On the one hand, this is somewhat fair. Gendo Ikari is not good person. He uses people for his own ends, and his particular ends involve an apocalypse that will radically transform humanity to the point that you might as well say he destroyed humanity. He certainly would destroy humanity as we understand it. He is a man working towards the end of the world. It's very easy to see him as nothing but a monster out for his own ego, whose motivations are narrow and selfish and egotistical.
On the other, I think it is drastically unfair. I think the depiction of Gendo Ikari by Anno (and others) predisposes the audience to seeing Gendo as Shinji does: as a distant, unknowable figure upon the ramparts. This makes sense, and is a powerful dramatic choice, given how much of the series we see through Shinji's eyes.
But is it truly accurate?
I don't think so. For a long time, I've always struggled with the fandom analyses of Gendo Ikari. I've always felt he's one of the most interesting characters in the Evangelion franchise -- monster and hero, father and tyrant. But what drew Gendo into sharp relief for me was my own diagnosis with Schizoid Personality Disorder. Since then, it is almost impossible for me to see Gendo as anything but a deeply schizoid individual. And while this doesn't excuse his actions, nor justify them, I think it does a lot to illustrate why he does what he does, and why he acts the way he does, and why he deserves a fair degree of sympathy.
Schizoid Personality Disorder: An Overview
"I just stood there. I didn't even especially want to help him.
"That didn't make sense. Even if he hadn't been my best friend, I should at least have empathized. In the end, propaganda worked where empathy failed. Back then I didn't so much think as observe, didn't deduce so much as remember—and what I remembered was a thousand inspirational stories lauding anyone who ever stuck up for the underdog." -Peter Watts, Blindsight
Schizoid personality disorder is a relatively unknown condition. I'd never heard of it before I was diagnosed. Wikipedia provides a decent overview:
...a personality disorder characterized by a lack of interest in social relationships, a tendency toward a solitary or sheltered lifestyle, secretiveness, emotional coldness, detachment, and apathy. Affected individuals may be unable to form intimate attachments to others and simultaneously possess a rich and elaborate but exclusively internal fantasy world. Other associated features include stilted speech, a lack of deriving enjoyment from most activities, feeling as though one is an "observer" rather than a participant in life, an inability to tolerate emotional expectations of others, apparent indifference when praised or criticized, a degree of asexuality, and idiosyncratic moral or political beliefs.
A schizoid individual is someone with an extremely strong disconnect between their internal world of thoughts and feelings and the external world of actions and other people. It is linked to schizophrenia and sociopathy, but is not a psychotic condition, nor will it change into one of those conditions. Perhaps one of the ways I've seen and felt about the difference between sociopathy and schizoid personality disorder is that a sociopath thinks 'that person is having a strong emotional display to something and I am not, what is wrong with them?' whereas a schizoid directs the criticism another way: 'that person is having a strong emotional display and I am not, what is wrong with me?'
The split between a schizoid's internal world and the external world is the defining aspect of the condition. The schizoid may have strong feelings, but they do not express them -- they may seem cold or robotic. In that sense, the schizoid has feelings but they do not display emotions, and sometimes can not. They may appear so indifferent to the thoughts and feelings of others that they come across as aloof or arrogant. They are often indifferent to intimacy in the emotional or physical sense, although they are not incapable of either. Schizoids often consider themselves to be fundamentally different to not just other people but life itself, and consider themselves as observers instead of participants. As if there is a powerful but undetectable barrier between themselves and the rest of the world (huh, interesting.) Another key aspect of schizoid personality disorder is the powerful fantasies they may indulge in within their minds, which can both be extremely shallow and overwhelmingly grandiose, but are always very detailed to the extent that they can straddle the line between hallucination and daydream without the schizoid ever actually losing track of reality.
The schizoid split can manifest in a few interesting ways, but the best way of describing it is in the sense of there being overt behaviors (what people see or think based on the schizoid's outward actions) and covert behaviors (what is happening in the schizoid's mind.) A schizoid may seem stoic and cold on the outside, but is likely to actually be sensitive and curious within their mind. They may appear outright asexual, but can often have sexual fantasies and/or sexual relations with some people. They may seem to have odd beliefs, and may also able to veer between amorality and altruism at the drop of a hat. They might appear to be absent-minded or distracted, but are actually deeply focused on something happening in their own head. They may appear cynical or dismissive, but are seeking authenticity in themselves and others. A schizoid knows that some aspects of their outward appearance are simulated and inauthentic, and therefore may choose to isolate themselves from others for that reason.
Now, like any disorder, it can come in degrees. Some schizoids are low-functioning. They cannot hold down steady jobs or any kind of social relationship. Some schizoids, like myself, are high-functioning. I have a stable career and a small network of friends -- but just about every person I've met thinks I'm, at best, 'strange.' I've been called 'unsettling', 'cold', 'ruthless', 'weird', 'robotic.' I don't think I'm any of those things. I have feelings. But what I don't have are emotional displays (except for the few times I do, when under absolutely immense pressure.) What most people interact with is a simulation of how to be.
There is no treatment, and no cure.
Schizoid Personality Disoder: A Perspective
"There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman. Some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me. Only an entity. Something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours, and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable, I simply am not there."-Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho
A more academic perspective is great and all, sure -- but what does it mean?
Think of it this way. When you read this post, you are interacting with something written by a user called Gendo's Glasses. Gendo's Glasses is not the person on the other side of the monitor. It is a pantomime, a performance, an identity portrayed by someone you've never met -- an illusory entity. If you think this post is great, then you're complimenting a simulacra. If you criticize it, you're criticizing a ghost. I, as Patrick Bateman says, am not there.
Now, expand that out to every aspect of an individual's life. Like Evangelion itself supposes: there is a Shinji that exists in Asuka's mind and Misato's mind and Shinji's mind, but none them are the real Shinji. For Shinji, this is a boost to his self-esteem. For a schizoid, it is just a factor of life, and something of a defense mechanism.
One we can't turn off.
Schizoids are thoroughly disassociated. I have not cried in decades. I can't remember the last time I was genuinely angry. Feelings feel like they're happening to someone else. I am capable of being witty, funny, and engaging -- but for a very short period of time. Every action is simulation. Every word is considered. So, interacting with people is tiring and tedious and boring. It is difficult for me to avoid being blunt or tactless. I find strong emotional displays to be embarrassing for everyone involved. When my overt behaviors slip, or I just get tired of maintaining them, people don't think I'm strange in a cute, fun, eccentric way but in a way that is just unsettling and uncomfortable. People often comment on the intensity of my eyes: one of the first things my wife said to me is that my eyes were "shifty." Simulating humanity requires far too much time and energy for me to do it for more than a couple of days.
How did it happen? Well, I don't know. It appears I had a relatively normal childhood, but it appears to have triggered for no apparent reason in my late teenage years. As if overnight, it was like my mind changed. Was it a slow process of years, or did some neurochemicals get out of alignment? I don't know.
I have a wife whom I love deeply, but even she has said that it took her a while to understand that I don't express anything like a normal person. My parents were always baffled by my indifference to praise or criticism, and yet I'd never do anything wrong twice. I have no interest in sex -- you might as well ask me to do any other physical activity I have no interest in. I have a job that pays well, but I'm only interested in it so much as that it allows me to exist. Despite that, people tell me I'll be running the place in a few years. If I had all the money in the world, I doubt anything about my life would change.
I care about things only in so much that it is easier to care about them than not -- if I'm going to exist in the world, there are certain things I must do because doing them makes it easier on myself than not doing them. I care about my hygiene because I can't go to work without showering. I care about fashion and dress codes only in so much that I have a decent wardrobe (I haven't bought new clothes in years.) I attend work functions because people prefer it when you pretend to care about that stuff.
I don't want to change. I don't want to be fixed. I don't want to be cured. I have no desire to harm myself or others. I want to exist, and I want to exist without other people forcing themselves on me. I want people to say what they mean and mean what they say. I don't start arguments, but I'll nuke the grounds and salt the ashes if pressed on a topic. I don't want to offend anyone or hurt anyone, but I'm also not going to let emotions get in the way of, well, what I want. I don't want to care about someone else's life when I don't expect them to care about mine.
All that said, I'd rather get along with someone than not, I'd rather be nice to someone than not, because that is easier for all parties involved. But that's all it is, a strategy. I will give you what I can -- don't ask for more. It is much easier for me to be alone than not. My body belongs to me and no one else. My mind belongs to me and no one else.
I read compulsively. I listen to music when I'm out of my home, and sometimes there's nothing playing. I'm not particularly intelligent, but I'm stubborn and dedicated and seek to do things as efficiently as possible so as to leave more time to my own pursuits. Nothing gets left unfinished. I need solitude, especially after social events, and if I don't get it then my attitude will spiral downward and become volatile. Think two or three days of 'rest' for every one day I spend socializing. My wife says I missed my calling as some esoteric Biblical monk, locked in a tower and studying the meaning of some particular translation of a scroll no one else has read.
I can practically hallucinate at the drop a hat. This is the most difficult part to illustrate: it is not psychotic, it is not a disconnection from reality. I am just able to experience extremely vivid daydreams, but it also isn't precisely under my control. I play conversations out in my head, like RPG dialogue trees. Even the mildest social interaction can provoke a million hypothetical daydreams. It feels like I'm not imagining things but remembering parts of another world. As a writer, it's a very nice ability to have. When I remember to take notes. The line between memories and fantasy can become very blurred, but I don't lose touch with what actually happened.
If my wife and I seperated, I'd probably not bother dating again. I've experienced being intimate and dating and married life and it's all a bit ho-hum -- that, and my dating history left a lot of people sad and unhappy because of my issues. But while I'm with her, I'll do anything for her. Because she is the one person on this planet who has managed to get past my defense mechanisms, and didn't hate me. If she died or was taken from me, and I had the capability to undo it?
Well, sorry, Earth -- but we're kicking off some Impacts.
SPOILER: Show
This is the most honest thing I've ever written. It makes me sound like a monster, or a robot. Or someone who survives only by eschewing their humanity.
It's why no one ever finds out.
But what if they did?
It's why no one ever finds out.
But what if they did?
The Sociopath Gendo
A popular refrain from people is that Gendo is 'just' a sociopath -- that is, to say, afflicted with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD.) I do not think this is the case, but I won't spend too much time on it. ASPD is associated with aggression, impulsivity, criminal activity, promiscuity, deceitfulness, and a tendency to experience extremes of anger and frustration. People with ASPD can also have difficulty in understanding the mental or emotional state of others. They are often okay with manipulating others for their own benefit, and have no regard for morals or social norms. They may be arrogant and often lack remorse.
In brief, Gendo is not aggressive and he is not impulsive -- rather, he is cool and calculating. He has no known criminal history. Promiscuity could be a tell, but his only sexual partners that we ever hear about are Yui Ikari and Ritsuko Akagi over a span of a decade or thereabouts -- to me, that does not qualify. Gendo is deceitful, but only toward groups such as SEELE. When it comes to his emotional state, there is never anything too extreme about Gendo's emotional responses, particularly not concerning anger or frustration. Gendo understands the mental and emotional states of others, he just gives them no consideration and never seeks to mollify them. He manipulates others, but only in a capacity to achieve his goals. The lack of regard is something shared with schizoid personality disorder. And notably, when the chips come down, Gendo expresses remorse.
The Schizoid Gendo: Appearance
One thing I've always appreciated about Gendo is his 'one hand in his pocket' pose. It's so lazy and vaguely contemptuous. Gendo is a man who doesn't at all seem to care about his appearances beyond what is absolutely necessary. His hair is dishevelled and while his beard isn't shabby, it doesn't seem to be sculpted and maintained. He never wears his uniform to the neat level of Fuyutsuki. He is clearly a man not concerned with his outward appearance.
Notably, Gendo's famous clasped-hands 'Gendo pose' conceals both his eyes and much of his face from those observing him. It allows Gendo to present only that which he wishes for others to see. If eyes are windows to the soul, then the glasses represent Gendo's schizoid barrier. And as we see at some points in the series, Gendo's clasped hands conceal glimmers of smiles and smirks. Notably, Gendo's glasses crack and and are damaged in what's one of Gendo's more outright displays of emotion -- saving Rei from the berserk Unit 00.
Heh.
The Schizoid Gendo: Original Series
I've divided talking about Gendo into two categories because there are some key differences between both depictions. I do not think we can use information from the Rebuild films to discuss Gendo in the original series, but I think we can use our understanding of the original series to fill out elements of the tetralogy. While I would like to use the English dub to support this reading, as I have a soft spot for it, I'll use the more literal translation.
In order to understand Gendo's psychology, we're going to discuss it by looking at his various relationships. These aren't presented in any particular order. Some of what I point out may feel obvious or traditional, but I'm making them to ensure that little is missed -- and perhaps because I think some of these ideas are not given due credence.
Overall, I would say the key to understanding Gendo is that there is 'Gendo Ikari' (the man who loves Yui and fears his son) and 'Commander Ikari' (the taciturn leader of NERV.) Commander Ikari is the overt side. He is the persona Gendo Ikari puts forth, and, because of that, the persona that people mistake for the person.
Gendo and Fuyutsuki
Gendo and Fuytusuki have one of the more muted but interesting relationships in the series. Two men who respect each other, if begrudgingly, but don't really seem to like each other. Notably, Fuyutsuki is Gendo's partner in the apocalypse, but also his confidante. The few looks of when we see what Gendo is like when he isn't acting as Commander Ikari are through scenes with Fuyutsuki.
One scene I'll draw attention to is in Episode 17, as Gendo and Fuyutsuki are talking on a train. "A city of cowards fleeing from the outside world, filled with enemies." It's a very odd thing for Gendo to say, in context of Tokyo-3, and I feel like he has a bit of a projection issue here. Schizoids can sometimes have issues with projection as an inability to grapple with their own feelings.
When Fuyutsuki expresses concern about the catastrophic loss of Unit 04, Gendo first responds with a pretty blunt dismissal: an acceptable loss, they still have the data. And then he adds, with probably the only display of his sense of humor in the whole series, that the reason 'the committee' is upset is because it was an "unscheduled" catastrophe. It's a wonderfully dry comment from him.
Now, in a chronological sense, we first meet Gendo through Fuyutsuki's recollection of him. It's important to note that Gendo and Fuyutsuki never truly like each other. Gendo respects him, but Fuyutsuki dislikes Gendo from the very beginning, then is jealous of his relationship with Yui, and calls him out for his conspiratorial dealings with SEELE. For Fuyutsuki, Gendo is the devil he knows.
So, when picking him up from the police station after a brawl, Gendo says to Fuyutuski that he was attacked by the men and that is not familiar with being liked but quite familiar with being disliked. Fuyutsuki already is predisposed to thinking Gendo played some part in provoking it as he mentions hearing rumors about him. "My first impression of him was distaste."
Gendo's eyes are unsettlingly intense. When my wife saw this scene, she turned to me, mouth open, and said 'he has your eyes.' Note also the unkempt hair and stubble.
Shortly afterward, Yui and Gendo begin dating. While Fuyutsuki is surprised by this, Yui says that Gendo is "quite a sweet person. It's just that no one knows it." Fuyutsuki calls Gendo "interesting" but still "can't get to like him." One thing people take from this sequence as fact is Fuyutsuki's claim that Gendo only got close to Yui because of her talent and connection to SEELE. Two counterpoints: just how did Gendo know of SEELE before meeting Yui, and Gendo's obsession with her to the point of apocalypse should dispel that this was the 'truth.' Fuyutsuki isn't exactly uncompromised, himself. Gendo even takes Yui's name.
By the time of Second Impact, Gendo has settled into some position with the SEELE hierarchy. He quickly becomes head of the Evangelion project. When Fuyutsuki confronts him with the truth of Second Impact and the SEELE-orchestrated cover-up, Gendo manages to recruit him into working within the conspiracy he swore to expose.
In the face of Fuyutsuki's emotional outburst, Gendo smirks -- but even then, only barely.
Notably, Rei is summed up as the "product of [Fuyutsuki's] despair" and "the vessel of [Gendo's] hope" in an intimate moment between the two following the death of Rei 2. We'll talk more about Gendo's relationship with Rei later, but I think this is a very important line concerning how and why Gendo treats Rei as he does.
That said, Gendo conceals things even from Fuyutsuki. When Asuka is assaulted by the angel Arael, Gendo takes a bold chance to rid themselves of the Lance of Longinus with plausible deniability, something which Fuyutsuki criticizes. It is clearly something he has been wanting to do for some time. And despite all this, during the SEELE assault on NERV HQ, Gendo's farewell to Fuyutsuki is entirely professional. Even at the presumed end of their time together, there are no words of emotion. Gendo trusts, and expects, Fuyutsuki to buy time for him to initiate his vision of Third Impact.
Gendo and Yui
Gendo's relationship with Yui is intriguing. As mentioned, I don't believe that Gendo was interested in Yui due to her relationship with SEELE -- it feels more like SEELE recognized someone useful to him after the fact. Gendo's role within the series is that of SEELE's executor, someone who is there to ensure their plans are realized. Given the schizoid's outward displays of compliance, apathy and indifference, you can see why they would think that.
Which is why, time and time again, Gendo manages to complicate things for SEELE. He complies by using their orders as a shield and playing his gambits in ways they can't prove, his apathy is carefully feigned, and he surely isn't indifferent to what they want. But he appears that way, fooling everyone he interacts with, as he has for much of his life, with the exception of Yui.
As mentioned above, Yui expresses in private to Fuyutsuki that Gendo is actually quite a sweet person, and that he keeps it hidden. As a schizoid, not only would Gendo only really express himself in private, his emotional affect would be quite muted. If you didn't take the time to get to know him, you wouldn't learn to pick up on the small tells he has. Think of Dr Manhattan from Watchmen and how Ozymandias' friendship with him allows him to read his incredibly subtle tells. Dr Manhattan can likewise be read as schizoid.
This is presumably the last photo taken of Yui. Note Gendo's muted affect and body language. He's smiling, but how would you read his expression?
Gendo takes Yui's name. This is a remarkably romantic thing for him to do, and hints at the depth of his feelings for Yui. Some say that the Ikari name held prominence in SEELE, but this is not mentioned in the series itself.
When the infamous contact experiment happens, and Yui allows herself to be consumed by Unit 01, it is noted that it was Yui's idea for Shinji to be present. It's a small thing, but Gendo has his usual enigmatic frown in this scene. I don't think it's difficult to fathom that he would not want Shinji there, but allowed Yui to do what she wished. Indeed, he says nothing when Fuyutsuki questions it.
As Naoko writes to Ritsuko, Gendo changed completely after Yui's death. Gendo vanished for a week and, when questioned by Fuyutsuki, merely says 'I know.' Again, that point about muted affect and inward/outward expressions. Gendo isn't responding to the comments about grieving at all, nor his feelings. Just that Fuyutsuki is correct -- it was selfish of him, as the head of Project E, to hide away for a week.
Faced by the prospect of a life without Yui, Gendo is placed as the head of NERV and the executor of SEELE's Instrumentality project. When Third Impact begins, Gendo is visited by spectres of Yui, Kaworu and Rei who point out he closed his heart off from others, rejected the world before it could hurt him, and damn him for it.
Suffice to say, I've always found this ending for Gendo particularly odd, if not cruel, and it is why it was not surprising that the Rebuild films went in a significantly different direction. Gendo was a sensitive man who lost his wife and his love and then found himself unable to care for his son. Yui's selfish role in this is never discussed within the series. What would Gendo have done had he known Yui had gone into Unit 01 of her own accord? We'll never know.
Gendo was so heartbroken by Yui's death that he threw away anything and everything that reminded him of her, something that even Shinji's teacher knew about. Gendo counters that with the assertion that everything he carries in his mind is all he needs to remember Yui. To a schizoid, that is often true: Gendo's mind is more powerful than any memento. But that hallucinatory Yui is worth nothing when compared to the real thing, and he'll stop at nothing to see her again.
Gendo and Naoko
What we know of these two is brief, but interesting. Shortly after Yui's death, Naoko attempts to comfort Gendo. He promptly deflects it without giving her an inch of emotional intimacy, his shields are up -- "I have no regrets concerning my work." Naoko kisses Gendo, who barely responds.
It's like his facial expression didn't even change -- come on, Naoko, what did you expect?
It turns out in private Gendo expresses some pretty severe distaste for her, calling her an old hag. Which is probably one of the more personal things Gendo ever says of anyone throughout the entire series. He clearly does not like her, even if he's quite capable of working with her.
It'd be one thing if Gendo had a brief fling with Naoko, then discarded her. That would assist the sociopathic reading. But Gendo endures Naoko's advances, and then either arranges for Rei to tell her what he really thinks or it happens inadvertently. Either way, one thing is clear: in private, Gendo is far less circumspect with what he thinks.
Gendo and Rei
Gendo and Rei's relationship is worth a whole post in and of itself, but I'll sum it up broadly. As mentioned, people tend to discount the fact that Fuyutsuki had a hand in creating Rei. Remember, Fuyutsuki was a professor in that field whose work even Gendo admired. Gendo, as best as we can tell, isn't particularly academic. I'm not even sure I'd call Gendo smart. Cunning, yes, but not smart.
People seem to assume that Gendo created Rei because he is the character we see with 'Rei 1' first. And they assume that Gendo is lying about her being the child of an associate he is taking care of. The thing is, Gendo rarely lies -- he simply has no need to. If he lies, it is to an organization like SEELE, and the reason he lies to them is because SEELE are an antagonistic force who is more powerful than he is.
If Rei was the product of Fuyutsuki's despair and Gendo's hope, then I think it is clear what happened. Gendo grieved for Yui in private, whereas Fuyutsuki used his academic knowledge and his position at GEHIRN to raise the possibility of creating a clone of Yui. As this was seemingly after Gendo's week of private mourning, then it would've been altered by combining Rei with Lilith as the Instrumentality Project had been approved by that time.
From there, Rei 1 is, for lack of a better term, decanted. Gendo clearly views her as a child and seems pleasant enough with her, showing her the Geofront, but is more open with her in private -- either she overheard him calling her an old hag, or he deliberately told her to ensure Naoko heard about it. Either way, Rei 1 lets Naoko know and is killed, which leads to Naoko killing herself.
We don't know what Gendo felt about Rei's murder. Frankly, I'm not sure he would've cared. I think, at that time, Gendo was still preoccupied with Yui. I imagine creating another Rei, Rei 2, was just a decision for the benefit of Instrumentality.
But things have changed by the time of the series proper. Gendo's relationship with Rei 2 is a little more complex. He saves her to the point of burning his own hands when Unit 00 goes berserk. in what is probably the most emotional thing Gendo ever does. Note in that scene Gendo's muted response to the Evangelion going berserk, versus how he responds to Rei's ejection.
Even faced with death and flying shards of glass, Gendo doesn't get this expressive.
Time and time again, Gendo will cope with anything with seeming indifference. That is, until Rei is at risk. That is when something breaks through Gendo's mask, just like it does when Rei charges Zereul with an N2 Mine. When Rei 2 is attacked by Armisael, Gendo's attitude grows more curt than professional, and he openly risks sending Unit 01 into battle with an Angel and risking Third Impact.
He knows she's a clone, but reacts like this!
But then, Rei 2 dies and is replaced by Rei 3. And Gendo's attitude changes into viewing her just as a necessary component for Third Impact. While he is still shocked by her betrayal, it reads more as if him realizing that he has lost his chance to see Yui again, not so much that it is the betrayal of Rei herself.
So, why? My assumption is that Rei 2's death reminded Gendo of what Rei was -- a clone, a component for his design to see Yui again. My assumption is that Rei 2's longer existence led to Gendo 'letting his guard' down and starting to spend time with her, possibly seeing her as a teenage Yui. I feel I should point out that I do not think they ever had a sexual relationship, as some people like to claim. Desperate to see Yui again, Gendo settled for the next best thing -- a cloned facsimile.
Can I get a print out of Gendo smiling? Note that even this miraculous smile of Gendo's is still fairly muted. You can't see it in a still, but it's mostly expressed by a slight narrowing of his eyes. Also, note the tear at the corner of his eye.
Notably, whatever his relationship with Rei 2, it is enough that she slaps Shinji when he criticizes his father. But not enough to keep her out of that terrible apartment. Gendo is happy to get some emotional needs from Rei 2, providing it is at his terms.
Gendo and Ritsuko
Now, here's a thorny one. Ritsuko Akagi exists in the upper echelon of NERV's command structure, and she has something of an insight into Gendo -- yet she is also the person he treats the worst in the whole series. As Ritsuko says to Shinji, like Rei, Gendo just is "not adept at living." It's an interesting comment given many schizoid individuals can sum themselves up as not living but just existing. Gendo exists at NERV but, for the most part, he does not really live there. Gendo lives within his own mind, and no one else gains access.
Gendo's sexual relationship with Ritsuko is fairly remarkable, as she appears to be the only person Gendo has had sex with since Yui (and that Naoko was attracted to him.) That said, it appears to be purely a physical relationship -- Gendo shows little compassion to Ritsuko later in the series, we never really see them interact, and Ritsuko's jealousy of Rei echoes that of her mother.
I don't think it's a surprise that it was excised from the Rebuilds, as Gendo's behavior toward Ritsuko does border on the outright sociopathic. That said, there is one aspect here that I think bolsters the schizoid reading. It is what Gendo says to Ritsuko in the depths of Terminal Dogma during the End of Evangelion.
I've always been partial to the reading suggested here, that Gendo said "I needed you." Personally, I think any admission of 'need' is almost as powerful, if not more powerful, than an admission of love. At the end of the world, no matter how badly he had treated her, no matter that he's about to shoot her, Gendo gives her the truth from the protected well of his heart: I needed you. Ritsuko understandably calls him a liar -- how could someone like Gendo need anyone? -- and gets shot.
And maybe that's all their sexual relationship was, basic need. It's how I view any kind of sex, after all. But while Gendo wouldn't be able to admit it, having that sort of relationship with Ritsuko would, on some level, be important to him. If it truly was something he felt he needed, because need implies vulnerability.
Just not as important as seeing Yui again. Because he loves Yui. Ritsuko is just scratching an itch. Her relationship was with Commander Ikari.
Gendo and Shinji
Gendo and Shinji are mirrors of each other. Gendo and Shinji don't like each other, but also desire each other's love and acceptance. The way Shinji thinks of it, Gendo abandoned him for no particular reason. Gendo says he did it to avoid hurting him. Shinji spends much of the time equating Gendo to the Angels. In one of the more haunting scenes of Episode 20, we see Shinji attempt to thrust his progressive knife into Gendo. Enemy! Enemy! Enemy!
So much of what we think is concrete about Gendo comes from trippy sequences of introspection. In a deep irony, Shinji grapples with the Gendo that exists in his head and not Gendo himself. Gendo's even got his uniform done up!
As pointed out by Kaworu, Gendo is afraid of Shinji. He is afraid of being hurt by him. I want to point out here that the idea of the AT Field -- an invisible barrier between yourself and the world, a shell that protects you from harm -- is extremely relevant to a schizoid reading, but more notable in the Rebuild section.
Gendo is not pleasant to Shinji. When they first meet, he is abrupt and cold -- and yet, from his perspective, they may only have minutes before Sachiel breaches through to the Geofront. But over time, Gendo warms to Shinji and even tells him "good work." Not only is this a big moment for Shinji, but it is a big one for Gendo. Gendo might not want to have much to do with Shinji, and may have relegated his care to Misato (as see in the parent-teacher night phone call), but he cares for him on some level.
This is why Gendo reacts as he does when Shinji refuses to engage Bardiel and harm Toji -- notably, one of the only times Gendo ever raises his voice, and after Gendo makes an attempt to reason to Shinji (in the cold, unsettling method of a schizoid, without concern for Shinji's feelings.) Gendo granted Shinji some of his heart, and Shinji reacted like, well, a child. Many schizoids are not good with children. Notably, Gendo is still upset by this when he and Shinji have their final meeting -- both of them aren't much more petulant than each other. It's easy to assume it's all because Gendo almost lost his precious Evangelion, but he almost lost his son, and is about to watch him walk out on him -- and, well, we've seen how Gendo reacts to loss.
But some part of Gendo clearly admires Shinji, too.
That's My Boy! Some fathers go to football games, Gendo watches a giant robot battle. And he doesn't even flinch.
Is Shinji schizoid? No. Shinji pretty clearly has, if anything, avoidant personality disorder. Shinji avoids things that cause him harm -- hence his refrain of not running away. Shinji is convinced of his own inferiority and thinks he will be rejected by everyone. So, it's easier to just run away. Shinji desperately doesn't want to be disliked. His whole arc is that of learning that running away from pain means running away from people, to a world where no one else exists.
That said, there's a link. Schizoid personality disorder is sometimes described as the disorder that eventuates when you can't run away from a bad situation. You can't remove yourself from it physically, so you remove yourself from it mentally -- you split your emotions and feelings off into a part of your mind that no one can harm, that even you can ignore. Gendo doesn't avoid things that can cause him harm, he's so disassociated that very little can actually penetrate his defenses (his AT Field, you could say.) Gendo doesn't think he's inferior, nor does Gendo care about being disliked. Gendo just doesn't want to deal with people and their emotional expressions and expectations, and perhaps can't.
Think of it like this: Shinji is afraid of being staked through the heart, so he avoids the possibility. Gendo goes into the situations, but has hidden his heart somewhere else, and so cannot be harmed.
So, Gendo just doesn't care about Shinji's feelings -- basically, yes. Get in the robot, Shinji, or get out. Gendo presumably believes that everything will be okay when they reunite with Yui. I will avoid the concurrency debate, but suffice to say I believe in EoTV, Shinji does indeed thank Gendo for pulling off his version of Third Impact, leading to a happily ever after in the noosphere, whereas in End of Evangelion, father and son never reconcile.
The unanswered question of the original series, and the one that informs this entire piece, is one levelled at Shinji: Did he ever try to understand his father? I think the answer is quite clear that, thoughout the series, despite his protests, Shinji never really tried.
Gendo and Evangelion 01
A minor but interesting note is how Gendo speaks to Unit 01. It appears that when Gendo wants to discuss the truth of anything, he talks to Evangelion 01, as if communicating with Yui. He talks to her as if Yui is trapped within the Evangelion -- which from his perspective, she is. Again, it's interesting to note that Gendo will happily be open with Yui, or something he can think of as Yui.
The Schizoid Gendo: NTE
The Rebuild films put a bit of a twist on Gendo. For the most part, he matches his TV series incarnation, but the differences serve to humanize him much more the TV series ever attempted. Some of his more heartless aspects, such as his relationships with Naoko and Ritsuko, have been seemingly excised completely. On the other hand, his relationship with Rei is more muted and cool. His physical appearance is much the same, but I personally think he tends to look even scruffier, emphasising that point about a lack of a regard for his appearance. In the third film, where he's at his most inscrutable, he's replaced his glasses with an opaque visor, and in the fourth his eyes are replaced by a deep cleft. A split, you could say. If the eyes are the window to the soul, if they are a metaphor for his schizoid barrier, then when the barrier comes down, when Gendo embraces his lack of humanity, there's nothing there.
One of the more interesting additions is a scene between Rei and Gendo, where Gendo sees Yui say something to him about Shinji.
Rei: Commander Ikari.
GENDO: What is it?
Rei: Do you enjoy having meals?
GENDO: Yes.
Rei: Do you enjoy having meals with other people?
GENDO: Yes.
Rei: Do you enjoy having meals cooked for you?
GENDO: Yes.
Rei: Commander Ikari, would you like to have meal with Ikari and the others?
GENDO: I really don't have time for--
YUI: Darling, please take care of Shinji.
GENDO: I understand. I'll go.
There's a lot to enjoy about this scene. The fact that it is set in a formal dining area, but Gendo and Rei are seated about as far as possible from each other. The fact that Fuyutsuki is awkwardly hanging around to the distant left and presumably trying to act like he's invisible. Rei gets pills and Gendo has this awkward cut of steak. Why is Gendo doing this? I'm not even sure he knows. The monosyllabic responses are also very indicative of a schizoid conversation, as is the immediate half-hearted deflection to the possibility of a more emotionally demanding meeting with a bunch of people he doesn't care about and probably hasn't said more than the bare minimum to. If Gendo attended that dinner, he would have to drop the Commander Ikari persona.
But he agrees to go, even if it was because he imagines Yui told him too. Again, this isn't unheard of in a schizoid mindset, especially given the trauma Gendo felt from Yui's death. You can presume that prior to her death, Gendo might guide himself by imagining what Yui might want him to do.
The confrontation between father and son following the destruction of Unit 03 is also somewhat different. Gendo isn't quite as petulant as he was in the original series and, in a way, he gives Shinji some heartfelt if gruff advice. "To win what you desire, you must sacrifice everything and make it come true through force of will. People won't do it for you. Shinji, grow up."
Again, this is something that resonates with schizoids. You can't rely on anyone else. If you want something, you're the only one you can trust to make it happen. Such emotional displays don't serve anyone, especially yourself. When faced with Shinji's open emotional wound, which Shinji is right to feel, Gendo reacts with cold advice. It's exactly the kind of advice I could see myself giving, for better or worse. Is Gendo correct? Maybe. I mean, would anyone really think that his advice is something Shinji doesn't need to hear?
So, after a series of convoluted and complex mystical rites, Gendo eliminates SEELE and Kaworu, bamboozles WILLE, steals back Evangelion 01, merges with Evangelion 13, storms gates of Heaven via an imaginary opposite reality, all to be reunited with the love of his life and finds...
Nothing.
It breaks him. He screams again and again for Yui, and finds nothing. My personal reading of this is that Yui is gone. Gendo has been confronted with the fact that everything he has worked for has been for naught. Gendo's extreme emotional response is not unheard of for a schizoid. When pushed too far, schizoids can react with extreme emotional displays. Gendo's schizoid barrier -- his AT field that still somehow exists despite him no longer being human -- is finally breached, and we learn how Gendo came to be.
And it is uncomfortably schizoid:
"Headphones cut me off from the outside world. They protected me from the noise of others, helped me feign indifference. But when I met Yui, I no longer needed them. I never knew my parent's love, and yet I became a parent.
"There is no question this world is unstable, imperfect and irrational. It is a world where things break down if you take what people say at face value. People say different things at different times. Which is the truth? What am I supposed to go along with? Perhaps they were insincere in both instances.
"I feared forming bonds with people. I disliked a world brimming with them. I was alone since my childhood, so, I never felt lonely. But there are those in society who scorn such an existence. I hated going to other people's houses. Having to visit classmates that didn't interest me, or relatives at their home. Forced to confront the circumstances of their lives and made to partake in them. Being together with others was excruciating. I just wanted to be alone, always.
"There were two things I liked as a child. One was knowledge. I could satiate my starving heart by gorging on information on my own terms. No need to think about others. I could serve upon myself as much knowledge as time would allow me. The other was the piano. A finely tuned wire would respond accurately to the key that was touched. There is no deception there. No betrayals. No disappointments. My existence would be seamlessly translated into a flow of sounds. I liked this system. I liked being alone. Neither I nor anyone else would get hurt that way. Alone, I could be at ease.
"But after encountering Yui, I learned that living could be an enjoyable experience. Yui alone accepted me for who I was. After I lost her, I was afraid I could not live alone anymore. For the first time, I felt the anguish of loneliness. I could not bear the burden of losing Yui. I just wanted to cry in her arms. I just wanted to change myself by being at her side. I just wanted to make that wish come true."
Note the feigned indifference. Gendo doesn't feel indifferent, he wears it as a shell. Note the idea of loneliness as a childhood constant -- a potential trigger for schizoid personality disorder are early childhoods where emotional needs are not met. Note the idea that Gendo only interacts with society because he is expected to, and yet has no genuine desire to be in anyone else's life. He would rather be alone because then he can interact with the world on his terms. His body is his, and his alone. His mind is his, and his alone.
But also note the mention of deception and insincerity. Blindsight by Peter Watts depicts a schizoid character, Siri, as being unable to express the feelings around the death of his girlfriend by not being able to find the right words that fit because all the words he can think of feel insincere next to his feelings. But also note that Gendo mentions that it isn't just he himself getting hurt, but those around him. Hurting people, presumably somewhat inadvertently, is something that upsets Gendo and makes him uneasy.
After Mari introduces Gendo to Yui, they hit it off -- only for her to be ripped away from him. Unlike the original series, this was seemingly not pre-mediated on the part of Yui. And, having been exposed to genuine love and affection, Gendo is unable to return to his old ways. While I said earlier that I like to think I could return to them if my wife was ever taken from me, I am also not sure. There is a part of me that thinks the hole in my psyche would destroy me, and I'd be unable to exist in the comfortable solitude I did before.
Gendo knows he's not a good person. He knows that by being with Yui, he was able to be a better person than he was. His decision to abandon Shinji is much more understandable in this depiction. Shinji's existence was a reminder of what he lost from Yui, to such an extent that he considered it a form of punishment (presumably, for not stopping Yui.) Given how Gendo is quite aware of his shortcomings and issues with emotional intimacy, it feels pretty clear why he felt that abandoning Shinji was the best for him. Even with Yui, I do not think Gendo would've been a warm father. But without her, there was even less hope.
As an aside, the visions are interesting, too. Gendo seems disturbed when Shinji is born, which implies to me that Shinji may not have been planned for (and, as mentioned, the idea of someone relying on them as a child does is not comfortable to many schizoids.) In many of the artistic images, Gendo is either physically separate from others or stylistically separate from others. His facial expressions appear apathetic, but then are quite intense following Yui's death.
As mentioned, there's that element of performance, too. Think of Gendo in the final film, floating around and enacting flashy rituals, monologuing about esoteric subjects that aren't really comprehensible to anyone but himself. That isn't Gendo Ikari. That is Commander Ikari. That is a role that Gendo is playing and is choosing to embody, whereas the wounded, despondent Gendo remains safely ensconced within some corner of his mind. And note the great physical split in Gendo's face, behind his eyes. When Shinji manages to genuinely connect with Gendo, that split vanishes.
I've been sitting on something like this since seeing the final Rebuild film, and while part of me wants to go even further, I think this hits all the more notable parts. The series has always had a strong resonance for me, and is a powerful artistic inspiration. I hope some people find this interesting! As mentioned, I don't think it's particularly useful to sum up characters by personality disorders -- they are fictional characters -- but I've always read Gendo as schizoid. I hope this helps give people another perspective on his actions.
Finally, a small thing. Many schizoids are interested in parapsychology and paranormal fields. Do the Dead Sea Scrolls, magical spears, giant humanoid divinities, and such fall under that umbrella?
