Down the Rabbit HoleLists that explore the cyperpunk sci-fi action media series that inspired us all to buy black trenchcoats and question ~everything~. The Matrix Resurrections is due in theaters December 22, 2021.
Vote up the most compelling evidence that it's all in one Matrix or another.
The Matrix is a world of layers, where reality is ephemeral and the line between "real" and "artificial" is blurred. The vast majority of people are trapped in a machine-built program called the Matrix, enslaving their minds in a world of pure fantasy. Meanwhile, the few humans not plugged into the Matrix live in an apocalyptic hellscape, fighting hopelessly against the AI that took over the world. In the film, the robotic system that holds humanity down is arguably much nicer than reality. The Matrix itself is a limitless world, after all. Anything is possible inside, which is why some people believe there is no "real world" in The Matrix at all.
What if the reality that contains Zion, the human resistance, Neo, and every "free person" on Earth is actually just another layer of the Matrix? That's what one innovative fan theory suggests, and it's supported by plenty of evidence. Logically, the machines would build backup plans to keep humans in line, and the series itself contains evidence that renders this theory eerily possible. This breakdown will go over all of the theory's major points and attempt to prove the worst case scenario for Neo - that he's still trapped somewhere inside the Matrix.
The Real World Is Designed To Make The Matrix More Appealing
If provided a choice between the Matrix and Zion, many people would understandably choose the Matrix. Zion exists in a cold, brutish, subterranean hellscape worse than anything in the Matrix. In fact, it's so terrible, some wonder whether it was actually designed that way.
Quora user HNL suggests that the bleakness of the real world, specifically Zion, is actually a tactic used by the machines to make the Matrix seem more appealing. In The Matrix, Cypher even betrays his human comrades just so he can return to the Matrix with a fresh identity and a mind wipe.
The Machines Can Destroy Zion At Any Time, But They Don't
Quora user HNL points out that the machines clearly have the means to take out Zion. They have an endless supply of sentinels and unlimited time, but they don't seem very interested in eliminating Zion.
The EMPs the humans use are essentially one-use devices, so the machines could simply send in reinforcements to finish off humanity after they blow their EMPs. This theory claims the machines don't do this because Zion is an orchestrated charade, a programmed simulation meant to follow a predetermined script.
Zion Is A Way To Trap People Who Think They've Escaped
Quora user HNL points out that the Architect himself admits to Neo that Zion is just another way for the machines to control humans. While he doesn't claim it's another Matrix, he heavily implies that Zion is completely at the will of the machines.
The reason the machines don't simply destroy Zion is because they're responsible for its original construction. Zion is meant for the minds who reject the Matrix, people who want to resist control. After a certain amount of time and growth, the population is systematically wiped out, making room for the next batch of insurrectionists.
The Architect tells Neo that he is simply the "eventuality of an anomaly" that the Architect tried in vain to prevent. This means the machines are aware of "the One" and have been anticipating his arrival. The Architect gives Neo a choice, one that could decide the ultimate fate of humanity - but why?
Theorist Jason Payne claims that the Architect, who designed the entirety of the Matrix, doesn't need to offer Neo anything. He only humors Neo because this is all part of a master plan, one that tricks the few humans who reject the first layer of the Matrix into thinking they've escaped to the real world.
In actuality, the real world is just another design meant to give humans the illusion of autonomy. The Architect even admits that Zion is just another form of control.
After Neo is blinded in The Matrix Revolutions, he gains the ability to see the underlying code of the real world, much like he can while in the Matrix. Quora user HNL believes this shouldn't be possible, as nothing about Neo's status as the One should allow him to cheat blindness and see things the normal eye cannot.
The only explanation is that the real world is a simulation, and the orange energy signatures he sees are just a different type of code.
Neo Can Manipulate The Real World Just Like The Matrix
Quora user Tango believes Neo's powers in the real world prove that it's simply another layer of the Matrix. At the end of The Matrix Reloaded, machines are racing toward Neo. During the finale, he suddenly gains the power to manipulate machines, despite being outside the Matrix.
He puts out his hand and fries a squadron of sentinels with nothing but his mind. These powers are never fully explained, but this theory suggests that Neo's powers work in the real world because he's actually still in the Matrix.
