Neo

There are a couple conversations that contain heavy foreshadowing about Neo's role in the movies.

Choi: Hallelujah. You're my savior, man. My own personal Jesus Christ. Neo: You get caught using that... Choi: Yeah, I know. This never happened. You don't exist. Neo: Right. Choi: Something wrong, man? You look a little whiter than usual. Neo: My computer, it... You ever have that feeling where you're not sure if you're awake or still dreaming? Choi: Mm, all the time. It's called Mescaline. It's the only way to fly. Hey, it just sounds to me like you need to unplug, man.

Neo will end up saving humanity, acting as Choi's own personal Jesus Christ. When Choi says, "This never happened. You don't exist," his words end up ringing true as Neo drives by the place where he used to eat those good noodles, and he says that none of his memories actually happened. The "awake or still dreaming" refers to what will soon happen when he meets Morpheus, and of course Choi has no idea just how true Neo's "need to unplug" is.

Neo disrespects the Architect and, according to the Merovingian, has much less respect than his predecessors. Mr. Rhineheart has no idea just how special Neo is (in fact, so special that he is the only person in the Matrix who can be called the One), and of course Neo goes on to break just about every rule and law within the Matrix.

Neo's differences

There are several lines throughout the movies that give us clues that Neo is significantly different from his five predecessors:

• Neo is more disrespectful/rebellious: - "You have a problem with authority, Mr. Anderson." (Mr. Rhinehart, M1) "You know, your predecessors had much more respect." (Merovingian, M2)
• Neo is smarter: - "Quite right. Interesting. That was quicker than the others." (Architect, M2)
• Neo is more skilled: - [after stopping bullets in mid-air] "Okay. You have some skill." (Merovingian, M2)
• Neo risks his love of all for his love of one: - "While the others experienced this [love] in a very general way [love for the human race], your experience is far more specific - vis-a-vis love." (Architect, M2)

Neo's background

When Agent Smith opens up Thomas Anderson's criminal record in the beginning of M1, the following personal information can be read:

• The last update to the file was July 22, 1998.
• Neo's date of birth is "March 11, 1962."
• Neo's place of birth is "Lower Downtown, Capitol City."
• Neo's mother's maiden name is "Michelle McCahey."
• Neo's father's name is "John Anderson."
• Neo attended "Central West Junior High" and "Owen Paterson High" (named after the film's production designer).

When Neo gets in the car with Trinity for the first time, Switch refers to him as "coppertop." Coppertop is a slang for the Duracell Battery, which is the battery Morpheus shows to Neo as he explains how the human race became an energy sources.

Neo: Neo's Opposite Neo: Neo's Parallel Neo: The Machine Neo: Altered Consciousness Neo: In Mobil Avenue Neo: What Neo Changes Neo: Neo Dies?

Neo's Powers: Nuclear Despair

Neo: Neo's Opposite