Niobe

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. This act allowed Neo to reach the Source. 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 Their Own Story

During The Matrix Reloaded, Niobe displayed expert driving skills by navigating a crowded freeway network to save Morpheus from falling off a truck trailer. In The Matrix Revolutions, she performed a feat no other pilot had achieved: maneuvering the massive hovercraft Hammer through a narrow, cluttered mechanical line under heavy attack. She also executed a 270-degree flip as an evasive maneuver. Later, she surrendered her ship, the Logos, to Neo to help stop the machines. In The Matrix Resurrections, sixty years post-war, Niobe is revealed to have freed Neo's ally Bugs from the Matrix. Although she initially kept Neo locked up due to fear and a focus on safety, she eventually led a rescue mission for Trinity after reconciling her conflicting motivations with input from Freya and Sati.

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 Enter the Matrix, Niobe's voice is portrayed by Gina Torres, who also played Cas in The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions.
• Niobe successfully performed a 270-degree flip with a hovercraft, an evasive maneuver no previous pilot had ever attempted.
• In Chapter 5.1 of The Matrix Online, Niobe was shot by her trusted subordinate Anome after consuming experimental chemicals meant for Agent programs.
• Sixty years after the war, an elderly Niobe led the human-Machine city Io and freed Neo's ally Bugs from the Matrix.
• Jada Pinkett Smith received a NAACP Image Award nomination in January 2004 for her portrayal of Niobe.