Neon Genesis Evangelion: How Many Clones Does Rei Use?

Neon Genesis Evangelion's Rei isn't an ordinary girl; she's the result of a dark science that raises the question: How many Reis were there really?

Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion is extremely popular, in part because of her incredibly tragic backstory. The girl has never been treated like a regular human, and that comes right down to replacing her with clones. This raises an interesting question regarding how many Rei clones existed throughout Evangelion.

Rei Ayanami is not a naturally born human; instead, she was created using cloning techniques based on Shinji's mother, Yui, and the soul of Lilith, the Second Angel. Should anything happen to Rei, there's a multitude of clones to take her place. In that event, the soul is transferred to a new Rei body that's essentially the same age, and Rei goes on with her life – albeit missing a few memories from the actual event that killed her. This disposable nature with which she is treated is a big part of why fans love her; she's the sad girl who just really needs anyone to be kind to her.

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Neon Genesis Evangelion's first Rei is shown in a flashback as a young child. She is being taken around the Geofront by Gendo, and meets Ritsuko's mother, Naoko. Naoko immediately recognizes Rei's resemblance to Gendo's late wife Yui, and begins investigating. When she runs into Rei alone, Rei repeats Gendo's words about her: "That old hag is no longer useful." In a rage, Naoko grabs Rei by the neck and chokes her to death. Realizing what she's done, Naoko throws herself off of the platforms with the MAGI computers.

The Rei killed by Naoko is generally referred to as Rei I, making her the first clone to have lived and died. Rei II is presumably brought online some time after, and is the one who piloted EVA Unit 00 from before the series began, and is featured most prominently throughout the series. Rei II dies when the Angel Armisael infects her and her EVA; Rei ultimately self-destructs Unit 00 to take the Angel with her. This fact is concealed from Shinji, however, and Rei III is brought to the hospital and treated as if she somehow survived. She says she can't remember, because she's "the third one." This is further confirmed when Ritsuko shows the tank of Rei clones to Shinji and Misato, and then destroys them; the control she's using lists the status of "Rei 04" and onwards. While other Rei bodies may have been used for the Dummy Plug system, only three ever lived as Rei.

Rei is one of the most tragic characters in Neon Genesis Evangelion, and facts like these are a big part of why she stands out even among such a sad and hurt cast.