Kaworu Nagisa ♫ ♪ (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
labyrinthos) wrote2014-08-07 05:00 am
labyrinthos) wrote2014-08-07 05:00 am
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cityofariel application:
→ OOC
□ Name: Asher
□ Age: 28
□ Contact: blue blood type (AIM)
→ IC
□ Name: Kaworu Nagisa
□ Series: Neon Genesis Evangelion. Specifically, the movie reimagining: Rebuild of Evangelion. Specifically, the third movie of an eventual tetralogy: Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo.
□ Canon point: After his death.
□ History: Evangelion has a reputation for being a complete mess.
a) Neon Genesis Evangelion and Kaworu's role in it. He only appears in Episode 24.
b) The End of Evangelion and Kaworu's role in it.
c) Rebuild of Evangelion 3.0 and Kaworu's role in it (with the added mention of his cameo appearances in 1.0 and 2.0).
□ Personality:
Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most contentious canons I've ever come across. Interpretations relating to it reach far and wide in all areas. This is only my personal interpretation; I don't claim to be the foremost authority on Evangelion. Here we go.
1) "Repeat the same thing over and over again." --Evangelion 3.0
Rebuild of Evangelion was initially thought to be some sort of reboot of the original anime series. The first movie is more or less a faithful retelling of a few episodes. In the second movie, however, the story goes off the rails and everything changes irrevocably in comparison to the anime. By the third movie, which is where Kaworu shows up in earnest, everything is completely different from what you know about Evangelion. The setting is different, each character is different, and especially what happens from then on is different.
Interwoven into the story, there are several glaring hints that Rebuild is not a reboot at all. It may or may not be a sequel to the anime in some inscrutable fashion. How does this work? Well, this idea is referred to as "loop theory" by the fandom. In this theory, backed by dialogue from Kaworu (and comments by the staff), Kaworu has been stuck in a time loop where he repeats the same lifetime over and over again. You can draw comparisons to Groundhog Day, Run Lola Run, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and similar stories. The mechanics of how Kaworu is looping are unknown currently. For whatever reason, he does remember other timelines and events within those timelines.
His primary motivation in every timeline? It's to bring happiness to a very depressed, very conflicted boy named Shinji Ikari.
"This time," Kaworu says, "I'll be sure to bring you happiness."
So what does this mean for Kaworu? It's widely believed that Rebuild's Kaworu is actually the same Kaworu as seen in the anime--except he's been tempered by who knows how many time loops. This is suggested at several points in Rebuild, a few of which I'll cover. For example, there's one scene in both continuities where he confesses to Shinji, at night and in private, in an eerily similar tone.
2) "And the words 'I love you.'" --The End of Evangelion
At the outset, let me make one thing clear: Kaworu Nagisa is not a human being. No matter what he looks like, what he sounds like, what he thinks and feels--he's not human. He is humanoid, and his DNA is 99% similar to a human's, but he's not human at all. He's part of an alien race called Angels that have nothing to do with the Biblical counterpart. Angels are sometimes hostile, sometimes curious, sometimes lonely beings that descend upon the Earth and wreak havoc. Kaworu, despite his best intentions, also wreaks havoc by simply existing.
Kaworu isn't human, but he loves humanity intensely. He's defined by his love for humanity. Everything about his love carves out his role in the story.
Throughout Evangelion, Angels are motivated by the desire to wipe out humanity and claim the Earth for themselves. Meanwhile, in the anime, Kaworu exercises his own free will and asks Shinji to kill him instead of bringing about humanity's destruction. Shinji, for all his faults, flaws, and fears, is the quintessential human. He represents the human condition, you could say; it's no surprise that Kaworu loves him so much. Kaworu goes as far as to coddle Shinji with his love. Because of that love and his loving regard for humans as a species, Kaworu allows the humans to live on. This love is so powerful that it nullifies even his Angelic instincts to take the Earth back for his own species. It's made even more poignant once you realize that Kaworu's soul actually belongs to the First Angel (Adam), the progenitor or "mother" Angel. If anyone should want to save its own species, it's Adam. Kaworu chooses to die instead for the sake of humanity.
Even after you get past the love, it's still an easy decision for him. In his own words: "It is my destiny to live forever, though my survival will bring final destruction to the human race. However, it is possible for me to be killed. And whether I live or die makes no great difference. In truth, death may be the only absolute freedom there is." It's fairly safe to say that Kaworu has a suicidal mindset. As long he exists, he'll only bring pain to the people he loves. He cannot be allowed to exist.
After experiencing many time loops, Rebuild's Kaworu has seemingly shaken off his role as the Angel that is destined to destroy humanity. His pure, hopeful, unconditional love ends up taking a different form as well. This is very important to his personality in Rebuild. The next section will explain his motivations--his new reason for being--in greater detail.
In general, what else can be said about Kaworu Nagisa?
He's a very kind, sympathetic person. He's gentle. He's open and honest. He's thoughtful and would give you the shirt off his back. He's mature, intelligent, highly educated, and musically gifted. Extrospective by nature, he is deeply philosophical; he likes to ponder everything around him. He's curious, especially about humans and their amazing world. Because he's curious, he likes to ask questions. If he doesn't understand something, or doesn't know something, or wants to learn about something, you can expect him to ask questions. He relishes getting to learn new things. He's ethereal and weird and a little bit alien in his interactions.
He's self-confident and charismatic, but never arrogant. He carries himself with an aura of not giving fuck about what anyone else thinks of him. If he wants something, he doesn't hesitate to reach out and grasp it. In the anime, he has no problem walking up to Shinji and getting Shinji to take a bath with him. In Rebuild, he has no problem convincing Shinji to play a piano duet with him. He's not shy in the least. He's not embarrassed or self-conscious. He smiles when he feels like smiling. He laughs when he feels like laughing. He feels so much and subsequently he acts on those feelings.
He appreciates life's splendor and beauty. He's bright, cheerful, and optimistic. He finds joy in every aspect of life: being with Shinji, talking to Shinji, playing the piano, playing the piano with Shinji, gazing at the stars (with Shinji), so on and so forth. In an AU spin-off of the anime (Neon Genesis Evangelion 2), he's keenly interested in things as mundane as human makeup--because it brings out a person's inner beauty, he says. He even practices applying makeup on himself and others without concern for social stigma. Free will is incredibly valuable to him.
He does whatever he wants to do. He does whatever feels good to him. As he tells Shinji in Rebuild, "You don't have to be good [at playing the piano], just produce music that feels good." Feeling good is an integral component to being happy. He seems to be very happy, most of the time.
Regardless, he can be almost cruelly careless with another person's feelings. Even though he loves people, and Shinji especially, he has hurt Shinji badly during their time(s) together. In the anime, asking Shinji to kill him is infinitely traumatizing and undeniably selfish. Unfortunately, it has to work out that way--for the greater good, if nothing else. But he doesn't seem to realize that he is giving Shinji such an agonizing ultimatum. It makes him come across as very ignorant in that respect. As much as he wants to understand how the human heart works, he hasn't quite figured it out.
3) "I already choose to live as a human." --Neon Genesis Evangelion 2
So, let's grab Kaworu Nagisa from the anime. Let's force him to go through time loop after time loop where all he does live and die in rapid succession. Eventually, it's not hard to imagine that he'd desire to do more with himself than that. It's not hard to imagine that he'd stop caring about his role as an Angel. It's not hard to imagine that he'd want a better life for his beloved Shinji.
Somewhere along the way, the Evangelion timeline begins to change in irrevocable ways. I won't get into it, though, because I don't know how to explain why the story went apeshit. It just did.
By the time we meet Kaworu in Rebuild, he has changed in many noticeable ways. I'd never call Kaworu reserved, but he's genuinely reserved in comparison to his anime counterpart. He still confident and still optimistic and still knows what he wants. Yet he doesn't just take what he wants without a second thought. He won't invade Shinji's personal space unless there's a good reason for it. He won't force Shinji to do anything that Shinji doesn't want to do. Along with that, there's absolutely no mention of the original ultimatum between living and dying for the sake of humanity. He has moved on from such things.
In Rebuild, Kaworu has trended as close as possible to being human in temperament. He won't spout philosophy left, right, and center. He'll only say appropriately philosophical things if the conversation steers in that direction. His speech patterns aren't flowery; for the most part, they're practical and straightforward. He understands how to treat Shinji like a real person. He never says the words "I love you" in Rebuild, even though he undoubtedly loves Shinji. To be honest, he doesn't need to say anything at all. He demonstrates his great care for Shinji, and for humanity, rather than saying it out loud.
He's close, supportive, and encouraging, yet he refuses to smother. He has realized that someone needs to help themselves before they can be helped by others. To use an analogy, a bird can't learn to fly as long as it isn't allowed to try in the first place. He's willing to take a step back and watch someone deal with problems on their own. For example, he only extends a hand to help Shinji walk down some treacherous stairs after Shinji breaks down and calls out to him.
He knows how to be a good friend. He becomes friends with Shinji organically; he doesn't force any of it. More than ever before, Shinji is his partner, his confidant, his accomplice, and his equal.
He wants to bring Shinji happiness and help save humanity from extinction. Because of these goals, something brand-new is introduced into Kaworu's personality: determination. This leads to more than just hoping things will magically work out. Determination is what will make hope into a reality. He creates cunning plans and sets them into motion to achieve his goals. No matter the personal cost, he's determined to do everything he can to improve the lives of the people around him.
Because he can't do anything when he's dead, he's determined to live. Life and death are not equivalent to him. There's no absolute freedom in death. If he is alive, then he can help the people he cares for. If he is dead, then his plan is fucked and it's necessary to loop again.
Just like most people, he has something important to lose. He's vulnerable in ways that he hasn't been previously, and it humanizes him. He knows pain. He knows fear. He knows shock, confusion, and disappointment. He knows what it feels like to fail. He has failed repeatedly in heart-wrenching ways in every time loop. In Rebuild, he fails again due to the antagonist's xanatos gambit. He is seconds from dying to an explosive collar and Shinji is forced to watch it happen...
"I'm sorry," Kaworu says to his friend, somehow managing to smile, "this wasn't the happiness you desired." He tries to be optimistic about it, even then. "Fate will probably guide you. We'll meet again."
4) "I want to talk to you some more. May I come with you?" --Neon Genesis Evangelion
There isn't a lot of screen time of Kaworu dealing with other characters. Despite that, he wouldn't behave much differently around almost anyone else ever. Kaworu is a kind, loving, thoughtful, considerate, encouraging, determined, patient, observant person. He treats everyone like they're special, because they are special somehow.
Thus it's worth noting that he gives the sad impression of being lonely. Although Rei Ayanami is "the same as him" (their relationship is Facebook Complicated), the Rei Ayanami in Rebuild is nothing like the one from the anime. He claims that humans are afraid of him: Misato Katsuragi, in particular, builds weapons to kill him. He's being used by various shady organizations to satisfy their own agendas. In the end, as best he can, he's just trying to make the most of his life.
To end this diatribe, I'll elaborate on the philosophical side of Kaworu. I could regurgitate countless quotes from canon to exemplify that. He thinks about everything and often has insightful things to say. It's shaped to fit the conversation as it unfolds, always.
From Rebuild, here's one of my favorite moments:
「エヴァ Q」 カヲルくんキター！ by rinnachu
□ Age Physically, he's 15. Mentally, he's significantly older than 15; he seems ancient. His soul on its own is literally more than 4.5 billion years old.
□ Gender: Physically and mentally male. He doesn't care about gender, though.
□ Appearance: [Character Sheet] [Partial Nudity]
Upon meeting Kaworu Nagisa, the first thing you'll notice is his nearly complete lack of color. He's an extremely pale, almost ghostly teenage boy, with all the nonchalance of a marble statue. His skin is as white as the face of the moon, without any blemishes. His hair isn't much darker: light grey, maybe silvery, depending on the lighting. With eyes the color of fresh blood, he'd seem right at home in any spooky story.
He radiates warmth, though, with an endless array of soft, content, gentle, and benevolent smiles. His body language tends to be relaxed, yet composed; his self-confidence is more than self-evident. He doesn't intimidate or impose. He exists firmly. Even though he isn't impressive in the height department*, he carries himself in a way that makes him seem taller. He keeps his hands in his pockets because it's comfortable, not because he has something to hide.
As for his clothing, he has a preference for styles and colors that are familiar to him. He'd be fine dressing the same exact way for the rest of his life: black trousers, white dress shirt, purple undershirt, and a pair of outdated, well-worn sneakers. The idea of being fashionable never occurs to him. If something is enjoyable to wear, he'd be willing to wear it.
*He is approximately 5'4'' (165 cm). With his spikiest hair included, he is 5'6'' (171 cm). [Source]
□ Abilities/Powers:
a) A.T. Field
Every living organism in the Evangelion franchise has an A.T. Field ("Absolute Terror") that is dependent upon the existence of their soul. For humanoids like Kaworu, the A.T. Field allows a soul to maintain individuality by holding together a physical body. When the A.T. Field manifests otherwise, it appears as a shining, multi-colored force-field barrier that functions both defensively and offensively. Because Kaworu is a physical vessel for the First Angel's soul (Adam), his A.T. Field is particularly powerful. It's the strongest A.T. Field ever encountered by the anti-Angel paramilitary agency known as NERV.
Defensively, he has been shown using his A.T. Field to shield himself from all sorts of attacks. His A.T. Field can block out "light, magnetism, subatomic particles, everything." On the whole, A.T. Fields are impervious to damage, with very few exceptions.* Activating the A.T. Field seems to be a conscious decision for him, though. If he were caught unawares, he'd be quite vulnerable to injury or death.
Offensively, his A.T. Field takes the form of telekinesis. He can levitate himself (power of flight) as well as move objects regardless of their size or weight. His A.T. Field has demonstrable technokinetic applications when he uses it to subvert security systems, open hermetically sealed doors, disable electronic collars, and so on.
When his A.T. Field is active, it gives his body a soft glow, similar to moonlight. This feature seems unique to him.
*Conventional weaponry such as guns cannot penetrate an A.T. Field. Humans, in their cleverness, have created at least one special particle-beam weapon--powered by the entire electrical grid of Japan--that can pierce through it. Other than that, the most common counter to an A.T. Field is another, more powerful A.T. Field. A.T. Fields can thus subvert one another in combat. There's an infamous instance of an Anti-A.T. Field completely dissolving all A.T. Fields--which then leads to the dissolution of physical bodies. Lastly, there's an extraterrestrial weapon known as the Lance of Longinus (literally a giant red spear) that can negate an A.T. Field, but its details are unknown.
b) Telepathy
Kaworu can communicate telepathically with others. He seems capable of conversing with someone who isn't telepathetic, presumably by opening a mental channel to speak in both directions. This may have something to do with his A.T. Field.
c) Extra-sensory perception
Kaworu can sense himself being watched over absurdly large distances. This may also have something to do with his A.T. Field.
d) Functional immortality
Like any other Angel, Kaworu must possess what is known as the "Angel's core." Within the core is an energy source known as the "S² Engine" or the "Fruit of Life." It provides an unlimited wellspring of power to the Angel, giving them functional immortality. They are permitted to live forever, regenerate quickly from wounds, never experience exhaustion, become invulnerable to extreme conditions such as volcanoes or the vacuum of space, and so on. The core itself can be destroyed if it's struck hard enough, which is why Angels use the A.T. Field to protect it at all costs.
If Kaworu's A.T. Field isn't interfering, he can be killed just like any other human. Snapping his neck seems to be the most effective option.
e) Intelligence
Kaworu has been alive for a very long time, in various contiguous lifetimes. This has given him plenty of time to learn everything he can about the world around him. He is studious, analytical, and deeply philosophical as a result. He doesn't seem to have trouble picking up new skills, such as when he fixes Shinji's broken tape player. Shinji even says that Kaworu seems to "know everything." As long as he's interested in learning something, Kaworu can learn it quickly and thoroughly. As featured in Rebuild, he comes up with daring plans in order to save humanity. He's also musically inclined and extremely proficient with playing the piano and the violin.
f) Piloting ability and synchronization
Evangelions are colossal, biomechanical weapons in the form of highly modified humanoids. They're piloted from within by young children who can "synchronize" their souls with the soul of an Evangelion. Good synchronization rates increase the battle prowess of Evangelions. As a pilot, Kaworu is excellent if only because he can achieve any level of synchronization he wants with almost any Evangelion (assuming the Evangelion's soul isn't fighting back). This is because the flesh of Kaworu and most Evangelions is derived from the First Angel (Adam). Kaworu claims that he can control and even merge with anything that shares Adam's flesh.
g) Curse of Eva
A mysterious affliction that has prematurely halted Kaworu's growth at 15 years of age. Indefinite.
h) ???
This is never going to come up in a game, but it should be noted that Kaworu has the potential to become a seriously godlike being if he merges with the flesh of the First Angel (Adam) or the Second Angel (Lilith). At that point, all bets are off.
□ Personal Items:
1) Purple, grey, silver plugsuit, labeled with the number 13.
2) Blue, navy, black plugsuit, labeled with an inverted triangle.
3) Blue interface headset, nonfunctional.
4) School uniform: white button-down shirt, purple undershirt, belt, black trousers.
5) A pair of sneakers straight out of the '90s.
6) Shinji Ikari's broken SDAT player.
7) DSS Choker (explosive collar), nonfunctional.
8) Piano sheet music for Quatre Mains.
9) Various books from NERV's library.
10) A violin and bow in its case.
□ First Person Sample: [TEXT]
This is interesting.
[When the message pops up, there's something almost eager about it. Maybe it's the way each character has the proper kerning, drawing the words closer together, hurrying the sentences along. It creates a slight sense of urgency, but not enough to be aesthetically displeasing. First and foremost, Kaworu wants his words to be legible to anyone who comes across them.]
I haven't done anything like this before. You can see what I'm writing, can't you? Hello. 今日は。 Guten Tag. Saluton. Aloha. Oh, that one felt ticklish compared to the others. I wonder why.
[If words can be pleased, then Kaworu's words definitely are. They're also curious and persistent.]
Hello again. I'm newly arrived in the City. I'm still learning the microchip's functions, so I could use more practice. I'd love to exchange words with all of you.
[Honestly, he hasn't been this inspired by technology in a long time. The possibilities are endless.]
Wouldn't it be fun to play a game of word association this way? Would you prefer me to begin? 'Moon.'
□ Third Person Sample: From the Test Drive Meme.
□ Name: Asher
□ Age: 28
□ Contact: blue blood type (AIM)
→ IC
□ Name: Kaworu Nagisa
□ Series: Neon Genesis Evangelion. Specifically, the movie reimagining: Rebuild of Evangelion. Specifically, the third movie of an eventual tetralogy: Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo.
□ Canon point: After his death.
□ History: Evangelion has a reputation for being a complete mess.
a) Neon Genesis Evangelion and Kaworu's role in it. He only appears in Episode 24.
b) The End of Evangelion and Kaworu's role in it.
c) Rebuild of Evangelion 3.0 and Kaworu's role in it (with the added mention of his cameo appearances in 1.0 and 2.0).
□ Personality:
Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most contentious canons I've ever come across. Interpretations relating to it reach far and wide in all areas. This is only my personal interpretation; I don't claim to be the foremost authority on Evangelion. Here we go.
1) "Repeat the same thing over and over again." --Evangelion 3.0
Rebuild of Evangelion was initially thought to be some sort of reboot of the original anime series. The first movie is more or less a faithful retelling of a few episodes. In the second movie, however, the story goes off the rails and everything changes irrevocably in comparison to the anime. By the third movie, which is where Kaworu shows up in earnest, everything is completely different from what you know about Evangelion. The setting is different, each character is different, and especially what happens from then on is different.
Interwoven into the story, there are several glaring hints that Rebuild is not a reboot at all. It may or may not be a sequel to the anime in some inscrutable fashion. How does this work? Well, this idea is referred to as "loop theory" by the fandom. In this theory, backed by dialogue from Kaworu (and comments by the staff), Kaworu has been stuck in a time loop where he repeats the same lifetime over and over again. You can draw comparisons to Groundhog Day, Run Lola Run, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and similar stories. The mechanics of how Kaworu is looping are unknown currently. For whatever reason, he does remember other timelines and events within those timelines.
His primary motivation in every timeline? It's to bring happiness to a very depressed, very conflicted boy named Shinji Ikari.
"This time," Kaworu says, "I'll be sure to bring you happiness."
So what does this mean for Kaworu? It's widely believed that Rebuild's Kaworu is actually the same Kaworu as seen in the anime--except he's been tempered by who knows how many time loops. This is suggested at several points in Rebuild, a few of which I'll cover. For example, there's one scene in both continuities where he confesses to Shinji, at night and in private, in an eerily similar tone.
(anime)Why does any of this loop theory stuff matter? Going forward, I'll be treating anime's Kaworu and Rebuild's Kaworu as being the same person. This story arc the closest thing Kaworu has to sincere character development. It undeniably explains his motivations within Rebuild.
Kaworu: I might have been born to meet you.
(Rebuild)
Kaworu: I really was born to meet you.
2) "And the words 'I love you.'" --The End of Evangelion
At the outset, let me make one thing clear: Kaworu Nagisa is not a human being. No matter what he looks like, what he sounds like, what he thinks and feels--he's not human. He is humanoid, and his DNA is 99% similar to a human's, but he's not human at all. He's part of an alien race called Angels that have nothing to do with the Biblical counterpart. Angels are sometimes hostile, sometimes curious, sometimes lonely beings that descend upon the Earth and wreak havoc. Kaworu, despite his best intentions, also wreaks havoc by simply existing.
Kaworu isn't human, but he loves humanity intensely. He's defined by his love for humanity. Everything about his love carves out his role in the story.
Throughout Evangelion, Angels are motivated by the desire to wipe out humanity and claim the Earth for themselves. Meanwhile, in the anime, Kaworu exercises his own free will and asks Shinji to kill him instead of bringing about humanity's destruction. Shinji, for all his faults, flaws, and fears, is the quintessential human. He represents the human condition, you could say; it's no surprise that Kaworu loves him so much. Kaworu goes as far as to coddle Shinji with his love. Because of that love and his loving regard for humans as a species, Kaworu allows the humans to live on. This love is so powerful that it nullifies even his Angelic instincts to take the Earth back for his own species. It's made even more poignant once you realize that Kaworu's soul actually belongs to the First Angel (Adam), the progenitor or "mother" Angel. If anyone should want to save its own species, it's Adam. Kaworu chooses to die instead for the sake of humanity.
Even after you get past the love, it's still an easy decision for him. In his own words: "It is my destiny to live forever, though my survival will bring final destruction to the human race. However, it is possible for me to be killed. And whether I live or die makes no great difference. In truth, death may be the only absolute freedom there is." It's fairly safe to say that Kaworu has a suicidal mindset. As long he exists, he'll only bring pain to the people he loves. He cannot be allowed to exist.
After experiencing many time loops, Rebuild's Kaworu has seemingly shaken off his role as the Angel that is destined to destroy humanity. His pure, hopeful, unconditional love ends up taking a different form as well. This is very important to his personality in Rebuild. The next section will explain his motivations--his new reason for being--in greater detail.
In general, what else can be said about Kaworu Nagisa?
He's a very kind, sympathetic person. He's gentle. He's open and honest. He's thoughtful and would give you the shirt off his back. He's mature, intelligent, highly educated, and musically gifted. Extrospective by nature, he is deeply philosophical; he likes to ponder everything around him. He's curious, especially about humans and their amazing world. Because he's curious, he likes to ask questions. If he doesn't understand something, or doesn't know something, or wants to learn about something, you can expect him to ask questions. He relishes getting to learn new things. He's ethereal and weird and a little bit alien in his interactions.
He's self-confident and charismatic, but never arrogant. He carries himself with an aura of not giving fuck about what anyone else thinks of him. If he wants something, he doesn't hesitate to reach out and grasp it. In the anime, he has no problem walking up to Shinji and getting Shinji to take a bath with him. In Rebuild, he has no problem convincing Shinji to play a piano duet with him. He's not shy in the least. He's not embarrassed or self-conscious. He smiles when he feels like smiling. He laughs when he feels like laughing. He feels so much and subsequently he acts on those feelings.
He appreciates life's splendor and beauty. He's bright, cheerful, and optimistic. He finds joy in every aspect of life: being with Shinji, talking to Shinji, playing the piano, playing the piano with Shinji, gazing at the stars (with Shinji), so on and so forth. In an AU spin-off of the anime (Neon Genesis Evangelion 2), he's keenly interested in things as mundane as human makeup--because it brings out a person's inner beauty, he says. He even practices applying makeup on himself and others without concern for social stigma. Free will is incredibly valuable to him.
He does whatever he wants to do. He does whatever feels good to him. As he tells Shinji in Rebuild, "You don't have to be good [at playing the piano], just produce music that feels good." Feeling good is an integral component to being happy. He seems to be very happy, most of the time.
Regardless, he can be almost cruelly careless with another person's feelings. Even though he loves people, and Shinji especially, he has hurt Shinji badly during their time(s) together. In the anime, asking Shinji to kill him is infinitely traumatizing and undeniably selfish. Unfortunately, it has to work out that way--for the greater good, if nothing else. But he doesn't seem to realize that he is giving Shinji such an agonizing ultimatum. It makes him come across as very ignorant in that respect. As much as he wants to understand how the human heart works, he hasn't quite figured it out.
3) "I already choose to live as a human." --Neon Genesis Evangelion 2
So, let's grab Kaworu Nagisa from the anime. Let's force him to go through time loop after time loop where all he does live and die in rapid succession. Eventually, it's not hard to imagine that he'd desire to do more with himself than that. It's not hard to imagine that he'd stop caring about his role as an Angel. It's not hard to imagine that he'd want a better life for his beloved Shinji.
Somewhere along the way, the Evangelion timeline begins to change in irrevocable ways. I won't get into it, though, because I don't know how to explain why the story went apeshit. It just did.
By the time we meet Kaworu in Rebuild, he has changed in many noticeable ways. I'd never call Kaworu reserved, but he's genuinely reserved in comparison to his anime counterpart. He still confident and still optimistic and still knows what he wants. Yet he doesn't just take what he wants without a second thought. He won't invade Shinji's personal space unless there's a good reason for it. He won't force Shinji to do anything that Shinji doesn't want to do. Along with that, there's absolutely no mention of the original ultimatum between living and dying for the sake of humanity. He has moved on from such things.
In Rebuild, Kaworu has trended as close as possible to being human in temperament. He won't spout philosophy left, right, and center. He'll only say appropriately philosophical things if the conversation steers in that direction. His speech patterns aren't flowery; for the most part, they're practical and straightforward. He understands how to treat Shinji like a real person. He never says the words "I love you" in Rebuild, even though he undoubtedly loves Shinji. To be honest, he doesn't need to say anything at all. He demonstrates his great care for Shinji, and for humanity, rather than saying it out loud.
He's close, supportive, and encouraging, yet he refuses to smother. He has realized that someone needs to help themselves before they can be helped by others. To use an analogy, a bird can't learn to fly as long as it isn't allowed to try in the first place. He's willing to take a step back and watch someone deal with problems on their own. For example, he only extends a hand to help Shinji walk down some treacherous stairs after Shinji breaks down and calls out to him.
He knows how to be a good friend. He becomes friends with Shinji organically; he doesn't force any of it. More than ever before, Shinji is his partner, his confidant, his accomplice, and his equal.
He wants to bring Shinji happiness and help save humanity from extinction. Because of these goals, something brand-new is introduced into Kaworu's personality: determination. This leads to more than just hoping things will magically work out. Determination is what will make hope into a reality. He creates cunning plans and sets them into motion to achieve his goals. No matter the personal cost, he's determined to do everything he can to improve the lives of the people around him.
Because he can't do anything when he's dead, he's determined to live. Life and death are not equivalent to him. There's no absolute freedom in death. If he is alive, then he can help the people he cares for. If he is dead, then his plan is fucked and it's necessary to loop again.
Just like most people, he has something important to lose. He's vulnerable in ways that he hasn't been previously, and it humanizes him. He knows pain. He knows fear. He knows shock, confusion, and disappointment. He knows what it feels like to fail. He has failed repeatedly in heart-wrenching ways in every time loop. In Rebuild, he fails again due to the antagonist's xanatos gambit. He is seconds from dying to an explosive collar and Shinji is forced to watch it happen...
"I'm sorry," Kaworu says to his friend, somehow managing to smile, "this wasn't the happiness you desired." He tries to be optimistic about it, even then. "Fate will probably guide you. We'll meet again."
4) "I want to talk to you some more. May I come with you?" --Neon Genesis Evangelion
There isn't a lot of screen time of Kaworu dealing with other characters. Despite that, he wouldn't behave much differently around almost anyone else ever. Kaworu is a kind, loving, thoughtful, considerate, encouraging, determined, patient, observant person. He treats everyone like they're special, because they are special somehow.
Thus it's worth noting that he gives the sad impression of being lonely. Although Rei Ayanami is "the same as him" (their relationship is Facebook Complicated), the Rei Ayanami in Rebuild is nothing like the one from the anime. He claims that humans are afraid of him: Misato Katsuragi, in particular, builds weapons to kill him. He's being used by various shady organizations to satisfy their own agendas. In the end, as best he can, he's just trying to make the most of his life.
To end this diatribe, I'll elaborate on the philosophical side of Kaworu. I could regurgitate countless quotes from canon to exemplify that. He thinks about everything and often has insightful things to say. It's shaped to fit the conversation as it unfolds, always.
From Rebuild, here's one of my favorite moments:
Kaworu: Come down here, Ikari-kun. Let's talk.
Shinji: (after sitting down at the piano:) U-Uh... weren't we going to talk?
Kaworu: A piano duet is a musical dialogue, you could say. Why don't you try it?
Shinji: I'll pass. I can't play.
Kaworu: If you want to live well, you have to change and try new things. Look, it's easy. You just need to press the keys here. Now, try playing that. (after they've played a few bars in sync:) Very nice! We sound good together. Music is fun. It's amazing what two people can achieve.
「エヴァ Q」 カヲルくんキター！ by rinnachu
□ Age Physically, he's 15. Mentally, he's significantly older than 15; he seems ancient. His soul on its own is literally more than 4.5 billion years old.
□ Gender: Physically and mentally male. He doesn't care about gender, though.
□ Appearance: [Character Sheet] [Partial Nudity]
Upon meeting Kaworu Nagisa, the first thing you'll notice is his nearly complete lack of color. He's an extremely pale, almost ghostly teenage boy, with all the nonchalance of a marble statue. His skin is as white as the face of the moon, without any blemishes. His hair isn't much darker: light grey, maybe silvery, depending on the lighting. With eyes the color of fresh blood, he'd seem right at home in any spooky story.
He radiates warmth, though, with an endless array of soft, content, gentle, and benevolent smiles. His body language tends to be relaxed, yet composed; his self-confidence is more than self-evident. He doesn't intimidate or impose. He exists firmly. Even though he isn't impressive in the height department*, he carries himself in a way that makes him seem taller. He keeps his hands in his pockets because it's comfortable, not because he has something to hide.
As for his clothing, he has a preference for styles and colors that are familiar to him. He'd be fine dressing the same exact way for the rest of his life: black trousers, white dress shirt, purple undershirt, and a pair of outdated, well-worn sneakers. The idea of being fashionable never occurs to him. If something is enjoyable to wear, he'd be willing to wear it.
*He is approximately 5'4'' (165 cm). With his spikiest hair included, he is 5'6'' (171 cm). [Source]
□ Abilities/Powers:
a) A.T. Field
Every living organism in the Evangelion franchise has an A.T. Field ("Absolute Terror") that is dependent upon the existence of their soul. For humanoids like Kaworu, the A.T. Field allows a soul to maintain individuality by holding together a physical body. When the A.T. Field manifests otherwise, it appears as a shining, multi-colored force-field barrier that functions both defensively and offensively. Because Kaworu is a physical vessel for the First Angel's soul (Adam), his A.T. Field is particularly powerful. It's the strongest A.T. Field ever encountered by the anti-Angel paramilitary agency known as NERV.
Defensively, he has been shown using his A.T. Field to shield himself from all sorts of attacks. His A.T. Field can block out "light, magnetism, subatomic particles, everything." On the whole, A.T. Fields are impervious to damage, with very few exceptions.* Activating the A.T. Field seems to be a conscious decision for him, though. If he were caught unawares, he'd be quite vulnerable to injury or death.
Offensively, his A.T. Field takes the form of telekinesis. He can levitate himself (power of flight) as well as move objects regardless of their size or weight. His A.T. Field has demonstrable technokinetic applications when he uses it to subvert security systems, open hermetically sealed doors, disable electronic collars, and so on.
When his A.T. Field is active, it gives his body a soft glow, similar to moonlight. This feature seems unique to him.
*Conventional weaponry such as guns cannot penetrate an A.T. Field. Humans, in their cleverness, have created at least one special particle-beam weapon--powered by the entire electrical grid of Japan--that can pierce through it. Other than that, the most common counter to an A.T. Field is another, more powerful A.T. Field. A.T. Fields can thus subvert one another in combat. There's an infamous instance of an Anti-A.T. Field completely dissolving all A.T. Fields--which then leads to the dissolution of physical bodies. Lastly, there's an extraterrestrial weapon known as the Lance of Longinus (literally a giant red spear) that can negate an A.T. Field, but its details are unknown.
b) Telepathy
Kaworu can communicate telepathically with others. He seems capable of conversing with someone who isn't telepathetic, presumably by opening a mental channel to speak in both directions. This may have something to do with his A.T. Field.
c) Extra-sensory perception
Kaworu can sense himself being watched over absurdly large distances. This may also have something to do with his A.T. Field.
d) Functional immortality
Like any other Angel, Kaworu must possess what is known as the "Angel's core." Within the core is an energy source known as the "S² Engine" or the "Fruit of Life." It provides an unlimited wellspring of power to the Angel, giving them functional immortality. They are permitted to live forever, regenerate quickly from wounds, never experience exhaustion, become invulnerable to extreme conditions such as volcanoes or the vacuum of space, and so on. The core itself can be destroyed if it's struck hard enough, which is why Angels use the A.T. Field to protect it at all costs.
If Kaworu's A.T. Field isn't interfering, he can be killed just like any other human. Snapping his neck seems to be the most effective option.
e) Intelligence
Kaworu has been alive for a very long time, in various contiguous lifetimes. This has given him plenty of time to learn everything he can about the world around him. He is studious, analytical, and deeply philosophical as a result. He doesn't seem to have trouble picking up new skills, such as when he fixes Shinji's broken tape player. Shinji even says that Kaworu seems to "know everything." As long as he's interested in learning something, Kaworu can learn it quickly and thoroughly. As featured in Rebuild, he comes up with daring plans in order to save humanity. He's also musically inclined and extremely proficient with playing the piano and the violin.
f) Piloting ability and synchronization
Evangelions are colossal, biomechanical weapons in the form of highly modified humanoids. They're piloted from within by young children who can "synchronize" their souls with the soul of an Evangelion. Good synchronization rates increase the battle prowess of Evangelions. As a pilot, Kaworu is excellent if only because he can achieve any level of synchronization he wants with almost any Evangelion (assuming the Evangelion's soul isn't fighting back). This is because the flesh of Kaworu and most Evangelions is derived from the First Angel (Adam). Kaworu claims that he can control and even merge with anything that shares Adam's flesh.
g) Curse of Eva
A mysterious affliction that has prematurely halted Kaworu's growth at 15 years of age. Indefinite.
h) ???
This is never going to come up in a game, but it should be noted that Kaworu has the potential to become a seriously godlike being if he merges with the flesh of the First Angel (Adam) or the Second Angel (Lilith). At that point, all bets are off.
□ Personal Items:
1) Purple, grey, silver plugsuit, labeled with the number 13.
2) Blue, navy, black plugsuit, labeled with an inverted triangle.
3) Blue interface headset, nonfunctional.
4) School uniform: white button-down shirt, purple undershirt, belt, black trousers.
5) A pair of sneakers straight out of the '90s.
6) Shinji Ikari's broken SDAT player.
7) DSS Choker (explosive collar), nonfunctional.
8) Piano sheet music for Quatre Mains.
9) Various books from NERV's library.
10) A violin and bow in its case.
□ First Person Sample: [TEXT]
This is interesting.
[When the message pops up, there's something almost eager about it. Maybe it's the way each character has the proper kerning, drawing the words closer together, hurrying the sentences along. It creates a slight sense of urgency, but not enough to be aesthetically displeasing. First and foremost, Kaworu wants his words to be legible to anyone who comes across them.]
I haven't done anything like this before. You can see what I'm writing, can't you? Hello. 今日は。 Guten Tag. Saluton. Aloha. Oh, that one felt ticklish compared to the others. I wonder why.
[If words can be pleased, then Kaworu's words definitely are. They're also curious and persistent.]
Hello again. I'm newly arrived in the City. I'm still learning the microchip's functions, so I could use more practice. I'd love to exchange words with all of you.
[Honestly, he hasn't been this inspired by technology in a long time. The possibilities are endless.]
Wouldn't it be fun to play a game of word association this way? Would you prefer me to begin? 'Moon.'
□ Third Person Sample: From the Test Drive Meme.