Rei Ayanami (Japanese: 綾波 レイ, Hepburn: Ayanami Rei; IPA: [ajaꜜnamʲi ɾeː]) is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise created by Gainax. In the anime series of the same name, Rei is an introverted girl chosen as the enigmatic pilot of a giant mecha named Evangelion Unit 00. At the beginning of the series, Rei is a mysterious figure whose unusual behavior astonishes her peers. As the series progresses, she becomes more involved with the people around her, particularly her classmate and fellow Eva pilot, Shinji Ikari. Rei appears in the franchise's animated feature films and related media, video games, the original net animation Petit Eva: Evangelion@School, the Rebuild of Evangelion films, and the manga adaptation by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.