Neo. Neo (born as Thomas A. Anderson, also known as The One, an anagram for "Neo") is the protagonist of the Matrix franchise. He was portrayed as a cybercriminal and computer programmer by Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Trilogy, as well as having a cameo in The Animatrix short film Kid's Story.
Neo was the “chosen one” both figuratively and in-universe, but the way the Matrix movies deal with the idea of a predestinated hero is quite different from other popular stories like Star Wars. In The Matrix, being The One meant that Neo could perceive the Matrix simulation in a way that no other human could.
Keanu Reeves as Neo: A computer programmer, born Thomas A. Anderson, who secretly operates as a hacker named Neo. Reeves described his character as someone who felt that something was wrong, and was searching for Morpheus and the truth to break free.
Keanu Reeves's Thomas Anderson begins as a reluctant anti-hero quite at home in his initial setting. By the end of the film, Thomas Anderson becomes Neo, an undoubted hero and the new leader in a world that is beginning to change.
Scaling Neo's power is easier when comparing Keanu Reeves' character to Agent Smith. Before fully awakening his potential, Neo is soundly beaten by the Agent, but overtakes the enemy program after evolving into The One.
The Matrix takes a dramatic turn when Nebuchadnezzar crew member Cypher betrays Morpheus, turning him over to the Agents. At first glance, the reasons behind Cypher's decision seem obvious, but they turn out to have multiple layers.
The Architect is a highly specialized program of the Machine world, as well as the creator of the Matrix. As the primary superintendent of the system, he is possibly a collective manifestation or perhaps a virtual representation of the entire Machine mainframe.
Agent Smith is the main antagonist of the The Matrix franchise. He is the leader of the Agents, who later becomes a computer virus within the second and third films, as well as Neo's archenemy.
As it is the only relic in the Transformers multiverse that is a physical embodiment of Primus himself, it is he only thing that Unicron truly fears. The Matrix of Leadership is able to directly damage, harm and destroy/kill Unicron, something that few other things can do.
It was revealed that both Neo and Trinity were actually the culmination of decades of machine research into translating human DNA perfectly into machine code; allowing them to interface directly with technology without the need for simulated interfaces.
In addition to Neo's general ability to manipulate aspects of the Matrix, perhaps his most notable power is being able to dodge bullets, although being able to fly is certainly up there as well. Neo is also telekinetic in general, able to move objects with his mind.
Neo's true nature as The One manifests after he is shot and apparently killed by Agent Smith while trying to escape the Matrix after rescuing Morpheus from interrogation by the Agents. After a confession and a kiss from Trinity, Neo reawakens in the Matrix, his powers enabled, and easily defeats the agents.
One character who's conspicuously absent from the long-awaited sequel, however, is Agent Smith, the main antagonist from the first three films. Well, absent in the form we're all used to seeing him, at least. Instead, the rogue AI program is played by the excellent Johnathan Groff.
Morpheus tells of the original “the One,” the first person to wake from the Matrix. Because they were the first, they necessarily broke out on their own. Nearly everyone in Zion can trace their freedom directly back to that first mental prison break.
Because Agent Smith has assimilated the anomaly (Neo), he is now directly connected to the Source through Neo and the machines are able to destroy all copies of his programming and reboot the Matrix without errors.
Smith is no stronger than Neo, they are equally powerful. Neo allowed himself to do this, otherwise Smith would have failed as in the previous film. In the second film it is explained that all the laws of physics in the Matrix are handled by minor programs, Smith when absorbing a program takes all the powers from it.
Neo is referred to throughout the Matrix trilogy as the One, that is, the chosen one, which also describes Christ—a messiah, sent to deliver salvation. References to Christianity proliferate in the films, and the Matrix films are an allegory for the Christian faith and that Neo is a modern-day Jesus.
Even with Neo growing into The One, Morpheus is able to take him on and defeat him multiple times, despite him later finding it impossible to defeat any one of the Agents he then comes up against.
The penultimate scene of The Matrix Revolutions sees Neo jacking into the Matrix one last time, where he and Agent Smith engage in a cataclysmic battle. Neo quickly realizes that he and Smith are evenly matched, and he allows Smith to assimilate him.
However, as Neo began to wake up from the illusion, so did Smith. Before being reborn, Smith was the perfect antithesis to Neo; where Neo freed minds, Smith took them over, adding them to his web and taking their abilities. He even gained the power of flight and proved he could do almost anything Neo could.
