Artistic, gentle souls with a mysterious dark side, Kaworu and Albedo have captivated audiences and attracted legions of fans. Kaworu is from the iconic 90's anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. While he only appears in one episode, Kaworu is one of Evangelion's most popular characters, inspiring countless creators to capture some of his magic while writing their own. The action RPG Genshin Impact is a phenomenon in its own right. Albedo is a consistently popular character despite having a supporting role. Fans of these characters can't help but notice their many similarities.

Kaworu is the fifth child and seventeenth angel sent to Tokyo-3 by SEELE. He possesses the soul of Adam, the first angel, within his human body. Kaworu is thought to be a clone, possibly of a NERV scientist, though it is never officially confirmed. Likewise, Albedo's backstory also suggests that he is not completely human. Albedo is the Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius with no memory of his past. Fans speculate that he is a homunculus created by Rhinedottir, his master and alchemy teacher.

RELATED: Genshin Impact: Everything You Need to Know About Aloy

kaworu during NERV testing

Kaworu and Albedo share many personality traits. They are abstract thinkers, preferring deep conversations to small talk. They speak passionately and genuinely, giving their scenes a sense of intimacy. The audience always feels like they are about to share a secret or something thought-provoking. Throughout his single episode of Evangelion, Kaworu's scenes are full of rich dialogue that touches on the human condition. At the NERV bathhouse, Kaworu offers words of enlightenment. He gently holds Shinji's hand and says, "You know pain is something man must endure in his heart, and since the heart feels pain so easily, some believe life is pain."

Similarly, Albedo often speaks intuitively. He says things like, "The universe is heaven reversed, and the earth is a dream lost to time. This is dust, the most basic form of complex life." One can easily imagine Kaworu and Albedo saying each other's lines.

They both have an appreciation for the arts, too. Kaworu catches Shinji's attention by humming "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's 9th Symphony in his first scene. He then declares music to be humanity's greatest achievement. In Death & Rebirth, the audience learns that Kaworu is an accomplished violinist, playing first string in the Children's quartet. Kaworu, who doesn't consider himself human, uses music to connect to other people. Albedo is a talented painter. He explains to his lab partner Sucrose, "Alchemy is a mysterious art that revolves around all living things. And the study of life, in particular, requires painting." Similar to Kaworu, Albedo uses an art form to connect to and understand his reality. Albedo is very honest when he paints. The audience can easily see what inspires him, as he tends to flesh out a focal point while leaving the rest of the canvas very loose in detail.

RELATED: Neon Genesis Evangelion Series, Movies Now Available As Digital Downloads

Albedo painting life

Both are also goal-oriented characters with little interest in everyday affairs. Kaworu's main objective is initiating instrumentality by merging with the body of Adam. All of his scenes connect to this idea: his conference with SEELE, interaction with Shinji and his brief exchange with Rei, who possesses the soul of Lilith. Even after he changes his plan in favor of humanity by proxy of Shinji, he is still working towards a goal. Similarly, in the Rebuild of Evangelion, Kaworu declares his desire to make Shinji happy, and he again sacrifices himself to accomplish this. Albedo works on alchemy throughout the game. He is hyper-focused on the task at hand, but he loses interest pretty quickly once he accomplishes it. He usually takes a moment to acknowledge this empty feeling and then moves on to a new project.

The light part of their personalities is balanced by a dark side. Kaworu is the final messenger possessing the power to destroy all. As previously mentioned, his purpose is to initiate instrumentality, which would lead to total destruction of the human world. All life would merge into a pool of LCL, which resembles amniotic fluid and is suggested to be a metaphor for the ocean water that gave birth to the first traces of life on earth. Likewise, Albedo expresses concern about his power. He gives the cryptic message, "If I lose control and destroy Mondstadt, will you be there to stop me?" While neither character seems to have malicious intent, they are capable of total annihilation.

Evangelion is widely considered the father of modern anime, especially for the science fiction sector. Being in the same genre, it would not be surprising if Genshin Impact drew inspiration from a classic. Fans can surely appreciate the similarities between these two fascinating characters.

KEEP READING: Genshin Impact Surprises Fans by Revealing Two New Characters