Gendou Ikari is the commander of NERV. He is responsible for the research done on the Evas, Rei Ayanami, and the Human Instrumentality Project. He is the father of the Third Children, Shinji Ikari, and the guardian of Rei. His original surname was Rokubungi, but he changed it to Ikari following his marriage to Yui. At the start of the series, he is the only person having an effective connection to Rei. As the series progresses, his unscrupulous past is revealed, as is the intensity with which he loved Yui.

Spoiler

In the original series, his maiden name is Rokubungi.