Earlier than that, Hotaru Tomoe (known to the masses as Sailor Saturn) existed. Some sources say that the term 'moe' is actually derived from her last name, Tomoe. Evangelion was 1995-96, whereas the S season of Sailor Moon in which Hotaru appeared aired in 1994-95 and the manga where she appeared came out in 94 as well.

I'm not saying Rei copied Hotaru by any means, just pointing out that Rei didn't create the stereotype. She no doubt popularized it however and shaped the stereotype into what it is now.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Moe

The concept of moe existed before Hotaru as well, but some say that the term was coined from her name.

Rei isn't moe.
I would think that's INCREDIBLY obvious.
O_o

If we talk about moe , I'm thinking of a cute, usually young, small, frail and defenseless character which inspires and invokes the male desire to protect and preserve.

It's (usually) not sexual.

TV Tropes lists Ayanami Rei as having the following trope established in her honor;
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...ReiAyanamiExpy
It would be hard to argue that Rei did not establish this trend/trope...

While Rei does contain a select few elements of Moe, she really doesn't fit the stereotype.

Given that she can fight and is more... associated with mysteriousness... and oedipal complex (COUGH), which is the reverse of what Moe is.

You'd have to really stretch moe to fit Ayanami Rei into it.

But I'm sure many people do.

When I think of Moe, I think Mikuru Asahina from Haruhi Suzimiya.
When I think of Rei, I think Yuki Nagato from Haruhi Suzimiya.
And those two chicks aren't really that alike at all.