Shinji Ikari Evangelion Unit-01 Pilot (Eva Unit-01)
Shinji Ikari is the 14-year-old pilot of Evangelion Unit 01 and the main protagonist of the Evangelion series as a whole. He is the son of Gendo and Yui Ikari, the commander of NERV and an engineer that worked under Gendo respectively. Shinji was present for the experiment that resulted in his mother’s death/disappearance and his father abandoned him shortly afterward. Although his father is absent for most of Shinji’s life, Gendo suddenly asks Shinji to travel to Tokyo-3 and pilot Evangelion Unit 01 to fight the Angels. Although Shinji does not realize it immediately, the act of piloting an Evangelion Unit is equivalent to becoming a protector of the entire human race. Taking on such a dire task puts an excessive amount of pressure on 14-year-old Shinji both physically and mentally. These struggles and Shinji’s attempts to either run away or overcome them are a core focus of Evangelion.
Voice Actor
Shinji is voiced by Megumi Ogata in the original Japanese dub. On the other hand, Spike Spencer voices Shinji in the ADV Film English dub of Neon Genesis Evangelion series and Rebuild movies, while the Netflix dub replaces Spencer with Casey Mongillo.
Character and Personality
When talking with others outside of NERV or other missions, Shinji is generally kind and jovial, albeit somewhat uptight and nervous. This unease is addressed by characters within the Evangelion series as Shinji not knowing how to express himself. The “hedgehog’s dilemma” - the idea that hedgehogs cannot get close to each other because they will hurt each other with their quills - is also mentioned in response to how Shinji often tries to distance himself from people. That said, he does eventually befriend a few of his classmates like Kensuke Aida and Toji Suzuhara.
Shinji expresses a range of emotions when it comes to piloting Eva-01. He is often compliant and obedient when it comes to following orders, especially toward the beginning of the series. Many other characters tell him that he is the only person that can pilot Eva-01, which leads him to believe that he has no choice in the matter. When ordered to do a given task by his commander Misato Katsuragi, he often replies with a simple “yes, ma’am”. However, there are several points throughout the Evangelion series where the stress and trauma of fighting Angels become too much for the young boy. During these times, Shinji believes that his personal lack of desire to pilot Eva-01 outweighs the hopes and desires of everyone else. While this would be considered a valid argument to many, there is always an event that occurs shortly after Shinji gives up his position as an Eva pilot that makes him reconsider. In the end, the existential ending that dives into the characters’ minds shows that the reason he keeps coming back to NERV is that piloting Eva-01 is all that he has; that is to say, being an Eva pilot is the only thing that makes him special. Shinji’s recollections allow himself to come to the conclusion that the only praise that he has ever received came from when he fought Angels in his Evangelion Unit.
Notable Relationships with Other Characters
- Gendo Ikari: Shinji’s father left him at an early age. For most of his life, Shinji had little interaction with his father, until Gendo summoned him to Tokyo-3 to pilot Eva-01. After that, Shinji’s feelings toward his father evolved into something more like hate or contempt. Gendo also forced Shinji to do several acts that he vehemently disagreed with, like destroying Eva-03 with its pilot, Toji, still in it. Forcing Shinji to do such actions only continued to deteriorate the relationship between them. Despite all of this, however, Shinji was delighted when his father praised his work as an Eva pilot.
- Misato Katsuragi: Shinji’s commander and effective guardian. Rather than letting Shinji live by himself, she offers to let Shinji stay in her apartment, as they could both use the company. Although many of his classmates admit to finding Misato rather attractive, Shinji is rather dismissive, saying that she lives a very sloppy and apathetic lifestyle. His peers say that being able to see past just her appearance and see what she is normally like every day is what makes them family, which comforts Shinji.
- Rei Ayanami: A fellow Eva pilot that works with Shinji. Shinji is shown having an unusual interest in Rei from the first time they meet. He often finds himself staring at her unknowingly and without reason. Since both of them have a difficult time expressing themselves, their first legitimate interaction in Rei’s apartment was an exceedingly awkward exchange. However, as time progresses through the series, they begin to learn to work with one another.
- Asuka Langely Soryu: Another Eva pilot that works with Shinji. Asuka is the confident and competitive pilot of Eva-02. She also ends up living with Shinji in Misato’s apartment, which leads to a number of awkward adolescent interactions. Shinji and Asuka can often be seen bickering with each other, which shows that their relationship can be more of a rivalry than a friendship at times.