How Old Is Misato in Evangelion? Age & Character Guide

How old is Misato Katsuragi in Neon Genesis Evangelion? This question comes up frequently because her age matters significantly to understanding her character, relationships with the teenage pilots, and traumatic backstory.

Misato is 29 years old during the main events of the series and The End of Evangelion. This places her in an interesting position—old enough to hold a major position at NERV, yet young enough to relate to the teenage pilots she commands.

Her age also connects directly to the Second Impact timeline. Understanding when she was born and how old she was during that catastrophe provides crucial context for her character's motivations and psychological damage throughout the series.

Misato's Exact Age: The Official Numbers

According to official Evangelion materials, Misato Katsuragi's birth date is December 8, 1986. The main series takes place in 2015, making her 29 years old during most of the show.

Age Timeline Breakdown

Let's look at Misato's age during key events in Evangelion's timeline to understand her character development.

Misato's Age During Major Events:

Event	Year	Misato's Age
Birth	December 8, 1986	0
Second Impact	September 13, 2000	13-14 years old
Series Beginning	2015	29 years old
End of Evangelion	2015	Still 29 years old
Rebuild Films	Varies by film	29+ years old

The most significant date is September 13, 2000—when Second Impact occurred. Misato was only 13 years old, still a middle school student, when this catastrophe nearly ended humanity.

Why Her Age Matters

Misato's age isn't just a biographical detail. It fundamentally shapes her character, relationships, and role in the story.

Age Significance:

Young enough to relate to teenage pilots
Old enough to hold command position
Right age to have survived Second Impact as child
Explains her arrested emotional development
Creates complex guardian/friend dynamic with Shinji

At 29, Misato occupies a liminal space between youth and middle age. She's technically an adult with serious responsibilities, yet emotionally she remains stuck at 14—the age her trauma occurred.

Misato's Childhood and Second Impact

Understanding Misato's age during Second Impact is crucial because this event defined her entire life. The catastrophe killed half of humanity, including her father, and left permanent psychological scars.

Life Before Second Impact

Before turning 14, Misato lived a relatively normal life as the daughter of Dr. Katsuragi, a scientist working on mysterious projects in Antarctica. However, her relationship with her father was strained.

Pre-Impact Childhood:

Born into upper-middle-class family
Father frequently absent due to work
Developed resentment toward father's priorities
Last memory was hating him for neglecting family
Normal teenage concerns and problems

This ordinary childhood ended abruptly on September 13, 2000, when everything changed forever.

Surviving Second Impact at Age 13

At 13 years old, Misato was visiting her father's research station in Antarctica when Second Impact occurred. This made her one of the few direct survivors of the explosion's epicenter.

Second Impact Survival:

Detail	Information
Age During Event	13-14 years old
Location	Antarctica research station
Father's Actions	Saved her life, sacrificed himself
Physical Injuries	Severe trauma requiring hospitalization
Psychological Impact	PTSD, selective mutism for years
Lasting Effect	Cross-shaped scar on chest

Her father placed her in an escape capsule moments before the explosion, saving her life while sacrificing his own. This final act of love deeply complicated Misato's feelings about him.

Post-Impact Trauma

The teenage Misato spent years recovering from physical and psychological trauma. She didn't speak for an extended period after the disaster, withdrawing completely from the world.

Recovery Timeline:

Remained hospitalized for extended period
Experienced selective mutism (unable to speak)
Gradually recovered physical health
Psychological scars remained unhealed
Eventually redirected trauma into motivation

This trauma at age 13-14 essentially froze part of Misato's emotional development. Even at 29, she exhibits behaviors reflecting unresolved teenage trauma.

Why Fans Care About Misato's Age

The frequent searches about Misato's age reflect genuine interest in understanding her character completely. Her age isn't trivial information—it's key to comprehending her motivations and relationships.

Character Depth Understanding

Knowing Misato is 29 provides context for her behavior, choices, and struggles throughout the series. It explains apparent contradictions in her character.

What Age Reveals:

Why she relates well to teenagers
Why she struggles with adult responsibilities
How trauma timing affected development
Why relationships remain complicated
When her psychological damage occurred

Understanding she was 13 during Second Impact reframes her entire character as someone whose development was disrupted at crucial moment.

Relationship Appropriateness

Some fans question the appropriateness of Misato's relationships, particularly her complex dynamic with Shinji. Her age provides important context for these concerns.

Age-Related Relationship Questions:

Relationship	Age Context	Concerns
Guardian to Shinji	15-year gap	Blurred boundaries sometimes
Romance with Kaji	Same age peers	Healthiest relationship
Friendship with Ritsuko	Same age peers	Professional and personal
Authority over pilots	Adult to minors	Power dynamics

The series deliberately explores uncomfortable boundaries between Misato's roles as guardian, commander, and damaged person seeking connection.

Collecting Misato Memorabilia

For fans inspired by Misato's character, collecting and merchandise offers ways to celebrate this complex character. Quality collectibles capture her distinctive appearance and personality.

Popular Misato Collectibles:

in her NERV uniform
Casual outfit versions
Posed with beer can (iconic image)
Action poses from key scenes
Scale with detailed features

These collectibles preserve memorable moments from her journey as 29-year-old trying to save the world while saving herself.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Misato in Neon Genesis Evangelion?

Misato Katsuragi is 29 years old during the events of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Born on December 8, 1986, she remains this age throughout the series and The End of Evangelion film, as they all take place in 2015.

How old was Misato during Second Impact?

Misato was 13-14 years old when Second Impact occurred on September 13, 2000. She was visiting her father's research station in Antarctica and became one of the few survivors of the explosion's epicenter.

How old is Misato in End of Evangelion?

Misato remains 29 years old in The End of Evangelion. The film takes place in the same year as the TV series (2015), with no significant time skip between them.

What's the age difference between Misato and Shinji?

Misato is approximately 15 years older than Shinji Ikari. She's 29 while he's 14 during the series. This age gap creates complex guardian-ward dynamics throughout the story.

How old is Misato in the Rebuild films?

In the first two Rebuild films, Misato is approximately 29-30 years old, similar to the original series. However, a 14-year time skip occurs between the second and third films, making her approximately 43-44 years old in Rebuild 3.0 and 3.0+1.0.

Why does Misato act immature for her age?

Misato's immature behavior stems from trauma-induced arrested development. The severe psychological damage from surviving Second Impact at age 13-14 prevented normal emotional maturation.

Conclusion

Misato Katsuragi's age of 29 isn't just a biographical detail—it's fundamental to understanding her character. This specific age creates the perfect storm of experiences, relationships, and responsibilities that define her throughout Evangelion.

Key Takeaways: