Other Children

Name: Suzuhara Toji
Age: 14 years old (born 2001)
Rank: 4th child
Evangelion Unit: 03
Notes: only pilots Unit 03 once; is severely wounded in the ensuing battle

Toji despises the two Eva pilots (Shinji and Rei) because they crushed his little sister when fighting one of the Angels. No one knows that Rei is a pilot; she's kept it a secret. When Shinji arrives, Kensuke confronts him and asks if he's an Eva pilot. Shinji, looking embarrassed, says yes. Toji takes out his rage on Shinji at first, but they eventually work out their differences and become friends. Toji is the fourth child and is chosen to pilot Evangelion Unit 03, the latest model (it becomes clear later in the series that any one of the people in Shinji's class could have been chosen to pilot: they're ALL candidates). Nerv is anxious because Eva 04 ran away (don't ask me how, i don't want to know). Toji only pilots Unit 03 once; the Eva is contaminated by an Angel and goes berserk. When both Asuka and Rei (who know who the pilot is; Shinji doesn't) fail to stop it, Shinji is asked to stop it with Eva 01. He refuses, frightened of harming whoever is inside Unit 03. Ikari orders the dummy plug activated (a simulation program of Rei; Ritsuko mentions that it isn't ready, that the emotion chip is malfunctioning, but Ikari ignores her). Eva 01, controlled by the dummy plug, rips Eva 03 apart. Shinji, still inside Unit 01, is forced to watch helplessly as his Eva tears Evangelion 03 apart. Shinji screams at his father to make it stop, but Ikari ignores him. When Shinji sees who the pilot was, he screams like a wounded animal. Toji loses his left arm and left leg, but holds no grudge against Shinji for his involvement.

Name: Nagisa Kaworu
Age: 14 years old (born 2000; the exact day of the 2nd Impact)
Parents: unknown
Rank: 5th child
Evangelion Unit: 02
Notes: no information in files; sent to Nerv by Seele; seems out of place and innocent despite the world's sorrows and pain; strong relationship with Shinji; tentative friendship with Rei

"A person cannot erase sadness forever. Everyone is alone."

Shinji and Kaworu first meet when Shinji is confused (isn't he always?). He has just learned Rei's secret, Asuka has been hospitalized, Toji and Kensuke are gone, Ritsuko has been court-martialed, and Misato had troubles of her own and seems unapproachable. Kaworu is the fifth child; he comes to pilot Eva 02, since Asuka is no longer a suitable pilot. Meanwhile, Misato discovers that Kaworu is like Rei: there are no files on him anywhere. The only thing on file is that Kaworu's birthday is the same as the 2nd Impact. He was sent by Seele, the government council that rules Nerv, at exactly the same time as Asuka become incompatible. Kaworu also has an abnormally high compatibility rating with Unit 02, which was, after all, designed for Asuka.
Shinji and Kaworu become friends. Kaworu's innocence and strangeness make him seem gentle and understanding, and Kaworu confesses to Shinji that he believes he was born just to meet him. Kaworu also does many odd things: he seems to have a very limited understanding of human culture. He speaks very slowly, as if he has difficulty forming the words, and refers to mankind as the "Lillam". Shinji sees past all this and begins to trust Kaworu. Meanwhile, Kaworu approaches Rei and tells her that they are alike, he and she. She is confused (she is the 3rd Rei and is still disoriented from her awakening). For some reason, Nerv is monitoring Kaworu or Rei, and they take great interest in the fact that the fifth and first child have met.
Misato, spurred on by Kaji's last words, steals into Ritsuko's holding cell and demands to know who Kaworu is. Ritsuko, laughing and slightly hysterical, shrugs and says: "He's probably the seventeenth Angel." Seele knows Kaworu is an Angel; they sent him to Nerv with the express purpose of destroying the Evangelion series and Commander Ikari. Rei too, after much thinking, realizes what Kaworu meant when he said they were alike, and realizes that he is the last Angel. Meanwhile, Kaworu activates Eva 02 and Nerv discovers his true nature. Unit 01 (with Shinji inside) and Unit 02 (unmanned) fight for the safety or destruction of the world while Kaworu floats above them. Shinji pleads with Kaworu to stop, trying to understand why his friend is betraying him. Kaworu wants to destroy Adam, but he finds Lillith instead. In the final battle between Units 01 and 02, Kaworu and Shinji speak.

Shinji: "Why, Kaworu?"
Kaworu: "My destiny is to live even if mankind dies in the process, but I decided that I should die. To me, life and death are the same. Death is perhaps the only form of absolute freedom."
Shinji looks at Kaworu: "I don't understand what you are saying. I don't understand at all."
Kaworu: "It is my will. I think it's not right that you should die and I to continue to live."
Rei is watching from just one deck above the terminal dogma. Kaworu looks up at her and smiles. She stares down at him with a tiny smile. Kaworu looks at Shinji and says: "You and your kind deserve a future. Get rid of me now. And Shinji, thank you for everything. I'm happy to have met a person like you."
Shinji is crying and after a long, long silence (you'll think the VCR's frozen) he crushes Kaworu. Kaworu's head falls into the LCL below.

It's interesting to note that, when faced with a nearly identical situation (with Toji) Shinji was screaming and crying and trying to avoid his Fate. Now, he is completely silent. He is probably crying, but we don't know. Only a view of Evangelion 01, its huge hand wrapped tightly around Kaworu, is shown. Shinji has grown up and learned to accept that there are some things he cannot change nor escape.