The year is AD 2015. As the remnants of the human race begin to recover from a devestating apocalyptic explosion in the Antarctic, a deadly war is being waged for what is left of the planet. On one side are the mysterious beings known only as the Angels; on the other, the secret organization known as NERV with mankind's last hope: the awe-inspiring Evangelions. Piloted by a special team of young warriors, these giant bio-mechanical humanoids are the only thing that can withstand the force of the Angels long enough for the pilots to engage the massive invaders in hand-to-hand combat. At the same time, members of NERV struggle to pierce the veil of mystery surrounding the enigmatic angels. High-tech action, blistering battle sequences, soul ripping drama and spectacular visuals are seamlessly merged in the stunning animated series that ventures beyond the boundaries of anime and questions the very nature of what it is to be human! Mankind's final battle has begun!A frail and insecure messiah, Shinji Ikari holds the fate of mankind in his hands. Shinji is the son of NERV's director, Commander Gendo Ikari, and the late Yui Ikari, a scientist whose death remains shrouded in mystery but is somehow related to NERV and the Evangelions. Emotionally imbalanced, Shinji's relations with other people are awkward, especially with women. Still scarred by his father's rejection of him, Shinji pilots the evangelion to fulfill a deep desire to be accepted and praised by others. But, are Shinji's true enemies the angels, or are they the very people that he fights for, including his own father?
An introspective and fragile young girl, Rei Ayanami keeps to herself and goes out of her way to avoid contact with others. However, she does seem to get along with Shinji's father, Commander Ikari. Rei pilots the prototype Evangelion Unit-00, but seems to be unconcerned with her own personal well-being as she continuously puts herself in life-threatening situations without any hesitation. Rei's disposition is as mysterious as her origins. Where did she come from and what exactly is her connection to Shinji and Commander Ikari? Rei Ayanami may very well hold the key to mankind's future.
Brash and arrogant, Asuka is the pilot of Evangelion Unit-02, the first production model. Asuka has a firey temper and is known to run headfirst into battle without any consideration. Asuka lives with Shinji and Misato in Misato's apartment in Tokyo-3. Asuka's mother was a scientist who worked on the Evangelion project in NERV's Germany branch. Shortly after her father deserted them both, Asuka's mother went insane and eventually commited suicide. Asuka prides herself on her self-reliance and expects nothing less than excellence from her performance as an Evangelion pilot. But her volatile and instable mental disposition is bound to come apart sooner or later.
Misato's father was one of the top scientist working in Antarctica on studying the being known as Adam. Misato was the only survivor of the research team when Adam broke free and destroyed the continent in what became known as "Second Impact". Misato spent years in recovery before she would even speak again. Later, as an adult, she attended college and befriended Akagi Ritsuko and became romatically involved with Ryoji Kaji, both future members of NERV. After working for NERV's branch agencey in Germany, she was assigned to NERV's main HQ in Tokyo-3 and became the Operations Manager. She was later promoted to the rank of Major. Misato lives with Shinji and Asuka in her apartment in Tokyo-3 and tries to act as a parental figure to both of them. She is still trying to sort through her feelings toweards Kaji, her father and herself.
Ikagi Ritsuko is the daughter of the late Dr. Ikagi, the woman who designed NERV's MAGI supercomputers. She attended school with Misato and Kaji and is close friends with both of them. Ritsuko can be cold at times, but she almost always keeps herself calm and collected, even during the heat of battle. But her composure may only be a front for the demons that plague her very soul. As the head scientist of the Evangelion Project, Ritsuko is privy to NERV's darkest and best kept secrets. But unlike the commanders, her duties do not permit her to shut herself away from the rest of the world to protect her sanity. She has not yet been able to do away with her need for human contact, making her vulnerable and unbalanced. The dubious circumstances surrounding her mother's death also plague her. It may only be a matter of time before her sanity collapses.
Kaji attended college with Misato & Ritsuko. For a time he had a romantic relationship with Misato while they were at college and while they were stationed together at NERV's Germany Branch. He arrived in Japan with Asuka and Evangelion Unit-02 as well as a secret item for Commander Gendo Ikari. Kaji's openess and friendliness makes Shinji comfortable when he's around. Kaji tries to give Shinji some fatherly advice as often as he can. Unlike Ritsuko, Kaji is not privy to the secrets of NERV. Kaji is willing to go to any extreme, even at risk to his own life, to uncover the true goals of NERV and the purpose of the Evangelions.
Cold and calculating, Gendo Ikari runs NERV with ruthless efficiency. Everything that Ikari has done in the last ten years of his life has been devoted to fulfilling NERV's Instumentality Project. Ikari answers only to the mysterious SEELE Organization, and sometimes not even to them. It becomes clear that he is using NERV to pursue his own persona agenda, not that of his superiors. Ikari has been estranged from his son, Shinji, until he could be used as a pilot for Evangelion Unit-01. Ikari uses others just as he uses his son, as instruments to further his own personal goals. But why then is he fighting to defend humanity? Or is all this merely part of a vendetta against God? 
