A child who feared to care for or be cared by anyone. Afraid to live but even more afraid to die as he couldn't even take his own life. He used to run away from any and all problems that came his way until he was forced to pilot the Evangelion (Bio-Mecha) 01 by his father.

With the help of Misato Katsuragi, he had learned to open himself up to the world and to others (even massive "betrayals" like those by Kaworu Nagisa didn't set him back too far from what he had learned). His choice to become his own self and not merge with the rest of the world in the Third Impact was a drastic and major act showing how far he had come in such a short time (this presumably happens when he realizes that even though there is no "pain" in the final form, there is no pleasure either. This makes existence vague and pointless).

 Another emotional shut-in, Misato refused to let others into her life while relying heavily on drinking and her revenge on the Angels to get her though life. She was as scarred outside (from the Second Impact) as she was inside (after losing her father and Kaji).

Although she was a very able officer when she had to be, she prefered to live in dissorder and dirt.

The sole survivor of the Katsuragi Expedition and the Second Impact, she knows the truth behind what really happened in Antarctica in the year 2000, and this left her in a catatonic state for five years. Even though she never really loved her father, she dedicated her life to destroying the angels who took him from her (the cross pendant around her neck being her only keepsake of him).

While living with Shinji, she also learned how to open her heart to others, and she also gave up beer. The greatest hurdle any character had to face in the series!

After her lover Kaji was gone, she took up his quest to find the ultimate truth behind NERV and SEELE. In the end she did, but the truth was too little too late.

 An albino with a personality as bland as her skin. She is the result of an experiment that combined Angel DNA with that of Shinji's mother, Yui Ikari. She is also quite literally the backbone of the NERV Dummy Plug System.

Rei was the guinea pig in most of NERV's experiments having to do with Project E and the Human Instrumentality Project. She was a good little doll.

By the end of the story, three "Rei's" had been released into the world. The first was killed in 2010 by Naoko Akagi, the second killed herself to save Shinji's life, and the third merged with Lilith to finish the Third Impact. The first two clones showed signs of affection toward Gendo Ikari, but the third one disobeyed him and completed the Third Impact against his orders and his plans that he carefully constructed from the very beginning of NERV creation.

It has also been hypothesized that her soul is actually devired from Lilith too. This would help to explain her necessity and ease for which she was able to merge with Lilith.

It must be tough knowing that even if you die there will be a replacement.

 An emotionally overcharged powerhouse, Asuka never learned to channel her energies properly. This was brought on by the abandoning by her father and the suicide of her mother (after going crazy from a failed Eva Synchronization test) early on in her life. While the same things happened to Shinji (lost mother and a run-away father), Asuka chose a far different way of coping.

She hated Rei for acting like a doll because of the fact that as her mother slowly slipped into insanity she gave all her maternal attention to her daughter's doll believing she was loving her own flesh and blood. She then destroyed the doll in order to 'take her Asuka with her' before she hanged herself.

Asuka was a child genius who only learned what she was missing and needed in life (human love and compassion) almost too late as she died protecting NERV HQ and everybody that she cared for at the hands of the Eva series 5-13 in End of Evangelion.

 A complex man. He loved his wife, neglected his son, loved Rei like his wife, hated his lovers (Naoko and Ritsuko Akagi), and loved/hated his job.

He used people throughout his life to get what he wanted and never thought twice about it. He only cared about "the goal", and never about humanity as a whole or as individuals. His only care after his beloved Yui vanished was to stop the Angels and complete his own form of the Third Impact which would reunite him with the only being that ever truly loved him.

Only when the world was ending did he feel any regret, when he whispered that he was sorry to his son.

 Almost as unfeeling as Rei, Ritsuko based her life on logic and not emotions. Like all characters in Evangelion, she did not love her parent(s), but she fell into the same trap that her mother did. She was responsible for the Evangelion Project and was enticed along by Gendo's faux love.

This fake blonde (to show how different she was from her mother) killed all of the Rei clones to take out her revenge against Ikari Gendo for betraying her feelings - just like her mother. Instead of killing herself (like her mother) she tried to kill Gendo and the rest of NERV by self destructing the MAGI. She failed and was shot to death by Gendo.

 Gendo's beloved wife and Shiji's mother (and world), Yui disappeared while trying to synchronize with Eva-01. Her spirit resides in the Test Type Model even through the Third Impact and beyond where the Eva-01 begins its journey through eternity.

She protected her son numerous times as the man made angel, and as the albino clone-girl Rei (who also contains some faded memories of her life as Yui Ikari). As Rei, she was confused as to her own identity and individuality. She loved Gendo but also hated him for what he did to her. As Eva-01 she was one of NERV's most prized possessions, only slightly behind Lilith and Adam.

She helped Shinji to start the Third Impact by bringing Longinus' Lance back from the moon (as Eva-01), and by merging with him (as Rei) in order to help her son find the happiness that he desired.

She was the one who introduced Gendo to Gehirn and SEELE when she read the Dead Sea Scrolls and found out what Keel Lorenz was planning for humanity. She was the reason for Gendo's mad rush to beat Lorenz to the Third Impact and it's also been hypothesized that her synchro "accident" was willfully planned by her.

 He started out as a simple professor at Kyoto University when he met Yui Ikari and her boyfriend Gendo Rokubungi and his life (and history) changed forever. While he was fond of Yui (he had a crush on her), he originally could not stand Gendo.

Eventually, this quiet and logical man joined the Ikaris in their UN sanctioned organization (Gehirn) in order to find the truth behind the secret SEELE collective that was somehow responsible for the Second Impact. He soon became Gendo's number one man, and only friend.

When Yui vanished, he took it just as hard as Gendo.

 This laid-back, cool guy was a double agent who pulled too many strings to get where he eventually got. He was Misato's lover in college and again when he was transfered to NERV's main branch in Tokyo-3.

He was somewhat of Shinji's only father figure and the main focus of Asuka's affections, and although he was in love with Misato Katsugari and vice versa, they often fought like tigers when they were together.

He went too far in search of "the truth" when he betrayed first NERV and then SEELE and was shot and killed for his actions. He left all of his previous findings and all of his still unanswered questions for his old lover to find out.

 A ruthless and dangerous man to cross, Keel Lorenz made it his business to decide the fate of mankind. He started the mysterious world organization, SEELE, in order to proceed with his Human Compliment Project and lead mankind down its final path to the perfect unified form, whether mankind was ready or not.

He was the oldest human being known to exist and was probably the "Wandering Jew" of Christian legend (the soldier who spit upon Christ at the Crucifixion and as punishment was made to walk the earth until the Apocalypse), which might explain how he was able to come to possess the Spear of Destiny (aka: the Lance of Longinus). 

He finally got his wish when the End of the World came and man was artificially evolved into one being. He was then able to rest.

 This mysterious child was sent to NERV directly from SEELE to replace the then catatonic Second Children (after her mind was attacked by the 15th Angel). Nothing was known about him except he was born on Sept. 13, 2000 (the exact day of the Second Impact).

He became fast friends with Shinji and soon excelled at the synchro-tests with the Eva-02. When it became clear that he could synchronize with any Eva just by wishing it, Misato found out that he was the last Angel. He was the same as Rei in substance and in his existence (whose only purpose was to be a tool for those in search of the ultimate power [becoming a god within the Third Impact]).

During his attack on Terminal Dogma he discovered that the Angel hanging on a cross above the lake of LCL was not Adam, but Lilith (Adam's runaway wife). He realized that if he came in contact with her, mankind (as it was known) would foerever be gone (and Angels would be compromised). He knew that it was not his decision to make (should man live or evolve into an ultimate being?), so he allowed Shinji to kill him.

In the end it became clear why his eyes were always filled with pity, the pity for man.

He was said to have housed the Angel Adam's soul (just as Rei housed Lilith's), and he was also used as the backbone of SEELE's Dummy Plug System in the Eva Production Models 05-13. Even after his death he was exploited by Lorenz.

 Ritsuko's mother was the genius scientist who created the Three Magi computers that ran Gehirn and then later NERV. She was proud and full of herself as she gave the three systems her personalities as a scientist, a mother, and a woman (this proved to be Ritsuko's undoing).

She had a long term affair with Gendo even before Yui disappeared, and may have been responsible for Yui's disappearance. But when she found out that she was only being used to finish the Magi systems, she killed the messenger (a mocking Rei clone number one) and then committed suicide to try and erase her shame.

The daughter that she left was destined to repeat her same mistakes almost verbatim.

 Maya was a very intelligent and sincere computer operator with very high morals. She became Dr. Ritsuko Akagi's assistant and a crush soon developed on her sempai. She was a Second Lieutenant in charge of monitoring the EVA Synchro Rates of the children and gathering and analysing most EVA related data.

She worked harder than almost everyone at NERV, but she was too modest and reserved to gain any notice from her superiors.

 This calm and quiet young man liked to keep to himself a lot. He was a Lieutenant in NERV in charge of communication and data analysis. He fell in love with his fellow NERV employee, Maya Ibuki, but nothing ever came of it. He instead focused all him time and energy on his music.

He followed orders to the letter and never questioned authority. A good soldier and officer 'til the end.

 A very demure and proficient soldier who never left anything to chance. He never stressed out under pressure as he strived to make himself noticed to Misato Katsuragi, the object of his affection. He helped her spy on the other operations of NERV, and he was even known to do her laundry when she asked him too.

Makoto was a Lieutenant belonging to the first section of the Bureau of Combat Operation of the Central Combat Department in NERV. He of course served Katsuragi-san who was in command of Combat Operations.

He let his feelings be known to Misato, but stepped aside when it became clear that she and Ryoji Kaji were an item once more. A complete gentleman.

 Like all potential Eva pilots, he was a motherless Junior High student. He was quick to anger and easy to rouse, but he was a fierce friend to those who earned his trust.

He loved his sister and hated Angels and Eva's (for hurting her in the fight between Eva-01 and Sachiel). The only reason that he became the Fourth Children was so that his little sister could be transfered to NERV's special hospital within Geofront.

He lost his left arm and left leg when his Eva-03 was infected with Bardiel, the 13th Angel and fought with Eva-01.

He soon discovered Hikari Horaki's crush on him and learned to reciprocate in turn.

 The mother-figure in her family, Asuka's sole friend, and the bearer of a deep crush on Toji, Hikari was a strong woman inside of a fourteen year-old's body.

She took her responsibilities as Class Rep and "mother" very seriously and did her best to get everyone to like her. She was stubborn and never took "No" for an answer (especially when it came to Toji Suzuhara).

 A very strange young boy indeed. Kensuke liked to spend every waking moment wishing that he was in the military. He became friends with Shinji when he found out that he piloted the Eva-01.

He liked to talk and he loved to lose himself in his imagination and on self imposed survival training exercises. He wanted to pilot an Eva very badly, and was dissappointed when all of his friends seemed to get the "chance".

 A new breed of HotSpring Penguin, Pen^2 (or Pen Pen) is the coolest character of the story. As Misato's best friend, he lived inside her fridge and occasionally mingled with Shinji and Asuka.

He kept to himself most of the time prefering the TV or the icebox to human contact. Misato sacrificed a lot for him to keep him safe and happy, but he appreciated it more than he actually let on.

At the end of the TV Series, the Horakis becomes his guardians when Misato fears for his safety. (Voiced by Megumi Hayashibara)