Rei Ayanami Neon Genesis Evangelion - Figures
Throughout the years, many figures of Rei Ayanami have been produced by multiple different companies. This is due, in part, to the incredible popularity of the Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series that aired back in October 1995. The series was highly regarded for its philosophical and unusual story and went on to spawn several movies and a plethora of merchandise. The series was also recently revitalized after it was added to Netflix’s streaming lineup in 2019. With this addition came new waves of apparel, toys, and, of course, figures. Fans seem to be particularly drawn to figures of Rei Ayanami due to the mysteries surrounding her character, her reserved, quiet personality, and characteristic light blue hair and red eyes. Out of the many figures that have been released over the years, popular ones in recent times are the “Ichiban Figure Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Rei Ayanami” figure, the “Q Posket Rebuild of Evangelion Rei Ayanami Plugsuit Style” figure, and the “Nendoroid Rebuild of Evangelion Rei Ayanami” figure.
Ichiban Figure Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Rei Ayanami Figure
This figure is produced by Bandai and features Rei Ayanami in her dark navy blue plugsuit that she wears in the third Evangelion Rebuild movie (and is expected to wear in the fourth). While the suit is mainly a dark navy blue color, it has several accents of green and red to give it a bit of variety. The pose for this figure has Rei standing with her weight on one foot while she meekly grabs one of her arms with the other. A soft, gentle smile can also be seen on her face as she looks off to the side, a rather unusual characteristic for Rei, especially in the Rebuild movie series. Although it has no extra parts, accessories, or articulation, it makes up for it with more intricate details in areas like the skin-tight plugsuit and Rei’s unique blue hair. Parts of this figure are also painted by hand, which makes it seem like there was a lot of care that was put into each individual figure.
- Release Date: October 2020
- Manufacturer: Bandai
- Specifications: Painted, non-articulated figure
- Approximate Height 8.6 inches
Q Posket Rebuild of Evangelion Rei Ayanami Plugsuit Style Figure
The “Q Posket” line by Banpresto includes figures of many different characters in a more chibi style than regular scale models. This Rei figure is no exception and even comes in two different variants that are nearly identical, but have slightly different colors. The “A” variant shows Rei with her classic blue hair, while the hair for the “B” variant has a shade of purple added to it. Since these figures were created in a chibi style, there is a significant emphasis placed on their heads. In particular, both of these figures show Rei’s unusual red eyes in great detail. Rei’s white plugsuit is also featured in these figures as well. While the suit is mainly white, it has accents of black, green, orange, and red that make the suit’s design more appealing. These figures also feature Rei in a shy standing pose with a hand over her chest as she looks off to her side. Each figure also includes a solid black base that the figure can be placed on to help it stand on its own.
- Release Date: July 2020
- Manufacturer: Banpresto
- Specifications: Painted, non-articulated figure with stand
- Approximate Height: 5.5 inches (14 cm)
Nendoroid Rebuild of Evangelion Rei Ayanami Figure
Nendoroid figures are well known for their wide array of characters featured in cute and short chibi designs. Unlike the previous two figures that had Rei dressed in a plugsuit, this Nendoroid figure shows her in her school uniform, which includes a blue skirt and a blue vest with a white undershirt that has a red string tied into a bow under the collar. This recreation of Rei also includes a variety of extra parts and accessories like facial expressions, a backpack, and arms to let its user change Rei’s look. Furthermore, the figure is articulated in several parts like the head and hands to help create the perfect pose. The paint for this figure is also done partially by hand, making each individual figure unique. A clear base is also included in this figure to help it stand on its own.
- Release Date: June 2020
- Manufacturer: Good Smile Company
- Sculptor: Design COCO
- Specifications: Painted, articulated figure made of ABS and PVC with extra parts and a stand
- Approximate Height: 3.9 inches (100 mm)
- Includes: 3 facial expressions, a backpack, a rag and bucket, a pair of legs for a kneeling position, an eyepatch, and bandages
About Rei Ayanami
Rei Ayanami is one of the major characters in the Evangelion series and has a significant impact on its story. She is the “First Child”, a title given to the first person to be designated as a pilot of an Evangelion Unit. Rei pilots Eva-00, the prototype unit created before Shinji’s Eva-01. Rei herself is said to be a clone of Yui Ikari, Shinji’s mother and Gendo Ikari’s late wife. This cloning is likely what resulted in her unique character design, namely her light blue hair and unnatural red eyes. The character of Rei Ayanami is often described as quiet, shy, and submissive, as she generally says very little and simply obeys orders given to her. In the later parts of the series, however, she gains some agency and free will of her own.
Links
Ichiban Figure Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Rei Ayanami Figure
Q Posket Rebuild of Evangelion Rei Ayanami Plugsuit Style Figure
Nendoroid Rebuild of Evangelion Rei Ayanami Figure
Evangelion Figures
Asuka Langley Shikinami Figures
Neon Genesis Evangelion Label
Asuka Langley Soryu Label
Rei Ayanami Label