Is there anything that backs Asuka's Hype?

[LordThaeon]

Apart from the Rebuild movies, is there any real evidence to back-up Asuka's claims at being "the best" or is she just like Vegeta in that she believes in her own hype?

There is that time when she fought the MP Evas and almost won until the plot screwed her over. But that's all that I can think of. Other than the MP incident and the fight with Sandalphon (who I'll remind you was essentially a newborn), she doesn't do anything without the help of Rei or Shinji and gets screwed when put into the spotlight (namely the fights against Zeruel, Bardiel, Arael).

Is there really anything that warrants Asuka the title of "queen badass?" Or is this oddity intentional per the usual territory of a deconstruction? Does the Manga back up Asuka a little bit more?

[Reichu]

There is that time when she fought the MP Evas and almost won

Eh, even then, Mommy was holding her hand the whole time. (What? She was! :p )

[pwhodges]

Presumably she believes that her success in training is equivalent to success in real life. But basically she's bolstering her confidence by boasting.

In the manga, she kicks ass in a street fight early on, while the boys watch on ineffectually.

[Kendrix]

It is to be noted that Asuka's actual level of prowess is irrelevant to her being upset about not archieving "enough" - She is setting herself impossible standards for a human being to archieve and generally engaging in unhealthy perfectionism. Never mind fighting, she'll be terribly dissapointed at herself for the slightest pang of basic pack animal urges, even though much of what she ever does centers around getting company and status. If she actually misses them, she subtracts that from her score.

The angels also have litte concern for fairness because this is a stone hard survival battle. EoE shows she can do survival battle, too, when she isn't personally blocking her true potential; The weapon she wields requires her to psychically open herself to it, something she generally does not do very often.

She wants to be an "special elite diva prodigy", when she is really more of a "badass normal with more technical than inborn skill"

[Bagheera]

She did graduate university (somehow) at the age of 13, so there's that. And yeah, she knows kung fu in the manga (and was a designer baby to boot). Apart from that it's hard to see what she can actually do in a fight since the Angels are so fond of rigging the rules. But yeah, EoE shows us she's not all talk.

[Monk Ed]

She did graduate university (somehow) at the age of 13

What do you mean "somehow"? When everything else is taken care of for you and you're determined to gather as many emblems of adulthood as you can as quickly as you can, it's amazing what a bright person can do. I remember several years ago (as in 10 or more) reading about a child prodigy who was entering university at age 10. 3 years after that is plenty.

[Bagheera]

What do you mean "somehow"? When everything else is taken care of for you and you're determined to gather as many emblems of adulthood as you can as quickly as you can, it's amazing what a bright person can do. I remember several years ago (as in 10 or more) reading about a child prodigy who was entering university at age 10. 3 years after that is plenty.

It's really not. There's a lot involved in getting a university education that has nothing to do with one's talent; graduating that early is functionally impossible unless shortcuts of some sort are involved (as I suspect they were in Asuka's case).

[Monk Ed]

It's really not. There's a lot involved in getting a university education that has nothing to do with one's talent.

Like what? We're talking about a difference of only 1 year here from what it normally takes to graduate. Not that there's any need to suppose Asuka didn't get shortcut opportunities; given her special circumstances, it'd be weirder if her track was anything close to normal.

[Bagheera]

Like what? We're talking about a difference of only 1 year here from what it normally takes to graduate.

Er, more like eight years. People typically graduate from a four year university at the age of 21-22, and Asuka did it at the age of 13. So, at an age when most girls her age are in middle school, she's completed not only high school but also university. That logistically impossible -- courses have prerequisites, which means you have to take them in sequence, which means the timescale isn't flexible.

Not that there's any need to suppose Asuka didn't get shortcut opportunities; given her special circumstances, it'd be weirder if her track was anything close to normal.

I know. I was just commenting on the notion that this is somehow doable in the real world, and it isn't. Shortcuts, yes. Full university, no.

[Gob Hobblin]

There are programs that allow high school age kids to attend and complete a college degree or equivalent (my alma mater had one), but thirteen is VERY young for that. Short of them designing a special course for her specifically, or her actually being a genius-level prodigy, it wouldn't happen.

I mean, there have been a FEW kids that have done that at such an age...but again, we're talking the major exceptions to the rule, not the actual ones.

The problem in Asuka's case is that, aside from her going to University...we don't know what that entails. It is just dropped out there, so it COULD be something she accomplished with her crazy drive. And it COULD be something that is not as big as it seems, but her ego makes it seem bigger. The lack of details is significant.

I could go either way on that myself, but I am more inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt on this. She has demonstrated a fiendish stubbornness when pushed.

[Compiling_Autumn]

it's funny how, even though Asuka graduated from college at thirteen, she still has to go to high school (and does poorly there too).

[Bagheera]

it's funny how, even though Asuka graduated from college at thirteen, she still has to go to high school (and does poorly there too).

The kids never made it to high school (they were in middle school in the show). But anyway, Asuka was there to practice her Japanese.

[pwhodges]

I always felt the idea that Asuka had graduated was too much for me. I just see it as unrealistic (like many other things) and let it flow past me. She's very bright; that'll do.

Though actually, there have been 13-year-old graduates.

[Bagheera]

I always felt the idea that Asuka had graduated was too much for me. I just see it as unrealistic (like many other things) and let it flow past me. She's very bright; that'll do.

Though actually, there have been 13-year-old graduates.

There have, but only because they were able to make use of accelerated programs that let them complete their studies over the internet (Promethea Pythaitha is a good example). These are the sort of shortcuts I was referring to.

[KingXanaduu]

Not that I want to doubt Asuka's abilities, cause she is brilliant afterall and a hell of a fighter, but how do we know that her "degrees" were nothing more than farces by SEELE, to add to her ego for the HIP, in order to sacrifice her for Instrumentality, so Shinji's mind could be broken to make that choice? They already seem to be masters of psychology and predicting their outcomes. Hell, they were able to outsmart Kaworu to break Shinji in the process to further their goals.

How do we know that Asuka wasn't just another brain-washed Lamb of the HIP to further their goals?

[Bagheera]

Not that I want to doubt Asuka's abilities, cause she is brilliant afterall and a hell of a fighter, but how do we know that her "degrees" were nothing more than farces by SEELE, to add to her ego for the HIP, in order to sacrifice her for Instrumentality, so Shinji's mind could be broken to make that choice? They already seem to be masters of psychology and predicting their outcomes. Hell, they were able to outsmart Kaworu to break Shinji in the process to further their goals.

How do we know that Asuka wasn't just another brain-washed Lamb of the HIP to further their goals?

Because, given the way it's presented, we have no reason to doubt its legitimacy. Neither the show nor the supplementary materials give the slightest hint that this is not exactly what it says on the tin.

[IronEvangelion]

I found it even more ridiculous in the rebuild when Asuka Langley Shikinami was revealed to be captain of the European Air Force. College graduate I can understand, but a high-ranking military officer at 13? Now you've lost me.

But yeah, NGE Asuka did manage to awaken her eva and incapacitate 9 superior eva models (which were immediately reactivated afterwards) in melee combat while running on less than 5 minutes of emergency power. She's not all talk.

[Bagheera]

I found it even more ridiculous in the rebuild when Asuka Langley Shikinami was revealed to be captain of the European Air Force. College graduate I can understand, but a high-ranking military officer at 13? Now you've lost me.

That's actually more plausible. It's an honorary rank, not an actual command position. She'd get it merely by being an Eva pilot if the Eva program was affiliated with the German Air Force in some way.

[pwhodges]

Because, given the way it's presented, we have no reason to doubt its legitimacy. Neither the show nor the supplementary materials give the slightest hint that this is not exactly what it says on the tin.

Yes they do. Why does she attend middle school of all things?

[NemZ]

To be fair it's more likely than not that she got an AS/AA or some sort of specialized certification through a college rather than a bachelors. That does cut down on the timescale a bit. If she was working with private tutors and in a focused environment with little more to do besides studying, synch tests and pilot training it's reasonable that she could have very quickly skipped through several grade levels along the way so ~6 years early in total.

And the show gives reasons for her attendence. Learning the language, socialization, stress relief... and also so they can keep an eye on her somewhere out from under foot, and it's logicstically convenient to do so where the other pilots and potential pilots are. It would make even more sense of course if they had a dedicated training center, barracks and support facilities within the geofront but secrets are apparently important.