Rei Ayanami Biography (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

Name: Rei Ayanami
Age: 14
Birthday: -
Gender: Female
Personality: Cool and emotionally stunted
Nickname: Doll, puppet
Hair: Blue
Eyes: Red

Rei Ayanami s first introduced in the series as the First Child and the pilot of EVA-00. She is socially withdrawn and hardly interacts with anyone.

Physically and genetically, her appearance has some importance in the series. It is readily apparent that Rei is the diametric opposite of Asuka, not only in terms of personality, but also physically. Asuka is outspoken, emotionally extreme, and violent.

Asuka has red hair and blue eyes, while Rei has red eyes and blue hair. This color switch between the characters may also relate to the difference between how they are seen by others and what their true feelings are. However, the lead character designer has said that Rei's coloration was intended to make her look "more distinct," so this color inversion may simply be a coincidence.

Rei's mysterious background has led fans to develop multiple theories of just what exactly went into creating her. Gendo Ikari first introduced her to the NERV staff as an "acquaintance's child" whom he is temporarily taking care of. The Red Cross Book states that Rei was created from the "salvaged remains" of Yui after her death in 2004, in spite of the popularized 2001 birthdate (derived from the character's seiyū). There is evidence shown to support the Red Cross Book: Shinji Ikari tells her that he thinks she'd "make a good mother," and later compares Gendo's manipulation of her to his manipulation of Yui; they are also shown to have a physical resemblance. In episode 24, Kaworu mentions that he and Rei are "the same."