Movie
Description
Asuka Langley Shikinami makes her debut in Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance as the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-02. Born on December 4, 2001, she is a German national who holds the rank of Captain in the European Air Force, having joined that branch of service rather than following the path of university graduation seen in other versions of the character. At the time of the film, Asuka is fourteen years old. Her appearance is largely familiar, with auburn brown hair, but her personality and background feature several notable distinctions.
Asuka possesses a strong and proud temperament, carrying a very high opinion of her piloting skills and her own capabilities. She dislikes being looked down upon or told what to do, and she wants to be viewed as an adult worthy of praise. She is often aggressive and opinionated, yet she also demonstrates a more introverted and solitary side. Unlike some other portrayals, Asuka has no obsessive crush on Ryoji Kaji. She also lacks a fear of dolls and instead is seen talking to and playing with a hand puppet when she is in low spirits, a habit she explains is connected to a memory of her mother. She often plays a Wonderswan game console to block out the world around her, similar to how Shinji uses his SDAT player. She is not particularly close with her class representative, Hikari Horaki, and generally keeps to herself.
Throughout the story of Evangelion: 2.0, Asuka is driven by a fierce pride in her identity as a chosen pilot, believing she earned her position through pure skill while viewing Shinji and Rei as pilots who gained their roles due to their connections to Gendo Ikari, whom she derisively refers to as the Commander. She considers both Shinji and Rei her rivals in piloting. However, her motivations become more personal as she develops feelings for Shinji, and she grows jealous of the attention he pays to Rei. In an effort to compete for Shinji's interest, Asuka attempts to learn how to cook after learning about Rei's plan to host a dinner party for Shinji and his father. Despite her earlier hostility, she shows empathy toward Rei when she notices the bandages on Rei's fingers from cooking. After a tense encounter in an elevator, Asuka asks Rei if she likes Shinji, and Rei's honest but uncertain response visibly upsets her. Ultimately, Asuka volunteers to be the test pilot for the activation of Evangelion Unit-03 as an act of kindness, allowing Rei to proceed with her dinner party as planned. Before the test, she confides in Misato Katsuragi, admitting that she has always preferred being alone but has started to realize through her recent interactions that being with other people is a good thing.
During the activation test of Unit-03, the unit is possessed by the Ninth Angel. Gendo Ikari activates the Dummy System, forcing Evangelion Unit-01 to destroy the infected Eva. The entry plug of Unit-03 is crushed in Unit-01's mouth. Asuka survives this event, but she is placed under heavy life support in a quarantine chamber surrounded by Angel-Sealing Hex Pillars, with the possibility that her mind has been corrupted by the Angel. Her fate is left uncertain at the end of the film.
Asuka's key relationships are central to her development. Her connection with Shinji Ikari is complex; she is initially hostile toward him but gradually warms up, allowing him to call her by her first name while she calls him stupid Shinji. On one occasion, she even goes to his room and lies down next to him, seeking companionship. Her rivalry with Rei Ayanami is more pointed, as she sees Rei as both a piloting and romantic rival, though she ultimately makes a significant sacrifice to help Rei. Her relationship with Misato is initially distant, with Asuka seeing her merely as a guardian, but she begins to open up to Misato as the film progresses.
Asuka's notable abilities are primarily centered on her exceptional skill as an Evangelion pilot. She is confident, aggressive in combat, and takes pride in her synch ratio and combat instincts. Her official rank as a Captain in the European Air Force at the age of fourteen further underscores her prodigious talent and training. She pilots Evangelion Unit-02 with a high degree of competence and is chosen as the test pilot for Unit-03 due to her abilities. The character also undergoes significant physical and psychological alterations following the Angel infection, which have lasting consequences that extend beyond the events of this film.
Asuka possesses a strong and proud temperament, carrying a very high opinion of her piloting skills and her own capabilities. She dislikes being looked down upon or told what to do, and she wants to be viewed as an adult worthy of praise. She is often aggressive and opinionated, yet she also demonstrates a more introverted and solitary side. Unlike some other portrayals, Asuka has no obsessive crush on Ryoji Kaji. She also lacks a fear of dolls and instead is seen talking to and playing with a hand puppet when she is in low spirits, a habit she explains is connected to a memory of her mother. She often plays a Wonderswan game console to block out the world around her, similar to how Shinji uses his SDAT player. She is not particularly close with her class representative, Hikari Horaki, and generally keeps to herself.
Throughout the story of Evangelion: 2.0, Asuka is driven by a fierce pride in her identity as a chosen pilot, believing she earned her position through pure skill while viewing Shinji and Rei as pilots who gained their roles due to their connections to Gendo Ikari, whom she derisively refers to as the Commander. She considers both Shinji and Rei her rivals in piloting. However, her motivations become more personal as she develops feelings for Shinji, and she grows jealous of the attention he pays to Rei. In an effort to compete for Shinji's interest, Asuka attempts to learn how to cook after learning about Rei's plan to host a dinner party for Shinji and his father. Despite her earlier hostility, she shows empathy toward Rei when she notices the bandages on Rei's fingers from cooking. After a tense encounter in an elevator, Asuka asks Rei if she likes Shinji, and Rei's honest but uncertain response visibly upsets her. Ultimately, Asuka volunteers to be the test pilot for the activation of Evangelion Unit-03 as an act of kindness, allowing Rei to proceed with her dinner party as planned. Before the test, she confides in Misato Katsuragi, admitting that she has always preferred being alone but has started to realize through her recent interactions that being with other people is a good thing.
During the activation test of Unit-03, the unit is possessed by the Ninth Angel. Gendo Ikari activates the Dummy System, forcing Evangelion Unit-01 to destroy the infected Eva. The entry plug of Unit-03 is crushed in Unit-01's mouth. Asuka survives this event, but she is placed under heavy life support in a quarantine chamber surrounded by Angel-Sealing Hex Pillars, with the possibility that her mind has been corrupted by the Angel. Her fate is left uncertain at the end of the film.
Asuka's key relationships are central to her development. Her connection with Shinji Ikari is complex; she is initially hostile toward him but gradually warms up, allowing him to call her by her first name while she calls him stupid Shinji. On one occasion, she even goes to his room and lies down next to him, seeking companionship. Her rivalry with Rei Ayanami is more pointed, as she sees Rei as both a piloting and romantic rival, though she ultimately makes a significant sacrifice to help Rei. Her relationship with Misato is initially distant, with Asuka seeing her merely as a guardian, but she begins to open up to Misato as the film progresses.
Asuka's notable abilities are primarily centered on her exceptional skill as an Evangelion pilot. She is confident, aggressive in combat, and takes pride in her synch ratio and combat instincts. Her official rank as a Captain in the European Air Force at the age of fourteen further underscores her prodigious talent and training. She pilots Evangelion Unit-02 with a high degree of competence and is chosen as the test pilot for Unit-03 due to her abilities. The character also undergoes significant physical and psychological alterations following the Angel infection, which have lasting consequences that extend beyond the events of this film.