Neo

"My name... is Neo!"

- Neo

"I know you're out there. I can feel you now. I know that you're afraid... you're afraid of us. You're afraid of change. I don't know the future. I didn't come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it's going to begin. I'm going to hang up this phone, and then I'm going to show these people what you don't want them to see. I'm going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you."

- Neo's phone message to the Machines.

Neo is the main protagonist of The Matrix Trilogy. A former redpill rescued by Morpheus, Neo has a special destiny as The One who will save humanity. He is portrayed by Keanu Reeves, who also portrayed "Ted" Theodore Logan in the 1989 comedy film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and the hit 1991 sequel Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, Johnny Utah in the 1991 action film Point Break, Jonathan Harker in the 1992 horror film Bram Stoker's Dracula, Officer Jack Traven in the 1994 action film Speed, Johnny Mnemonic in the 1995 science fiction film Johnny Mnemonic and John Wick of the movie with the same name and its sequel.

Thomas A. Anderson
Neo was born as one of the billions of bluepills connected to the Matrix, where he was known as Thomas A. Anderson. As Thomas A. Anderson, he was a 'normal citizen with a social security number' and worked as a computer programmer for the MetaCortex software company. Aside from his professional life, Anderson worked as a hacker selling contraband programming, under the alias Neo, which became his common-use name after he was freed from the Matrix.

Encounter with Morpheus
Somewhere during this time, Anderson became subconsciously aware that there was something wrong about the world around him. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he knew something was different, out of balance. In his research about something called the "Matrix," Anderson began to search for a man named Morpheus, cited by some as one of the most dangerous men alive.

One night, while waiting for a client to pick up contraband software, Anderson was conducting an extensive online and periodical search for Morpheus when he fell asleep. A message interrupted the search, blanking out his screen: “The Matrix has you...” and “Follow the white rabbit.” Not making sense of the message at first, Anderson tried to restore his computer to its normal operating mode. A final message read: "Knock Knock Neo". His client, Choi, and his girlfriend, Dujour, arrived two hours late. Anderson made the transaction, taking two discs containing unrevealed programming from his secret stash, a hollowed-out copy of Simulacra and Simulation. Choi thanked Neo, saying, "Halleujah. You're my savior, man. My own personal Jesus Christ." This is one of many allusions to Neo's ultimate messianic destiny as The One that appears in the Matrix film trilogy. Apparently looking tired and lonely, Choi invited Neo along for a night of partying at a nearby club. Neo refused initially--until he spotted the tattoo of a white rabbit on Dujour's arm, as hinted by the message on his computer. Anderson decided to tag along.

At the club, Anderson met the mysterious message sender. She introduced herself as Trinity, a name that Anderson recognized as a famous hacker that cracked the IRS D-base long ago. Surprised that she was a woman, Trinity confirmed that most guys tend to think as Neo did. She confirmed his suspicions about the world, alluding to the Matrix, and adding more clues and confusion to his search for the truth.

Anderson awoke the next day late for work. While in his office, a FedEx employee delivered a package in his name: a cellular phone. The phone immediately rang. Answering it, Anderson found himself speaking to Morpheus, the man he'd been searching for. Without much formal introduction, Morpheus warned Anderson that the authorities were coming to arrest him, and offered his help to get him out of the building. Anderson followed his advice and made it out of the building without being seen. However, as his was about ten stories off of the ground, he refused to negotiate a path which took him outside office walls. Fearing for his life, Anderson turned himself in.

The agents that interrogated Neo were led by one named Smith. He offered to expunge Mr. Anderson's lengthy list of criminal charges in exchange for information on the whereabouts of Morpheus. He refused and demanded his phone call per the usual rights of the accused. Smith replied, "Tell me, Mr. Anderson... what good is a phone call... if you're unable to speak? " Anderson's mouth began to seal shut, blocking his screams of shock, outrage, and later pain as the agents dropped a bug on his body, which burrowed straight down into his navel.

Meeting with Morpheus
Anderson mysteriously awoke back in his room, suspecting the agents and the bug were a dream. Before he could contemplate the development, Anderson was again contacted by Morpheus, who asked if he would still like to meet him in person. Waiting under the Adam Street Bridge, Anderson was picked up by Trinity, Apoc, and Switch. Along the way to the Lafayette Hotel, they removed the agents' bug from his belly. Arriving at their destination, Anderson met Morpheus in person for the first time.

Morpheus described to Anderson an entity known as the Matrix, depicting it as a prison for the mind. He offered him the chance to be shown the Matrix, offering him two pills: one red and one blue. Anderson chose the red pill. Morpheus explained that the pill is designed to trace the location of his body and disrupt his "carrier signal." The mysterious leader lead Anderson to a room filled with electronic equipment, where he was strapped into his seat while Apoc and a voice on the phone, who Morpheus calls Tank, perform their work.

Neo observed a nearby cracked mirror that suddenly repaired itself. Touching the mirror, he found that the metal had liquefied and stuck to his fingers resembling mercury. The mirror gel began to flow over Neo's fingers, hand, and arm, causing him to panic. Morpheus' team completed their work just before Anderson's vital signs went into arrest.

Rebirth
Anderson found himself naked inside a mysterious pod. After breaking through the covering and sitting up, he panicked as he found cables plugged into his body. He managed to remove the plug lodged in mouth and looked around with dull blurry eyes to see a horrific sight: massive, skyscraper-like towers, each one covered with hundreds of thousands of pods like the one he sat in, each pod containing a naked, comatose human, cables plugged into the body. A mysterious robot descended upon Anderson, disconnecting the wires attached to his body and dumping him into the sewers below. He tried his hardest to swim, but his muscles were totally useless, as if they had never been used (which, in fact, was indeed the case). Before he drowned, Neo was rescued by a mysterious craft floating above him. Aboard the ship, he saw Morpheus and others behind him. Before he blacked out, Morpheus said, "Welcome to the real world."

Neo was placed in intensive care. His plugs were removed and acupuncture was applied to rebuild his body while it dealt with true movement and motor functions for the first time.

Training and Education
After his recovery, Anderson (now called only by his hacker alias of Neo) was taken on a tour of the Nebuchadnezzar, a hovercraft and apparent home of those on board, and is given the truth about the Matrix. Morpheus took him on a trip through the Construct in order to fully illustrate the concepts and known origins of the Matrix. After his epiphany, Neo reacted strongly to the news, eventually overloading and fainting. Later, in his private quarters, Morpheus apologized for the bluntness of the truth, telling Neo the story of a man who was born within the Matrix: a man with the ability to change whatever he wanted within the Matrix. He hinted to Neo of a resurrection and return of this "One," but leaves, telling him to get some rest.

Later, Tank—the operator of the ship—invited Neo to begin his training. That day, Tank digitally uploaded various fighting styles into Neo’s memory for ten straight hours, causing Tank to tire to near exhaustion. Observing the amount of data Neo was been able to absorb, Morpheus challenged him to a duel.

Within the Construct's Sparring program, Morpheus taught Neo about the laws of physics within the Matrix, expressing them through various forms of martial arts. When news broke of the digital duel, the crew aboard the Nebuchadnezzar hurried to watch the two fight, amazed that Neo could hold his own fairly well against Morpheus. Still, the more experienced of the two beat Neo, but nearly succumbed to his opponent’s speed in round two. Glad to see Neo’s mind is becoming free, Morpheus told Tank to load the Jump program.

Morpheus demonstrated the ability of a free mind, leaping from one building to another in a single bound. When Neo tried the test, he failed and fell to the ground below. However, instead to splattering into chunks of gore, the ground acted like a trampoline, absorbing his momentum and throwing him back in the air, where he fell onto the now hard, solidified pavement. Back in his body, he found that he bit his tongue just as he did within the Construct, learning that the body cannot live without the mind. If one dies in the Matrix, they die in the real world. Neo slept soundly after the long day, as Trinity visited him to serve him food, but, again, to watch him.

Agents and Sentinels
Morpheus takes Neo through the Agent training program, demonstrating the danger of those who have not yet been freed. Neo learns of the fatal encounters with agents and their amazing abilities within the Matrix, but Morpheus reassures him that, as The One, he will not be inhibited by the physics defined for others including Agents themselves within the Matrix.

The lesson is interrupted when the Nebuchadnezzar hovers into territory occupied by sentinels. As the hovercraft touches down within the sewers, Trinity explains the dangers the machines possess. He becomes fearful when the sentinel hovers close to their location, but calms once the robot passes on.

Later, Neo speaks with Cypher, a member of the crew. The two discuss the various panels showing green code, as well as what they represent. Cypher asks Neo if Morpheus told him why he’s been freed so late in his life, and Neo nods, remembering when his mentor told him of the man born within the Matrix. Cypher is amazed with what he feels is a deception that Neo may be The One, dubbing it a 'mind job'. Cypher advises Neo not to believe Morpheus, but to run from agents just as everyone else does.

The Oracle
Morpheus decided that it was time to take Neo to see the Oracle, an advisor to the Resistance. On the way, Neo asks questions about who she is and what she's told other members of the crew. Trinity remains silent on the matter, while Morpheus says he was told: "I would find The One".

Morpheus takes Neo to a waiting room, where other Potentials wait for the Oracle's presence. Here, he meets a young boy in Buddhist robes, casually bending spoons by looking at them. The boy tells Neo:


 * "Don't try to bend the spoon--that's impossible. Instead, try to realize the truth."
 * "What truth?" Neo asks.
 * "There is no spoon. Then you will see it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself." the boy answers.

Neo takes the spoon and, freeing his mind, succeeds in bending it mentally just as he is called to see the Oracle.

The Oracle sits on a stool, smelling the scent of cookies baking. Coyly, she hints of someone's romantic attraction to him, but moves on before he figures it out. She examines him casually and says, "But you know what I'm going to say, don't you?" Neo replies, "I'm not The One." She tells him he has the gift, but that he appears to be waiting for something--his next life, perhaps. After Neo stated that Morpheus almost had him convinced, the Oracle tells him an ominous prediction: Morpheus believes in Neo's destiny so strongly that would sacrifice his life for him, and that one of you will die. She warns that Neo would have to make a choice of who would die: Morpheus or himself. Lightening the mood, the Oracle sends him out, giving him a cookie.

Déjà Vu
"Whoa. Déjà vu."

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing. Just had a little déjà vu."

"What did you see?"

"A black cat went past us, and then another that looked just like it."

"It might have been. I'm not sure."

- Neo and Trinity

On the way back to the pickup point inside the Lafayette Hotel, Neo sees a black cat walk by. He turns back and sees the same black cat perform the same action as before. Bringing it to the group's attention, they become alert and arm their weapons. Realizing that "deja vu" is a glitch in the Matrix when the Machines make an ominous change to the virtual world, Neo follows the party to the hardline, where they learn it was cut. With windows replaced with brick walls and a SWAT team coming for them, they're forced to contact Tank in order to find a way out.

They descend quietly inside the wetwall of a bathroom, minus Mouse who had already been killed earlier alone, while Agents and SWAT teams survey the building. As they crawl down, Cypher sneezes, drawing attention to them. A SWAT officer detects them, but is soon possessed by Agent Smith, who grabs for Neo through the wall. Morpheus throws himself through and directs the others to go, leaving him and Smith to fight. Not wanting to leave his friend behind, Neo is forced to leave by Trinity, who pulls him down to regroup below.

Emerging from a sewer, Neo and the others find a phone in a nearby building, where they learn Cypher has betrayed them back on the ship, critically injured Tank, and killed Dozer. Cypher then kills Apoc and Switch by crudely jacking them out of the Matrix. Expecting to die next, Neo looks into Trinity's eyes as she looks back and says "Yes" to an unknown question. By some miracle, Tank is alive and kills Cypher with a lightning rifle. Tank brings them back to the Nebuchadnezzar, where they try to decide what to do for Morpheus. Revealing that he is not the One, Neo decides to place the life of his friend above his own and volunteers to rescue Morpheus, because of his belief that he could bring him back. Trinity joins him for the mission, and after a quick visit to the Construct's armory, the two set off to save their captain.

The Mission to Save Morpheus
"Because I believe I can bring him back."

- Neo to Tank and Trinity

Lobby Shooting Spree
Neo walks into the government-controlled building, setting off the metal detector in the process. When asked to remove any metallic items on his body, he opens his trenchcoat to reveal an large arsenal of weapons. Backed up by Trinity, Neo runs through the lobby, brandishing pistols, SMGs, and rifles to kill anyone who stands between them and Morpheus. They succeed in clearing the room, and leave through the main elevator.

Trinity sets a bomb and climbs on top of the elevator with Neo, who disconnects it and allows it to drop to the bottom floor, destroying the lobby and simultaneously turning on the emergency fire sprinklers.

Rooftop Rescue Battle
They emerge on the rooftop, where they take down the remaining guards. However, one remaining guard turns into Agent Jones, who fires at Neo. Instinctively, Neo dodges most of the bullets but is grazed by two and falls to the ground. Jones approaches to finish his work but before the trigger is pulled Trinity sneaks up and shoots Jones in the head.

With help from Tank, Trinity appropriates a military helicopter and flies to the window where Morpheus is held. Neo clears the room of agents with a Gatling gun on the chopper. Morpheus then regains his senses, frees himself from his handcuffs, and jumps out of the building, but a bullet wound to his leg caused by gunfire from a returning Smith causes him to stumble. Neo jumps out to catch his leader, now both hanging from a safety line, as Trinity moves the chopper away. Unfortunately, Smith damages the chopper, which begins to lose power rapidly. Trinity drops Neo and Morpheus on a rooftop, but is forced to bail as the chopper flies into a nearby building. Neo's senses Trinity's danger faster than anyone and grabs the safety line just as Trinity snaps the line away to swing away from the crashing chopper. Neo pulls her to safety, resulting in an awkwardly silent gaze between the two. Morpheus is convinced Neo is the One and asks Trinity for the same confirmation. The trio contact Tank, who directs them to a hardline nearby.

Subway Showdown
They find the hardline in a subway: a payphone. Morpheus is rescued first, with Trinity second. Before Neo can travel through, however, Agent Smith possesses a homeless man who saw them disappear, and shoots the phone, destroying it. However, instead of running, Neo chooses to fight the sentient program and draws his last remaining gun. When they both run out of ammunition, Neo and Smith resort to martial arts. Although Neo seems to nearly match his opponent, Smith is still too fast and strong. He beats Neo badly, and throws him into the path of an oncoming train. Refusing to believe Smith can hold him, Neo shakes off Agent Smith, leaving him alone in the train's path. As Neo leaves the station, the train slams its brakes. Agent Smith comes out of the train, again possessing another bluepill. Knowing he's in no shape for a rematch, Neo runs.

The One
Neo runs through the city streets, apartments, and alleys, dodging agents who appear from everywhere. Using cues from Tank as guides, Neo navigated the various paths leading to the Heart of the City Hotel.

Death
The path through the hotel's hallways led to a ringing phone in room 303. Neo opens the door to find Agent Smith, who fires his gun point-blank into Neo's chest. Initially, Neo doesn't appear to believe he has been shot, but Smith unloads the magazine of his weapon, shooting Neo's body again and again until Neo slumps over, dead.

Resurrection
"He is The One."

- Morpheus

Back in the Nebuchadnezzar, the crew are under attack from sentinels who detected their presence. Amongst the chaos, Trinity confesses her love to the dead Neo, telling him of the Oracle's prediction for her: "...the man that I loved, would be The One." She tells him that he can't be dead for this reason, and kisses him. On the nearby monitor, Neo's vital signs return. Within the Matrix, Neo arises, much to the surprise of the agents. Neo is equally surprised that, now, he can perceive the Matrix as programming code. Neo has become the One.

In unison, the Agents fire at Neo, emptying their magazines. Instead of running or dodging them, Neo simply holds out his hand and stops them in mid flight through telekinesis. Smith runs at Neo and attacks attacks him hand-to-hand, but the results are now dramatically different than before: Neo blocks all of Smith's attacks with ease and propels him across the room with a single kick. Neo finishes off Smith by leaping his avatar into the agent's body, which destroys Smith's body. In a strange turn of events, the remaining agents run away from the single human that gazed at them menacingly from the hallway.

Neo runs back to the phone, transporting back to the Nebuchadnezzar. With Neo out, Morpheus fires the ship's EMP, disabling the attacking sentinels.

The Kid
"I didn't save you Kid, you saved yourself."

- Neo to Kid

His eyes now open, Neo devoted his time over the next six months to freeing young minds from the Matrix. One mind he discovered was that of Michael Karl Popper, a young teenager at Clearview High School. Making contact through an internet chat room, he confirmed to Popper that there was something else in the world. He later called Popper personally on his cell phone, advising him to leave the building as Agents were on his tail. When Popper committed suicide, he was able to wake up in the Real World through self-substantiation.

Call of the Captains
Still unsure of his ultimate purpose, Neo became increasingly nervous as he began to have visions of Trinity dying at the hands of an Agent. Dismissing them as mere dreams, Neo tried to put them aside. When Captain Niobe called for all ships to broadcast level, the Nebuchadnezzar answered. Accompanying Morpheus and Trinity, Neo observed the captains as they discussed disturbing data from the Osiris, apparently destroyed. During the meeting, he sensed a presence. Walking to the door, the guards gave him a gift from the visitor: an Agent's earpiece. Knowing the upcoming fight, Neo warned the others to retreat to their exits. Just then, Agents broke through the door. Upgraded Agents Johnson, Jackson and Thompson filed in and engaged Neo, who dispatched them easily. Feeling a need for advice, Neo flew over Mega City to the Oracle's Apartment, where she was no where to be found.

Return to Zion
The Nebuchadnezzar made its way back to Zion, home of the free people. Upon their landing, Neo learned briefly of Morpheus's past relations with Niobe, only to be swiftly interrupted by the welcoming Kid. Accompanying them and Link, the new operator of the Nebuchadnezzar, Kid presses for information on rumors floating about the civilians, but they refuses to break for him. When they arrived at Link's level, he took the Kid with him. Alone at last, Neo and Trinity began to express their passion for one another in the elevator. Upon arrival, Neo looked out onto a sea of followers asking him to watch over their loved ones. Swamped by requests, Trinity left him, promising there would be time.

That night at the Temple, Trinity appeared to Neo after the opening prayer. Anxious to be alone together, they returned to their private room and made love. During the peak of their activity, Neo looked into Trinity's eyes as he hit her orgasm; her face reminded him of his prophetic dream; her dying. They immediately stopped, and Neo confessed he didn't want to lose her. She promised him he wouldn't, and they embraced.

Neo woke up later that night, restless with his dreams. He walked outside and looked at Zion's nightlights, which resembled twinkling stars. He was joined by Councillor Hamann, who took him down to the Engineering Level of Zion. Down there, the two shared a quiet conversation on the meaning of existence and wonder. During the chat, Hamann expressed his awe in Neo's abilities, hoping they would bring an end to the war.

The next morning, Ballard and his crew delivered Neo a computer chip from the Oracle, signaling it was time to leave the city.

Learning his Objective
"It's time to go."

- Neo to Trinity

The Nebuchadnezzar flew back into the sewers of the Real World, and upon reaching broadcast level, Neo jacked into the Matrix. He found himself in Chinatown, walking among a crowd of people. He made his way into a teahouse, where he found a middle-aged Asian man sitting across the room. Neo approached the man, curious at his mysterious golden glow which contrasted the green Matrix code he typically saw. The man introduced himself as Seraph, Guardian of the Oracle. He offered to bring Neo to see her, but apologized. When Neo asked for the reason behind the apology, Seraph simply responded: "For this." Seraph attacked Neo with an amazing show of martial arts, testing him in his skills and reaction time.

As quickly as the fight began, Seraph signaled that he would fight no longer. He explained to Neo that he was making sure he was The One. When Neo said "You could have just asked," Seraph responded "No. You truly don't know someone until you fight them." Taking a key from his sleeve, Seraph walked to the only door in the room and inserted it. Seraph then opened the door, introducing a new hallway that wasn't there before.

Neo followed Seraph into the sleek, office building-style hallway riddled with doors. Neo asked if Seraph was a programmer, receiving the reply: "I protect that which matters most." After a short trip, the mysterious man led Neo to a door, opening into a park where the Oracle sat feeding birds.

Philosophy of the Matrix
The Oracle invited Neo closer, and offered for him to sit down. Neo, reluctant by the thought he was being controlled, refused the offer at first, but later gave in with the response: "I felt like sitting."

"I know," she said.

From the beginning of their conversation, Neo stated he believed she was a Program from the Machine World; the same went for her guardian, Seraph. He admitted not knowing whether or not he could actually trust her. Agreeing, the Oracle replied that "You're just have to make up your own damn mind..." Neo was further bothered by the fact that the Oracle knew Neo's wants, inner feelings and private matters he confessed to no one. He saw this as not being able to make a choice. Neo asked why she chose to help the Resistance when she was a Program. She responded that she was interested in the future, and the only way to guarantee a future is to work together. The Oracle then revealed the nature of programs, from invisible lines of code to those who take on human appearances. She described these particular programs, as being much more resistant when facing deletion, and would rather choose exile either by hiding in the Matrix or returning to The Source.

Neo realized this source was the Machine Mainframe, and the Oracle concluded the Source was where "the path of The One ends." She correctly knew of his dreams, and asked if he saw Trinity die in his dream. After he replied "no", Neo became confused as to why he couldn't see what happened to her. The Oracle stated that "we can never see past the choices we don't understand." When he asked if he had to choose whether or not Trinity dies, the Oracle replied that he had already made the choice. "Now you have to understand it". Neo asked what would happen if he failed his ultimate task, only to get the answer, "Then Zion will fall."

Seraph signaled it was time for her to leave, so the Oracle spelled out Neo's next objectives: he would need to reach the Source. However, to reach the Source, he would need to find the Keymaker, a program who disappeared long ago. Apparently, he had been kidnapped by the Merovingian, a very dangerous, power-hungry program. She gave Neo a slip of paper with the location and appointment to meet with the Merovingian in order to have a chance to rescue the Keymaker. With a quick goodbye, the Oracle and Seraph were gone,

The Return of Smith
As the two left through the Back Door, Neo turned to see Smith walking towards him. The program explained he was no longer an Agent of the Matrix and he wasn't sure how any of this came to be. Blaming Neo for "unplugging" him, Smith revealed his opinion that one exists with a purpose. At this same time, Neo heard another voice behind him. One by one, more Smiths revealed themselves from behind gates, doors, and other objects; each one adding to their monologue on purpose. Finally, the first Smith said to Neo his own personal goal: to rid Neo of life and purpose.

Without warning, Smith stuck his hand into Neo's body, instantly immobilizing him and spreading a black, liquid-like substance over the surface of his body. Determined to live, Neo concentrated on the affected area, forcing the infection back towards Smith's hand. Neo then swiftly yanked himself free, causing a fight between himself and the eight Smiths present.

Neo fought the Smiths simultaneously and was able to hold his own for quite a while, but as much injury as he could inflict, they in turn would be able to take. At best, Neo would momentarily stun them, and they would keep coming back for more. In the middle of the brawl, more Smiths entered, raising the numbers. At one point, Neo was able to grab hold of an old tether-ball pole as a staff-like weapon.

Using it, Neo was able to engage the increasing numbers of Smiths pouring out from the apartments surrounding the park. Finally, unable to carry on, Neo was tackled by several foes and the programs dogpiled on top of him. Mustering extreme strength and determination, Neo pushed upward, sending the Smiths flying. Grabbing hold of the opportunity at hand, Neo flew straight up into the sky, leaving the 50-odd total of Smiths behind. Upon re-entering the Real World, Neo told the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar that he felt like dying when Smith placed his hand inside him.

The Merovingian
"You are here because you were sent here. You were told to come here, and then you obeyed. It is of course the way of all things."

- The Merovingian to Neo

Neo, Trinity and Morpheus jacked into the Matrix to meet with the Merovingian, who was dining at the Le Vrai Restaurant. Noticing through the code that each floor of the building was wired with explosives, the group decided they needed to be careful in how they approached this dangerous program. As the host led the group to the Merovingian's main table, Neo caught the eye of a man being led away by a guard. The man looked at him, then continued to walk away. Looking into the code itself, Neo sees the corrupted dessert served by the Merovingian. The trio arrived in the Merovingian's presence, where he was accompanied by his wife Persephone, the Twins, and a slew of other exiled programs acting as guards.

They sat and Neo refused a drink offer, prompting the Merovingian to enter into a speech on time, wine, and cursing with the French language. During the conversation, the party discussed the Keymaker, why they came, and the essence of control. Morpheus stated "everything begins with choice", prompting the Merovingian to express his ideals on control: "Choice is an illusion created between those with power, and those without." Referring especially to Neo, the program pointed out a woman who was being served a slice of chocolate cake for dessert. Using his ability to see what others could not, Neo saw the dessert's code to be corrupted. The following reaction which took place inside her body's code exemplified the Merovingian's thesis on causality, leading the program to leave without helping the trio with their goal. They were led out of the restaurant feeling as if something didn't work. At the end of their elevator ride, Persephone appeared before them, asking them to follow her.

Persephone's Assistance
"I want you to kiss me as if you were kissing her."

- Persephone to Neo

Leading them to the men's restroom, Persephone offered the group a deal: she would give them the Keymaker if Neo would give her a kiss. Neo and Trinity immediately resisted, but left with no other choice, Neo reluctantly decided to do his duty. At first, Neo gave her a small peck on the lips, frustrating Persephone enough to consider leaving. Realizing what he had to do, Neo stopped her before she left. Giving in, he envisioned himself kissing Trinity. After the event, which lasted for many seconds, Persephone told Trinity she envied her. With that, she led the group through the restaurant's kitchen.

Using a special key, she took them through a portal directly to the Merovingian's Château. Persephone brought them into a library containing two guards, programs from an earlier version of the Matrix. She then took out a gun loaded with silver bullets and shot one in the head, effectively deleting him. She then told the remaining program to either inform her husband what she did or stay and die. Choosing to run, the guard left the room, allowing Persephone to open the secret door behind the bookcase. The trio followed her into the secret hallway, where she pointed to the Keymaker's cell. Neo proceeded to open the door, therefore freeing the Keymaker.

Blade Leapers
On the way back through the main hallway, the Merovingian burst through the door with six of his guards closely tailing him. The Keymaker proclaimed "I cannot go back!" and took off running. Morpheus and Trinity followed the little man as he ran through the side hallways of the Château. Neo stayed behind to deal with the guards, except for the Twins. Each one taking out a gun, the guards fired continuously at Neo, who stopped the bullets midair with ease. Dropping them to the floor, the surprised Merovingian replied "Okay you have some skill. Kill him." With that command, the guards engaged in a fight against Neo.

Unarmed, they proceeded to grab various weapons hanging on the walls about the main hall. Neo defended himself as long as he could, dodging and attacking the guards constantly without stopping for a breath. Realizing he wouldn't last long without a weapon, Neo leaped onto the second floor and grabbed two sais with his telekinetic powers. He reentered the fray, attacking each program one after another, immobilizing or deleting many of the guards. Eventually, he left them behind to disable one particularly troublesome guard and instead opted for a sword. Neo methodically defended himself from the remaining guards, eventually deleting another. With three remaining, Neo finally deleted them with ease, leaving the Merovingian alone.

After a final taunt, the Frenchman walked through the main door back into the restaurant's kitchen, closing it in the process. Neo quickly opened the door, only to see the portal had closed and miles of mountaintops greeted him. Tracing the path Morpheus and Trinity took, Neo found a door leading into an underground parking garage. However, before he got there, one of the Twins closed the door, keeping Neo in the Château's natural mountain-laden landscape. Neo quickly called Link back on the "Neb", where he was informed the two were still carrying the Keymaker and were 500 miles south of the Château. With that in mind, Neo did his "Superman Thing", and flew at top speed towards their location where they were in a struggle for The Keymaker.

Freeway Rescue
"Neo, if you're out there, I could use some help."

- Morpheus

Neo moved as fast as he could. Using his adrenaline-rushed vision to see much further ahead than he normally could, Neo spotted Morpheus and the Keymaker in a disastrous situation: they were on top of a speeding semi about to crash into another. Just as the two vehicles collided, Neo swooped in and saved them from the resulting explosion.

Returning to Source
Back in the Real World, the Nebuchadnezzar was joined by the Vigilant and the Logos, whom were dispatched from Zion in order to find them. With the Keymaker in their possession, the trio of crews agreed to aid Neo in his quest to find the Machine Mainframe. Meeting in the Matrix, they listened to the Keymaker as he explained the process to unlock the Source. During the briefing, Neo had visions of an exploding building, as well as repeated visions of Trinity's death. Back in the Neb, Neo asked Trinity to stay out of the operation, alluding to his possibly-prophetic dreams. She agreed, trusting his judgment.

Upon reentering the Matrix, Neo stood in an empty room high in the office building with Morpheus and the Keymaker, waiting for the city blocks to lose electricity and the opportunity to open the door. Finally, the city begins to grow dark. As the lights go out in the building, the Keymaker opens the secret portal to enter the hallway leading to the Source.

As the three rounded a corner in the hallways, they were confronted by a lone Smith. Quickly backed up by more copies of himself, Smith attacked the group, stalling them from obtaining their goal. Neo defended himself and Morpheus from the horde of Smiths, just as the Keymaker opened the door they needed. Grabbing hold of Morpheus, Neo flew into the newly accessed room, with the Keymaker closing the door just in time. Turning around, Neo noticed the Keymaker had been shot several times. As the old program began to pass on, he gave Neo the key to the Source. As Morpheus took his leave, Neo inserted the key into the proper slot, opening the gateway to the Machine Mainframe.

Neo's True Purpose
Having the sensation he was traveling across time and space, Neo materialized in a room covered wall to wall, floor to ceiling with screens. There were two doors and a lone chair facing away from him. A figure in the chair turned around and introduced himself as the Architect: the creator of the Matrix.

New Truths
Neo and the Architect have a conversation, with the latter revealing to Neo that the Matrix is older than he or any other human knows, saying that Zion has been destroyed five times before and the current Zion is the sixth version. Neo ponders this, realizing that either no one told him or no one knew of it. The Architect goes on to say that Neo is the sixth One, following his five predecessors before him and stating that his responses were faster than them. The Architect explains the first and second versions of the Matrix, of which he considers them failed versions because of the humans rejecting the virtual reality. He explains further that the answer to the problem was choice, which was proven when he created the intuitive program, the Oracle; thus the third version was created. After realizing that 99% of humans would accept the program, even on an unconscious level, the 1% of humans who did not accept it (the freed redpills who formed the Resistance) would, in time, grow to destabilize (and even destroy) the Matrix, which resulted in the creation of the One.

Neo learns that the prophecy of the One is, in fact, a system of control employed by the Architect and guided by the Oracle to ensure the Matrix's stability while preventing its destruction by rebooting the Matrix (the One reinserts his "Prime Program" into the Machine Mainframe) every cycle. Neo is observed by the Architect as having a greater 'attachment' to humanity unlike his five predecessors due to his love for Trinity, who is shown to Neo via television monitors being attacked by Agent Johnson. Neo is then ultimately presented with a choice: there are two doors; the door on the right leads to the Source, where he would select 23 individuals (16 females and 7 males) who would rebuild Zion after its destruction, with him reinserting his Prime Program to the Machine Mainframe and rebooting the Matrix. The door on the left leads back to the Matrix which, as said by the Architect, will cause it to crash, killing everyone connected to the Matrix and coupled with the destruction of Zion would ultimately result in the extinction of the human race. Neo chooses the latter with almost no hesitation and tells the Architect that he hopes that the two never meet again, with him replying that they won't.

Mobil Avenue
After resurrecting Trinity, Neo helps to save the Nebuchadnezzar from Sentinels, using a newly found ability to self-destruct them. Not prepared for this, Neo loses consciousness and awakens in a mysterious train station with no knowledge of how he got there after his meeting with the Sentinels. He begins to have visions, this time about traveling to the Machine City following three large pipelines.

Upon awakening he is greeted by Sati, a program being smuggled into the Matrix by her father Rama-Kandra, who explains to Neo that he is in the Mobile Avenue train station (a limbo, or intermediary space, which acts as a place between the Matrix and the Machine City). He tells Neo that it is run by the Trainman, a program who serves the Merovingian, and only he can make the decision of who will be released from here.

Rama-Kandra talks to Neo about love, to which he explains that programs too can understand it; that it is a feeling or affinity, not just a word, and that this is what defines it. He reveals that Sati, like himself and wife, is a program created but with no purpose (created out of love). When a program has no purpose it is faced with deletion. Rama-Kandra chose to send Sati into Exile and made a deal with the Merovingian to smuggle her into the Matrix, which is done via the Mobil Avenue station and the Trainman. Rama-Kandra says that he sees that Neo is in love and asks what lengths he would go to keep that love, Neo answers, "Anything".

When the train arrives Neo attempts to board the train with Rama-Kandra, but is stopped by the Trainman, who realizes he is the one Trinity, Morpheus, and Seraph are looking for. Neo states that he doesn't want to hurt him, but the Trainman punches Neo sending him flying into a wall, stating that he created this place and saying, "Down here, I'm God". Neo watches helplessly as Rama-Kandra and Sati are boarded and driven away. Not long after, Neo is rescued from the Mobil Avenue by Trinity, whom he embraces and kisses, but this is not until after Morpheus, Trinity and Seraph make a dangerous and brutal entry to a club run by the Merovingian to negotiate his release.

Last Visit to the Oracle
Neo has decided to visit the Oracle the last time before going back to the real world. Upon arriving there, the Oracle explains to Neo that her purpose is to unbalance the equation, making her an opposite to the Architect, who balances the equation. She tells him that the power of the One extends out into the real world, which it is an explanation of what Neo felt when touching the Sentinels. When Neo asks the Oracle about Smith, she told him that Smith is Neo's opposite and negative.

The Logos
"It's been an honor, sir. "No, the honor is still mine."

- Neo and Morpheus before Neo and Trinity's departure to the Machine City.

Convincing the Crew
Upon realizing his choice, Neo confronts the three captains and asks for a ship. Roland is extremely against the idea of handing Neo a ship, while Niobe is solemn. Captain Niobe chooses to give Neo her ship, The Logos and justifies her choice as believing in Neo. Morpheus is astonished at her decision, and it seems Neo already knew that something like this might happen. The crew urge Neo to bring some weapons, some form of defense and try to reconvince him explaining the 01's abundant defense systems. Neo declines and Trinity tells him that she is coming along - and that he probably already knew she was coming along. Before the three captains leave aboard the Hammer; Neo, Trinity, Morpheus and Link have a final farewell.

The Enemy Within
"That's it, Mr. Anderson, look past the soft gelatin of these dull, cow eyes and see your enemy!"

- Bane, possessed by Smith, to Neo on The Logos

As Neo and Trinity prepare to depart in the Logos, the power suddenly goes out. Trinity suspects a blown fuse and goes down into the ship to check. She is attacked by Bane who has stowed away. Trinity is able to warn Neo, however, she is taken hostage. After Bane drops Trinity to a lower level, Bane reveals his true identity as Smith. Trinity frees herself and trips a fuse to give Neo a chance to attack Bane. The two fight briefly and Bane cauterizes Neo's eyes with a severed electrical cable. Bane hides, taunting the "blind messiah" and grabs a jackhandle to defend himself. However, a new power manifests itself in Neo: he is able to see Smith as an orange-colored image. Neo, having wrested Bane's weapon, shatters Smith's head. He is found moments later by Trinity. The two continue their mission to 01.

The Machine City
Piloting the Logos Trinity takes Neo to Machine City. They emerge near the fields of humans harvested for the City's power. Neo tells Trinity to follow the bundle of primary power cables towards the cliffs surrounding 01. As they approach the city's defenders activate and begin shooting a swarm of Tow bombs at the Logos. Neo is able to detonate hundreds of them, however, a wave of Sentinels moves in and begins to dismantle the ship's hover pads. Both the large number of Sentinels and tow bombs prove to be too much for Neo's disruptive power and he tells Trinity to fly above the clouds. The atmospheric interference disables the Sentinels, which fall off the ship. As they burst above the cloud cover, Trinity catches her first glimpse of the Sun. Unfortunately, flying through the cloud cover has also entirely disabled the Logos which falls back toward Earth. As they plummet towards 01, Trinity attempts to restore power to the ship; she does so but just in time to crash into a tower. Trinity is fatally wounded and she and Neo share their last words together.

Deus Ex Machina
"The program Smith has grown beyond your control. Soon, he will spread through this city, as he spread through the Matrix. You cannot stop him, but I can."

- Neo to the Deus Ex Machina

Neo makes his way from the Logos, through part of the Machine City to a ravine. The Deus Ex Machina rises from the depths and forms a human infant's face. Neo warns it of the impending destruction of the Machine city by Smith, who has grown beyond the Machines control in the Matrix. Neo makes his offer: he will destroy Smith in the Matrix in exchange for a ceasefire between the humans and the Machines. In Zion, the Sentinels stand down, as do the humans, who have prepared for their last stand in the Temple. Neo is jacked into the Matrix.

Super Burly Brawl
Now jacked into the Matrix via the Machines, Neo finds himself in a street surrounded by Smith clones, all glaring menacingly at him. The sky is filled with thunder and lightning, and rain is pouring down onto the street. Smith emerges from the side of the street, and asks, "You like what I've done with the place?" Neo replies, "It ends tonight." Smith then replies, "I know it does, I've seen it," indicating that he is the Smith that absorbed the Oracle earlier and gained her powers of precognition. The two then charge at each other engaging in an epic final duel.

Although they both succeed several times in hitting each other with punches and kicks, they do not appear to be affected by them, considering they are almost equal in power. This lasts until Neo is able to punch Smith strongly enough to slam him into the street at least twenty feet away. Enraged, he and Neo fly upwards towards each other and slam together, forming an immense shock wave. They continue their fight through the air until Smith manages to knock Neo into into a building.

Inside the building, Smith and Neo resume their fight, until Neo kicks Smith through a window and back into the air. Once again, they charge at each other, forming a shock wave that shatters the glass of the surrounding buildings. They continue the fight as they rise higher and higher into the air. Both Neo and Smith are successful in inflicting several hits onto the other, and charge at each other one last time. Smith gains the upper hand, and tackles Neo to the ground.

Neo's Choice
"Why, Mr. Anderson? Why, why do you persist?"

- Smith

"Because I choose to."

- Neo

Neo was stunned temoporarily by the attack. He weakly tries to get up. Smith asks him why does he continue. Neo answers him, "Because I choose to." He manages to punch Smith through the crater. Smith suddenly emerges and punches him. Smith then remembers a vision and tries to fulfill it quoting the Oracle saying "Everything that has a beginning has an end, Neo.", this leads to Neo understanding that to balance the equation, neither of them can exist and thus he allows Smith to duplicate himself through Neo's chest. Smith asks the Neo/Smith clone "Is it over?" The new Smith clone nods confidently. Suddenly, the clone's eyes begin to shine with a bright white light and explode. As Smith starts to panic, repeating "NO, NO IT'S NOT FAIR!" over and over again, the rest of the Smiths begin glowing and disintegrate.

When Smith says, "Everything that has a beginning has an end, Neo", the Oracle speaks through Smith. The Oracle allowed Smith to assimilate her because she knew when the time was right, she would have to tell Neo this, so he would know that he has to sacrifice himself.

Also the reason why Smith is deleted is because just before he assimilates Neo, Neo makes the decision to be deleted, and Smith doesn't know that Neo's jacked into the Machine City, so when Smith takes Neo over, he gains the decision of wanting to be deleted. He cannot "change his mind" because the machines know of Neo's decision to be deleted as soon as he chooses, thus tricking Smith.

Some theories suggest Neo's decision to sacrifice himself was possibly due to the Oracle's cookies, the belief that the Oracle put codes into the cookies to determine Neo's decision when the time is right, as it was proven that data can be transferred through food when Neo sees the Merovingian's cake at the restaurant. It is also possible that Smith's deletion was due to the fact that he had completed his objective, defeating Neo was his purpose, and his base programming allowed him to exist until that objective had been completed.

Another theory about Smith's ultimate demise originates during Neo and Smith's conversation at the park before engaging in the Burly Brawl. Smith asks if Neo is aware of their connection and says, "I don't fully understand how it happened. Perhaps some part of you imprinted onto me, something overwritten or copied." This was in reference to the actions of his defeat as an Agent when Neo, realizing he was The One, leapt into Smith and destroyed him from within. Though he says it's irrelevant at that point, Smith's theory to their connectivity could be grouped with the "fulfilled program purpose" and "balanced equation" theories quite soundly. After his ties to being an Agent were destroyed, his program attached to Neo's existence, hardwired even. By assimilating Neo and erasing him, Smith essentially erased their shared code (severing their connection) and defeated himself by a self inflicted act of erasure. Smith simply could not exist without Neo existing.

Neo's Legacy
"Neo, wherever you are, thank you."

- Niobe

After the Smith program was destroyed, Neo's body was taken away by the Machines in the Machine City. The Oracle declares to Sati, however, that she expects they will see Neo again. According to the Matrix Online storyline, there are rumors that Neo may still be alive and is in the Machine City.

Personality
"There is no spoon"

- Neo begins to believe

Thomas Anderson was your perfect "Everyman" that is until the day his computer spoke to him and he met with Morpheus and Trinity who told him the truth about reality; it was really an Artificial Intelligence program keeping humanity imprisoned. Even without learning this knowledge Neo still lacked compatibility with the Matrix and subconsciously knew things were out of balance he even said to a group of people "you ever have one of those feelings whether you don't know if you're awake or still dreaming?". He also doesn't believe in fate, as he replies to Morpheus; "I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my own fate". He was in reality a produce of choice, which makes him the opposite of his archenemy, Smith who only fought because he saw it happen and unlike Neo whose fate was in his own hands from the very beginning.

However when he's confronted with the truth of the Matrix, Neo was wholeheartedly disbelieved and couldn't accept his entire life is a fake. Becuase of this it was what prevented him from actually becoming The One but his mind did become free once while meeting another Potentional who was able to bend a spoon with his mind. The one thing that truly was keeping him from unleashing his potentional was that he himself did not truly believe he was The One and his meeting with The Oracle seemed to confirm it. Despite not believing, he did come to terms with what the Matrix was and because of this he was able to rescue Morpheus and confront Smith, nearly succeeding. Neo finally learnt that he actually was The One after he was revived when Trinity confessed her love for him which was reciprocated.

After accepting he really is The One, he was not only granted flight and enhanced reflexes but Neo could actually see what would happen next in the Matrix. Aside from this Neo remained a calm and apathetic demenour, nearly emotionless but had a degree of confidence. An example is when he was confronted by three agents where he responded to them "hi, fellas". Depsite this he was capable of venting some emotion an example is when he totally lost control after Trinity died on Earth. He is also very conflicted after having constant dreams of Trinity falling to her death and later meeting with The Oracle who told him he would have to make a choice between saving Trintiy and Zion, which initially he refused to do but was told that he had no choice in the matter. Neo is also more quicker and faster to respond than his predecessor's and this intrigued The Architect while meeting with him in the Machine Mainframe. Neo also had a tendency to allow his emotions to overpower logic, even for the greater good. He and Trintiy led a two-man attack where the Agents were holding Morpheus, ignoring the fact they'd be completely outnumbered and if Smith broke Moroheus, Zion would fall. He also chose to save Trinity when she was in damger instead of saving Zion. The Architect actually expected this as he was familiar that the human emotion, love overpowers all certifiable logic and reason.

Neo became even more unattathced and serious after the loss of his eyes and Trinity's death he showed suicidal tendencies, to the point where he didn't care if the Machines kill him once he had said his piece to them about Smith growing out of their control. He also showed selflessness and gave his own life so Smith could corrupt him and the Machines could implant a virus that destroyed the rogue Agent and ending the war on Zion.