Niobe

I believe in Neo.

Niobe is a fictional character portrayed by Jada Pinkett Smith who serves as a supporting figure across The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and The Matrix Resurrections. She also stars as a protagonist in the video game Enter the Matrix and appears in the MMORPG The Matrix Online. A human from Zion, she captains the Logos, the smallest and most maneuverable ship in the fleet, with a crew of three: herself, Ghost, and Sparks. Within the Matrix, she is recognized as one of Zion's most gifted martial artists, having survived encounters with Seraph, the Merovingian's thugs, and Smith.

Quick Facts

Series

The Matrix

First

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Last

The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

Creator

The Wachowskis

Portrayed by

Jada Pinkett Smith

Voice

Jada Pinkett Smith (Enter the Matrix)
Gina Torres (The Matrix Online)
Kimberly Brooks (The Matrix: Path of Neo)

Gender

Female

Partner

Morpheus

Lore & Background

Niobe was once romantically involved with Morpheus, but they broke apart after he began preaching the prophecy of the One, a belief Niobe never truly held. She later became involved with Commander Jason Locke. Despite her skepticism of the prophecy, she demonstrated immense faith in Neo's abilities. In The Matrix Revolutions, when questioned about giving up her ship to him, she stated she did not believe in the prophecy but believed in Neo.

She gave up her ship so that Neo could go and stop the machines. Decades later, an elderly Niobe serves as the general of human forces and leader of Io. Though initially focused on rebuilding and lacking her former fire due to fear, she regained it after speaking with Sati. She then gathered her captains for a mission to rescue Trinity, with all volunteers trusting her judgment instantly. In The Matrix Resurrections, she is revealed to have been the one to free Neo's new ally Bugs from the Matrix.

Reader's Guide

Niobe acts as the pragmatic counterbalance to Morpheus's idealism. Her relationship history includes a past romance with Morpheus that ended over his belief in the One, and a subsequent partnership with Commander Jason Locke. Persephone and The Oracle suggest she still harbors feelings for Morpheus. By the end of The Matrix Revolutions, she is seen embracing him, hinting at a renewal, though The Matrix Resurrections leaves this ambiguous while implying a domestic partnership with Freya. Her combat prowess extends beyond piloting; she has defeated Agents and survived Smith's replication. In The Matrix Online, her story takes a dark turn in Chapter 5.1 when she is shot by her subordinate Anome during a meeting at Bishop Imports, requiring a rescue mission led by Ghost in Chapter 5.2.

Did You Know?

In The Matrix Online, Niobe is voiced by Gina Torres, who played Cas in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.
Niobe performs a 270-degree flip with a hovercraft as an evasive maneuver, which apparently no previous pilot had even attempted.
Sixty years after the war, an elderly Niobe leads the human-Machine city Io and is revealed to have freed Bugs from the Matrix.
Jada Pinkett Smith received a NAACP Image Award nomination in January 2004 for her portrayal of Niobe.