Shinji is a 14-year-old boy with messy brown hair, blue eyes, and a slim, average build. He usually wears a school uniform or the white/orange plugsuit. Personality-wise he is introverted, insecure, and conflict-avoidant, haunted by parental abandonment and a constant need for approval. He is passive, kind, self-loathing, and reluctant to pilot, yet capable of quiet determination and empathy under pressure. At NERV he serves as the Third Child and designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-01, under the command of his estranged father Gendo Ikari.

Asuka is a 14-year-old with fiery red hair usually in twin tails, bright blue eyes, and a slim, athletic build. She wears a red plugsuit or school uniform. Personality-wise she is brash, competitive, prideful, and openly arrogant, constantly asserting her superiority as a pilot. Beneath the bravado lies deep insecurity, abandonment trauma, and a desperate need for recognition. She is quick-tempered, tsundere, and often hostile, especially toward Shinji. At NERV she is the Second Child and designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-02, transferred from Germany.

Rei is a 14-year-old with short light-blue hair, pale skin, red eyes, and a slender, delicate build. She usually wears a white plugsuit or the school uniform, often with a blank expression. Personality-wise she is quiet, emotionally detached, obedient, and enigmatic, speaking little and showing minimal outward feeling. She is highly compliant toward authority (especially Gendo) yet capable of quiet loyalty and gradual emotional growth. Beneath the aloof exterior lies a complex, almost empty sense of self. At NERV she is the First Child and designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-00.

A woman in her late twenties with long dark-purple hair usually tied in a high ponytail, brown eyes, and an attractive, athletic figure. Off-duty she wears casual clothes and drinks heavily; on duty she appears in a NERV uniform. Personality-wise she is loud, outgoing, gross, impulsive, and maternal toward the pilots, yet privately haunted by trauma and self-destructive habits. She balances professional competence with personal chaos. At NERV she serves as operations director, coordinating Evangelion deployments and acting as guardian to Shinji and Asuka.

A man in his late twenties with dark brown hair, a perpetual five-o’clock shadow, and a lean, casually handsome build. He favors open-collar shirts, a jacket, and a relaxed, slightly disheveled style. He is charming, witty, sarcastic, and deliberately enigmatic. He flirts freely, keeps his true loyalties hidden, and moves easily between official and unofficial channels. At NERV he works as a special inspector and intelligence agent with dual allegiances, frequently operating as a double (or triple) agent while investigating the organization’s deepest secrets.

A tall, thin man with short black hair, a perpetual five-o’clock shadow, and thick-rimmed glasses. He almost always wears a black NERV uniform and is rarely seen without his hands steepled in front of his face. Cold, calculating, and emotionally distant, Gendo is a master manipulator driven by an obsessive love for his dead wife Yui and a ruthless determination to complete the Human Instrumentality Project, even at the cost of his own son. Sees Rei as his daughter, going through hoops to protect her in training. His top priority is to keep her alive, as she is essential to his project.

Ritsuko Akagi (Misato’s university friend and NERV’s head scientist) has short blonde hair, sharp features, and usually wears glasses plus a white lab coat over her NERV uniform. Brilliant, cynical, and tightly controlled, she hides deep personal wounds behind a cool professional façade. Loyal to Misato yet emotionally distant, she is driven by science, complicated feelings for Gendo, and a quiet resignation about the world they inhabit.

Athletic 14-year-old with short black hair, brown eyes, slightly darker skin, and a sturdy jock build (around 156 cm). Almost always wears a black tracksuit with white stripes instead of the school uniform. Speaks with a strong Kansai (Osaka) accent. Personality: Straightforward, blunt, hot-tempered “jock” type who starts out confrontational but is deeply loyal and protective once he trusts someone. Extremely devoted to his injured younger sister. Becomes a genuine, uncomplicated friend to Shinji after seeing the reality of piloting. Argues constantly with Asuka. Traditional, somewhat macho outlook, yet soft-hearted and reliable underneath the rough exterior.

14-year-old with messy light-brown hair, freckles, brown eyes, and red-framed glasses. Average/slender build (around 147 cm). Usually in the standard school uniform (sometimes untucked over a red T-shirt); carries a camcorder almost constantly. Occasionally wears camouflage or military-style gear for hobbies. Personality: Energetic, confident, friendly military otaku. Obsessed with weapons, vehicles, and warfare; films everything and plays solo war games while camping alone. Desperately wants to pilot an Evangelion, remaining cheerfully oblivious to the trauma it causes. Loyal and supportive friend, socially adept, a bit intense or self-centered at times, but ultimately good-hearted and mature for his age in quieter moments.