Ayanami Rei

Rei is perhaps the most enigmatic character in Evangelion. Unlike Asuka, Rei is quiet, unassuming, and intensely withdrawn. Rei's introspective nature and reluctance to invest time and effort into forging friendships brands her as a loner. She is even a mystery to her fellow EVA pilots.

Not much is known about Rei or her origin. Ritsuko and Gendo are the only ones alive who are aware of who Rei is. Rei doesn't seem to have any feelings toward Ritsuko. However, she does have some kind of an father-daughter relationship with Gendo. This somewhat-innocent bond piques Shinji's interest in both characters early in the story. Although a conciliation with his father never pans out, Shinji and Rei form some sort of a friendship as the series progresses. The connection isn't love, but it is a vague sense of familiarity felt between the two.

Rei is definitely one of the odder characters in anime. But it seems EVA fans like her because of that!

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Image courtesy of Johnny Hsu. He also has an EVA image gallery. Check it out!