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| Agent Smith | |
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| The Matrix character | |
 Movie poster for The Matrix Revolutions, featuring some of the numerous copies of Smith. |
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| First appearance | The Matrix |
| Last appearance | The Matrix Revolutions |
| Cause/reason | Termination |
| Created by | Wachowski Brothers |
| Portrayed by | Hugo Weaving |
| Information | |
| Species | Computer program |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Agent |
Agent Smith (later merely "Smith") is a fictional character featured in the Matrix film series and multimedia franchise, played by actor Hugo Weaving. The struggle between Neo and Smith becomes the main conflict underlying the events of The Matrix: which makes Smith the primary antagonist.
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Overview
Smith is an Agent, an AI program in the Matrix programmed to keep order within the system by terminating troublesome programs and human avatars which would otherwise bring instability to the simulated reality. To this end, Smith possesses the ability to take over the simulated body of any human wired into the Matrix at will. As an Agent, Smith possesses the ability to bend the rules of the Matrix (such as gravity and the limitations of the human body), giving him speed and strength beyond that of what an ordinary human would be capable of. He and other Agents can dodge bullets flawlessly, punch through concrete with their bare hands, and jump impossible distances. Agents also have the ability to communicate with each other instantaneously and perceive what other humans wired into the Matrix do, represented via their earpieces (when Agent Smith removes his earpiece during the first film, he is left unaware of the attack on the building he is in). Smith's weapon of choice, as standard with all Agents within the Matrix, is the Desert Eagle, chambered with the high caliber .44 Magnum (determined by the number of rounds fired from the gun) ammunition.
Design
The look and manner of Smith and his fellow Agents seem to be drawn from American pop culture. One influence appears to be the popular image of federal law enforcement agents as ruthlessly efficient automata who carry out their duties with cold precision and General American accents. Smith sometimes draws out words, or takes unnatural pauses in speech (example: "Mis...ter Anderson"), perhaps because he is a program, and needs to premeditate, or 'figure out' what to say.
All Agents are Caucasian males (with a minor exception of female Agent Pace from the Matrix Online game), which also provides a dynamic compared to the majority population of Zion, containing many diverse cultures and walks of life. Agents wear dark sunglasses with corners or smooth angles. The Caucasian male Agents simply show a blandness and an apathy for the human race, with the exception of Smith's obsession with destroying Neo and his general hatred of humans.
Other Agents have names like Brown, Johnson, and Thompson — common, innocuous, Anglo-Saxon names. It was mentioned in the Philosopher Commentary on the DVD collection that the names of Smith, Brown and Johnson may be endemic to the system itself, demonstrating a very 'robotic' mindset on the part of the Machines.
In addition, the name "Smith" is explicitly attributed (as "IS 5416" on the license plate of Smith's car in The Matrix Reloaded) to Isaiah 54:16 in the Old Testament:
| “ | "Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy." | ” |
In creating such a program to carry out menial tasks, the Machines lay the foundations for their own destruction, a direct parallel to the creation of AI by humankind.
The license plate also bears the state slogan "New South Wales - Towards 2000" which is also symbolic of the Matrix being a recreation of "the pinnacle of (human) civilisation" at the turn of the millenium.
Neo's solitary role as The One is contrasted by Smith, who, by replicating himself, becomes 'the many'. When Neo asks the Oracle about Smith, the Oracle explains that Smith is Neo's opposite and his negative.
Unlike the other characters in The Matrix, Smith almost always refers to Neo as 'Mr. Anderson.' He calls him 'Neo' only once in each part of the trilogy: the first time when he is interviewing Neo about his double life, the second when he is dropping off an Agent earplug in a package for Neo, and the third when he is repeating a line of his vision to his face. The third represents the only point when he is actually addressing Neo as such, while the first is merely part of a description and second is likely a matter of convenience (the guard would be unlikely to know Neo by any other name).
Personality
Smith is significantly more individualistic than the other Agents from the start. While other agents rarely act without consulting each other via their earpieces, to the point that they often finish each others' sentences, Smith is usually the one giving orders or using his earpiece to gather information for his own ends. Smith also appears to be the leader of other Agents, in that he has the authority to launch Sentinel attacks in the real world. As with other Agents, Smith generally does approach problems through a pragmatic point of view, but if necessary will also act with brute force and apparent rage.
The earpieces represent some form of control mechanism by the machines. It is notable that when he is interrogating Morpheus, he sends the other agents from the room, then removes his earpiece, releasing himself from the link to the machines before expressing his opinion of humanity.
Agent Smith complains that the Matrix and its inhabitants smell disgusting, "if there is such a thing [as smell]." Smith has an open hatred of humans and their weakness of the flesh. He compares humanity to a virus, a disease organism that would replicate uncontrollably and eventually destroy their environment were it not for the machine intelligences keeping them in check. Ironically, Smith eventually becomes a literal virus, multiplying until he has overrun and remade the entire Matrix.
| “ | 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 aren’t actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with its 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. | ” |
At the same time, Smith also secretly despises the Matrix itself, feeling that he is as much a prisoner of it as the humans he is tasked with watching over. He later develops an immense and increasingly open desire for the destruction of both mankind and machines alike.
The Wachowski brothers have commented that Smith's gradual humanization throughout The Matrix is a process intended to mirror and balance Neo's own increasing power and understanding of the machine world.citation needed
Character history
The Matrix
In the first film, Smith is one of the three Agents sent to deal with Morpheus. After Neo (whom he consistently refers to as "Mr. Anderson") is successfully saved, Smith arranges Morpheus' capture by bribing Cypher, a disillusioned member of Morpheus' crew. When Neo manages to free Morpheus, Smith and his fellow Agents engage in a lengthy cross-town chase, ending when Smith guns down Neo. However, Neo revives as realizes his power as The One, enabling him to destroy Smith from the inside.
The Matrix Reloaded
As a result of his contact with Neo, Smith is "unplugged," as he puts it, no longer an Agent of the system but a free man. This is signified by the lack of an earpiece, which he gives to Neo as a message early in the film. His appearance has changed from the first movie as well; his sunglasses are of a different, more angular shape than the square ones the Agents wear and his suit is now black instead of dark green (Matrix code), physical signs of his connection with Neo. 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; this includes humans wired into the Matrix, programs in the form of humans, redpills, and humans already possessed by Agents (the Agents themselves, however, are not copied over). Smith retains the memories and abilities, if any, of the one he copies himself over. This ability is much like how a virus replicates, creating an ironic contrast with the first film, where Smith likens humanity to a virus.
Smith begins to exhibit stronger, more virulent human behaviors and emotions such as unpredictability and dry humor (this is a clear departure from his stern demeanor in the original movie). He 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 which binds together Neo and himself.
The idea of Smith's transformation from being an Agent of the System into becoming a "free Agent" is similar to Satan's Fall from Grace. In both cases, a former Agent of the System (in the two sequels, Smith is no longer referred to as "Agent Smith", but simply as "Smith") becomes able to move freely, and comes to have a dangerously rebellious and opposite nature. The virus-like qualities he gains may also be a reference to this, as one of the traditional titles of a demon is Legion, for they were many.
The Matrix Revolutions
By the start of the third film, 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 for Smith to be eliminated, the equation must be "unbalanced." The Oracle herself is eventually taken over by Smith, granting him her power of foresight, as well as reality-bending powers equivalent to those possessed by Neo.
Near the end of the film, 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, thus he doesn't need the help of his copies. The two are almost evenly matched, though Smith maintains a slight advantage throughout. 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." Smith intends to conquer and destroy everything, starting with the Machines and ending with Zion.
When Neo is near-defeat, Smith begins questioning his motivation, believing that all forms of motivation are "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." Smith demands to know why Neo continues to fight, knowing he cannot win. To this, Neo quite simply responds, "Because I choose to." Smith becomes enraged by this answer and attacks Neo again, ultimately prevailing, beating Neo unconscious. Suddenly recognizing the scene from his prophecy, he is compelled to deliver the line he said in it: "I say... Everything that has a beginning has an end, Neo." Notably, this is the only point where Smith addresses Neo as such.
Noticeably confused by his own behavior, Smith suddenly becomes frightened by the effect his words have on Neo. Unable to overpower Smith, Neo understands that he can never win, and thus submits defeat. Smith absorbs him, and for a moment believes himself to be the victor. However, in doing so, the two, being opposite sides of a single equation, balance one-another out, leading to the synthesis of the new beginning, in which the Matrix, with its equation of oppression and control, is unbalanced. Because Neo has been connected to the Matrix by the "god of machines" itself, the union between Smith and Neo results in Smith's being directly connected to the machine god, allowing him to finally be deleted.
MegaSmith
In the alternate ending of The Matrix Revolutions and 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.
After Neo knocks Smith into the crater in the level "Aerial Battle", Smith is sent flying through the ground and up through the street. As Neo relaxes, the surrounding Smiths walk away from the crater. Neo gets out of the crater, and dodges a car which flies through the air and lands in a pile of debris. Neo looks on as Smiths tear up chunks of the road and throw cars into this pile. A truck then speeds into a building and blows it up. Smiths can be seen holding the debris together as it takes on a thirty-story tall humanoid form which is then struck by lightning, powering it up. Neo flies up to watch as the giant humanoid lowers its head onto its shoulders. The giant Smith then pulls a pair of giant Smith Shades from a billboard and puts them on. As an interesting aside, the glasses on the billboard are the same ones Agent Smith wore in the first Matrix film, with the curved nosebar, but when the MegaSmith actually puts them on, they've suddenly turned into the ones Agent Smith wears in The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions, with the straight nosebar and a different shape.
After the fight, Neo flies straight into MegaSmith's mouth, causing the Smiths throughout the Matrix to overload and explode. We then cut to a shot seen in The Matrix: Revolutions of the streets shining with light from the destroyed Smiths.
The Smith Virus in The Matrix Online
Despite his destruction at the end of the film series, Agent Smith (or at least the remnants of his virus), managed to return and made several appearances inside the movie's official continuation, the MMORPG, The Matrix Online.
Chronologically the first 'infection' was noted in Machine mission controller Agent Gray whose background information confirms that sometime during the timeline of the second/third films was, like so much else, overwritten by Smith. This infection had somehow survived the reboot at the end of the third film and rose to the surface once again during chapter 1.2, The Hunt For Morpheus. The Agent, in both a storyline related mission and live event, showed signs of uncharacteristic speech and emotion and eventually led an assault against Zionist redpills declaring 'their stench unbearable any longer'. As a result of his actions the agent was apprehended by his fellow system representatives and scheduled for a 'thorough code cleansing'. He has shown no signs of direct infection since.
Secondly there was the case of Machine liaison officer, DifferenceEngine. Following a similar scenario to that of the previous Agent Gray infection the machine program too took on the dialect and emotional characteristics of the famous exile agent. However, what was notable about this case was the liaison's insistence on finding 'Mr. Anderson'. In the end the human/machine head relations liaison, Agent Pace, was made aware of the program's infection and subsequent crusade, she then proceeded to lock down his RSI and return his program to The Source for analysis. His fate since is unknown. Third was the notorious bluepill, Shane Black. This man was an unfortunate victim of the Smith Virus who, once infected, gained the ability to spread the code to others. This quickly led to a small scale outbreak with several more bluepills becoming infected and joining forces in their hunt for power. He and the other infectees were eventually cleansed and returned to their bluepill lives. However, Shane Black's troubles weren't over yet as he was one of the bluepills recorded to have first witnessed Unlimited redpills practising their new found powers at the Uriah wharf. This triggered a resurgence of the memories formed during his Smith infection and he soon became volatile and insane. He is reported to have been mercifully killed shortly afterwards.
The most recent appearance of the Smith virus was during the third anniversary events. The virus manifested itself in the form of black-suited men (although they lacked the distinct likeness of Smith). As redpills began to fight back using specialist code from the Oracle, the virus vanished suddenly, stating he had obtained a new and more dangerous form. What this form is remains to be seen, though it evidently means Smith will return to attempt to retake the Matrix.
See also
External links
References
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