Gender

In Neon Genesis Evangelion there are many “extra terrestrial” beings that, even if classified as humans, aren’t clearly divided into male and female. Since talking in terms of female and male in regards to Evas or Angels can sound strange to some people, I made a list to (hopefully) shed a bit of light on the topic and explain who is what.

Evas

Characters usually refer to Evas as robots. Ritsuko, Rei and Kaworu are the only ones who, in one or more occasions, indicate the Evas as female. There may be few other characters who know what the true nature of the Evas is but, in any case, they are careful not to make it public.

Angels

Gaghiel, sixth Angel, male (episode 8)

Gaghiel is the angel associated with fish and water in the Judeo-Christian tradition so he is the Angel of the Fish/Fishermen (魚の天使, Sakana no Tenshi).

The link between goddesses and fish can be found in various areas of the ancient world. For example the Greek word delphus (δελφύς) means both fish and womb, plus the deities of fish in Greek mythology are female: first Themis, then Aphrodite. Or in Hindu religion the Goddess Kali is called the "fish-eyed one".

In Christian symbology however, the association is different. First of all we have the Apostles, who were often referred to as "fishers of men" i. Secondly the ichthys, the ancient and classical Greek word for «fish», is an acrostic to indicate Jesus.

In this case there isn’t a uniform viewpoint, though I would instinctively classify Gaghiel as male.

Israfel, seventh Angel, male/female (episode 9)

Israfel is named for the twin Angels of Poetry, Music and Dance (音楽の天使, Ongaku no Tenshi).

After being slashed, Israfel divides into two Angels, Kou/Target A (gold-coloured body) and Otsu/Target B (silver-coloured body). In this case it is fairly easy to identify the male Angel as Kou, and the female as Otsu. The gold/silver opposition call to mind the day/night, sun/moon duality. In many ancient mythologies and traditions male is often linked with the Sun, while female is linked with the Moon. In Greek mythology Apollo, the god of light, is associated with the sun; instead his twin sister Artemis is the goddess of the moon. In Norse mythology Dagr (male) is the day personified, his mother Nótt is the personification of night.

Side note: even if in some cultures the genres are swapped, I think the most important thing is that one twin is male, and the other is female i.

Another element to consider is Israfel’s face/mask, which resembles a yin-yang symbol. Yin (simplified Chinese: 阴; traditional Chinese: 陰) is generally associated with the feminine and the night whereas yang (simplified Chinese: 阳; traditional Chinese: 陽) is associated with masculinity and daytime.

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