Tron: Ares - The obsession with Depeche Mode actually speaks to the AI's search for humanity

Tron: Ares is one of the most anticipated movies of the year, and it was recently released. It brought back the electric blue glow and high-speed chases from the Grid that we remember so fondly. It also went in a bit deeper this time. The story is about Ares, who is an AI program. He enters the human world on a mission that goes beyond mere survival. It's about understanding what it means to feel.

The movie shows us a different kind of hero this time. He is not made of flesh and bone, but he's still struggling with questions that sound familiar. Who am I? Why do I care about things I can’t explain? These are the questions that often surface in Tron: Ares. It is a sci-fi movie that's also a reflection of our emotions.

The movie shows how Ares develops an unexpected fascination with the band Depeche Mode. He is actually connected with their songs on a level he can’t logically explain. He says he prefers Depeche Mode to Mozart and then pauses before saying:

“It’s just a… feeling.”

And then you realize what the movie is doing. It’s about discovery. That moment tells you that this AI is beginning to feel something new, something that he can’t define. That is where Tron: Ares finds its emotional core.

Tron: Ares - The meaning behind the Depeche Mode connection

Jared Leto in Tron: Ares (Image via YouTube/Disney)

There is a reason why Tron: Ares picked Depeche Mode of all bands. Their music is built on synths. It is mechanical, electronic, and robotic. But that doesn't mean it's devoid of emotions and longing. And that sort of music makes perfect sense for an AI who lives between two worlds as half a machine, half a human. The sound itself feels like a bridge between circuits and souls. It is no accident that the creators used Depeche Mode instead of something orchestral. The music mirrors what Ares is going through, which is a clash between logic and feeling.

Ares does not utter a word when he first experiences rain. He just holds out his hand and watches the raindrops fall onto his metallic skin. The drops slide down his fingers, and it is just a quiet scene. He is feeling something for the very first time. And it is something he can’t name but can’t ignore either. That moment stirs something within him, and we know he isn't an ordinary AI.

Depeche Mode’s songs often circle themes like desire, silence, and pain. They are simple but deep. Enjoy the Silence is a song that talks about the beauty and burden of emotion. Ares listens to that kind of music and gradually feels the ache of being a human. And that is revolutionary for an AI. Tron: Ares uses that moment to show that emotion isn’t something you can just program. It grows, confuses, and changes you. So, Ares is more than a mere program.

But there is also a little irony here. Depeche Mode’s synth-driven sound is the kind of thing you’d imagine a machine would understand best. So Ares connects with it, and it feels natural but also pretty emotional. And that makes for the perfect middle ground. Tron: Ares is saying that humanity lives in the moments we can’t explain. It lives in the songs that make us feel something we don’t have words for.