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The design alone can't make a character identifiable, let alone elevate it to an icon status like Rei or EVA-01 are for NGE.
The key is how the design is handled and presented. This doesn't have much to do with actual plot and development of the character, but the impact it generates on the audience with simple actions (e.g. character introductions). We see Rei as a sort of ghost for the first time, and there is this ominous aura about her that makes her stand out.
EVA-01 owes its status as the trademark of NGE to the animators who made it so human-like in its movements, and also to the berserk fits it had on some episodes (the first ep and the one where it eats the angel come to mind).
It's not only the design and outline of the drawing that builds a character's identity in the fandom. I assume everyone takes for granted that the character needs to be in a popular show to be so highly regarded, and only one great character can't make a show popular by itself. You need some other elements to spice it up.
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