Rei Ayanami

Pilot of EVA Unit-00 and one of the heroines of this work

Pilot of Evangelion Unit-00, a 14-year-old girl. Expressionless and taciturn, she plays an important role as a key person in the story.

Quotes

  • Garlic ramen without chashu.
  • You are not a doll.
  • I want to be one with Ikari-kun.
  • There is a way of living without piloting EVA.
  • Thank you.

Trivia

  • Date of birth unknown, but voice actress Megumi Hayashibara's birthday is sometimes used as a setting.
  • Name origin from Japanese Navy destroyer Ayanami and Rei Hino (Sailor Mars).
  • Expressionless character design due to director Hideaki Anno's directorial intent regarding emotional expression.
  • Setting of disliking meat and ordering ramen without chashu.
  • Consistently dominates top ranks in popularity polls after anime broadcast.
  • Yoshiyuki Sadamoto adopted blue hair and red eyes for immediate recognizability in anime.

Alternate names

Rei Ayanami First Children The First Girl

Tags

Neon Genesis Evangelion Anime Heroine Pilot Expressionless Clone Mysterious Girl Mecha Pilot Psychological Drama Blue Hair Red Eyes

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Profile

Species
Human (clone)
Gender
Female

Appearance

Overall appearance
Pale-skinned and slender build, with light blue short-cut hair and red eyes. Always expressionless and does not show emotions outwardly. Primarily depicted in uniform, but casual clothes are almost never shown.
Height
Approximately 145cm (estimated)
Eye color
Red
Hair color
Blue
Distinguishing features
  • Pale skin
  • Light blue short hair
  • Red eyes
  • Bandaged appearance (after activation experiment)
  • Expressionless
Iconic items
  • EVA Unit-00 plugsuit
  • Gendo's broken glasses (kept preciously)
  • School uniform
  • Bandages
  • Choker (Rebuild of Evangelion)

Personality and abilities

Core personality
Emotionless
Detailed personality
Sparse emotional expressions and taciturn. Initially opens her heart only to Gendo Ikari, but gradually emotions and sense of self begin to emerge through interactions with Shinji Ikari. Finds all meaning in her existence in piloting EVA.
Keywords
  • Expressionless
  • Taciturn
  • Calm
  • Devoted
  • Lonely
  • Strong will
  • Mysterious
  • Introspective
Motto
Piloting EVA is everything and there is nothing else
Talents
  • Excellent EVA pilot aptitude
  • High mental synchronization ability
  • Physical abilities
  • Genetically engineered existence
  • Bio-reaction resistance
Skills
  • EVA Unit-00 piloting
  • Combat adaptability
  • Calm judgment
  • Self-sacrificial actions
  • Multilingual reading (German technical books, etc.)
Motivation
To discover her own reason for existence and build bonds with others
Habits
Silent and only engages in minimal necessary conversation. Dislikes meat and orders garlic ramen without chashu. Always calm even in bandaged state.
Favorite foods
Ramen (garlic ramen without chashu)
Hobbies
Reading (German books on genetic engineering)
Favorite colors
Blue
Disliked foods
Meats
Disliked situations
Emotional exchanges

History

Backstory
Born in the Artificial Evolution Laboratory, a being housing Lilith's soul. Repeatedly dies and revives as multiple clone bodies. Official blood relations and birth are shrouded in mystery. Created based on the genes of Unit-01 pilot Yui Ikari, but the soul originates from Lilith. Past memories are fragmentary.
Debut date
October 4, 1995
Work title
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Media type
Anime
Episode or chapter
Episode 1 'Angel Attack'

Severely injured in Unit-01 activation experiment

Significant event
Severely injured in Unit-01 activation experiment
Description
Injured in the right chest area due to the EVA-00 activation experiment accident, appears in bandaged state.

Begins interactions with Shinji

Significant event
Begins interactions with Shinji
Description
Initially cold and expressionless, but opens her heart to Shinji, and emotions begin to emerge.

Self-destructs in battle against Armisael

Significant event
Self-destructs in battle against Armisael
Description
In Episode 23, self-destructs during battle with the enemy Angel, dies, and later revives in another body.

Key figure in the Human Instrumentality Project

Significant event
Key figure in the Human Instrumentality Project
Description
Houses Lilith's soul and is deeply involved in the Human Instrumentality Project.

Setting changes in Rebuild of Evangelion

Significant event
Setting changes in Rebuild of Evangelion
Description
Unlike the original version, depicted as one of the Ayanami series, appears until the story's conclusion in 'Shin'.

Relationships

Gendo Ikari

Guardian

The only existence to whom Rei opens her heart and places her trust. Keeps his broken glasses preciously. Treated as a tool for his expectations and plans, but shares an important bond.

Shinji Ikari

Best friend

After the Yashima Operation, shows a smile and opens her heart, eventually developing special feelings (romantic emotions).

Asuka Langley Soryu

Rival

Has hostility with Asuka as fellow pilots, with many emotional clashes.

Kaworu Nagisa

Deepens understanding of her own existence and soul through encounter with him, who is an Angel.

NERV

NERV: pilot

Media appearances

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Anime / Protagonist

1995 TV series

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth

Movie / Protagonist

1997

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone

Movie / Protagonist

2007

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance

Movie / Protagonist

2009

Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo

Movie / Protagonist

2012

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time

Movie / Protagonist

2021

Various Neon Genesis Evangelion series games

Game / Protagonist

Voice cast and creators

Megumi Hayashibara

Voice actor
Megumi Hayashibara
Language
Japanese
Version or series
TV anime and all theatrical versions
Notes
First generation / representative voice actress

Amanda Winn-Lee

Voice actor
Amanda Winn-Lee
Language
English
Version or series
Original English version

Brina Palencia

Voice actor
Brina Palencia
Language
English
Version or series
Rebuild of Evangelion English version

Ryan Bartley

Voice actor
Ryan Bartley
Language
English
Version or series
Netflix English dub

Lee Jin-hwa

Voice actor
Lee Jin-hwa
Language
Korean
Version or series
Korean dub

Hideaki Anno

Creator name
Hideaki Anno
Role
Original author

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto

Creator name
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Role
Character Designer

Related goods

Life-size figure (Akiyama Workshop, supervised by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto)

Item name
Life-size figure (Akiyama Workshop, supervised by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto)
Category
Figure
Availability
Limited

Fender Stratocaster / Telecaster (Rei Ayanami model)

Item name
Fender Stratocaster / Telecaster (Rei Ayanami model)
Category
Accessory
Availability
Limited

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