Kaji -- Chokhmah, him of two faces

Essay by Stephen Chung

Kaji Ryouji is a lovable character -- funny, flirtatious, and righteous. Such is the observation of many.

Ironically, Kaji is also the single most independent character in the entire show, and the only character with actually a touch of evil. He worked for all sides and for no side; he was loyal to everybody and to nobody. In the end, he betrayed all.

Supreme independence -- the illusion of Chokhmah -- shows through in force in Kaji. Throughout the show he did whatever he wanted to, regardless of what others thought. His flirtatious and irresponsible actions dwarfed even those of Misato, and clearly showed the qlippah of Chokhmah to the full -- arbitrariness. His ultimate show of free-will, another illusion of Chokhmah, would serve to define his entire existence. He was obsessed with finding the truth and, in the process, was not afraid of acting independently and arbitrarily, even risking death. However, in the process he was also not afraid of lying to everybody and betraying everybody above and below him.

If one is asked, "Is Kaji good or evil?" it will be difficult to answer. Kaji worked only for himself, towards his own goals, and in this sense he was actually no better than Gendo. That his personal goals turned out to be to reveal the truth to Misato did not belittle this personal agenda of his and turn them into goodness. Had he found another goal in life, it is definite that Kaji would have been capable of immense evil.

In a nutshell, Kaji is a double agent, a person torn between the two faces of good and evil -- the vice and virtue of Chokhmah. Nevertheless, during his last moments, he would realize that his illusion of freedom and independence was just that -- an illusion -- as Ritsuko warned him before. On this, he might say, however, that death was the only freedom, to parallel Kaworu.