Kaworu Nagisa

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Kaworu[1] (渚カヲル) also known as Tabris (タブリス), is both the 17th Angel and the Fifth Children. Although classified as an Angel, Kaworu is similar to Rei Ayanami in being a Seed of Lifeinhabiting a human body. Despite his human form, Kaworu evidently does not consider himself to be human, as he refers to humans as "the Lilin."

Kaworu is sent to Nerv by Seele as a replacement pilot for Unit-02 after Asuka's synchronization ratio falls too low. He breaks into Terminal Dogma to reunite with Adam, but upon finding Liliththere instead, he meekly allows Shinji Ikari to kill him. He returns in End of Evangelion during Third Impact, to guide Shinji as he is faced with the dilemma of Instrumentality.

Kaworu appears humming the fourth movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the same music that plays during his descent into Terminal Dogma, and so serves as a leitmotif for his character. The Ninth Symphony itself incorporates an adaptation of Friedrich Schiller's "Ode to Joy" ("Ode an die Freude"), a poem dedicated to the unity of all men under God. The moment Kaworu opens the doors to Terminal Dogma is in synch with the line "Und der Cherub steht vor Gott"---"And the Cherub (Angel) stands before God."

Though his feature in the TV series was brief, lasting only one episode (Episode 24), his appearance made a profound impact on Evangelion fans, prompting his return in Evangelion: Death and Rebirth and End of Evangelion, an increasing importance in spin-off media, manga and video games, and an expanded role in the Rebuild of Evangelion series. To this day he remains one of the most popular and best received characters, with his merchandise consistently being on the Evastore best sellers list[1].

Origin
Kaworu's body appears to have been created as a result of the Contact Experiment with Adam, wherein DNA from an unknown human donor dove into and fused with Adam's flesh[2], explaining Hyuga's discovery that Kaworu was "born" on the day of Second Impact.[3] Seele salvaged Adam's disembodied soul into Kaworu[4][5], whom they may have recovered in embryonic form in Antarctica.[6]

Kaworu's origin from Adam, only intimated in the anime, is flatly stated in Sadamoto's manga.[7]

Since Kaworu was delivered to Nerv by Seele, it is believed that Kaworu has been living under Seele's surveillance prior to his appearance in the series.

As a Pilot
Kaworu is brought to Nerv as the Fifth Children to replace Asuka[8], who is no longer able to pilot Unit-02. He is only able to pilot Unit-02's soul is in hiding. In his first test, Kaworu immediately achieves impressive synchronization results. It later emerges that Kaworu is able to achieve whatever level of synchronization he chooses with Unit-02.

Though he seems to have been sent to destroy it, Kaworu shows a marked interest in human culture, as well as human issues of pain and loneliness.

When Shinji first sees him sitting on top of an angel statue (a visual theme that binds together appearances of Kaworu[9]), Kaworu was humming part of the composer Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the fourth and final movement "Presto - Allegro assai", more popularly called the "Ode to Joy" after the poem by Friedrich Schiller, from which it is adapted. He then says that he considers singing to be the finest achievement of the Lilin (human) civilization.

Kaworu appears comfortable in his identity (far more than Rei), and also warmer and more emotionally open. However he does show a detachment from human protocols and shares Rei's tendency to speak in universal rather than personal terms.

Relationship with Shinji
Little is known of Kaworu's motivations for representing an idealized friend to Shinji Ikari, although his interest in Shinji might have stemmed from his interest in human nature in general, Shinji representing a prime example of human pain and loneliness. Apart from very quickly understanding Shinji's personality, he understood Shinji as Shinji had been wanting someone to do for a long time and was interested in Shinji's welfare without asking anything in return. He does seem to consider meeting Shinji as extremely significant after listening to what Shinji has to say about himself and his relation to his father during his overnight stay in Kaworu's room, but it is not clearly understood what Kaworu truly meant.

Relationship with Seele
Kaworu was sent to Nerv by Seele in order to advance their goal of Instrumentality through a Third Impact that would occur under their direction. Before his final battle, Kaworu is seen talking with a phantasm of Seele that apparently only he can see, and it can be assumed that he has been in previous communication with Seele (for example being briefed on his mission to enter Nerv as a pilot). The conversation indicates that they have (falsely) told them that they favor the "true successor" Angels over their own kind[10]

It is uncertain what exactly Seele had in mind for Kaworu. Did they plan for him to attack Terminal Dogma, or was that his own plan? We do know that once the attack commenced they wanted Unit-01 to defeat him[11] Was this their plan all along, or was it because his foray into the bowels of Nerv was a betrayal?

As an Angel
As the vessel for Adam's soul, Kaworu's designation is "Tabris" (Arabic: تبريس). As revealed in Newtype publications such as ADAM and used by Keel Lorenz in the manga, Tabris (タブリス), is the 17th and final Angel. He is considered the Angel of free will, which is considered a gift of God; Bochan_bird expands:

Although Kaworu was sent by Seele for a specific purpose, he also has his own agenda. See Theory and Analysis:Kaworu's Agenda for an in-depth discussion.

Unlike the Angels who came before him, but like Rei, Kaworu has a Lilin body, with no visible physical difference from a regular human except for very pale skin, light grey hair and red irises. Although his body is presumably composed of the same "particle-wave matter" as Rei and the Angels, it is impossible to say if he possesses a core and S² Engine. Tabris is the only Angel to infiltrate Terminal Dogma.

Kaworu's human body is a vessel for the salvaged soul of Adam itself, and wields all of the power that comes with it. He is in effect Adam reborn as a human. His A.T. Field is described by the Magi as the strongest yet encountered (until it is surpassed by Rei's). Kaworu is observed using it for levitation, to control Eva-02, as a massive barrier that prevents the Command Center from receiving wave transmissions, and, (evidently) to bypass the LCL Plant's locking mechanism.

By being both the First Angel (Adam, whose body and soul were separated in Second Impact) and the Seventeenth and final Angel, he is in effect both the first and the last of his kind. Kaworu is "born from Adam," and describes Adam as being the "Mother of us all." As Kaworu is the vessel for Adam's soul, that paradoxically makes him his own mother.

Battle
During the battle while descending to Terminal Dogma, Kaworu is manipulating Eva-02, but the manipulated Eva doesn't seem to put up as much of a fight as it possibly could under his control. While Shinji aimed for Eva-02's head and neck to incapacitate it, both of Eva-02's knife strikes were in the pectoral region where damage was limited. Kaworu might simply have wanted to delay Eva-01 as far as possible, so that he could use the Eva to realize his own death if necessary.

Indeed, Kaworu decides to willingly let Shinji kill him to let Lilin live and Angels remain dead shows. As the human incarnate of Adam, a fact disclosed by the Seele monoliths, the sheer strangeness of the sacrifice is that Kaworu allowed Adam's (and by extension, his own) children to remain dead while letting the children of Lilith live on.

End of Evangelion
Kaworu makes several appearances in End of Evangelion, and is often alluded to.

The first instance is at the very beginning, as Shinji stands by the lake and the (headless) bloody angel statue; the sound of the dropping debris recycles the sound effect used for Kaworu's head splashing into LCL in Death & Rebirth[12]. In addition, "KAWORU" is written on the side of the dummy plugs for the Mass Production Evangelions, suggesting that his thought processes were used instead of Rei's. A multitude of his appearances involve him appearing simultaneously in two places at once, which Yui and most notably,Rei/Lilith demonstrate. Kaworu is present within the massive Rei/Lilith/Adam being and has control of the being for a brief period of time in order to bring down Shinji's A.T. Field, but otherwise remains passive. Whether or not Kaworu's identity survived at the very end remains unanswered.

In Rebuild of Evangelion
Kaworu Nagisa is the First and Thirteenth Angel in the Rebuild continuity. No angelic name has been revealed for him.

Kaworu appears in Evangelion 1.0, rising from a coffin on the moon in sight of an Eva-sized giant in a white covering (Eva-06 under construction). He speaks to Keel Lorenz (via his monolith), agreeing that "the child" is progressing as predicted in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and saying that "The Third is still the same." (Referring to Shinji, not the Third Angel) He ends the conversation saying that he hopes to meet Shinji Ikari. Bizarrely, Kaworu appears to be capable of breathing and even speaking in the absence of air.

In Evangelion 2.0, Kaworu is seen on the moon base (Tabgha base), when Fuyutsuki and Gendo approach it on an SSTO to inspect the construction of the new, Seele-built Eva-06. Fuyutsuki, looking out of the spacecraft window, observes Kaworu sitting on Eva-06's finger, clad only in his trousers, and wonders whether Kaworu is human or not. Kaworu greets Gendo as "Father"[13], although the circumstances render it impossible to determine whether he used the word in a literal or metaphorical sense. Kaworu is seen putting on a plugsuit immediately before the battle with Zeruel, standing on top of the now-complete Eva-06, confirming that he is the new Evangelion's pilot. He reappears at the end of the movie and stops Eva-01 from transforming with a staff-like weapon thrown from his Eva, addressing Shinji and saying, "This time, I'll be sure to bring you happiness."

Kaworu appears in a more major role in Evangelion 3.0. As Asuka and Shinji (in his 'prison') plummet to earth, he states he has been waiting for Shinji. Kaworu appears once more when Shinji arrives at the now derelict Nerv Headquaters playing piano, and when Gendo tells Shinji he will pilot Unit-13 along with him. As Shinji spends time with Kaworu at Nerv, they develop a deep friendship, one that mirrors their friendship in the TV series, Kaworu teaching Shinji how to play the piano, to the point of Kaworu declaring "I was born to meet you." He also shows Shinji the devastation caused by the Near Third Impact, telling him they can fix it. Before they pilot Unit-13, Kaworu takes away Shinji's choker, telling him "I'll shoulder the burden of Lilin's curse..."

As Kaworu and Shinji descend into Terminal Dogma with Rei in Unit-09, he sorrowfully explains to Shinji about what has happened to Lilith and Unit-06, and finally explains what they were sent here by Gendo to do: remove the Lances of Longius and Cassius from Lilith's now headless, gigantic corpse. However, Kaworu becomes confused, wondering why both Longius and Cassius now have the same shape. He retreats deep into thought during Shinji's battle against Asuka in Unit-02 and Mari in Unit-05, not answering Shinji's questions. But as Shinji begins to move against the now dual Spears, he begins instead to beg Shinji not to pull out the Spears. Shinji however at this point is determined and will not stop. When the deed is done and the Twelfth Angel is revealed to be Unit-06, Kaworu reacts with disbelief that he who was First Angel is now the Thirteenth Angel. He also refers to Gendo as "The King of Lilin."

After Unit-13's Awakening, Kaworu tells Shinji that Fourth Impact is imminent and that he is to blame. As the Impact begins, the choker begins to activate. Despite everything, Kaworu tells Shinji that the Fourth Impact was his fault, due to him becoming the Thirteenth Angel, becoming the trigger. He tells Shinji he is sorry, as this was not the happiness he desired. He declares he will close the Doors of Guf, telling him that "We'll meet again," before the choker ruptures his head, apparently killing him and putting Shinji in a near-comotose state, much like in the early stages of End of Evangelion. In a split-second scene, as Shinji is ejected from Unit-13, there is a final shot of Shinji rapidly moving away from Kaworu in his plug suit.

Why Kaworu is so intent to let Shinji alone have happiness or how he ties in with Gendo's and Seele's plans remains a mystery.

Sadamoto's Manga
Kaworu in the manga is portrayed differently from the Kaworu in the anime. Among other things, he is invasive of personal space and seems to have little understanding of the idea of privacy, walking right into the girls' bathroom to find out why Asuka is upset. His homosexual overtones, while debatable in the anime, are overtly evident in the manga: while Shinji is staying at Kaworu's, he has a nightmare during which he hyperventilates, then Kaworu places his mouth over Shinji's to slow his breathing, and even kisses him. When Shinji leaves his room afterwards, he is sad that Shinji didn't even bother to say goodbye.

Kaworu's introduction comes much earlier: he is first seen waking up in an LCL tube with Keel Lorenz talking to him, and then he speaks to Seele, who call him by his Angel name "Tabris" and refer to an agreement made between them. His arrival in Tokyo-3 is shortly before the battle with Arael. Shinji first finds Kaworu playing Ode to Joy on a piano in a ruined church, and Kaworu immediately earns Shinji's immense dislike when he breaks a starving kitten's neck as an act of mercy[14]. At school, Kensuke thinks of him as "creepy...something inhuman." When Arael attacks, Kaworu is a spectator in Central Dogma, and is disturbed by Gendo's use of the Spear of Longinus. After Asuka enters a vegetative state from the mental attack, Kaworu takes her place in the battle with Armisael, proving himself a spectacular Eva pilot, but refusing to reveal his true nature to the invasive Angel. Despite momentarily feeling Rei's love for Shinji, he tells him that Rei was stupid in sacrificing herself, drawing an intense outburst of violence from Shinji. Kaworu allows Shinji to kill him in the end, although he displays none of the self-sacrifice portrayed in the anime.

Shinji Ikari Raising Project (Manga)
In keeping with the SIRP's lighter tone and focus on comedy/domestic drama, Kaworu's primary role is as a rival to Asuka and Rei for Shinji's affections. There are several scenes in which he and Shinji interact in a stereotypical "shoujo romance manga" fashion, marked by the use of stylistic devices such as flowery backgrounds and elaborate fonts. These scenes are played for comedy, as are the indignant reactions of others. Even in this lighter setting, however, Kaworu is still allied with Seele for mysterious---and possibly nefarious---reasons.