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is the main character in the anime and manga series Neon Genesis Evangelion and the movies Evangelion: Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion. He is the Third Child ("Third Children" in the Japanese versions) and pilots Unit 01. He is the son of Gendo and Yui Ikari.
Shinji becomes involved in NERV's struggles against the Angels when he receives a letter from his father with an NERV ID card and note saying "Come! -Ikari Gendo", and a cute (if somewhat erotic) postcard from Captain Misato Katsuragi, the commander of the Evangelion team. He is delivered to NERV's GeoFront by Misato, and pilots Unit 01 against the Angel Sachiel out of pity for a badly injured Rei Ayanami. After the battle, Shinji is taken in by Misato, who acts as his guardian. Shinji manages to build a social life where he becomes friends with classmates Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida and something more than friends but not quite something else with Rei. His relationship with Asuka Langley Soryu is very complex, and the development of this relationship is a subtle but powerful driving force in the plot, extending into The End of Evangelion. Despite his best efforts, his relationship with his father remains strained, and Shinji abandons his hopes of reconciliation after the battle with the Angel Bardiel (during which Toji was seriously injured). As the series progresses, Shinji makes strides toward overcoming his psychological and emotional problems, only to regress back into an even more damaged state by the end of the series; this also extends into The End of Evangelion.
After losing Yui, Gendo left Shinji with a teacher when he was a toddler so he could focus on "Project Evangelion." This abandonment has caused Shinji to have little to no self-esteem and to become very reclusive and avoidant of difficult or painful situations, using escape as a shield. He is often shown listening to his SDAT player with headphones, blocking out the world. He appears in some ways to be the opposite of the extroverted Asuka, though not as much as Rei does. He also is afraid of physical contact. Asuka tries to get Shinji to assert himself and even gets him to admit that he tried to kiss her when she was sleeping. In a later episode, Shinji kisses Asuka, at Asuka's insistence; Asuka pinched Shinji's nose so he wouldn't breathe on her and tickle her face, and washed her mouth out thoroughly afterwards (although a flashback to this scene in the director's cut of a later episode would seem to suggest that the latter is merely an act put on for Shinji's benefit, as in this version of events it is shown that Asuka did not, in fact, actually rinse or gargle after kissing him). He is normally shy and timid, but when it comes to sexually attractive females like Asuka he becomes afraid and even more non-confrontational than usual. Shinji is also somewhat intimidated by Misato (who seems to enjoy teasing him in a good-natured way), although he is also irritated by Misato's drunken behaviors and slobby housekeeping habits.
Shinji's relationship with his Evangelion and status as an Eva pilot is very ambivalent. On the one hand, as an Eva pilot, Shinji is very reluctant to go to war, to cause deaths, and to enter battle or to actively do things; but on the other hand, he is given strength by his mother (whose soul is contained in Unit 01) and he defines his self by piloting Eva. Sometimes the Eva reaches Berserk mode - a state in which the Eva is activated without an apparent energy source - helping Shinji in his times of need. Once when Unit 01 went berserk, Shinji had exceeded a 400% sync ratio and was physically absorbed within it, where he briefly met his mother. Shinji himself is unclear why he pilots Eva, but eventually he realizes he does it for the approval of others:
<blockquote>"Look at Shinji. Why does he continue to fight as an Eva pilot? The story keeps changing. He said it's because everyone tells him to. Because only he can do it. Because it has to be done to save humanity. Selfless and lofty sentiments for sure, and he believed those reasons to be genuine. Wrong; he wanted his father to approve of him. To say he was a good boy. How selfish of him, really, to be a human being." --Megumi Hayashibara[1]</blockquote>
Shinji's estrangement from his father and his literally being inside Unit 01 is believed by some to represent the Freudian Oedipus complex. His apparent attraction to Rei, who is a partial clone of Shinji's mother and Lilith, could also be seen as proof of this psychological aspect of Shinji's character; however, his attempts to gain Gendo's acceptance and love could be seen by some to counteract this idea. He may also be seen as suffering from the culture-specific psychological disorder taijin kyofusho and, from a Western psychological perspective, generalized social phobia (and developing avoidant personality disorder).
While he is acknowledged later in the series to be a skilled Eva pilot, he is never really shown to have any other notable skills, in contrast to the other children (Toji is athletic, Kensuke has immense knowledge of everything associated with the military, and Asuka is a 14-year old college graduate). This could very well be due to his reclusive nature - though he may have talents, he would not be likely to display them, especially given his own devaluing of his character. It is revealed in episode 15 that he is a cellist, something of which he had made no mention previously in the series. Thereon, the cello appears as a recurring motif in the series, possibly representing Shinji's "identity" - indeed, his musical talent seems to be the only way in which he feels that he can openly express himself. He claims to be untalented, but is shown both in episode 15 and in Death and Rebirth playing Bach's Cello Suite No. 1, a piece widely recognized as being very difficult. (For the number of years he has played, he is actually rather talented, as anything more difficult than this piece often requires prodigious talent.)
Shinji has often been seen as a version or reflection of the creator of Evangelion: <blockquote>Shinji does reflect my character, both the conscious and unconscious parts," Anno admits. As a pilot of Earth's most advanced weapon, Shinji is far from the archetypical hero. Abandoned by his father Gendo at a young age, he eschews human contact so that he cannot hurt others, or in turn be hurt by them. The comparison, however, isn't to be taken too literally.<br /> "I wasn't thrown out by my father or anything" he laughs. Nevertheless, Anno has referred to the plotline as a metaphor of his life.[2]</blockquote>
The series has caused debate over Shinji's sexuality. He is obviously attracted to Asuka, as is shown by his attempt to kiss her in her sleep, his arousal at the onsen, and the opening scenes of The End of Evangelion. However, his interactions with Kaworu have caused some speculation, as Shinji is unusually open, emotional, and physically receptive when around Kaworu, more so than with any of the other principal characters. The series gives no indication that anything sexual happens between the two, but its creators have never given any clear-cut answers to the question. This has led to many different interpretations, including Shinji simply being a heterosexual who engages in a sort-of relationship with Kaworu due to his apparent lack of love from anyone else to Shinji actually being bisexual. Gainax itself has produced some mildly suggestive (though not explicit) official art of the two together, but has never officially endorsed the pairing of Shinji with Kaworu or with anyone else.
Gainax has published several Evangelion-based dating simulation computer games in Japan (unreleased in the United States) in which the player assumes the role of Shinji and decides with whom Shinji will be paired. In one of the most popular of these games, Koutetsu no Girlfriend (Iron Maiden, or popularly known in English as Girlfriend of Steel), Shinji meets a new girl at school named Mana Kirishima and the two strike up a close friendship with romantic overtones, making Asuka hotly jealous and leading her to try to sabotage the relationship.
Throughout the series, Shinji carries out a deceptively straightforward love-hate relationship with Asuka, who is going through puberty and deeply confused and uncertain: <blockquote>The thing I would like to say to the friend in my heart is, "Asuka, you're just a 14-year-old kid, aren't you?" 14 is a time of life when you are thrown against the wall of life. You are forced to learn. It's puberty, where you decide what kind of life you're going to live, right? Evangelion came to its climax just as you hit that point, but after that, what would your choices be, Asuka? What good would you try to do? What kind of adult would you grow into?"[3]</blockquote>
Shinji is attracted to Asuka, but is unable to truly express his feelings for her. For the most part, he is friendly but also meek and submissive when around her, although he occasionally confronts her when her attitude becomes too much to bear. Asuka, likewise, is attracted to Shinji, and seems to enjoy flirting with and teasing him sexually at numerous points in the series. It is later revealed that these seeming "taunts" are actually a desperate attempt on her part to make Shinji become receptive to her, as she seems both allured to and repulsed by Shinji's nature. Due to her own personality disorders, primarily her vehement denial of being dependent on anybody, she cannot allow herself to admit that she wants attention, let alone affection from Shinji, and instead seeks it out indirectly by bullying him. For a number of reasons, not the least of which being his own inferiority complex, Shinji fails to recognize Asuka's harassment for its true intent, and only thinks worse of himself for her criticisms; this, in turn, upsets Asuka even more, and confuses Shinji. In the Director's Cut of episode 22, when she thinks about Shinji, she states (internally), "You're worthless... You won't even hold me!" She seems to be very jealous of Shinji's interactions with Rei, which deepens her disgust toward Rei and fuels her venom toward Shinji, especially in the later episodes of the series. In Evangelion fanfiction, Asuka and Shinji are often paired as a couple, despite the conflicts their personality disorders cause. This pairing has also made its way to the manga versions of Girlfriend of Steel 2 and Shinji Ikari Raising Project.
In The End of Evangelion, Asuka and Shinji's relationship comes catastrophically to the forefront. Almost surprisingly, her influence on Shinji in the final instance of Instrumentality during Third Impact is more important than Shinji's own mother's, whose absence had until then been his primary psychological trauma, along with the emotional absence of his father, Gendo Ikari. At the start of the movie, Shinji is shown with Asuka in her hospital room, begging her for help and trying to rouse her from unconsciousness. He accidentally pulls loose her vital sign monitors, exposing her breasts; he masturbates to this sight, only to become inconsolably horrified and disgusted with himself for doing so. His guilt and increased self-loathing add to his previous traumas and cause him to become so uncaring of his own existence that he does not attempt to resist when soldiers try to kill him; indeed, his mental state throughout Episode 25' is extremely similar to Asuka's condition as of Episode 22. This forces Misato to save him and to try to rouse him from this state so that he can escape the GeoFront in Unit 01. Ultimately, Shinji's final descent into total schizophrenia comes only after witnessing the hideously mangled remains of Unit 02 in the hands of the MP Evas. As Instrumentality begins, Shinji enters a mental fugue state in which he and Asuka are back in Misato's apartment. Again, he begs Asuka for help, claiming to be afraid of Misato and Rei, while also revealing his true feelings for Asuka ("I want to stay with you... You're the only person who can help me.") Asuka denies his pleas, attacking (in her view) the selfish nature of his perceived motives. Overwhelmed with his own hopelessness, Shinji loses control and strangles her. The depiction of Asuka in this scene is very likely Shinji's perception of her, rather than Asuka herself, as several indicators suggest.
However, in the film's finale, as Shinji learns to accept himself and embraces humanity in spite of the pain that inevitably comes from human interaction, essentially stopping Third Impact, he appears on a beach with none other than Asuka. He tries to strangle her again (this time in person as opposed to just within his mind). She does not physically resist him, but instead lifts her hand to stroke his face - incidentally, as Yui had done just moments before. At this he collapses, weeping, onto her chest, and as the film ends she finally utters her (in)famously ambiguous line, "気持ち悪い。" ("Kimochi warui", translated into English in the subtitles as "How disgusting", and as "I feel sick" in the dub). The exact meaning of the symbolism in this scene, as well as the intended meaning of Asuka's final words, are unclear and heavily debated. As the series ends there, the specifics of her subsequent life are left up to the audience. One theory is that she and Shinji assume the roles of the new Adam and Eve, but this is not necessarily true, since it is revealed earlier that all of humanity has the chance to return to physical form if they choose to do so. A piece of official artwork seen on posters and DVD boxes for The End of Evangelion depicts Shinji and Asuka, side by side, looking out over the ruins of their world. It is implied that this occurs very soon after the final scene.
One point of debate regarding the final scene is whether or not Asuka is actually Asuka, as she is drawn with brown eyes rather than blue, and her left eye and right arm are bandaged, a mirror image of the bandages that Rei had when Shinji first met her. This has led some to argue that the Asuka that is with Shinji is an amalgam of Asuka, Rei, and Misato. Others believe that these resemblances are merely figurative or coincidental, since souls can't combine now that the Third Impact has ended. This argument posits that Asuka's eyes are still blue, only appearing brown like Misato's because of the notably red lighting of the environment, and that the bandages simply coincide with the injuries she suffered while battling the mass produced Evas. This argument is backed up by color analysis of the cel of that scene, which was later published as a card.
The Shinji of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's manga adaptation is considerably different from his animated counterpart. Although Shinji still has issues with his father and his past, and is plagued by self-doubt and feelings of worthlessness, he is considerably more temperamental (even violent at times), more apathetic, morose, and sullen than nervous and withdrawn. One of the first things he does after being forced to attack Toji (who is severely injured and crippled in the anime, but actually dies of his injuries in the manga) is to try to punch his father, something he'd never do in the anime. He is also more willing to burst out angrily in protest and voice his opinion - in the manga, Shinji loudly protests when Misato announces her plans to take him home to live with her; he does not do so in the anime. He is also openly spiteful towards his father, and admits to hating him, although deep down he still wishes for Gendo's acknowledgement. Shinji in the manga is also much more smart-mouthed than in the anime. For example, after Toji and Kensuke witness Shinji fighting Shamshel, Toji asks Shinji to hit him as payback for having beat up Shinji earlier. In the anime Shinji obliges, but in the manga Shinji decides not to hit him at the last minute, cheerfully saying, "I'd rather have you owe me one. It's more fun that way." He later embarrasses Toji in front of their female classmates, and calls this Toji's payback. He is also less submissive around Asuka and tends to respond to her insults with a smart-alec comment or sarcastic retort rather than his typical responses, "Sorry..." or "Don't talk to me like that!" He also openly criticizes Asuka for acting innocent and bubbly around Kaji and Misato, only to revert to her arrogant personality once they leave. Another change is that Gendo left Shinji with one of his uncles instead of a teacher.
In addition to the changes to his personality, the manga places a stronger emphasis on Shinji's relationship with Rei. Their initial interactions and Shinji's first impressions of Rei closely follow events in the anime, but as the story progresses, Shinji's kindness toward Rei and concern for her well-being make an enormous impression on her, eventually causing her to fall in love with Shinji. Shinji, for his part, is determined to get as close to Rei as he can, but is unsure of where their relationship is going, or even exactly what he feels toward her. After being asked by Asuka in vol. 5 if they are dating, he thinks to himself: <blockquote>What I feel for Ayanami...it doesn't go with words...like "like" and "want to go out with." It's as if...she's a part of me that was torn away a long time ago...</blockquote> After Rei sacrifices herself to kill the Angel Armisael, Shinji breaks down and cries in front of Kaworu, saying "Ayanami...I don't want to lose you..."
The manga also makes enormous changes to Shinji's relationship with Kaworu. Kaworu reminds Shinji of how he felt about Rei the first time he met her, and he is disturbed by Kaworu's apparent lack of human feelings and tendency to invade his personal space. In vol. 9, Shinji says that he doesn't think he could ever like Kaworu. In vol. 10, Kaworu uses a kiss to stop Shinji from hyperventilating during a nightmare, and makes advances toward Shinji which he flatly refuses. He later leaves Kaworu's apartment with very little in the way of a good-bye, which upsets Kaworu.
In this manga version, Shinji is also shown to be more confident than he was in the anime, butting heads with Asuka (a childhood friend as opposed to the anime). Also, he gets into somewhat comical situations with girls, much like the lead male character in harem anime. The story shows him in a probable love triangle with Rei (the newcomer in his life) and Asuka (the childhood friend). Here, Rei is a distant relative, from Yui's side of the family.
To complicate matters, Kaworu (a SEELE agent here) was seen to be very friendly towards him, which Asuka finds irritating.
Shinji was named for Gainax co-founder Shinji Higuchi; it can be translated as "child of god"[4]. "Ikari" means "anchor" in Japanese. Alternatively, it can also mean "rage" or "anger," possibly a reference to Unit 01's infamous moments of going berserk or his suppressed feelings of anger and rage. Evangelion character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto based his design of Shinji on his design of Nadia, the title character of Gainax's popular 1990-1991 TV series, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (also directed by Hideaki Anno): <blockquote>Speaking in concrete terms, his eyes are a girl's eyes. I drew them exactly as I drew those of Nadia. He's a male Nadia, just as if I had given Nadia a masculine makeover. Lengthen Shinji's eyelashes and change the hair style, and you have her.[5]</blockquote>