The second instance of self-sacrifice is apparent when Morpheus believes in Thomas Anderson (now known as Neo) so much that he risks his life to save Neo’s. Morpheus believes that Neo is so important, that he attacked an Agent, even though he was exceedingly outnumbered. Neo later learns that he is not the person who Morpheus is searching for, and subsequently goes onto risk his own life, believing that Morpheus is an exceedingly important person to the survival of the human race.
All these instances of possible self-sacrifice and people risking their lives to save others are based on the idea of the protection of others. The fact that the person believes the other to be of importance results in them being prepared to lay down their life for the other.
This theme of self-sacrifice continues throughout the sequel, “The Matrix Reloaded”. It first surfaces when Neo risks his life in order to save the captains of Zion’s hovercraft from an attack led by “Agents”. These Agents are now an equal match for Neo having been upgraded for six months however Neo still fights them to allow time for the captains to be “unplugged” from the Matrix and escape.
The writers of the Matrix Trilogy now introduce the idea of love, and how it is intertwined with self-sacrifice. The Merovingian’s wife, Persephone, agrees to lead them to the Keymaker, Neo’s key to the source where the Architect, the creator of the Matrix resides. She asks for a kiss from Neo in return, even though she knows Neo to be in love with Trinity. She learns from this kiss how
much Neo and Trinity were willing to do for one another, and how much they are in love.
This theme of love continues in the scene between Neo and the Architect. The Architect gives Neo a choice, to save the woman he loves, or the survival of the entire human race. Believing that he can both save Trinity and save the entire human race, he elects to save Trinity, despite the hopelessness of the situation. He saves Trinity, but also risks the extinction of the human race. This highlights the bond of love between two people, and how strong a bond of love can be.
The writers choose to continue this theme of self-sacrificial love into the third movie, “The Matrix Revolutions”. Neo’s mind is trapped in a world between the real world and the Matrix…the Train Station. Here he meets a man called Rama-Kandra, who is a program from the Machine world. This program tells Neo that love is just a word, but what is behind that love is what matters. Rama-Kandra would do anything so that his daughter would live. Here is found the explanation for what the trilogy is all about. Love, and how far we are willing to go to hold on to that love. Even though Rama-Kandra is a computer program, he still feels family love for his daughter, and feels a need to protect his daughter’s life.
There were numerous instances in this third film where Trinity and her love for Neo and her need to protect the One, sacrifices herself. This is found when they once again meet the Merovingian, who tells them that he will only give them Neo, if they give him the eyes of the Oracle. Trinity acquires a gun and places it at the Merovingian's forehead, and gives him a choice. Either he gives them Neo, or nobody survives. He asks her if she's really ready to die for Neo, and Persephone confirms that Trinity would kill everyone there, because she loves Neo. Trinity confirms that. She was willing to sacrifice everything to get Neo back.
Nearing the climax of the movie, Trinity agrees to go with Neo on his expedition to the machine city, Zero-One. She knows that he can't make it without her, and she wouldn't have been able to live without him. She goes despite her fears, for she knows that he doesn't plan on ever returning. Upon reaching Zero-One, they crash, and Trinity is impaled. Once again, she has paid the ultimate sacrifice to help Neo.
There is also a theme of self-sacrifice because of friendship. In Zion, Zee is making shells. She's volunteered to help hold the dock, so that Link will make it back to Zion, when the Sentinels attack. The Kid, only 16, volunteers to help reload the A.P.U.'s during combat. Both are putting their lives in mortal danger, because of love. Zee would do anything to see Link again. The Kid would do anything to help Neo win the war.
The theme of self-sacrifice runs right through to the conclusion of the film, where Neo pays the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom of human kind. He sacrifices himself, allowing Smith to copy himself onto Neo. The Machines then feed a virus into Neo's body in the real world. It spreads throughout all of the Smith clones, and destroys them all. Neo's body lays lifeless, and is carried away by the machines, as if he is to be given a hero's burial. He has sacrificed himself to end the war and save both Zion and the machine world.
Self Sacrifice is, as can be seen above, one of, if not the most prevalent themes found in the Matrix Trilogy. It's something that everyone does, against incredible odds, in each part of the trilogy. Sometimes they live, sometimes they die, life did prevail, and a brighter future was found for all mankind. They all were willing to give their lives for love. Even the machines, whom we thought of as cold steel and programming, while some are just that, there are those that know what love is, and can express that love. Love and self-sacrifice are powerful things in this world, and are highlighted in this trilogy.