>>3068047I think her hatred for Shinji deepened as a result of him stealing the show, racking in the most angel kills. She took it as proof of her own mounting failure and weakness as a woman, leading her to curse herself being born such at one point. If she was weaker than this pathetic little soysop (as she saw him) then how can she bear to live with herself?
Unfortunately she was too immature to realize that the angel fight was not a contest of martial abilities whereas more of a physio-psychological struggle. In a straight on fight Asuka could easily beat the other two pilots. She was trained to fight enemies in a characteristic military fashion, but she was not adequately prepared to change her stance when the situation required a different approach. This led to her mental breakdown because she didn't see it as anything other than a consequence of her own failings.
I find Asuka's personality to be very indicative of the Northern European cultural mindset. While I can't help but invoke cliches, Germans in general tend to strike me as hard-headed and inflexible in conviction, even in the present. They rise to great heights by their own virtues, but when they fall, oh boy do they fall.
Rei actually told her at one point to "open her heart to the Eva", which she only did at the very end. But then the fuel has run out, and the savior she desperately needed at that moment did not come. Hence the famous closing sentence. At least that's how I interpret it.
