Horaki Hikari

Japanese name:

洞木 ヒカリ

Hikari Horaki is the class representative of the class that Shinji and the other Eva pilots attend. Like all of her classmates, she is an unknowing Eva pilot candidate. She has a by-the-book demeanor and takes her responsibilities as "class rep" seriously. Although she frequently bickers with Toji, she reveals to Asuka that she has an enormous crush on Toji but is unable to openly express her feelings to him. She also appears to be Asuka's only friend. After the battle with Arael, Asuka seeks out Hikari and stays with her for an unspecified time. During a late evening she reveals her inner insecurities to Hikari, a testament to their friendship; however, Hikari appears saddened by the hateful words Asuka uses.

Hikari is an accomplished cook who appears to take care of her two sisters. Like presumably every one of Shinji's classmates, Hikari's mother is deceased. No references are made as to whether her father is either.

Like Kensuke, Hikari is named after a character in the novel The Fascism of Love and Fantasies (Ai to Gensou no Fascism) by Ryu Murakami. Her name, and that of her unseen younger sister, Nozomi, and elder sister, Kodama, is also in reference to the names of the trains of the Tokaido Shinkansen line.

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