Shinji Ikari (碇 シンジ, Ikari Shinji?) is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise created by Hideaki Anno. He was first introduced as the protagonist from the television anime series from 1995. Shinji Ikari is a young boy who is requested by his distant father, Gendo Ikari, to pilot a mecha known as the Evangelion Unit 01 to protect the city of Tokyo-3 from creatures known as Angels that threaten to destroy mankind. While Shinji is forced to pilot Unit 01, during his time in Tokyo-3 he socializes with comrades and gains friends. Shinji's portrayal differs depending on the media in which he is shown such as in the official manga adaptation where he is written from the author Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's point of view as well as other spinoff series. The character of Shinji became highly popular, having appeared in multiple popularity polls. Director Hideaki Anno described the hero, Shinji Ikari, as a boy who "shrinks from human contact", and has "convinced himself ...