The Matrix Revolutions ending explained: What happened to Neo?

The Matrix Revolutions is a direct sequel to The Matrix Reloaded and the third installment in The Matrix franchise. The film is written and directed by The Wachowskis, and stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Laurence Fishburne in central roles. Produced by Joel Silver, it was released on November 5, 2003, by Warner Bros. Pictures. Here's the official synopsis, per IMDb:

The human city of Zion defends itself against the massive invasion of the machines as Neo fights to end the war at another front while also opposing the rogue Agent Smith.

The cast of the film also features Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett Smith, Monica Bellucci, and Lambert Wilson, among many others. The end of The Matrix Revolutions was a topic of discussion among the audience, especially hardcore fans, after the film's release. Let's explore the ending.

What is the plot of The Matrix Revolutions?

The Matrix Revolutions showcases Neo teaming up with his allies to combat an ongoing war between human beings and machines. They also have to stop Agent Smith, an AI program that has gone rogue and poses a threat.

How does The Matrix Revolutions end?

Towards the end of The Matrix Revolutions, we see Neo and his team trying to save Zion, the last city of humans on Earth. Along with Trinity, Neo later goes to fight Smith in the Machine City. The humans manage to defeat the Sentinels to save their turf. Neo and Smith start fighting, and the fight goes on for a long time. Neo realizes that this will never end, and he decides to sacrifice himself to stop Smith and his allies.

Earlier, Neo made a pact with Deus Ex Machina, or Machine City's core interface that works as the machines' collective consciousness. According to this pact, the latter would help save Zion if Neo is able to defeat Smith. Neo goes through an enlightenment process, called satori, to stop Smith. He opts to sacrifice himself instead of continuing to use brute force. Neo apart, Trinity, Maggie, and Charra also die. The Oracle conclude her philosophical discussion after the battle with The Architect who made the Matrix. The human beings are allowed to exit the Matrix.

In the fourth installment, The Matrix Resurrections, Trinity and Neo return as it is revealed that they were saved by the Analyst, who made sure they were alive. The Architect's fear of the human-machine peace being temporary turns out to be true.

The Matrix Resurrections, which was released in 2021, was directed by Lana Wachowski. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lilly Wachowski, the other Wachowski sibling, spoke about not being a part of the film. Lilly said,

"That's a tough one. I got out of my transition and was just completely exhausted because we had made Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending, and the first season of Sense8 back-to-back-to-back. We were posting one, and prepping the other at the exact same time. So you're talking about three 100-plus days of shooting for each project, and so, coming out and just being completely exhausted, my world was like, falling apart to some extent even while I was like, you know, cracking out of my egg. So I needed this time away from this industry. I needed to reconnect with myself as an artist and I did that by going back to school and painting and stuff."

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