Movie
Description
Mari Makinami Illustrious serves as an Evangelion pilot within the Rebuild of Evangelion film series and related official media. She debuts in *Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance*, affiliated with either Nerv's European branch or an independent third party. Unlike other pilots, she demonstrates exceptional skill and a distinct enthusiasm for operating Evangelions. Her background remains deliberately ambiguous. A photograph hints at a possible connection to earlier times, showing someone resembling her with a young Gendo and Yui Ikari, suggesting she might be older than she appears due to the "Curse of Eva" halting aging—a condition affecting pilots exposed to LCL. Alternative theories propose she could be a clone, noted by the "-nami" suffix in her surname, similar to Rei Ayanami and Asuka Shikinami.
In *Evangelion: 2.0*, Mari pilots Evangelion Unit-05 during its first combat against the Third Angel, employing aggressive tactics and sacrificing the unit via self-destruct. Later, she commandeers Evangelion Unit-02, activating its undocumented "Beast Mode" to battle the Tenth Angel. Her personality is energetic, confident, and enigmatic; she identifies Shinji Ikari by smelling LCL on him and uses playful nicknames like "Puppy Boy" for him and "Princess" for Asuka Langley Shikinami. She exhibits a deep, almost affectionate understanding of the Evangelions, whispering farewell to Unit-05 before its destruction.
Her role expands in *Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo* and *Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time*. Piloting Evangelion Unit-08, she supports missions including the space rescue of Unit-01 and the Paris restoration, where she sacrifices Unit-08's legs to defeat enemies. Aboard the Wunder, she shares an isolation chamber with Asuka, reflecting Asuka's estrangement. Mari facilitates emotional reconciliations, notably mending tensions between Shinji and Asuka by prompting mutual confessions: Asuka admits past feelings, while Shinji apologizes for his inaction during her trauma. During the climax in Antarctica, Mari extracts Shinji from Evangelion Unit-13, urging him to "be a man" and confront the world.
In the finale, Mari guides Shinji into the "Anti-Universe" during the battle against Gendo Ikari. After Shinji resets the world to one without Evangelions, Mari appears on a beach as the last Eva disappears. The film concludes with an adult Shinji at a train station, where Mari greets him playfully with a "guess who?" gesture, referencing her "glasses" and "big boobs"—a callback to their first meeting. They hold hands and depart together, implying a romantic connection and symbolizing Shinji's fresh start.
Outside the Rebuild films, Mari appears in other official media. In the *Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA* light novels, she pilots a U.S.-operated Evangelion as a physically seven-year-old child due to divergent plot elements. A bonus chapter of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's *Evangelion* manga depicts her as a classmate and rival of Yui Ikari, though Sadamoto clarified this iteration is separate from the Rebuild version and not canonical to it.
Her conceptual origin involved significant revisions. Initially planned as a minor, silent character for *Evangelion: 2.0*, her role expanded due to fan interest and staff input. Director Hideaki Anno struggled to define her, resulting in discarded ideas—such as making her Asuka's European classmate or incorporating comedic ninja-style combat. Assistant director Kazuya Tsurumaki refined her into a carefree, animal-loving persona with British stylistic cues designed by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. Her name combines warship references: the HMS *Illustrious* and the Japanese destroyer *Makinami*, aligning with the series' naming conventions.
In *Evangelion: 2.0*, Mari pilots Evangelion Unit-05 during its first combat against the Third Angel, employing aggressive tactics and sacrificing the unit via self-destruct. Later, she commandeers Evangelion Unit-02, activating its undocumented "Beast Mode" to battle the Tenth Angel. Her personality is energetic, confident, and enigmatic; she identifies Shinji Ikari by smelling LCL on him and uses playful nicknames like "Puppy Boy" for him and "Princess" for Asuka Langley Shikinami. She exhibits a deep, almost affectionate understanding of the Evangelions, whispering farewell to Unit-05 before its destruction.
Her role expands in *Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo* and *Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time*. Piloting Evangelion Unit-08, she supports missions including the space rescue of Unit-01 and the Paris restoration, where she sacrifices Unit-08's legs to defeat enemies. Aboard the Wunder, she shares an isolation chamber with Asuka, reflecting Asuka's estrangement. Mari facilitates emotional reconciliations, notably mending tensions between Shinji and Asuka by prompting mutual confessions: Asuka admits past feelings, while Shinji apologizes for his inaction during her trauma. During the climax in Antarctica, Mari extracts Shinji from Evangelion Unit-13, urging him to "be a man" and confront the world.
In the finale, Mari guides Shinji into the "Anti-Universe" during the battle against Gendo Ikari. After Shinji resets the world to one without Evangelions, Mari appears on a beach as the last Eva disappears. The film concludes with an adult Shinji at a train station, where Mari greets him playfully with a "guess who?" gesture, referencing her "glasses" and "big boobs"—a callback to their first meeting. They hold hands and depart together, implying a romantic connection and symbolizing Shinji's fresh start.
Outside the Rebuild films, Mari appears in other official media. In the *Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA* light novels, she pilots a U.S.-operated Evangelion as a physically seven-year-old child due to divergent plot elements. A bonus chapter of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's *Evangelion* manga depicts her as a classmate and rival of Yui Ikari, though Sadamoto clarified this iteration is separate from the Rebuild version and not canonical to it.
Her conceptual origin involved significant revisions. Initially planned as a minor, silent character for *Evangelion: 2.0*, her role expanded due to fan interest and staff input. Director Hideaki Anno struggled to define her, resulting in discarded ideas—such as making her Asuka's European classmate or incorporating comedic ninja-style combat. Assistant director Kazuya Tsurumaki refined her into a carefree, animal-loving persona with British stylistic cues designed by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. Her name combines warship references: the HMS *Illustrious* and the Japanese destroyer *Makinami*, aligning with the series' naming conventions.