Kaworu Nagisa Fifth Child
Kaworu Nagisa is a character in the Evangelion series. While major aspects of his character may vary between different continuities (such as the original anime series and the Rebuild films ), Kaworu is generally portrayed as both an Angel and a Pilot of Evangelion as the Fifth Child. While he only appears in Neon Genesis Evangelion for an incredibly brief period in the later episodes, his appearance leaves a huge impact on the protagonist Shinji Ikari . In the original Japanese dub, Kaworu is voiced by Akira Ishida . ADV Films' English dub chose Kyle Sturdivant to voice Kaworu, while the Netflix re-dub replaced him with Clifford Chapin.
Character and personality from the animated series
Kaworu appears as a young boy (roughly the same age as Shinji and the other Evangelion pilots) with gray hair and red eyes. He only appears near the end of the anime series (in Episode 24 ), where he is introduced as the fifth child and is assigned to pilot Evangelion Unit 02 after Asuka declines into depression.
Kaworu introduces himself to Shinji by humming Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," calling music one of the greatest aspects born of the "Lilin" culture. The term "Lilin" is what Kaworu uses to refer to beings created by the 2nd Angel Lilith , in other words, humans. This choice of words alludes to his angelic heritage, despite his human appearance (aside from his unusual hair and eye color). To further add to his mysterious nature, all personal data pertaining to Kaworu has been purged from all databases except for his birthdate, which is September 13, 2000—the same day as Second Impact.
Despite his strange past and limited screen time, Kaworu quickly gets to know Shinji, almost alarmingly. Even though Shinji tends to isolate himself from others, Kaworu always seems to know exactly what to say to get Shinji to open up to him.
During a conversation between Kaworu and SEELE, some aspects of his origin are clarified. It is revealed that, like Rei Ayanami , Kaworu is an artificially created being, but rather than having the soul of Lilith , Kaworu has the soul of the first Angel Adam . As an Angel and a member of SEELE, Kaworu's goal is to reach the bottom of NERV's Terminal Dogma facility. Kaworu expected Adam's body to be stored there, but to his surprise, the Angel secretly held by NERV was Lilith. In the end, although Kaworu had a mission to complete, he told Shinji that he always had the option of choosing death and that he valued life as much as death.
Reconstructing the character and personality of the film
Kaworu is identical in appearance and has a similar personality compared to his Neon Genesis Evangelion counterpart, though he has a larger role. His first appearance is near the end of the first film, Rebuild of Evangelion: 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone (Alone), where he is shown on NERV's moon base. He befriends Shinji and develops a friendship that matches, or perhaps even exceeds, the level of camaraderie seen in the original series. As a safety measure to prevent another Impact event, Shinji is forced to wear a collar that will kill him if an Evangelion unit awakens. Kaworu manages to remove the collar and put it on himself, which ultimately results in his death.
Relationship with Shinji
Since Kaworu only appears for a short time in the original series, his interactions with others are limited. The only exception would be the protagonist Shinji, with whom he seems to befriend fairly quickly. Despite Shinji's shy nature and tendency to isolate himself, Kaworu manages to be a source of comfort to Shinji. Kaworu openly says that he loves Shinji, though his intentions are unclear. Kaworu also keeps his true nature a secret. After revealing to Shinji that Kaworu is an angel, Shinji immediately feels betrayed, as the first person who had said they enjoyed his company ended up being an enemy. Even after Shinji manages to capture Kaworu in Unit 01 , Kaworu tells him that he is happy to have been able to meet Shinji and that he values death as much as life. Shinji hesitates for a long time before committing to ending his friend's life.
Shinji x Kaworu Fandom
In addition to the obvious Shinji x Asuka and Shinji x Rei duos, there is a large fanbase that supports the Shinji x Kaworu duo. The relationship between them in the Evangelion series is vague and can be interpreted as either "like" or "love."
This Shinji x Kaworu duo, sometimes referred to as "Kawoshin," is a popular duo among Yayoi-based anime fans worldwide, with fanart and fanfiction streams depicting the pair as a "couple." Additionally, this romantic pairing can also be seen in video games such as Shinji Ikari Raising Project and Girlfriend of Steel 2. These games do not offer a formal "romantic" pairing within the game, but they do show some fanservice for these "Kawoshin" fans.
