Shinji is for the most part of the time an extremely troubled individual, however, most of his ordeals are worsened, and often even caused, by his severe lack of self confidence. Shinji finds it incredibly hard to express his feelings towards others for the fear of being emotionally hurt, and is all too often unwilling to adapt to new situations.

The fact that Shinji hasn't had the best of relationships with his scheming father, Gendo Ikari, having chosen to run away many years ago, and coupled with the loss of his mother, Yui Ikari, at an early age hasn't made his life any easier to deal with. Yet unfortunately running away from bad situations is one of Shinji's personal traits, one that he must over come in order to lead a less stressful life. Unable, or simply unwilling, to bear the company of his father after living alone in exile for so many years, Shinji chooses instead to accept Misato's invitation to live with her on his arrival to Tokyo-3, something which is a big step for Shinji. Although Misato turns out to be not quite the ideal roommate Shinji had in mind, the bizarre situation he finds himself thrown into does help him to open up a little.

Shinji is also the reluctant pilot of EVA-01, though no one really knows why he continues to pilot the Eva as he's made it quite clear on several occasions now that he would rather not be its pilot.

As a Commander, Gendo is very experienced, secretive, always achieves results and is able to stay calm when in command, even when faced with dire situations. As a father, however, he is cold, heartless and even cruel. Gendo has never been there for his son, Shinji, and has made no real attempts to get to know him better, despite the fact that he's capable of doing so for Rei. He seems to almost be disappointed with Shinji and is content to treat his son as a complete stranger whom he may occasionally have a use for. It's no wonder why Shinji chose to run away at such an early age after his mother, Yui Ikari, died. Gendo met Yui during his University years, but it's always been assumed by many that his main reason for marrying her was so that he could get closer to her work and to the organisation she worked for, and that he had no real interest in raising a family.

Gendo may work for NERV, however, he doesn't share the same goals laid down by the UN committee, a cover in fact for SEELE, the backbone behind NERV, who seem intent on carrying out the human instrumentality project; the next step in human evolution. The creation of a single perfect entity formed from the unity of all human souls. Otherwise known as the third impact. All Gendo really cares about is carrying out the last wish of his wife; the prevention of a probable third impact instigated by Angels.

Yui was a caring, thoughtful and content individual, she'd often be caught with a smile on her face and at times seemed almost like a child eager to experience life to the fullest. Although an extremely intelligent and capable scientist, Yui wasn't particularly career driven, though instead sought to experience as much of life as possible. Yui was also the kind of person who would easily make friends what with her out going personality and her polite and affectionate approach to others, and it's because of this that she was able to gain the trust and friendship of others very quickly.

Rei is extremely timid, shy and at times almost seems withdrawn from the world around her. She finds it incredibly hard to express her feelings towards others and as a consequence isn't the kind of person who makes friends that easily. All of Rei's personnel records have been erased, she has no parents and there is no trail leading to her past, it would seem that her existence begins at a dead end.

She was the first child to be chosen to pilot an Eva, in particular EVA-00, in accordance with the Marduk institute. Though unfortunately she was seriously injured during her first attempt to synchronise with her Eva when it mysteriously went out of control. Fortunately Commander Ikari rescued her and she survived the accident, her next attempt at synchronisation was successful and she has now become the active pilot of EVA-00. Whether or not this is by choice is unknown, Rei simply seems to do as she is told without complaining, something which Shinji is known for doing.

The truth is though, Rei is in fact not human, that is not entirely. She is a by-product of the human instrumentality project, artificially created and implanted with the soul of Yui Ikari. Rei has only one soul, however, NERV have created multiple bodies, or vessels, for Rei's soul in the event of her death. Indeed Rei is killed twice, by both Naoko Akagi and the sixteenth Angel.

Ritsuko is very secretive and seldom talks about herself or her family, but it is known that she didn't get along with her mother, Naoko Akagi, creator of the MAGI super computers used by NERV, that is on a personal level. She works closely with Commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki and knows a great deal of the truths behind the mysteries surrounding the second impact, Adam and the arrival of the Angels.

She is also friends with Misato and Kaji having known them both for many years.  Although Ritsuko is fond of Kaji, the two are merely good friends, she knows Kaji still cares for Misato. Ritsuko herself though is still single mainly because she doesn't really know how to act around men. This is most likely because she has spent most of her life alone what with her mother dead, having committed suicide in front of the MAGI many years ago, and without a father during her childhood. Therefore Ritsuko has pretty much got on with her life by emersing herself in her work, something which is very important to her.

Naoko, it would seem, was more interested in her work than in what life had to offer, she spent the majority of her time working for Gehirn and in doing so shut herself out of the world around her. Her devotion to her work, however, wasn't without its rewards, Naoko was the main driving force behind the development of the MAGI super computers used by NERV. Though with all her time and energy put into her work, Naoko rarely made enough time for her daughter, Ritsuko, during her childhood.

Naoko was having an affair with Gendo after Yui's death. She committed suicide in front of the MAGI, however, when she learned of Gendo's betrayal of love towards her from the first copy of Rei, whom Naoko then killed out of vengeance. Gendo never stopped loving Yui, Rei's existence alone was proof of that. Realising this was enough to send Naoko over the edge, and in the process Gehirn lost an individual who'd rendered such remarkable service to the MAGI system.

Misato is an energetic, determined and strong willed individual who's not afraid to take charge of a bad situation, that is when she's not busy drinking. Misato joined NERV after the death of her father, who died saving her life during the second impact whilst leading the Katsuragi expedition in Antarctica, intent on exacting revenge against the Angels for her loss. She soon acquired the rank of Captain and shortly afterwards that of Major, and is appointed as NERV's operations director with explicit control over Evas 00, 01 and 02 in the absence of both Commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki.

As well as working for NERV, she is Shinji's voluntary guardian, although her attitude and behaviour towards him is more of that expected from an older sister. Despite her sisterly approach to Shinji and her occasionally bad domestic habits though, Misato does manage to go a long way into helping Shinji to over come his problems, and in getting him to open up a little. Misato has also taken on the role of Asuka's guardian.

Misato is also Kaji's old lover and at one point lived with him, but she broke off the relationship when she realised how similar to her father he was. Despite this though, she still cares greatly for him, although admitting to this in public would be unlikely, and it's not inconceivable that they may soon become once again more than just good friends.

Kaji is quite the playful type who officially works for NERV special inspections, however, he also secretly works for the Japanese government investigating NERV's true intentions on their behalf. Kaji has a nose for trouble and enjoys nothing more than living out the life of some kind of secret agent or spy, but his desire to act out this kind of role will undoubtedly eventually land him in the worst of situations.

Although his relationship with Misato ended years ago, he's never really given up the battle to win her back and it's possible that they may at some point get back together, despite objections from Asuka who can be seen clinging to Kaji whenever the opportunity presents itself.

As far as bad habits go, Kaji is hardly perfect in that he can often be found playfully hitting on women. While not a crime in itself, this type of behaviour doesn't score him any points with Misato, neither does neglecting to shave, something which Misato is always picking up on.

Asuka is extremely confident and constantly struggles onwards trying to better herself over others. Since her mother, Kyoko Zeppelin Souryu who worked for NERV, went insane after an accident, in which she tried to synchronise with EVA-02, and later committed suicide many years ago, Asuka has immersed herself heavily in her own pride; possibly her way of dealing with her tragic loss. As a result of this she is often unwilling to accept any kind of help and advice from others, and will rarely ever admit to making a mistake. She can also be very annoying at times and is known to look down on people, especially Shinji, however, she would never intentionally hurt the feelings of others.

Since moving to Japan, Asuka has taken up on Misato's hospitality choosing to live with her and Shinji, but with her interest in Kaji and her overall attitude towards Shinji, the decibel level in Misato's apartment has risen somewhat since her arrival.

Asuka is also the proud pilot of EVA-02, and is probably the only Eva pilot who actually enjoys and takes pride in being a pilot. Although she puts a lot of effort into piloting EVA-02, unlike Shinji she is not a naturally talented pilot, it is therefore extremely likely that this is the reason for her pointless ongoing rivalry with him.

When in command, Kouzou is not all that dissimilar to Commander Ikari in that he too remains perfectly calm even when a situation turns nasty. He can, however, be a little apprehensive at times, but will take the time out to engage in idle conversation with lower ranking NERV personnel. Unlike Gendo, Kouzou is more likely to play it safe as a posed to taking big risks, and although Kouzou maybe a decade older than Gendo, it would seem that his role in NERV's hierarchy is more of that of a vice-commander. It's Commander Ikari who seems to have the last say, that is when he's not away attending other more important matters.

Kouzou is a former professor at the Kyoto University. It was there that he first met Yui Ikari, one of his students, who introduced him to Gendo. A few years later after the second impact, the two met once again, and it was at this point that Gendo, who by now was in charge of project E; the project to revive Adam, invited Kouzou to work along side him in creating a new era for man. Despite accepting the offer, Kouzou has always believed Gendo in fact knew that the second impact would take place, and as a result of this left the Antarctic Katsuragi expedition the day before the incident, along with all the collected research data. But even Kouzou is kept in the dark about some secrets, especially those concerning SEELE and his fellow Commander.

Maya is a friendly and polite individual who enjoys her work, is grateful for living in the twenty first century and is the kind of person who welcomes technology openly. Maya is easily disturbed by scenes of violence and aggression and hence is more of a pacifist in nature. Maya is also an incredibly hard worker, is eager to please and will rarely ever over step the mark as far as her position in NERV is concerned.

Maya is a technician at NERV and works closely with Ritsuko as her assistant for most of the time, in a way, Maya has earned Ritsuko's trust and respect and considers her to be her mentor. Maya has a great deal of respect for Ritsuko, and will willingly follow Ritsuko's wishes even if she herself doesn't quite agree with them.

Though he may not look it, Makoto is actually an incredibly strong willed, determined and brave individual. He takes his job at NERV extremely seriously and doesn't think twice about laying his life on the line when it comes to battling against the Angels. Makoto would seem to be the type of person who doesn't get out that much, though this is more likely to be the result of the amount of effort he puts into his work as opposed to a problem of self confidence.

Indeed Makoto spends long hours working at NERV, both during and after official working hours, and it's during these unofficial working hours that Makoto's true personality comes to light. He loves nothing more than digging up those secrets and hidden agendas kept out of sight by both NERV and SEELE, in effect Makoto's true job is that of Misato's secret mole inside the very heart of NERV.

Though Makoto and Misato will never become anything more than friends, Makoto cares a great deal about Misato and will gladly carry out her wishes, even if this means over stepping the mark and potentially jeopardising his career in NERV.

Shigeru is generally a very laid back kind of person who doesn't take life too seriously, though in the heat of battle, however, Shigeru can become quite apprehensive and tense, and at times even overly concerned. Despite his lazyish approach to life though, Shigeru takes his work at NERV extremely seriously and always delivers results.

Shigeru is heavily into music and as a result of his interest also plays the guitar, relentlessly, so much so that he can often be seen practising chords, using an air guitar, on the job whilst all's quiet.

Despite Toji's tough guy type appearance, he's actually quite a thoughtful individual who gets along well with others, especially with Shinji and Kensuke, and who cares very much for the welfare of his little sister, who was injured badly after being crushed by falling debris when the third Angel attacked Tokyo-3. With his father frequently away on important business due to work obligations, Toji often spends time before and after school hours caring for his sister in hospital where he regularly visits her at least twice a week.

As well as looking the school tough guy, Toji spends most of his time looking at other more important things, girls, women and in particular Misato who he has a heavy crush on. He'll often go out of his way just to say 'Hi' or to catch a glimpse of her.

Toji also pilots EVA-03, however, his decision to become an Eva pilot was hardly by choice. He only accepted the responsibility of piloting the Eva on the basis that his sister be transferred to one of NERV's specialist hospitals where she'd receive the best medical care and treatment. As a result of having to hold up his end of the deal, and having heard of some of the grief that the other Eva pilots have gone through, Toji, as most would imagine, isn't exactly enthusiastic about the whole affair.

Kensuke is a thoughtful and intelligent individual who pays great attention to details, and is also a fanatical war enthusiast intrigued by all things loud and destructive. Unfortunately though, his passion for instruments of war has got him into some tight situations. Desperate to get a glimpse of the action on tape, especially battles involving the Eva series, Kensuke has ended up on the battle field several times, and even once managed to find himself, along with Toji, in EVA-01's cockpit; quite possibly the apex of his achievements to date

With his mother dead and his father often away working on important projects, Kensuke has become an independent sort capable of looking after his own. He attends the same school as Shinji and the two along with Toji have become the best of friends. Kensuke also appreciates and shares Toji's interest in Misato, despite having to listen to Shinji's on going roommate horror stories, and is determined to make it as a future Evangelion pilot.

Hikari is a pleasant, friendly and well organised girl who lives with her two sisters whom she assumes responsibility for. At school Hikari is representative for class 2-A and is very dedicated to her job, it's a position which she aims to fulfil to the best of her abilities. She may be a little bossy at times, however, this is only because she wants to set a good example and maintain the smooth running of the class.

Although she gets along well with most of her classmates, Hikari gets along particularly well with Asuka and the two have become the best of friends. Hikari also has a crush on Toji, that's when she's not busy ordering him around, however, she finds it hard expressing her feelings towards him in person.

Kaoru is softly spoken and polite at all times, even during combat. He seems to be extremely open with people, especially with Shinji, though always carries an air of mystery around with him. His affection towards Shinji helps Shinji to partially overcome his fears of other people's perception of himself, though Shinji's newly placed trust in Kaoru turns out to be sadly misplaced when it is learnt that Kaoru is in fact an Angel.

Kaoru is not all that dissimilar to Rei in that he too has had his personal records erased from existence, though it is known that he was born on the same day as the second impact. While an explanation as to how Kaoru came to be is not given, based on the fact that he is an Angel, and hence exhibits Angel properties much like Rei, and is sent by SEELE directly to NERV to instigate the third impact, it is likely that SEELE created Kaoru in much the same way as Gendou brought Rei into existence.

The fact that Kaoru was created from Adam explains his ability to synchronise with an Evangelion with ease, and at any desired synchronisation ratio provided that his soul is more dominant than that of the Eva's. This ability is useful in that he was allegedly sent to NERV to replace Asuka as the pilot of Unit 02, though not so when his true motive comes to light.

Pen Pen can often be seen wondering back and fourth around Misatio's apartment, that's when he's not lounging around or suffering from the ill effects of his owner's futile attempts at cooking. Pen Pen may well be a warm water penguin to most, but to Misato Pen Pen is more of a companion and a good source of company when she's feeling lonely and down.

Pen Pen permanently wears a portable air conditioner on his back for use during his walkabouts around Misato's apartment, though when he's off duty, Pen Pen lives a comfortable lifestyle in Misato's somewhat over sized refrigerator, that's when he's not busy relaxing in her bath. Pen Pen also seems to be reasonably intelligent and clever, and at times has an almost cunning look about him as though he's planning something big. This aside, however, Pen Pen gets on extremely well with almost anyone, especially with Misato, Asuka and Hikari i.e. females, and would seem to have an interest in Shinji's attempts at classical music.