Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Main Characters, Ranked From Worst To Best By Character Arc

The mecha aspect of the anime show Neon Genesis Evangelion is quite deceptive indeed — Neon Genesis Evangelion‘s themes stretch way beyond the boundaries of its genre and address everything from religion to psychology itself. The setup of using high-school students to pilot EVAs is something that definitely allows for the exploration of a ton of issues indeed.

Speaking of which, one has to admit that the characters of Neon Genesis Evangelion are truly one-of-a-kind and make for one of the best parts of the show by a country mile. Each character has their own stakes in the plot, while simultaneously dealing with individual issues and problems that further their development as well.

That being said, some of the character arcs in Neon Genesis Evangelion are better than others, and this list will take a closer look at this statement by ranking the arcs of the characters in the series.

10 Gendo Ikari

It’s somewhat saddening that the father of the protagonist ends up being one of the most hateable and selfish characters on the show… but then, Neon Genesis Evangelion was never meant to be a feel-good anime in the first place.

His horrific actions throughout the show and general dismissiveness when it comes to the people close to him is proof enough of just how disgusting his true nature really is.

9 Maya Ibuki

One of the most cheerful and optimistic characters on the entire show, Maya Ibuki is one of few shining lights in a show that is otherwise quite depressing to watch.

Her human reactions to anything happening around her is a testament to the fact that not everyone working in NERV is a soulless human being.

8 Toji Suzuhara

There was a time when Toji was nothing more than the quintessential jock of the show that had no problems bullying people around him, with his act of beating up Shinji being particularly brutal for reasons that were understandable… but didn’t justify this level of violence.

That being said, the show takes its sweet time to help Toji understand that the trials and tribulations Shinji goes through are nothing to scoff at, and the two eventually become friends. Although this doesn’t last for long, since Toji is left in critical condition after a mission goes horribly wrong.

7 Shinji Ikari

There are times when the viewer can sympathize with Shinji and the constant void of self-hate that he keeps on sinking into at regular intervals throughout the show. However, there’s a limit to how much people can feel sorry for themselves, and Shinji keeps on overstepping these boundaries over and over again.

However, the final nail in the coffin for a character that was already unlikeable comes at The End of Evangelion, when his horrible treatment of Asuka throughout the movie and his subsequent inactivity near the end — something that led to the death of countless people in NERV — proving once and for all just how pathetic Shinji really was as a character.

6 Ritsuko Akagi

The head scientist of NERV also proves to be an incredibly important character throughout the series, and the fact that she’s continuing the work of her late mother certainly adds to her overall impact in the series.

Her calm, cool, and collected nature instantly made her a fan favorite from the get-go, and the dynamic she shared with Misato was certainly a great one that lends itself to a fair amount of comedic moments as well.

Ritsuko was the complete package in Neon Genesis Evangelion, making her death at the hands of Gendo Ikari all the more painful to watch.

5 Ryoji Kaji

Just like Ritsuko, Kaji is another character who was definitely a fan favorite for his cool attitude and laidback personality. However, these outward traits hid the true nature of Kaji — a responsible person who always took everything he was assigned seriously while never letting anyone know about his true intentions.

Of course, it certainly helps that his history with Misato lends to an interesting dynamic that was a joy to witness in the series, as well.

4 Kaworu Nagisa

After feeling completely worthless and hated by everyone around him, Shinji fell into despair… before a figure by the name of Kaworu Nagisa ended up pulling him from these depths.

Kaworu is easily one of the best characters on the entire show, essentially serving as a mirror for Shinji to see everything he wanted to become. The death of this character ultimately broke Shinji even further, and understandably so.

3 Misato Katsuragi

One of the important women in Shinji’s life and a great character in her own right, Misato is the hot-headed Operations Director at NERV who has her fair share of deep-rooted issues, with everything from escaping her past to the unresolved issues she had with her father.

She’s easily one of the more intriguing characters in the entire show, and a treat to watch during some of the more impactful moments in Neon Genesis Evangelion.

2 Rei Ayanami

A groundbreaking character who ended up charming viewers with her mysterious nature, Rei Ayanami is easily one of the best characters on the show by a mile due to just how important she is to Shinji and the overall plot as well.

The fact that she manages to develop a number of personality traits that are in stark constraint to her initial stoic personality is quite refreshing to witness, before the true revelation about her character — or characters, to be more specific — serves up a massive surprise to viewers.

1 Asuka Langley Soryu

When talking about some of the most iconic and relatable characters on the show, it goes without saying that Asuka would definitely be right up there.

Her rebellious and arrogant personality might be somewhat alienating at first, but the manner in which she slowly sheds her outer shell to reveal her true self is nothing short of amazing and proves just how likable she really is as a character.