The Matrix Is An Alternate Terminator Timeline

The Matrix and Terminator, two of the best post-apocalyptic sci-fi stories, could exist as alternate timelines, according to this fan theory.

The Matrix and Terminator are two of the most important sci-fi works in recent history, and there are a few theories that connect these two sagas. Despite being very different films, both Terminator and The Matrix explore the idea of a future in which the machines take over. This is a direct reflection of the time both movies were made – the late 20th century and early 21st century – in which humanity was about to make a huge leap in terms of technology.

Hollywood has always been fascinated by post-apocalyptic stories, and there are not many movies that compare to Terminator and The Matrix in terms of impact on pop culture. While some entries like Terminator 2: Judgment Day and the original Matrix were much better received than others like Terminator: Salvation and the Matrix sequels, the influence of James Cameron and the Wachowskis’ films on other works of science fiction is still felt. Thanks to concepts like time travel and conscious machines, Terminator and The Matrix have always been receptive to fan theories, including those that connect the two films.

Of the many theories that try to place The Matrix in the Terminator universe or vice versa, one quite interesting theory (via Reddit) claims that The Matrix and its sequels happened in an alternate Terminator timeline – one in which the T-800 successfully completes his mission and kills Sarah Connor. According to this theory, without John Connor ever being born to be a hero and lead humanity, Skynet would have no obstacles to taking over the world. However, as a last, desperate resource in the fight against Skynet, the surviving humans would scorch the sky so that the machines could never use solar power to recharge. That would lead right into the established events of The Matrix, in which the machines decided to use humans as batteries instead of killing them.

Having now full control over the world and guaranteed their eternal survival, the machines would no longer need to risk maintaining a time-travel technology that humans could weaponize. This would explain why the time travel element is never addressed in The Matrix. Something that could debunk this theory, however, is the animated film Animatrix. In the short-films collection, which is considered Matrix canon, the events that led to the machines’ first rebellion against humans are shown – and they are nothing like the events of the Judgement Day from the Terminator franchise. That said, even considering that Animatrix is canon, nothing guarantees that the story being told in that short is an accurate portrayal of reality. In fact, the “The Second Renaissance” episode pictures the machines as being initially the victims, which could have been an initial form of propaganda before the machines decided to create the Matrix.

While there are some flaws in this theory, the Terminator universe and its many alternate timelines make possible connections to The Matrix and other sci-fi stories plausible. For example, from the first Terminator to Terminator: Dark Fate, the beginning of Skynet’s domination and how everything played out has had different versions. Terminator and The Matrix are franchises that stand on their own, but that does not make it any less interesting to theorize about how one story can be part of the other.