So, we mentioned that Shinji was left aside as soon as his mother died. It is implied that this became the root of most of Shinji’s traumas. In particular, his characteristic Hedgehog’s dilemma. In psychology, the metaphor of hedgehogs that cannot come closer to each other due to their sharp spines is used to explain human behavior. In other words, the process of creating a relationship with other human being causes an unavoidable great amount of pain. Thus, some people choose to have superficial relationships or downright avoid them, like Shinji does.

That is why we notice that Shinji does not have any significant relationships prior to the events shown in the anime. Even Asuka, who is not precisely happy making friends, apparently is in good terms with her stepmother. Sadly, Shinji can not say the same about his father. We must remember that, for a child, their relationship with their parents or parental figures is the most important. Taking into account that Commander Ikari is absorbed by work and is quite inept when it comes to social relationships himself, it is unsurprising that Shinji turned out so emotionally vulnerable.

Particularly in the first episodes of the anime, Shinji can be way too passive. If he confronts authority (getting hurt in result), Shinji shuts down and runs away. There is no better example than the first time Commander Ikari tried to “persuade” him to pilot the Eva 01. The encounter against his first Angel was no summer picnic, so of course Shinji wanted to refuse the duties of a pilot. But there is more at play here. It is true that Shinji runs away from conflict and is superficially polite and obliging… but we have to give credit to Shinji for a deep emotion at least: his self-loathing.  Shinji does not believe he deserves to be alive, so he merely… exists. Shinji is the embodiment of impotence and apathy, watching how others decide everything for him.

The teenage years are one hell of a rollercoaster ride of hormones. And well, our protagonist does not ignore his natural calls, despite that, Shinji is inept when it comes to the opposite sex. As Evangelion’s story progresses, Shinji’s relationship with three strong female characters is particularly interesting. So, let’s review it here starting with Major Misato Katsuragi. Here we have a woman who has lots in common with Shinji (a childhood marked by the Second Impact and the Angels, conflicts with her father, etc.). Nevertheless, she confronts her Hedgehog’s dilemma through superficial relationships and vices. On the bottom, they are not very good at adulting, although in the case of Shinji, he can be spared due to his young age. On the other side, they learn to coexist and to care for each other… although the roles of Misato as caretaker, military boss and sexual interest get all mixed on Shinji’s head.

But, does this mean Shinji ignores women his age? Of course not! The first one he encounters is Rei, who is pretty much as passive as Shinji is, although for different reasons. Rei knows she is replaceable, but her good relationship with Commander Ikari, deep thoughts and mature demeanor steer Shinji to question his reasons for being a Nerv pilot. Finally, we get Shinji’s relationship with Asuka. We have another girl with a troubled childhood here, although she covers it with a facade of arrogance and competitiveness. They disliked each other at first, but have to learn to work together against the Angels. Nevertheless, it is very challenging, as both fail in communicating their true intentions (and feelings).

If we can even call it a style, that is. Shinji was basically piloting the Evangelions to get approval from Commander Ikari, which is a pretty weak reason to become last humanity’s hope. Yes, it is a common reason in the world of anime, but taking into account how inexperienced Shinji is in his first battles, we notice he could only survive due to his basic instincts and his mother’s spirit residing on the Eva, which made it move by itself in order to defeat the Angels. On a side note, that is what I would call a protective mother :p Anyway, Shinji’s military training slowly makes him more confident in battle, but most of his spectacular victories end with tearing his enemy up in a feral way. That is an interesting violent side for someone largely passive and apathetic, right? So watch out for Shinji in battle mode!

All in all, Shinji reacts towards the world. If he truly was an empty human shell, he would have never formed relationships with anyone. And although Shinji was scared in the beginning, he is capable of defeating Angels by himself and saving most of his comrades. By the end of the T.V. series, Shinji decides to stop running away and accepts that life can be complicated and painful sometimes.

Of course that the end of the first set of movies is far more interesting. Rei chooses him instead of Commander Ikari to decide humanity’s future. They can all become one in a sea of LCL, or keep business as usual. Although the last option is far more difficult, Shinji chooses to keep everybody’s human forms. What happens next is open to interpretation, but it is clear that the life cycle on Earth restarts. After all that he has gone through, Shinji might be capable of valuing himself with all his virtues and faults, and thus, accepting others.