By Fernando Navarro Robuschi/Tut1991

OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY:

This essay is a recollection of all we know (and don't know) about the being known as "The Chosen One" (within the context of “The Prophecy"), and as the "Integral Anomaly" by those who know the truth about him/her. It is meant to answer questions such as:

-Is “the One” chosen by the machines? Or is he the byproduct of the anomalies within the matrix?

-Is he granted his powers on purpose by the machines? If so, how? Or does he have them as a result of being an integral anomaly? Or perhaps is the code he carries that which gives him/her his/her powers?

-What is the nature of the code “the One” carries? Where does it come from? What does it do?

Please note this essay is not intended for those unfamiliar with “The Matrix” original trilogy of films, but instead for those who already saw the original matrix trilogy and know the basics of what I’m going to explain.

Without going yet into the details, I’ll say (write) right away as a summary of sorts that the being known as “the One” has two specific functions, vital for the surviving of the human species, and its continue enslavement to the machines (which in turn is almost vital for the surviving of the machines): stabilize the Matrix by allowing it to reboot/reset every 100 years by delivering an special code to “the source” (the machine mainframe) and, since the machines will end up destroying the city of Zion 24 hours later, by requiring the One to choose, after the dissemination of the aforementioned code, 23 humans to be freed from the matrix by the machines and put to rebuild Zion to keep up the charade of a fake prophecy: that they have been freed by a “messiah” who will return some day in the future to destroy the matrix and end the war against the machines, when in reality what’s going to happen are the things described above. This happens every 100 years in a “never ending” cycle (that was the original plan, at least).

What I just described is what is known as “The Path of The One” by the followers of the prophecy (and thus by those who don’t know about the never-ending cycle of control), and as the “Prime Program” by the machines (that are aware of the whole truth).

To ensure the outcome described above, many mechanisms of control are put in place, such as the invention of a prophecy to steer the One to the source, where the reset takes place. Specific programs lead the One there, and the One is (possibly but never confirmed) granted special powers by the machines to ensure his/her survival for the completion of this process.

Although as we shall see there’s much room for debate on the specifics and details of what happens within this cycle, let’s temporarily put it as simple as possible:

-Either a human being is born with an anomalous code as a result of all the anomalies within the matrix and the machines happen to know who this human is, or the machines actually pick a random or specific human.

-The machines either give this human a code that attaches to him/herself all of the anomalies within the matrix, or the human in question is born with this code because he/she is the byproduct of all the anomalies within the matrix.

-They convince this human he/she is a messiah through the telling of a fake prophecy in which he/she is the reincarnation of a previous messiah that will put an end to the machine war and save and free humanity, and that he/she will achieve this by reaching “the source”.

- This human is either granted special powers by the machines to both give credibility to the prophecy and to warrant he/she will survive long enough to reach “the source”, or he/she may have these anomalous abilities as a result of being a “super (integral) anomaly”.

-Upon arriving to the Architect’s “office” he/she is told the truth and is forced to make a choice: return to the matrix, which will result in the extinction of the human species, or enter “the source”. He/she is blackmailed into entering the source to disseminate the code he/she carries.

-They make him/her pick 23 humans to be freed in order to rebuild the soon-to-be destroyed human city of Zion.

-The machines destroy Zion.

-They put the recently freed humans to rebuild Zion, and tell them about the fake prophecy: that someday the reincarnation of the “messiah” who freed them will return to put an end to the war and save and free humankind.

-Around one-hundred years later, another human being is born with the anomalous code (or picked by the machines to give the code to) and so repeat this whole process again. So far, it has been done five times (almost six, with the sixth cycle ending different because of the different path took by Neo, the Sixth One/Integral Anomaly).

All of this requires, however, some background knowledge:

BACKGROUND

WHEN AND WHY DID “THE CHOSEN ONE” BECAME A NECESSARY FEATURE OF THE MATRIX?

"The Architect" (the program created by the machines for the purpose of designing the Matrix) struggled to create a stable virtual reality world for the humans to inhabit. He first attempted to create a "perfect, paradise-like" virtual world, where humans were to be always happy. Since human inherent imperfection, however, they quickly realized they were in a simulation or, at the very least, in a dream. They perceived that such perfection was impossible, and thus correctly concluded they were “dreaming”, and therefore their minds rejected this virtual world, constantly trying to "wake up from the dream" (escape from it). As explained by Agent Smith in The Matrix:

“Did you know that the first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world where none suffered, where everyone would be happy? It was a disaster. No one would accept the program. Entire crops were lost. Some believed that we lacked the programming language to describe your "perfect world". But I believe that, as a species, human beings define their reality through misery and suffering. So, the perfect world was a dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from” (Agent Smith explaining to an abducted Morpheus the nature of the first matrix).

The Architect's explanation for this “monumental failure” as he puts it, is: “the inevitability of its doom is apparent to me now as a consequence of the imperfection inherent in every human being”. Essentially, putting imperfect beings inside a perfect world simply wasn’t compatible, as it didn’t result plausible or credible to humans.

His second attempt was no better: he now redesigned the matrix to more accurately reflect human nature, filling human's lives with tragedy and suffering (as human history usually is full of). This one is called "Nightmare Matrix" by the fandom, and the Architect says about it: “Thus I redesigned it [the Matrix], based on your history, to more accurately reflect the varying grotesqueries of your nature. However, I was again, frustrated by failure” (The Architect explaining to Neo the nature and failure of the second Matrix in M: Reloaded).

As with the first Matrix, this one also failed: humans could tell they were trapped in some sort of dream, and this time in a nightmarish one.

Frustrated, he either sought the help of an intuitive program originally designed to investigate certain aspects of the human psyche (later known as “The Oracle”), or it was this program that offered to help him design a third matrix.

Unlike the Architect, this program understood the core of the problem, probably because she had been precisely created to understand the human mind: she realized that humans kept trying to “wake up” from the matrix because, essentially, they didn’t believe it was the real world, which in turn made them believe it was some sort of dream. That it wasn’t something real. Therefore, she claimed, if humans were presented with a choice, even if they were only aware of it at a near unconscious level, they would accept the program. The nature of this choice is unknown, with neither the Architect nor the Oracle mentioning what that choice actually was about. It can be theorized, however, that in order to make humans feel they were in the real world and not some simulated virtual reality, they needed to feel free to make their own choices. That is, they needed to feel they had free will. This may lead to the conclusion that the choice they were given was essentially if believing this “world” was real or not. Since now they were given the free will to decide (even, again, at a near unconscious level), their minds felt they were truly free, and thus accepted the new matrix, their minds convinced they were in the real world precisely for having a free decision in the matter (as it happens in the real world). This worked well for the vast majority of cases, thus finally creating the stability the machines needed in the matrix for it to correctly operate.

In this new third Matrix, stability (people stopping from trying to waking up) was thus almost completely achieved for a long period of time. More than 98% of the population ("nearly 99%" as stated by the Architect in M: Reloaded) chose to stay in the matrix. This method had, however, one fundamental flaw: the remaining humans that still rejected the matrix despite having been given the choice just like the rest of their kind.

These humans composed a little over 1% of the population within the matrix, and although it can be considered a minuscule percentage, it still posed a threat to the system, as each rejection (referred to as an “anomaly” by the Architect) is expressed in the form of a code within the Matrix which acts somewhat like a software bug. Over time, the number of rejections would begin to build up and, after a certain threshold, this "Contradictory Systemic Anomaly" (as referred by the Architect) would have to be purged from the Matrix or else the Matrix would eventually crash - killing everyone hardwired to it. The reason the Architect views it as a contradictory anomaly is due to the fact that, because of the choice humans were given, which was the prime feature of this third matrix to convince them to stay in it, some humans chose “wrong” thanks to that choice and thus tried to wake up from it. As stated by the Architect: “Ergo, those who refused the program, while a minority, if unchecked, would constitute an escalating probability of disaster” (the Architect to Neo, explaining the danger of the “contradictory anomaly” in M: Reloaded).

Given the increasing instability that the anomalies caused to the matrix, and given the stated function of the One (stabilizing the matrix through its reload), one can conclude (and is in fact confirmed by the Architect) that this instability would eventually lead to the destruction of the matrix, killing off the remaining humans inhabiting it:

“The function of the one is now to return to the source allowing a temporary dissemination of the code you carry, reinserting the prime program… failure to comply with this process will result in a cataclysmic system crash killing everyone connected to the matrix…" (The Architect to Neo, explaining the true function of the One).

Both these threats (the 1% rejection of the matrix leading up to the cataclysmic system crash) were probably always known by both the Architect and the Oracle. Evidently, something had to be done to restabilize the matrix before it was too late, to get rid of all or nearly all of the so called “anomalies”, in order to save the matrix and with-it humankind, which in turn machines needed in order to survive (though the Architect hints at the possibility the machines being able to survive without humans, even if barely so).

A cunning solution was crafted by both programs (The Architect and The Oracle) to achieve these goals:

ZION AS A SYSTEM OF CONTROL

When the first integral anomaly manifested itself in this new matrix (or when the machines gave a random human the code that made him/her the integral anomaly, in case the machines are the ones behind his/her existence) he was convinced he was some sort of Messiah not only due to the stuff he could do in the matrix, but also by the prophecy (to be explained later) and by the humans living in Zion, the last human city. This messiah complex allowed the machines to trick the One into entering the source to reload the matrix. The machines thus recognized that Zion served an important purpose: to create in the One this messiah complex, facilitating his function. So, after razing Zion, instead of leaving it permanently destroyed, they decided that the One would choose from the matrix twenty-three individuals (16 female, 7 male) to be purposefully freed by the machines to allow them, without them realizing all this, to rebuild the recently destroyed underground city on a specific location. The reason for doing this is not only to provoke a messiah complex when the time comes (near the very end of each century) but that also the machines now perfectly know where the future human resistance (the human ships with their crews “rescuing” people from the matrix) will reside, and thus are already setting the stage for its destruction when it becomes an actual threat. In simpler words, instead of trying to prevent an enemy from appearing and go into hiding, they thought it was better to just create that enemy and keep him under control by deciding where he will reside, making him believe he’s hidden when in fact he’s been put in that hideout on purpose. That is precisely the mechanism used here: The city of Zion is believed by the humans to be the last remainder of humanity and to have been built shortly after their defeat in the machine war. It is also believed the machines are ignorant of its location. It actually exists by the will of the machines, and they are perfectly aware of its location, therefore setting the stage for its future destruction each time the matrix is reloaded and Zion rebuilt. Its destruction is also important because after 100 years, this human city begins to pose some measure of actual threat to the machines, and the threat has to be deal with.

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE CHOSEN ONE

How to deal with the percentage of anomalies existing in the matrix that destabilize it? The Architect and the Oracle decided that a human within the matrix would be required to bring a code, attaching to him/herself all of the anomalies within the matrix (a theory explained in the next chapter of this essay), to the Source (The machine mainframe, which also has a software representation within the matrix) in order for it (the code) to be disseminated, after which a reboot/reset/reload of the matrix would be carried out. 24 hours later, the machines would be destroying Zion, the human city that had supposedly been created by the human resistance (but actually allowed to exist by the machines) to keep control of everyone unplugged from the matrix. Because of this fact, the human in the source would also be required to pick from the matrix 23 individuals (16 female, 7 male) to free from the matrix and rebuild Zion (for the reasons described on the previous chapter). The human "tasked" with both these functions is what is known as either "The Chosen One" by the followers of "The Prophecy" (which are completely unaware of the One's true purpose), or as the 'Integral Anomaly" by the Architect. So, the machines (their programs within the Matrix) would help this human being reach the source in order to reset the matrix and thus return to the nearly 99% stability it previously had (around 100 years since the last reset) while at the same time razing Zion to get rid of the threat it poses, but preparing the stage for its reconstruction to repeat the whole process again. However, before the final step (entering in the source), the human would be given a choice by the Architect: to either enter into the source to allow the matrix reboot (thus both saving humankind from extinction and extending their enslavement, as well as ensuring Zion will “survive” by being able to rebuild it) or to return to the matrix (extinguishing the human species by the system crash and the destruction of Zion).

Before giving an answer (or a theory, at least) regarding the choice the One is allowed to make, let's for the last time summarize what's supposed to happen to stabilize the matrix, as it is a complex topic:

-A human is required to reach the source carrying a code necessary to reload the matrix. That code was either given to this human by the machines, or the human was born with the code as a result of being the byproduct of the anomalies within the matrix. In either case, this code is needed to reset/reboot the matrix. And in either case, this is the human referred to as “the One”.

-In order to lead this human to the source, a prophecy is made up, and sentient programs are used to convince him/her that he/she is the reincarnation of a Messiah destined to free humankind, whose path to achieve this ends by reaching “the source”.

-Special programs are used to help him/her reach the source (The Oracle and the Key maker).

-Special powers, which may or may not be granted by the machines, are wielded by this human in order to both give the prophecy credibility, and to warrant this human will not die before reaching the source, since his/her survival is crucial to this process (if the human carrying the code is dead, the matrix cannot reboot/reset). It is important to reiterate, however, that the special powers of the One may be the byproduct of him being a “super (integral) anomaly” and thus the machines have nothing to do with them.

-The person carrying the code is granted, by design (which entails the machines are indeed behind this feature), a powerful feeling of attachment to the rest of the human species in order for him/her to choose “correctly” when presented with the final choice by the Architect (go into the source and allow the resetting of the matrix, thus saving humankind but perpetuating its enslavement). This last point is made clear by the Architect:

“…your five predecessors were, by design, based on a similar predication, a contingent affirmation that was meant to create a profound attachment to the rest of your species, thus facilitating the function of the One…” (The Architect in M: Reloaded revealing to Neo that each “One” was deliberately designed with a feeling of attachment towards his/her species).

One should rightly inquire why would the Architect should even give the One the choice of saving the matrix (and with it, the machines) in this matter instead of somehow force him into the source, giving him/her no other options. I think the most plausible answer (though it's still a theory) is that “the choice” is the prime feature in the third matrix, it functions thanks to it, and so it becomes necessary for the One to freely decide what to do.

Even so, as the Architect claims make clear, each “One” is coaxed/put under duress or even outright blackmailed into entering the source, since if he/she refuses to enter it, every human being in the matrix will die, which combined with the destruction of Zion within 24 hours, will result in the extinction of the entire human species. Thus, while free to decide, his decision is heavily influenced by the machines to ensure he/she decides “correctly”.

This process is repeated every 100 years, because around 100 years, the matrix needs to be rebooted/reloaded again, and the time is made to coincide with the destruction of Zion, as after a century of “freedom”, Zion can begin to pose an actual threat to the machines. By the time in which the events of the original matrix trilogy happen, that matrix is already the sixth version of the third Matrix, with Neo being the sixth version of the One/Integral Anomaly, which means the matrix has been rebooted/reloaded five times already, which in turn means that Zion has already been destroyed and rebuilt five times, which in turn means that the machine war didn’t end one hundred years ago as humans are wrongly led to believe, but in fact ended around six hundred years ago, as by the time of the events of the original matrix trilogy this cycle was supposed to start yet again for the seventh time, which never happened because of the path took by Neo (very simplistically explained, he fell in love and thus chose the “wrong” door).

However, each version of The One (before the meeting with the Architect) is completely unaware he/she is just another “One”, or that this matrix has been already rebooted/reloaded X number of times, or that the prophecy is false and Zion has been destroyed many times before. Each “One” discovers all this when reaching the Architect's “office” approximately 24 hours before Zion is destroyed.

Now to go into more detail about the mechanics of this process:

THE CODE THE “ONE” CARRIES, AND THE POSSIBLE ORIGIN OF THE ONE

Regarding the “code” or "special code" that this human (the One/the Integral Anomaly) carries, this is what is known beyond doubt:

1: The code IS carried by a human in the matrix.

2: The person carrying the code is referred to as “The Chosen One” by the followers of “The Prophecy” (though they completely ignore the existence of the code he/she's carrying), or the “Integral Anomaly” by the Architect (very aware of the code he/she carries).

3: The reset of the matrix requires the aforementioned special code, as revealed by the Architect in M: Reloaded: "The function of the One is now to return to the source allowing a temporary dissemination of the code you carry, reinserting the prime program…" (The Architect to Neo, explaining Neo’s true purpose).

4: As revealed by the previous citation, that code needs to be disseminated at the Source and no other place. The why of this is never stated.

Regarding the first undisputed point, which is very related to the origins of the One, it is unknown if,

-the machines grant this code to a randomly selected human being when he is born, or give it to him/her when already being an adult,

-if they grant it to a specially selected human being when he is born, or give it to him/her when already being an adult,

-if the machines grant this code at all, as it is possible that the “code” this human carries may be the byproduct of the anomalies within the matrix: when there are too many anomalies to the point the matrix begins to seriously destabilize, a human being is born with the aforementioned anomalous code that attaches to him/herself all of the anomalies within the matrix, and the machines happen to know (somehow) who this human is and lastly,

-what the code exactly does.

As can be seen, there are at least two mainstream opposing theories:

-The machines select a human to make him/her the One (give him/her the code to attach to him/herself the anomalies within the matrix). In this case the machines are picking a human to become the Integral Anomaly.

-The One is a manifestation/byproduct of all the anomalies within the matrix, and thus he/she is born with the code that attaches to him/her all of the anomalies. His/her existence is therefore the eventuality of an anomaly (the many humans rejecting the matrix eventually “give birth” to a human with an anomalous code). In this case the One is born as an integral anomaly, as opposed to be given a code to become one.

While "The Matrix Wiki", in its "The One" article claims that "when the anomalies in the Matrix reach a certain threshold and begin to pose serious problems, a random human is selected by the machines to be born with a special code" and also claims that “[In the Matrix Online video game] It is also revealed that the Machines select and breed each One” there are no sources cited in the article to back up these claims. Also, since the coming out of The Matrix: Resurrections, it is not likely the events of The Matrix Online, previously a canonical continuation of the Matrix story, are still canon as I’m posting this essay.

Nevertheless, to the wiki theory’s credit, it is revealing that the Architect mentions during his conversation with Neo in M: Reloaded, that each “One” feels “by design” very attached to the rest of his/her species, meant to facilitate his/her function, as it would make him/her choose “the door on the right” when the moment came. The obvious implication of such a claim by the Architect is that the machines are essentially behind (or they influence in a huge way) the chosen one's existence. Thus, they “make” (up to a certain point) the One, making the wiki's claims written above very plausible/credible. To reiterate, however, it’s not known if the machines grant the code to the One that makes him/her an integral anomaly, or if he/she is actually born as an integral anomaly (a byproduct of all anomalies within the matrix) and the machines just need his/her code to reload the matrix. Also, as we shall see in the last section, it is not known whether the machines are behind his powers or not, with two mainstream theories by the fandom opposing each other.

It is hard to believe that the machines, depending on the matrix for their survival, would leave anything to chance, and therefore it is easy to believe that they have taken every measure to ensure that the One completes the path set before him/her by them. However, the integral anomaly may be completely “natural” (as in, not made by the machines but being the byproduct of a dying matrix) and thus the machines just limit themselves to find a way of controlling this integral anomaly.

Regarding the last point, what the code actually does, the wiki also outright claims that “The special code has the function to collectively attach, to the person that carries it, all of the anomalies which emanate from the few humans who continue to reject the Matrix. This essentially makes The One an "Integral Anomaly" or the SUM of all anomalies… a random human is selected by the machines to be born with a special code (the Integral Anomaly) that, as said before, ties and attaches all of the anomalies within the Matrix to the programming of this human” (“The One” article within The Matrix Wiki).

As usual, no source is mentioned, so it's rather a fandom theory.

Both theories would however explain why the Architect refers to the One as an “integral anomaly”. The word “integral” suggests he views the One as (and the One actually is) the sum of all the anomalies within the matrix (either because of a code given by the machines attaching to him/her all matrix anomalies, or because he/she was born with said code as a byproduct of all the anomalies in the matrix). As stated by the Architect:

“Your life is the sum of the remainder of an unbalanced equation inherent in the programming of the matrix. You are the eventuality of an anomaly…” (The Architect explaining the nature of the One to Neo).

He also refers to all “the Ones” as “Integral Anomalies” when revealing Neo for how long the matrix has existed:

“The matrix is older than you know. I prefer counting from the emergence of one integral anomaly to the emergence of the next in which case this is the sixth version”

Essentially, the Architect is telling Neo he is the sixth “integral anomaly” to have appear in the history of the matrix.

Regarding the mechanics used to bring this human to the Source, this is what is known:

THE PROPHECY OF THE CHOSEN ONE AS A SYSTEM OF CONTROL

In order to bring the person with the code to the source, a prophecy was made up, most likely by the Oracle, to deceive each version of “The One” into believing he/she is a messiah destined to end humankind's enslavement to the machines by destroying the matrix, and end the war between machines and humans, thus saving Zion from the machines in the process. Morpheus cites the prophecy in the following manner:

“When the matrix was first built, there was a man born inside who had the ability to change whatever he wanted, to remake the matrix as he saw fit. It was he who freed the first of us, thought us the truth: as long as the matrix exists the human race will never be free. After he died, the Oracle prophesized his return, and that his coming would hail the destruction of the matrix, end the war and bring freedom to our people…” (Morpheus telling Neo the prophecy).

Ironically, as stated previously, far from destroying it, the function of The One is to stabilize the matrix and warrant humankind's continued enslavement to it. When Morpheus talks of this previous “messiah”, he's actually talking about the “chosen one” that preceded Neo (the fifth One) without even knowing it.

The goal of the prophecy is not only to deceive the integral anomaly into viewing him/herself as a messiah figure, creating a sense of attachment or responsibility towards humankind, but to convince as much unplugged humans as possible that the prophecy is true, because The One, by him/herself, cannot reach the source without the help of his/her friends/companions (evidently showed in M: Reloaded, as Neo could have not possibly reached the source without the help of other redpills).

THE POWERS OF THE CHOSEN ONE: A SYSTEM OF CONTROL?

The One exhibits a wide array of powers unique to him, not even wielded by the freed redpills:

-Enhanced (far more enhanced than even the Agents of the Matrix) speed, strength, agility and stamina.

-Bending certain rules from the Matrix to a point far beyond other redpills can, such as gravity (thus, the ability to fly) or vectors (thus, telekinesis, like stop bullets mid-air).

-See the matrix code, which allows him/her to read everything that is happening around him/her, including hidden objects and a very useful all-encompassing view when fighting (for example, avoiding a hit he/she actually never “saw” coming, as the fight against Agent Smith at the end of “The Matrix” clearly shows. It's also depicted many times in the Merovingian’s chateau fight in M: Reloaded).

-He can enter other programs in order to delete them from within (such as he did with Agent Smith), or revive humans by modifying their code within the matrix (such as he did with Trinity).

-The telekinesis and to a certain point the “special seeing” abilities in particular can also be wielded in the real world, as shown in M: Reloaded and M: Revolutions, respectively.

These powers come from the Source (the machine mainframe) as revealed by the Oracle in M: Revolutions:

“The power of the One extends beyond this world. It reaches from here all the back to where it came from… the source” (The Oracle explaining to Neo where his powers come from).

While the previous statement reveals it indeed comes from the source, it is a matter of debate whether the machines are behind the existence of his/her power or not. Many in the fandom claim that, since the One is an anomaly in the matrix (and is referred as such by Agents), he is able to do anomalous stuff, which are perceived as “special powers” by outside observers. This makes much intuitive sense. To back it up, one can wonder why the machines, if really behind the One’s powers, didn’t got rid of Neo´s powers when he was no longer needed (after choosing “wrong” in the Architect’s “office”) and was trying to reach the source in the machine city. The machines were actively trying to stop him, so why not just removing his powers? This points out that the idea of the One’s powers being an unintentional byproduct of him being the “integral anomaly” is very plausible/credible. Also to note is what the Architect says about him:

“You are the eventuality of an anomaly… [and] while it remains a burden assiduously avoided it is not unexpected and thus not beyond a measure of control…” (The Architect to Neo regarding what he is in M: Reloaded).

The above citation points out that the machines aren’t behind the One’s existence. His/her existence is the eventuality of an anomaly (the many humans rejecting the matrix eventually “give birth” to a human with an anomalous code) over which the machines have no control. However, since his/her manifestation is expected the machines know how to deal with/control it. This reasoning entails that the machines are thus not behind the One’s powers. He has them as a result of being the integral anomaly, the sum of all anomalies, a “super anomaly”, so to speak, that can therefore do incredibly anomalous (“super”) stuff.

Others in the fandom (as revealed in “The Matrix Wiki”) claim instead the machines are the ones purposefully granting the One some sort of “connection” to the source and, by virtue of this connection, he is allowed to manipulate many aspects of the matrix at will. There is no source cited to make this claim, but this last theory is also a very credible and plausible one, since it goes in line with the idea that the machines want to warrant the survival of the One so he/she is able to reach the source and fulfil his/her function. Besides, the source being an integral part of the machine world and the matrix (and thus, being under their control), it is unlikely the machines would not know about the powers emanating from it towards this human coincidentally needed to stabilize the matrix, or that they could not “prevent” these powers from manifesting. Also of note is the aforementioned line by the Architect in which he claims Neo’s predecessor’s “…were, by design…” which clearly entails “made on purpose” which thus can very easily include the powers of the One. Thus, there’s also a strong case for the theory that the machines are granting the One his/her power on purpose.

CONCLUSION

Many of the things written in this essay are theories on the part of the fandom, and not undisputed facts. To name just one example, the degree to which the machines are behind the One’s existence, code and powers is debatable. Neo, as the sixth One, broke the descripted apparently never-ending cycle because he fell in love with Trinity, thus choosing to return to the matrix to save Trinity instead of reloading the matrix for the seventh time. Ironically, by ignoring the Path of the One, and instead following his own path, he finally put an end to the war against the machines, and let anyone rejecting the matrix be unplugged and taken into Zion to be free. By going outside of the mechanisms that controlled the “One”, he became some sort of a true chosen one. But that’s another story.

Thanks for reading!