The original Neon Genesis Evangelion ends with many unanswered questions. Sometimes the cause is that the end of the series was rushed due to production issues. At other times, things have been deliberately left open-ended for fans to interpret. Then there are simple oversights that lead to possible plot holes.
One of the problems raised by this ambiguity concerns theAssassination of Ryoji Kaji. Kaji’s death is mysterious because nobody knows who killed him. It’s heavily implied that he was murdered, but the public isn’t even shown a gun sticking out of the edge of the screen.
Several theories have been put forward over the years, but nothing concrete has been established. Here’s everything that is known about Kaji’s death and what conclusions were drawn. Finding out who wanted to kill Kaji requires context as to who the man was.
At first it was presented as a special inspector from NERV. However, the truth was that it was SOUL spy. Whatever the situation, he was always cold, calm, and collected, rarely showing any signs of vulnerability; An angel might attack nearby and he would only casually water his plants. He was also a well-known womanizer who enjoyed flirting with female NERV employees, especially his own Ex-girlfriend Misato Katsuragi.
The murder took place in episode 21 of the anime. “The Birth of NERV”. In the episode, Kaji betrayed SEELE by rescuing KΕzΕ Fuyutsuki from her care. This despite the fact that he was the one SEELE originally ordered to kidnap the NERV’s second-in-command. Later, when he was alone and casually looking up at someone, he said: “You’re a little late, aren’t you?” before the screen goes black e you hear a shot. Kaji was clearly waiting and ready to die.
Many believe whoever killed Kaji did it a member of NERV or SEELE. At this point it’s obvious that he worked for both sides and did what was right for him. The kidnapping and subsequent rescue of Fuyutsuki could easily have drawn the wrath of the leaders of both organizations.
One of the people that fans have theorized Being the killer is just Misato. A lot of this has to do with what happens in the episode. When Fuyutsuki is first kidnapped, Misato is approached by the NERV Intelligence men due to her relationship with Kaji. Later, when “a solution has been found”, she is given her gun; She asks where he is, but the person asking her doesn’t know.
Between this scene and the next, Kaji is killed. The episode ends with her returning home unusually depressed; he hears Kaji’s latest message on the phone and bursts into tears. Any way her story is presented could make it appear that she is directly involved in the murder.
However, this theory was disproved by the creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Hideaki year. He was quite shocked by this conclusion and addressed it in an interview for Newtype, suggesting that the deed was done instead. by the Japanese government or by a representative of SEELE.
The Misato hypothesis is further deflected by NGE Deputy Director Kazuya Tsurumaki. In an interview with FUNime, he explained that Kaji may have been tricked and killed by one of his informants while delving deeper into the NERV (SOUL). That’s what he said too not even Ritsuko is responsible for that.
The “Director’s Cut” version of episode 21 adds a scene that suggests that SEELE killed Kaji. It is “revealed” that Kaji delivered a sample from Adam to GendΕ. This, along with Fuyutsuki’s release, adds to the precariousness of his bond with SEELE, further suggesting that they were the ones who wanted him dead. This is considered one of anime’s few major retcons.
The manga created by the character designer, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, has further implications for the killer. When Kaji is murdered He is hit twice and the killer is shown to be a poor marksman. This could mean that the killer was someone in power rather than a trained killer. the Manga isn’t necessarily canon for the anime, but considering who wrote it, it’s worth considering.
Another possible killer is provided by the The game Secret of Evangelion. In this game is the protagonist Kyoya Kenzaki, an old friend of Kaji’s who investigates the mysteries of the Human Instrumentality Project and Evangelion Unit 04. One of the events in the game causes him to kill Kaji. Again, this isn’t canon with the anime, but it is the only case in the franchise where Kaji’s killer has a face.
Whoever killed Kaji remains largely a mystery. In all likelihood, he was always going to be a SEELE mercenary that nobody should have worried about. None of the NGE staff could have predicted how much this vague death scene would haunt fans’ minds.
Finally, we leave you with this definitive Neon Genesis Evangelion cosplay of Unit 02 and this beautiful artbook to celebrate the anniversary of Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0.
