About “Neon Genesis Evangelion” in a few words:

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a critically acclaimed anime series that follows the story of a teenage boy named Shinji Ikari as he pilots a giant bio-machine called an Evangelion to fight mysterious beings known as Angels. Alongside Shinji, viewers are introduced to a cast of complex and flawed characters, each with their own unique struggles and motivations. The series explores themes of identity, self-discovery, and the consequences of trauma, making it a must-watch for fans of psychological dramas. With stunning animation and a thought-provoking narrative, Neon Genesis Evangelion has earned its place as a classic of the anime genre.

Meet the characters from Neon Genesis Evangelion

Shinji Ikari

Shinji is that painfully honest, neurotic center of the whole mess — quiet, hesitant, terrified of letting people down and somehow always ending up the one everyone expects to fix everything. He’s awkward around emotions (like, avoidant to the nth degree) but also so desperately wanting to be seen that it hurts; the poor kid’s basically a walking, breathing question mark. He likes music? Or maybe he avoids it; sometimes he fiddles with a radio, sometimes he hides from noise — honestly I can’t remember which, but either way it’s poignant. He’s soft and stubborn in the same breath, and you end up rooting for him even when he’s annoying you to death.

Misato Katsuragi

Misato is chaotic caregiving personified — she’ll drink beer in the dark, blast a cheesy pop song, and then suddenly become the most competent tactical leader in the room, like it’s no big thing. She’s messy in her apartment (mismatched mugs, socks on chairs) and somehow extremely maternal but also ridiculously immature sometimes, which makes her endlessly fun and infuriating. She cares like a hurricane: loud, messy, leaves destruction but also somehow fixes everything afterwards. Also she keeps a fridge full of convenience store noodles like some kind of tiny, comforting ritual — which is either adorable or terrifying, you decide.

Ritsuko Akagi

Ritsuko is the cold, brilliant scientist who absolutely will rationalize everything and then cry about it alone at three in the morning — she’s spreadsheets and scars. She projects logic and control (meticulous lab coats, clipped sentences), but there’s this undercurrent of intense, messy feeling that she tries so hard to file into a drawer and label “not now.” Smart, bitter, romantic in the way only someone who’s tried to analyze love can be — she’s loyal to work and alarmingly honest about failures, including her own. Also, she’s the kind of person who turns off the lab lights one minute and hums an awful pop song the next, which feels somehow true to her.

Rei Ayanami

Rei is the pale, enigmatic quiet one who gives off this eerie stillness, like she’s made of moonlight and old paper — detached, soft, almost mythic. She’s stoic to the point of being unknowable, but tiny things like offering a single, awkward smile or leaving a small drawing reveal that she’s not a robot (or maybe she sort of is? it’s complicated). People call her mysterious because she literally rewrites what “normal” feels like in the tiniest gestures; she’s fragile and stubborn at once. She prefers silence but will occasionally hum a lullaby out of nowhere, which, yes, makes everyone in the room melt.

Gendo Ikari

Gendo is the frosty mastermind dad who keeps everyone at arm’s length and runs everything like it’s a chess game he already hates. He’s cold, inscrutable, and terrifyingly single-minded — he makes decisions like he’s carving marble, precise and unforgiving, and somehow always two steps ahead (or way behind, depending on what you believe about him). Interactions with him are like watching a statue occasionally mouth sarcasm; don’t expect hugs, expect heavy implications. He’s the kind of guy who keeps a personal steely calm even when the whole world’s falling apart, which is both impressive and super creepy.

Asuka Langley Soryu

Asuka is pure firecracker energy — brash, loud, impossibly confident and also terrifyingly insecure behind the bravado; she’ll shout you down and then secretly rehearse apologies in the mirror. She’s brilliant, competitive, and dramatic, with this whole “I don’t need anyone” vibe that rapidly collapses if someone actually calls her on it. She loves red, attention, winning, and then will surprise you by being unexpectedly melancholic about childhood traumas (yeah, it’s messy). Also she probably collects stickers and thinks it makes her look less terrifying, which is slightly adorable and completely believable.

Kozo Fuyutsuki

Fuyutsuki is the weary, philosophical vice-principal type — gentle, reflective, always with a cigarette (maybe) and a book-ish air about him; he’s the “look, this is all terrible but also beautiful” guy. He’s patient in that sad, resigned way, full of wistful stories and half-remembered ideals, and he carries more guilt than he should but also somehow more clarity. He’s the soft moral backbone who says things like “you can’t fix this with force” while quietly making hard, unavoidable choices. Also he has a weird fondness for old movies and probably quotes one in the middle of a crisis, and nobody knows whether to be annoyed or soothed.

Makoto Hyuga

Makoto is low-key the calm tech who keeps the ship from exploding; steady, slightly sardonic, the kind of person you want on the bridge when all the alarms go off. He’s competent and dry, throws out one-liners that land oddly well, and is inexplicably patient with everyone’s drama — the office’s unofficial chill pill. He’s not flashy, but he remembers every number and detail and will quietly save your data and your life without making a big deal about it. Also he might play terrible pop songs on loop in the control room to annoy people, which feels very Makoto and also slightly petty.

Maya Ibuki

Maya is the adorable meltdown-in-waiting who’s also wickedly good with code and consoles — bubbly, earnest, and forever typing like her life depends on it. She overcompensates with cheer and tiny squeaks of enthusiasm when things get intense, but she’s shockingly capable under pressure (nerd power). Cute little quirks like keychains, a laugh that gets faster the more nervous she is, and an inexplicable tendency to triple-check everything make her both lovable and a tiny bit exasperating. She’s the kind of friend who will cry, message you a million GIFs, and then boot up the system to fix the problem — simultaneously chaotic and reliable.

Shigeru Aoba

Aoba is the gruff, radio-voiced operator who’s seen too much and therefore makes sarcastic comments like a survival skill — he’s sardonic, practical, and kind of a lovable curmudgeon. He likes teasing the younger staff, keeps his cool in a crisis, and has an oddly quirky appreciation for old-school tech and maybe some retro rock tunes. Dependable in the best way; he’ll roll his eyes, grumble about protocol, and then do exactly what needs doing. Also he probably has a terrible nickname for everyone and uses it, and somehow you end up sort-of liking it even while you’re annoyed.