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Shinji Ikari (碇シンジ, Ikari Shinji?) is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA novel.
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What does Shinji Ikari look like in the ANIMA novel?
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Who does Shinji Ikari first pilot in the Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA novel?
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What happens to Shinji Ikari after the attack of Evangelion in the ANIMA novel?
Profile[]
In Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA, Shinji is now 17 years old. He apparently lets his hair grow, making him look like Ryoji Kaji. He also inherited the watermelon field of the latter. He first pilots the Evangelion Unit-01 Type F, but after the attack of Evangelion Unit-0.0 (Quatre) and the subsequent unification of his soul with Unit-01, he pilots the Super Evangelion and its various upgrades.
Three years after thwarting the ritual, Shinji has grown up to be more assertive and self-confident, to the point of even becoming the new class representative. While he still doesn’t find any particular joy in piloting the Evangelion, he doesn’t seem to hate it anymore and he is willing to do it in order to save those he cares about. Likewise, Shinji has gotten over most of the issues regarding his father, although he still thinks about him from time to time and wishes he could talk with him. In fact, the very last thing Shinji does in ANIMA is expressing his desire to go meet his father, who had returned to the real world during the events of Volume 5.
Shinji is still good friends with Toji despite the Unit-03 incident, and although his interactions with Misato aren’t as frequent, it’s pretty clear that they’re both in good terms. His relationship with the Reis is a bit more complicated, especially with Rei Trois, because Shinji fears he’s subconsciously seeing her as a replacement for his mother. Fortunately, he grows out of this mindset in the course of Volume 3. He doesn’t hold a grudge against Rei Quatre for killing him, but although she kisses him a couple of times, he either reacts with shock and confusion, or doesn’t react at all. By contrast, he almost has no problems with Rei Six, mostly due to her innocence and child-like nature.
As for Asuka, it’s shown thorough the story that Shinji cares a great deal about her. When she is on the Moon, he tries to contact her almost every day from Earth, and when Shinji believes that she has died, he and Super Evangelion burst into flames due to pure rage. After Asuka fuses with Unit-02 and becomes Crimson A1, Shinji is one of the few people whom she listens to, and when his heart is stolen by a Torwart, Shinji mentions that he can sense Crimson A1 touching it, and that her warmth soothes him. In Volume 4, during an introspective sequence, Shinji sees her again and she kisses him, declaring her love for him. This helps Shinji to rematerialize her, and she returns to human form. Their relationship becomes a key element for the plot of Volume 5, both at the start and at the end. It opens with Asuka, back to normal, hugging Shinji in the entry plug of Super Eva and rescuing him from a berserk-like state. Then, during the climax of the final battle, Asuka, temporarily refused into the Crimson A1, summons a new Eva and a new body for Shinji, who had previously died. Asuka does this after Kaji tells her to “Think of the one you love. You must give him a vessel.”
History[]
Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA[]
Volume 1[]
Shinji defeated the Mass Production Evangelions during SEELE’s invasion, because Asuka and Unit-02 had been chosen as the keystone of Third Impact.
Volume 2[]
Volume 3[]
Volume 4[]
Volume 5[]
References[]