All of Neo’s Powers in The Matrix Franchise, Ranked

Keanu Reeves’ Neo from The Matrix films has always been super powerful. Time and again, he has left his allies, enemies, and the viewers flabbergasted with his skills. He can fold backwards like a pretzel to dodge bullets (or just stop them in midair with sheer will power), he can fly, and cause serious damage to anything he hits. Sure, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) are strong, but they’ve largely got nothing on Neo, who can basically change, edit, or delete lines of code at will, which gives him powers beyond comprehension.

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As explained in the films, Neo being The One connects him to the Source, giving him near-endless control over the code that makes up the Matrix. From super strength to the power of flight, Neo has it all. Here is a list of all his major (super)powers, ranked by their coolness:

7) Super Strength

Neo has incredible strength when inside the Matrix. In fact, his physical strength is immeasurable, with him able to destroy whatever he faces with a mere touch. He can punch massive holes in walls and even rip out concrete with his bare hands. We see this strength when he is fighting Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) at the conclusion of The Matrix Revolutions. One can probably attribute this ability to his wireless link to the code, which allows him immense control over it. This means that he has access to far more physical strength than his cohorts, including Trinity and even Morpheus, who are incredibly strong themselves.

6) Detect Changes Within the Matrix

Unlike other resistance fighters, Neo, as the One, can see the lines of code that make up the Matrix. Neo can easily see the programs he’s facing and how they work inside the Matrix, letting him spot enemies without getting caught himself. He can also detect, or rather feel, if any of these programs and lines of code change. His status as the One means that he shares a unique connection to the Matrix, giving him the ability to tell if and when a new program is introduced or the code is edited.

5) Healing

Neo can heal anyone within the Matrix should he choose to do so. It doesn’t matter if they are terminally ill or dying from a mortal wound. He can just reach in and delete or edit the particular line of code, and the person in question will be as good as new. We see this power in action when Trinity gets shot, an injury which nearly kills her. Neo simply reaches inside her body, removes the bullet, and restarts her heart. Anyone with the programming of the One is virtually a messiah inside the Matrix and may go so far as to use saved code to “resurrect” dead loved ones.

4) Invulnerability

While Neo can be hurt and even bleed inside the Matrix, he can also take a hit, or several. Trinity and Morpheus are pretty durable themselves, but their endurance comes nowhere near Neo’s. He can survive crashing from great heights and even being shot. Combined with his superhuman strength, his near-invulnerability makes him a formidable fighter, to say the least. Since the Source needs the One to reload the Matrix, they need to ensure his survival, which is probably why they give him this power.

3) Near-clairvoyance

There were a couple of times when Neo exhibited what can only be referred to as clairvoyance. In The Matrix Reloaded, he had a vision of Trinity falling to her death from a skyscraper. The Oracle called this “the sight,” a power that let him see events, but only ones he can wrap his head around. At the Mobil Ave. station, too, he foresaw the future, seeing a glimpse of an infinite line of Sentinels preparing to attack. While his powers of precognition aren’t very strong, at least compared to the Oracle, they are still a major ability.

2) Telekinesis

One of Neo’s strongest and most visually appealing powers is something that can only be described as telekinesis. This is what allowed him to bend the spoon and even, in one of the most iconic scenes of the franchise, stop bullets mid-air. In The Matrix Resurrections, after he gets his powers back, we see him again use this power to send a missile flying toward a helicopter. He does seem to struggle from the effort, though, but by the end of the film, he has again achieved full control of his telekinetic abilities.

1) Flight

While it’s super cool to watch Neo stop bullets with just a thought, it still does not compare to the vision of him hurtling through the air at super speed. His power of flight is likely related to his telekinesis, itself built around his ability to bend Matrix code, and lets him cover huge distances in a matter of minutes. We see this in The Matrix Reloaded when he flies from the Merovingian’s mountain manor to the highway that is 500 miles away. It can be estimated that in the sequence he’s flying somewhere in the vicinity of 3000 miles per hour at the very least. Later in the film we see the vacuum left in his wake as he flies to save Trinity, the vortex sucks in multiple vehicles and wrecks buildings in his wake. This means he can probably fly faster than Mach 4 when he wants.