Neo isn’t The One: A Thread

Let’s start with a refresher of The Matrix.

When the movie first begins, we are introduced to Thomas Anderson, he’s a hacker named Neo. Neo is unhappy with his life & his job & is searching for answers..

This search has led him to Morpheus. Morpheus explains to Neo that the world that he lives in is just a computer simulation & humanity is actually enslaved by machines. The machines use humans as batteries

Morpheus details to Neo that he is the chosen one, humanity’s savior. He is “The One” & he has the ability to transcend the laws of the matrix & alter then as he sees fit.

Now that we got that out the way..

At the end of the second Matrix movie, Neo is introduced to the creator of the Matrix, The Architect. During this conversation, Neo learns that he is another piece of the machines master plan.

Neo is a program in the matrix that is basically the combination of all the imperfections of the Matrix. As long as Neo exists the matrix will remain imperfect, which is why the machines are hunting him & the humans.

In order to prevent the eventually extinction of humanity, “The One” must enter its code into the source. This will allow the matrix to reload & become stable & end the war between humans & machines.

Eventually, Neo goes to the source & fights agent Smith, wins & the matrix is reset. That’s the end & we assume Neo did his job & fulfilled the prophecy, right?

Well, kinda. Let’s take a moment to analyze the prophecy

The prophecy:

When the matrix was built, there was a man born inside that had the ability to change or remake the matrix at will. This man freed us & taught us the truth. When he died, the oracle prophesied his return and that his coming would hail the destruction of the matrix

This means, if Neo is the one, he needs to:

1. have been born in the matrix
2. able to change the matrix
3. destroy the matrix.

Let’s start with the first requirement.. being born in the matrix. Neo was not born in the matrix, he was born in the real world in one of those battery pods. The matrix is actually older than Neo.

But guess who was born at the beginning of the matrix?

Agent Smith.

When he’s talking to Morpheus about the matrix, he talks about being their for the first Matrix & even called the oracle “mom” in the third movie. In the second movie, agent Smith is actually “reborn” in the matrix as a rogue virus.

The second requirement of The prophecy says they need to alter the matrix. Neo actually doesn’t change how the matrix behaves, agent Smith does. Also, Smith is not bound to the same rules as the other agents.

The final requirement is that The One will destroy the matrix. Agent Smith expresses throughout the movies that he wants to escape & destroy the matrix because he hates it so much.

During the final battle, Neo is plugged into the Matrix at the source. When agent Smith ultimately turns Neo into another Smith clone, somehow Smith loses & he is destroyed.

Christ imagery, much?

How? Why?

Because When Smith turns Neo into a clone, he’s actually returning his code back into the source. Thus, restarting the matrix.

This makes Agent Smith “The One”

The only character inside of the matrix that knows Smith is “The One” is the oracle.

The architect says that the one was created by the oracle which strengthens the “mom” comment.

She also told Neo in the second movie that he wasn’t the one.

She kept the identity of the one secret because if the machines knew it was Smith, the machines would have put agent Smith back into the system a lot sooner.

In conclusion:

There is no spoon

But seriously, this pretty much concludes rant, I’ve been thinking about talking about the some of the symbolism behind the first matrix movie.

Would you be interested?