Who or what is the shadow seen at the end of Eva 2.22?

[ianthegamer]

When Mari shows Shinji the destruction after the N2 missile it cuts to scenes. One shows a destroyed vehicle with a shadow of someone/something hunched on a rock. Is this just a random dead person, or is it more? If this was already discussed please excuse and add the forum link if possible. Just re watched 2.22 and noticed it.

[Ray]

I doubt it is, but if Anno intended that little detail to be anyone important, it's probably one of these guys.

SPOILER: Show

[BlueBasilisk]

I've always thought it's probably a dead NERV technician or something of the sort who wasn't able to clear out before Rei set off the N2 missile. There are two more bodies directly below that one.

[ianthegamer]

Ah. I didnt see the others.

[Ray]

There are two more bodies directly below that one.

Oh dear well that doesn't bode well. . .

Three classmates, three bodies.

But if that is them then where's the penguin?

[Gendo'sPapa]

It's a dead guy.

[BlueBasilisk]

Oh dear well that doesn't bode well. . .

Three classmates, three bodies.

But if that is them then where's the penguin?

Shinji's friends were last seen on the surface and couldn't have reached the Geofront before Zeruel did. If they were caught in its attack, they'd either be vaporized, buried under rubble, or little more than splats on the ground from falling 1000+ meters into the Geofront. Those bodies are just some random unlucky people.

Besides, Sakura acts like Toji's still around in the future so there's no reason Kensuke and Hikari shouldn't be either.

[Reichu]

Besides, Sakura acts like Toji's still around in the future

Does she? I don't get anything definitive from her one way or another. One interesting suggestion I've seen, tho, is that she rubs her nose and smiles because she's stifling the urge to cry. This makes her final words to Shinji quite a bit more personal...

There's also that weird maybe-hint that Toji was in Nerv's employ at some point, which if true would mean he survived N3I at least.

[BlueBasilisk]

Perhaps I should have said "she doesn't act like he's dead." No use of past tense or anything like that and she doesn't seem particularly sad talking about him.

One interesting suggestion I've seen, tho, is that she rubs her nose and smiles because she's stifling the urge to cry.

It is an interesting suggestion. Never heard that one before. To me, she seems like she's just amused by Shinji's befuddlement and is having a giggle at him.

He could have worked for Nerv after N3I. Makes more sense than civilians being allowed to hang around a city that was ground zero for Near Third Impact. Didn't the desks in the school also have the NERV maple leaf or something like it on the backs of the chairs?

[mammaluser]

It's probably a casualty of the explosion, after all they did the same with NGE