, after seeing Rei's sufferring, and after being saved from falling hanger lights by Eva 01 -- which drew a confident smirk from Gendo. However, Shinji later recalls this encounter, and Gendo's cold ultimatum to "leave", on several occasions.
"Natural to be Apart"
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Shinji and Gendo live separately in Tokyo-3 and rarely interact with one another. While leaving the hospital after his first sortie against Sachiel, Shinji encounters Gendo at an elevator. The pair silently stare, not speaking a word, with Shinji eventually turning away, refusing to enter the elevator with his father.
Shinji is initially assigned to live on his own, though he is instead taken in by Misato. When Ritsuko asks about this, Fuyutsuki explains to her that for Gendo and his son, it is more natural to live apart than together[8]. When Shinji attempts to leave Tokyo-3, Gendo makes no effort to stop or dissuade him.
While touring Shamshel's remains, Shinji sees the burns on Gendo's hands, and learns from Ritsuko that they were the result of Gendo's rescue of Rei during the Eva 00 accident. Later in Eva Cages, to his amazement, Shinji witnesses Gendo and Rei speaking cordially together.
During Gaghiel's attack, Gendo tells Kaji that he has sent Shinji as a reserve pilot. During the mission to capture Sandaphlon, Shinji learns Gendo has ordered the UN Forces to bomb the area with N^2 weapons if the mission fails.
Phone Call
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Shortly before the blackout at Nerv and Matarael's attack, Shinji calls Gendo from a payphone somewhere in the city above. After being placed on hold by an operator -- and subjected to phone system chimes -- Shinji is connected to a curt and impatient Gendo. Shinji requires a few seconds to find his voice, then hesitantly tells Gendo that the children in school have been asked to tell their parents of an upcoming career discussion interview. While Shinji has taken this literally, Gendo contemptuously dismisses the notion, telling Shinji that he has delegated such matters to Misato, who is now Shinji's guardian. As Gendo tells Shinji not to call him again over such trivialities, the phone line is cut off as power fails.
Praise from Gendo...
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| Praise from Gendo... | ||
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Yui's Graveside
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Eva 03
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Fallout and Crisis
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Shinji inside Eva 01
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Lockdown
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Gendo's Confession
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Assessments and Interpretations
Shinji still longs for words of praise from Gendo[9], despite the times his father has abandoned him. It is a very vicious cycle; Shinji will yearn for praise and be continually disappointed until it is given, which lulls him into a false sense of security only for Gendo to swoop down and ruin it.
References
- ↑ See Episode 20.
- ↑ See Episode 16. Young Shinji: You're the one who ran away. Man (OFF): That's right! He may be guilty of killing his own wife! MAN (OFF): He killed his own wife!
- ↑ See Episode 16.
- ↑ See Episode 20. Shinji: Damn! Damn! Damn! How dare you hurt Toji and kill my mother! Father!
- ↑ During Episode 01, Fuyutsuki comments that Shinji and Gendo have not seen each other in three years. Additionally, in Episode 15, Gendo states that it has been three years since he and Shinji have been at Yui's grave together, with Shinji admitting that he ran away back then.
- ↑ See Episode 16.
- ↑ See Episode 02
- ↑ See Episode 02
- ↑ Episode 12
