About

Smith is an Agent, an AI program in the Matrix programmed to keep order within the system by terminating troublesome programs and human avatars which would otherwise bring instability to the simulated reality. To this end, Smith possesses the ability to take control over the simulated body of any human wired into the Matrix. As an Agent, Smith possesses the ability to bend the rules of the Matrix (such as gravity and the limitations of the human body), giving him speed and strength beyond ordinary human capability. He and other Agents can dodge bullets flawlessly, punch through concrete with their bare hands, and jump impossible distances. Agents also have the ability to communicate with each other instantaneously and perceive what other humans wired into the Matrix do, represented via their earpieces (when Agent Smith removes his earpiece during the first film, he is left unaware of the attack on his building). Smith's weapon of choice, as standard with all Agents within the Matrix, is the Desert Eagle, chambered with the high caliber .50 AE ammunition

Agent Smith is significantly more individualistic than the other Agents from the start. While other agents rarely act without consulting each other via their earpieces, to the point that they often finish each others' sentences, Smith is usually the one giving orders or using his earpiece to gather information for his own ends. Smith also appears to be the leader of other Agents in the first movie, as he has the authority to launch Sentinel attacks in the real world. As with other Agents, Smith generally approaches problems through a pragmatic point of view, but if necessary will also act with brute force and apparent rage.

The earpieces represent some form of control mechanism by the machines. It is notable that when he is interrogating Morpheus, he sends the other agents from the room, then removes his earpiece, releasing himself from the link to the machines before expressing his opinion of humanity.

Agent Smith complains that the Matrix and its inhabitants smell disgusting, "if there is such a thing [as smell]". Smith has an open hatred of humans and their weakness of the flesh. He compares humanity to a virus, a disease organism that would replicate uncontrollably and eventually destroy their environment were it not for the machine intelligences keeping them in check. Ironically, Smith eventually becomes a computer virus, multiplying until he has overrun the entire Matrix.

"I’d like to share a revelation that I’ve had, during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you aren’t actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with its surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply, and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? –A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we... are the cure."

At the same time, Smith secretly despises the Matrix itself, feeling that he is as much a prisoner of it as the humans he is tasked with controlling. He later develops an immense and increasingly open desire for the destruction of both mankind and machines.

The Matrix
In the first film, Smith is one of the three Agents sent to deal with Morpheus. After Neo is successfully removed from the Matrix, Smith arranges Morpheus' capture by bribing Cypher, a disillusioned member of Morpheus' crew. When Neo manages to free Morpheus, Smith and his fellow Agents engage in a lengthy cross-town chase, ending when Smith guns down Neo. Neo revives as he realizes his power as the One, enabling him to destroy Smith from within.

The Matrix Reloaded
As a result of his contact with Neo, Smith is "unplugged"; no longer an Agent of the system but a "free man". This is signified by the lack of an earpiece, which he gives to Neo as a message early in the film. His appearance has changed from the first movie as well; his sunglasses are of a different, more angular shape than the square ones the Agents wear, and his suit is now black instead of dark green (Matrix code), physical signs of his connection with Neo. He still possesses the abilities of an Agent, but instead of being able to jump from one human to another, he is able to copy himself over any human or program in the Matrix; this includes humans wired into the Matrix, non-Agent programs with human forms, redpills, and humans already possessed by Agents. Smith retains the memories and abilities, if any, of the one over which he copies himself. This ability is much like how a virus replicates, creating an ironic contrast with the first film, where Smith likens humanity to a virus.

Smith begins to exhibit stronger, more virulent human behaviors and emotions such as unpredictability and dry humor (this is a clear departure from his stern demeanor in the original movie). He makes the claim that Neo has set him free, indicating that he now has not only the vision but also the ability to break free of the machines' control and exist as a singular being. He is now allied with no one but himself, rendering him an outlaw to both the Matrix and the human minds which populate it. Being free of burden, however, Smith is also compelled to feel that he is still crushed by the weight of purpose. He essentially correlates purpose with imprisonment, and because he still exists within the Matrix, there is an unseen purpose which binds together Neo and himself.

The idea of Smith's transformation from being an Agent of the System into becoming a "free Agent" is similar to Satan's Fall from Grace. In both cases, a former Agent of the System (in the two sequels, Smith is no longer referred to as "Agent Smith", but simply as "Smith") becomes able to move freely, and comes to have a dangerously rebellious and opposite nature. The virus-like qualities he gains may also be a reference to this, as one of the traditional titles of a particular well-known demon is "Legion".

The Matrix Revolutions
By the start of the third film, Smith has managed to copy himself over nearly every humanoid in the Matrix, giving him complete control over the "Core Network" (the underlying foundation of the inner workings of the Matrix), thus rendering him immutable by even the machines themselves. The Oracle explains to Neo that he and Smith have become equal in power, and that for Smith to be eliminated, the equation must be "unbalanced". The Oracle herself is eventually taken over by Smith, granting him her power of foresight, or omniscience, as well as reality-bending powers equivalent to those possessed by Neo.

Near the end of the film, Neo engages in battle with Smith on the Machines' behalf in exchange for Zion's safety. The Smith created from the Oracle battles Neo alone; as he explains, he has foreseen his victory, and has no need for the help of his copies. The two are almost evenly matched, though Neo's combat abilities seem arguably superior to that of Smith, the latter who seems to attack more out of brute force than technical precision against a superior opponent. In the midst of this battle, Smith explains to Neo his final nihilistic revelation: "It was your life that taught me the purpose of all life. The purpose of life is to end."

When Neo is near defeat, Smith begins questioning his motivation, believing that all forms of motivation are "temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose, and all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself". Smith demands to know why Neo continues to fight, knowing he cannot win. To this, Neo quite simply responds, "Because I choose to". Smith becomes enraged by this answer and attacks Neo again, ultimately beating Neo unconscious. Suddenly recognizing the scene from his prophecy, he is compelled to deliver the line he said in it: "I say... Everything that has a beginning has an end, Neo". This is the only point in the movie where Smith does not address him as "Mr. Anderson".

Confused by his own behavior, Smith suddenly becomes frightened by the effect his words have on Neo. Unable to overpower Smith, Neo understands that he can never win, and thus submits to defeat. Smith absorbs him, and for a moment believes himself to be the victor. In doing so, the two, being opposite sides of a single equation, balance one another out, leading to the synthesis of the new beginning, in which the Matrix, with its equation of oppression and control, is unbalanced. Because Neo has been connected to the Matrix by the "god of machines" itself, the union between Smith and Neo results in Smith's being directly connected to the machines, allowing him to be deleted.


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