Yamashita Ikuto is a Japanese mangaka and designer from Gifu Prefecture who studied at Nagoya University of Arts. He's probably best known in the manga world for Dark Whisper, which ran in Dengeki Daioh, but anime fans recognize him more for his mecha design work—particularly his iconic designs for Neon Genesis Evangelion and Sentou Yousei Yukikaze.

Beyond Evangelion, Yamashita has been a regular collaborator with Gainax, handling mecha design for both Gunbuster and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water. He also worked as mechanical designer on Blue Submarine 6. The Yukikaze designs were originally conceived as recreation work, with some designs overlapping into the project Sentou Yousei Shoujo Tasukete! Mave-chan.