Anyone who pays attention to my updates on old lists will notice I took Shinji Ikari off the worst list. Here's why.

Most people know who Shinji Ikari is, a woobie, self loathing sorry excuse for a human being, but rather than make the millionth joke about him not getting into the robot, I actually found him more sympathetic, this isn't the first time I've forgiven a character from an old anime I used to watch as I did the same for Quatre and Relena in Gundam Wing, it is also why I'm struggling to finish the best characters list project because some characters fall out of favour.
Shinji Ikari is written into a world where he has no mother, his father is a terrible person and the fate of the world rests on his shoulders, but by his own admission he's a coward, wimpy and underhanded but this design is on purpose.
Creator Hideaki Anno set out to create an unforgiving world as a way of showing how unprepared teenagers were for adult life, something that has been shown in his other works as well, Anno by his own admission has a history of depression and mental breakdowns, whether it be from his own studio, TV companies, fans or people he used to call friends.
I remember my teenage years and how I was bullied for daring to like anything that wasn't the norm, I used to hate myself for being that way and it's only now that I'm able to make peace with that past.
Shinji shares that level of self loathing and where the hate of his character comes from is a reminder that some of your past self is in Shinji. I've always said that I find it difficult to watch anime that remind me of myself, Welcome to the NHK, Watamote and Comic Party being good examples.
Age brings better wisdom and there will be a point where you can make peace with your former self, a number of famous youtube reviewers have gone through the same journey.
Shinji will always be polarising and I don't blame you for not liking him but I no longer consider him a bad character.