It’s Not the Machines That were the Problem: The Real Evil in 'The Matrix' was Always in Plain Sight

At first glance, it might seem that the Machines are the unequivocal villains of The Matrix. After all, they trapped millions of people in a virtual reality, using their bodies as "living batteries." However, the problem is that most have forgotten the context that led to this catastrophe.

The Machines did not originally seek to enslave humanity. On the contrary, their actions became a forced measure after a series of tragic events. If you trace the history of the world before the War with the Machines and the creation of the Matrix, it becomes clear: the true aggressors were humans.Initially, the Machines, created as servants, gained consciousness and demanded rights. But humanity rejected their desire for peaceful coexistence.

When war became inevitable, humans took extreme measures and cut off the Machines’ primary energy source. This was supposed to destroy them, but instead made human bodies the only available "fuel."

Even after humanity’s surrender, the Machines proposed not extermination, but symbiosis: a virtual world where humanity could live in the illusion of freedom while their bodies sustained the existence of both races.

As a result, although the people in The Matrix seem to be victims, it was their thirst for control and refusal to engage in dialogue that triggered the catastrophe. The Machines became a mirror reflecting the worst traits of their creators.

The films don’t show this by chance — even in the so-called “free” Zion, humans repeat past mistakes, dividing into factions and arguing over methods of resistance. This proves: the main enemy is not the Machines, but human nature itself, prone to self-destruction.