To me personally, it's a tie between Asuka and Shinji, as they are two opposites of the same coin, they just when in different directions for relatively the same issues. Shinji is introverted, and Asuka is extroverted, both stemming from huge abandonment issues from people who've screwed them over big time. And while both Shinji and Asuka made some huge mistakes, which I won't condone or forgive, I can't really fault, blame, or hate them for that. They're still just two teens who were caught up in a situation beyond their control, and simply told to deal with it. It's no wonder that when push came to shove, they both cracked.
SoryuUberAlles wrote:Shinji and Asuka have both fallen down the well of loneliness. Asuka just climbed back out.
It may seem like that, but actually was the opposite. Her confidence and arrogance may make her look independent, but all she's doing is pushing people away who try to get close to her, like Shinji tried to do, and instead making herself more lonely then she wants to acknowledge. She doesn't want to be lonely, but she's not willing to let people in because she's afraid of getting hurt again. Shinji's the exact opposite, who's also afraid of getting hurt, but struggles to even make the first move.
Until Instrumentality, neither of them climbed out of the well. Shinji was still struggling to even get out, while Asuka was simply digging herself deeper in the bottom, trying to find another way out. :P
