In article <3e2fc99a.168130083@news.la.sbcglobal.net>, 
zatoichi@zatoichi.zatoichi says...
>
>On Thu, 23 Jan 2003 17:56:32 +1000, "Michael Wignall"
><usenet@mdwigs.tk> wrote:
>        <snip>
>>Just a few things to consider.
>>
>>1. The Eva's work on a mother/child link.

Or some close relationship.  Rei, after all, doesn't have a
mother; but whatever's in Unit 00 is close enough for her to
synch with.   It would be a bit hard to believe even NERV 
would be prescient enough to put Toji's mother in Unit 03
years before he was chosen as the Fourth Child.

Ah, but putting his SISTER in there...

>>2. Rei and Shinji are compatible in each other's Evas because those Evas
>>have similar personality patterns.
>>3. Ritsuko states that Eva-00 attacked her "without a doubt".
>>4. Shinji sees something "Rei-like" coming from Eva-00 itself.
>>
>>So whose soul is in Eva-00? Well it would have to be someone similar to 
Yui,
>>and capable of forming a mother/child link with Shinji. It would also have
>>to have a grudge against Ritsuko.
>>
>>In my opinion Naoko doesn't even come into the picture. She had nothing to
>>do with the Evas, she wasn't an Eva scientist, she was there to work on 
the
>>Magi. She was a computer scientist, not involved directly in Project E 
like
>>Yui or Kyouko. She certainly doesn't fit the role of a "mother" to either
>>Shinji or Rei. As far as I can see, the only think she has going for her 
as
>>a possible candidate is that she is dead and a woman.
>>
>>--
>>Michael Wignall
>>"Tomorrow's just an excuse away..."
>
>Holy crap, great post man.. I'm gonna have to save that one.. You're
>right though, it really doesn't seem like it is Naoko to me anymore.
>But that leaves the question of who? The only thing I can think of, is
>that the eerie smiling-kid-rei reminds me of the '18th Angel' in EoE's
>somewhat similar smile.. I don't know what that might mean, or even if
>it means anything.. But it's all I can think of.
>
>-Chris

There's lots of speculation on this.

One idea is that it is some aspect of Lillith.  Souls aren't
supposed to be divisible; but it might be a copy, or perhaps
Lillith's soul is different and it would be possible for her
to be in Rei and EVA-00 at the same time.  And Lillith would 
be able to synch with any human or demi-human because she is,
after all, the mother of us all...

Another suggestion is that it's MISATO'S mother in there,
that Misato was originally intended to be one of the
Children (until they discovered she was too old), and NERV
- having her mother available and unprotected following
Second Impact - used her.  The problem is, it is unclear
why Rei and Shinji would be able to synch with her.  Although
it DOES give a different interpretation to the scene of Unit
00 attacking the observation window:  She's not trying to
get Ritsuko or even Gendo, she's trying to reach her
daughter and rescue her from what she knows are enemies.

If Yui had any sisters or her mother was still alive (Gendo's
mother, too, for that matter), I'd be dubious about their
fate, under the circumstances.

But the bottom line is, we don't know.

FW