When The Matrix Revolutions ended, many of the people were mystified about how Agent Smith died. The most popular theory out there (which I also subscribed to until recently) is that when Smith copies himself onto Neo, he exposes his code to the machines, who had Neo plugged into their circuits. Consequentially, they are able to programme an "anti-virus" that specifically targets all copies of Smith in the Matrix and hence delete him.
However, I came across another theory which I liked more. This theory builds on the fact that, as the Oracle said, Smith is the opposite of Neo, created to "balance the equations" that were tilted when the One was created. That is to say, Smith is the anti-Neo. So when Smith copies himself onto Neo, their minds meet... their codes combine, and just like a proton colliding with an antiproton, they annihilate.
So why wouldn't they annihilate each other when they exchanged blows? That is because physical contact is nothing; their bodies are just shells in which their minds are held in. This is clear from the fact that Neo has a different appearance in the Matrix and out of it, as well as Smith being able to copy himself onto different bodies.
And why wouldn't they annihilate when Neo kills Smith by tunnelling into him at the end of the first movie? That is maybe due to the fact that Smith at that time has yet to be "unplugged". He, still under the control of the Matrix, is not fully himself and not a complete anti-Neo.
And lastly, matter-antimatter annihilation is usually instantaneous. Why does it take so long for Neo and Smith to annihilate? Well, the most satisfactory answer I can think of is that Neo is made up of many Neoons, and Smith, many Smithons, the antiparticle of Neoons. Since we know that in real life the number of particles is usually in the order of Avogadro's number, I would say it is going to take a while for all the Neoons to meet the Smithons.
Well, what do you think?
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2 comments:
The concept of Smith as an anti-Neo is a recurring theme in these two really long interpretations of the Matrix Trilogy (mainly the last two episodes).
You should read it if you've got the time. Really interesting.
Problem with those two essays is that they tend to involve the biblical stuff, which I am not at all familiar with. But I do know of the all-too-many Smith is anti-Neo, Neo is anti-Smith stuff. C'mon, the Wachowski brothers weren't trying to hide it either.
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