Taken directly from the "Guide to... Neon Genesis Evangelion" website:

"Though he may not look it, Makoto is actually an incredibly strong willed, determined and brave individual. He takes his job at NERV extremely seriously and doesn't think twice about laying his life on the line when it comes to battling against the Angels. Makoto would seem to be the type of person who doesn't get out that much, though this is more likely to be the result of the amount of effort he puts into his work as opposed to a problem of self confidence."

Ok, done quoting...

Makoto was sometimes refered to as "worthless guy number one" by my roommate, and anyone who watched Evangelion would understand why. He was one of those constant characters who showed up in every episode, but only in a supporting role. Makoto didn't get interesting until we learned he was working as a mole for Misato Katsuragi by illegally hacking through NERV's computer networks. He provided this dangerous service partially because of his natural curiosity and desire for intellectual challenge, but also by his love for Misato.

Makoto still remained a static character though, and mostly served the very necessary function of screaming things like "No human could be this fast!!" during Angel attacks.