Rei Ayanami

Rei Ayanami is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series and its eponymous franchise, created by the anime studio Gainax. Rei is an introverted girl who pilots Evangelion Unit-00, one of the giant mecha known as Evangelions, and bears the designation First Child. At the beginning of the series, Rei is a mysterious figure whose unusual behavior puzzles her peers. As the series progresses, she becomes more involved with those around her, particularly her classmate and fellow Evangelion pilot, Shinji Ikari. The series eventually reveals that she is a clone of Shinji's mother, Yui Ikari, and Lilith, an entity known as an Angel. Rei also appears in the franchise's animated feature films and related media, including video games, the original net animation Petit Eva: Evangelion@School, the Rebuild of Evangelion films, and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's manga adaptation. Hideaki Anno, director of the animated series, conceived Rei as a representation of his unconscious mind. His readings in psychology, particularly Freudian psychoanalysis, also influenced his conception of the character, with Freud's theory of the Oedipus complex serving as an inspiration. Character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto drew inspiration from Paul Gallico's The Snow Goose; Rei's blue hair reuses a design element from the protagonist of Gainax's unproduced animated film Aoki Uru. Megumi Hayashibara voices Rei in Japanese, and Amanda Winn-Lee, Brina Palencia, and Ryan Bartley voice her in English. Rei has received generally positive responses from viewers and critics. The character attracted considerable attention within the otaku community and inspired homages among Neon Genesis Evangelion fans. Reviewers have praised Rei's mysterious aura, her role in the story, and her character development; other critics have described her as lacking personality and being trite. Rei has also inspired a range of merchandise, including figures and accessories, and has been featured in promotional collaborations between Evangelion...