Rei Ayanami

Rei Ayanami (Japanese: 綾波 レイ, Hepburn: Ayanami Rei; IPA: [ajaꜜnamʲi ɾeː]) is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series and its eponymous franchise created by the anime studio Gainax. In the anime series, Rei is an introverted girl chosen as the enigmatic pilot of Evangelion Unit-00, one of a series of giant mechas called Evangelions. She is called the First Child among the Evangelion pilots. At the beginning of the series, Rei is a mysterious figure whose unusual behavior astonishes her peers. As the series progresses, she becomes more involved with the people around her, particularly her classmate and fellow Evangelion pilot, Shinji Ikari. She is revealed to be a clone of his mother, Yui Ikari, and Lilith, a large being known as an Angel. Rei appears in the franchise's animated feature films and related media, video games, the original net animation Petit Eva: Evangelion@School, the Rebuild of Evangelion films, and the manga adaptation by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.

Hideaki Anno, director of the animated series, conceived Rei as a representation of his unconscious mind. He was also influenced by his readings on psychology, particularly Freudian psychoanalysis, taking inspiration from Freud's theories on the Oedipus complex. Other influences for its creation include earlier works by Gainax staff members, such as Aoki Uru, and Paul Gallico's The Snow Goose. Rei is voiced by Megumi Hayashibara in Japanese and by Amanda Winn-Lee, Brina Palencia, and Ryan Bartley in English.

Reactions from viewers and critics to Rei have generally been positive. She has maintained a high ranking in popularity polls of the series and of the most popular anime characters in Japan. Reviewers have praised Rei's mysterious aura and her role in the story. Merchandise based on her has been released, including action figures, life-size statues, clothing, and makeup. Critics linked her success to a series of moe traits, described by Thomas Zoth of Mania Entertainment as "weak [and] vulnerable", that anime fans recognized, influencing the creation of subsequent female anime characters.