DESIRED CLASS & REASONING: I think Asuka would be a good fit for the Flick Reaper. Evangelions are mostly melee-oriented robots, so that's the sort of combat she's accustomed to. Asuka also makes use of an axelike weapon in Unit 02, similar to Flick Reapers. In addition, the fact that very few Flick Reapers have made a name for themselves in the world is right up Asuka's alley – she likes being one of the chosen elite. They seem like a very mobile class, a perfect fit for her quick-footed style. Asuka is even vulnerable to ranged attacks, just like a Flick Reaper, as she ultimately meets her end thanks to several lances thrown into her torso from a distance.
PERSONALITY: If the mouthful of a name didn't tip you off, Asuka Langley Soryu is not a face easily forgotten. Brandishing a seemingly impenetrable ego and a legendarily ferocious temper, Asuka is one of the most recognizable faces in Evangelion – which is even more remarkable considering just how famous Evangelion is overall. Arguably the poster child for the tsundere trope now commonplace in mainstream anime, Asuka steals the show whenever she's onscreen with her fiery personality, and she'll make damn sure you remember it, too. Hmph!
We're first introduced to Asuka at sea, where a fleet of military ships are escorting her Evangelion, Unit 02, across the waters. Her initial meeting with infamous protagonist Shinji Ikari sets the stage for one of the rockiest romances of all time (if you could even call it that, considering it's never actually consummated in any significant way). Asuka is distinctly unimpressed with Shinji right off the bat, sniping that he's “not much to look at”, and her view of him doesn't fare much better as the series progresses. Asuka is quick to blame Shinji for anything and everything that goes wrong, even when it's not particularly his fault. Her jealousy flares over Shinji's unnaturally high test scores with his Evangelion and superior performance in battle, and even though she continually accuses him of being an unworthy pilot, this envy becomes clear when she sarcastically remarks that wonderful, amazing Shinji will always come charging in to save the day. Yet despite her confrontational attitude towards Shinji, romantic feelings begin to emerge; the episode after she's introduced, she sneaks into Shinji's room to sleep beside him when she thinks he's unconscious. Asuka eventually goads Shinji into kissing her, and while her reaction during the scene might make the audience believe she's nothing short of disgusted, we find out later she was only upset because Shinji refused to hold her. They bicker constantly during the series, and poor, unfortunate Shinji winds up further contributing to Asuka's abandonment issues that have plagued her since her mother's traumatic death.
Asuka doesn't get along with Rei Ayanami, the pilot of Unit 00, very well, either. Rei's robotic responses unnerve Asuka, and like with Shinji, she is quick to become annoyed should others praise the blue-haired pilot in her presence. She picks on Rei for being the commander's favorite, and snidely refers to her as “Wonder Girl”. Asuka compares her to a doll, which she loathes – after her mother lost her mind, she mistook a doll for her real daughter until she finally hung herself – and angrily declares her hatred for her, along with everyone else, by the end of the series. In examining her relationships with her fellow pilots, it becomes clear that Asuka has a nasty jealousy streak. She demands to be the center of attention at all times, even going as far to hit on men over twice her age to get it, and when she doesn't, she throws a fit. Asuka thrives on recognition from others and pilots the Evangelion solely because of this, which Rei calls her out on. Incredibly self-absorbed and short-sighted, Asuka will charge foolishly at an enemy without thinking things through first. She's capable of strategizing when necessary, but always seem to prefer the glory of the limelight to an efficient victory. While she is fairly talented as a pilot, her hot-headed tendencies often land her in trouble, and she loathes the idea of having to work as a team to defeat the Angels. Though she lauds herself as an “elite pilot”, in reality, she may very well be the worst of the trio, due to her poor attitude and insistence on accomplishing everything on her own.
Of course, as with all characters in Evangelion, there are reasons for her standoffish behavior. Asuka's father was generally distant, and her mother absorbed herself in her work, leaving little time for Asuka. After a contact experiment with Unit 02 which left her soul sealed inside, Asuka's mother went insane and was hospitalized. During her hospitalization, she neglected Asuka in favor of a doll, and even insulted her. When Asuka proudly rushed to visit her mother after being chosen as an Evangelion pilot, she found her hanging from the ceiling, dead. Asuka blocked this memory, but it resurfaces later when her mind is violated by Arael, the 15th Angel. Asuka's mother declaring her unwanted and unloved triggered an obsessive need in Asuka to be noticed, to prove herself to the world by piloting the Evangelion. Her overwhelming confidence, however, ultimately proves to be just a farce. Following Asuka's sink into depression after her encounter with Arael, we find out Asuka actually hates herself, magnified by her continued losses against the Angels. Her sync ratio with Unit 02 plummets until it is determined she is no longer a reliable pilot. Consumed with self-loathing and a hatred for everything and everyone around her, Asuka becomes catatonic, and even attempts to commit suicide. Only do the events of The End of Evangelion rouse her. When her mother's soul whispers words of encouragement to her in Unit 02, proving that she had been protecting her all along, Asuka regains her spirit and makes a heroic last stand against the attacking military forces and the monstrous mass-produced Evangelions. Though she ultimately falls in defeat, she is the first to rematerialize beside Shinji at the conclusion of the movie. Only those who had the will to live could do so, thus confirming her desire to live in a world filled with other people despite the pain associated of growing close to them.
In summary, there's certainly a lot more to Asuka than meets the eye, to borrow an overused phrase. Cocksure and proud on the surface and fatally fragile underneath, Asuka's damning condescension of others contradicts her ultimate desire: to be loved. Her Evangelion is essentially an extension of herself; without it, she is unable to reconcile her self-worth. Her fate in the ongoing Rebuild of Evangelion movies is unknown, but regardless, Asuka remains one of the most memorable females in anime, probably because beneath all those layers of confidence she is just as human as the rest of us.
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PERSONALITY: If the mouthful of a name didn't tip you off, Asuka Langley Soryu is not a face easily forgotten. Brandishing a seemingly impenetrable ego and a legendarily ferocious temper, Asuka is one of the most recognizable faces in Evangelion – which is even more remarkable considering just how famous Evangelion is overall. Arguably the poster child for the tsundere trope now commonplace in mainstream anime, Asuka steals the show whenever she's onscreen with her fiery personality, and she'll make damn sure you remember it, too. Hmph!
We're first introduced to Asuka at sea, where a fleet of military ships are escorting her Evangelion, Unit 02, across the waters. Her initial meeting with infamous protagonist Shinji Ikari sets the stage for one of the rockiest romances of all time (if you could even call it that, considering it's never actually consummated in any significant way). Asuka is distinctly unimpressed with Shinji right off the bat, sniping that he's “not much to look at”, and her view of him doesn't fare much better as the series progresses. Asuka is quick to blame Shinji for anything and everything that goes wrong, even when it's not particularly his fault. Her jealousy flares over Shinji's unnaturally high test scores with his Evangelion and superior performance in battle, and even though she continually accuses him of being an unworthy pilot, this envy becomes clear when she sarcastically remarks that wonderful, amazing Shinji will always come charging in to save the day. Yet despite her confrontational attitude towards Shinji, romantic feelings begin to emerge; the episode after she's introduced, she sneaks into Shinji's room to sleep beside him when she thinks he's unconscious. Asuka eventually goads Shinji into kissing her, and while her reaction during the scene might make the audience believe she's nothing short of disgusted, we find out later she was only upset because Shinji refused to hold her. They bicker constantly during the series, and poor, unfortunate Shinji winds up further contributing to Asuka's abandonment issues that have plagued her since her mother's traumatic death.
Asuka doesn't get along with Rei Ayanami, the pilot of Unit 00, very well, either. Rei's robotic responses unnerve Asuka, and like with Shinji, she is quick to become annoyed should others praise the blue-haired pilot in her presence. She picks on Rei for being the commander's favorite, and snidely refers to her as “Wonder Girl”. Asuka compares her to a doll, which she loathes – after her mother lost her mind, she mistook a doll for her real daughter until she finally hung herself – and angrily declares her hatred for her, along with everyone else, by the end of the series. In examining her relationships with her fellow pilots, it becomes clear that Asuka has a nasty jealousy streak. She demands to be the center of attention at all times, even going as far to hit on men over twice her age to get it, and when she doesn't, she throws a fit. Asuka thrives on recognition from others and pilots the Evangelion solely because of this, which Rei calls her out on. Incredibly self-absorbed and short-sighted, Asuka will charge foolishly at an enemy without thinking things through first. She's capable of strategizing when necessary, but always seem to prefer the glory of the limelight to an efficient victory. While she is fairly talented as a pilot, her hot-headed tendencies often land her in trouble, and she loathes the idea of having to work as a team to defeat the Angels. Though she lauds herself as an “elite pilot”, in reality, she may very well be the worst of the trio, due to her poor attitude and insistence on accomplishing everything on her own.
Of course, as with all characters in Evangelion, there are reasons for her standoffish behavior. Asuka's father was generally distant, and her mother absorbed herself in her work, leaving little time for Asuka. After a contact experiment with Unit 02 which left her soul sealed inside, Asuka's mother went insane and was hospitalized. During her hospitalization, she neglected Asuka in favor of a doll, and even insulted her. When Asuka proudly rushed to visit her mother after being chosen as an Evangelion pilot, she found her hanging from the ceiling, dead. Asuka blocked this memory, but it resurfaces later when her mind is violated by Arael, the 15th Angel. Asuka's mother declaring her unwanted and unloved triggered an obsessive need in Asuka to be noticed, to prove herself to the world by piloting the Evangelion. Her overwhelming confidence, however, ultimately proves to be just a farce. Following Asuka's sink into depression after her encounter with Arael, we find out Asuka actually hates herself, magnified by her continued losses against the Angels. Her sync ratio with Unit 02 plummets until it is determined she is no longer a reliable pilot. Consumed with self-loathing and a hatred for everything and everyone around her, Asuka becomes catatonic, and even attempts to commit suicide. Only do the events of The End of Evangelion rouse her. When her mother's soul whispers words of encouragement to her in Unit 02, proving that she had been protecting her all along, Asuka regains her spirit and makes a heroic last stand against the attacking military forces and the monstrous mass-produced Evangelions. Though she ultimately falls in defeat, she is the first to rematerialize beside Shinji at the conclusion of the movie. Only those who had the will to live could do so, thus confirming her desire to live in a world filled with other people despite the pain associated of growing close to them.
In summary, there's certainly a lot more to Asuka than meets the eye, to borrow an overused phrase. Cocksure and proud on the surface and fatally fragile underneath, Asuka's damning condescension of others contradicts her ultimate desire: to be loved. Her Evangelion is essentially an extension of herself; without it, she is unable to reconcile her self-worth. Her fate in the ongoing Rebuild of Evangelion movies is unknown, but regardless, Asuka remains one of the most memorable females in anime, probably because beneath all those layers of confidence she is just as human as the rest of us.