Pratik Handore
The first three films in ‘The Matrix‘ franchise revolve around the war between humans and machines. Neo (Keanu Reeves) and his allies Morpheus, Trinity, etc., deal with several threats within the simulation known as the Matrix to bring peace to the real world. The fourth installment of the franchise ‘The Matrix Resurrections‘ directed by Lana Wachowski follows up on the truce between the two warring factions.
Neo is found to be alive and reawakened as we head into another lethal round of action and explosions within the Matrix. However, since a lot of time has passed after the events of the third film, there are some new elements viewers will learn of and take time to get accustomed to. One of these elements is the Synthients, and if you are looking for an explanation about their nature and purpose, here’s everything you need to know!
What Are the Synthients?
In ‘The Matrix Resurrections,’ nearly sixty years have passed since the truce between humans and machines was formed. However, sometime later, problems began to emerge in the Machine City. The Matrix was unable to produce sufficient power, leading to a war between the machines. In the aftermath of this war, some machines resembling the Sentinels defected from the Machine City and joined the humans.
Zion was likely destroyed around the same time the war between the machines took place. As Niobe explains to Neo, Zion was stuck in the era of war and could not step into the future. The future called for the machines and humans to work together as one. The machines which work with humans are known as Synthients.
In the original trilogy, the Sentinels were weapons of destruction and posed a threat to the human settlements in the real world. They are technologically advanced and adept at formulating and executing programs independently. Since the Sentinels have a consciousness of their own, it is possible that after the war between the machines, some of them had a change of heart. Irrespective of what category of machines they belong to, the Synthients worked with humans towards co-existence.
The fourth installment depicts a variety of machines that work with humans. The Human-Synthient sanctuary Io is the prime example of the co-existence between the two species. In the movie, we meet Synthients such as Cybebe, Octacles, and Lumin8. The three machines are assigned to the crew of Mnemosyne, led by Captain Bugs. The trio aids the ship’s crew in rescuing Neo. Another Synthient named Kujaku works with Sati and helps in Trinity’s rescue. The harmony between humanity and the Synthients is proof that Neo’s actions in the original trilogy weren’t in vain. It also marks the natural progression of the franchise’s world.
Read More: Does Neo Die in The Matrix Resurrections?
