Supporting and Significant Characters
The following list of characters includes those with significant background roles in the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. Also characters that only appear as original characters in a specific game or other forms of media in the Evangelion franchise:
Yui Ikari: (Voiced by Megumi Hayashibara (JP), Kim Sevier (ADV Films), and Ryan Bartley (Netflix)) Shinji’s mother. Yui was an excellent scientist that was taught by Kozo Fuyutsuki before the Second Impact. She became a wonderful engineer and worked at NERV. She married Gendo Ikari and they worked together and developed and tested the Evangelion Units. When Evangelion Unit 01 was built, she attempted a contact experiment, which resulted in her “death”. Although her body was destroyed, her soul is said to live inside Evangelion Unit 01. Rei Ayanami was also created with what was left of Yui after the experiment, resulting in the two appearing very similar to one another.
Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu: (Voiced by Maria Kawamura (JP), and Kimberly Yates (ADV Films and Netflix)) Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu was a scientist that worked at Gehirn (the predecessor to NERV) and is the mother of Asuka Langley Soryu. She participated in a contact experiment with Evangelion Unit 02 that resulted in part of her soul being assimilated into the unit. She survives the experiment, unlike Yui Ikari, but Kyoko becomes very mentally unstable as a result. Kyoko is no longer able to recognize her own daughter and uses a doll as a substitute child. Ignoring the young Asuka for a doll results in Asuka developing a desire for other’s attention and a strong distaste for dolls and puppets.
Dr. Naoko Akagi: (Voiced by Mika Doi (JP) and Laura Chapman (ADV Films and Netflix)) Naoko Akagi is the mother of Ritsuko Akagi and the scientist that developed three supercomputers that make up the Magi system used by NERV. Each supercomputer uses a part of her digitized brain. The three different parts uses three different aspects of her personality. Melchior represents herself as a scientist, Balthasar represents herself as a mother, and Casper represents herself as a woman. Naoko was also in a relationship with Gendo Ikari after his wife’s contact experiment.
Dr. Katsuragi: (Unvoiced) Dr. Katsuragi is the father of Misato and a scientist that was the leader of an expedition to Antarctica. His first name is never given, but his role has a significant impact on the world. The expedition he led experimented on the body of Adam, which eventually led to the apocalyptic event referred to as the Second Impact. Misato describes her father as someone who prioritizes his work over his family, which she resented him for. That said, he still cares for Misato, as he allows her to be the sole survivor of the Second Impact by forcing her into the only shelter capable of surviving the blast.
Pen Pen: (Voiced by Megumi Hayashibara (JP), Amanda Winn-Lee (ADV Films), and Cherami Leigh (Netflix)) Pen Pen is the name of Misato’s pet penguin. He lives in a freezer in her apartment and appears to have an affinity for hot water. As such, Misato calls him a “hot spring penguin”. According to Misato, Pen Pen came from her previous job, although the nature of this job is unclear. Pen Pen has some strange characteristics for a penguin, like retractable claws. Pen Pen is also seen participating in many activities that the rest of the residents in Misato’s apartment partake in, lounging around and watching TV, for example.
Keel Lorenz: (Voiced by Mugihito (JP), Richard Peeples (ADV Films), and D.C. Douglas (Netflix)) Keel Lorenz is the chairman of the secret organization SEELE, which acts as the collective antagonist of the Evangelion series. Although its members and goals are largely a secret, Keel himself does appear. He appears as an older man with grey hair that wears a visor that completely covers his eyes and ears. In the End of Evangelion movie, it is revealed that much of his body is comprised of mechanical parts.
Mayumi Yamagishi: (Voiced by Kyoko Hikami) An original character that appears in the video game Neon Genesis Evangelion: 2nd Impression. She has long, straight black hair and a timid personality that is somewhat similar to Shinji’s. She is a bookworm type of girl and is said to be the female version of Shinji. It is revealed that like many of the Evangelion pilots she has a darker past. Also, important to the plot of the story, Mayumi’s body has an Angel’s core within it.
Family Connections
Supporting characters Yui Ikari, Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu, Naoko Akagi and Dr. Katsuragi are all parents of the main characters of the story. They all have played an important role in creating their children’s reason and motives for being a part of NERV and the Evangelion operations. Although they are all with darker backgrounds they can be seen as the true reasons to why each character Shinji, Asuka, Ritsuko and Misato have they personalities they had in the anime series.
Links
List of Cast for Neon Genesis Evangelion
List of Roles Credited to Kimberly Yates
Sega Retro’s Page on Neon Genesis Evangelion: 2nd Impression (Production Credits in Japanese Only)