Do you guys think there is any significance to the order that Asuka hears herself speak in the following people's voices while being hit with the Hallelujah beam? It is:

Misato, Rei, Hikari, Ritsuko, Maya

(according to https://wiki.evageeks.org/Episode_22)

I don't think it's a coincidence that they are all women. I thought the beam may be penetrating deeper and deeper into her psyche over time and might have something to do with how well she knows each person (or wants to know), but I feel like Hikari might not be in the right spot for that theory.

Yeah, I initially thought exactly what you said; that the order is based off her closeness with each character. You also said that Hikari isn’t in the right spot for that theory to work, which I also agree with!

I think, if the order even matters, that the characters are in order of who she is most jealous of. Her repeating “This is not the real me!” could be attributed to the fact she ISN’T them, and that she hates herself for not having what they have.

First is Misato, and it’s obvious Asuka envies Misato. Misato is this mature adult lady that Kaji’s in love with. Asuka is jealous of her for that reason. All Asuka wants is to BE mature, or to be perceived as mature. By extension, she wants Kaji to love her. Misato has both, which is why she’s first.

Second is Rei, and it’s clear Asuka envies Rei. Rei’s their best pilot, and always acts like a perfect “doll”. This is a huge smack in the face for Asuka, because she was under the belief that SHE was the best pilot. Her worth comes from her usefulness as Eva-02’s pilot. She seeks praise and worthiness because she doesn’t want to be her mother’s “doll”, either. So seeing someone who’s both more valued as a pilot than her AND is exactly the type of compliant person Asuka hates her child self for being… places Rei at second place.

Third is Hikari, and this one’s not so pronounced. Asuka values Hikari as a friend, but she still envies her for her ability to have control over her life and her status among their classmates. What Asuka wants IS control. She WANTS to be respected and praised and useful. Hikari is all of those things, but she’s still Asuka’s friend, so she is third.

Fourth is Ritsuko, which fits well with what I’ve said so far. Asuka doesn’t really know her, but it’s clear she’s bothered by how Ritsuko evaluates her performance in the Eva as “not good enough”. Maybe she envies her for her status and maturity, but since she doesn’t really have any connection with Ritsuko… she is Fourth.

Last is Maya, and Asuka hardly knows Maya. She has no reason to be envious of her, except maybe her status. But even then, Asuka doesn’t really pay attention to her, placing her at the last of the list.

Ranted for a little bit, but I hope this could help you in some way!