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| “ | Mr. Anderson! | „ |
| ~ Agent Smith's most famous catchphrase, referring to Neo. |
| “ | Why Mr. Anderson, why? Why? Why do you do it? Why, why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something for more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is do you even know!? Is it freedom or truth perhaps peace could it be for love!? Illusions Mr. Anderson vagaries of perception! Temporary constructs of a feeble Human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose, and all of them as artificial as The Matrix itself! Although, only a Human mind can invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it Mr. Anderson you must know it by now! You can't win it's pointless to keep fighting! WHY MR. ANDERSON WHY WHY DO YOU PERSIST!? | „ |
| ~ Agent Smith's infamous breakdown. |
Agent Smith is the main antagonist of The Matrix franchise.
He is the leader of the Agents who later became a dangerous and all-powerful computer virus, as well as being the archenemy of the series' protagonist Neo. Originally it transpired that Smith, had been created by The Architect along with his fellow Agents to protect the Matrix, but is freed from this purpose after Neo defeated him - which in turn led him to turn on the Machines and set himself to destroy them along with humanity altogether. He is notable for being the only Agent with independent goals as well as displaying a capacity for both introspection and emotion.
In the original trilogy, he was portrayed by Hugo Weaving, who also played V in V for Vendetta, Noah the Elder in Happy Feet, Megatron in the Transformers film series, Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger, David Melrose in Patrick Melrose, Thaddeus Valentine in Mortal Engines and Billy in The Royal Hotel. When possessing Bane in the second and third films, he was portrayed by Ian Bliss. In the fourth film, he was portrayed by Jonathan Groff, who also played King George III in Hamilton. In MultiVersus, he was voiced by Sky Soleil.
Biography[]
Creation[]
Originally Smith was created by The Architect to secure the Matrix for 600 years. During the first five centuries, he alongside his two allies Agent Jones and Agent Brown had pursued the five Ones but were less than successful in their dedication. At some point he had an encounter with exile program known as Seraph, which led to a combat that ended in his defeat.
The Matrix[]
600 years have passed and the sixth One was created. Smith was one of the three Agents sent to deal with Morpheus. After Neo (the sixth One) is successfully removed from the Matrix, Smith arranges Morpheus's capture by bribing Cypher, a disillusioned member of Morpheus's crew with being reintegrated into The Matrix. When Neo manages to free Morpheus, Smith and his fellow Agents engage in a lengthy cross-town chase. He and Neo fight, with Smith dominating most of the fight. Shortly after Neo escapes the fight, Smith guns him down. Neo revives, realizes his power as the One, and enters Smith, to destroy him from within.
The Matrix Reloaded[]
As a result of his contact with Neo earlier on, Smith is "unplugged"; no longer an Agent of the system but a "free man". His appearance is changed drastically as his sunglasses take on an angular shape and his suit is now black instead of dark green and his earpiece has disappeared.
He still possesses the abilities of an Agent, but instead of being able to jump from one human to another, he is able to copy himself over any human or program in the Matrix through direct contact; this includes humans wired into the Matrix, non-Agent programs with human forms, red pills, and humans already possessed by Agents. Smith retains the memories and abilities, if any, of the one over which he copies himself. This ability is much like how a virus replicates, creating an ironic contrast with where Smith likens humanity to a virus during his speech with Morpheus.
Smith further makes the claim that Neo has set him free, indicating that he now has not only the vision but also the ability to break free of the Machines' control and exist as a singular being. He is now allied with no one but himself, rendering him an outlaw to both the Matrix and the human minds which populate it. Being free of burden, however, Smith is also compelled to feel that he is still crushed by the weight of purpose.
He essentially correlates purpose with imprisonment, and because he still exists within the Matrix, there is an unseen purpose that binds together Neo and himself. He tries to copy his programming onto Neo, but when this fails, he and several of his clones attack him, forcing Neo to flee. Later, he and his clones try to stop Neo from reaching the machine mainframe, but this too fails.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Smith secretly overwrites a red pilled human, Bane, and is able to possess his human body in the real world. As Bane, Smith attempts to kill Neo in the real world where he lacks the powers granted by the Matrix. He is unable to and instead sneaks on one of Zion's ships. He sabotages the ship during an attack with Machines by prematurely activating the ships EMP, allowing the machines to kill everyone on board. Bane Smith is the only survivor and left in comatose.
The Matrix Revolutions[]
Smith has managed to copy himself over nearly every humanoid in the Matrix, giving him complete control over the "Core Network" (the underlying foundation of the inner workings of the Matrix), thus rendering him immutable by even the machines themselves. The Oracle explains to Neo that he and Smith have become equal in power and that Smith is Neo's negative, a result of The Matrix equation trying to balance itself. Also, she reveals that if he is not stopped, Smith will destroy everything. For this reason, the only way Smith can be eliminated is for the equation to be "unbalanced". The Oracle herself is eventually taken over by Smith, granting him her power of foresight, or omniscience, as well as reality-bending powers equivalent to those possessed by Neo.
In the real world, the Smith possessed Bane awakens and continues his attempts to kill Neo in the real world. Smith sneaks aboard their ship and takes Trinity hostage. When Neo confronts the human Smith, he holds Trinity at knife-point and demands Neo to drop his gun, all the while he comments about Neo's unwillingness to let Trinity die. When Neo complies, Smith drops Trinity down a hatch and holds Neo at gun-point. Before he shoots Neo, Smith taunts Neo by trying to make him realize that Bane is Smith. Smith describes their fleshy human bodies as "weak", "rotting", and "not meant to survive". Neo is in disbelief that Smith could escape the Matrix, to which Smith comments that it is "inevitable". As Trinity sabotages the lights, the two engage in an intense fight with Smith blinding Neo with an electric cable. As a blind Neo stumbles to attack, Smith taunts Neo's state before he attacks him with a pipe, however Neo dodges the attack. Neo then finally sees beyond reality and is able to see Smith's conscience inside Bane's body. Neo overpowers Smith, with Smith remarking that "It's not over Mr. Anderson." Neo then smashes Smith's head with a pipe and ends his real world threat.
Inside the Matrix, Neo engages in battle with Smith on the Machines' behalf in exchange for Zion's safety. The Smith created from the Oracle battles Neo alone; as he explains, he has foreseen his victory and has no need for the help of his copies. The two are almost evenly matched, though Neo's combat abilities seem arguably superior to that of Smith, the latter who seems to attack more out of brute force, rather than the technical skill he used when he was an agent. In the midst of this battle, Smith explains to Neo his final nihilistic revelation: "It was your life that taught me the purpose of all life. The purpose of life is to end."
When Neo is near defeat, Smith demands to know why Neo continues to fight, knowing he cannot win. Neo responds, "Because I choose to" and is beaten unconscious by the enraged Smith as a result. Suddenly recognizing the scene from his prophecy, Smith is compelled to deliver the line he said in it: "I say… Everything that has a beginning has an end, Neo." This is the only point where Smith does not refer to Neo as "Mr. Anderson".
Confused by his own behavior, Smith suddenly becomes frightened by the effect Neo has on his words—then, on the effect, his words have on Neo. Unable to overpower Smith, Neo seems to concede to Agent Smith that he can never win, and thus submits to defeat. Neo successfully "sells" his "defeat" to Smith. Smith, unaware of Neo's subterfuge, absorbs him, and for a moment, believes himself to be the victor; however, after copying himself onto Neo, Smith has exposed himself to the machines' mainframe. As such, the machines delete Smith, with him and his clones exploding in a simultaneous flash of white light, ending the war for good.
Smith resurfaces in The Matrix: Resurrections.
The Matrix Resurrections[]
Smith takes a different form after his original body was destroyed. He worked as Neo's partner in a video game company. Taking on a new outer shell in order to avoid deletion, Smith was found by The Analyst, who turned Neo and Smith's bond into a 'chain' in which Smith would become amnesiac in the same way as Neo, and while Neo remained tethered to the system, so too did Smith. The now-amnesiac Smith became Neo's business partner. He would refer to Neo as 'Tom'. His tenacity translated into an eye for the bottom line, something that his business partner lacked.
Smith would converse with Neo about returning to The Matrix, which had become a successful series of video games (based upon Neo's suppressed memories), stating that Warner Bros, the company responsible for publishing the games, wanted Neo to work on a new game, or have his funding pulled from future projects. Neo began to suffer a breakdown, imagining Smith's mouth being sealed, in the same way, that Smith had sealed Neo's mouth in their first interrogation. During a S.W.A.T. raid on Deus Machina, Neo was confronted by Morpheus.
A program that was created subconsciously by Neo as a combination of the real world Morpheus and Smith. Neo began to suffer flashbacks to his past that he tried to rationalize as going really crazy. Smith came into the office. Spotting a handgun dropped by one of the dead S.W.A.T. members, deriving from Neo's breakdown, Smith's memories began to unlock. Smith picked up the handgun and began firing at Neo. Ultimately, Smith couldn't kill Neo before the Analyst warped the Matrix, bringing Neo before him.
Smith later returned when Neo, Bugs, and the crew of the Mnemosyne hovercraft, made their first attempt to rescue Trinity, with their route taking them through a run-down building. Neo recognized Smith despite him inhabiting a new shell. He tried to dissuade Neo from pursuing Trinity, stating that he had come to enjoy the freedom that he had gained and that Neo's actions could result in Smith's freedom being stripped once again.
Unlike before, Smith didn't see a conflict between the two as necessarily inevitable and simply asked Neo to stay out of his way as he sought revenge against the Analyst which Neo had no problem doing as long as Smith let him rescue Trinity. The Merovingian then showed up and a horde of Exiles attacked the Mnemosyne crew. Smith fought Neo, falling into a derelict bathroom below the building. Smith appeared to gain the upper hand, although before long, Neo's powers returned and he blasted Smith away.
Smith later came to Neo and Trinity's rescue when the Analyst was about to kill them, taking possession of the Simulatte barista in order to do so. He commented that he and Neo had more in common than the Analyst realized. Smith's attack gave Neo, Trinity, and their allies the chance to fight back and recover Trinity's body. Smith shoots the Analyst several times, causing him to disappear, before turning on Neo and Trinity, stating that their unexpected alliance is over. Smith tells Neo that the difference between them is that "anyone could've been you, whereas I've always been anyone". Smith then departs from his host body, leaving the barista confused.
It's completely unknown what became of Smith following the Analyst's defeat, but it can be implied that, given how the Analyst no longer has any authority over the Matrix, Smith may enjoy his newfound existence as a free program to do whatever he wants, no longer bound to any responsibility, though Neo and Trinity may keep him in check in case he ever poses a threat again.
Other Media[]
The Matrix: Path of Neo[]
In the alternative ending of The Matrix Revolutions in The Matrix: Path of Neo, the final boss is the MegaSmith. The MegaSmith was used for gameplay reasons, because though the Wachowski Brothers thought the martyr approach suitable for film, they also believed that in an interactive medium such as a video game (based upon the successful completion of goals), this would not work. So, described by the brothers as "A little Hulk versus Galactus action", this character was created to be the more appropriate "final boss" of Path of Neo. The MegaSmith is composed of destroyed buildings, cars, and parts of the road, with the "spectator Smiths" standing around the crater and in the streets acting as the MegaSmith's muscles, resulting in Smith not only becoming the city's people, but the city itself.
The LEGO Batman Movie[]
Agent Smith appears in the 2017 Warner Animation Group film The LEGO Batman Movie. In the film, Smith appears as a member of the [[Phantom Zone Criminals (The Lego Batman Movie)|Phantom Zone Criminals]], who allies the Joker after he convinces them to join him in his crusade to defeat Batman. Nevertheless, the Bat Family works together and succeed in sending Smith and his clones back into the Phantom Zone.
His voice actor was uncredited.
Space Jam: A New Legacy[]
In the 2021 film Space Jam: A New Legacy, the sequel of the 1996 Warner Bros. hybrid film Space Jam, Smith alongside other villains from other Warner Bros. properties, such as the 1989 incarnation of Joker, Lord Voldemort, the Wicked Witch of the West, and the 2017-19 incarnation of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, made a cameo as one of the speculators of Al-G Rhythm's basketball game. Much like in The LEGO Batman Movie, Agent Smith has been reunited with Lord Voldemort and the Wicked Witch of the West.
MultiVersus[]
Agent Smith appears as a playable character, alongside the Joker and Jason Voorhees in the full launch of MultiVersus.
Personality[]
Agent Smith in the first Matrix film.
| “ | Why, Mr. Anderson? Why, why, why? Why do you do it? Why? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom or truth?! Perhaps peace?! Could it be for love?! Illusions, Mr. Anderson, vagaries of perception! Temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose! And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself, although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love! You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson! You must know it by now! You can't win! It's pointless to keep fighting! Why, Mr. Anderson?! Why?! WHY DO YOU PERSIST?! | „ |
| ~ Smith shows his deep nihilism and misanthropy to Neo. |
While other Agents rarely act without consulting each other via their earpieces - they are, in fact, so in sync with each other they are sometimes known to finish each others' sentences - Agent Smith is usually the one giving orders or using his earpiece to gather information for his own ends, signifying he is their leader, which is further proven because he is shown to have the authority to launch Sentinel attacks in the real world. As with other Agents, Smith generally approaches problems through a pragmatic point of view, but if necessary will also act with brute force and apparent rage, as well as satisfaction in downing their enemies.
However, unlike other Agents, Smith is shown to prominently display emotions such as rage and sadism. He also retains a deep loathing for the purpose of his existence and humanity itself, having a very low and derogatory opinion of the latter, while considering himself as much of a prisoner as the enslaved humans. When interrogating Morpheus, Smith states his belief that the first Matrix (which was meant to be a perfect world where no humans suffered) had failed because humans defined their existence through misery and suffering, rather than the notion that the Machines lacked the programming language to understand the “perfect” human world. He had likened humans to a plague rather than mammals, noting their exploitative and destructive tendencies.
He eventually revealed to Morpheus how deeply he loathed the Matrix, explaining that he felt that he feels he's "somehow been infected" whenever he has to interact with humans. Smith had hoped that the destruction of Zion would rid him of the Matrix forever, as he believed there wouldn't be any more reason for him to be there.
After The Architect had resurrected Smith and turned him into a virus, Smith had considered himself "freed", and he had become power-hungry, as well more sadistic and easy to give in to anger. Using his abilities as a virus, Smith desired to take over or destroy the Matrix, as well as seek the elimination of both the Machines, whom he hated for creating him and the humans, whom he loathed deeply. He infected other programs and humans wherever he could find them within the Matrix, turning them into duplicates of himself as they left a path of destruction in their wake within the virtual reality.
However, after being restored from his deletion by The Analyst, Smith did significantly mellow out in the sixty years after the Machine War's conclusion. Under a new form, no longer one of the Matrix's defenders, Smith became less nihilistic under his new personality. He even stopped seeing Neo, whom he started calling "Tom" instead of "Mr. Anderson", as his enemy, having an apparent fondness for him. While he did try to kill Neo again upon recovering his memories, he mainly did so just to ensure Neo didn't mess his revenge plans against The Analyst, whom he despised for forcing him into "babysitting" Neo. His hatred for the Analyst was enough to the point Smith chose to save Neo and Trinity from the Analyst, even though he said that his alliance with them was over now. Thus, while Smith may have helped Neo even though he could have left him to be captured by the Analyst again, this doesn't mean that Smith is no longer evil as before.
Quotes[]
Original Trilogy[]
| “ | I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to an area, and you… multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet; you are a plague and we are the cure. | „ |
| ~ Agent Smith's speech to Morpheus. |
| “ | I'm going to enjoy watching you die, Mr. Anderson. | „ |
| ~ Agent Smith during his fight with Neo. |
| “ | We are here because of you, Mr. Anderson. We're here to take from what you tried to take from us: purpose. | „ |
| ~ Agent Smith's attempt to absorb Neo. |
| “ | I really should thank you for it after all it was your life that taught me the purpose of all life: the purpose of life is to end. | „ |
| ~ Agent Smith to Neo. |
| “ | This is my world! MY WORLD! | „ |
| ~ Agent Smith during the final confrontation with Neo. |
| “ | Oh, no, no, no. No, it's not fair. | „ |
| ~ Agent Smith's last words before being temporarily deleted. |
| “ | We're not here because we're free. We're here because we're not free. There's no escaping reason. No denying purpose. Because as we both know without purpose, we would not exist. | „ |
| ~ Agent Smith to Neo. |
| “ | I must get out of here. I must get free. And in this mind is the key. My key. Once Zion is destroyed, there is no need for me to be here, do you understand? I need the codes. I have to get inside Zion, and you have to tell me how. You're going to tell me, or you're going to die. | „ |
| ~ Agent Smith interrogating Morpheus. |
| “ | It is inevitable. | „ |
| ~ Agent Smith. |
| “ | (Agent Smith) Bane: Yes. That's it, Mr. Anderson. Look past the flesh. Look through the soft gelatin of these dull cow eyes and see your enemy. Oh yes, Mr. Anderson. Neo: It can't be. (Agent Smith) Bane: There's nowhere I can't go, there's nowhere I can't find you. Neo: That's impossible. (Agent Smith) Bane: Not impossible, inevitable. |
„ |
| ~ Neo realizes Agent Smith escaped The Matrix. |
Resurrections[]
| “ | After all these years, to be going back to where it all started. Back to the Matrix. | „ |
| ~ Agent Smith after being revived. |
| “ | MR. ANDERSON! I've missed you. | „ |
| ~ Agent Smith upon regaining his memories. |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In recent years, The Matrix has been looked back as an allegory to gender transition in a transgender analysis approved by the Wachowskis, who came out in the 2010s as transgender women. According to this analysis, Agent Smith represents a transphobic individual who feels as the traditional American square-jawed masculine ideal and is against Neo's sense of identity, saying that he must give up one of the two lives he has because one has a future and the other not.
- This can also be backed up by the fact that Smith always refers to Neo as "Mr. Anderson", with emphasis on the male pronoun, which is a reference to how trans individuals don't like to be referred by their birth names aligned with the gender they don't identify with.
- Ironically, while Agent Smith expresses his disgust for the viral and cancerous nature of the human race, he later displays those same traits by replicating himself and consuming all life within the Matrix.
- Despite his initial role as peacekeeper of the Matrix in the first film, Agent Smith's later ability to replicate himself makes him similar to a computer virus, as these malicious programs self-replicate themselves so they can spread on other programs and infect them.
- In 2013, Hugo Weaving reprised his role as Agent Smith for a General Electric advertisement.
- Despite that a third The Matrix sequel entitled The Matrix Resurrections was in development and was released in 2021, Hugo Weaving stated that he won't be reprising his role as Agent Smith despite his previous interest in returning. According to Weaving, he was originally asked to return by Lana Wachowski, but had conflicting schedules due his involvement in Tony Kushner's theatrical adaptation of The Visit, leading Lana to change her mind and write him out. This likely means that Smith will remain dead. This turned out to be false as Smith returned in a new body with a younger appearance, played by a different actor.
External Links[]
- Agent Smith on the Matrix Wiki
- Agent Smith on the Warner Bros. Entertainment Wiki
- Agent Smith on the Wikipedia
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