He lives in the same house as Asuka. He is the pilot of Evangelion Unit-01 and is known as the Third Child. He was born the only son of Gendo Ikari and Yui Ikari. After his mother died in an accident when he was four, he was raised by a mysterious figure known as 'Sensei.' When the Angels appeared after 15 years, he was summoned by Gendo to Tokyo-3 and suddenly became the exclusive pilot of Eva Unit-01. Before coming to Tokyo-3, he had only met his father a handful of times. The experience of being abandoned by his father left a deep psychological trauma that significantly influenced his personality. He is 14 years old, with pale blue eyes and dark brown hair. With his androgynous looks and large eyes, he is actually quite popular. Shinji is calm, always considerate of others, and has a mature, kind nature unusual for his age. He is a quiet, model-student type who is excessively introverted, humble, and very socially awkward. He is fearful and has escapist tendencies; because he knows these facts better than anyone, he evaluates situations self-deprecatingly. He harbors intense romantic feelings and jealousy toward Asuka. When speaking, he often says things like "I don't know..." or "...I'm sorry." He is good at cooking and housework, handling most of the chores at home. While he has little presence at school, he is subtly popular. His hobbies include listening to music on his SDAT, playing the cello, and cooking. Though introverted, he occasionally speaks his mind and bickers with Asuka. Despite that, he takes good care of her, feels jealous, and cherishes her.