Matrix 4 theory reveals a terrifying old villain you've never heard of
The Matrix Resurrections could take one of the most powerful factions in the franchise from the edge of Matrix lore into mainstream fandom.
The anticipation for The Matrix Resurrections couldn’t be more palpable. While familiar and new faces are adding to the intrigue of Lana Wachowski’s sequel, there is still much to uncover within the backdoors and shortcuts of the Matrix simulation. With Resurrections supposedly taking place within the seventh iteration of the Matrix, just how much has changed for better or worse since Revolutions?
The hierarchy of power may seem like an obvious struggle between existing forces such as the Oracle, the Architect, and the Merovingian — but the Matrix has seen power far beyond their capabilities before.
The Oligarchy has existed since the first conflict between man and machine, in which humanity fell during an artificial intelligence uprising. Everything we knew about the Matrix itself is about to change this December, and the Oligarchy could be right at the center of the mystery.
The Oligarchy and the Matrix
The Oligarchy in The Matrix Online.
Depicted in The Animatrix, the fight against the robots divided the remaining factions of humanity into separate entities. The Oligarchy refers to a collective of humans who sought to forge a treaty with the Machines, who in exchange demanded an enormous territorial control of the Earth. On the Oligarchy’s end of the bargain, they were able to control the Machines, ensuring they couldn’t cause any harm to them. Following the fall of human civilization, the members of the Oligarchy lived on with no discernable attachment to their human bodies, able to flow freely as an almost otherworldly lifeform.
Notable figures of the Oligarchy include Halborn and Carlyne (appearing in The Matrix Online), who opposed each other’s ideologies and worked for the Machines and the Resistance, respectively. What makes them important to the Matrix’s world is that their abilities supersede even those of Neo and the Machines combined.
The Oligarchy is able to overwrite and reconstruct the simulation as they saw fit, breaking the boundaries of physics far beyond Neo’s wildest dreams. It is near impossible to attack an Oligarch. Only vulnerable to primitive hacking attacks, this sense of unpredictability could play a larger part in The Matrix Resurrections.
Trinity and the Oligarchy
Trinity appears to be using new jack-in technology in The Matrix Resurrections.
We know from the Matrix 4 trailer that Neo will be returning, but in an even more surprising reveal, Trinity has seemingly risen from the dead after suffering fatal wounds at the Machine City in Revolutions. Having an eagle eye on the trailer itself, we can see that Trinity has seemingly been found by the Machines and is receiving medical attention, as well as sporting a never-before-seen iteration of the input jacks. Towards the end of the Oligarchy’s journey in The Matrix Online, it was revealed that Trinity (and Neo) were the result of immense experimentation to translate human DNA into Machine code without any imperfections.
Allowing either Trinity or Neo the ability to interface with technology beyond the simulation of the Matrix (much like Neo at the end of Reloaded), this would later be known as The Biological Interface Program. Highly sought after by the Oligarchy, they would ultimately fail, as Trinity becomes the key to rebooting the system once for and all, removing further Oligarchy control. Yet, with the incomplete conclusion of the Oligarchy’s storyline, their existence could have surpassed the realms of the previous iteration of the simulation.
The Oligarchy in Matrix 4
Will Neo and Trinity’s new powers be enough to stop the Oligarchy?
Could Trinity’s resurrection be part of a core theme of the franchise: control? Other characters might be seeking control in the form of factions, but the Oligarchy idea of control is the greatest of all if they can manipulate both the simulation and the Machines with gargantuan effort. The remnants of Trinity’s unforeseen abilities remain within her code too, as the trailer showcases a side of Trinity fresh to the franchise. Neo and Trinity are shown to harness a bright light, which could be activating something deep within the simulation, despite opposing forces such as the therapist trying to suppress instability within the Matrix.
In The Matrix Resurrections, Wachowski may bring the Oligarchy from the fringes of Matrix lore into the center of the franchise. And if that’s what happens, Neo and Trinity will be facing off against a villain more dangerous than anyone we’ve seen in the movies before.
The Matrix Resurrections premieres December 22 on HBO Max and in theaters.
