The prophecy of The One is one of the biggest elements in The Matrix franchise, which makes it surprising that the series still hasn't answered these 10 big questions about The One. The One is a human living within the Matrix that, as per the prophecy, gains the ability to harness the code of the Matrix in order to bend it to their will. In the main Matrix movies, Keanu Reeves' Neo is The One, with him being the prophetic savior of Zion and the humans within The Matrix. However, there are still all kinds of unanswered questions surrounding The One, with these 10 mysteries remaining unresolved.
The One is the human prophesied to defeat the Machines, with the lore behind the creation of this savior being pretty complex. In every cycle of The Matrix, the Matrix chooses one human to engrain a special code in, allowing them to become The One. According to The Architect, The One is the inevitable product of free will, with the Machines having to grant it to humans in order to keep the Matrix stable. Try as they might, the Architect was never able to find a way to prevent the One from being created, with Neo being the one that finally defeats the Machines. However, there are still some questions.
10 Is "The One" Truly Inevitable?
Throughout The Matrix franchise, the Architect and other programs like the Oracle constantly bring up how the creation of The One is inevitable. Despite this, the Machines are still attempting to find a way to stop him. The Machines seem to get closer each time, calling into question if the creation of The One is truly inevitable. It would be weird for The One to be an unstoppable, fundamental part of the universe. It's hypothetically possible that the Machines could get a Matrix cycle advanced enough to prevent The One from cropping up, as the programs have been wrong before.
9 Who Were The Other "Ones?"
Before Neo, there were five other Ones in the Matrix's various cycles. However, since the movies only focus on Neo, the sixth One, it is never revealed who the other Ones were. Unlike Neo, the other Ones maintained the balance of the five previous Matrix cycles, meaning that there was something different about them. The story of these five previous ones could make for interesting spin-offs, but so far The Matrix franchise has left these characters shrouded in mystery.
8 How Is "The One" Selected By The Matrix?
The One is created by the Matrix putting special code in one human each cycle, but nobody knows how the Matrix actually selects who The One will be. It could be that the Matrix's programs consciously pick a human to give the special code, or it could be a completely random unconscious choice. If the Matrix's programs had a say in the matter they most likely wouldn't pick someone to be The One, but it could be that they're forced to.
7 Can Anyone Become "The One?"
Similarly, it is unknown if any human can become The One, or if the human that is given special code is picked from the very beginning of each Matrix cycle. It may have been just a fluke that Neo was chosen to be the one, with it being possible that any other human born around his time was chosen. It could also have something to do with Neo's will, possibly making him more receptive to the special code. There is still a mystery as to if Neo had to be The One, or if there are different Ones in alternate The Matrix timelines.
6 How Are Neo & Trinity Both "The One" In The Matrix Resurrections?
At the end of The Matrix Resurrections, Trinity gains the powers that Neo has in the original trilogy, signaling that she has become The One. However, Neo is also The One, meaning that there are technically two Ones in The Matrix Resurrections, as ridiculous as that sounds. However, all of the prophecies point to there only being one The One, making this The Matrix Resurrections revelation seem like a bit of a contradiction.
5 Was Morpheus Actually Right About "The One" Saving Humanity?
Morpheus is one of the most devout believers in The One, claiming that Neo would be the one to finally save humanity from The Matrix. Morpheus seems right at the end of The Matrix Revolutions, with Neo finally defeating the Machines. However, Morpheus dies before The Matrix Resurrections, and the movie ends with the Matrix back online. Because of this, it looks like Morpheus was actually wrong. It could be that a future One truly does save humanity, but it doesn't look like Neo will be the one to do it.
4 Why Does The Oracle Help "The One?"
Although most of The Matrix's programs are evil, the Oracle seems to break this trend. The Oracle's purpose in the Matrix seems to be helping the One and humanity, which is an odd motivation for a program. There is no explanation as to why she decides to help Neo in The Matrix movies, with Neo even questioning her reliability in The Matrix Revolutions. However, the Oracle's true motivation is kept under wraps, with tons of questions still surrounding her involvement with The One.
3 What Happens If "The One" Chooses The Blue Pill?
In The Matrix, Morpheus presents Neo with the red pill and the blue pill, the former of which will free him from the Matrix, and the latter of which will allow him to peacefully stay within it. Neo, as well as the past Ones, all choose the red pill and decide to Zion in the fight against the Machines. However, the franchise never reveals what happens if a version of The One decides to reject his destiny and take the blue pill, leaving the humans to fend for themselves.
2 What Would Happen If "The One" Died Before Rebooting The Matrix?
Every cycle of the Matrix ends with The One dying and rebooting the Matrix, starting the cycle over. However, it's possible that The One could die before rebooting the Matrix, opening up a plethora of questions. If The One dies off, that would leave the Machines with a Matrix without The One, putting them in their ideal position. Neo nearly dies several times throughout the original Matrix trilogy before starting a new cycle, meaning that this could actually happen. It just isn't known what effects it would have on the world of The Matrix.
1 Did The Previous "Ones" Resist The Architect's Matrix Cycle?
Neo is special because he is able to resist the Architect's Matrix cycle, choosing not to fall for his ruse about the Source. However, it isn't known how the previous Ones handled the situation. Since the Matrix got a new cycle, these Ones obviously lost to the Architect. However, it's possible that they put up a fight and just weren't able to defeat the Matrix. The five previous Ones are some of the most interesting and most mysterious parts of The Matrix franchise, leaving all kinds of questions about The One unanswered.
