The Matrix: Mnemosyne / Characters

The crew of the Mnemosyne.

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The Ship Itself

The Mnemosyne

A hover ship in the IO fleet, currently captained by Bugs. Her crew are ardent believers in the legend of The One.

Badass Crew: They have a kind of bad reputation in Io on account of Bugs's recklessness and...flexibility with following orders, but as a whole when shit gets real they get shit done. To note, they are the only ship crew in the entire franchise to make it out alive by the end.
Color Motif: Blue. The Mnemosyne crew incorporate the color into their RSIs while plugged into the Matrix, from Lexy's blue jacket to Bugs' hair and shades. See Rule of Symbolism below for more details.
Fanboy: The whole crew that Bugs assembled are in-universe fanboys of the stars of the first Matrix movies. From their perspective, Neo and Trinity are legendary heroes who died sixty years ago.
Meaningful Name: Mnemosyne is the goddess of memory and mother of the Nine Muses in Greek mythology. She is also the source of the word "mnemonic," referring to remembrance and memory.
- And Keanu Reeves was Johnny Mnemonic!
Monochrome Casting / Chromosome Casting: Averted, much as in the earlier films - when, for example, the Zion council was half female and more than half people of color, in such a way that Haman was actually the only white male. Of the six human crewmembers on the Mnemosyne, it's an even split between three men and three women; of these three are black, one is Asian, and only two are white (well, Lexy's actress is actually a light-skinned Mexican). Berg is the only white male in the crew, and it's loosely implied that he's gay (from his stated appreciation for Neo's look) as his actor is in real life. And that's not even getting into that it's a mixed crew of humans and free Machines.
Nice Guy: Gal/Non-binary/human/Synthient alike.
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: Her crew is composed of both humans and machines who are "true believers" in the legend of Neo.
Red Shirt Army: Subverted. Lexy notes that all of Neo's original crew are killed (except for Morpheus), and Berg admits rather nonchalantly that he assumes they are all going to die. However, all the crew members survive.
Rule of Symbolism: The crew members who are able to plug into the Matrix have essentially "reappropriated" symbols of Human slavery and incorporated them into their RSI's — comparable to the Pink Triangle gay pride symbol starting out as an identifying badge used by the Nazis to identify homosexuals. The Mnemosyne crew's RSIs prominently wear the color blue to represent Bluepills still plugged into the Matrix and kept as slaves to the Machines, and the chain necklaces around their necks evoke imagery of a slave's chains. Presumably, this is meant to be an act of defiance against the Machines.
- And also the inscription on the ship's core: "Mark-III No. 19" possibly referencing Mark 3:19: "and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him." This may be a reference to Bugs and her crew defying Niobe's orders and potentially endangering IO, essentially betraying her, to rescue Neo and Trinity.

Bugs

"If you want the truth, Neo, you’re going to have to follow me."

Played By: Jessica Henwick

Dubbed By: Ingrid Donnadieu (European French)

Appearances: The Matrix Resurrections

"You won't remember me, but a long time ago, you changed my life when you leapt off another roof. Back then, I was just like any other coppertop, pretending my life... until I looked up and I saw you."

The captain of the Mnemosyne. Born in the Matrix, Bugs was a "coppertop" unaware that she was living in a simulation. One day, Bugs witnessed Neo walking off the roof of a skyscraper without falling, as well as glimpsing his true RSI for a brief moment. That was the catalyst that eventually freed her mind from the Matrix.

Ambiguously Gay: Several reviewers have noted that the way Bugs and Lexy hug after moments of danger or light injury (once in the Matrix, once in the real world) could be interpreted as implying a more than platonic connection.
- There is also the Affectionate Nickname given to her by Lexy during the Matrix example: "Bugsy".
- Lexy being in danger in the climax is also what makes Bugs finally plug in to save her.
Broken Masquerade: Was a coppertop^Note living in the Matrix and fully unaware that she was in a simulation until the day she saw Neo walk off the roof of a skyscraper without falling to his death, and also briefly glimpsed Neo's real residual self-image. Both of these incidents broke the masquerade for Bugs, eventually leading to the freedom of her mind from the Matrix.
The Captain: Of the Mnemosyne, naturally.
The Cracker: Is the one who hacked into the modal program created by Neo that contained the algorithm based on Morpheus that was written by Neo. She is also the one responsible for freeing him from said modal, the same way Morpheus freed Neo's mind in the original trilogy.
Easily Forgiven: Averted. General Niobe stripped Bugs of her command of the Mnemosyne almost immediately after returning to IO because her rescue of Neo almost put the city in jeopardy. It's only the fact that Bugs and her crew stole the ship and was subsequently ordered to go on what was a suicide mission to rescue Trinity^Note that she retained command.
Follow the White Rabbit: Is the rabbit in this case, and she even has a tattoo of a white rabbit on her arm to drive it home. Following her is what freed both Morpheus and Neo from the modal program and the Matrix, respectively. Also, her name is Bugs. After Bugs Bunny. A grey and white rabbit.
Hipster: When plugged into the Matrix, most Zionites typically go for a Hellbent For Leather ensemble, such as absolutely everyone in the original trilogy. Bugs is the first on-screen hero to completely avoid the look, instead going for a cross between hipster and punk. Granted, the rest of her crew - including, eventually, Neo himself - do follow suit.
Meaningful Name: Is named after Bugs Bunny, as she explains to Morpheus when introducing herself.
Bugs: What's up, Doc?
- She actually says when she introduces herself that it has a double meaning: Bugs like the bunny, and also "bugs" as in "tech that listens".
Nice Girl: She is as sweet as she is tough, and treats her crew much more casually and like a family than a captain ought to.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: You'd think Niobe would cut Bugs a little slack for rescuing the savior of the human race, and one of her oldest friends. But nooo...
Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: When she saw an opportunity to free Neo she took it, but on returning to IO General Niobe makes it quite clear that doing so was in violation of protocol and could have very much jeopardised the safety of the city.
- And she does it again after she and her crew break Neo out of house arrest to go on a mission to rescue Trinity.

Morpheus (Spoilers)

Morpheus II / Agent Smith

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thematrixresurrectionsmorpheus.png

"Time to fly."

Played By: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

"I saw this pattern... and it was everywhere. We can't see it, but we're all trapped inside these strange, repeating loops. Somehow I saw it in the mirror. Just a flicker, but it was like you said. And suddenly I understood. This is not the real world. For the first time, I felt real purpose. I knew who I was and what I had to do."

A program that was created by Neo, who was subconsciously seeking a way to escape the new iteration of the Matrix, as a combination of Agent Smith and Morpheus, two figures integral to Neo's journey, and put through a crucible of ever repeating versions of the original The Matrix until he achieved sentience. After his miniature world is discovered by Bugs, he joins the Mnemosyne in order to find Neo and help him escape the Matrix once more.

Agent Peacock: Has a much flashier, more colorful wardrobe than his somber predecessor.
Broken Masquerade: Like Bugs, Morpheus as Agent Smith was unaware that he was in a simulation. In his case, he started seeing Matrix code appear everywhere he went until he understood that he wasn't living in the real world, and with that, he came to know his true purpose.
Bunny-Ears Lawyer: This Morpheus less stoic and more goofy than the original (likely due to him having a bit of Smith's hamminess) but is still able to motivate Neo when he needs it.
Composite Character: He is explicitly a program that was built as a combination of Morpheus and Smith, though this generally expresses as him starting as Smith from the first film before self-actualizing as Morpheus. Still, he does tend to be more antagonistic and teasing towards Neo than the original Morpheus.
Contrasting Replacement Character:
- The original Morpheus was a human. The second one is a Living Program.
- This Morpheus prefers brightly colored clothing in contrast to dark colors his predecessor wore.
- He is hammier than the more reserved and stoic original.
Dance Battler: In contrast to the more Taekwondo/Kung Fu fighting style of his original portrayal, this Morpheus seems to prefer a more agile approach to combat with Neo, more akin to Wushu and Capoeira.
Fantastic Drug: Red pills will make anyone discombobulated due to the fact that they actively sever someone's link from the Matrix, but in the case of programs, it'll make them downright loopy. When Morpheus takes the pill, he goes through something far more similar to a giddy mushroom trip than an unplugging. It even comes complete with incessant bouts of the giggles.
"I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: A variation. In order to undo the psychological damage and memory loss inflicted on Neo while in The Matrix, Morpheus takes a page from the first Morpheus' book and fights Neo in a dojo until he remembers who he truly is and what he is capable of.
Mr. Fanservice: Spends a good chunk of his screen time with no shirt and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's impressive physique on full display.
Nanomachines: He and other programs are able to manifest themselves in the real world by controlling magnetic nanobots clustered together into their likenesses.
Redemption Demotion: As he's a program approximating a combo of Smith and Morpheus's characters in a Recursive Reality, he doesn't actually have any of the agent code built into him, and is thus no more powerful than any other runner once he gets extracted by Bugs and joins the Mnemosyne. This is further enforced by him being no real match for the original Smith when they encounter each other.
Thank the Maker: Lampshaded in his first encounter with Neo, where he notes it's not every day you get to meet your maker.
What the Hell, Hero?: While he's ultimately grateful to be alive, free, and even meeting "his creator", he's not exactly thrilled when he hears why he was coded...
Neo: No...no, no, no no no no!
Morpheus: Whoa, what do you mean "no?" You wanted this, you did this. This was your idea.
Neo: I-I-I-It was a test...! ...An-an experiment!
Morpheus: (Beat) An experiment? You put me in a tiny-ass modal, left me to bang my head until I very nearly lost my shit searching for you. As an experiment.

Sequoia

Played By: Toby Onwumere

Appearances: The Matrix Resurrections

The ship's operator aboard the Mnemosyne.

Affectionate Nickname: Seq, pronounced "Seek."
Meaningful Name: Named after the sequoia genus of redwoods. Seq's father loved redwoods to the point that upon his freedom from the Matrix he was devastated to learn they were all extinct. Sequoia was named so out of his father's love for the trees, and he also has a large tattoo of a redwood forest on his upper arm.
- Indirectly, he is also (or at least can be thought to be) Named After Somebody Famous: he shares a name with the inventor of the Cherokee writing system, after whom the tree genus is often thought to have been named. This ties into the theme established by the ship's name: writing as a form of remembering.
Mission Control: As the ship's operator it is Sequoia's job to plug his crewmates into the Matrix and help them get back to the real world, as Tank and Link had done aboard the Nebuchadnezzar. Unlike them, however, Sequoia appears to have at least a limited presence in the Matrix as well.

Lexy

Played By: Eréndira Ibarra

Appearances: The Matrix Resurrections

"I thought you should know that I’m here because of her. All I ever wanted was to be as fearless as Trinity."

A crewmember aboard the Mnemosyne.

Ambiguously Gay: Several reviewers have noted that the way Bugs and Lexy hug after moments of danger or light injury (once in the Matrix, once in the real world) could be interpreted as implying a more than platonic connection.
- She is also played by an openly bisexual actress.
Fangirl: In-universe, Lexy is specifically a Trinity fangirl, as seen in her folder quote.
Nay-Theist: Despite being a loyal member of a crew filled with true believers of the legend of The One (including a so-called "Neo-ologist"), Lexy doesn't particularly believe in The One as a concept. She still wanted to find and free Neo the man, but beyond that, she expresses mild skepticism of him throughout certain points of the movie, including pointing out that the last crew Neo served with all died. Instead, it is eventually revealed that Lexy actually idolises Trinity and her legend as one of Zion's greatest warriors, to the point where Lexy outright admits that she always wanted to be as fearless as Trinity.

Berg

Played By: Brian J. Smith

Appearances: The Matrix Resurrections

A crewmember aboard the Mnemosyne and the ship's resident "Neoologist"^Note

Ambiguously Gay: While discussing Neo with Lexy he tells her that Neo's new look "works for [him]." Whether that's simply a platonic appreciation of a guy as handsome as Neo or something else... He's also played by an openly gay actor, for whatever that is worth.
Fanboy: Not only does he fanboy all over Neo almost immediately after meeting him but he is also one of the apparently several people in IO who studied Neo and the legend behind the man enough for it to be, for all intents and purposes, an academic field.
Meaningful Name: His name is a reference to nightclub Berghain, located in Berlin and reputed as one of the world's most famous clubs and the "world capital of Techno." Also, Berg's arms are covered in tattoos that resemble Berghain's logo.

Ellster

Played By: Mumbi Maina

Appearances: The Matrix Resurrections

The ship's doctor aboard the Mnemosyne.

Legacy Character: Her grandfather is Captain Roland from the original trilogy.
Out of Focus: Not to the extent of Hanno, but aside from treating Neo after he was unplugged from the Matrix and her introducing herself to him, Ellster doesn't receive as much screen time as the rest of the human members of the crew (with the exception of the pilot, who receives even less screen time).

Hanno

Played By: L. Trey Wilson

Appearances: The Matrix Resurrections

The pilot of the Mnemosyne.

Out of Focus: As he's piloting the ship while others are plugged into the Matrix, he doesn't get much screen time.

The Synthients

Cybebe, Octacles and Lumin8

Appearances: The Matrix Resurrections

The three machine crewmembers of the Mnemosyne.

Face of a Thug: Despite their fearsome insectoid appearances, they’re instead quite friendly. Especially Cybebe who shares a Headbutt of Love with Neo immediately after being formally introduced to him, and Lumin8 who shares a Fist Bump with Sequoia during one scene.
Insistent Terminology: They prefer Synthients instead of machines, probably due to the negative reception of the latter term as being the enemy of the Zionites.
Mechanical Insects: Cybebe has the appearance of some kind of larva, Octacles resembles a beetle and Lumin8, a stick insect.
Portmanteau: The term "synthient" is one of "synthetic" and "sentient."
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Subverted. They at first appear to be evil and bear bright red headlights, but they’re actually kind to humans and help Neo escape his captivity.
Rogue Drone: They’re machines who defied their programming and live with the humans on IO.

Characters / The Matrix: Mnemosyne

The Mnemosyne