Merovingian (The Matrix)
The Merovingian is a male film character who features in The Matrix.
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Biography
The Merovingian was a male program created by the Machines long ago where he was among the oldest of his kind. He had a wife by the name of Persephone where the two of them came to the Matrix long ago.
There is not much revealed about the Merovingian's origin, but from what both he and the Oracle say, he was a program made to regulate behavior amongst the "Bluepills" and report back with results. After the collapse of the first Matrix, he became obsolete[1] as the newer versions presented an illusion of choice to the hard-wired humans, causing the behavioral manipulation to be more indirect than the Merovingian's more straightforward methods. Instead of accepting deletion, he retreated into the programming of the Matrix, disguised as a human, and resolved to aid other programs who have become obsolete. He is seen as a hero to exiled programs, and as an impulsive and selfish opportunist to others. He is disillusioned by the idea of choice amongst humans, which resulted in his program becoming obsolete in the Matrix, and believes that the only governing principle of the universe is that of cause and effect.
The Oracle tells Neo that he must find a program known as the Keymaker in order to reach the Source, the Machine mainframe. However, the Keymaker is being held captive by the Merovingian, who will not let him go willingly. Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity visit the Merovingian at an upscale restaurant, Le Vrai, where he is holding court with his wife Persephone. He ridicules the three for not knowing the reason they want the Keymaker and sends them away, but Persephone betrays him and takes them to his mountain chalet, where the Keymaker is being held. As Morpheus and Trinity flee with the Keymaker, several of the Merovingian's henchmen attack Neo, who quickly kills or incapacitates all of them. The Merovingian witnesses the end of the fight and then escapes before Neo can follow, leaving him temporarily stranded at the chalet, although not before hinting that there were more instances of the One besides Neo.
Morpheus and Trinity later learn from the Oracle that the Merovingian had put a price on their heads for taking the Keymaker from him. Accompanied by Seraph, they enter the decadent Club Hel to bargain with him for the release of Neo, who had become trapped in a gateway between the Matrix and the Machine world. The Merovingian offered to free him in exchange for the Oracle's eyes leading to an irritated Trinity responding by initiating a Mexican standoff, putting a gun to his head and threatening to kill him unless he released Neo with this being a deal which the Merovingian accepted.
Sixty years later, the Merovingian came to lose much of his influence, prestige, power and even sanity. By this point, he came to wear rags and commanded only a small rag-tag group of exile programs that managed to survive a program purge. By this point, a new Matrix came to be established by a rogue program known as the Analyst which continued the practice of using humans as power sources. To achieve this, Neo was vital to his plans with the human being saved from death and his memory wiped to life an ordinary life within the virtual world. However, he eventually came to regain his memories though lacked his former powers where he once again attempted to evade Agents targeting him. Upon learning of his revival, the Merovingian sought revenge and gathered a group of exile programs to target him during Neo's attempt to free Trinity from the Matrix. After seeing the One again, the Merovingian came to verbally berate the human for stealing his life but despite their numbers and the ambush his exiles failed in achieving their goal. Thus, the Merovingian was forced to withdraw after his failed attempt at revenge against Neo.
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, the Merovingian was a artificial intelligence program that took the form of a French human male human with slick dark hair within the simulated reality of the Matrix. He was sometimes referred to by the name of the Frenchman.
He preferred to speak in French as he found its eloquence and fervour was equatable to that of 'silk' where it further captured living an opulent life.
Being an exile himself, the Merovingian's services are not condoned by either the Redpills or the Machines, but they are overlooked unless in direct conflict with either of their goals.
According to him, there was only one universal constant namely causality. This was the real truth of the world which he believed was governed by action and reaction.
Within the Matrix, the Merovingian offered a service by providing a safe haven for exiled or obsolete programs with this being an alternative to deletion. Being an exile himself, the Merovingian's services were not condoned by either the Redpills or the Machines but were overlooked unless in direct conflict with either of their goals. He would also describe himself as being a trafficker of information.
He was note for despising the Oracle where he wished to claim her eyes.
Over 60 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.
He was noted to have a female program that served as his wife who was named Persephone. Persephone had said that the Merovingian used to be 'like Neo' when she recalled initially falling in love with him.
Powers and abilities
The Merovingian was a program created by the Machines which came to inhabit the virtual world of the Matrix.
He alongside his wife operated as the heads of a smuggling ring providing a haven for exiled programs in the Matrix. This allowed him access to the services of a number of exile services that took shelter in his establishment. Among those that served him were the Twins who served as elite enforcers for him. Another was the Trainman who created and operates Mobil Avenue that served as a transportation venue for programs.
Within the Matrix, he came to own a nightclub named Club Hel that served as a base of operations for him.
Notes
- The Merovingian was created by Wachowski Siblings and portrayed by actor Lambert Wilson where he featured in the setting of The Matrix universe.
In other media
Video games
- In The Matrix Online, the Merovingian appeared in the setting of the MMORPG video game. It was shown that a faction of redpills named the Merovingians had based their ideals on him.
Appearances
- Matrix:
External Links
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