The 90's was home to several anime icons such as Spike Spiegel, Vash the Stampede, and Sailor Moon. And while all of these characters have become emblems of the anime zeitgeist in their own way, few have had the same praise, controversy, and raw response from their community the same way that the hero of Neon Genesis Evangelion did. Shinji Ikari is a 14-year-old boy whose father brought him into the battle between humanity's giant robots and horrifying angels.
While most anime protagonists would revel at the chance to become a hero, Evangelion reveled in the fact that Shinji didn't, creating unique character arcs that many have heralded as anime at its most complex and others have just outright hated. This list will be looking at a few reasons why Shinji Ikari is one of the industry's most underrated heroes (& why he's deservedly just annoying).
10 Underrated: Symbol Of Adolescence
One of the more obvious yet all the more praiseworthy traits about Shinji Ikari is how he represented Japan's teenage image during the 1990's and, for better or worse, generations of anime viewers to come. During a boom in Japan's industry, work, success, and education were prioritized above anything else.
While the education aspect was never emphasized in Evangelion, having Shinji literally defend the entire world at age 14 wasn't too bad of a comparison. With pressures from society, friends, and, because anime parents have never been great, his own father, Shinji embodied the anxiety and vulnerability of an entire generation, something that few anime characters at the time replicated.
9 Annoying: Pushover
While Shinji is plenty empathetic within his own right, it's hard to be behind somebody that's always eating mud. People love characters like Son Goku or Guts because they're constantly beating the odds and vindicating themselves against oppressive and arrogant forces. Shinji on the other hand fails to give fans that cathartic moment and instead just does whatever other people tell him to do.
Even when he fights back a little, he eventually gives in and disappoints himself and, by extension, the fans. There's strong, narrative potential in restricting Shinji's agency, but there isn't that much respect.
8 Underrated: Unselfish
What is easier to respect is how unselfish Shinji is. As funny as it may seem against the large backdrop of internal monologues and dream sequences, Shinji rarely does think about himself.
He's constantly thinking about the his father's expectations, Misato's, the lives of his friends, and that of all of humanity. While he may occasionally falter, Shinji does eventually return to the robot for the better of everyone else.
7 Annoying: Same Problem
On the note of that robot, Shinji does make it a really convoluted process to get him inside. Neon Genesis Evangelion is praised as one of the most complex and varied stories in anime, but it's often hard to see that given that the series constantly returns to the same problem: Shinji not getting in the robot.
While it is a hilarious meme, it is one of the most taxing elements of the series to constantly see Shinji fight himself and others to get in the robot. The conversations are interesting, but they're constantly watered down with each iteration, and it makes it hard to see if Shinji is really progressing of if he's just running in circles.
6 Underrated: Did Get In The Robot
Memes aside, let's not neglect the moments that he does get in the robot. Half of Evangelion is remembered for being this spectacular allegory of Japanese adolescence. The other half is remembered for being a pretty awesome mecha anime.
Shinji certainly doesn't look the ideal soldier, but he's fighting epic battles in strange situations that really take some bravery and skill to overcome. If there's one thing that's underrated about Shinji, it's the fact that he is a mecha hero.
5 Annoying: Good At Everything
It's encouraging to know that Shinji does eventually get in the robot, but the situation as a whole doesn't seem as challenging and perilous when one discovers that Shinji is a little too good at the job. Much to Asuka's dismay, Shinji is one of the most talented and fastest progressing of the children.
Returning to the note that Shinji hardly changes, he rarely has training arcs where he becomes legitimately better at fighting the Angels. Instead, he's kind of just really good at fighting Angels. It would be easier to see Shinji as this lost animal if he were truly vulnerable; but given his baffling talents, that weakness and vulnerability is harder to see.
4 Underrated: Meticulous
While having Shinji be good at everything makes it harder to see him as a victim, his abilities didn't just appear out of thin air. Shinji is a meticulous worker who truly puts his mind and soul into what's in front of him.
This work is not given the same romanticism as most Shonen heroes, but the kid does have an enviable work ethic that gives the apocalypse the sense of seriousness that it deserves. To give credit where credit is due, Shinji is far from being a slouch.
3 Annoying: Love Problems
One of the most annoying aspects about Shinji that Evangelion unfortunately borrows from the industry as a whole is his entire harem schtick.
Whether he's feeding Asuka's tsundere rapport, gawking at Misato, or doing the tired tripping-and-grabbing gag with Rei, Shinji becomes less complex of a character and more typical of an anime protagonist in an idealized, romantic situation. While each of these characters becomes uniquely defined in their own way, they're still lazily tied to Shinji through the industry's shared harem fantasy.
2 Underrated: Survivor
As noted earlier, Shinji is a mecha hero who gets to pilot a mechanical giant against monstrous forces. And while that idea alone already makes Shinji tougher than most, let's not forget what he's actually put up with.
As an Eva pilot, Shinji gets to know what it's like to be stabbed in the head, have his arm ripped off, and be lost in a theoretical trap with no rational hope of escape. People love to hate on Shinji for being an emasculated coward, but it's difficult to think of anyone facing the Angels and not losing their mind.
1 Annoying: Cries A Lot
With that being said, Shinji Ikari is prone to breaking down and crying more than most anime characters. There are plenty of emotionally affecting anime where constant crying helps emphasize a tragic death or a huge transition. However, when Shinji does it, he just reminds fans that he probably shouldn't be doing what he's doing.
There's a lot to admire about what Shinji is capable of and what he's done, but it's also understandable why people don't acknowledge those aspects given that they're always punctuated by Shinji panicking and bawling. It's easy to see a soldier act proud, but no one wants to see one cry. While this is integral to Evangelion's message, it kind of hinges on making Shinji all the more unbearable and, thus, annoying of a character.