Does Asuka have BPD? (+3 Other mental illnesses)
By
OptimistMinds
As a BetterHelp affiliate, we may receive compensation from BetterHelp if you purchase products or services through the links provided.
Author bio
The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
This interesting article will be answering if Asuka has BPD. In addition to this, we will also be checking out the various other mental health disorders and issues that Asuka suffers from and portrays in the Neon Genesis Evangelion series.
Does Asuka have BPD?
Yes, Asuka has BPD. In the anime series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Asuka portrays a number of signs and symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder. This is mostly a theory which has been assumed by fans that have closely watched the show and followed the character’s development.
The various signs of Asuka’s BPD or Borderline Personality Disorder have been discussed in detail in the following points.
Asuka’s relationships are quite unstable
In the Neon Genesis Evangelion series that Asuka appears in, viewers can easily see that her relationships are unstable. Unstable relationships and constant changes in perceptions of others are pretty characteristic of Borderline Personality Disorder.
When it comes to Asuka, this can be seen in her relationship with Shinji. While she flirts with him as a potential romantic interest at certain times, at others, she is rude and arrogant with him, to the point of even bullying him.
She even shows many swings and shifts in her social relationships with others. Even though Asuka is portrayed to be a very social and extroverted character, she still struggles in her relationships with Rei and Missato, causing conflicts regularly.
She is prone to recklessness
Asuka is easily one of the most reckless characters in Neon Genesis Evangelion. In the series, Asuka takes part in very reckless and dangerous activities without thinking about the consequences and even her safety.
Asuka is mainly a pilot and she yearns to be the best one there is. However, her impulsivity often gets in the way of her progress. At many instances during the series, Asuka’s penchant for recklessness becomes a huge obstacle in fights.
Her mood can change at an instant
While Asuka is definitely an endearing character in the series Neon Genesis Evangelion, it is pretty clear right from the start that she is quite moody. Her moods can change quite easily and are often confusing for others to understand.
Frequent changes in moods are often pretty characteristic of many mental health disorders like bipolar disorder, and are even common in Borderline Personality Disorder. Along with changes in her moods, Asuka’s perceptions of others also easily change during the series.
Asuka clearly fears abandonment
Abandonment issues and fears are hallmarks of Borderline Personality Disorder. In the Neon Genesis Evangelion series, Asuka clearly and truly portrays a high fear of abandonment and is therefore constantly clingy toward others.
Asuka is an outgoing character and outwardly fears being alone or being left alone by others in her group. At the same time, she can be seen pushing those who get close to her far away, which is another characteristic sign of Borderline Personality Disorder.
In Asuka’s situation, her fears of abandonment are manifested in her relationships with mostly Kaji with whom she shows a high level of possessiveness. She is also afraid to express her feelings towards them due to her fears and insecurities.
She has chronic feelings of emptiness
Asuka also deals with chronic feelings of emptiness in the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. These feelings of emptiness are not overtly seen at all times in the series, but can be noticed when Asuka undergoes a lot of stress.
In one incident, Asuka’s mind is infiltrated without her permission, and all her fears and traumas from her childhood are laid out pretty visibly. After this infiltration, Asuka can be seen dealing with feelings of emptiness which is again a sign of Borderline Personality Disorder.
She shows suicidal ideations
Suicidal ideations and self-harming behaviors can also be seen in some cases of Borderline Personality Disorder. These behaviors are not often seen in Asuka, but she admits that she definitely tried to kill herself after her mind was infiltrated.
She cannot control her anger
It is also evidently clear that Asuka has difficulties in controlling her anger levels. She is often seen yelling at those around her and getting angry for even things which do not matter much. Anger and aggression are also characteristic of Borderline Personality Disorder.
Her self-image is distorted
Those who have Borderline Personality Disorder often struggle with their self-image. They may feel that their self-esteem goes up and down, even if they put on a show of very high self-confidence on the outside.
This can also be seen in Asuka where she usually comes off as a very outgoing and extroverted character. However, in understanding her personality a little better, it can be seen that she is actually lacking very much in her self-esteem, since she does not have a firm footing of her ego.
Asuka often seeks and actually needs validation from others. Without this, she basically cannot function. She also struggles to accept her past traumas, which essentially shaped her, as seen in her mind infiltration scenes.
Asuka’s mental illnesses
In the series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Asuka is one of the pilots and puts up quite an interesting character. Apart from being a beautiful mélange of interesting characters, the series also portrays a number of mental health disorders, particularly cluster B personality disorders.
It is often assumed that Asuka portrays Borderline Personality Disorder, since she shows many characteristic signs. On the other hand, Rei is assumed to have Schizoid Personality Disorder while Shinji is thought to have Avoidant Personality Disorder.
In looking at Asuka’s actions and behaviors, it is mostly assumed that she struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder. However, fans and mental health experts who have studied the character and her story arc have also come up with alternate theories. These are:
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Some arm-chair experts on the series and the character have expressed that Asuka might actually have Narcissistic Personality Disorder. She is mostly obsessed with herself and aims to bring attention to her.
However, her other actions and behaviors definitely do not match with the diagnostic characteristics and symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Her self-esteem and self-identity constantly fluctuate, further pushing away this theory.
- Histrionic Personality Disorder: Another alternate diagnosis for Asuka is Histrionic Personality Disorder. This is mainly due to Asuka’s attention-seeking behaviors from others and her clingy nature towards others.
Histrionic Personality Disorder is also characterized by very unstable emotions, which can be easily seen in Asuka. Her flirting with Shinji, further fuels this theory since those with HPD often use flirting and charming to get their way.
- Depression: Some fans and experts on the Neon Genesis Evangelion series also speculate that Asuka might be actually dealing with depression. Asuka finds it hard to overcome the bullying from others, and this often leads her to act out.
She also has a very stressful job, and an even more painful backstory. All this mainly catches up with Asuka when her mind has been infiltrated without her consent. Her suicidal attempts also point to this theory that she has been indeed struggling with depression.
As a result of her past-traumas and fears of reliving them again when her mind was infiltrated, some people also assume that Asuka might be showing signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. At the same time, she does not fit the many diagnostic criteria of this mental health disorder.
Conclusion
This interesting article has answered if Asuka has BPD. In addition to this, we have also checked out the various other mental health disorders and issues that Asuka suffers from and portrays in the Neon Genesis Evangelion series.
If you like this article, please post your comments and questions in the space below.
Citations
Was this helpful?
Transform Your Life with Personalized Therapy for Personality Disorders on BetterHelp
