Shinji Ikari is the Third Child ("Third Children" in Japanese), who pilots Unit 01. He is the son of Gendo and the late Yui Ikari. Abandoned by his father, Gendo, when he was a toddler, Shinji often ran away from difficult situations. As a pilot, he panics easily and reacts very poorly to unexpected events. Over time and with encouragement from Misato, he learns to be less cowardly, more outspoken, and more confident.

Scouting Legion's Squad Leader. Hange is very passionate and driven in pursuit of new knowledge. They can be seen as very hyperactive, often diving into projects without thought for personal safety (and frightening lots of subordinates in the process), instead preoccupied with observing and documenting the subjects. Some misunderstand these acts and Hange is seen as eccentric and having more than a few screws loose. They also enjoy discussing this research, but as the lectures can be very long and detail-oriented, not many fellow soldiers find them interesting. Hange is often excited by Titans and is always eager to experiment with them, coming off as extremely emotional regarding titans. For example, they cry at the amount of pain being caused to a Titan during experimentation.