Neo has a multitude of powers in The Matrix films, from flight to telekinesis, but what these powers are, how he controls them and how he acquired these powers gets quite complicated. When the public is first introduced to Neo Headquarters film, he’s a bored office drone named Thomas Anderson. But the character is best known by his hacker alias, “Neo,” which becomes the name he uses when he is freed from the Matrix and brought into the real world to rage against the machines.
When Neo takes the red pill and wakes up in the real world, he is informed that what he knows as reality is actually a computer simulation. The laws of physics are not rigid rules; they’re just written into the Matrix’s code, and Neo can train to ignore them. This ends up giving Neo a broad list of superpowers with a lot of complex lore behind them. Neo has demonstrated some truly impressive feats of power in The Matrix movies, but what exactly are his powers and how did he get them?
Why Neo has powers within the Matrix
He broke all the machine rules
When Morpheus frees Neo from the Matrix and introduces him to the real world, he explains that what he knows as reality can be bent to his will. Since the Matrix is just a computer program, it has rules that can be adjusted or even broken. Skills like defying gravity and being a kung fu master can be downloaded and used to your advantage. At first, Neo has trouble understanding this. He knows he can break the rules of the Matrix simulation, but he remains trapped by them for most of the film.
Since the Matrix is just a computer program, it has rules that can be adjusted or even broken.
Then, In the film’s glorious climactic set piece, Neo finally utilizes his abilities and begins to bend the Matrix to his will. It flexes and the entire hallway moves with it. He stops the Agents’ bullets in mid-air and effortlessly fights off the barrage of punches with one hand behind his back. This is when Neo finally fulfills his destiny as “The One”. Morpheus has been telling him that he is the only one since they met, but Neo does not fulfill the prophecy until this triumphant moment.
What makes Neo “The One” and what it means
Neo is destined to end the war between humans and machines
The Chosen One is the messianic figure who was prophesied to finally end the war between humans and machines. Several other people before Neo were believed to be the onlybut they all failed to fulfill the prophecy. The rest of Morpheus’s crew were initially skeptical of Neo, but Morpheus was convinced he was the one. This is common for “chosen” pop culture figures. When Qui-Gon Jinn became convinced that Anakin Skywalker was “The Chosen One” in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menacethe rest of the Jedi Council wasn’t so sure.
Also known as the Prime Program, The One is a systemic feature of the Matrix in which a random human being is given a special code that gives him superpowers. The One is described as the sum of all anomalies; the anomaly to end all anomalies. Not everyone in the Matrix knows the One; only a select few programs are aware of its existence. The Oracle knows the One, because it is her job to point the human race in its direction, and the Architect (the creator of the Matrix) refers to the One as a “eventuality.”
All the powers that Neo has in the original Matrix trilogy
Neo can fly, move things with his mind, and more
Neo has several incredible powers in the original Headquarters trilogy. Once he uses his abilities as the One, he is practically unstoppable. He has superhuman strength and superhuman speed. He is capable of flight (or, as Link describes it, “your Superman thing”), phasing and telekinesis. He is almost invulnerable to attacks; he can see the Matrix code, similar to heat vision; and he still possesses a precognitive consciousness. He’s practically a one-man Avenger or Justice League; he doesn’t really need help from the rest of his team.
How Neo can use his powers in the real world
Neo has a wireless connection to the Matrix
Initially, Neo can only use his powers within the Matrix by breaking the rules of the code. However, he quickly learns how to use these skills in the real world as well. There are several theories about how Neo is able to use his powers outside of the Matrix. One theory is that the Machines need the One to recharge or reset the Matrixso they need to keep the One alive and they need him to be able to use his powers outside of his connection to the mainframe.
The most solid evidence in the films themselves is that Neo doesn’t need any extra equipment to enter and exit the Matrix. The use of public telephones means that entering and leaving the Headquarters requires a Wi-Fi connection via a fixed landline. But Neo doesn’t need a landline; he has a wireless connection to the Matrix. This allows him to take his powers out of the Matrix and into the real world. The theory that machines need One is a little more interesting, but this explanation is more practical.
How powerful Neo is compared to other Matrix characters
Neo is so powerful that he leaves others in awe
Neo is by far the most powerful character in The Matrix franchise. The Agents’ abilities come close, because the Matrix itself gives them carte blanche, but it takes dozens of them to stand a chance against Neo. Trinity’s powers in the Matrix are better than most Zionites – she killed an Agent – and Morpheus is probably the second most powerful character after Neo. Other than that, everyone else’s abilities pale in comparison to Neo; That’s why they’re so impressed when he finally gains the Chosen One’s powers and defeats the Agents.
Why Neo loses his powers in the Matrix resurrections
Neo’s brain is back in control of the machines
At the beginning of The Matrix ResurrectionsNeo is back in the Matrix and no longer has any of his powers. He’s even convinced that he’s Thomas Anderson, that the Matrix isn’t real, and that the events of the original trilogy are just a video game he created. This is because your brain is no longer free from machines; Your mind is back under your controlso they can make you think and believe whatever they want. All of Neo’s character development since The Matrix the trilogy is undone and he needs to free himself from the machines again.
The Matrix, directed by the Wachowskis, stars Keanu Reeves as Neo, a hacker who discovers that reality is a simulated construct controlled by intelligent machines. Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss co-star as Morpheus and Trinity, who help Neo navigate and, ultimately, defy the artificial world. The film combines action, philosophy and innovative visual effects, establishing itself as a pivotal entry in the science fiction genre.
- Director
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Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
- Writers
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Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
- Execution time
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136 minutes