First Contact

Shinji arrives in Tokyo-3 and pilots an Evangelion for the first time against an approaching Angel.

The narrative opens with Shinji Ikari arriving in Tokyo-3, a city designed specifically for combat against Angels. Summoned by his father, Gendo Ikari, who commands NERV, Shinji initially rejects the call to pilot an Evangelion. His reluctance stems from abandonment trauma and desperate need for paternal acknowledgment. When the first Angel attacks and the military proves ineffective, Shinji makes his fateful decision to pilot the biomechanical giant robot to save those around him. The first piloting experience proves psychologically devastating. Shinji discovers that piloting an Evangelion involves forming direct neural connection with the machine, creating vulnerability and exposure that feels violating. The battle itself, while visually spectacular, emphasizes the psychological cost of combat rather than celebrating mechanical action. Shinji succeeds in defeating the Angel but emerges psychologically traumatized rather than triumphant. His willingness to endure this trauma stems primarily from his desperate need for his father's approval. By arc's end, Shinji has taken on responsibility far exceeding his maturity or capability. The series establishes that rather than being uniquely special or naturally suited to his role, Shinji is simply the available individual upon whom impossible burden falls. His character arc begins with him sacrificing his psychological wellbeing for external validation from his father. The arc establishes the fundamental theme: these are not special children chosen for destiny, but rather traumatized adolescents placed in impossible situations by adults pursuing agendas beyond their understanding.