Nerv is the government organization created by Seele, an elite government group who meet in virtual reality. Nerv is led by Commander Ikari Gendo, Shinji's father, and has been created for the sole purpose of creating the Evangelions and fighting the Angels. Originally an independant company called Gehrin and run primarily by Gendo, Yui and Akagi Naoko, Gehrin was disolved in 2010 after a series of accidents (namely Yui', Naoko' and the first Rei's deaths). Nerv was founded in 2010 and all Gehrin personel transfered to the new company, now closely ruled by Seele. (i don't think Gehrin was controlled the way Nerv is). Both Ritsuko and Misato were originally part of Gehrin. Maya, Shigeru and Makoto are relatively new employees.

Name: Ikari Gendo
Age: unknown
Family: married to Yui (met Gendo 1999; died 2004); father of Shinji (born 2001)
Rank: Commander of Nerv
Notes: unethical and emotionless; concerned above all with his creations and keeping the world safe from the Angels; has only ever cared for one person - Yui; not above using love to ensure loyalty (as proven with Naoko); intent on preserving Yui's memory and her work (hence Rei)

Gendo has always been a little strange. He never had any real friends, and undoubtedly was much like Shinji when he was younger, except with self-esteem. The result is an amoral man with a God-complex. The only good thing to ever happen to him was Yui, and he made her the center of his universe. When she was killed (by his fault), Gendo decided to pursue the various projects and keep Yui alive. What better way than by combining her DNA with that of a God -- an Angel? Rei is the result of Gendo's need to ressurect his wife -- this explains his protectiveness of her and her devotion to him. He also undoubtedly saw his son as an interferance in his relationship with Yui, and therefore resents him, though no evidence of this is ever demonstrated.

Name: Ikari Yui
Age: unknown (died 2004)
Family: wife to Gendo (met 1999); mother to Shinji (born 2004)
Rank: scientist, partial creator of the Evangelion Units
Notes: highly intelligent scientist; under Fuyutsuki's tutelage

Yui was a kind, gentle young woman who, for some unfathomable reason, was in love with Gendo. She was always very happy and passionate, and she was a very intelligent scientist. She dies in the testing of the Evangelion Units, while a three year old Shinji looks on. Her spirit still resides in Evangelion 01 and watches over her son, whom she adored.

Name: Fuyutsuki Kouzou
Age: unknown
Family: unknown
Rank: assistant director of Nerv (once a university professor)
Notes: highly valued research scientist and professor; trained both Gendo and Yui; originally did not want to join Nerv, but was convinced by Naoko's presence and Yui's insistence

Once a very famous and respected university professor, he allowed himself to be convinced to join Nerv. Yui and Gendo were both his students, but while he was great friends with Yui, he despised Gendo. He believes Gendo to be immoral and unduly cruel, but eventually grew to accept him, though I doubt he ever liked Gendo. He was very much opposed to Nerv and everything it did, but Naoko's presence, and especially Yui's, finally convinced him to join.

Name: Akagi Naoko
Age: unknown (died 2010)
Family: mother to Ritsuko
Rank: chief scientist of Gehrin
Notes: creator of the MAGI system; one of the original founders of Gehrin; a brilliant scientist but a poor mother; completely infatuated with Gendo

The inventor of the MAGI (the three supercomputers that run Nerv and all of Tokyo 3), Naoko had one great flaw -- complete and utter dedication to her work and to Ikari Gendo. This is what led her to practically abandon her daughter, Ritsuko, and rejoice in Yui's senseless death. It is also what led her to kill the first Rei -- she was jealous of the little child who seemed to have become the center of Gendo's universe in Yui's absence. She is also a woman split in three: the woman, the mother and the scientist. These three elements of herself are captured within the MAGI, giving each a seperate way of thought and therefore making them complete as she could never be.

Name: Akagi Ritsuko
Age: unknown
Family: daughter of Naoko (died 2010)
Rank: chief scientist of Nerv
Notes: brilliant scientist; possibly the only person alive capable of understanding the MAGI system's intricacies; strongly influential in the implementation of the Evangelion project and its success; creator of the dummy plug system and possibly the mind behind the human/Angel DNA combination program

Ritsuko is a woman very much influenced by her mother. Naoko's reputation has haunted her throughout most of her life, making people wary of befriending her and teachers more expectant, since her mother was such a famous scientist. When she first meets Misato in college, she is astounded because Misato doesn't seem to care that her mother is famous. They become good friends, despite their differences in personalities. Ritsuko is disgusted by her mother's obsession with Gendo, and yet she too ends up loving him (though she's far less devoted to him than Naoko or Rei). After her mother's suicide, she grows bitter and disillusioned. She had devoted her entire life to Nerv and Gendo -- the only things outside Nerv that she cares about are her cats.
Eventually, Ritsuko discovers the same thing that led her mother to kill the first Rei, then herself: nothing and no one can replace Yui (and, therefore, Rei) in Gendo's heart. So she does what her mother did -- she destroys Rei and everything Gendo cares about, except on a slightly larger scale...

Name: Ryoji Kaji
Age: unknown
Family: unknown
Rank: not official
Notes: sent by another company (Seele); has hidden motives to everything he does; is strongly addicted to learning the truth, especially about Nerv and the Angels' role in the Second Impact (he's rather like a nosy journalist, always where he shouldn't be...)

Kaji is sent by another company (Seele?) to spy on Nerv. He is also Misato and Ritsuko's old boyfriend (Misato's in college, Ritsuko's later). Misato still loves him, but he was unable to make a commitment so she left him. Now that he's back in her life, she starts realizing how truly lonely she's been. Kaji is an easy-going and laid-back type of person; he never gets excited and never panics. His hobby is growing melons (don't ask; i'm not sure i want to know). He's obsessed with finding out the truth behind Nerv, and he passes that obsession on to Misato when he dies.

Beings from outer space, the Angels are destined to fall to Earth and be defeated. The first was Adam, who is kept hidden in Nerv's deepest levels. Adam was the Angel who caused the Second Impact. Lilith is also an Angel (can anyone give me any information on Lilith?). The Angels have the names of the angels of Christian mythology (Raphael, Gabriel, a whole bunch of names ending with "iel"). They are sentient beings and generate AT fields (the Evangelions can do that too).

(c) GAINAX/Project Eva * TX * TV Tokyo * NAS
North American Dub - ADV Films