Trinity (The Matrix)

Trinity is a fictional character and Neo's love interest in The Matrix universe, played by Carrie-Anne Moss in the films. In the gameplay segments of Path of Neo, she is voiced by Jennifer Hale. Trinity first appears in the original Matrix film and is a major character throughout the trilogy.

Character overview
Like the series' other principal characters, Trinity is a computer programmer and a hacker who has escaped from the Matrix, a sophisticated computer program in which most of the human race is imprisoned. Though few specifics are revealed about her previous life inside the Matrix, we are told that she cracked a database so secure that she is famous amongst hackers, and that Morpheus, one of a number of real-world hovercraft commanders, initially identified her and helped her escape from the program. At the beginning of the series, she is first mate on Morpheus' Nebuchadnezzar and serves mainly as a go-between for him and the individuals he wishes to free from the Matrix. As the series progresses, her primary importance as a character becomes her close relationship with Neo. She is skilled with computers, at operating vehicles both inside and outside the Matrix, and in martial arts.

Throughout the series, her Matrix-given name is never revealed.

The Matrix
Trinity is first introduced at the beginning of The Matrix, in a phone conversation with Cypher, which is heard offscreen. This cuts to a dingy hotel room chase scene between Trinity and a group of police officers and Agents, a series of programs that police the Matrix against rebels.

Trinity is next seen communicating with Neo for Morpheus in several encounters. Eventually, she and the rest of the Nebuchadnezzar's crew unplug Neo from the Matrix and begin his training as a new recruit in the war against the machines. She participates in several missions into the Matrix, including taking Neo to The Oracle, a computer program inside the Matrix who is said by the rebels to have supernatural powers.

Throughout the film, it is apparent that Trinity has been in love with Neo from afar for some time, and tries to hide her feelings for him. Near the end of the film, after he is killed by Agent Smith in the Matrix, she speaks to his still plugged-in body and reveals that the Oracle told her that she would fall in love with the One, a prophesied individual capable of manipulating the Matrix to an unprecedented degree. She kisses him, whereupon he is revived. Neo defeats the Agents and the film ends. This marks the beginning of a romantic relationship between Neo and Trinity which proves decisive in the outcome of the series.

The Matrix Reloaded
Trinity's importance as an individual character in the first sequel to The Matrix is fairly minimal for the first half of the film, though she appears in almost every scene. She aids in the rescue of the Keymaker from the Merovingian and in the subsequent escape, but her real role in the plot does not come into play until the climax of the story, where Neo is forced to choose between saving Trinity and saving Zion, the underground city where the last humans not living in the Matrix reside. Neo chooses to save Trinity and revives her after she is shot by an Agent.

The Matrix Revolutions
In the final installment of the Matrix series, Trinity is involved in the rescue of Neo from a cut-off segment of the Matrix, where he is being held by a program in the employ of the Merovingian. In the real world, Trinity goes with Neo to the Machine City in an attempt to negotiate with the Machines. While attempting to evade Machine pursuers, their hovercraft crashes, so that Trinity is impaled in several places by power cables and dies shortly thereafter.

After Trinity's death, Neo gives his life to defeat Smith and negotiate a truce with the Machines.

Other portrayals
In "Enter the Matrix", Trinity appears in a scene where she faces off against Ghost in a practice spar, the two subsequently discussing their shared belief that Neo can defeat the Machines despite the absurdity of the concept. Over the course of the game, it is heavily implied, although never expressly stated, that Ghost is in love with Trinity, but that she regards him as a brother for their having been freed from the Matrix at or near the same time.

Her role in "The Matrix: Path of Neo" is relatively similar to her appearances with Neo in the films; she has a spar with him during his sword-fighting training, accompanies him during the raid on the military building to rescue Morpheus (subsequently helping him to defeat an Agent on the rooftop), and is later rescued by him from some attacking Agents after the last meeting with the assorted ship captains.

Trinity also makes appearances in The Animatrix and The Matrix Comics.

Online
Despite having "died" during the course of the third film, Trinity made a return to the series in the official continuation, The Matrix Online. Taking on a major role in the game's final chapters it was revealed both she and Neo were actually the cumulation 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. Originally developed by The Oracle, this program was called The Biological Interface Program and was strongly sought after by the Oligarchy as a means to transfer their digital minds to physical bodies instead of the mechanical androids they had developed.

Without a physical form (the Machines recovered her program from her dying body) Trinity takes the appearance of a floating figure made of golden code when within The Matrix. Initially emotionally distraught with her condition (confusion, anger and sadness being the prominent emotions expressed during her awakening after being freed from the Oligarch Network) she eventually finds solace in the fact her existence is the key to finally rebooting the Matrix and erasing Oligarch override control once and for all.

She ultimately meets her end in the Source of The Matrix, merging with a human inside the core of the Machine code base itself, combining the three core groups; Man, Machine and Program. This initializes the final reboot sequence, removing the Oligarch control and allowing the Machines to finally exist without fear of cruel masters. Although it is unclear from the outlines Ben Chamberlain released prior to the game's closure, this conclusion likely sees the creation of a new truce between Zion and The Machines and is the basis for the new Matrix created around the concept of human thought control.

Derivation of name
The name "Trinity" is heavily associated with Christian theology, which states that one can receive eternal life through the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Trinity is also the force who revives Neo after his death in the first film, implying a further parallel between her character and God.

Skills and Abilities
Throughout the Matrix franchise, Trinity, like the other Matrix hackers, is shown to be highly competent at many skills both inside and outside the Matrix, including martial arts, computer use, the use of firearms and other weapons, and operating a range of motor vehicles. Some of these skills can be downloaded from outside the Matrix as needed, such as when Trinity flies a helicopter during the first movie. Other skills are trained or inherent.

Trinity is seen to be especially skilled at the use of cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles, even in comparison to other hackers. In the first film, she pilots a Bell 212 helicopter and manages to maintain control even after its hydraulics system is damaged. In The Matrix Reloaded, she drives a Cadillac sedan with ease while being chased by the Merovingian's twins, agents of the Matrix, and the police; even able to drive while helping Morpheus protect the Keymaker from one of the twins. She also carries the Keymaker to safety on a Ducati 996 motorcycle in a harrowing chase through oncoming traffic.

Combat, both armed and unarmed, is another area where Trinity, like her fellow crew members, excels. At several times during the three films, she is able to defeat large numbers of well-armed opponents, either by herself or with help from other characters. However, her fighting skills are insufficient to keep her from being soundly beaten and shot in the heart by upgrade Agents; only Neo's timely arrival saves her life.