“ You see there is only one constant. One universal. It is the only real truth: Causality. Action, reaction. Cause and effect.
”― The Merovingian[src]
The Merovingian (sometimes called The Frenchman) is an old program that resides within the Matrix. Self-described as a "trafficker of information", The Merovingian behaves much as a leader of a powerful organized crime syndicate. He and his wife Persephone operate a smuggling ring providing a haven for exiled programs in the Matrix. The Merovingian is described as an "Operating System" by The Kid in his blog incorporated in The Matrix Online, although this presumably describes his role pre-Exile rather than his current function.
Biography[]
History[]
The Merovingian's history seems deeper than his appearances and material trappings. Described by the Oracle as "one of the oldest of us", The Merovingian came to the Matrix "long ago" with his wife, Persephone.
Preferring to speak in French - as its eloquence and fervour is equatable to that of "silk," and further living an opulent life, - The Merovingian desired to displace the Oracle; he even endeavoured to the extent of acquiring her "termination code" to achieve such, but was unsuccessful. Rama Kandra begged him to save his daughter Sati from deletion in exchange for the termination code for the outer shell of The Oracle. At some point, The Merovingian most likely saved Seraph from deletion. And when Seraph later realized The Merovingian's malicious intentions, Seraph betrayed him and sided with The Oracle and adopted the obligation as her bodyguard, protecting The Oracle - and also Sati, from her enemies such as The Merovingian and, possibly, from Agents. Also at some point in his life, an exiled program called The General betrayed The Merovingian. During his encounters with Neo, he explicates his anticipation of his arrival - moreover, that he has frequently encountered and fought his predecessors - previous 'The Ones,' and survived each encounter.[1]
Meeting at the Le Vrai Restaurant[]
The Merovingian and Persephone meeting with Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus.
At the Le Vrai restaurant, The Merovingian met with Neo, Trinity, & Morpheus to discuss the exchange of The Keymaker - as The Oracle had counseled to Neo as critical to the continuation of the Zion. Prior to their conversation, he secretly ordered a cake to be delivered to a woman sitting across from their table. While she received her cake - sensually indulging in it, The Merovingian elaborated about the concept of causality to Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus.
He explained that every cause has an effect, and every effect has a cause. Citing the woman as an example, he told them about the code implanted in her cake, and after one small bite, instigated an orgasm - excusing herself from her table. After she left, The Merovingian told Neo that The Keymaker is subjected to his ownership, and no one can communicate or interact with him. His intentions were to block the Nebuchadnezzar crew from obtaining The Keymaker to reach the Source; at this point in the narrative, is implied as central computing core of The Matrix.
Persephone leaves her husband to converse with Neo.
After The Merovingian left to use the washroom, Persephone betrayed him and guided Neo and the others to The Keymaker for his liberation. In the process, she killed Abel with a silver bullet and told Cain, who had witnessed it, to go tell The Merovingian what she had done; both rogue programs were once salvaged by The Merovingian, and were very old and "difficult to kill."
Upon hearing what had happened, The Merovingian went to the chateau to monitor The Keymaker, finding that the others had released him and Persephone had assisted - just as Cain explicated. Fervently confronting them, Persephone taunted him about causality and also implied that she knew that he had received fellatio from the woman he seduced earlier in the washroom, and departs from the imminent conflict - leaving him to contend with Neo and the others.
The Merovingian, in the background, watches Neo fight against his henchmen.
Enraged at the culminating events, The Merovingian ordered The Twins to retrieve The Keymaker. As The Keymaker fled from The Twins, Morpheus and Trinity followed while The Merovingian ordered six of his henchmen to fight Neo.
After Neo defeated his henchmen, The Merovingian - after bitterly cussing out Persephone for her insubordination, muttered under his breath that "this" - the fight, will not be "the end of [Merovingian]". He subsequently explicated to Neo that he has survived his predecessors as he will survive against Neo. The Merovingian vacated through the entrance door and, though Neo attempted to impede him, managed to escape by entering a separate room, as well as rectifying the code to have the door he left through be changed to a cliffside.[1]
Encounter at Club Hel[]
Trinity points a gun at The Merovingian, demanding how to find Neo at Club Hel.
Shortly after the car chase, Neo was trapped in Mobil Avenue station, controlled by The Trainman, who was affiliated with The Merovingian. Morpheus, Trinity, & Seraph fought their way into Club Hel to negotiate with The Merovingian. When they got to him, The Merovingian demanded the eyes of The Oracle in return for Neo. Trinity refused and grabbed a gun from a henchman.
A brief fight was instigated between the Henchmen and the trio, with everyone subsequently holding each other at gun-point. Trinity - orienting a cocked gun at the Merovigian's forehead, asked him to relinquish Neo, or everyone would die, right then. The Merovingian conceded and let them have Neo.[2] He wasn't seen afterward, but Smith's remark about Sati being the "last exile" may imply that Smith inevitably assimilated The Merovigian into the rogue program. However, it's a possibility that he reverted to himself after Smith's defeat from Neo.
Continuation of The Matrix narrative[]
At an unknown point, the Merovingian became the leader of the organisation, the Merovingians alongside the Machinists and the Zionites. Not only does he have red pills in his employ, but he also appropriates Exile programs, such as The Effectuator. He uses the Exile known as Flood as the mission controller for the red pills who have joined his cause.
It was heavily implied that it was The Merovingian that hired the mysterious Assassin that killed Morpheus. He is still looking for a kill code for The Oracle, even affiliating with The General who betrayed him, previously.[3]
Fall from Grace[]
Over sixty years after Neo's truce with the machines, the Merovingian had lost much of his influence, prestige, and sanity. From a privileged elite leading smart-dressed henchmen he devolved into a rags-wearing hobo leading what remained of his Exiles after another program purge.
The Merovingian and his goons inhabited a rundown building where they crossed paths with Neo during the latter's attempt to free Trinity from the Matrix. Seeing The One again, the Merovingian raved at him for stealing his life and unleashed his Exiles against Neo's group.[4]
Personality[]
“ French is my favourite...It's like wiping your arse with silk...
”― The Merovingian[src]
Arrogant and passively rude, The Merovingian is a strong proponent that causality is the true nature of existence within the Matrix, not choice, despite how early iterations of The Matrix failed with such a dichotomy. Patently, his ideology directly conflicts with the efforts of The Oracle. In fact, The Merovingian's behavior strongly suggests that he despised The Oracle to the extent of desiring her termination - proposing that Trinity can bring him the "eyes of The Oracle" as a ransom for Neo's liberation from Mobil Avenue. He has been known to momentarily abandon his hatred if advantageous to his survival, as evidenced by when he conceded to relinquish Neo to the Zion operatives - even without the eyes of The Oracle, after he and his men were held at gunpoint by Trinity. Moreover, he is also implied to have a very cynical concept of love. Aside from his seduction of a woman by implanting a certain code into her cake, despite his matrimony with Persephone, he also openly compares love with insanity when Persephone cautions that Trinity's love for Neo will jeopardise everything, to save Neo during his confrontation with her.
“ I'm so sick and tired of his bullshit...on and on...pompous prick...
”― Persephone[src]
Persephone has said that The Merovingian used to be "like Neo" when she recalled initially falling in love with him. As The Merovingian's adeptness pertaines to subtle rather than gross manipulation of information, he may not be a previous One. Regardless, he was still capable of some degree of gross manipulation of information, as evidenced by how he eluded Neo's pursuit by rewriting the door to lead to an adjacent cliff instead of the kitchen. Most assume Persephone is saying that The Merovingian was not always a cynical hedonist, but was once aspirational and purposeful.
Over sixty years after Neo's truce, the Merovingian had become even more unhinged, gibbering madly at Neo in French about having to kill him in order to regain his status.
Trivia[]
- Historically, The Merovingians were the ruling dynasty of the Franks from the 5th through 8th centuries. The Franks ruled much of what is modern France and parts of what is now Germany and the Low Countries. Merovingian Francia was one of the most powerful successor states of the Roman Empire and it is from this state that the modern nation of France ultimately descends. The Merovingian Kings were noted by their exceptionally long hair, especially in contrast to the short-haired Romans.
- The Merovingian dynasty was characterized by continuous instability, in large part due to its practice of partible inheritance wherein upon the death of the king, all of the male offsprings received a portion of the kingdom to rule independently. This practice resulted in frequent civil wars as each heir attempted to subordinate or conquer the others and sapped Merovingian power as the nobility took advantage of the civil wars to aggrandize themselves. By the dynasty's end, The Merovingian king was little more than a figurehead. Pepin the Short ended the reign of The Merovingians by cutting off the King and his son's hair. They lived out their days in a monastery.
- The Merovingian was presumably named after The Merovingian dynasty because it is a power from a distant period in French history, just as The Merovingian himself is a power from a distant period in the Matrix's history who has adopted a French persona. Additionally, The Merovingians ruled what is now France during the Early Middle Ages, a period commonly known as the Dark Ages and popularly held to be a period of barbarism, superstition, and feudalism, and it may be that this name is intended to associate The Merovingian (with his personal army of supernatural beings) with these qualities.
- The Merovingians may be referenced because those conspiracy theorists who credit the enormously disputed claims of the book "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" believe that The Merovingian dynasty were literal descendants of Jesus of Nazareth.
- The Merovingian can also be seen a the devil or the guardian of hell ( where the exiled programs goes) as he's the owner of the so called " Club Hell" and the husband of Persephone whom is a the wife of Hades (God of the Dead) in Greek mythology.
- A part of the Merovingian's philosophy can be associated with the hedonists (persons who believes that the pursuit of pleasure is the most important thing in life) and the Greek God Dionysus (Διόνυσος), the god of fertility, love, parties and wine, later considered a patron of the arts. He had a dual nature; on one hand, he brought joy and divine ecstasy; or he would bring brutal and blinding rage, thus reflecting the dual nature of wine.
Appearances[]
- The Matrix: Path of Neo
- Enter the Matrix
- The Matrix Reloaded
- The Matrix Revolutions
- The Matrix Online
- The Matrix Resurrections