The Kid (Matrix character)
- This article is about the Matrix character, for alternate meanings, see: The Kid.
The Kid is a fictional character (played by Clayton Watson) from The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and The Animatrix short - "Kid's Story". The Kid's full name is "Michael Karl Popper." This can be seen as an allusion to the philosopher Karl Popper.
Plot summary
In The Animatrix, The Kid is an individual connected to The Matrix who is brought to see the truth by Neo. His circumstance is peculiar in that he is unplugged from the Matrix after having purposely fallen from the top of a rather high building. Somehow The Kid survives this would-be fatal fall and is shown alive and well in the real world. Trinity and Neo remark:
- TRINITY: It's unbelievable. I didn't think self-substantiation was possible.
- NEO: Apparently it is.
Following the events of The Animatrix, The Kid makes his first live appearance in The Matrix Reloaded. While possessing a minor role at best (with but a few lines of unimportant dialogue - though his handing of the spoon to Neo could signify something greater), his actions in The Matrix Revolutions were integral to the salvation of Zion. During the Final Battle at the Dock, The Kid piloted the deceased Captain Mifune's APU and destroyed a chain which held an entrance gate closed. With the gate now open(ing), the hovercraft, the Hammer, was able to enter the dock and set off its EMP, successfully disabling all the attacking sentinels within the dock.
Prior to The Matrix Revolutions, some had speculated as to whether or not The Kid was Neo's successor as "The One," however, there is at this point no conclusive evidence to support this theory.
The Kid's latest appearance has been in The Matrix Comics Vol. 2, released in December of 2004 by Burlyman Entertainment (The Wachowski Brothers' comic publishing company), in the story entitled "I Kant." The story essentially revolves around Morpheus' (also in his first appearance after the events of The Matrix Revolutions) efforts to see The Kid through the jump program, as he did for Neo in The Matrix.
While still being considered part of the Matrix canon, the story is not written by the Wachowski brothers, and instead is written and drawn by Kaare Andrews.
The Kid is also said to be involved in the MMORPG The Matrix Online, which was released in the U.S. in January of 2005.