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| **NOTE: SPOILERS WARNING, SPOILERS WARNING!** A Sort of Introduction Shinji Ikari is the protaganist of Neon Genesis Evangelion. He is a fourteen year-old motherless boy who was refused by his father. Shinji suffers from the "Hedgehog's Dilemma". This condition prevents him from getting close to other humans. Think of it this way: humans are all hedgehogs with their sharp needles. The more they want to get closer, the more they injure each other with their spines. This is how Shinji observes human relationships and is therefore very much withdrawn in personality. Some may say Shinji is the epitome of a wimp, and even he himself believes that to be true. From what I have seen (eleven episodes) I can hardly blame him for the way he is. He seems to be unpopular in his world and in the "otaku" world as well. Even though he's the main character of a highly popular series, more sites bash him for who he is instead of accepting that he, like the other characters, has had unfortunate circumstances in his life. They don't seem to want to acknowledge that it could have taken a major toll on his character. So read on all that I could scrounge up about Shinji Ikari, and make up your own mind about him. Shinji Ikari Shinji is the main character in Neon Genesis Evangelion. He is said to be a weak and cowardly young boy who is hardly suited for the role of a hero. He pilots EVA Unit-01and is known as "The Third Child", meaning he was the third child to qualify to pilot an EVA. We usually see Shinji cowering before his father, shrinking away from other people, doing as he's told without question, hiding from human interaction inside his headphones, riding the railcars in solitude, sitting alone in a movie theater, apologizing for no reason, walking behind his friends, and hiding from Misato, Rei, or Asuka. But Shinji is more than just that, he's a natural born pilot who achieved a synchronization rate of over 40% during his first piloting. This synchronization rate is unheard of. However, it's unclear if this is because of his talent or the origins of Evangelion Unit -01. At the age of four, Shinji often accompanied his mother, Yui Ikari, to work. It is known that Yui was a scientist involved in NERV, like her husband, and was one of the first people to attempt to pilot Unit-01. But then the unthinkable happened. In a freak accident Yui was absorbed into the humanoid machine and was presumed dead. All this Shinji watched with his own eyes. At that young age, Shinji had to understand that his mother was gone, that she was dead and had been absorbed into the EVA, never to be seen again. After Yui's death, Gendo Ikari disappeared, leaving his son to fend for himself. When Gendo finally reappeared, he was a changed man. Immediately, Shinji was cast aside as Gendo wanted nothing to do with his own flesh and blood. Gendo sent Shinji to Musashino City in Tokyo-01 and allowed others to care for him. Father and son did not communicate for ten years. Because of his mother's death and his abrupt abandonment, Shinji grew up believing himself to be a worthless and unwanted person. Afraid of being hurt and rejected by others, he has withdrawn into himself and makes no attempt to build relationships with other people. He lives his life with a neutral attitude and won't put any effort into any activities in which he participates (As I have already stated above, Shinji suffers from "Hedgehog's Dilemma). Since he has convinced himself that he is worthless, Shinji does not expect to be treated with kindness - after all, if he has no expectations, he won't have to face disappointment. On a subconscious level he is desperately afraid of being hated, but he doesn't know how to respond to warmth either, since he is "unused to being liked". In 2015, Shinji was summoned to Tokyo-3 by his father, who had requested his presence at NERV. There was no explanation; just a letter telling him to come. Shinji did not even consciously know what he was going to do there, since he had no real reason to obey. But although Shinji hated his father for abandoning him, he still felt a subconscious need for his love and support, which he had been denied all his life. Maybe that's why Shinji went to Tokyo-3; with the slim hope that things might somehow be different this time. No one can say for certain, though. Of course, there's also the angle that Shinji is simply used to doing what he's told, without question. Why should a worthless being ask questions? The answers wouldn't matter, anyway. When he arrived in Tokyo-3 it was in a state of emergency. An Angel was attacking the city. When Misato Katsuragi, a NERV Combat Commander, showed up to escort him to the NERV headquarters, she briefly told him why he was needed in Tokyo-3. When Shinji finally confronted Gendo for the first time in ten years, he found that his father only wanted to use him as a tool: to pilot NERV's weapon, EVA-01, and defend the city from an attacking Angel. Shinji became rightfully angry that his father would use him in such a blatant and cruel way, even though it meant he was needed for something at least. Not only did he have to realize that his father didn't accept him as his son, but also had to cope with the responsibility of protecting Tokyo-03, which meant enduring the hardships that would roll along with his piloting career. At first he refused the responsibility, until Rei Ayanami was wheeled into the room, heavily injured and barely able to move under her own power. Faced with this and the suffering of those around him, a suffering that eclipsed his own many times over, Shinji realized that he was a coward... and then he told himself the fateful words that would become his mantra: "I musn't run away," And so, Shinji decided to pilot the EVA, and go into battle against an Angel. It was the most significant choice of his life, and probably the single most decisive moment, as well. Thrust into the middle of the battle, the unprepared and frightened Shinji has to use EVA-01 to defeat the Angel, "SACHIEL" (the third angel). He was unprepared for combat, and was soundly defeated by the Third Angel. While Unit-01 slumped over, and Shinji's condition was questionable, the personnel frantically tried to eject the entry plug. Then Shinji pulled a berserker (in moments of intense trauma and emotion, a person loses control of their body and mind and goes on a bloodthirsty rampage) and defeated Sachiel and saved Tokyo-03.After this incident he developed a stronger disliking for his father and blamed Gendo for the fact that he had to be thrust into this new, painful life without any choice. When hearing that Shinji was to live alone, Misato volunteered to be the guardian of Shinji, offering her home to him. Shinji accepted and lived with Misato while attending school and further learning how to pilot the EVA Unit-01. In school Shinji acquired enemies, but they soon grew to be his friends. He is respected by them for his duties in commanding EVA Unit-01. Piloting the EVA was what Shinji believed to be the worst experience of his life. It's so painful, yet he feels obligated to endure it because so many depend on his success as a pilot. His unselfish actions bring him many hardships, and he has tried to find pleasure in his life. However, on the battle field he transforms. One mistake can lead into a forceful attack by an Angel, and this thrusts Shinji into writhing torment. He fails to obey orders, and takes matters into his own hands. He is quick to act on the battlefield, but slow to acquiring and using other's advice, not only for his safekeeping, but for Tokyo-03's. However, the experience he gained from fighting Angels, and the help he received from Misato, would help him gradually become more confident. And so, as time passed and many more battles were fought, the EVA became Shinji's only sense of worth. When he piloted the EVA successfully, people praised him - something he'd never experienced before. Even his father congratulated him once on his victory, and he relived these things over and over in his mind, making his happy memories into a kind of rosary. But he still hated himself, and had no real sense of his own worth away from the EVA, which he ultimately used to try to be worthy of others' attention. Shinji matures through the series in a way that is more expressive, and thoughtful, piloting the Eva Unit-01 has helped him in this experience, for now he realizes the great burdens he has to carry: that he is mankind's last hope. Because of this, he has become more responsible in what he does. Misato was the first person who had ever reached out to Shinji in any way. In the beginning, Shinji felt like an intruding stranger and was reluctant to accept Misato's hospitality, since he was unaccustomed to kindness. Misato became intensely devoted to Shinji and looked out for his well-being as a mother would, as well as being a mentor and a friend. She accepted him as he was, and provided him with a comfortable place, both emotionally and physically. She became his interpreter, explained to him the hardships of life and of piloting an EVA. But because she was not related to him, and because she never challenged him to grow or change emotionally, Shinji felt that she did not truly care about him beyond what was convenient. Even though her intentions were good, her role in his life was not completely constructive and her inability to tell him about Toji's selection as the Fourth Child damaged his trust in her, causing them to drift apart toward the end. At school Shinji made his first two friends, Toji and Kensuke, although there was some conflict with them at first. In the fight with the Third Angel, Toji's sister was crushed under pieces of building. She survived, but Toji blamed the pilot of the Evangelion. When Toji realized that Shinji was the clumsy pilot of Unit-01, he gave Shinji a beating. But when he and Kensuke experienced first-hand what Shinji had to deal with, and how he felt about it, they offered him their friendship. Shinji could act like a normal teenager with them, and (God-forbid!) have fun. There relationship was rather uncomplicated, until Toji was selected as the Fourth Child. This was unknown to Shinji, and he was forced to battle Toji in EVA-03 when it became the Thirteenth Angel. When he refused, Gendo used the dummy plug instead, and so the Thirteenth Angel was destroyed and Toji became a bed-ridden amputee. Shinji had to live with the knowledge that he had destroyed his friend's life. Rei confused Shinji at first. He found it strange and painful that she had a closer relationship with his father than he himself did. When he was asked to drop off a new authorization card at Rei's "home", he discovered her prized possession: Gendo Ikari's broken glasses from when he saved her life. He attempted to become closer to her, but she prevented him, most likely from habit than from anything else. But slowly, Shinji got her to open up more until they almost a sibling-like relationship. And in the end she sacrificed her life for his. However, when Shinji became aware of the fact that Rei was a clone of his mother, he withdrew from her companionship. When Asuka Langley Sohryu was brought to NERV, Misato took up guardianship of her, so Shinji obtained yet another roommate. Asuka's relationship with Shinji was... complicated. Her easily irritable attitude was often targeted by Shinji's indecisiveness. With her immense outer ego and abrasive personality, nearly everything she said to Shinji became an insult sooner or later, and she almost seemed to delight in abusing him. She often bragged about her EVA's advanced status, and got on his case more often than not. But ironically, Asuka's barbs and challenges actually succeeded in bringing Shinji out of his emotional shell from time to time; thus, her relationship with him was actually more constructive than the others. Shinji, being a fourteen year-old boy, was also somewhat attracted to Asuka and even kissed her once on a dare, but she never missed a chance to tell him how little she thought of him. But as Shinji worked and lived alongisde Asuka, they grew closer by sharing the same experiences. (Asuka was saved from death by Shinji and Unit-01) These experiences made Asuka understand that despite Shinji's quiet personality, he cared for her. Even Shinji, our unwilling hero, realized that of all the people he knew and of all the people who had betrayed him, only Asuka has ever been truly honest with him. With Asuka, there was never any deception, any strangeness, or anything to send him into deep turmoil. Despite her abrasive personality and obvious dislike for him, Shinji realized that his relationship with Asuka was the most normal thing he had ever had. He began to cling to her as his only lifeline to sanity and normalness. Unfortunately, she had gone insane at that point as a result of Shinji's surpassing of her synchronization rate. Near the end of the series, Tokyo-03 was all but destroyed when EVA-00 self-destructed. Since their homes were gone, Shinji's few friends finally moved away, and he was left with no one to talk or relate to... until he met Kaworu, the Fifth Child. Kaworu was the sort of friend that Shinji had always wished for: someone who accepted him unconditionally, not only despite his flaws, but even with them. Of all the people Shinji had met in his life, Kaworu was the only one who understood him completely. He was truly the perfect, ideal friend - something that is humanly impossible to find, as evidenced when Kaworu was revealed to be the Seventeenth Angel. Thus, Shinji made the decision to kill him, in order to save all of mankind the final, most painful decision of his life. As the series progressed, Shinji loses his innocence and trust in others. He becomes cynical and cold, and retreats further and further into himself as time goes by. He knows that he isn't exactly a normal teenager, and often wishes that he could just be a normal boy. Unfortunately, that isn't what he is, and he knows it. Shinji spends a lot of time in fantasies of his own making, and even more time trying to figure himself and everyone else out. It's as if his own mind and emotions confuse him, and he just can't seem to make them make any sense. "I wonder when it started, the drifting It's like my mind and body have come apart, little by little... Whenever something sad, or painful, happens, it's like there's another me who watches it...like it's happening to someone else thinking 'that's not me' It's okay. I can live like that. I'll lock my heart away deeper I won't have to feel pain outside or inside or the fear I won't have to feel anything at all" By the last few episodes, Shinji's personality, which had been constantly changing and growing, is pretty much established. Through all his trials, he learns bitterness and fear, and a great terror of being left alone and an even greater fear of opening up to anyone. He learns to trust Kaworu because he cannot see any evil in the totally innocent and unconfused Kaworu. Therefore, Kaworu's betrayal wounds him greatly, but he does not retreat into himself as he usually does. Instead, he fights and does what he has to do: he kills his friend. Shinji starts seeing that Kaworu was a lot like he himself is, and a lot like Rei. Shinji's loneliness is the loneliness of growing up without a family or anyone to teach him to trust in himself and to be his own person. mikomi's Opinion First of all, I apologize for this really bad biography! If any of the above information is incorrect, it was an honest, sincere mistake! The otaku world must really be against Shinji Ikari, it's so hard to find any shrines dedicated to him! Most sites have only short stats on him, which provide me with almost nothing I need. Pictures aren't extremely scarce, but they're not exactly plentiful either. Even when you find them, they're nothing in comparison to the beautiful Asuka and Rei pictures! *sigh* poor Shinji, not getting the recognition he deserves. Anyway, I like Shinji very much. He seems like such a sweet kid that had a hard past. It's got to be incredibly hard, frustrating, and damaging to sit and watch your mother pretty much die before your eyes, before you've even reached the age where you actually understand what death is. Not only did Shinji have to deal with that, he also had to understand that he wasn't wanted by his own father. So basically, Shinji has been unwanted pretty much all of his life. He did what any normal person would have done, he shrank away from his fellow humans. It was Shinji's only method of protecting himself. Yet, he did learn to make friends, and though he wasn't exaclty the happiest guy on the earth, he wasn't emotionless like Rei. He was just the comfortable area between Asuka's annoying, yet cheerful, personality and Rei's introverted silence. Because of his "position", I suppose, he was able to befriend the two other children (well as much as anyone could befriend them anyway), and from what I've read (which isn't much) and from what I've seen (which isn't much) Shinji turned out to have great character. After all, he hated piloting the EVA with a passion because it caused so much pain, yet he continued to do so to save mankind (although you wonder if mankind is worth saving...) That sort of self-sacrifice is admirable, and Shinji deserves a hug. If I could, I'd glomp the poor kid, he needs affection! Shinji Ikari is a great character, one that I think everyone can sympathize and identify with. **Just a note: I recommend watcng the original japanese dialogue with english subtitles, because Shinji's voice is much softer and subdued, making you feel sympathetic towards him. Also, his screaming isn't as loud or frequent. I watched the first episode of EVA in english and Shinji's english voice made me want to strangle him! The voice actor (Spike Spencer I think) made it seem as if Shinji always had a complaining tone, and he screamed so much, and it was such a horrible sound... *sigh* I'll have nightmares over this one... |
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