How screwed up to you have to be in order to become a pilot?

[Conrad Gray]

I was thinking about a hypothetical "crossover" (more like an elseworld" where characters from Ender's Game and the Shadow series became part of NERV-U.S. and NERV-Europe. Ender himself would make a fine pilot, though he's better as a military strategist, because his childhood is already screwed up already.

So in Eva, the least screwed up (emotionally, psychologically, etc.) pilot I know of is Touji. (Is Hikari a pilot?) All I know is that his sister's very sick, and he cares deeply about her. Maybe his parent(s) might be dead or gone wrong, but it doesn't seem like it, at least it's apparently not important enough to be shown onscreen or even alluded to.

So if we use his example, wouldn't it mean that as long as you have a kid who's very driven towards something (with Touji it'd be protecting his sister), perhaps forced to grow up early (post-Second Impact there'd be loads of those sort of children), couldn't you become an Eva pilot?

[Sachi]

well, the pilots arent actually screwed up
the only ppl that can pilot an Eva r ppl born AFTER the 3rd impact
which r between the ages of 0-14 yrs old
its just a coincidenece that theyre screwed up
but Shinji is the only REALLY screwed up 1
Asuka was normal untill the 14th Angel beat her, and got even more messed up after the 15th Angel
Rei isnt "screwed up", just a doll
and Touji was pretty normal

[Ornette]

Asuka was normal untill the 14th Angel beat her, and got even more messed up after the 15th Angel

I dunno, that's debateable. I'd say she stopped being normal when she found her mom dead with the doll.

[Reichu]

I dunno, that's debateable. I'd say she stopped being normal when she found her mom dead with the doll.

That was the clincher, but, before that, Kyoko was talking to dolls, calling them "Asuka-chan", and doing things like ripping their heads off -- while the real Asuka watched.

Also, Kyoko was a negligent mother to begin with, and Langley comes off as a rather emotionally distant and undedicated father.

[Anonymous_Evafan]

Asuka was normal untill the 14th Angel beat her, and got even more messed up after the 15th Angel

I dunno, that's debateable. I'd say she stopped being normal when she found her mom dead with the doll.

The thing I was find funny in an odd sorta way is she never bitches about Eva piloting during Areal's mind-raping or instrumentality. However what she does bitch about is how Shinji wont do anything for her. Just what was bugging Asuka in 22?

[Reichu]

The content of the 'mind rape' was much more extensive than the few revealing seconds about Shinji. Her problems piloting Eva are merely symptoms. Arael blasts the doors open and shines the light on what Asuka's current woes are really all about.

[Anonymous_Evafan]

I was mealy questioning just how much her defeats really bugged her since I never saw an image of EVA-02 in the mind rape so far as I remember. In 25 we see Asuka in the lake but we don't get much else about EVA-02 in 26' well that's IMHO one of the most screwed up moments in Evangelion. I mean "Do it again like you always do... I'll even stand here and watch". No complaints about Shinji beating her as a pilot whatsoever. Anyways being screwed up isn't a prerequisite your mother's soul just has to be available to be put in an Eva's core.

[Conrad Gray]

Then how did... Touji do it? And was Rei and Kaworu special cases?

If I ever do a fanfic, I'd probably go with the "quasi-Asperger's-affected 14 year olds" theory. Then again, that came form Wikipedia. The mother's soul thing is a bit too Freudian, not to mention difficult. Andrew Wiggin became a hard-bitten shell-shocked super military commander just by having genius intellect and a psychopathic brother alone.

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

Your mother would have to be "dead"(for a given value thereof). That in itself would already notch you up a few rungs on the instability ladder.

[Mr. Tines]

(Is Hikari a pilot?)

A candidate, like the rest of class 2-A; a pilot only in Gainax' omake



or fan-fics.

Asuka was normal untill the 14th Angel beat her

Asuka's entire life had not been what you might consider normal - not only the family traumata other people have cited, but the fact she knew she had been selected as a pilot while still a pre-schooler, pushed precociously through university, and probably in training for the rest of those missing ten years.

I was mealy questioning just how much her defeats really bugged her

The defeats she seemed to be able to overcome, if only she could still pilot:

Asuka: Mom! Mom!
They selected ME!
I'm an elite pilot, about to protect mankind.
The best in the world.
It's a secret to everybody.
But I'll tell you, mom!
Everybody is so nice to me,
that I'm not lonely.
I'm OK, even though I don't have father.
Look at me! Me!
Hey Mom!
--
Asuka: Syncro rate Zero.
I've no capacity to be the Second Children.
I've no reason to exist.
No one looks at me.
Not daddy, mom, or anybody.
There's no reason for me to live.

The mother's soul thing is a bit too Freudian, not to mention difficult.

We know who are in EVA-00 to 02, and all the other candidates we know anything about similarly lack their mothers.

[Conrad Gray]

Hm... so having adopted parents is okay, though?

[Mr. Tines]

Hm... so having adopted parents is okay, though?

Well, there was a second Mrs Langley, the slut of a nurse that he was bonking while Asuka was watching her mother playing with a doll.

I doubt there was any love lost between those Asuka and step-mother.

[Anonymous_Evafan]

Then how did... Touji do it? And was Rei and Kaworu special cases?

If I ever do a fanfic, I'd probably go with the "quasi-Asperger's-affected 14 year olds" theory. Then again, that came form Wikipedia. The mother's soul thing is a bit too Freudian, not to mention difficult. Andrew Wiggin became a hard-bitten shell-shocked super military commander just by having genius intellect and a psychopathic brother alone.

Logicly they had Touji's mothers soul sitting somewhere and stuck it in EVA-03. Rei and Kaworu are special cases Rei was syncing with part of her own soul part of why EVA-00 sucked. Kaworu didn't really sync with an Eva it was more like he was controlling EVA-02 since Kyoko was hinding herself away after Arael's midraping. He wouldn't be able to control her if she was shutting herself away.

KAWORU:
The Eva series.
Born from Adam, they are an abhorrent existence for humans.
And the Lilim will even use them in order to survive.
I can't understand.

Shinji:
Kaworu, stop this! Why?!

KAWORU:
The Eva are made of the same body as I am.
Because I am born from Adam as well.
I could merge with them, if only they didn't have souls.
Unit 02's soul has shut itself away for now.

D. In-Depth Information

A unit called a core is used to eliminate the discrepancies in Eva, a human
being with the body of a god and a soul. The soul of the pilot's mother, which
is placed within the core, acts as a medium and makes piloting possible.

Due to difficulties encountered in the development of EVA-00, the core's system
is poorly constructed, and she falls behind in performance capacity as a result.
Another reason for her inferiority is that EVA-00's pilot, Rei, does not have a
mother.

[Sachi]

Asuka was normal untill the 14th Angel beat her, and got even more messed up after the 15th Angel

ok maybe that was a bad way to put it
she tried to act like nothin was wrong, but she had a scarred past
so when the whole "mind rape" thing happened, it opened some doors in her mind that she would rather have kept closed
so all the things that maybe "tormented" herwere all let out at once
which screwed her up big time.
but her mind was more vunrable after wat happened with Zaruel, and maybe a little bit whith Bardiel (all thought it never says so)

so with all that pressure, in so little time, had a big affect on her. she became more messed up then Shinji
at least, till EoE
thats when Shinji just completly lost it

[Anonymous_Evafan]

I'm not so sure piloting an Eva was as big a deal as she made it out to be. No doubt she was pissed Shinji passed her but her sync ratio didn't go down the shitter until after 20 given what little info we are on the subject. It's worth noting what's going on at this point. Apparently her birthday passed while Shinji was floating around in quantum state and Misato wasn't really showing much concern about her at this point in essence she had been abandoned. Those memories didn't come bubbling to the surface for no good reason and like I said before I find it funny none of her complaints during the mind rape or instrumentality centered around Eva. It's not like it would be the first time she said one thing but was really thinking another now would it?

[Sachi]

there wouldnt b any problems piloting Eva during the mind rape, cuz she was happy to b piloting Eva
becuase of Eva, she wouldnt b alone anymore and she would b respected, and she was thinking that she was the best.
tso the mind rape couldnt do any affect with her and Eva because she had no regrets (or and mental problems) piloting Eva.
the mind rape was to only make ur mind unstable, and Eva had nothin to do with it

[Anonymous_Evafan]

there wouldnt b any problems piloting Eva during the mind rape, cuz she was happy to b piloting Eva
becuase of Eva, she wouldnt b alone anymore and she would b respected, and she was thinking that she was the best.
tso the mind rape couldnt do any affect with her and Eva because she had no regrets (or and mental problems) piloting Eva.
the mind rape was to only make ur mind unstable, and Eva had nothin to do with it

Dude really, it's made quite clear from 22' that memories bubbling up from her sub-conscious are what's causing her to shut herself away. Arael was going to dig all of that up regardless if it was already bugging her or not thus it still would have been as devastating. Zeruel would have caused a temporary drop in sync-ratio similar to what happened to Shinji after Leliel. Something caused those memories to resurface with greater frequency and intensity the question is what.

[Sachi]

exactly
after the loss from Zaruel, her Sync ratio dropped
but for Arael, her job as a pilot was on the line, if she lost, she would be fired
she was trying to prove herself, just trying to win back her honor, and the defeat just ruined her
when she ent out there, she wasnt just putting her job on the line, she was putting everything on the line
so that hurt her (emotionally) really bad

[Anonymous_Evafan]

The constant decline is clearly coming from the haunting memories of her past. Rei spotted the problem and told her what it was.

Rei:
The Eva won't move unless you open your heart.
Asuka:
Are you saying that my heart is closed?!
Rei:
Yes, the Evas have souls.
Asuka:
Those puppets?!
Rei:
You should know that.

Those memories made her close herself off thus unable to sync with Kyoko. She didn't have a sync-ratio drop after Shinji beat her record or after Bardiel beat her there is no reason for Zeruel beating her to do that. At least not in the consistent manner in which it happened.

This:

ATTENDEE A (OFF):
The hypothetical became reality.
Talk about unlucky, the proponent becoming the test subject herself.

ATTENDEE B (OFF):
Then, that contact experiment was the direct cause?

ATTENDEE A (OFF):
Mental breakdown, that was the result of the contact.

ATTENDEE B (OFF):
But how cruel is it to commit suicide,
leaving such a young daughter behind?

ATTENDEE C (OFF):
No, there might actually be more to this than that.

*****

MOTHER:
Asuka, dear, your mom cooked your favorite dish today.
Come on, if you're picky about your food,
that big girl over there is going to laugh at you.

LADY DOCTOR (OFF):
She goes on like that every day.
She talks to the doll, thinking it's her daughter.

FATHER (OFF):
She probably feels responsible in her own way.
Her research filled her days and she had no time
to pay attention to our daughter.

LADY DOCTOR (OFF):
You have my sympathies.

FATHER (OFF):
But the way she is, they're practically a family of dolls.
No, perhaps humans and dolls are not so different.

LADY DOCTOR (OFF):
Humans made dolls in their own image.
If God exists, we may be nothing more than dolls to Him.

FATHER (OFF):
I'm surprised to hear such words from a practitioner of modern medicine.

LADY DOCTOR (OFF):
I'm just another human before I'm a doctor, a flesh and blood woman.

*****

WOMAN:
You're such a good girl, Asuka.
It's okay, you don't have to hold it in, you know?

Asuka (CHILD):
It's okay. I'm not going to cry.
I'm going to think for myself.

Is followed by:

RITSUKO (OFF):
Can you hear me, Asuka? Your synch rate is down by eight points.
As always, keep your mind off other things.

Asuka:
I'm doing it!

*****

SUBTITLE:
Episode #22'
At Least, Be Human

*****

IBUKI:
Asuka's synch rate has been on a downward trend lately.

RITSUKO:
It's problematic, considering our tight situation.
Let's make Rei's Unit 00 our priority.
Right now, we don't have the leeway to repair both at the same time.

Cause and effect.

[Mr. Tines]

exactly
after the loss from Zaruel, her Sync ratio dropped

Actually, after making the serious mistake of making a move on Shinji, her sync ratio dropped. Discovering that she was not irresistible to all men dented her self-confidence in a major way.