When you think about movies that influenced popular culture the most, one of the first things that come to mind is the spectacular Matrix Trilogy. From the plot itself to funny quotes and underlying social comments, we’ve had the privilege to enjoy a brilliant piece of cinematic history at least two decades in front of its time.
Let’s check out over 60 most memorable Matrix quotes, sorted by which characters said the quotes and the undertone of the quotes.
Matrix Quotes from Neo
“I don’t know the future. I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin.”
Neo’s iconic quote from the first Matrix movie comes from talking on the phone to those responsible for the Matrix. He vows to expose everything they don’t want people to know or see, which is the beginning of Neo becoming the One.
“I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my life.”
This quote is delivered in the first Matrix movie when Morpheus asks Neo if he believes in fate. None of us want to believe that we’re not in control of our lives, but our beliefs are often not the same as the truth.
“I’m going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice a leave to you.”
This quote from the first Matrix movie is essential to Neo’s path of realizing who he is and becoming the one. If you look back on it and try to translate it to the real world, what if there were no borders or control and manipulation? What if humanity lived as one, without idiotic divisions? What could we achieve?
“Choice. The problem is choice.”
After Neo speaks to the Architect in The Matrix Reloaded, he learns that the only thing keeping the humans enslaved in the Matrix is the illusion they are given – the illusion that they can choose what they want. But, in reality, no matter what you choose, the cookie will crumble the way it’s supposed to crumble.
“Because I choose to.”
This was a legendary quote from The Matrix Revolutions when Smith asks Neo why he keeps on fighting when he knows that everything is just an illusion, even love, peace, truth – everything. Neo gives the perfect answer; in a world where free choice is impossible – Neo chooses to fight.
“Guns. Lots of guns.”
Morpheus is held captive, and Neo knows they need to react as soon as possible to free him from the building where Smith is torturing him. Tank asks him what else they need for the assault, besides a prayer – knowing that attacking a building full of agents is virtually signing a death warrant. Well, with LOTS of guns, it is a bit easier.
“That is why it’s going to work.”
While Trinity and Neo are getting ready for a massive attack on Smith and the Agents, Trinity states that nobody has ever done anything like this. However, that’s exactly the reason why Neo believes it’ll succeed. Choice is one of the main motifs in the Matrix franchise, and it all eventually worked simply because they chose to believe it will.
“Hiya, fellas!”
This cold-blooded quote came at the very beginning of The Matrix Reloaded. In the first film, only a single Agent would be trouble for Thomas Anderson. But, at this point, Neo knew how powerful he was, so he took on three Agents at once with seemingly no effort. It’s a fantastic character arc that would only get more profound later in the trilogy.
“If I were you, I would hope we don’t meet again.”
In The Matrix Reloaded, Neo finally meets the Architect, the guy who designed the Matrix. In their long conversation, the Architect focuses on how stupid humans are because they always “hope” for something better. Well, Neo had shown him just what “hope” is after delivering this epic, powerful quote.
“You cannot stop him. But I can.”
Knowing that the humans are losing the fight against the Machines, Neo decided to try one last thing – striking a bargain with their overlord, Deus Ex Machina. He knew that the Smith program was out of anyone’s control, and the Machines needed a backdoor to remove him. Neo gave them that backdoor to defeat Smith at the cost of his life but saving humanity.
“You ever have that feeling where you’re not sure if you’re awake or still dreaming?”
Neo delivers this quote in the first Matrix movie. I found it interesting because I’ve had such lucid dreams in the past. Who knows, perhaps we are all in the Matrix?
Matrix Quotes from Morpheus
”I have dreamed a dream. But now, that dream is gone from me.”
Morpheus is usually an inspirational leader that never loses hope. However, this quote hit me like a ton of bricks. Even Morpheus has this sad moment of complete hopelessness after the iconic Nebuchadnezzar ship is destroyed in The Matrix Reloaded.
“You take the blue pill — the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill — you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.”
This might be the most iconic Morpheus quote in the entire trilogy. Perhaps even the most iconic quote from any character in the movies. Morpheus says it to Neo when offering him the two pills. It translates metaphorically to the real world, too – are we going to wake up and act or keep on living in blissful ignorance?
“Remember, all I’m offering is the truth. Nothing more.”
This quote is a continuation of the previous quote from The Matrix. Morpheus offers knowledge to those who wish to have a free mind. However, the truth might be a hard pill to swallow to some, pun intended. Regardless of how brutal it is, it’s still the truth, which is all Morpheus is trying to offer.
“I’ve seen an Agent punch through a concrete wall. Men have emptied entire clips at them and hit nothing but air. Yet, their strength and speed are still based in a world built on rules. Because of that, they will never be as strong or as fast as you can be.”
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In the first Matrix movie, Morpheus tries to explain to Neo that they can never beat him, no matter what the Agents throw at him. They have to follow their program, their code – the rules of the Matrix. Neo, aka the One, doesn’t have to do that. He realizes that only later.
“Neo, sooner or later, you’re going to realize – just as I did – there’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.”
Morpheus has some spectacular quotes from the first Matrix movie that he tells Neo, but I find this one the most important for the viewer. It means that even if you know what you must do – what path you must take, it means nothing if you don’t move your feet and do it.
“I remember that I am here not because of the path that lies before me, but because of the path that lies behind me.”
This quote is delivered to the people of Zion in The Matrix Reloaded movie. Fear of what might happen often leads us not even to try. However, all you have to do is remember that the future didn’t take you to where you are. It is the path you have already walked. If you want to keep going, you have to keep walking.
“I don’t know what he can do to save us. But I do know that as long as there is a single breath left in his body, he will not give up, and neither can we.”
This quote from Morpheus from The Matrix Revolutions is pointed toward all the members of the Resistance. He had shown loyalty and faith in Neo, even though all odds were against them. His faith is what eventually helped Neo live up to his potential – and yes, he saved them!
“What you know, you can’t explain. But you feel it.”
Morpheus’ first conversation with Neo was weird, to say the least. However, he knew that Neo felt that something was off with the world. Neo knew that too but just couldn’t put his finger on what was wrong. That is until Morpheus reveals to him what’s going on.
“What happened, happened, and couldn’t have happened any other way.”
Morpheus knows that people always have that “What if?” question in their minds. When he delivers this quote in The Matrix Reloaded, he wants to say that the past is the past, and everything happens as it should have happened – even tragedy.
“You have to understand; most people are not ready to be unplugged.”
In the first Matrix movie, many people asked themselves – why not just unplug everybody from the Matrix and show them the truth. Well, Morpheus knows that most people couldn’t handle the truth. Not like that. Most people would choose the blue pill — the blissful ignorance. The same can be translated to the real world, I reckon…
“Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony.”
In the first Matrix movie, Morpheus talks about how dependant humans were on technology and machine until those same machines took over and enslaved humankind. What we see today may not be as brutal, but technology is slowly taking over our lives.
“What Was Said Was For You, And You Alone.”
When Morpheus and Neo visited the ORacle for the first time to seek advice, Morpheus stayed outside, waiting for Neo. The Oracle told him he’s not the One, but when he tried to share that with Morpheus, he refused to listen and delivered this awesome, memorable quote. We later learn that the Oracle sad that to influence Neo – not because it’s true.
“We are still here!”
When the people of Zion – the last remaining human city on Earth – hear that the machines are coming in for a new, brutal attack to destroy them, they go into panic mode. That’s when Morpheus shows what an incredible leader he is – delivering a spectacular, empowering speech, ending with the words – we are still here!
“I’m trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You’re the one that has to walk through it.”
It’s a quote from the first meeting between Neo and Morpheus. Neo is still uncertain if he wants to see the real truth, and has many questions for Morpheus, showing signs of distrust. That’s when Morpheus delivers this awesome quote. From that point, everything started to change.
Matrix Quotes from Agent Smith
“Hello, Mr. Anderson.”
Such a simple quote from the first Matrix movie, but it carries so much power. Neo’s real name is Thomas Anderson, but everybody calls him Neo. Agent Smith refuses to call him Neo because it’s an anagram of “One.” Smith won’t acknowledge him as special, so he calls him Mr. Anderson instead.
“You hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability!”
This awesome quote comes in The Matrix when Agent Smith holds Neo down on the tracks, waiting on a train to splatter them both. Of course, nothing would happen to Agent Smith, as he’s nothing but a program, but it shows just how ruthless he is and to what lengths he’s ready to go to destroy Neo.
“We’re not here because we’re free. We’re here because we’re not free.”
Freedom is an illusion, especially in the Matrix, and Agent Smith knows that when he delivers this quote in The Matrix Reloaded. Even Agents and other programs aren’t really free – they are only here to serve their purpose.
“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 — a virus. Human beings are a disease. A cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we are the cure.”
The quote is self-explanatory, really. Agent Smith tells that to Neo in the first movie, and, truth be told, he has a point.
“Go ahead. Shoot. The best thing about me – is there are so many me’s!”
Who’s the virus now, hotshot? In The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, Smith becomes a virus that can corrupt and turn anybody he touches into a copy of himself. That’s why there are so many Smiths out there in the end.
“There’s no escaping reason. No denying purpose. Because, as we both know, without purpose, we would not exist.”
Agent Smith delivers this quote in The Matrix Reloaded. You see, every program, being, or code within the Matrix is there to serve a purpose. If that purpose is fulfilled or no longer needed, the being, or the program, gets eradicated. What’s the point of life if it has no purpose or reason to be?
“Because of you, I’m no longer an agent of this system. Because of you, I’ve changed. I’m unplugged. A new man, so to speak. Like you, apparently free.”
Agent Smith becomes just Smith in The Matrix Reloaded. The one who is created to obey the system breaks free of the rules and the control. One would think that’s a good thing, but Smith actually goes rogue and becomes an even greater threat this way.
“The purpose of life is to end.”
Smith had a very grim view of life and existence, and it’s perfectly summed up within this quote. When talking to Neo in The Matrix Revolutions, Smith reveals that his perspective changed after Neo “stole” his purpose away from him. Now he knows that every life has a purpose – to end.
“Is it freedom, or truth? Perhaps peace? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception.”
Neo gets beaten time and time again, but he keeps getting up and continues to fight. Smith can’t comprehend what it is that makes Mr. Anderson get up and fight. He sees all our human values as mere illusions. The quote is from The Matrix Revolutions.
“I’m gonna enjoy killing you.”
The programs in the Matrix are there to serve a purpose. Well, I guess some of them enjoy their purpose more than others. It was obvious from the beginning that Agent Smith doesn’t just “do his job.” He enjoys killing, and that’s what makes him such a dangerous opponent.
Matrix Quotes from Trinity
“You can’t be dead. You can’t be because I love you. You hear me? I love you.”
In The Matrix, Trinity falls in love with Neo, and it is that love that gets his consciousness back into his body, virtually resurrecting him after he dies. When she kisses him, Neo starts breathing again.
“Touch me, and that hand will never touch anything again.”
This was an amazing quote that Trinity delivers so cold-bloodedly in The Matrix Reloaded. She aims it at the Merovingian as he tries to touch her shoulder. It just shows how badass Trinity is, and I loved the awesome interpretation of their character.
“If you tell me we’ll make it, I’ll believe you.”
Trinity expresses her undying belief towards Neo in The Matrix Revolutions movie. Even when they are facing an impossible task – she trusts him to lead them to victory. Love and fate often mash together, and this was the perfect representation of just that.
“I wished I had one more chance to say what really mattered. To say how much I loved you. How grateful I was for every moment I was with you.”
I loved this Trinity quote from The Matrix Revolutions that she said to Neo. It makes you wonder what the truly important things in life are. We should be kind to the ones we love all the time like every time would be the last time we get to say what we feel.
“Dodge this.”
This was such an epic quote and an epic situation that happened in the first movie. As Neo and Trinity were battling some Agents, she managed to get to one of them, put a gun against his head, and deliver the quote before pulling the trigger. She’s one of the few people who managed to kill an Agent.
Matrix Quotes from The Oracle
“Everything that has a beginning has an end. I see the end coming. I see the darkness spreading. I see death. And you are all that stands in his way.”
When the Oracle speaks, you listen. She can predict the future, and while she doesn’t wish to share the details with Neo and Morpheus, the Oracle gives them insight into what might transpire. Her subtle hints lead them towards the correct decisions and give them the hope they need to win. The quote is from The Matrix Revolutions, the last movie in the trilogy.
“Tonight, the future of both worlds will be in your hands… or in his.”
One of the most powerful quotes the Oracle ever said to Neo came near the final battle in The Matrix Revolutions. She wants Neo to understand that he has the power to take matters into his hand. One way or another, the war will end. How it will end is all in the hands of the One.
“And, don’t worry about the vase.”
This iconic moment between the Oracle and Neo happens when she says the quote, and then Neo turns to see what vase she was talking about – and breaks it. I’ll complete the quote with what she then said to Neo, and it’s something to think about: “Would you still have broken it if I hadn’t said anything?”
“You didn’t come here to make a choice. You’ve already made it. You’re here to try to understand why you made it.”
After the Oracle offers candy to Neo in The Matrix Reloaded, he asks her how he can even choose if she already knows what he’ll make. That’s the concept of fate – it’s not on you to choose but to understand why your choice is what it is.
“What do all men with power want? More power.”
In The Matrix Reloaded, the Oracle speaks to Neo about the Merovingian, one of the Matrix’s oldest programs, with a lot of power. The quote translates to the real world. Those who are in power are never satisfied – they always want more.
“I expect just what I’ve always expected: for you to make up your own damn mind. Believe me or don’t.”
The Oracle says this to Morpheus after she had lied to him and Neo a few times to guide and manipulate their actions. However, she never wants to make anybody believe anything – all she wants is for Morpheus to use his head and make choices for himself – regardless of whether that choice is really his or not.
Matrix Quotes from The Architect
“Hope. It is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength and your greatest weakness.”
The Architect delivers this quote in The Matrix Reloaded. He wants Neo to know that even their rebellions are all a part of his plan and his will. Hope gives humans strength, but it also makes them vulnerable and susceptible to manipulation.
“You are here because Zion is about to be destroyed. It’s every living inhabitant terminated, its entire existence eradicated.”
Imagine if the world could be wiped out of existence in a heartbeat. Whether it’s a real or virtual world is irrelevant to its inhabitants. This quote from the Architect from The Matrix Reloaded gave me chills, just thinking about how scary that thought is.
“Denial is the most predictable of all human responses.”
In The Matrix Reloaded, Neo confronts the Architect and seeks answers. However, when the Architect gives him the answers – that everything was planned and orchestrated by him – even the rebellion – Neo doesn’t believe him. That’s when the Architect delivers this epic quote – we only believe what we want to believe.
“She is going to die, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.”
The Architect gives Neo a choice, so to speak – either save Trinity in the Matrix or save Zion in the real world. He knows that Neo’s emotions towards Trinity will cloud his judgment from one simple truth – no matter what he does, Trinity will eventually die.
“What do you think I am? Human?”
After peace has been ordered at the end of The Matrix Revolutions, the Architect tells the Oracle that people who want out of the Matrix will be freed. She asks him if she has his word, to which he answers with the quote above. Yes, you can’t take a human for his word. No matter what, we are dishonest in nature.
Funny Matrix Quotes
“We are all victims of causality. I drank too much wine; I must take a piss. Cause and effect.”
The Merovingian is obsessed with the “why” and always says that we are completely out of control – the only thing that drives the universe is causality, something we can’t avoid. That’s how he explains causality to his wife, Persephone, in The Matrix Reloaded – you drink wine, you need to piss.
“It is remarkable how similar the pattern of love is to the pattern of insanity.”
Again, this quote is delivered by the Merovingian. Although it is funny, he has a point here – we all act a bit crazy when we’re in love.
“How about I give you the finger, and you give me my phone call.”
Agent Smith learned that Thomas Anderson, aka Neo, was in contact with Morpheus, so he tried to turn him, giving him a deal. He would wipe clean his criminal record for hacking, but Neo delivered this quote instead of folding. The quote and Agent Smith’s reaction always have me laughing.
“I know Kung-Fu!”
You probably didn’t even know that this quote-turned-pop-cultural-gem is from The Matrix. In a world where you can literally download knowledge, learning Kung-Fu is as simple as absorbing the latest download. Neo deliver this quote after waking up after long hours of training in the Matrix.
“Doesn’t get much more obvious than that.”
When Neo meets the Oracle for the first time, she already knows what his questions will be. So, she starts things off by saying, “Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way.” Neo answers with: “You’re not human, are you?” to which the Oracle delivers the hilarious quote.
Matrix Quotes About Reality
“The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.”
Morpheus delivers this awesome quote to Neo when they first meet, and Neo chooses the red pill. Is anything actually real? Is reality itself real? That’s the question Morpheus is asking.
“That you are a slave. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell, or taste, or touch. A prison for your mind.”
Everything Neo knows is an illusion. What we see isn’t reality. Reality is much darker, grim, and terrifying. It’s actually a metaphor about our society as a whole if you think about it. The quote is from the beginning of the first Matrix movie.
“How do you define real? If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, taste, and see, then “real” is simply – electrical signals interpreted by your brain.”
In The Matrix, Morpheus tries to explain to Neo that nothing is real. If we define reality through what our senses pick up, we automatically consider our senses flawless, which is, of course, not true.
“Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?”
Morpheus tries to explain to Neo that our senses, and the brain’s interpretation of the signals they send, can feel real even if they aren’t. There’s no way of knowing – until you know.
“There is no spoon.”
This is the moment when Neo starts to realize how the Matrix works. The Spoon Boy explains to Neo that you can’t bend the spoon with your mind – all you need to do is realize that there is no spoon – you have to bend your reality. You need to bend yourself. If nothing is real, then anything you want or think – can become “real.”
“A déjà vu is usually a glitch in the Matrix. It happens when they change something.”
Trinity says this quote in the first Matrix movie. “A glitch in the Matrix” had become such a well-known pop-cultural reference, meaning that something isn’t right or that something weird is happening before our eyes.
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