Ex-girlfriend of: Ryoji Kaji Misato Katsuragi is the chief operations officer at NERV, initially holding the rank of Captain (with a later promotion to Major). She is the field commander for the Eva pilots, issuing orders and giving battle strategies. She also acts as Shinji and Asuka's guardian, letting them live in her apartment rather than have them living alone. While she is professional and diligent in her duties, she is a slob and a drunkard while off-duty. She is the only survivor of the Katsuragi Expedition, the scientific study led by her father which triggered the Second Impact; the cross pendant she wears was given to her by her father just before his death. She and Ryoji Kaji were lovers during college, and slowly rekindle their romance over the course of the series. She was also friends with Ritsuko Akagi in college and their relationship unravels as Misato learns more about NERV and SEELE.

Twelve-year-old Naota Nandaba is the main character. His name is derived from the Japanese word for "honesty" and his father named him Naota because of that (Fooly Cooly). Unbeknownst to him, he has the "right kind of head" to be used as an N.O. channel. He is obsessed with appearing mature and attempts to act nonchalant. This is most expressed in his monologues which open and close each episode where he continues to claims that "nothing amazing ever happens here" despite the show's surreal and often absurd happenings. Naota idolizes his older brother Tasuku, carrying around Tasuku's baseball bat, and even hanging out with Tasuku's old girlfriend Mamimi. In Naota's mind, Tasuku is the epitome of what it means to be an adult, as opposed to the other adults in his life (e.g. his father, his grandfather, and his teacher) who he perceives as being immature. Much like Amarao, Naota is picky about his drinks (disliking drinks which are sour, bitter, or contain pulp) and hates spicy foods (note thought, he is told to "cut back on the sour drinks" by Amarao).