Neon Genesis Evangelion, which premiered 25 years ago, influenced the entire medium of anime in the years that followed. While many people remember the kaiju-esque mecha and monster fights, one of the biggest impacts came in the form of the character archetype known as the tsundere. Though Evangelion did not create the tsundere character type -- Urusei Yatsura, Kimagure Orange Road and Ranma 1/2 featured the tsundere characters of Lum, Madoka and Akane years before -- Evangelion's Asuka Langley Sohryu remains one of the most well-remembered, well-loved and even widely hated tsundere characters of all time.
Depending on who you ask, Asuka is either one of the most fascinating, well-written female characters in '90s anime or one of the most insufferable fictional creatures ever put to screen. Wherever you fall, these extreme reactions feed into the same end result: that Asuka is a memorable character. What makes Asuka the "perfect" tsundere, how does she diverge from the trope and how did future tsundere draw from her character in part or in full?
What is a Tsundere?
The tsundere character archetype is defined by two modes of personality: a hot-headed, bossy, assertive mode and a sweet, emotionally intimate mode. The character, usually in relation to their target of affection, will bounce between periods of rudeness and harshness, only acting kind and warm on occasion. Often, this harshness is a facade to hide personal insecurities and weaknesses. For many viewers, tsunderes are difficult characters to empathize with because their rudeness can cross the line into flat-out abusiveness.
Often, the tsundere exists in romantic subplots or romantic stories, with their harshness often being played for physical or situational comedy. Asuka's story is more serious and not really romantic, but she fits the tsundere archetypes. She starts the series as an incredibly bossy girl, priding herself on her abilities and talent. As the series progresses, she softens up with Shinji, joking and teasing him before her personal insecurities are exposed. However, she still switches between her sweet and harsh personality types even toward the end of the series. A great example of this is in Episode 22, when Asuka's stepmother calls her. She and Shinji have a brief conversation where Asuka almost opens up emotionally, only to turn on a snap when she realizes that she's sharing her deep personal thoughts to Shinji.
Asuka is NOT your Average Tsundere
Asuka is atypical of tsundere who came before and even after her in that both her harsh outbursts and sweeter moments are more subdued and realistic. Asuka can be rude and condescending, but she doesn't violently beat Shinji on a regular basis. In fact, she only strikes Shinji twice, once as a gag during the training montage on Episode 9 and then more dramatically (and justifiably) in End of Evangelion. Asuka's moments of kindness, likewise, are fairly realistic and subdued. She feels more consistent as a character.
Where Asuka shines most is in her moments of emotional insecurity. Shinji and Asuka might have wildly different personalities but similar trauma, and Asuka's confidence is a facade hiding profound insecurity. Her backstory forces viewers to reexamine what they saw earlier in the series. The majority of the adults in her life have failed to help her. Even characters sympathetic to her are either too caught up in their own pain to help or, worse, actively hurt her.
Even more unusual is the relationship she has towards Shinji. While it's fairly clear that the two are attracted to one another, Asuka expresses a ton of frustration throughout the series about how Shinji is not more forthcoming about his feelings. She also craves more adult relationships with mature people. In End of Evangelion, she wants nothing to do with Shinji after realizing he masturbated over her. This results in Asuka express genuine loathing toward Shinji as she unleashes one of her harshest flurries of insults. This contrasts with Asuka reaching out to touch Shinji in the film's final scene.
Asuka is atypical among tsundere from '90s anime because the division between her harsher and sweeter personalities is taken very seriously. While Asuka can be funny, you are ultimately left with a heartbroken, lonely girl trying to gain attention the only way she can.
The Pain in Tsunderes to Come
Asuka proved incredibly influential to tsundere to come. On one hand, many future tsundere look and seem like Asuka in surface-level details. Asuna from Sword Art Online is an elite redhead gamer who looks quite a bit like Asuka. Rin from Fate/stay night wears her dark hair similarly to Asuka.
However, Asuka affected the character trope on a much deeper level. Future writers, thanks in part to the powerful writing behind Asuka, knew they had to find ways to make their tsundere characters more sympathetic. This meant subduing their often over-the-top behavior or explaining that their harsher sides are the result of tragic backstories.
One of the best examples of this is Kyo from Fruits Basket. A rare male tsundere, Kyo bares incredible similarities to Asuka. Both characters pride themselves at being powerful fighters despite falling behind their rivals, and both were isolated from society as kids, all while facing some traumatic, horrific events. Another example is Taiga from Toradora!, who not only looks a lot like Asuka, but whose harsh behavior is in sharp contrast with her social awkwardness and crippling insecurity.
Because of the proliferation of sympathetic tsundere, less sympathetic characters or sloppier attempts at sympathy have become more detestable. Characters like Naru from Love Hina and Louise from Zero no Tsukaima are already violent characters, but next to Asuka, a character who actually has sympathetic motivations, Naru and Louise just come across as abusers. Asuka raised the standard, but only a few characters have risen to her level.
