Kaworu Nagisa Fifth Child
Kaworu Nagisa is a character from the Evangelion series. While major aspects of his character can vary between different continuities (like the original anime series and the Rebuild movies), Kaworu is generally portrayed as both an Angel and an Evangelion pilot as the Fifth child. Although he only appeared in Neon Genesis Evangelion for an incredibly brief period of time in the last few episodes, his appearance leaves a massive impact on the protagonist Shinji Ikari. In the original Japanese dub, Kaworu is voiced by Akira Ishida. The ADV Films English dub cast Kyle Sturdivant to voice Kaworu, while the Netflix re-dub replaced him with Clifford Chapin.
Anime Series Character and Personality
Kaworu appears as a young boy (around the same age as Shinji and the other Evangelion pilots) with grey hair and red eyes. He only appears toward the end of the anime series (in Episode 24), where he is introduced as the Fifth Child and is designated to pilot Evangelion Unit 02 after Asuka’s decline into depression.
Kaworu introduces himself to Shinji by humming Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”, calling music one of the greatest aspects born from “Lilin” culture. The term “Lilin” is what Kaworu uses to refer to beings created by the 2nd Angel Lilith, in other words, humans. This choice of words alludes to his heritage as an Angel, despite looking like a human (other than his unusual hair and eye color). To further add to his mysterious character, all personal data referring to Kaworu has been purged from all databases with the exception of his date of birth, which is September 13th, 2000 - the same day as the Second Impact.
Despite his strange background and limited screen time, Kaworu quickly becomes acquainted with Shinji, almost alarmingly so. Even though Shinji tends to seclude himself from others, Kaworu seems to always know exactly what to say to get Shinji to open up to him.
During a conversation Kaworu has with SEELE, some aspects of his origin are made clear. It is revealed that, like Rei Ayanami, Kaworu is an artificially created being, but rather than having the soul of Lilith, Kaworu has the soul of the 1st Angel Adam. As an Angel and a part of SEELE, Kaworu’s goal is to reach the bottom of the NERV facility, Terminal Dogma. Kaworu expected that the body of Adam was stored there, however, to his surprise, the Angel held secretly by NERV was Lilith. In the end, while Kaworu had a mission to fulfill, he tells Shinji that he still had the option to choose death and that he valued both life and death equally.
Rebuild Movie Character and Personality
Kaworu is identical in appearance and has a similar personality when compared to his Neon Genesis Evangelion counterpart, although he has a larger role. His first appearance is toward the end of the first film, Rebuild of Evangelion: 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone Alone), where he is shown on NERV’s lunar base. He befriends Shinji and develops a friendship that matches, or possibly surpasses the level of companionship seen in the original series. As a safety measure to prevent another Impact event, Shinji is forced to wear a choker that will kill him if an Evangelion Unit awakens. Kaworu manages to take the choker off and puts it on himself, which eventually results in his death.
Relationship with Shinji
As Kaworu only appears for a short time in the original series, his interactions with others are limited. The only exception would be the protagonist Shinji, whom he seems to befriend quite quickly. Even with Shinji’s timid nature and tendency to isolate himself, Kaworu manages to be a source of comfort for Shinji. Kaworu blatantly says that he likes Shinji, though his intentions are unclear. Kaworu also keeps his true nature a secret. After it is revealed to Shinji that Kaworu is an Angel, Shinji immediately feels betrayed, as the first person that had ever said that they enjoyed his company ended up being an enemy. Even after Shinji manages to grasp Kaworu in Unit 01’s arms, Kaworu tells him that he is glad that he was able to meet Shinji and that he values death just as much as life. Shinji hesitates for a long period of time before committing to ending his friend’s life.
Shinji x Kaworu Fandom
In addition to the obvious pairing of Shinji x Asuka and Shinji x Rei, there is a large fanbase of fans that support a Shinji x Kaworu pairing. The relationship between them in the Evangelion series is vague and can be interpreted as anything from ‘like’ to ‘love’.
This Shinji x Kaworu pairing, sometimes called ‘Kawoshin’ is a popular pairing among global Yayoi-based anime fans, with streams of fanart and fanfiction depicting the pair as a ‘couple’. In addition, this romantic pairing can also be seen in video games such as Shinji Ikari Raising Project and Girlfriend of Steel 2. These games do not offer a formal ‘romantic’ pairing within the game, but they show some fanservice for these ‘Kawoshin’ fans.