Kaji Ryoji
The triple agent whose past motivated Shinji to return.
Ryoji Kaji appears to be a triple agent, working as the chief inspection officer for Nerv (Internal Affairs) while secretly investigating Nerv for the Japanese government, and at times seemingly acting as a cat's-paw both for and against Gendo Ikari and Seele. He is given more of a back story in the manga; he tells Shinji of his past to motivate Shinji to return to Nerv after the fight against Bardiel in a hidden supply closet. Asuka's crush on him is also expanded on in the manga, with Kaji describing himself as a "weak" and "wretched" man after Asuka's confession.
- Name
- Kaji Ryoji
- Role
- Chief Inspection Officer for Nerv (Internal Affairs) / Triple Agent
Lore & Background
Kaji's role is that of a triple agent: chief inspection officer for Nerv (Internal Affairs) while secretly investigating Nerv for the Japanese government, and at times acting as a cat's-paw for and against Gendo Ikari and Seele. In the manga, he is given more back story: he tells Shinji of his past to motivate Shinji to return to Nerv after the fight against Bardiel, in a hidden supply closet. Asuka's crush on him is expanded on, with Kaji describing himself as a "weak" and "wretched" man after Asuka's confession.
In Their Own Story
The hidden supply closet was dim, smelling of dust and old wiring. Kaji leaned against a shelf, his voice low as he spoke to Shinji. He told the boy about his own past—not as a spy, but as someone who had learned to keep moving forward. Shinji listened, the weight of Bardiel still fresh. Kaji's words were blunt, stripped of comfort. After Asuka's confession, he called himself a "weak" and "wretched" man. The confession hung in the air, unanswered.
Reader's Guide
Kaji Ryoji appears to be a triple agent, working as the chief inspection officer for Nerv (Internal Affairs) while secretly investigating Nerv for the Japanese government, and at times seemingly acting as a cat's-paw both for and against Gendo Ikari and Seele. In the manga, he is given more of a back story: he tells Shinji of his past to motivate Shinji to return to Nerv after the fight against Bardiel in a hidden supply closet. Asuka's crush on him is also expanded on, with Kaji describing himself as a "weak" and "wretched" man after Asuka's confession.
Did You Know?
- Kaji works as the chief inspection officer for Nerv (Internal Affairs) while secretly investigating Nerv for the Japanese government.
- He sometimes acts as a cat's-paw both for and against Gendo Ikari and Seele.
- In the manga, Kaji tells Shinji of his past to motivate him to return to Nerv after the fight against Bardiel, in a hidden supply closet.
- After Asuka's confession, Kaji describes himself as a 'weak' and 'wretched' man.