Shinji Ikari- Shinji is the pilot of Eva Unit 01. He is a very quiet boy, and likes to make sure he pleases everyone else. His mother's death and the abandonment by his father have left him emotionally uncertain, insecure, and frightened of himself and his world.

Asuka Langley Sohryu- A troubled girl whose flaming red hair is a sign of her burning anger. The ghosts of her past haunt her, driving her from the silence of memory into the raging turmoil of the present. With Eva 02, she fights to quiet the voices.

Rei Ayanami- Rei Ayanami is the product of one man's struggle to govern the evolution of his species. Rei embraces his cause, and the man, as the validation for her existence. But the knowledge that she is a substitute for some thing, for some one, whispers to her from the void of her missing soul.

Toji Suzuhara- Because his little sister was severely injured during the fight against the Third Angel, Toji is initially hostile to Shinji and the Evangelions. However, after he witnesses the turmoil that Shinji goes through while piloting, they become close friends. It is hard to say which was most surprised when Toji was determined to be the Fourth Child, Asuka or Toji himself.

Kaworu Nagisa- The last Angel took the form of a human boy, Kaworu Nagisa, the Fifth Child. He spent time with Shinji examining what it means to be human. In the end, however, Shinji was forced to destroy the Angel in order to save humanity.